Articles By Cyndi Root

  1. Asterias Biotherapeutics, Cancer Research UK To Conduct Clinical Trial Of Lung Cancer Immunotherapy Vaccine 9/16/2014

    BioTime and its subsidiary Asterias Biotherapeutics announced in a press release that they have agreed to conduct an immunotherapy vaccine trial for lung cancer with Cancer Research UK. The charity’s development and commercialization arm, Cancer Research Technology (CRT), will also participate in the trial of AST-VAC2 in subjects with non-small cell lung cancer. The trial will evaluate toxicity, safety, feasibility, immune response, and clinical outcomes.

  2. CDMO Patheon To Manufacture Novel Polymer For Relypsa 9/15/2014

    Relypsa, Inc. announced in a press release that it has engaged Patheon, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), to produce patiromer, a novel polymer. The multi-year commercial manufacturing and supply agreement with Patheon is for the finished product manufacture of the agent to treat hyperkalemia. Relypsa plans to name Patheon as the manufacturer in its New Drug Application (NDA) to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Wilhelm Stahl, Ph.D., SVP of Pharmaceutical Operations at Relypsa, said, “Having multiple, well-respected and proven global pharmaceutical suppliers gives us confidence in meeting potential demand and providing a high quality product to patients."

  3. USPTO Issues Patent For GenSpera's Prostate Cancer Prodrug 9/11/2014

    GenSpera announced in a press release that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a patent for its prostate cancer prodrug. Patent number 8,822,406, “Tumor Activated Prodrugs,” covers the prodrug’s composition. The new patent joins the 12 others patents that GenSpera owns or licenses, of which 10 relate to prostate cancer. Craig Dionne, PhD, GenSpera CEO, said, “The issuance of this patent further strengthens our intellectual property position for targeted anti-cancer prodrugs and recognizes their unique applicability in treating prostate cancer.”

  4. Gilead Reports Ambrisentan, Tadalafil Combo Better In PAH Than Monotherapy 9/9/2014

    Gilead Sciences announced in a press release that a study of ambrisentan and tadalafil showed that the combination treatment worked better than either drug alone. The AMBITION study, conducted with GlaxoSmithKline with funding and tadalafil drug supply from Eli Lilly, evaluated the drugs in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Gilead plans to present its findings at the ERS International Congress 2014, the annual meeting of the European Respiratory Society.

  5. Gilead Talks With Generic Drug Makers On Low-Cost Version Of Sovaldi 9/8/2014

    Gilead Sciences is talking with generic drug makers to bring a low-cost version of Sovaldi for Hepatitis C to developing countries, according to Bloomberg. Gregg Alton, an EVP for Gilead, said that Gilead is in talks with several companies and hopes to ink licensing deals with contenders as early as mid-September. Mr. Alton said that involving multiple companies is critical to ensure enough supply. He said, “We are talking to five or six companies right now and we will see whether all six sign a license with us.”

  6. Nosopharm Seeks Partner To Develop Novel, Resistance-Combatting Antibacterial 9/5/2014

    Nosopharm, an anti-infectives R&D specialist, recently presented findings on a new class of antibacterials known as Odilorhabdins that shows promise in combatting antibiotic resistance. The novel agent is in the preclinical stage, developed with Nosophorm’s proprietary platform. Philippe Villain-Guillot, CEO of Nosopharm said, “Our presentation at ICAAC is also a launchpad for future partner discussions. Our next objective is an R&D (preclinical and clinical) and commercialization partnership with a biotech or a pharma company by mid-2015. We welcome a broad range of enquiries from within the industry.”

  7. EMD Serono, MGH Collaborate On Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Lupus Nephritis R&D 9/5/2014

    EMD Serono Research and Development Institute, a subsidiary of Merck KGaA, announced in a press release that it will be collaborating with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) to further understand the pathology of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Lupus Nephritis (LN). The two partners will focus on characterizing pathogenic immune cell types and biomarkers and validating therapeutic targets.

  8. Novo Nordisk Discontinues Inflammatory Disease R & D For Diabetes, Obesity Treatments 9/4/2014

    Novo Nordisk announced in a press release that it has decided to discontinue its focus on inflammatory disorders and increase its efforts in diabetes and obesity. The company’s decision follows its discontinuation of its anti-IL-20 compound for rheumatoid arthritis after a Phase IIb trial proved disappointing. Novo Nordisk will finalize that program and others in the next six months, possibly seeking buyers for some compounds in development.

  9. Teva Reports Two Successful Phase III Studies For Reslizumab In Asthma 9/4/2014

    Teva Pharmaceutical Industries announced in a press release that two Phase III trials for reslizumab have met their primary endpoints. The anti-IL-5 monoclonal antibody lowered the frequency of clinical asthma exacerbations (CAE) by 50 to 60 percent compared to a placebo in patients with inadequately controlled moderate to severe asthma and elevated levels of blood eosinophils. The positive study results and a full analysis of the data will lead to regulatory filings in the U.S. in 2015.

  10. C4XD Lends Its NMR Technology To Takeda For 3D Drug Molecule Structures 8/28/2014

    C4X Discovery (C4XD) announced in a press release that it will lend its Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) technology to Takeda Cambridge Limited (TCB). The new partners seek to use the technology to make 3D identifications of TCB’s drug molecules. Piers Morgan, CEO of C4XD, said, "We are delighted to partner with TCB, a leading pharma company with world class target identification and validation capabilities. This collaboration will provide increased visibility of the potential advantages and benefits of C4XD's technology."