Fluorine News and Research

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New method to synthesize drug candidates for testing

Some drugs may be more effective the longer they last inside the body. To prevent such drugs from being broken down too rapidly, pharmaceutical manufacturers often attach a fluorine-containing structure called a trifluoromethyl group. However, the processes now used require harsh reaction conditions or only work in a small number of cases, limiting their usefulness for synthesizing new drug candidates for testing.

25 Jun 2010

MDS Nordion, Guerbet, Cyceron collaborate to develop new PET radiotracers for cancer diagnostics

MDS Nordion, a leading provider of products and services to the global health science market, Guerbet, a pharmaceutical group specialized in medical imaging, and Cyceron, a biomedical imaging centre in France, announced today they have entered into an agreement to develop new Positron Emission Tomography (PET) radiotracers for cancer diagnostics.

24 Jun 2010

Lantheus presents preliminary Phase 2 data of flurpiridaz F18 injection PET MPI at 57th SNM

Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc., a worldwide leader in diagnostic medical imaging, today announced preliminary Phase 2 data describing the methodology used to define an imaging protocol for a one-day rest-stress myocardial perfusion imaging test using its novel investigational PET imaging agent flurpiridaz F 18 injection (formerly known as BMS747158).

10 Jun 2010

PET imaging with flurpiridaz F 18 better than technetium-99m sestamibi SPECT for CAD detection

Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc., a worldwide leader in diagnostic medical imaging, today announced preliminary data from a single site participating in the multicenter Phase 2 clinical trial that showed that Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging with its novel investigational agent flurpiridaz F 18 injection (formerly known as BMS747158) provided better image quality than technetium-99m sestamibi single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), the current standard for the non-invasive detection of coronary artery disease (CAD).

8 Jun 2010

New molecular imaging agent improves diagnosis of recurrent prostate cancer

Findings of a clinical trial reported at SNM's 57th Annual Meeting indicate that a new molecular imaging agent could improve diagnosis of recurrent prostate cancer and determine the best possible course of treatment for patients.

7 Jun 2010

Avid, Cardinal Health partner to detect Alzheimer's disease in living patients

Currently, Alzheimer's disease cannot be definitively diagnosed until after death, when a brain autopsy is performed on a patient and evidence of beta-amyloid plaque deposits in the brain – which are a characteristic pathology of the disease – can be found. Accurate diagnosis during life can be challenging, particularly in the early stages of Alzheimer's, when symptoms are mild and non-definitive. However, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Inc. and Cardinal Health are working together to change that.

26 Mar 2010

Lantheus Medical Imaging announces preliminary data on flurpiridaz F 18 PET MPI agent

Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc., a worldwide leader in diagnostic imaging, today announced preliminary data on flurpiridaz F 18 (formerly known as BMS747158), its novel compound in development as a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) agent. The study of nine patients compared rest-stress flurpiridaz F 18 PET MPI, with rest-stress technetium-99m (Tc-99m) labeled single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) for the detection and evaluation of coronary artery disease (CAD).

16 Mar 2010

NJIT researcher awarded patent for functional coating compositions of perfluoroalkyl perfluoro-phthalocyanine compounds

Sergiu M. Gorun, PhD, associate professor of chemistry at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), was awarded a patent today for a novel composition of matter. “Functional Coating Compositions of Perfluoroalkyl Perfluoro-Phthalocyanine Compounds” (US Patent Number 7,670,684) discloses a new self-contained subclass of molecules.

2 Mar 2010

International Isotopes submits a license application for its uranium de-conversion and fluorine extraction project

International Isotopes Inc. announces it has submitted its license application to the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for its depleted uranium de-conversion and fluorine extraction processing facility.

3 Jan 2010

Custom-tailored anti-cancer drugs

Cancer remains a deadly threat despite the best efforts of science. New hopes were raised a few years ago with the discovery that the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells could be thwarted by blocking the action of proteasomes. Biochemists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) have illuminated a reaction pathway that does just that, in collaboration with researchers from Nereus Pharmaceuticals, based in San Diego, California. In the current issue of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, they report insights that could potentially lead to the development of custom-tailored anti-cancer drugs.

19 Aug 2009

Drug design: palladium catalyst used to attach fluorine atom to aromatic compounds

A team of MIT chemists has devised a new way to add fluorine to a variety of compounds used in many drugs and agricultural chemicals, an advance that could offer more flexibility and potential cost-savings in designing new drugs.

13 Aug 2009

Onyx Pharmaceuticals files complaint against Bayer on fluoro-sorafenib

Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it has filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California asserting its rights to a Phase 2 anti-cancer compound discovered during joint research between Onyx and Bayer.

17 May 2009

New scan may lead to better treatment for epilepsy

Australian scientists have found that new technology may help in the treatment of epilepsy.

27 Apr 2009

Mass spectrometry technique analyzes defensive chemicals on seaweed surfaces for potential drugs

A new analytical technique is helping scientists learn how organisms as simple as seaweed can mount complex chemical defenses to protect themselves from microbial threats such as fungus.

6 Apr 2009

Radiolabeled nanoparticles boost PET-CT combination imaging

In an attempt to decrease the amount of cancer-targeting nanoparticle needed to image tumors, a team of investigators at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School has developed a simple method for creating iron oxide nanoparticles labeled with 18F, a radioisotope that is easily detected using positron emission tomography (PET). The result is a nanoparticle that can be imaged using PET, computerized tomography (CT), and fluorescence imaging.

23 Feb 2009

Novel imaging reagents and technology that non-invasively locates, quantifies specific cells in the body

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) isn't just for capturing detailed images of the body's anatomy. Thanks to novel imaging reagents and technology developed by Carnegie Mellon University scientist Eric Ahrens, MRI can be used to visualize - with "exquisite" specificity - cell populations of interest in the living body. The ability to non-invasively locate and track cells, such as immune cells, will greatly aid the study and treatment of cancer, inflammation, and autoimmune diseases, as well as provide a tool for advancing clinical translation of the emerging field of cellular regenerative medicine, by tracking stem cells for example.

21 Aug 2008

Markers in blood and spinal fluid, and a new imaging agent, show promise for early detection of Alzheimer's

With the continued aging of the population and the growing epidemic of Alzheimer's, early detection of the disease is crucial for risk assessment, testing new therapies, and eventual early intervention with better drugs, once they are developed. Four studies reported today at the Alzheimer's Association's 2008 International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD 2008) in Chicago bring us closer to that goal of early detection by describing advances in biomarkers.

29 Jul 2008

ExpIND process speeds Alzheimer's drug research

Researchers are actively cutting the time and cost it normally takes to develop radiopharmaceuticals by taking advantage of "Exploratory Investigational New Drug" (ExpIND), an FDA-sanctioned procedure that enhances post-discovery drug development while observing scientific and patient safety standards.

16 Jun 2008

Fluorine-based nanoparticles on track to improve cancer detection and therapy

Perfluorocarbons, a class of inert, oily polymers, have a proven track record in a variety of clinical uses, including in contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging and in eye surgery to correct a detached retina.

18 Apr 2008

Germanium-68 may aid medical imaging, drug development

Broadway stars have understudies. Now, an increasingly popular radioactive isotope has its own stand-in.

10 Jan 2008