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Sigma-Aldrich unveils new Sigma Life Science brand and website platform

Sigma-Aldrich® today unveiled its new Sigma® Life Science brand and website platform, designed to elevate the Company's current focus on biology and provide a single destination where researchers can access deep biological knowledge and market-leading products and technologies.

2 Mar 2010

ZyGEM introduces new RNAGEM Tissue RNA extraction kits

ZyGEM Corp. Ltd., a provider of innovative enzyme-based products for DNA and RNA extraction and other life sciences applications, today announced the launch of its new RNAGEM™ Tissue RNA extraction kits. This product represents a significant advance in sample preparation for RNA-based testing and analysis.

2 Mar 2010

Archimedes Pharma raises GBP65 million in new funding

Archimedes Pharma, the leading specialty pharma company, today announced that it has raised GBP65 million (approx US$100 million) in new funding. The round was led by new investor Novo Growth Equity, the growth equity fund of Novo A/S, and included participation by major current investor, Warburg Pincus, a global private equity firm. Archimedes also announced the appointment of a new President and Chief Executive Officer, Jeffrey H. Buchalter, formerly President and Chief Executive Officer of US-based Enzon.

2 Mar 2010

WuXi PharmaTech, JANSSEN division announce collaboration for preclinical services

WuXi PharmaTech, a leading pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device research and development outsourcing company with operations in China and the United States, today announced it has reached an agreement with Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, a division of Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V. (JANSSEN), to collaborate in the area of preclinical services.

2 Mar 2010

Study: EIB may affect lives and health of public if not addressed properly

For the vast majority of the general public, respiratory symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing or coughing are a common part of the exercise experience. However, together with chest tightness, noisy breathing and trouble taking a deep breath, these six symptoms make up the phenomenon known as exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB), which has physical, emotional and psychological consequences if not addressed properly.

2 Mar 2010

Life Technologies announces early stage results from SMS technology

Life Technologies Corporation today announced early stage results from its single molecule sequencing (SMS) technology. The technology promises to combine virtually unlimited continuous long read lengths with unmatched accuracy to deliver targeted genomic sequence data in a matter of hours, paving the way for sequencing to become a commonplace tool in research laboratories and clinical settings worldwide.

2 Mar 2010

Baxter International to acquire outstanding equity of ApaTech for $330 million

Baxter International Inc., a global, diversified healthcare company, and ApaTech, a private equity-backed, U.K.-based orthobiologic products company, today announced a definitive agreement whereby Baxter will acquire all of the outstanding equity of ApaTech for total consideration of up to $330 million.

From Baxter International Inc. 2 Mar 2010

New treatment guidelines demonstrate that best care does not always cost more

Arizona Oncology is proud to be a part of the larger network that just completed a recently conducted study by US Oncology and Aetna that finds evidence-based care for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) results in an average cost savings of 35 percent over 12 months while demonstrating equivalent health outcomes.

2 Mar 2010

AbSorber expands business portfolio by acquiring Olerup

AbSorber strengthen its position on the important US market by acquiring NorDiag’s share of Olerup Inc. AbSorber buys the company together with SSP Primers and after the transition will AbSorber own 50 percent of Olerup Inc. and SSP Primers 50 percent.

1 Mar 2010

Acorda Therapeutics' AMPYRA now available in the U.S. and Puerto Rico

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that AMPYRA™ (dalfampridine) Extended Release Tablets, 10 mg is now available by prescription in the United States and Puerto Rico. AMPYRA was approved on January 22, 2010 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment to improve walking in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). This was demonstrated by an increase in walking speed. AMPYRA is indicated for use in all types of MS, and can be used either alone or with existing therapies, including disease-modifying agents.

1 Mar 2010

Astellas Pharma to acquire OSI Pharmaceuticals for $3.5 billion on fully diluted basis

Astellas Pharma Inc., a global pharmaceutical company, will commence a tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of common stock of OSI Pharmaceuticals for $52.00 per share in cash, or an aggregate of approximately $3.5 billion on a fully diluted basis.

1 Mar 2010

Pangu BioPharma's naturally occurring splice variants of human tRNA synthetases study awarded second grant

The Innovation and Technology Commission of the Hong Kong government has awarded Pangu BioPharma, the Hong Kong subsidiary of aTyr Pharma, a second grant to fund research it is performing in collaboration with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). The Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) provides matching funds over the next 18 months to expand Pangu's successful work in the identification and characterization of naturally occurring splice variants of human tRNA synthetases.

1 Mar 2010

Using genetic engineering techniques in pigs, scientists create new model of diabetes

The incidence of diabetes is rising worldwide. Using genetic engineering techniques in pigs, scientists at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich have created a new model of this metabolic disorder, which recapitulates many features of the disease, and promises to contribute significantly to improvements in diagnosis and therapy.

1 Mar 2010

Ipsen’s 2009 performance: Azzalure, Dysport and Decapeptyl approval, Adenuric partnership, drug sales up 7.6%

The Board of Directors of Ipsen, chaired by Jean-Luc Bélingard, met on 26 February 2010 to review the Group’s results for 2009, published today.

1 Mar 2010

[11C]PiB PET neuroimaging exhibits potential for monitoring therapeutics on amyloid beta load during Alzheimer’s disease treatment

Elan Corporation, plc today announced that findings from a Phase II study which suggested bapineuzumab reduced amyloid-beta deposits in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients as measured using a neuroimaging technique known as [11C]PiB PET, were published in the February 28, 2010 online edition of Lancet Neurology. Bapineuzumab is a compound under development by Pfizer and Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary in which Elan holds a minority equity interest.

1 Mar 2010

Reversing protein deficiency through gene therapy can improve SMA

Reversing a protein deficiency through gene therapy can correct motor function, restore nerve signals and improve survival in mice that serve as a model for the lethal childhood disorder spinal muscular atrophy, new research shows.

1 Mar 2010

ADMET tester Absorption Systems joins Society of Toxicology as Affiliate

Absorption Systems, a leader in testing drugs for ADMET (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion and Toxicity), has joined the Society of Toxicology, the premier global professional association of toxicologists, as an SOT Affiliate. The firm, a contract research organization, has more than a decade of experience assisting pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in determining which compounds in development should be advanced into clinical testing.

27 Feb 2010

Brain cancer awareness: 55-year-old cycles across USA

Anne Feeley, a 55-year-old mother and brain cancer survivor, will cycle across the country this spring to raise awareness and money for brain cancer research and support.

27 Feb 2010

Eli Lilly, Covance announce key milestones of their first-year partnership

Senior executives from Eli Lilly and Company and Covance Inc. announced Friday that the first year of their landmark alliance has been a win-win for both companies, enabling Lilly to expedite the flow of innovation within its pipeline in order to provide improved outcomes for individual patients.

27 Feb 2010

Bioethics expert: Parents should be allowed to use selective reproduction in choosing future child's gender

A bioethics expert has argued that parents should be allowed to use selective reproduction to choose their future child's gender and to screen out serious disease and disability.

27 Feb 2010