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.

Rib-X Pharmaceuticals co-founder discovers new ribosomal structures of antibiotics

Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a development-stage antibiotics company with a broad product pipeline based on its innovative discovery platform, and Yale University today announced the discovery by Thomas Steitz, Ph.D., co-founder of Rib-X and Yale University professor, of important new ribosomal structures of antibiotics, enabling the potential creation of novel treatments for drug resistant infections, including resistant tuberculosis (TB).

19 Feb 2010

PsychoGenics announces alliance with experimental neuropharmacology expert for specialized microdialysis services

PsychoGenics Inc. today announced the establishment of an exclusive alliance with Dr. Jan Kehr, an internationally recognized expert in experimental neuropharmacology, to provide specialized microdialysis services to complement PsychoGenics’ in vivo testing capabilities.

19 Feb 2010

UCSF, Genentech partner to discover and develop drug candidates for neurodegenerative diseases

The University of California, San Francisco has signed a partnership agreement with Genentech, Inc., a wholly owned member of the Roche Group, to discover and develop drug candidates for neurodegenerative diseases.

19 Feb 2010

The Hamner Institutes signs formal Memorandum of Understanding with Oslo Cancer Cluster

The Hamner Institutes at Research Triangle Park has signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding with the Oslo Cancer Cluster in Oslo, Norway, one of the leading cancer clusters in Europe. The goal of the collaboration is to strengthen The Hamner's Global BioScience Gateway for Translational Research and Business Development, which began with partnerships in China.

19 Feb 2010

Unusual compounds in pitcher plant could prove effective against human fungal infections

The moment insects like flies, ants and beetles fall into a pitcher, the plant's enzymes are activated and begin dissolving their new meal, obtaining nutrients such as carbon and nitrogen which are difficult to extract from certain soils.

19 Feb 2010

Pacific Biosciences introduces partner program for SMRT DNA sequencing system

Pacific Biosciences, a private company developing a disruptive technology platform for real-time detection of biological events at single molecule resolution, today announced the launch of a partner program designed to work with best-in-class organizations providing complementary solutions to its Single Molecule Real Time (SMRT™) DNA sequencing system. The program will help customers rapidly and easily adopt its third-generation DNA sequencing solution into their discovery programs.

17 Feb 2010

CalciMedica granted U.S. composition patent concerning key component of CRAC channel

CalciMedica today announced that the US Patent and Trademark Office has issued to CalciMedica US Patent No. 7,645,588, a composition patent involving STIM1, a key component of the calcium release-activated calcium (CRAC) channel. The patent, entitled "Composition comprising a cell comprising a STIM1 protein and an agent that modulates intracellular calcium and methods of use," has a priority date of March 4, 2003 and was issued on January 12, 2010.

17 Feb 2010

AB SCIEX acquires liquid chromatography business of Eksigent Technologies

AB SCIEX, a global leader in life science analytical technologies, today announced that it has acquired the liquid chromatography business of Eksigent Technologies. This acquisition significantly strengthens AB SCIEX’s position in liquid chromatography, which is a key technology used frequently in a broad range of life science applications such as protein biomarker research, drug discovery and basic research.

16 Feb 2010

EMBL-EBI hosts ChEMBLdb online database

ChEMBLdb, an online database of information on the properties of more than half a million drug and drug-like small molecules and their targets, has been launched.

12 Feb 2010

IBM, VLSCI scientists to use Blue Gene supercomputer to study human disease

IBM today announced a Research collaboratory in Melbourne, Australia, where scientists from the Victorian Life Sciences Computational Initiative at the University of Melbourne and the IBM Research Computational Biology Center will use high performance computing – including IBM's Blue Gene supercomputer – to study human disease.

12 Feb 2010

Therapeutic cell types obtained from iPS cells demonstrate abnormal expansion and early cellular aging

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. or “ACT” reported that a range of therapeutic cell types obtained from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells exhibit abnormal expansion and early cellular aging. The research, which appears online (published-ahead-of- print) in the journal STEM CELLS by ACT and its collaborators at Stem International (SCRMI), Harvard Medical School, and the University of Illinois, compares a variety of replacement cell types derived from human iPS cells with their embryonic stem (ES) cell counterparts. The findings support the use of ACT’s single blastomere-derived human embryonic stem cell lines which do not display early aging.

12 Feb 2010

3SBio, Ascentage Pharma announce cancer therapeutics collaboration

3SBio Inc., a leading China-based biotechnology company focused on researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing biopharmaceutical products, and Ascentage Pharma Group Corporation, Ltd. ("Ascentage Pharma") announced today that they have formed a strategic alliance to research, develop and commercialize best-in-class targeted cancer therapeutics focusing on programmed cell death, or apoptosis. The alliance will leverage Ascentage Pharma's expertise in structure-based small molecule design, lead optimization and preclinical development with 3SBio's proven drug development and commercialization capabilities in China.

12 Feb 2010

4SC AG announces the first treatment in Phase I clinical study of 4SC-205

4SC AG a drug discovery and development company focused on autoimmune and cancer indications, today announced the first treatment in a Phase I study evaluating 4SC-205, an oral Eg5 kinesin spindle protein inhibitor, in patients with solid tumours or malignant lymphomas.

11 Feb 2010

Therapeutic cell types obtained from iPS cells exhibit abnormal expansion and early cellular aging

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. reported that a range of therapeutic cell types obtained from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells exhibit abnormal expansion and early cellular aging.

11 Feb 2010

Shenogen Pharma Group, Chemizon sign drug discovery collaboration agreement

Shenogen Pharma Group and Chemizon, a division of Optomagic Co. Ltd. today announced a drug discovery collaboration agreement to create small molecule therapeutics targeting modulators of the ER-alpha 36 receptor.

11 Feb 2010

Ligon Discovery, Lycera announce collaboration to identify drug candidates for immune disorders

Ligon Discovery announced today that it has entered into a collaboration agreement with Lycera Corporation to apply its Small Molecule Microarray (SMM) screening technology to identify first-in-class drug candidates for immune disorders. Ligon will apply its SMM technology to screen protein targets identified by Lycera as critical to the development of certain immune disorders. Financial terms were not disclosed.

10 Feb 2010

Targacept receives grant for developing alpha6*-selective NNR Imaging Agent as Parkinson’s disease biomarker

Targacept, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel NNR Therapeutics (TM), today announced that it has been awarded a grant of $304,000 from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF). The grant is to fund a project entitled: “Development of an alpha6*-selective Neuronal Nicotinic Receptor (NNR) Imaging Agent as a Parkinson’s Disease Biomarker” and is the second awarded to Targacept by MJFF in the last six months.

9 Feb 2010

CRT, AstraZeneca announce alliance to develop new anti-cancer drugs

Cancer Research UK's commercialisation and development arm, Cancer Research Technology (CRT), today announced it has teamed up with biopharmaceutical business, AstraZeneca in a major, multi-project alliance, in which around 30 scientists will be focused on creating a stream of new anti-cancer drugs, it is announced today (Sunday).

9 Feb 2010

Pharma IQ to organize 4th Improving Solubility conference at The Park Hyatt in Philadelphia

Organized by Pharma IQ, a division of IQPC, the 4th Improving Solubility conference will be held March 29-31, 2010 at The Park Hyatt in Philadelphia, PA. This forum brings together pharmaceutical researchers and scientists to uncover advances in enhancing solubility, amorphous forms, bioavailability & lipid-based formulation of drugs.

From IQPC Ltd 5 Feb 2010

iPSC technology for identifying agents that reprogram human somatic cells receives Notice of Allowance

Fate Therapeutics, Inc. received a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for U.S. Patent Application Number 10/997,146 entitled "Methods for Reprogramming Somatic Cells." Upon issuance, the patent will cover foundational induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology for identifying agents that enable the reprogramming of human somatic cells, including pluripotency genes, small molecules and biologics.

5 Feb 2010

Drug Discovery News and Research

Further Reading

Rib-X Pharmaceuticals co-founder discovers new ribosomal structures of antibiotics

PsychoGenics announces alliance with experimental neuropharmacology expert for specialized microdialysis services

UCSF, Genentech partner to discover and develop drug candidates for neurodegenerative diseases

The Hamner Institutes signs formal Memorandum of Understanding with Oslo Cancer Cluster

Unusual compounds in pitcher plant could prove effective against human fungal infections

Pacific Biosciences introduces partner program for SMRT DNA sequencing system

CalciMedica granted U.S. composition patent concerning key component of CRAC channel

AB SCIEX acquires liquid chromatography business of Eksigent Technologies

EMBL-EBI hosts ChEMBLdb online database

IBM, VLSCI scientists to use Blue Gene supercomputer to study human disease

Therapeutic cell types obtained from iPS cells demonstrate abnormal expansion and early cellular aging

3SBio, Ascentage Pharma announce cancer therapeutics collaboration

4SC AG announces the first treatment in Phase I clinical study of 4SC-205

Therapeutic cell types obtained from iPS cells exhibit abnormal expansion and early cellular aging

Shenogen Pharma Group, Chemizon sign drug discovery collaboration agreement

Ligon Discovery, Lycera announce collaboration to identify drug candidates for immune disorders

Targacept receives grant for developing alpha6*-selective NNR Imaging Agent as Parkinson’s disease biomarker

CRT, AstraZeneca announce alliance to develop new anti-cancer drugs

Pharma IQ to organize 4th Improving Solubility conference at The Park Hyatt in Philadelphia

iPSC technology for identifying agents that reprogram human somatic cells receives Notice of Allowance

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