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.

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

Progenics Pharmaceuticals to present preclinical data of multiplex PI3K inhibitors

Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the presentation of preclinical data on a series of novel compounds that simultaneously blocked two critical pathways involved in the growth and survival of cancer cells.

4 Feb 2010

BioMarin Pharmaceutical signs stock purchase agreement to acquire LEAD Therapeutics

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. announced today that it has entered into a stock purchase agreement to acquire LEAD Therapeutics, Inc. (LEAD), a small private drug discovery and early stage development company with key compound LT-673, an orally available poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor for the treatment of patients with rare, genetically defined cancers.

4 Feb 2010

CTD seeks small molecule drug discovery and therapeutic antibody targets from academic researchers

A major centre created by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and MRC Technology (MRCT) in order to fast-track the discovery and development of novel drugs, opens its first call for targets today.

4 Feb 2010

Sistemic to develop SistemRNA compound-centric drug discovery technology with closed series A funds

Fast growing Scottish biotech company Sistemic Ltd today announced that it had closed a series A funding round with lead investors ChimeraBio and the Scottish Enterprise Scottish Co-Investment Fund. The company will use the funding to further develop its proprietary SistemRNA compound-centric drug discovery technology. Using SistemRNA shortens the odds in drug discovery by enabling far more accurate prediction of potential drug indications, interactions and side effects.

4 Feb 2010

Type 1 diabetes: Regeneration exhibits potential as a possible cure

A hormone responsible for the body's stress response is also linked to the growth of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, according to JDRF- funded researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California. The findings are the latest advances to underscore the potential for regeneration as a key component of a possible cure for type 1 diabetes.

4 Feb 2010

TGen, Horizon Discovery partner in development of novel cancer cell-lines

The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and Horizon Discovery today announced plans to develop human disease models for use in TGen's cancer research.

3 Feb 2010

Fluxion Biosciences to defend against alleged automated patch clamp system patent infringement lawsuit

Fluxion Biosciences, Inc. announced today that a lawsuit alleging patent infringement had been filed against it in the US District Court of Northern California by Cellectricon AB, its competitor in the field of automated ion channel screening systems for drug discovery. Cellectricon has asserted U.S. Patents Nos. 7,390,650, 7,470,518, and 7,563,614 in the litigation, as well as U.S. Patent No. 5,376,252, which is owned by Gyros and licensed to Cellectricon.

From Fluxion Biosciences 3 Feb 2010

Celsis IVT alleges patent infringement, files lawsuit against Sekisui Chemical and subsidiaries

Celsis In Vitro, Inc. announced today that it has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against XenoTech LLC, Sekisui Chemical Co. Ltd., and Sekisui Medical Co. Ltd. in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago. XenoTech and Sekisui Medical are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Sekisui Chemical.

3 Feb 2010

Cellectricon resumes litigation against Fluxion Biosciences over alleged patent infringement

Cellectricon AB today announced that it has resumed its litigation against Fluxion Biosciences, Inc. Cellectricon filed the lawsuit in July 2009 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California alleging infringement of several United States patents issued or licensed to Cellectricon for microfluidic technology used in Cellectricon's state-of-the-art ion channel drug screening solution, the Dynaflow(R)HT System. Cellectricon's U.S. Patents Nos. 7,390,650, 7,470,518 and 7,563,614 have been asserted in the litigation, as well as U.S. Patent No. 5,376,252, which is owned by Gyros, and licensed to Cellectricon.

From Fluxion Biosciences 2 Feb 2010

Danaher acquires AB SCIEX and Molecular Devices

Danaher Corporation announced today that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of AB SCIEX and Molecular Devices.

From Danaher 1 Feb 2010

Project A.L.S. and Robert Packard Center for ALS Research partner in $15M research initiative

Project A.L.S. (New York, NY) and the Robert Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD) announced that they will partner on P2 ALS, a $15 million initiative designed to advance ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) research exponentially over the next three years.

30 Jan 2010

Global market for oncology drugs is forecast to reach $80 billion by 2050

New Medicine's Oncology KnowledgeBASE (nm/OK) residing at http://nmok.net became available on the Internet 10 years ago and, since then, the oncology field has evolved into one of the most challenging, complex and promising drug development sectors, both in terms of its potential contribution to medicine and to its market opportunities.

29 Jan 2010

iPierian receives UK patent for induced pluripotent stem cell technology

iPierian, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on changing the paradigm of drug discovery and development through the application of cellular reprogramming, today announced that the Intellectual Property Office in the United Kingdom has issued a Notification of Grant to iPierian for UK patent No. GB2450603, its first patent related to induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology.

29 Jan 2010

ChemoCentryx announces the initiation of Phase I clinical trial of CCX168

ChemoCentryx, Inc., today announced the initiation of a Phase I clinical trial of CCX168, an orally-administered small molecule designed to treat autoimmune diseases.

28 Jan 2010

Ligand Pharmaceuticals acquires Metabasis Therapeutics

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced that it has completed the acquisition of Metabasis Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:MBRX), following approval of the transaction by Metabasis stockholders yesterday. As a result, Ligand gains a fully funded partnership with Roche, additional pipeline assets and drug discovery technologies and resources. The transaction was first announced on October 27, 2009.

28 Jan 2010

New technique could reduce animal use in gene study

A new method of priming early embryos to form embryonic stem (ES) cells has allowed ES cells to be derived from mice used in diabetes research for the first time.

28 Jan 2010

GENFIT's GFT505 exhibits potential to address unmet needs in prediabetic and diabetic patients

GENFIT, a biopharmaceutical company at the forefront of drug discovery and development, focusing on the early diagnosis and preventive treatment of cardiometabolic and neurodegenerative diseases, today announces positive results from a recently completed clinical trial demonstrating the activity of GFT505 on glucose homeostasis. Results from the clinical trial (GFT505-2094) clearly demonstrate the potential of the drug candidate to reduce global cardiovascular risk in prediabetic patients who suffer from impaired fasting plasma glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, and abdominal obesity.

28 Jan 2010

New technology could aid in developing novel drugs and future gene therapies

Researchers in Manchester have successfully carried out the first rewire of genetic switches, creating what could be a vital tool for the development of new drugs and even future gene therapies.

From The University of Manchester 27 Jan 2010

USAN approves generic name "ulimorelin" for Tranzyme Pharma's TZP-101

Tranzyme Pharma today announced that the United States Adopted Name Council (USAN) has approved the generic name “ulimorelin” for Tranzyme’s novel, late-stage, prokinetic agent TZP-101. Ulimorelin, if approved, is expected to be a first-in-class drug for the treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) dysmotility indications in acute care (hospital-based) settings.

27 Jan 2010

Drug Discovery News and Research

Further Reading

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

Progenics Pharmaceuticals to present preclinical data of multiplex PI3K inhibitors

BioMarin Pharmaceutical signs stock purchase agreement to acquire LEAD Therapeutics

CTD seeks small molecule drug discovery and therapeutic antibody targets from academic researchers

Sistemic to develop SistemRNA compound-centric drug discovery technology with closed series A funds

Type 1 diabetes: Regeneration exhibits potential as a possible cure

TGen, Horizon Discovery partner in development of novel cancer cell-lines

Fluxion Biosciences to defend against alleged automated patch clamp system patent infringement lawsuit

Celsis IVT alleges patent infringement, files lawsuit against Sekisui Chemical and subsidiaries

Cellectricon resumes litigation against Fluxion Biosciences over alleged patent infringement

Danaher acquires AB SCIEX and Molecular Devices

Project A.L.S. and Robert Packard Center for ALS Research partner in $15M research initiative

Global market for oncology drugs is forecast to reach $80 billion by 2050

iPierian receives UK patent for induced pluripotent stem cell technology

ChemoCentryx announces the initiation of Phase I clinical trial of CCX168

Ligand Pharmaceuticals acquires Metabasis Therapeutics

New technique could reduce animal use in gene study

GENFIT's GFT505 exhibits potential to address unmet needs in prediabetic and diabetic patients

New technology could aid in developing novel drugs and future gene therapies

USAN approves generic name "ulimorelin" for Tranzyme Pharma's TZP-101

Drug Discovery - Second Edition eBook

Achieving and maintaining ISO 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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