Drug Discovery News and Research

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The drug discovery process begins with recognizing a disease or clinical condition in which there is a lack of adequate medical treatment. Once a potential drug has been identified, pre-clinical research can begin. This process includes several stages; the first of which involves identifying and validating the prospective drug’s target through assay development, high throughput screening, hit identification and finally, lead optimization. Once the pre-clinical process is complete, the newly synthesized drug candidate is selected for future clinical development.

ADDF awards ADispell 170,750 grant to develop drugs against Alzheimer's Disease

The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) announced that it has awarded a grant of $170,750 to ADispell Inc. to develop small molecule drugs designed to halt the progression of cognition loss that occurs with Alzheimer's Disease.

21 Mar 2011

Tiny Locked Nucleic Acid-based compounds inhibit entire disease-associated microRNA families

A study published online in this week's Nature Genetics demonstrates that tiny Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA)-based compounds developed by Santaris Pharma A/S can inhibit entire disease-associated microRNA families. This provides a potential new approach for treating a variety of diseases including cancer, viral infections, cardiovascular and muscle diseases.

21 Mar 2011

Vitamin A may play key role in sperm cell formation and development of central nervous system

In a recently-published study mapping the structure and function of the so-called "orphan" nuclear receptor TR4, Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) investigators suggest that Vitamin A may play a more direct role than was previously known in certain physiological functions including sperm cell formation and the development of the central nervous system.

18 Mar 2011

pIMAGO nanopolymer can test cancer drug efficacy against biochemical processes

A Purdue University scientist's nanopolymer would make it easier and cheaper for drug developers to test the effectiveness of a widely used class of cancer inhibitors.

17 Mar 2011

Shanghai ChemPartner signs outsource research service agreement with Shenogen Pharma

ShangPharma Corporation, a leading China-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology research and development outsourcing company, today announced that its wholly-owned contract research subsidiary, Shanghai ChemPartner, has signed an outsource research service agreement with Shenogen Pharma Group to develop therapeutic monoclonal antibodies targeting the ER-alpha 36 receptor for cancer treatment.

16 Mar 2011

Researchers discover 3-D structure of key biological receptor

Researchers have solved the three-dimensional structure of a key biological receptor. The finding has the potential to speed drug discovery in many areas, from arthritis to respiratory disorders to wound healing, because it enables chemists to better examine and design molecules for use in experimental drugs.

16 Mar 2011

Backscattering interferometry can precisely measure membrane protein interactions

A new laser technique has demonstrated that it can measure the interactions between proteins tangled in a cell's membrane and a variety of other biological molecules. These extremely difficult measurements can aid the process of drug discovery.

16 Mar 2011

NMS announces license agreement with Novartis

Nerviano Medical Sciences, the largest pharmaceutical R&D facility in Italy and one of the leading oncology-focused, integrated discovery and development companies in Europe, today announced a license agreement with Novartis.

16 Mar 2011

Enzo Life Sciences introduces ELISA system to detect SMN protein

Enzo Biochem, Inc. and the Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation today announced that Enzo's wholly owned subsidiary, Enzo Life Sciences Inc., has launched a unique immunoassay system which can be used for the identification and detection of Survival Motor Neuron protein.

16 Mar 2011

InhibOx and COSMIC discoveries align to deliver full service drug discovery offering

InhibOx Ltd (spin-out of Oxford, UK) and the COSMIC Discoveries (the independent service arm of the Institute of Life Sciences, Hyderabad, India) today announce that they have formed a close strategic partnership to deliver a full service drug discovery service offering, incorporating expert computational, medicinal and synthetic chemistry design capabilities. Both commercial organizations, linked to world-leading academic institutes, have built their services on advanced proprietary science and technology. Together, they offer unique capabilities that are able to address the most demanding drug discovery challenges on behalf of biotech and pharmaceutical companies worldwide.

15 Mar 2011

KAI initiates enrollment in KAI-4169 Phase 2 study for secondary hyperparathyroidism

KAI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held drug discovery and development company, today announced enrollment of the first patients in a Phase 2 study of KAI-4169, a novel pharmaceutical agent being tested for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT), which is a frequent and serious complication of end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

14 Mar 2011

SOM Biotech closes first financing round and files patent application

SOM Biotech, a biopharmaceutical start-up company with a business model centered on the identification and development of drug repurposing opportunities, reports significant progress on its trajectory towards pipeline development and candidate outlicensing.

14 Mar 2011

New international research project to identify antibiotics against tuberculosis

Scientists are collaborating on a new international research project to identify antibiotics that can kill tuberculosis and fight resistant strains.

14 Mar 2011

Bill Gates and Schrödinger co-founder invest in Nimbus to advance large B-cell lymphoma programs

Nimbus Discovery LLC, a biopharmaceutical company using state-of the-art computational technology to discover novel medicines against exciting but difficult-to-drug disease targets, today announced an extension of its seed round with an investment by Bill Gates and Dr. Richard Friesner, the co-founder of Schrödinger and Professor of Chemistry at Columbia University. Atlas Venture, the founding investor, also participated.

11 Mar 2011

Scientific advances at Scripps Research lay foundation for new lupus drug Benlysta

Scientific advances at The Scripps Research Institute were key to laying the foundation for the new drug Benlysta® (belimumab), approved today by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Benlysta®, which treats the most common type of lupus, is the first in a new class of pharmaceuticals that prevents the body from attacking its own critical tissues.

11 Mar 2011

Eisai, Epizyme partner to develop and commercialize EZH2 epigenetic enzyme

Epizyme, Inc. announced today a worldwide partnership with Eisai Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan to discover, develop and commercialize therapeutics targeting EZH2, an epigenetic enzyme, for the treatment of lymphoma and other cancers in genetically-defined patients.

11 Mar 2011

Idera reports $6.0 million net loss for fourth quarter 2010

Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2010.

10 Mar 2011

CRT, ICR sign deal with ZoBio to discover and develop cancer drugs

Cancer Research Technology and The Institute of Cancer Research have signed a deal with Dutch drug discovery company, ZoBio BV, to discover and develop drugs to block a DNA repair target which may play a role in cancer cell survival.

10 Mar 2011

Mississippi researchers work on drug discovey for poison ivy skin rash

Each year nearly 50 million Americans develop an annoying skin rash after coming in contact with poison ivy. But University of Mississippi researchers are working on a pharmaceutical product to rein in the allergic reaction in people already sensitive to the plants and prevent it altogether in those who aren't.

8 Mar 2011

Ambry, RainDance enter new collaboration to develop and commercialize ADME screening

RainDance Technologies, Inc. and Ambry Genetics, today announced a new collaboration focused on the development and commercialization of a comprehensive drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion genetic screening panel for use on next-generation sequencing systems.

8 Mar 2011

Drug Discovery News and Research

Further Reading

ADDF awards ADispell 170,750 grant to develop drugs against Alzheimer's Disease

Tiny Locked Nucleic Acid-based compounds inhibit entire disease-associated microRNA families

Vitamin A may play key role in sperm cell formation and development of central nervous system

pIMAGO nanopolymer can test cancer drug efficacy against biochemical processes

Shanghai ChemPartner signs outsource research service agreement with Shenogen Pharma

Researchers discover 3-D structure of key biological receptor

Backscattering interferometry can precisely measure membrane protein interactions

NMS announces license agreement with Novartis

Enzo Life Sciences introduces ELISA system to detect SMN protein

InhibOx and COSMIC discoveries align to deliver full service drug discovery offering

KAI initiates enrollment in KAI-4169 Phase 2 study for secondary hyperparathyroidism

SOM Biotech closes first financing round and files patent application

New international research project to identify antibiotics against tuberculosis

Bill Gates and Schrödinger co-founder invest in Nimbus to advance large B-cell lymphoma programs

Scientific advances at Scripps Research lay foundation for new lupus drug Benlysta

Eisai, Epizyme partner to develop and commercialize EZH2 epigenetic enzyme

Idera reports $6.0 million net loss for fourth quarter 2010

CRT, ICR sign deal with ZoBio to discover and develop cancer drugs

Mississippi researchers work on drug discovey for poison ivy skin rash

Ambry, RainDance enter new collaboration to develop and commercialize ADME screening

Drug Discovery - Second Edition eBook

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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