VEGF News and Research

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VEGF is a substance made by cells that stimulates new blood vessel formation. Also called vascular endothelial growth factor.

Growing human therapeutic proteins in algae can help reduce cancer treatment cost

Pharmaceutical companies could substantially reduce the expense of costly treatments for cancer and other diseases produced from mammalian or bacterial cells by growing these human therapeutic proteins in algae-rapidly growing aquatic plant cells that have recently gained attention for their ability to produce biofuels.

9 Mar 2010

OSCC cells express VEGFR1, VEGFR2 and serve as targets and effectors for VEGF: Study

Today, during the 39th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental Research, convening at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, lead researcher M. Tong, The Ohio State University, will present a poster of a study titled "Epithelial-to-Endothelial Transition: An Epithelial Phenotypic Modulation Facilitating Oral-Squamous-Cell Carcinoma Progression."

5 Mar 2010

Comprehensive development strategy yields two potential drugs that block cancer-promoting pathways

A comprehensive drug development strategy that starts with extensive screening of potential targeting agents and then narrows down to a small-molecule prototype has yielded two potential drugs that block cancer-promoting pathways in novel ways, a team led by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports in two papers published back-to-back online at the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science.

26 Feb 2010

CPF to partner with ATS to fund Pulmonary Fibrosis research

The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis and the American Thoracic Society, the world's leading professional organization for pulmonary, critical care and sleep physicians, today announced that the CPF will again partner with the ATS to fund Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) research.

26 Feb 2010

Advanced ovarian cancer: Avastin-chemotherapy combination followed by Avastin alone improves PFS

Genentech, Inc., a wholly owned member of the Roche Group, today announced that a Phase III study showed the combination of Avastin® (bevacizumab) and chemotherapy followed by maintenance use of Avastin alone increased the time women with previously untreated advanced ovarian cancer lived without the disease worsening (progression-free survival or PFS), compared to chemotherapy alone. A preliminary assessment of safety noted adverse events previously observed in pivotal trials of Avastin.

25 Feb 2010

Phase 2 study results: VEGF Trap-Eye improves vision in patients with DME

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Bayer HealthCare AG announced that VEGF Trap-Eye showed positive results in a Phase 2 study in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME).

18 Feb 2010

Paloma Pharmaceuticals receives FDA approval to enter Phase I studies with P529

Paloma Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has received acceptance of its IND to enter Phase I studies with Palomid 529 (P529) in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

5 Feb 2010

HUCB-derived purified and expanded CD133+ cells may show promise in cellular cardiomyoplasty

Researchers at the Pontif-cia Universidade Cat-lica do Paran- and Instituto Carlos Chagas have evaluated the therapeutic potential of purified and expanded CD133+ cells human umbilical cord blood (HUCB)-derived in treating myocardial infarction by intramyocardially injecting them into a rat model. Patients who have high cardiovascular risks have fewer endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and their EPCs exhibit greater in vitro senescence.

4 Feb 2010

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals reaches agreement with FDA on SPA for Phase 3 trial of KRX-0401

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has reached agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) on the design of a Phase 3 trial for its PI3K/Akt pathway inhibitor, KRX-0401 (perifosine), in patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer.

3 Feb 2010

Pfizer's new pipeline shows growth and diversity in research and development

Pfizer Inc. today provided an update to its pipeline for the first time since the close of the acquisition of Wyeth in October, 2009. The new development pipeline, composed of assets from both legacy companies, includes 133 programs from phase 1 through registration, and shows growth and increased diversity in each of the areas where the company invests in research and development.

28 Jan 2010

ALS TDI and Oxford BioMedica extend collaboration to develop gene therapies for Lou Gehrig's disease

The ALS Therapy Development Institute and Oxford BioMedica announced today the extension of their collaboration following successful completion of the first phase. The extended collaboration, which is funded by the Muscular Dystrophy Association, aims to advance the development of Oxford BioMedica's preclinical gene therapy candidate, MoNuDin®, and to evaluate other gene-based strategies for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease).

28 Jan 2010

ACS Chemical Biology report supports zebrafish for drug development

By combining the tools of medicinal chemistry and zebrafish biology, a team of Vanderbilt investigators has identified compounds that may offer therapeutic leads for bone-related diseases and cancer.

22 Jan 2010

FDA accepts ACT Biotech's ACTB1003 IND

ACT Biotech Inc., a privately held biotechnology company developing a portfolio of oral kinase inhibitors as anti-cancer drugs, today announced the acceptance of the Investigational New Drug (IND) application for ACTB1003 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The company has now assembled a complete preclinical package, including manufacturing and toxicology studies, allowing ACTB1003 to enter a clinical trial.

22 Jan 2010

Dosing in First-in-Man Phase I study of 4SC AG's 4SC-203 commenced

4SC AG, a drug discovery and development company, today announced the start of dosing in a First-in-Man Phase I study in healthy volunteers evaluating 4SC-203, a novel multi-target kinase inhibitor, with particular specificity against selected kinases, including FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3), FLT3 mutants and vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGF-R).

21 Jan 2010

Research provides new insights on VEGF receptor function

Researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland, and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Villigen, Switzerland, have determined the crystal structure of the ligand binding domain of a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor in complex with one of its ligands (VEGF-C).

21 Jan 2010

Health Canada approves Novartis' Afinitor to treat patients with mRCC

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. (Novartis) announced today that Afinitor(R) (everolimus), a once-daily oral cancer treatment, has been approved by Health Canada for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), also known as advanced kidney cancer, after failure of initial treatment with VEGF-receptor targeted therapies Sutent(R) (sunitinib) or Nexavar(R) (sorafenib).

20 Jan 2010

Fc engineering enhances antibody half-life

A Nature Biotechnology article published online January 17 reveals that Xencor Inc.’s proprietary Fc engineering extends the half-life of antibodies while maintaining their potency and extending duration of action. These results, published in an article entitled, “Enhanced antibody half-life improves in vivo activity” demonstrate the potential of Fc engineering to impact the flexibility of route, schedule and dose for nearly any antibody.

20 Jan 2010

Blocking release of VEGFs may inhibit tumor growth

19 Jan 2010

Sangamo BioSciences initiates two new clinical trials of ZFP Therapeutics

Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. announced the initiation of two new clinical trials of ZFP Therapeutics, a Phase 2b study in diabetic neuropathy (DN) and a Phase 1 trial in glioblastoma, as well as the renewal of $3.0 million in funding for the Phase 2b trial by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF).

11 Jan 2010

Enrollment for sham-controlled study of radiation therapy for treatment of wet AMD announced

Oraya Therapeutics, Inc., announced today that enrollment is now underway for the first ever masked and sham-controlled study to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of radiation therapy for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

6 Jan 2010