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.

Potential new treatment for fragile X syndrome

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in collaboration with Seaside Therapeutics in Cambridge, Mass., have achieved a milestone in the development of a potential new treatment for fragile X syndrome, the most common genetic cause of autism.

16 Sep 2011

KAI enters KAI-4169 development and commercialization agreement with Ono

KAI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held drug discovery and development company, today announced the signing of an agreement with Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. for the development and commercialization in Japan of KAI-4169, KAI's lead product candidate.

15 Sep 2011

New computational method quickly predicts three-dimensional structure of protein

An Oak Ridge National Laboratory invention able to quickly predict three-dimensional structure of protein could have huge implications for drug discovery and human health.

15 Sep 2011

DiscoveryBioMed receives NIDDK grant for Cystic Fibrosis Corrector Ligand Drug Discovery program

DiscoveryBioMed, Inc. (DBM), a human cell-based drug discovery company, learned recently that its Cystic Fibrosis Corrector Ligand (CFCL) Drug Discovery program will be funded by the NIH. The two-year award will focus on validation and prioritization of several lead CFCL chemical classes, drugs that correct the most common cystic fibrosis (CF) disease-causing mutation.

14 Sep 2011

BGI, Merck collaborate to focus on biomarkers and genomic technologies

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, and BGI, the world's largest genomics center, announced today that they have established a collaboration to focus on the discovery and development of biomarkers and genomic technologies.

13 Sep 2011

Astex selects PharmaVentures to assist in divesment of CMC & Formulation Facility

PharmaVentures Limited, experts in deals and alliances, are pleased to announce that they have been engaged by leading drug discovery company, Astex Pharmaceuticals to seek a buyer for an established full service CMC & Formulation Facility in Pleasanton, California. The engagement will utilise PharmaVentures' asset divestment expertise in the life sciences sector.

9 Sep 2011

International researchers to assess role of pre-clinical animal models in drug discovery

The New York Academy of Sciences and the Global Medical Excellence Cluster (GMEC), in collaboration with Imperial College London and King's College London, will host a two-day scientific conference, "Animal Models and Their Value in Predicting Drug Efficacy and Toxicity," that will provide a forum to critically examine the role of pre-clinical animal models in drug discovery.

7 Sep 2011

Thermo Fisher Scientific offers siRNA libraries in Labcyte Echo qualified source plates

Labcyte Inc., a leader in miniaturization technologies for liquid handling, announced today that Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, is offering the option for customers to receive siRNA (small-interfering RNA) reagent libraries in Labcyte Echo qualified source plates.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 7 Sep 2011

Pancreatic mesenchyme plays central role in the formation of mature beta cells

A somewhat mysterious soft tissue found in the fetus during early development in the womb plays a pivotal role in the formation of mature beta cells the sole source of the body's insulin. This discovery, made by scientists at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Texas A&M University, may lead to new ways of addressing Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

7 Sep 2011

Molecular Devices adds TUNE detection cartridge to SpectraMax Paradigm Detection Platform

Today, Molecular Devices, a leading provider of instruments, software, and consumables for drug discovery and life sciences research, announced the addition of the TUNE detection cartridge to the SpectraMax Paradigm Multi-Mode Microplate Detection Platform. The breakthrough technology of TUNE with wavelength flexibility in a monochromator device and up to 10x the sensitivity will benefit both the research and screening markets.

2 Sep 2011

More strides against childhood cancer

The treatment of childhood cancer is one of the great success stories of modern medicine. A few decades ago, only 20 percent of children survived the disease. Today, overall survival rates approach 80 percent. Yet cancer remains the leading cause of death from disease in U.S. children older than 1 year of age, and some types of pediatric cancer continue to have poor survival rates.

2 Sep 2011

Special journal edition chronicles 3-D structures of important antibacterial, bioterrorist targets

The September issue of the online scientific journal Acta Crystallographica: Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications (Acta Cryst F) will consist entirely of work done at the Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease (SSGCID), a consortium of researchers from Seattle BioMed, Emerald BioStructures, the University of Washington and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

2 Sep 2011

HTG announces availability of qDiscovery miRNA WTA Version 16

HTG Molecular Diagnostics today announced the availability of the qDiscovery miRNA Whole Transcriptome Array (WTA) Version 16, a complete solution for microRNA (miRNA) analysis on any sample type or size.

30 Aug 2011

KalVista raises £8 million in series A round of funding

KalVista Pharmaceuticals, a new ophthalmology company with a focus on diabetic macular edema (DME), has raised £8 million in a series A round from leading life sciences investors Novo A/S and SV Life Sciences.

23 Aug 2011

Seven research teams across the U.S. to develop new drugs for nervous system disorders

The National Institutes of Health has made awards to investigators across the United States for an ambitious set of projects seeking to develop new drugs for disorders of the nervous system.

19 Aug 2011

Powerful X-rays help develop new drug treatment for malignant melanoma

Powerful X-ray technology developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) national laboratories is revealing new insights into diseases ranging from Alzheimer's to the swine flu, and, most recently, enabled the discovery of a groundbreaking new drug treatment for malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

19 Aug 2011

NIH/NINDS awards AMRI to develop pre-clinical drug candidate for spinal muscular atrophy

AMRI today announced it received a federal contract award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) to provide chemistry and other drug discovery technologies in support of NINDS' Medicinal Chemistry for Neurotherapeutics Program (MCNP), part of the NIH Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network.

19 Aug 2011

Drug Discovery News and Research

Further Reading

Potential new treatment for fragile X syndrome

KAI enters KAI-4169 development and commercialization agreement with Ono

New computational method quickly predicts three-dimensional structure of protein

DiscoveryBioMed receives NIDDK grant for Cystic Fibrosis Corrector Ligand Drug Discovery program

BGI, Merck collaborate to focus on biomarkers and genomic technologies

Astex selects PharmaVentures to assist in divesment of CMC & Formulation Facility

International researchers to assess role of pre-clinical animal models in drug discovery

Thermo Fisher Scientific offers siRNA libraries in Labcyte Echo qualified source plates

Pancreatic mesenchyme plays central role in the formation of mature beta cells

Molecular Devices adds TUNE detection cartridge to SpectraMax Paradigm Detection Platform

More strides against childhood cancer

Special journal edition chronicles 3-D structures of important antibacterial, bioterrorist targets

HTG announces availability of qDiscovery miRNA WTA Version 16

KalVista raises £8 million in series A round of funding

Seven research teams across the U.S. to develop new drugs for nervous system disorders

Powerful X-rays help develop new drug treatment for malignant melanoma

NIH/NINDS awards AMRI to develop pre-clinical drug candidate for spinal muscular atrophy

IRSF announces new Rett syndrome translational research awards

Temple University, URMC partner to translate novel medical research into new drugs

ACS honors MIT professor with Priestley Medal for controlled-release drug discovery

Human iPSCs: A Full Guide to Advanced in Vitro Models and Applications eBook

Latest eBooks

Industry Focus eBook - Analytical Chemistry (3rd edition)

Industry Focus eBook - Microbiome (1st edition)

Industry Focus eBook - Cell biology (5th edition)

Advancing degrader and proximity-based drug development

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo