Small Molecules News and Research

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Metabolex, Sanofi-Aventis sign global license deal to develop GPR119 for type 2 diabetes treatment

Metabolex and Sanofi-Aventis announced today that they have entered into a global license and development agreement for the research, development, manufacture and commercialization of small molecules that modulate the G-protein coupled receptor 119 (GPR119), a receptor in the gut and pancreas that interacts with bioactive lipids to stimulate glucose-dependent incretin and insulin secretion.

30 Jun 2010

Overview of scientific research on medical technology to combat anthrax threat

The 2001 anthrax attacks in the United States are fostering development of a new generation of vaccines, antibiotics, and other medications to protect people against the potentially deadly bacteria in any future bioterrorist incident. That's the conclusion of a sweeping overview of scientific research on medical technology to combat the anthrax threat. It appears in ACS' bi-weekly Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

25 Jun 2010

MonoSol Rx, Midatech collaborate to develop peptides for therapeutic delivery utilizing pharmaceutical films

MonoSol Rx, the developer of PharmFilm® drug delivery technology, today announced the expansion of its agreement with Midatech Group (Oxford, UK) to develop nanoparticle-based proteins and peptides for therapeutic delivery utilizing pharmaceutical films. Under the terms of the expanded agreement, MonoSol Rx has made an equity investment in Midatech and Keith Kendall, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of MonoSol Rx, will join the Midatech Board of Directors.

24 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

UC Irvine researchers create "plastic antibodies"

UC Irvine researchers have developed the first "plastic antibodies" successfully employed in live organisms - stopping the spread of bee venom through the bloodstream of mice.

22 Jun 2010

PAS technique to predict how blood platelets respond to complex conditions found during heart attack

A team of bioengineers from the University of Pennsylvania Institute for Medicine and Engineering have trained a computer neural network model to accurately predict how blood platelets would respond to complex conditions found during a heart attack or stroke.

21 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

Chiasma successfully completes Phase I clinical study of Octreolin

Chiasma, Inc., a privately held biopharma company, announced that it has successfully completed a Phase I clinical study evaluating the safety and pharmacokinetics (PK) of its proprietary product Octreolin, which contains the active ingredient octreotide actetate and is administered orally

14 Jun 2010

Pfizer to join SGC-led collaboration to generate chemical probes for proteins involved in epigenetic signalling

The Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) and Pfizer today announced that Pfizer will join the SGC-led public-private collaboration to generate small molecule inhibitors - "chemical probes" - for proteins involved in epigenetic signalling.

11 Jun 2010

Scientists develop plastic antibody that works in bloodstream of living animal

Scientists are reporting the first evidence that a plastic antibody - an artificial version of the proteins produced by the body's immune system to recognize and fight infections and foreign substances - works in the bloodstream of a living animal. The discovery, they suggest in a report in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, is an advance toward medical use of simple plastic particles custom tailored to fight an array of troublesome "antigens."

10 Jun 2010

Ascenta Therapeutics, sanofi-aventis sign global licensing agreement for cancer drug candidates

Ascenta Therapeutics announced today the signing of a global collaboration and licensing agreement with sanofi-aventis covering several early-stage agents being investigated for their potential to restore tumor cell apoptosis (programmed cell death). These orally-active, small-molecule drug candidates inhibit the interaction between HDM2 (Human Double Minute 2) and p53, removing a block to normal p53 tumor suppressor function and potentially enhancing cancer control and treatment.

4 Jun 2010

Merck launches Oncology Collaborative Trials Network

Today, Merck announced the launch of the Merck Oncology Collaborative Trials Network, a pioneering clinical trial network focusing on the development of Merck drug and vaccine candidates being investigated for the treatment and prevention of cancer. The global network comprises leading cancer research centers who will partner with Merck to speed the development of innovative treatments for a range of cancers.

4 Jun 2010

Nanosponge delivery system more effective at reducing tumor growth than direct injection: Study

When loaded with an anticancer drug, a delivery system based on a novel material called nanosponge is three to five times more effective at reducing tumor growth than direct injection.

3 Jun 2010

Small molecule ramps up interferon production in host cells, launching potent immune response

Many disease-causing microbes carry pumps that expel antibiotics, making the bugs hard to kill with standard drugs. Ironically, these same pumps could be the bugs' Achilles heel.

28 May 2010

OHSU partners with UO, Harvard to expedite research into compounds that may prevent Fanconi anemia

Oregon Health & Science University is partnering with the University of Oregon and Harvard Medical School to expedite basic science research into new and existing drugs and compounds that may prevent the complications associated with Fanconi anemia, an inherited condition that can lead to bone marrow failure and cancer.

28 May 2010

Pressure BioSciences signs CRADA with AFIP, ARP and VA

Pressure BioSciences, Inc. today announced that it has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement ("CRADA") with the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology ("AFIP"), the American Registry of Pathology ("ARP"), and the Department of Veterans Affairs ("VA").

27 May 2010

Yissum introduces Dralgo platform to accelerate discovery of promising drug candidates

Drug discovery and development is a highly risky process, with only one in 10,000 initial candidate compounds reaching the market. When taking into account the aborted candidates, the cost of developing one successful drug may even reach $1 billion, and the development process may take as long as 15-20 years.

25 May 2010

Agilent Technologies, Stemina Biomarker Discovery to accelerate metobolomic research

Agilent Technologies Inc. and Stemina Biomarker Discovery, Inc. today announced efforts to accelerate Stemina's metobolomic research. Stemina uses metabolomic analysis of stem cells for the discovery of biomarkers for use in drug screening and drug development.