Biotechnology News and Research

RSS

Perfadex improves survival in lung tranplant patients: Study

A recently published study in The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation shows that the patients who are most seriously ill before lung tranplantation have better one-year survival when Perfadex is used as the preservation solution for donor lungs compared with UW solution. Furthermore, the patients who received lungs preserved in Perfadex ran a significantly lower risk of being affected by rejection reactions requiring treatment.

30 Aug 2010

IriSys signs business alliance agreement with Xcelience

IriSys and Xcelience have entered into a business alliance agreement to advance the ability to streamline access to CMC and regulatory expertise for North American pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

30 Aug 2010

Genzyme responds to Sanofi-Aventis' unsolicited acquisition proposal

Genzyme Corp. today confirmed that it has received an unsolicited, non-binding proposal from Sanofi-Aventis to acquire all the outstanding shares of Genzyme for $69 per share in cash. The Genzyme board of directors met last night, unanimously affirmed its previous rejection of Sanofi's proposal, and instructed the company to send Sanofi the following response letter:

30 Aug 2010

Protalix common stock receives approval for Tel Aviv Stock Exchange listing

Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc.,a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of recombinant therapeutic proteins expressed through its proprietary plant cell based expression system, today announced that the Company's common stock has been approved for listing on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in addition to its current listing on the NYSE Amex.

30 Aug 2010

KIKA Clinical Solutions releases Veracity 3.10 Clinical Asset Management EDC platform

KIKA™ Clinical Solutions continues to drive EDC technology innovation with Veracity™ 3.10, the latest release of its market-leading, advanced EDC platform. KIKA is the leading provider of advanced EDC solutions for Clinical Asset Management™ for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device markets.

30 Aug 2010

Biomagnetics Diagnostics to acquire Hubei Tianyuan Chemical

Biomagnetics Diagnostics Corp., a developer of revolutionary diagnostic systems and technology for HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis and malaria detection, and other innovative technologies, today announced the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Hubei Tianyuan Chemical Co., Ltd. of Yangxin Nacheng Chemical Industry Zone, located in Hubei Province, China.

27 Aug 2010

Charles River announces new $300 million accelerated stock repurchase program

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. announced today that it has implemented an accelerated stock repurchase (ASR) program to repurchase $300 million of common stock, as part of its previously announced authorization from its Board of Directors to repurchase up to $500 million of common stock. The new ASR program will enable the Company to facilitate, on a more timely and cost efficient basis, the repurchase of a substantial number of its shares pursuant to that stock repurchase authorization.

27 Aug 2010

Genentech receives FDA Refuse to File letter for accelerated approval of trastuzumab-DM1 BLA

ImmunoGen, Inc., a biotechnology company that develops antibody-based targeted anticancer products, today announced that Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, today announced its receipt of a Refuse to File (RTF) letter from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the accelerated approval of the Biologic License Application (BLA) for trastuzumab-DM1, or T-DM1, submitted in July 2010.

27 Aug 2010

'Molecular Diagnostics Europe' conference debuts at BIOTECHNICA 2010

BIOTECHNICA, Europe's Leading Exhibition for Biotechnology and Life Sciences, is broadening its portfolio to include a new conference and special display on molecular diagnostics. Produced by the Cambridge Healthtech Institute, a leading organizer of biomedical conferences in the United States, the "Molecular Diagnostics Europe" (MDxEU) conference is making its debut this year. The main focus will be on new methods for molecular diagnostics, particularly with regard to cancer and infectious diseases.

27 Aug 2010

Luminex launches FDA-cleared xTAG Cystic Fibrosis 60 Kit v2 diagnostic test

Luminex Corporation, the worldwide leader in multiplexed solutions, today announced the full commercial launch of its xTAG Cystic Fibrosis 60 Kit v2, a new diagnostic test that can simultaneously screen a single blood sample for up to 60 cystic fibrosis-causing genetic mutations in a matter of hours.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 27 Aug 2010

ISCO's therapeutic program not affected by stem cell research federal fund ban

International Stem Cell Corporation announced today that the recent action of a federal district judge blocking federal funding of embryonic stem cell research is not expected to have negative effects on ISCO's therapeutic programs using its human parthenogenetic stem cells.

27 Aug 2010

FDA denies accelerated approval of Genentech's trastuzumab-DM1 (T-DM1) BLA for metastatic breast cancer

In its review of the BLA, the FDA stated the T-DM1 trials did not meet the standard for accelerated approval because all available treatment choices approved for metastatic breast cancer, regardless of HER2 status, had not been exhausted in the study population.

27 Aug 2010

Bioheart reports promising result for congestive heart failure treatment with stem cell therapy

Bioheart, Inc., announces that the treatments and 3 month follow up with stem cell therapy on the first two congestive heart failure patients has been performed successfully at Hospital Angeles Tijuana through its Center of Excellence, Regenerative Medicine Institute of Tijuana, Mexico.

27 Aug 2010

AgeneBio receives grant to develop neural stabilizer therapy for amnestic mild cognitive impairment

The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) announced today that it has awarded a grant of $240,000 to AgeneBio Inc. to develop a new class of small-molecules that have promise in treating amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), a neurological condition that often progresses to Alzheimer's disease and affects more than 3 million aging Americans.

27 Aug 2010

FORTUNE ranks China-Biotics 62nd on 2010 'Fastest-Growing Companies' list

China-Biotics, Inc., a leading developer, manufacturer and distributor of probiotics products in China, today announced that the Company is ranked 62nd on FORTUNE's 2010 "Fastest-Growing Companies" list.

26 Aug 2010

YFALS Campaign to appear in Milwaukee, Atlanta and Seattle

The Young Faces of ALS Campaign raises awareness of ALS and those diagnosed with the progressive neurodegenerative disease at a young age. Starting today, the campaign will make stops at Major League Baseball ballparks in Milwaukee, Atlanta and Seattle.

26 Aug 2010

Momenta Pharmaceuticals provides update on generic Lovenox litigation

Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company specializing in the characterization and engineering of complex drugs, today announced that on August 25, 2010, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia denied sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC's request for a preliminary injunction directing the FDA to suspend and withdraw its approval of the Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) filed by the Company's collaboration partner, Sandoz, for enoxaparin sodium injection USP, a generic version of Lovenox®. The decision is subject to appeal.

26 Aug 2010

MIT's Technology Review announces 2010 TR35 annual list of young innovators

MIT's Technology Review today announced the 2010 TR35, its annual list of 35 outstanding men and women under the age of 35 who exemplify the spirit of innovation in business and technology. This year's winners have created innovations over a wide variety of fields, including energy, biomedicine, communications, IT, transportation, and the Web.

26 Aug 2010

FibroGen announces study results of recombinant human type III collagen in corneal damage

FibroGen, Inc., today announced results of a 2-year clinical study demonstrating that surgical implantation of biosynthetic corneas formulated with the company's proprietary recombinant human type III collagen (rhCIII) restored vision and promoted nerve regeneration (restoring sensitivity) in patients who had corneal damage and significant vision loss.

26 Aug 2010

Advaxis' 'Prokaryotic peptides for enhancing antigen immunogenicity' European patent application allowed

Advaxis, Inc.,, the live, attenuated Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) immunotherapy company, has been notified by the European Patent Office that patent application WO2001/072329, for the use of Prokaryotic PEST-Like Peptides for Enhancing Immunogenicity of Antigen has been allowed for issuance. This patent will be #1,303,299 when granted, and will be licensed exclusively to Advaxis by the University of Pennsylvania.

26 Aug 2010