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Harvard researcher to receive 2010 Naomi Berrie Award from Columbia University Medical Center

Columbia University Medical Center will present the 2010 Naomi Berrie Award to a Harvard researcher who has made important advances in understanding the molecular basis for links between obesity, diabetes and heart disease. A promising young investigator at Columbia will also be recognized for her novel investigations regarding the basis for disordered lipid metabolism in diabetes.

20 Nov 2010

Scientists discover Notch pathway may play a role in alcohol's protective effects

Many studies support the assertion that moderate drinking is beneficial when it comes to cardiovascular health, and for the first time scientists have discovered that a well-known molecule, called Notch, may be behind alcohol's protective effects. Down the road, this finding could help scientists create a new treatment for heart disease that mimics the beneficial influence of modest alcohol consumption.

20 Nov 2010

NexACT technology improves oral delivery of five small molecule drugs

Apricus Biosciences, Inc., today announced data from animal studies showing that the NexACT technology significantly improved the oral delivery of five small molecule drugs tested, with the best improvements up to 20-fold, in terms of improvement in absorption.

20 Nov 2010

AVEO's RON antibody shows anti-tumor activity in human cancer xenografts

AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing cancer therapeutics, today announced preclinical data from AVEO's anti-RON antibody program which demonstrated the successful identification of antibodies with potent anti-tumor activity that demonstrated inhibition of the function of both wild type RON and the RONΔ160 variant, as well as a potential biomarker to identify tumors likely to respond to treatment with the anti-RON antibody.

19 Nov 2010

Research suggests new therapeutic approach to prevent transplant rejection

UCLA researchers have pinpointed the culprit behind chronic rejection of heart, lung and kidney transplants. Published in the Nov. 23 edition of Science Signaling, their findings suggest new therapeutic approaches for preventing transplant rejection and sabotaging cancer growth.

19 Nov 2010

DoD recommends funding for Synta's STA-9584 for prostate cancer study

Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing small molecule drugs to treat severe medical conditions, today announced that the Department of Defense (DoD) has recommended STA-9584, a novel vascular disrupting agent (VDA) currently in pre-clinical development at Synta, be funded for study in advanced prostate cancer.

19 Nov 2010

Scientists discover bone matrix plays a vital role in tissue hardening

Scientists are reporting the first direct evidence that a subtle change in the physical properties of a tissue can affect its function. The finding has immediate implications for understanding several rare hearing disorders, they said, and ultimately could offer insight into such conditions as osteoporosis, arthritis, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

19 Nov 2010

Clinical data of CU-201, CUDC-101 presented at EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium

Curis, Inc., a drug development company seeking to develop next generation targeted small molecule drug candidates for cancer treatment, today announced the presentation of data in two poster presentations at the 22nd EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on "Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics," held in Berlin, Germany, November 16-19.

19 Nov 2010

Neuralstem files NSI-189 IND with FDA for Phase I safety trials for major depression

Neuralstem, Inc. announced that it has filed an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin two Phase I safety trials to test NSI-189, its first small molecule compound, for the treatment of major depression. NSI-189 is a proprietary new chemical entity discovered by Neuralstem that stimulates new neuron growth in the hippocampus, an area of the brain that is believed to be involved in depression.

18 Nov 2010

Infinity announces enrollment in IPI-926 Phase 1b/2 clinical trial for pancreatic cancer

Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that enrollment is ongoing locally for a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial of IPI-926, Infinity's oral molecule that inhibits Smoothened, a key component of the Hedgehog pathway, in combination with Gemzar (gemcitabine) in patients with previously untreated, metastatic pancreatic cancer.

17 Nov 2010

Scientists determine ways to stop damage, promote neuronal growth in spinal cord injury

If researchers could determine how to send signals to cells responding to a spinal cord injury, they might be able to stop one type of cell from doing additional damage at the injury site and instead, coax it into helping nerve cells grow.

17 Nov 2010

Research on CBS protein may lead to new drug design for homocystinuria disorder

University of Michigan researchers have solved the structure of a protein that is integral to processes responsible for maintaining a healthy heart and nervous system.

17 Nov 2010

New animal research identifies factors that may play key roles in depression

New animal research has identified factors, such as the stress response and immune system, that may play important roles in depression. Scientists have also found that the regulation of nerve cell signals influences depression in animals, and that new drug combinations may more effectively treat it. The findings were presented at Neuroscience 2010, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news on brain science and health.

17 Nov 2010

Enzon presents data on three investigational mRNA antagonists at EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium

Enzon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today presented data from preclinical studies of three investigational messenger RNA (mRNA) antagonists. These antagonists are based on the locked nucleic acid (LNA) technology platform targets licensed from Santaris Pharma A/S.

17 Nov 2010

Chimerix’s lipid-conjugated drugs reduces nephrotoxicity: Study

Scientists from Chimerix, Inc. today presented in vitro data demonstrating that the company's lipid-conjugated drugs, CMX001 and CMX157, are not substrates for the human Organic Anion Transporters (hOATs) and thus have significantly reduced potential to cause nephrotoxicity via this mechanism.

17 Nov 2010

UMass, PolyMedix receive Phase 2 STTR contract to conduct test on antimicrobial compounds

PolyMedix, Inc., an emerging biotechnology company focused on developing new therapeutic drugs to treat infectious diseases and acute cardiovascular disorders, and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (UMass), have received a Phase 2 Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract in the amount of $750,000.

17 Nov 2010

Study shows asthma drugs can treat aortic aneurysm

A new study from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet shows that asthma drugs are a potential treatment for aortic aneurysm. These drugs, which block cysteinyl-leukotrienes, could reduce the break down of vessel wall tissue and the dilation of the aortic wall, and thus the risk of its rupturing.

16 Nov 2010

NovAliX enters agreement to acquire Graffinity

NovAliX SAS today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a majority interest in Graffinity Pharmaceuticals GmbH of Heidelberg, Germany, a leading fragment based drug discovery services company.

16 Nov 2010

Epizyme announces publication of EZH2 enzyme for lymphoma in PNAS

Epizyme, Inc., a company leading the discovery and development of first-in-class, targeted cancer therapeutics against epigenetic targets, today announced the publication of breakthrough new research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA). The discovery, centered on the epigenetic enzyme EZH2, illuminates a clear path for the translation of basic science into targeted therapies for the safe and effective treatment of specific forms of human lymphomas.

16 Nov 2010

Researchers discover circadian rhythms regulate fat metabolism

UC Irvine researchers have discovered that circadian rhythms the internal body clock regulate fat metabolism. This helps explain why people burn fat more efficiently at certain times of day and could lead to new pharmaceuticals for obesity, diabetes and energy-related illnesses.

16 Nov 2010