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Biotage introduces ExploraSep 96-well screening plates to identify optimum scavengers

Biotage, a leading supplier of tools and technology for analytical and medicinal chemistry, announced the introduction of ExploraSep 96-well screening plates to identify optimum scavengers. The 4 different screening plates deliver 128 selective resins based on high-performance, Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs). Biotage provides professional MIPs technical consultation, information on additional formats as well as assistance with data interpretation and process development.

15 Jul 2010

Synageva BioPharma seeks FDA orphan drug designation for SBC-102 enzyme replacement therapy

Synageva BioPharma Corp., a privately held biopharmaceutical company, today announced its filing with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting orphan drug designation for its program, SBC-102. This program is an enzyme replacement therapy in preclinical development to treat lysosomal acid lipase (LAL) deficiency, also known as Wolman disease or cholesteryl ester storage disease (CESD), a condition for which there is currently no effective treatment.

4 May 2010

Omega-3 fatty acid supplements do not improve levels of depression in heart disease patients

Contrary to the findings of some studies, new research indicates that augmenting antidepressant therapy with an omega-3 fatty acid supplement does not result in improvement in levels of depression in patients with coronary heart disease, according to a study in the October 21 issue of JAMA.

26 Oct 2009

Nanoparticle-delivered suicide gene therapy effectively reduces ovarian tumor burden in mice

Nanoparticle delivery of diphtheria toxin-encoding DNA that expresses selectively in ovarian cancer cells reduced the burden of ovarian tumors in mice, and researchers expect that this therapy could be tested in humans with advanced ovarian cancer within 18 to 24 months, according to a report in Cancer Research. If additional tests are successful, these finding could lead to a new treatment for ovarian cancer, which now causes more than 15,000 deaths each year in the United States. Because it is usually diagnosed at a relatively late stage, ovarian cancer is one of the most deadly forms of the disease.

7 Sep 2009

New nano-gene therapy technique could fight late-stage tumors

Tiny particles carrying a killer gene can effectively suppress ovarian tumor growth in mice, according to a team of researchers from MIT and the Lankenau Institute.

31 Jul 2009

Do omega-3 fatty acids prevent depression in coronary heart disease?

Depression is an established risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease (CHD) in healthy patients and for adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with existing CHD. Dietary factors resulting in lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids not only increase CHD risk, but may also be involved in the pathophysiology of depression.

9 Jun 2009

Prion infection of neurons increases the free cholesterol content in cell membranes

A new study published in the online open access journal BMC Biology suggests that disturbances in membrane cholesterol may be the mechanism by which prions cause neurodegeneration and could point to a role for cholesterol in other neurodegenerative diseases.

12 Feb 2008

Isocitric acid from fermentation of sunflower oil - a new building block for pharma?

The citric acid cycle, one of the most important metabolic processes in our bodies, was formulated in 1937. Since then, all of the intermediates have been produced in multigram quantities - with one exception, (2 R,3S)-isocitric acid.

4 Feb 2008

GlaxoSmithKline to acquire Reliant Pharmaceuticals

GlaxoSmithKline and Reliant Pharmaceuticals Inc. have announced that they had reached an agreement under which Reliant will be acquired by GSK for $1.65 billion (800 million pounds Sterling) in cash.

21 Nov 2007

The importance of the endocannabinoid-system

Cannabis (marijuana) is the most widely produced plant-based illicit drug worldwide and the illegal drug most frequently used in Europe.

15 Oct 2007

In vivo imaging of hydrogen peroxide with chemiluminescent nanoparticles

Most people think of hydrogen peroxide as a topical germ killer, but the medicine cabinet staple is gaining steam in the medical community as an early indicator of disease in the body.

27 Sep 2007

Safer gene therapy - biodegradable polymers to deliver genes

In work that could lead to safe and effective techniques for gene therapy, MIT researchers have found a way to fine-tune the ability of biodegradable polymers to deliver genes.

10 Sep 2007

FDA affirms safety of Aspartame

The Calorie Control Council has stated that a rat study conducted by Italy's Ramazzini Institute is totally contradictory to the extensive scientific research and regulatory reviews conducted on aspartame. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has said they are not recommending any changes in the use of aspartame.

13 Feb 2006

Softening agents in their home linked to asthma and allergies

There is a clear co-variation between allergic symptoms in children and the concentration of softening agents in their homes. This is a finding made by a Swedish-Danish research team in a recently published study financed by Formas

16 Aug 2004

The Phthalate Esters Panel responds to claims about the health effects of phthalates

A new report by Environment California Research & Policy Center makes several claims about the health effects of phthalates contained in consumer products that are unsupported by the science.

25 Jun 2004

Consumer trust in food is high in the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Norway, but low in Italy and Portugal

Consumer trust in food is high in the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Norway, but low in Italy and Portugal and relatively low in Germany. Research also shows that consumers in these countries are most sceptical about meat products, fast-food outlets and food processors.

5 Apr 2004