French firm Diatos has created a second generation irinotecan
cancer therapy using its patented peptide-based drug delivery
system, coming up with a drug that has greatly improved efficacy
and safety profile compared to current irinotecan...
German researchers have shown 3D cell structures better resemble
tumour phenotypes than traditional cultures, suggesting they will
make better models for testing new anticancer agents.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has taken a step closer to a true targeted
cancer therapy, and its vaccine, which 'educates' the immune system
to kill tumour cells, has showed 'impressive' results in its latest
clinical...
Britain's Eden Biodesign has been selected by Cancer Research UK as
the beneficiary of two new biomanufacturing contracts as its
biomanufacturing business continues to grow.
Micromet is sticking to its research into cell adhesion antibodies
to treat breast cancer and other tumours, hoping it will have more
luck than GlaxoSmithKline and Centocor's failed attempt.
In a round up of the latest news in pharma research, Pfizer and
Bristol-Myers Squibb have big plans for DGAT-1 in obesity and
diabetes, GlaxoSmithKline is extra keen on Exelixis' anticancer
drug, Takeda is talking TLRs and UK...
The latest in a series of periodic roundups of drugs that have
moved from preclinical research into clinical testing via the
announcement of a Phase I trial or an application for a trial to
industry regulators.
Abraxis Bioscience has bought the worldwide rights to a discovery
platform designed to generate new therapeutics and identify new
drug targets that alter the p53 tumour suppressor signalling
pathway.
The latest in a series of periodic roundups of drugs that have
moved from preclinical research into clinical testing via the
announcement of a Phase I trial or an application for a trial to
industry regulators.
GPC Biotech has withdrawn its hotly touted satraplatin New Drug
Application (NDA) for accelerated approval following last week's
less than glowing recommendation to hold off on its approval.
Cell Therapeutics has acquired oncology expert Systems Medicine
(SMi) in a deal worth up to $35m (€25.5m) that includes
worldwide rights to brostallicin that belongs to a new class of
cancer drugs.
The latest in a series of periodic roundups of drugs that have
moved from preclinical research into clinical testing via the
announcement of a Phase I trial or an application for a trial to
industry regulators.
This year's American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
conference is over and as 45,000 scientists head home,
DrugResearcher.com looks at some of the most innovative drugs that
were on show.
Histological evidence of tumour destruction has confirmed the
promise of Epeius Biotechnologies' Rexin-G as an effective targeted
gene therapy platform for metastatic cancer.
Oxigene's potentially first-in-class cancer drug is showing
promising clinical results and could rival a drug Novartis'
recently spent nearly a billion dollars on.
Over 50 per cent of proteins in the body are considered too
difficult to target with drugs; they are 'undruggable'. Yet it is
exactly these molecules US pharma firm Avalon is focussing on.
Inovio Biomedical, a US company developing novel DNA
immunotherapies and other treatments based on electroporation
technology, has reported interim data from a Phase I/II clinical
study showing that its MedPulser system significantly...
An animal model used to evaluate vaccines could be "far more
useful" to predict potential side effects than current methods,
according to its developers, AMDL.
Bacterially derived nanocells that can deliver chemotherapeutic
drugs directly to cancer cells without the shortcomings of
liposomal or viral carriers could be in clinical trials by the end
of this year, an Australian biotechnology...
Specific stem cells are thought to be the origin of many, if not
all, cancers and although there are several drugs in clinical
trials, only small companies are currently conducting research in
the area.
Lonza is betting on the growth of antibody-drug conjugates as the
way-of-the-future cancer treatments by moving to large scale
production of the emerging drug class by 2008.
The twelfth in a series of periodic roundups of drugs that have
moved from preclinical research into clinical testing via the
announcement of a Phase I trial or an application for a trial to
industry regulators.
Novartis has licensed a potential first-in-class vascular
disrupting agent from Antisoma in a deal worth up to $890m (€656m),
highlighting the company's increasing focus on the oncology market.
Pro-Pharmaceuticals is preparing to submit a New Drug Application
(NDA) for its lead product candidate, Davanat, as a functional
excipient that promises to hike the efficacy and cut the side
effects of cancer drugs.
Genentech, the world's second biggest biotech company, has shown a
strong performance in the first quarter while its main rival Amgen
is trying to regain momentum after a difficult year.
First its lead product failed a Phase III clinical trial, and now a
different anticancer drug has produced 'lacklustre' results,
leaving Neopharm with an uncertain future, according to some
industry analysts.
An exclusive license to a late stage product has enabled
Sanofi-aventis to up the stakes in a bid to be the first company to
release a dedicated cancer vaccine.
GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) new breast cancer drug has been given the
all clear to be used in the US, with the company expecting European
approval to follow later this year.
The sixth in a series of periodic roundups of drugs that have moved
from preclinical research into clinical testing via the
announcement of a Phase I trial or an application for a trial to
industry regulators.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has stopped development of several drugs,
leaving some industry experts to wonder if the company's cap on
research spending is stifling drug development.
In this week's review of activity within the preclinical research
services arena, new deals have emerged involving Immunicon,
Novartis, Southern Research Institute and Absorption Systems.
Charles River Laboratories confirmed it is persevering in its
intention to focus on its preclinical and Phase I businesses while
abandoning its late stage development services, during a conference
earlier this month.
Researchers at the University of Leeds have genetically modified a
common gut bacterium to respond to a sugar and produce a treatment
for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
The second in a series of periodic roundups of drugs that have
moved from preclinical research into clinical testing via the
announcement of a Phase I trial or an application for a trial to
industry regulators.
US-based researchers have stepped up anticancer drug usage as
dendrimer-encapsulated technology improves camptothecin solubility
10 times and accelerates drug accumulation 16 times in cell culture
studies.
Genentech has shown their faith in a blood cancer drug development
programme by licensing just one compound for up $800m (€615m),
highlighting the willingness of large pharmaceutical companies to
pay large sums for even a single drug...
Helix BioPharma and BioVectra have signed a deal for the
manufacture of Helix's new lung cancer drug for clinical trials - a
move that strengthens the already existing relationship between the
two Canadian firms.
