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.

Gilead Sciences signs definitive agreement to acquire CGI Pharmaceuticals

Gilead Sciences, Inc. and CGI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately-held, development-stage pharmaceutical company focused on small molecule chemistry and kinase biology, today announced the signing of a definitive agreement pursuant to which Gilead will acquire CGI. Under the terms of the agreement, Gilead will acquire CGI for up to $120 million, the majority as an upfront payment and the remaining based on clinical development progress, all of which will be financed through available cash on hand.

25 Jun 2010

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

New research suggests resveratrol may inhibit pathogenic blood vessel formation

Current research suggests that resveratrol, a naturally occurring compound found in red wine, grapes, blueberries, peanuts, and other plants, inhibits pathogenic new blood vessel growth.

25 Jun 2010

Infinity commences enrollment in IPI-493 Phase 1 clinical trial for advanced hematologic malignancies

Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an innovative drug discovery and development company, today announced that patients are being enrolled in a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating IPI-493 in patients with advanced hematologic malignancies. This multi-center study is the second clinical trial of IPI-493, Infinity's oral heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) chaperone inhibitor.

24 Jun 2010

Cancer Research UK launches new cutting-edge research centre at Imperial

A new cutting-edge cancer centre dedicated to robotic surgery, cancer imaging and drug discovery is launched today, putting London at the forefront of cancer research.

24 Jun 2010

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council awards £1.2 million to Bilayer Platform project

Scientists at the University of Southampton and Birkbeck College, University of London are developing a platform consisting of an array of artificial cell membranes that will enable more efficient testing of potential new drugs.

23 Jun 2010

Ensemble Discovery announces name change to Ensemble Therapeutics Corporation

Ensemble Discovery today announced that it will begin operating as Ensemble Therapeutics Corporation to reflect the Company's progress and emerging pipeline by applying its macrocycle drug platform to develop novel therapeutics. The new name, Ensemble Therapeutics, conveys the company's leadership and advancement in developing novel macrocycle drug compounds that are small molecules with expanded therapeutic properties of large molecule biological drugs.

22 Jun 2010

EPA honors Merck and Codexis with Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award

Merck and Codexis, Inc. today announced that they have jointly been awarded the annual Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the development of a novel biocatalytic method for the synthesis of sitagliptin. In addition, a paper co-authored by Merck and Codexis scientists and published online June 17 in the peer-reviewed journal Science, details how an enzyme was systematically customized using Codexis technology to perform the key chemical step in the sitagliptin synthesis process.

22 Jun 2010

Essen BioScience, Nycomed partner to develop modulators of voltage-gated ion channels

Essen BioScience Inc. - a specialty provider of cell-based assay solutions and contract research services - and Nycomed - a privately owned global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland - are pleased to announce a joint discovery agreement to identify novel small molecule ion channel modulators as pain therapeutics.

From Sartorius 21 Jun 2010

9th INT'L BIO FORUM & BIO EXPO JAPAN from June 30 - July 2, 2010

9th INT'L BIO FORUM & BIO EXPO JAPAN, organized by Reed Exhibitions Japan, will come back again as Asia's largest bio-event from June 30 - July 2, 2010. "Gene diagnosis" is one of the featured topics for this year.

18 Jun 2010

Gladstone Institute researcher to receive Kyoto Prize in Advanced Technology

The non-profit Inamori Foundation (President: Dr. Kazuo Inamori) today announced that Dr. Shinya Yamanaka will receive its 26th annual Kyoto Prize in Advanced Technology, which for 2010 focuses on the fields of Biotechnology and Medical Technology. Dr. Yamanaka, 47, will receive the award for his pioneering work in developing a technology to generate pluripotent stem cells that does not require the use of human embryos.

18 Jun 2010

Curis reports net income of $4.8M for first-quarter 2010: MicroStockProfit.com

MicroStockProfit.com announces an investment report featuring Curis Inc. The report includes financial, comparative and investment analyses, and industry information you need to know to make an educated investment decision.

18 Jun 2010

Applied BioCode's novel BMB technology to be presented at Biodetection Technologies 2010 Conference

Applied BioCode, Inc. announced today a presentation to be given on their Barcoded Magnetic Beads technology at the Biodetection Technologies 2010 Conference in Arlington, Virginia. The presentation is titled "Multiplexed Assays Go Digital" and will be given by Dr. Winston Ho, President at Applied BioCode, on June 18, 2010.

18 Jun 2010

University of Utah makes progress against SMA with support of Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy

18 Jun 2010

Researchers make significant headway in fight against SMA

Researchers at the University of Utah are making strides in understanding and combating a motor neuron disease known as Spinal Muscular Atrophy. The spinal muscular atrophies are a group of inherited diseases that cause progressive degeneration of motor nerves resulting in muscle weakness. The most common form of the disorder, due to the deletion of a critical gene on chromosome 5, is currently the leading cause of inherited infant and child mortality.

18 Jun 2010

Baylor University researchers awarded grant to research and test new compounds for cancer

The National Institutes of Health has awarded two Baylor University researchers a $1.46 million grant to research and test new compounds that could help fight cancerous tumors.

18 Jun 2010

Bayer, OncoMed collaborate to develop anti-cancer stem cell therapeutics to target Wnt signaling pathway

Bayer Schering Pharma AG and OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced a global strategic alliance to discover, develop and commercialize novel anti-cancer stem cell therapeutics targeting the Wnt signaling pathway.

17 Jun 2010

OncoMed, Bayer Schering Pharma to develop and commercialize novel anti-cancer stem cell therapeutics

OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Germany, today announced a global strategic alliance to discover, develop and commercialize novel anti-cancer stem cell therapeutics targeting the Wnt signaling pathway. Cancer stem cells are a subset of tumor cells believed to play a significant role in the establishment, metastasis and recurrence of cancer.

17 Jun 2010

QR Pharma, Massachusetts General Hospital announce Parkinson's disease research collaboration

QR Pharma, Inc. (QR) and Massachusetts General Hospital announced today a new collaborative research agreement to work on a treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD).

17 Jun 2010

Oncodesign announces technology license agreement with Janssen Pharmaceutica

Oncodesign Biotechnology(R) announced today that it has signed a licensing agreement with Janssen Pharmaceutica NV (hereinafter Janssen) related to Janssen’s macrocyclic chemistry technology. Oncodesign will have exclusive access to this technology for six years.

16 Jun 2010

Drug Discovery News and Research

Further Reading

Gilead Sciences signs definitive agreement to acquire CGI Pharmaceuticals

New method to synthesize drug candidates for testing

New research suggests resveratrol may inhibit pathogenic blood vessel formation

Infinity commences enrollment in IPI-493 Phase 1 clinical trial for advanced hematologic malignancies

Cancer Research UK launches new cutting-edge research centre at Imperial

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council awards £1.2 million to Bilayer Platform project

Ensemble Discovery announces name change to Ensemble Therapeutics Corporation

EPA honors Merck and Codexis with Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award

Essen BioScience, Nycomed partner to develop modulators of voltage-gated ion channels

9th INT'L BIO FORUM & BIO EXPO JAPAN from June 30 - July 2, 2010

Gladstone Institute researcher to receive Kyoto Prize in Advanced Technology

Curis reports net income of $4.8M for first-quarter 2010: MicroStockProfit.com

Applied BioCode's novel BMB technology to be presented at Biodetection Technologies 2010 Conference

University of Utah makes progress against SMA with support of Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Researchers make significant headway in fight against SMA

Baylor University researchers awarded grant to research and test new compounds for cancer

Bayer, OncoMed collaborate to develop anti-cancer stem cell therapeutics to target Wnt signaling pathway

OncoMed, Bayer Schering Pharma to develop and commercialize novel anti-cancer stem cell therapeutics

QR Pharma, Massachusetts General Hospital announce Parkinson's disease research collaboration

Oncodesign announces technology license agreement with Janssen Pharmaceutica

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