Recombinant DNA News and Research

RSS

Recombinant DNA is a variety of techniques that molecular biologists use to manipulate DNA molecules to study the expression of a gene.

Science and precedent do not support biosimilar approach for plasma protein therapies

The current science and experience does not support the safety and efficaciousness of a biosimilar pathway for plasma protein therapies. At a public hearing last week, the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA) urged the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to make patient safety its top priority by adopting a global approach in its evaluation of plasma protein therapies for the biosimilars process.

15 Nov 2010

UCSF professor receives National Medal of Science

UCSF Nobel laureate Stanley B. Prusiner, MD, UCSF professor of neurology and director of the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, today (Oct. 15, 2010) was named to receive the National Medal of Science, the nation's highest honor for science and technology.

18 Oct 2010

Merck's boceprevir Phase III studies for HCV to be presented at 61st AASLD

Merck today announced that final results from two pivotal Phase III studies of boceprevir, its investigational oral hepatitis C protease inhibitor, will be presented in oral plenary sessions at the 61st Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), which is taking place from Oct. 29 through Nov. 2 in Boston. Results for boceprevir in response-guided therapy strategies, which evaluated treatment durations shorter than current standard therapy, will be presented during the meeting.

4 Oct 2010

Conference to discuss frontline of immunological research, its clinical application

The immune system is evolved to protect our body against a variety of infectious agents which can cause serious and often fatal diseases. We now appreciate that the immune system is also involved in surveillance of malignant transformation of normal cells that constitute our body, as well as rejection of transplanted organs.

17 Sep 2010

Medicago included in President's report that examines drugs to prevent spread of infectious diseases

Medicago Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing highly effective and affordable vaccines based on proprietary manufacturing technologies and Virus-Like Particles, today announced that it was included in a report of President Obama's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology entitled "Report to the President on Reengineering the Influenza Vaccine Production Enterprise to Meet the Challenges of Pandemic Influenza", which was released earlier this month. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and other public health officials held a briefing to discuss this report and the $2 billion plan to accelerate the development of drugs and vaccines to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

31 Aug 2010

Merck's two pivotal boceprevir Phase III registration studies for chronic HCV meet primary endpoint

Merck reported that two pivotal Phase III registration studies for boceprevir, its investigational oral hepatitis C protease inhibitor, have been completed and met the primary endpoints: in both studies in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection, the addition of boceprevir to treatment with PEGINTRON® and REBETOL® significantly increased the number of patients who achieved sustained virologic response, compared to control groups that received Peg/riba plus placebo.

5 Aug 2010

Merck signs non-exclusive license agreement with LabCorp for commercialization of genetic test

Merck announced a non-exclusive license agreement with Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings for the commercialization of a genetic test that may help predict the response of patients with Hepatitis C virus infection to peginterferon alpha-based therapy.

28 Jul 2010

New research identifies stem cells that generate three critical classes of nerve cells

New research, published in the journal Development, by Dr. Anthony-Samuel LaMantia, professor of Pharmacology & Physiology and director of the newly formed GW Institute for Neuroscience, and his colleagues have identified the stem cells that generate three critical classes of nerve cells - olfactory receptors, vomeronasal and gonadotropin releasing hormone neurons - that are responsible for enabling animals and humans, to eat, interact socially and reproduce.

22 Jul 2010

Tepha receives $3.2 million credit facility from GE Capital

GE Capital, Healthcare Financial Services today announced it has provided a $3.2 million credit facility to Tepha, Inc. The financing provides Tepha with working capital as it expands global commercialization efforts.

15 Jul 2010

Fox Chase Cancer Center announces first-in-human bi-specific HER2/HER3 pathway targeting antibody

Patients with HER2-positive cancers can have dramatic responses to HER2-targeted drugs but eventually develop resistance to the agents. With that problem in mind, Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers are testing a novel type of antibody called MM-111 in patients with HER2-positive disease who have progressed on standard therapy.

5 Jun 2010

Naturxan expands production and distribution capabilities to provide worldwide availability of Aquasta

Naturxan, LLC, a joint venture between Archer Daniels Midland Company and Igene Biotechnology, Inc., today announced that it has completed an expansion of its production and distribution capabilities to provide worldwide availability of Aquasta, a naturally sourced astaxanthin made from Phaffia yeast for enriching and pigmenting salmon and trout consuming aquaculture feeds.

27 May 2010

Vect-Horus accentuates its leadership in delivering drugs to the central nervous system

Vect-Horus is a biotechnology company based on the scientific work of Dr. Michel Khrestchatisky and specializes in the development of peptide and pseudo-peptide-based vector molecules for drug targeting and delivery to the central nervous system (CNS).

18 May 2010

Study results from US Military Malaria Vaccine Program announced

Bioject Medical Technologies Inc., a leading developer of needle-free injection therapy systems, today announced that the US Military Malaria Vaccine Program presented results of its study using the Biojector2000 with a recombinant DNA vaccine at two recent conferences. A Cooperative Research and Development Agreement was signed with the Navy in April 2009 to work together on the study.

28 Apr 2010

News outlets examine H1N1's impact on U.S. vaccine development plans, Mexico's handling of outbreak

"A year after the emergence of swine flu [H1N1], U.S. health authorities and laboratories say the pandemic illustrated the need for new vaccine production techniques that are faster and more reliable," Agence France-Presse writes in an article that examines the challenges associated with current vaccine development practices and plans for future development.

24 Apr 2010

EUREKA project develops unique range of antibodies

EUREKA project E! 3424 RECAN has developed a range of unique and highly specific monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies - the proteins produced in the blood which counteract bacteria, viruses or cancerous cells.

20 Mar 2010

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals' RECOTHROM solution receives Health Canada approval

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals announced today that RECOTHROM(R) (Thrombin alfa (Recombinant)), the first recombinant, plasma-free thrombin approved by Health Canada, is now available for use as a topical hemostatic solution. According to a recent clinical study, RECOTHROM(R) was found to successfully stop 80 per cent of surgical bleeding within three minutes and 95 per cent of bleeding within 10 minutes.

1 Mar 2010

GeoVax Labs presents results of preclinical study on prototype HIV/AIDS vaccine at CROI

GeoVax Labs, Inc., an Atlanta-based, biopharmaceutical company developing vaccines for diseases caused by HIV-1 (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), today announced that it presented the results of a preclinical study on a prototype HIV/AIDS vaccine at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco.

18 Feb 2010

Soligenix' LPM oral drug delivery technology receives Hong Kong patent

Soligenix, Inc., a late-stage biotechnology company, announced today that it has received a Hong Kong patent which addresses its Lipid Polymer Micelle (LPM™) technology for the improved oral delivery of drugs. The issued Hong Kong patent, HK 1071054, entitled "Stabilized Reverse Micelle Compositions and Uses Thereof" covers lipid structures (reverse micelles) that promote the intestinal absorption of peptides and other sensitive drugs that cannot otherwise be given orally.

17 Feb 2010

GeoVax Labs provides updates on HIV-1 vaccine trials

GeoVax Labs, Inc., an Atlanta-based, biopharmaceutical company developing human vaccines for diseases caused by HIV-1 (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and other infectious agents, today provided an update on its vaccine trials progress.

9 Feb 2010

Cequent Pharmaceuticals' IND application for CEQ508 approved for clinical trial

Cequent Pharmaceuticals, a pioneer in the development of novel products to deliver RNAi-based treatments to prevent and treat human disease, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) approved Cequent's first IND (investigational new drug) application yesterday.

10 Dec 2009