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Affymetrix signed a worldwide distribution agreement for ScreenCell’s isolation devices and dilution buffers for the collection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood. The QuantiGene® ViewRNA CTC platform, which consists of ScreenCell’s products and Affymetrix’ QuantiGene ViewRNA Assays, is now available from Affymetrix. The arrangement makes Affymetrix the exclusive distributor of ScreenCell products used [...]

An algal system for manufacturing recombinant proteins has provided scientists with the means to generate a malaria-blocking vaccine candidate based on two native unglycosylated Plasmodium falciparum surface proteins, Pfs25 and Pfs28. The University of California, San Diego researchers produced the two P. falciparum proteins in the chloroplasts of the widely used model alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, [...]

Agilent is buying Danish cancer in vitro diagnostics firm Dako for $2.2 billion in cash on a debt-free basis. Agilent says the acquisition is the largest in its history, and will complement its existing life science business and boost its presence in the clinical diagnostics market. “In the rapidly growing diagnostics market, Dako’s products and [...]

Aveo Oncology and partner Astellas Pharma Europe reported positive data from the pivotal Phase III study Viro-1, comparing the once-daily oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor candidate tivozanib with sorafenib in 517 patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Astellas says it plans to submit a marketing authorization application for tivozanib to the European authorities during the [...]

Evotec is adding Agilent Technologies’ RapidFire mass spectrometry analysis capabilities to its high-throughput screening facilities in Hamburg. RapidFire is an in-line solid-phase extraction technology. It enables ultrafast, direct analysis of native compounds for a variety of biochemical assays including routine ADME and lead discovery applications across a range of therapeutic areas. Evotec reports that it [...]

Pfizer’s drug candidate for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), Torisel, failed to meet the primary endpoint of progression-free survival in the Phase III Intorsect study. The trial compared Torisel and Nexavar in patients whose disease had progressed on or after treatment with the company’s approved drug Sutent. Although PFS was numerically higher in patients treated [...]

Biologics manufacturer Lonza and ocular gene therapy specialist Avalanche Biotechnologies established a global manufacturing collaboration to aid in the latter’s gene therapy programs. Avalanche’s lead wet age-related macular degeneration (wet-AMD) gene therapy candidate AVA-101 started in early clinical trials at the end of 2011. The partnership will focus on the process development and scale-up of [...]

IntelligentMDx received a CE Mark for its qualitative Group B Streptococcus (GBS) in vitro diagnostic, IMDx GBS, for use on the Abbott m2000™ system. The assay is used to screen for Group B Streptococcus infection in at-risk pregnant women and women in labor. The real-time PCR test can be carried out on either direct swabs [...]

CRO Admescope will offer PlexPress’ TRAC (transcript analysis with the aid of affinity capture) platform for high-throughput gene expression analysis as part of its in vitro drug interaction and preclinical ADME-Tox services. Finland-based Admescope will initially offer Plexpress’ multiplex cytochrome P450 (CYP) assays. The firm says the service will meet FDA’s recent draft recommendations that [...]

After turning down an unsolicited bid from Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) in February, Amylin Pharmaceuticals is preparing to weigh offers from BMS and up to six other potential suitors. Citing unnamed “people familiar with the matter,” Bloomberg News reported that BMS has joined AstraZeneca, Merck & Co., Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, and Takeda in signing confidentiality agreements [...]

Accelr8 and Denver Health received notification that the Defence Medical Research and Development Program (DMRPD) has recommended a $2 million award to support a three-year project focused on developing a rapid diagnostic system for wound infections and serious infections secondary to trauma. The project was the sole recipient of funds under the Military Infectious Diseases [...]

Gamida Cell raised $10 million through an internal Series E financing round with all its existing major shareholders. The proceeds will be used to support global commercialization of the firm’s Phase III-stage StemEx cord blood stem cell therapy for blood cancers, and continue development of additional pipeline candidates, including clinical development of its cord blood-based [...]

The ALS Therapeutic Institute and Neurotune established a collaboration to evaluate one of the latter’s neuromuscular diseases candidates in an ALS disease model. ALS is associated with motor neurons and their axons becoming disconnected from muscle, and Neurotune has identified a class of compounds designed to maintain neuromuscular junction strength and stability. Switzerland-based Neurotune is [...]

CHDI Foundation and KineMed established a collaboration to exploit the latter’s tandem mass spectrometry-based proteomics platform to analyze the in vivo dynamics of mutant huntingtin protein as a means of assessing Huntington disease progression and measuring the efficacy of therapeutic candidates. The aim is to generate data that will both provide further insights into HD [...]

Scil Proteins and Ono Pharmaceuticals signed a drug discovery collaboration focused on the development and commercialization of Affilin® molecule therapeutics in multiple disease areas. Scil will select and characterize potential Affilin candidates from its libraries for further development and commercialization by Ono. Under terms of the deal Scill will receive research funding, development and commercialization [...]

Scientists have created bacteriophage-based microelectronic devices that can generate enough electricity to power a liquid-crystal display (LCD) when subjected to mechanical force. The prototype piezoelectric devices are composed of engineered M13 bacteriophages that self-assemble into thin films. Scientists from the University of California, Berkeley demonstrate the use of the thin films to generate power by [...]

Piramal Healthcare presented positive data from a pivotal Phase III study evaluating its BST-CarGel® cartilage repair product, which achieved a European CE mark last month. The study demonstrated that BST-CarGel treatment was more effective than microfracture (the current standard of care) in terms of the degree of filling of treated lesions, and quality of new [...]

Molecular diagnostics firm Curetis announced the award of a CE mark for its Unyvero™ point of care diagnostic platform and the first disposable cartridge-based test for the system, P50 Pneumonia. The automated assay is designed to simultaneously test for 39 DNA targets from a range of pneumonia-causing bacteria and determine antibiotic resistance. The Unyvero system [...]

A detailed study of the crystal structure of Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) complexed with a double-stranded DNA break has identified specific domains on the enzyme that could represent targets for the design of more specific PARP-1 inhibitors. PARP-1 is a protein that detects and responds to DNA breaks, and inhibitors targeting the enzyme are being tested [...]