Ligand News and Research

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Researchers develop new approach to immunotherapy of cancer

Harnessing the immune system is emerging as one of the most promising new ways to fight cancer. Most cancer cells are eliminated by the immune system; however, over a lifetime, a few may escape this immune surveillance and lead to tumors and metastases. Hence a formidable opportunity has been to find ways to make the immune system recognize the tumor as a foreign body and trigger a response.

13 May 2010

Key mechanisms for delivery of LNP-encapsulated siRNAs to the liver

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today the publication of pre-clinical research in the journal Molecular Therapy revealing key mechanisms related to the systemic delivery of RNAi therapeutics using lipid nanoparticles (LNPs).

12 May 2010

Scripps Research Institute awarded grant to design assays for exploring potential target for obesity, Type 2 diabetes

The Scripps Research Institute has been awarded a $1.3 million grant by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a series of tests at its Florida campus to help explore the potential of a protein that has emerged as a highly attractive target for the treatment of obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

3 May 2010

Pieris AG announces preclinical data for proprietary PRS-110 Anticalin compound

Pieris AG announced today preclinical data for its proprietary PRS-110 Anticalin compound, which targets the c-Met receptor, demonstrating a dose-dependant reduction of tumor growth in a xenograft mouse model.

30 Apr 2010

REGN reports net loss of $30.5M for first-quarter 2010

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced financial and operating results for the first quarter of 2010. The Company reported a net loss of $30.5 million, or $0.38 per share (basic and diluted), for the first quarter of 2010 compared with a net loss of $15.4 million, or $0.19 per share (basic and diluted), for the first quarter of 2009.

30 Apr 2010

NWO awards 31 grants in Investment Subsidy NWO Medium programme

The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) has awarded 31 grants in the Investment Subsidy NWO Medium programme for the acquisition of equipment, the setting up of data collections and the production of software and bibliographies. The total investment amounts to 10 million euro.

30 Apr 2010

Investment report on Somaxon Pharmaceuticals from MicroStockProfit.com

MicroStockProfit.com announces an investment report featuring Somaxon Pharmaceuticals Inc. The report includes financial, comparative and investment analyses, and industry information you need to know to make an educated investment decision.

29 Apr 2010

AVEO Pharmaceuticals reports net loss of $14.4 million for first-quarter 2010

AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing cancer therapeutics, today announced financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2010, provided an update on progress towards achievement of 2010 goals as well as 2010 financial guidance.

29 Apr 2010

Nanoviricides become registered trademark under USPTO

NanoViricides, Inc., announced today that the mark "nanoviricides" has now become a registered trademark under the US Patents and Trademarks Office. The mark was entered into the "principal register" of trademarks at the USPTO on April 20, 2010.

26 Apr 2010

AVEO Pharmaceuticals presents data on potential utility of Notch1-specific monoclonal antibody at 101st AACR

AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing cancer therapeutics, today announced preclinical data which demonstrate that its Notch1-specific monoclonal antibody is a highly potent inhibitor of Notch1 function in both in vitro and in vivo models. These data were presented today at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 101st Annual Meeting 2010 in Washington, D.C.

22 Apr 2010

Roche's progress of RG7348 into Phase I clinical trial triggers $6.5M milestone payment to Ligand

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced that it earned a $6.5 million payment from Roche as a result of Roche progressing RG7348 into a Phase I clinical trial for the treatment of hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection. The milestone payment arises from a 2008 collaboration and license agreement between Roche and Metabasis Therapeutics, Inc.

21 Apr 2010

New computer simulation technique could speed up drug discovery process

Scientists here are taking the trial and error out of drug design by using powerful computers to identify molecular structures that have the highest potential to serve as the basis for new medications.

15 Apr 2010

Trevena commences Phase I trial of TRV120027 biased ligand for acute decompensated heart failure

Trevena Inc., a leader in the discovery of G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) biased ligands, today announced the initiation of a Phase I clinical trial of TRV120027, a titratable i.v. agent designed for the treatment of acute decompensated heart failure. TRV120027 is a biased ligand that targets the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) and induces a unique mode of signaling.

15 Apr 2010

Overcoming resistance - new options for the treatment of ovarian cancer

Research on the development of a new therapeutic agent for the treatment of particularly aggressive ovarian cancer has produced some very promising initial findings. In laboratory tests, scientists have succeeded in reducing the resistance of the tumour cells to a natural resistance mechanism with the help of a monoclonal antibody. The results of this project, which was funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, have just been published. The project also succeeded in establishing a hitherto unknown connection between so-called "natural killer cells" and the regulated death of cancer cells.

12 Apr 2010

Research opens way for development of new preventions and treatments for breast cancer

Researchers at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute have discovered that breast stem cells are exquisitely sensitive to the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone, a finding that opens the way for the development of new preventions and treatments for breast cancer.

12 Apr 2010

Study suggests new ways to improve anti-cancer chemotherapies

A study released this week suggests that anti-cancer chemotherapies which use nanoparticles to deliver drugs deep inside tumor tissue will be more effective if the particles are positively electrically charged because they are taken up to a greater extent by proliferating cells, according to a team of chemists and chemical engineers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

12 Apr 2010

Indispensable role of Mindin in innate and adaptive immunity

Mindin has an indispensable role in both innate and adaptive immunity. A research group in China investigated regulation of mindin expression and the signaling pathway involved. mRNA expression of mindin was upregulated during dextran sulfate sodium induced mouse intestinal inflammation. Stimulation with CpG-ODN (a known TLR-9 ligand) induced upregulation of mindin expression in RAW 264.7 cells and significantly increased the NF-κB-luciferase activity in vitro.

31 Mar 2010

Ligand Pharmaceuticals' LGD-4033 SARM Phase I study data featured at 14th endocrinology congress

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced that data from a Phase I study with its selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) LGD-4033 was featured today in a poster presentation at the 14th International Congress of Endocrinology in Kyoto, Japan. This Phase I clinical trial was the first study in humans of LGD-4033, and evaluated the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic profiles of the molecule in a single escalating dose, double blind, placebo-controlled study in 48 healthy volunteers.

29 Mar 2010

Scientists link gene expression profiling effort to identify potential novel therapeutic for ALS

In an article published in Nature Genetics today, scientists at the ALS Therapy Development Institute describe how they have linked an unbiased gene expression profiling effort to the identification and successful preclinical testing of a potential novel therapeutic for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

29 Mar 2010

Two-drug combination destroys precancerous colon polyps

A two-drug combination destroys precancerous colon polyps with no effect on normal tissue, opening a new potential avenue for chemoprevention of colon cancer, a team of scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports in the advance online edition of the journal Nature.

29 Mar 2010