Drug Discovery News and Research

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The drug discovery process begins with recognizing a disease or clinical condition in which there is a lack of adequate medical treatment. Once a potential drug has been identified, pre-clinical research can begin. This process includes several stages; the first of which involves identifying and validating the prospective drug’s target through assay development, high throughput screening, hit identification and finally, lead optimization. Once the pre-clinical process is complete, the newly synthesized drug candidate is selected for future clinical development.

Innovative drug design wins medical research prize

The development of a new way to treat iron overload disease has won the 2010 Sir Zelman Cowen Universities Fund Prize for Medical Research.

1 Apr 2010

New development in treatment of African Sleeping Sickness

African sleeping sickness or Human African Typanosomiasis is a potentially fatal disease affecting 50 to 70 thousand Africans each year. Carried by the bite tsetse fly this fatal disease is actually caused by a tiny parasite that attacks the nervous system, brain, spinal column resulting in mental confusion and finally death.

1 Apr 2010

Metabolon awarded U.S. patents for metabolomics methods

Metabolon, Inc., the leader in global metabolism through biomarker discovery and analysis, announced today the grant of US Patent 7,682,783 and US Patent 7,682,784 entitled "Methods for Drug Discovery, Disease Treatment and Diagnosis Using Metabolomics". The USPTO awarded the patents to Metabolon on March 23, 2010. The issued claims in the new patents are for uses of metabolomics to identify diagnostic biomarkers for depression and schizophrenia by profiling classes of metabolites in a sample.

1 Apr 2010

Symyx Technologies forms alliance with Pistoia Alliance

Symyx Technologies, Inc. today announced it has joined the Pistoia Alliance, a non-profit group that promotes collaboration to streamline non-competitive elements of pharmaceutical and life science discovery workflows. The alliance was initially formed by major global pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, and AstraZeneca.

1 Apr 2010

ADDF grants Signum Biosciences $270,000 for evaluating PP2A-modulatory compounds as AD therapeutics

The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) announced today that it is providing a grant of $270,000 to Signum Biosciences, Inc. (Princeton, NJ) to evaluate small-molecule, orally delivered Protein Phosphatase 2a (PP2A)-modulatory compounds as disease-modifying therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease.

1 Apr 2010

Major breakthrough may help develop low toxicity drugs for sleeping sickness

Scientists from the Drug Discovery Unit at the University of Dundee - working together with partners at the University of York and the Structural Genomics Consortium in Toronto - have made a major breakthrough in identifying new treatments for a fatal disease which infects tens of thousands of Africans each year.

1 Apr 2010

BioCision, Biohit announce co-promotion program

BioCision LLC today announced that it has agreed to a co-promotion program with Biohit Inc.. Biohit's ErgoTube microcentrifuge tubes will now be branded and sold by both Biohit Inc. and BioCision. In addition, Biohit Inc. will cross-promote BioCision's highly thermo-conductive CoolRack microfuge tube racks for use in combination with ErgoTubes.

31 Mar 2010

2010 BIO International Convention to discuss issues that impact drug discovery and development

The 2010 BIO International Convention will feature a robust health and medical program highlighting the latest scientific breakthroughs and policy and business development issues that impact drug discovery and development. Hosted by the Biotechnology Industry Organization, the Convention will be held May 3-6, 2010 in Chicago, Ill. at McCormick Place.

31 Mar 2010

GSK, Isis Pharmaceuticals collaborate to develop new therapeutics for rare and serious disease

GlaxoSmithKline and Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today a new strategic alliance that will apply the Isis antisense drug discovery platform to seek out and develop new therapeutics against targets for rare and serious disease, including infectious diseases and some conditions causing blindness.

31 Mar 2010

SCYNEXIS presents overview of novel cyclophilin inhibitor at Hepatitis C Conference

Drug discovery company, SCYNEXIS, Inc. announced today that management will present an overview on the Company's lead anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) candidate, SCY-635, at the upcoming Canaccord Adams' Hepatitis C Conference on Thursday, April 1, 2010 at 11:15 am ET at the Peninsula Hotel in New York City.

31 Mar 2010

Fairbanks Institute and BioServe to co-market next generation biorepository, INbank

The Fairbanks Institute for Healthy Communities, the Indianapolis not-for-profit organization working to improve community health, and BioServe, a global provider of biomaterial and genetic research services, today announced that they will co-market INbank™, a next generation biorepository that was recently launched by The Fairbanks Institute.

31 Mar 2010

NeurOp and Bristol-Myers Squibb announce drug discovery collaboration

NeurOp Corporation today announced a collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) focused upon the development of NeurOp's proprietary small molecules for use in the treatment of major depression and other central nervous system disorders.

31 Mar 2010

StockPreacher.com releases investment report on MDRNA

StockPreacher.com announces an investment report featuring drug developer MDRNA Inc. The report includes financial, comparative and investment analyses, and industry information you need to know to make an educated investment decision.

30 Mar 2010

Emory Institute of Drug Discovery and Zirus collaborate to develop new anti-viral drugs

The Emory Institute of Drug Discovery and Zirus, Inc., a biotechnology company based in Buford, Georgia, have entered into a collaboration and research agreement to develop novel compounds to treat infectious disease. Zirus uses a proprietary method for identifying genes and gene products in host cells that, when blocked, can prevent viruses from multiplying. Over the past several years, either alone or in collaboration with partners, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Zirus has identified, licensed and filed patents on more than 1000 targets.

30 Mar 2010

Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute director receives President's Award

Martha Connolly, director of the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute Maryland Industrial Partnerships program at the University of Maryland, was given the President's Award at the Greater Baltimore Committee's fifth annual Bioscience Awards ceremony, university officials announce today.

27 Mar 2010

Market update on CBI's planned acquisition of Shanghai-based GL-Biochem

Commonwealth Biotechnologies, Inc. is pleased to provide this market update about its planned acquisition of Shanghai-based GL-Biochem and its associated businesses, one of the largest global suppliers of research-grade peptide products and peptide reagents.

27 Mar 2010

Tips offered in April 2010 issue of American Journal Of Pathology

A group led by Dr. Massimo Loda at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA has generated a preclinical model of human prostate cancer that mimics the genetic and growth behavior of primary tumors. Their report can be found in the April 2010 issue of the American Journal of Pathology.

25 Mar 2010

Techulon, UC sign worldwide exclusive license agreements to market Glycofect-Transfection Reagent

Techulon Inc., a life sciences company, has signed worldwide exclusive license agreements with the University of Cincinnati to manufacture and sell novel transfection reagents used for research and therapeutic delivery of nucleic acids.

25 Mar 2010

BeaconEquity.com announces investment report on AEterna Zentaris

BeaconEquity.com announces an investment report featuring AEterna Zentaris Inc. (Nasdaq:AEZS). The report includes financial, comparative and investment analyses, and pertinent industry information you need to know to make an educated investment decision.

25 Mar 2010

Evotec AG reports financial results and corporate updates for 2009

Based on the Action Plan 2012, Evotec decided in March 2009 to strengthen its discovery alliances, creating the central vehicle for growth, and to implement strict cost cutting and restructuring measures. The Company reduced headcount in administrative and clinical development functions, reprioritised its R&D activities, concentrated its operations in Europe and closed the former facility of Renovis, Inc. in South San Francisco.

25 Mar 2010