Drug developers have a new target to aim at in the fight against
obesity after the discovery that a certain protein in the body
stimulates the formation of fat cells.
Avecia Biologics has signed a development and manufacturing deal
with US firm BaroFold, making use of the company's protein
processing technology to produce its lead interferon-based multiple
sclerosis (MS) candidate.
Netherlands-based DSM has invested an undisclosed sum in Danish
purification technology company Upfront Chromatography to boost its
protein separation business.
Wyeth has signed a license agreement with French firm Flamel
Technologies to apply the company's second innovative drug delivery
technology to one of its protein therapeutics.
An award-winning therapeutic protein technology, touted as superior
to antibodies, has attracted venture capitalist investment for its
owners, the Swiss biotech Molecular Partners.
The worlds of biochemistry and electronics have collided after
scientists successfully developed a biosensor that can measure a
drug's effectiveness without killing the cells it is trying to
analyse.
A new living cell-based skin graft technology is being hailed by
its inventors as a 'clinical breakthrough in regenerative medicine'
following early-stage trial results, published yesterday.
An unusual drug that contains a crucial boron atom can effectively
treat fungal infections, and could also prove invaluable in the
effort to counter antibacterial drug resistance.
Taiwan looks to benefit from a new alliance with Canada-based
ProMetic BioTherapeutics, which will provide a proprietary
manufacturing process to extract plasma proteins for drugs.
Agilent has launched a new tool that removes the 14 most abundant
proteins found in blood plasma and serum to speed up the discovery
and identification of low-abundance proteins and biomarkers.
In this week's review of activity within the preclinical research
services arena, new deals have emerged involving Gene Bridges,
Panacos Pharmaceuticals, and GenScript.
SAFC Pharma, the contract manufacturing arm of Sigma-Aldrich, has
announced it has completed the construction of two protein active
pharmaceutical ingredient (API) facilities at its US manufacturing
site.
Pressure BioSciences (PBI) is set to release a new lightweight
version of its pressure cycling instrument to control biomolecular
interactions, after a downsized demo model proved surprisingly
popular.
A new piece of equipment could enable scientists to study changes
in protein structure, including those necessary to cancer tumour
growth, both faster and more accurately, according to its
developers.
Scientists have used a biochemical chip to explain the important
role a certain protein plays in the mating habits of yeast cells.
The finding could lead to new cancer drugs with fewer side effects.
Scientists have shown it is possible to mimic the complex stable
structure of natural proteins using a different type of amino acid
building block, potentially opening the door to more effective,
longer-lasting biologic drugs.
The new Metabolomics system from ESA promises to speed up biomarker
discovery and reduce the overwhelming amounts of data often
associated with these studies.
Researchers in Belgium have succeeded in using plant seeds to
produce high yields of proteins that bear a strong resemblance to
human antibodies, thus bringing the possibility of using plant
systems as an inexpensive alternative to...
Researchers have published an 'atlas' showing how proteins can
change shape and interact with other molecules, which could prove
an invaluable tool to drug developers.
The UK's Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has pledged its
support to an ultrasound spectroscopy project conducted by LGC, to
evaluate its potential as a Process Analytical Tool (PAT) for
non-destructive testing, real time...
Integra Biosciences is hailing its novel cell culture system as
being responsible for dramatically transforming the effectiveness
of small-scale antibody production.
Nautilus Biotech and Creabilis Therapeutics have actively
demonstrated the increase in biological activity and resistance to
proteolysis in vitro of a protein that could play a role in
hepatitis B, rheumatoid arthritis, melanoma and...
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals has announced they have entered into
collaboration with Ablynx in a deal, which aims to commercialise a
class of antibody-derived therapeutic proteins targeting diseases
that include oncology and Alzheimer's...
Isogenica has entered into a research and licence option agreement
with UCB for the discovery of novel peptide ligands, which UCB
intends to incorporate into therapeutic products.
Findings from new study have offered an innovative profile of an
enzyme that aids tumour growth, which points towards a potential
new target for treatments for ovarian and breast cancers.
Applied Biosystems has announced the availability of the first
laboratory system that uses mass spectrometry to perform amino acid
analysis, greatly improving the effectiveness and reliability of
the data obtained.
Biotechnology firm Apollo claims to have achieved mission
impossible in the oral delivery of insulin by successfully lowering
blood glucose levels in diabetic rats using its proprietary oral
delivery technology.
The use of synthetic DNA formed into crosses can produce
biodegradable and inexpensive hydrogels that have applications in
the controlled release of drugs, new research indicates.
Researchers have isolated a protein that appears to encourage cell
movement when tumours begin to spread to other parts of the body
opening up the way for a drug that could block the beginning of
this dangerous process, or stop it...
A new technology promises to speed up the categorisation of
proteins, reducing the time consuming and laborious process whilst
aiding in the detection and treatment of disease.
Seattle drug firm ZymoGenetics has taken Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS)
to court for infringement of its fusion protein technology patents
by several products, including arthritis medication Orencia
(abatacept).
Bionas has launched a product for in vitro profiling the
metabolic activity of cells to understand cellular function that
could prove highly useful in drug discovery and development.
Even with the most advanced analytical equipment, elucidating the
complete conformational characteristics of proteins still
represents mission impossible, often making their formulation
problematic, yet there are always ways to improve...
Aegis Therapeutics has unveiled a new formulation technology
employing non-toxic excipients that maintain the physical stability
and physiological activity of protein and peptide therapeutics
while reducing immunogenicity.
Researchers in the US have developed an exciting new tool that
enables scientists to watch cell chemical activity in real-time.
The tool's development has major implications for speeding up new
drug design.
SR Pharma has recruited Genzyme, BioSpring and OctoPlus to
formulate and manufacture its lead RNAi therapeutic product Atu027
to good manufacturing practice (GMP) standards, as its liposomal
drug delivry system moves forward.
Frost & Sullivan has awarded biopharmaceutical firm Cytogenix
with its 2006 award for innovation in biotechnology processing for
its cell-free manufacturing method that enables generation of large
quantities of high-purity DNA...
Biotechnology firm SR Pharma has announced a technical breakthrough
in the formulation of siRNA drugs, enabling them to be stored at
room temperature and reconstituted in one simple step, thus
extending shelf life and making administration...
A membrane protein factory, which represents over half of all known
drug targets could lead to new and improved pharmaceutical
treatments for a broad range of illnesses such as depression, heart
disease, addictions and cystic fibrosis.
As demand for protein-based drugs increases, Pall has introduced a
new type of mixed-mode chromatography sorbents that make protein
purification faster and cheaper.