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FDA grants orphan drug status to Reata's pancreatic cancer drug

Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that RTA 402 has been granted orphan drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. RTA 402 is currently being studied in a Phase 1/2 trial in patients with pancreatic cancer, and is also in Phase 2 development for chronic kidney disease.

16 Oct 2008

Existing anti-obesity drugs may be effective against flu, hepatitis and HIV

Viruses dramatically increase cellular metabolism, and existing anti-obesity drugs may represent a new way to block these metabolic changes and inhibit viral infection, according to a study published today in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

29 Sep 2008

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to provide $168.7 million for malaria vaccine research

Bill Gates announced today that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will provide $168.7 million to PATH for its Malaria Vaccine Initiative to develop vaccines for malaria -- a disease that kills thousands of African children every day.

25 Sep 2008

Concert Pharmaceuticals initiates CTP-347 phase I clinical trial

Concert Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has initiated a Phase I study in healthy volunteers to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of CTP-347, a novel deuterium-containing serotonin modulator created by Concert researchers.

25 Sep 2008

GlaxoSmithKline and Cellzome announce major strategic alliance

Cellzome Inc. and GlaxoSmithKline have announced the signing of a worldwide strategic alliance to discover, develop and market novel kinase-targeted therapeutics to treat inflammatory diseases.

10 Sep 2008

Coated lenses set to reduce 'post-op' infections for cataract patients

Research presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference (BPC) in Manchester reveals that coating an artificial lens with antibiotics could significantly reduce the risk of post-operative infection, and even blindness, for cataract patients.

7 Sep 2008

AFFiRiS GmbH alzheimer's vaccine progress

In the clinical phase I trial AFF001, AFFiRiS GmbH has now recruited the 24 Alzheimer patients planned for this trial. The trial aims to investigate the tolerability and safety of an innovative Alzheimer's vaccine (AFFITOPE AD01).

16 Jul 2008

Natural substance Argyrin shows promise for new cancer therapies

The effective treatment of many forms of cancer continues to pose a major problem for medicine. Many tumours fail to respond to standard forms of chemotherapy or become resistant to the medication.

8 Jul 2008

Growth-stimulating molecule called p110beta a promising cancer drug target in prostate tumors

Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute report they have blocked the development of prostate tumors in cancer-prone mice by knocking out a molecular unit they describe as a "powerhouse" that drives runaway cell growth.

27 Jun 2008

Industry supports international melanoma research

Provectus Pharmaceuticals and the Australia and New Zealand Melanoma Trials Group (ANZMTG) have joined forces to advance cutting edge melanoma research at the University of Sydney.

15 Jun 2008

Spectral Modeling technology substantiated through creation of antipsychotic bank of drug candidates

LIUS Molecular Design is pleased to announce that it has successfully created two antipsychotic drug candidates with third party confirmation of predicted biological activities via in vitro testing.

19 May 2008

Researchers find way to make tumor cells more sensitive to hyperthermia-enhanced radiation therapy

Tumors have a unique vulnerability that can be exploited to make them more sensitive to heat and radiation, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report.

6 May 2008

Novavax opens new U.S. vaccine plant in Rockville, Maryland

Officials from Novavax, Inc., the State of Maryland and Montgomery County today celebrated the opening of Novavax's new state-of-the-art vaccine production facility at the company's headquarters in Rockville, Maryland.

1 May 2008

Scientists determine drug target for the most potent botulinum neurotoxin

Botulinum neurotoxin - responsible for the deadly food poisoning disease botulism and for the beneficial effects of smoothing out facial wrinkles - can also be used as a dreaded biological weapon. When ingested or inhaled, less than a billionth of an ounce can cause muscle paralysis and eventual death. Although experimental vaccines administered prior to exposure can inhibit the destructive action of this neurotoxin - the most deadly protein known to humans - no effective pharmacological treatment exists.

29 Apr 2008

Simple saliva test gives speedy heart attack diagnosis

Scientists in the U.S. have developed a simple saliva test which will quickly show if a person is having or about to have a heart attack.

22 Apr 2008

Aida Pharmaceuticals announces development of new anti-cancer drug

Aida Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that it is developing a potential cancer drug that seeks to trigger cell death in certain types of cancer.

18 Apr 2008

Potential new therapy for myeloproliferative disorders

A unique partnership between industry and academia has led to human clinical trials of a new drug for a rare class of blood diseases called myeloproliferative disorders (MPD), which are all driven by the same genetic mutation and can evolve into leukemia.

8 Apr 2008

Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography to help determine whether cognitive impairment will lead to Alzheimer's

With nearly 10 million baby boomers at risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, researchers are taking a closer look at a condition known as mild cognitive impairment.

3 Apr 2008

Disappointing resuts for pimecrolimus, investigational anti-restenosis drug

A new medication that researchers had hoped would reduce the risk of arterial renarrowing after stenting has turned in a disappointing performance in a multicenter clinical trial, but the multi-reservoir stent that was used to deliver the drug is still considered promising.

1 Apr 2008

PharmAthene signs agreement to acquire biodefense vaccines business from Avecia

PharmAthene, Inc., a biodefense company specializing in the development and commercialization of medical countermeasures against biological and chemical threats, and Avecia Biologics Limited, a contract manufacturer of biopharmaceuticals, has announced that the companies have entered into a definitive sale and purchase agreement under which PharmAthene will acquire all of the assets and intellectual property related to Avecia's biodefense vaccines business.

24 Mar 2008