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Study shows that GSK-3 gene determines the total number of neurons required for brain

In populating the growing brain, neural stem cells must strike a delicate balance between two key processes - proliferation, in which the cells multiply to provide plenty of starting materials - and differentiation, in which those materials evolve into functioning neurons.

5 Oct 2009

Researchers engineer antidotes for blood-thinner aptamers

Imagine a surgical patient on a blood-thinning drug who starts bleeding more than expected, and an antidote that works immediately - because the blood thinner and antidote were designed to work together. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have engineered a way to do this for an entire, versatile class of drugs called aptamers and published their findings in Nature Medicine.

4 Oct 2009

Quest PharmaTech acquires immunotherapeutic antibody products from Paladin Labs

Quest PharmaTech Inc. ("Quest" or the "Company"), a pharmaceutical company developing and commercializing products for the treatment of cancer, today announced that it has acquired a pipeline of late-stage immunotherapy product candidates from Paladin Labs Inc. ("Paladin").

3 Oct 2009

NEDD9 protein stimulates aggressive metastatic breast cancer

Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center have demonstrated that a protein called NEDD9 may be required for some of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer to grow. Their findings, based on the study of a mouse model of breast cancer, are presented in a recent issue of Cancer Research, available on-line now.

3 Oct 2009

Nasal spray to improve memory

Good news for procrastinating students: a nasal spray developed by a team of German scientists promises to give late night cram sessions a major boost, if a good night's sleep follows.

3 Oct 2009

Enzyme that helps make tuberculosis resistant to a human's natural defense system identified

Researchers at Iowa State University have identified an enzyme that helps make tuberculosis resistant to a human's natural defense system. Researchers have also found a method to possibly neutralize that enzyme, which may someday lead to a cure for tuberculosis.

3 Oct 2009

Arginetix raises funds for development programs

Arginetix, Inc. today announced it has closed a $10.75 million Series A financing. The company is developing small molecule inhibitors of the enzyme arginase for the treatment of endothelial dysfunction, including pulmonary arterial hypertension, atherosclerosis and asthma.

2 Oct 2009

Actavis' clients launch generic Atorvastatin in Spain

Actavis Group, the international generic pharmaceuticals company, today announced that its third-party sales division, Medis, has delivered 30 million tablets of Atorvastatin to its clients in Spain. This is the first generic version of the blockbuster molecule to reach the Spanish market.

1 Oct 2009

HRA Pharma launches its new generation emergency contraceptive in Europe

HRA Pharma (http://www.hra-pharma.com), a privately-held, European pharmaceutical company that designs products, devices and supporting services in reproductive health and endocrinology, announced today that ellaOne(R) (ulipristal acetate, 30mg), its new generation emergency contraceptive, has been launched in France, Germany and the United Kingdom via local HRA teams. HRA Pharma will progressively launch ellaOne in all European countries over the coming months.

1 Oct 2009

Solvay's decision to sell its Pharmaceuticals Sector does not affect Girindus

Girindus, a leading service provider to the pharmaceutical industry and a dedicated manufacturer of therapeutic oligonucleotides, announces that Girindus Group is not affected by Solvay's decision to sell its Pharmaceuticals Sector to Abbott. Girindus is a member of Solvay Organics, which is part of the Chemicals Division of the Solvay Group and is therefore completely separate from the Pharmaceuticals Division.

1 Oct 2009

Brdt protein in developing sperm cells direct tight re-packaging of sperm DNA

In the quest for speed, olympic swimmers shave themselves or squeeze into high-tech super-suits. In the body, sperm are the only cells that swim and, as speed is crucial to fertility, have developed their own ways to become exceptionally streamlined. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg and Grenoble, the Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS) and the Institut Albert Bonniot, both also in Grenoble, have been studying the secrets of speedy sperm.

1 Oct 2009

Latest optical and laser technology in medicine displayed at FiO meeting

From scopes that help premature babies breathe to techniques for imaging live neurons and beating hearts as they develop, the latest optical and laser technology being deployed in medicine and the biosciences will be on display at the Optical Society's (OSA) Annual Meeting, Frontiers in Optics (FiO), which takes place Oct. 11-15 at the Fairmont San Jose Hotel and the Sainte Claire Hotel in San Jose, Calif.

1 Oct 2009

Synta commences Phase 1/2 clinical study of novel Hsp90 inhibitor in hematologic malignancies

Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing small molecule drugs to treat severe medical conditions, today announced that it has initiated a Phase 1/2 clinical study of its novel heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitor, STA-9090 in hematologic malignancies with a once-a-week dosing schedule.

29 Sep 2009

New microchip to detect type and severity of cancer

UofT researchers have used nanomaterials to develop a microchip sensitive enough to quickly determine the type and severity of a patient's cancer so that the disease can be detected earlier for more effective treatment.

29 Sep 2009

NHGRI and NIMH fund $45 million to establish Centers of Excellence in Genomic Science

The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), both part of the National Institutes of Health, today announced grants expected to total approximately $45 million to establish new Centers of Excellence in Genomic Science at the Medical College of Wisconsin and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill as well as to continue support of existing centers at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Southern California.

29 Sep 2009

PolyMedix receives patent protection for computational methods in the design of amphiphilic polymers

PolyMedix, Inc., an emerging biotechnology company developing new therapeutic drug products to treat infectious diseases and acute cardiovascular disorders based on biomimetics, has received patent protection for certain exclusively licensed intellectual property by the issuance to the University of Pennsylvania of U.S. patent number 7,590,517, “Methods, Systems, and Computer Program Products for Computational Design of Amphiphilic Polymers.”

28 Sep 2009