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Archive for July, 2007

RNAi Europe – New speakers added to the agenda

Last Updated on Wednesday, 25 July 2007 02:55 Written by Fred Wednesday, 25 July 2007 02:55

Last year’s RNAi Europe, held in Prague, was a great success. The attendees (200+) were very pleased with the standard of the lectures and the networking facilities offered by the adjacent exhibition (28 exhibits – 47 scientific posters).

“The RNAi Europe 2006 conference was even better than the 2005 conference. Scientific content was excellent, attendance was high, and there was a great sense of vitality and excitement.” said Mark Belke, IDT DNA.
Jens Kurreck also declared last year: “It was a highly interesting meeting with a number of excellent talks; a great opportunity to meet other researchers in the field and discuss possible interactions and the conference was very well organised.”

Encouraged by such an enthusiastic feedback from the attendees, Select Biosciences is proud to announce their 4th annual RNAi Europe, to be held on September 20-21 in Barcelona. In addition, responding to public demand, a microRNA Symposium is organised this year on the day prior to the event.

The following distinguished speakers have already confirmed their participation for the overall event:

  • Reuven Agami, Associated Professor, Netherlands Cancer Institute
  • George Calin, MD Anderson Cancer Centre, University of Texas
  • Anastasia Khvorova, Chief Scientific Officer Dharmacon Products, Thermo Fisher Scientific
  • Jens Kurreck, Group Leader, Berlin Free University
  • Judy Lieberman, Senior Investigator, Harvard Medical School
  • Eric Miska, Senior Fellow, Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK
  • Minoo Rassoulzadegan, Director, Inserm
  • Dmitry Samarsky, Vice President, Technology Development, RXi Pharmaceuticals

The respective agendas, both available online, will develop the following topics:

microRNA Symposium

  • Biology of microRNA
  • microRNAs in Cancer

RNAi Europe

  • RNA Technologies
  • Emerging Themes in RNAi
  • RNAi-Based Therapeutics

In order to ensure a cost-effective trip, delegates can register to both meetings and will have access to the exhibition, and also can opt to attend a parallel business tutorial: RNAi and microRNA: Market Landscape and Emerging Opportunities, to be held on September 21, in the afternoon.

Finally Select Biosciences has negotiated special rates with the Hesperia Hotel, the conference venue, for all their attendees.

Details available from RNAiEurope.com as well as early, combo and group registration deals.

Selected media partnerships are available for this event.

Posted under Europe, Press Releases, RNA Reasearch  |  No Comments

Gene Tools miRNA blocking

Last Updated on Wednesday, 25 July 2007 02:53 Written by Fred Wednesday, 25 July 2007 02:53

24 July 2007

We believe the accompanying press release may be of interest to your readers, but first, here is a brief introduction to GENE TOOLS.

GENE TOOLS, LLC is a biotech company that makes custom-sequence Morpholino oligos for biological and medical research.  GENE TOOLS, founded in 1997, is a spinoff of AVI Biopharma Inc. focused on research and diagnostic applications of Morpholino technology.  Morpholinos from Gene Tools have been commercially available since 2000 and there are over 1700 publications in the research literature using Morpholinos (pubs.gene-tools.com).

Our primary products, Morpholino antisense oligos, are synthetic molecules.
A specific Morpholino blocks the activity of a selected gene.  The sequence in which the subunits of the Morpholino are linked determines which gene will be blocked.  At GENE TOOLS we custom-synthesize each Morpholino in the appropriate sequence to shut down the activity of the customer’s gene of interest.  We usually synthesize over 200 of these Morpholinos each week.

GENE TOOLS’ customers are scientists at universities, research institutes and pharmaceutical companies.  Morpholino oligos are used by:
.    developmental biologists studying embryo development by injecting
Morpholinos into eggs or zygotes of zebrafish, frog, ascidians, sea urchins or other organisms;
.    cell biologists determining the function of newly sequenced genes;
and
.    medical researchers studying cellular mechanisms underlying cancer
and
other diseases.

For more information on Morpholino oligos, see the Gene Tools website
(www.gene-tools.com) and the Wikipedia Morpholino article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morpholino).

Let me know how I can help.

Regards,

- Jon

Jon D. Moulton, Ph.D.
Diagnostics and Special Projects
GENE TOOLS, LLC
jmoulton@gene-tools.com

PRESS RELEASE

MicroRNA Knockdowns with Morpholinos

Gene Tools announces a new paper describing techniques for miRNA activity knockdown, maturation knockdown and specificity controls using Morpholino oligos.

MicroRNAs regulate the expression of genes, often large groups of genes.
They are important in embryonic development, in cardiac function, in carcinogenesis and in many other processes.  The recent discovery of miRNAs has altered our understanding of gene regulation, with many new
reports of miRNA activity appearing in the literature.   Experimental
manipulation of miRNA activity will become a standard tool of molecular biologists, but currently these techniques are in development and still improving.

MicroRNAs mature through several steps.  A primary miRNA is transcribed from DNA and folds into a stem-loop.  The stem-loop is cleaved from the rest of the transcript by the nucleolytic enzyme Drosha, then the loop is cleaved from the stem by the nucleolytic enzyme Dicer.  The double stranded stem interacts with the protein Argonaute, which cleaves and releases one of the strands, forming the miRISC complex with the other strand, now called the guide strand.  It is the miRISC complex which interacts with mRNAs, altering their expression.

Knockdowns of miRNA activity have generally used oligos targeting the miRNA guide strand.  A Morpholino oligo targeting an miRNA guide strand can interfere with the activity of the miRNA.  It is difficult to control for the specificity of the knockdown when using this technique alone.  However, Morpholinos targeting the nucleolytic processing sites of an immature miRNA can prevent maturation of the miRNA.  This allows sets of nonoverlapping Morpholino oligos targeting a primary miRNA to be used as specificity controls; if two non-overlapping oligos targeting the same miRNA produce the same phenotype, this supports the hypothesis that the phenotype is due to knocking down the activity of the targeted miRNA and not due to an off-target effect.  These techniques are explored in the following paper:

Kloosterman WP, Lagendijk AK, Ketting RF, Moulton JD, Plasterk RHA.
Targeted inhibition of miRNA maturation with morpholinos reveals a role for
miR-375 in  pancreatic islet development. PLoS Biol. 2007;5(8): e203.

Posted under North America, Press Releases, RNA Reasearch  |  No Comments

Secondary Screening

Last Updated on Wednesday, 25 July 2007 12:39 Written by Fred Wednesday, 25 July 2007 12:39

The market for in vitro toxicology testing is approximately $200 million and expected to grow to more than $300 million by 2005. 90% of compounds fail in drug development because of four reasons. 41% of those fail because of poor ADME; 31% because of insufficient efficacy; 22% because of toxicity; and only 6% because of market and/or commercialization complications. The earlier in the development process that an inadequate compound can be removed, the less time and money wasted, usually on the order of five to ten years and hundreds of millions of dollars.

The triage process thus represents a large opportunity with significant unmet needs, and new technologies are defining and expanding this market. Triage starts immediately after primary high-throughput screening, and the market opportunity for re-screening of hits is approximately $190 million worldwide and expected to grow to more than $250 million by 2005. The market opportunities for toxicology and ADME currently total approximately $3 billion, most of which is spent on animal studies. The market for in vitro toxicology testing, the segment within secondary screening, is approximately $200 million and expected to grow more than $300 million by 2005. The market for in vitro ADME testing represents a conversation opportunity and is forecasted to remain relatively stable.

Posted under Asia, Europe, Press Releases, USA and Canada  |  No Comments

Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and Genzyme Corporation Form Collaboration To Advance New Drugs for Neglected Diseases

Last Updated on Wednesday, 25 July 2007 12:34 Written by Fred Wednesday, 25 July 2007 12:34

BRASILIA, Brazil and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) and Genzyme Corp. today announced that they have formed a research collaboration to advance new treatments for certain neglected diseases. The partners will focus initially on Chagas disease, a life-threatening infectious disease affecting millions of people in Latin America.

Fiocruz, a premier public institution chartered by the Brazilian Ministry of Health to promote health and social development, has expertise in biology, medicine, clinical treatment and the epidemiology of infectious disease. Genzyme is a leading global biotechnology company that is participating in efforts to discover and advance novel treatments for neglected diseases such as malaria and sleeping sickness through its Humanitarian Assistance for Neglected Diseases initiative.

Fiocruz and Genzyme will collaborate initially on two specific research programs. The first will focus on identifying novel biological targets within the parasite that causes Chagas disease and will include screening for potential compounds that affect these targets and which could be developed into drugs. The second program will test the effectiveness of using monoclonal antibodies to neutralize a protein that contributes to heart damage in Chagas disease, known as transforming growth factor-beta.

Under the partnership agreement, scientists from Fiocruz and Genzyme are expected to work in each other’s laboratories from time to time. The collaboration includes an innovative approach to intellectual property rights, providing Fiocruz rights to commercial uses within the field of neglected disease on a royalty-free basis.

Both organizations bring strong capabilities to these research areas. Fiocruz is one of the world’s leading centers for the study of Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis. The disease is named for Carlos Chagas, the Brazilian physician who first discovered the disease, its cause and mode of transmission in 1909 while working at Fiocruz. In addition, scientists at Fiocruz have developed metabolic maps of the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite that causes the disease when it is transmitted to humans from insects. These maps will be used to explore specific metabolic pathways that may serve as targets for potential drugs.

Genzyme has considerable experience in several of these pathways and is also a recognized leader in research on transforming growth factor-beta. In addition, Genzyme is developing and testing novel compounds intended to treat African trypanosomiasis-a fatal infectious disease caused by a related parasite-in collaboration with the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative.

“Neglected diseases pose significant problems in developing countries all over the world,” said Paulo Buss, M.D., president of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. “In Brazil, with the support of the health ministry, we are accelerating our efforts to address these problems and to increase scientific activity in this area. We are very excited to partner with Genzyme, one of the world leaders in biotechnology, and we are optimistic that this collaboration will create promising opportunities that may help us deal with the burden of infectious disease.”

Henri A. Termeer, chairman and chief executive officer of Genzyme Corp., said: “Biopharmaceutical companies have great potential to help address neglected diseases. Our industry possesses the precious capabilities to unlock the promise of the lab by converting basic science into drug candidates and increasing the number of potential treatments flowing into clinical development. We look forward to building a productive, sustainable partnership with Fiocruz, and we hope that this novel way of collaborating can serve as a model for public/private partnerships in the area of neglected disease drug development.”

Rogerio Vivaldi, M.D., Genzyme’s senior vice president and general manager for Latin America, commented: “This partnership with Fiocruz enables us to expand our support for research and development in Brazil and in Latin America, where we have already begun to increase our investment in clinical trials. Our work in neglected diseases is based on the same values and the same commitment to patients that have driven our work in developing treatments for people with orphan diseases.”

Through its Humanitarian Assistance for Neglected Diseases initiative, Genzyme is participating in efforts to discover and advance novel treatments for neglected diseases. The initiative serves as a vehicle to identify, evaluate and manage scientific projects and partnerships focused on diseases that collectively affect hundreds of millions of people, including malaria, Chagas disease, sleeping sickness and other diseases. Genzyme is focusing on projects where it can play a defined role in the process of moving potential new treatments from discovery toward clinical testing. The HAND initiative complements existing Genzyme programs that provide free medicines and help to build sustainable health care systems in developing countries.

About the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ)

The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) is the largest biomedical research institution in Latin America and one of the most respected in the world. FIOCRUZ forms part of the Brazilian Ministry of Health and plays an important role in the area of science and technology in health, including activities in basic and applied research, teaching, reference hospital and ambulatory assistance, strategies formulation in public health, information and diffusion, personnel training, vaccines, drugs, diagnostic kits and reagents production, quality control and development of technologies for health. The organization is over 100 years old and was modeled on the Pasteur Institute from where Oswaldo Cruz (the Institute’s founder and its first Director) drew inspiration.

About Genzyme Corporation

One of the world’s leading biotechnology companies, Genzyme is dedicated to making a major positive impact on the lives of people with serious diseases. Since 1981, the company has grown from a small start-up to a diversified enterprise with more than 9,000 employees in locations spanning the globe and 2006 revenues of $3.2 billion. Genzyme has been selected by FORTUNE as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work for” in the United States. With many established products and services helping patients in nearly 90 countries, Genzyme is a leader in the effort to develop and apply the most advanced technologies in the life sciences. The company’s products and services are focused on rare inherited disorders, kidney disease, orthopaedics, cancer, transplant, and diagnostic testing. Genzyme’s commitment to innovation continues today with a substantial development program focused on these fields, as well as immune disease, infectious disease, and other areas of unmet medical need.

Genzyme in Brazil

Genzyme established an affiliate organization in Brazil in 1997, becoming the first major biotechnology company to operate in the country. Over the past ten years, Genzyme has introduced in Brazil a number of treatments for rare inherited disorders (known also as “orphan diseases”), as well as treatments for kidney disease, thyroid cancer and organ transplant. Genzyme employs more than 100 people in Brazil. The company’s operations are based in Sao Paulo, and its office in Rio de Janeiro serves as a hub for commercial, medical, regulatory, and clinical research activities throughout Latin America.

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements about the research collaboration between Genzyme and Fiocruz, the research programs that are currently proposed as well as the potential disease targets, and Genzyme’s Humanitarian Assistance for Neglected Diseases program. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in these forward- looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among others, the general risks and uncertainties associated with drug discovery efforts, the ability of Fiocruz and Genzyme to execute the research plan as proposed, whether any compounds will be identified which could be developed into drugs, and the risks and uncertainties described in reports filed by Genzyme with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including without limitation the factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in Genzyme’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2007. We caution investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise the statements.

Posted under Collaborations, Press Releases, South America  |  No Comments

The increased sensitivity, functionality and vehicle mounted mobile capability of the Voice200, as well as its competitive pricing model, are raising strong commercial interest in the market

Last Updated on Monday, 23 July 2007 03:40 Written by Fred Monday, 23 July 2007 03:40

Syft Technologies is launching the next generation of Sift-MS instrumentation, the Voice200, which it says delivers real-time identification and quantitation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at the push of a button. Geoff Peck CEO of Syft Technologies says: ‘The design criteria and market requirements for this next generation of instruments were exacting.

‘We set a goal to significantly reduce the size and weight of the instrument while enhancing detection capability.

‘We redesigned the internal structure of the instrument to simplify the manufacture and maintenance processes, but kept the push button simplicity of the original Voice100′.

Trials of the technology are already producing significant results that are presenting new commercial opportunities for a number of prospects in North America and Europe.

A key player in the US food industry has been particularly impressed with Syft’s ability to analyse key compounds in a range of dairy related products, opening up new opportunities for dairy processing, product development and quality control.

The non-invasive nature of the technique continues to add significant value to a range of clinical trials and medical research being undertaken within New Zealand.

A large multinational in the medical sector has already invested in the Voice range of instruments.

Meanwhile Syft’s container air analysis applications continue to gather momentum as the dangers to health from fumigants and other toxic chemicals within containers are becoming more widely known and understood.

Syft international sales manager John Billows says: ‘Discussions with a range of customer prospects confirm that we have a real winner on our hands.

‘The feedback so far shows they are impressed with the speed and accuracy of the technology, as well as the smaller footprint, and of course the competitive price’.

The underlying technology of the Voice200 is selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (Sift-MS).

Syft Technologies was the first company to be able to successfully commercialise the technique and has won a number of awards for the early commercial success of the Voice100, its flagship product.

New applications for the Voice200 are well underway, including oil and gas exploration and refining, food and flavour chemistry, as well as screening for toxic chemicals, contraband, explosives and bio-security threats.

Syft’s European office, in the northwest of England, will host Syft’s European distributor network for product demonstrations, technical and sales training on the new instrument.

Senior sales and technical staff from the New Zealand head office will also attend the product launch taking place at the Daresbury Innovation Centre.

The Voice200 uses the patented Sift-MS technique to identify and qualify volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in real-time.

At less than half the weight of the Voice100, with a 1/3 volume reduction and with detection limits to 50 parts per trillion (50pptv), the Voice200 is a significant scientific and engineering breakthrough.

New features include a touch screen LCD for easy operation, lower power and consumable requirements, and a range of new options for sample presentation and analysis.

A major advance is the instrument’s ability to deliver negative ion capability, opening up a range of application areas that were previously difficult using the Voice100.

The Voice200 differs from competing mass spectrometry technologies in that it can detect and measure VOCs within seconds (such as all common fumigants below government mandated safety levels).

It can also analyse whole-air even in humid samples such as breath, and it provides quantitative results that are consistent and reliable.

It is designed with push button simplicity and ease of use in mind.

Unlike competing mass spectrometry techniques, no sample preparation is required, and the instrument can be operated with minimal training to deliver laboratory quality results.

Posted under Australia, Equipment & Supplies, Industry News, Press Releases  |  No Comments

Proteins’ ‘jiggle’ may give a jolt. Penn finding could be huge for drugmakers.

Last Updated on Monday, 23 July 2007 03:11 Written by Fred Monday, 23 July 2007 03:11

In a discovery that could have sweeping implications for pharmaceuticals of the future, scientists are reporting today that the long-observed jiggle of proteins is not just nervous energy but a carefully orchestrated dance that brings them together.

Virtually all medicines work by interacting with proteins – tiny organic molecules that trigger all bodily functions, from the blinking of an eye to inflammation that causes pain. For years, researchers have routinely relied on three-dimensional images of proteins to design custom-fitted pharmaceuticals.

The approach has had less success than some had expected.

In the paper being published today in the journal Nature, University of Pennsylvania biophysicist A. Joshua Wand outlines why three dimensions have not been sufficient.

An image does not capture movement, Wand said, and the specific nature of that movement – like the allure of a mating dance – is key to how proteins work.

“If we want to revive drug design in pharmaceutical industries or universities, there has to be a new realization of this in the design process,” said Erik Zuiderweg, a biophysicist at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor who was not involved in the study.

Central to creating any new medicines is the way proteins operate – through connection.

“All proteins do in life is bind [to] another protein,” said Wand, principal investigator of the study.

And most of life’s functions are controlled by proteins. When the body needs food, proteins couple in a chain reaction that produces the feeling of hunger; another set of chain reactions triggers digestion, and on and on.

Certain proteins can cause disease or unpleasant symptoms. In those cases, drugs may limit a protein’s potency by blocking its ability to bind and participate in the chain reaction.

Aspirin, for example, eases pain by gumming up a protein called COX-2. Neutering this one protein breaks down the whole network that regulates inflammation. Headache cured.

Historically, new drugs have emerged through trial and error – throw various compounds at a protein in the lab and see what sticks.

In the 1980s, as more and more 3-D blueprints of protein structures became available, pharmaceutical designers tried to do more than just take shots in the dark. In theory, since the images illuminate all a protein’s interesting bits, making a drug should be as easy as building the right piece to fit into a puzzle.

The process is called “rational drug design.” But apart from a few successes – an HIV protease inhibitor, for one – “it has failed,” said Zuiderweg, who worked on drug discovery at Abbott Laboratories from 1984 to 1991.

Since the early ’90s, drugmakers have used a method called high-throughput screening, which involves jamming thousands of puzzle pieces – potential drugs – into computer models of proteins to find the best fits. This, too, has not been particularly fruitful.

“Several drug companies I have contact with,” Zuiderweg said yesterday, “have given up on this. . . . Currently they are sitting empty-handed.”

The problem is that the static images of proteins show “only one part,” Wand said. “The other part has been hidden for a long time.”

The hidden part, movement, is known to scientists as entropy.

For some time, researchers have been able to peer into a closed system, such as a beaker of water, and measure all the motion within. But there has been no way to tease out the contributions from each individual component.

In a breakthrough that set the stage for his latest discovery, Wand’s team several years ago developed a strategy to zoom in on the entropy of just the protein.

“What came out of this was remarkable and totally unexpected,” he said.

Wand used a tool called Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Like hospital MRI, its offspring, NMR uses strong magnets, but it looks closely at tiny jittering molecules rather than at people’s insides.

NMR was performed on calmodulin, a calcium-binding protein that serves multiple functions, contacting hundreds of other proteins in the process.

“It’s hard to imagine one key binding 300 different locks,” Wand said, “but if the key can change its shape, then maybe.”

First the researchers used NMR to examine calmodulin’s dance with itself. Then they measured how its dance steps changed when it snagged each of six different partners. Like a molecular Fred Astaire, each of calmodulin’s binding partners elicited a different dance.

The aha! moment came when the scientists noticed that the way calmodulin’s dance changed with each partner protein seemed to dictate the energy of the system as a whole: calmodulin, its binding partner and the surrounding water.

“That means the entropy is important or else it would have been randomized by evolution,” Wand said.

The next question for Wand is whether this feature of calmodulin is shared by all proteins. Based on some preliminary analysis, “we’ve found the correlation is consistent for other proteins,” said Michael Marlow, a coauthor and postdoctoral fellow in Wand’s lab.

If this holds up, then it could be widely exploited in the development of new medicines.

“We are certainly looking at this and thinking of ways we may be able to incorporate it,” said Jonathan Moore, senior director of structural biology at Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biotech in Cambridge, Mass. “While the method is very clever and really interesting, it is still the first step.”

Zuiderweg predicts that if hard-to-get government grants for the most basic science are available, the findings could be incorporated into the search for new pharmaceuticals “in half a decade or so.”

“If nature can capitalize on it,” he said, “the pharmaceutical industry certainly can.”

Posted under Discoveries, Innovations and Patents, Press Releases  |  No Comments

Managing Worldwide Compound Delivery with Tecan REMP Automated Sample Storage and Retrieval Systems

Last Updated on Monday, 23 July 2007 02:19 Written by Fred Monday, 23 July 2007 02:19

At Boehringer Ingelheim’s principal research site in Biberach, Germany, the Screening Support group relies on REMP automated sample storage and retrieval systems to provide compound management services for the company’s high throughput screening laboratories worldwide.

Dr Gerhard Mihm, head of the Screening Support group, explained: “Over the years, the number of compounds to be managed has increased tremendously, and we rely heavily on our REMP sample storage systems; with over 800,000 compounds in our collection, our service would not be possible without this technology. There are only six of us in the group, so it is essential that all of our processes are highly streamlined and very efficient. REMP provides rapid service and maintenance, and the excellent relationship we have developed with the people at REMP is a major benefit too.”

Dr Mihm continued: “Our automated REMP systems include stores for solid samples, a -20 ºC store for compound solutions using REMP 96 and 384 Tube Technology™ consumables and automated cherry picking functions, a plate store at -20 ºC, as well as an expansion of our vial store to accommodate another 250,000 vials.”

The group also depends on several REMP workstations for automated copying of plates, weighing of solid compounds, preparing stock DMSO solutions and generating 96-well mother plates.

Posted under Equipment & Supplies, Europe, Press Releases  |  No Comments

Pan-South American biological database project under way

Last Updated on Thursday, 19 July 2007 02:17 Written by Fred Thursday, 19 July 2007 02:17

Aarhus Denmark, June 27, 2007 — The project of creating a South American biological database – with the official name Patrimonio Genómico y Saberes Locales (PGSL) which roughly translates to “Genomic Heritage and Local Wisdom” – manifested itself with a recent inaugural meeting in Ecuador, where universities and government agencies from various South American countries, as well as bioinformatics solution providers CLC bio, participated and agreed to move to the next phase of the project.

Ecuador’s Deputy Secretary of State, Dr. Gonzalo Salvador, stated at the inaugural meeting:
It is a milestone for South America to start the PGSL project, in order to recognize and ensure the unique cultural and natural heritage of South America, through modern and highly advanced science.

The overall goal of the PGSL project is to harvest and preserve nucleotide sequence data from the vast biodiversity throughout the continent and make a database, much like DDBJ in Japan, EMBL in Europe, and GenBank in North America. In addition, the project will scientifically investigate and preserve the ancient and traditional therapeutic healthcare substances – knowledge protected for thousands of years by native civilizations in South America. Another important issue for PGSL is to minimize “bio-piracy” – the act of non-native scientists harvesting and using genetic materials from South America for copyrighted products.

Via live video conference from Denmark, CLC bio’s Vice President, Jan Lomholdt, stated at the meeting:
Creating a biological database in South America, based on the profound biodiversity throughout the region, is of utmost importance – not only to South America, but to the whole world. It is vital to gain a deeper understanding of the unique species in Amazonia, Patagonia, and the Galápagos Islands, to name a few exceptional areas in the region. It is also essential to develop and maintain the scientific knowledge in South America, and to help increase the overall level of understanding of genetics and bioinformatics.

A fundamental part of the process is the education and training of leaders of the indigenous organizations, scientists, and postgraduate students, under the common agenda of PGSL. CLC bio will support this academic program with their new Educational Package (www.clceducation.com) as well as bioinformatics solutions, and consultancy services throughout the project.

The South American countries have started the project with Mr. Pablo Morales Males from Pontificia Universidad Católica of Ecuador (PUCE) as the Project Director, and PUCE as the central coordinating hub for the project.

Founding partners of PGSL

  • Pontificia Universidad Católica of Ecuador (PUCE)
  • Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Ecuador
  • Instituto de Biomedicina of Universidad Central del Ecuador
  • Pontificia Universidad Javieriana, Colombia
  • Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental, Peru
  • Universidad Católica Andres Bello, Venezuela
  • Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Ecuador’s Foreign Trade Affairs and Integration Ministry
  • Ecuador’s Intellectual Property Institute
  • Departamento Nacional de Recursos Fitogenéticos y Biotecnología, Ecuador
  • Asociación de Shamanes Indígenas del Napo-ASHIN, Ecuador
  • Asociación de Mujeres Parteras Kichwas del Napo – AMUPAKIN, Ecuador
  • CLC bio, Brazil and Denmark

About CLC bio

CLC bio is the world’s leading bioinformatics solution provider, solely focusing on the development of bioinformatics: software, hardware, data analysis, and custom-designed bioinformatics algorithms. CLC bio is an Apple solution provider and value added reseller.

CLC bio’s mission is to be among the most innovative bioinformatics companies in the 21st century. This is realized through:

  • Development of bioinformatics software and hardware based on the latest scientific findings
  • User-friendly, integrated and intuitive software solutions
  • Continuous focus on customer needs and superior customer service
  • Frequent product updates including the latest IT technologies and bioinformatics algorithms
  • A flexible IT architecture, enabling customers to buy or develop individualized solutions at a reasonable price

Posted under ChemInformatics, Europe, New Products, Press Releases  |  No Comments

CLC bio funds further acceleration of bioinformatics product development

Last Updated on Thursday, 19 July 2007 02:16 Written by Fred Thursday, 19 July 2007 02:16

Aarhus, Denmark, July 3, 2007 — Today CLC bio, the world’s leading bioinformatics solution provider, announced that the company has entered an agreement, which ensures a significant amount of additional financing from local Danish private investors.

The group of private investors behind CLC bio has a capital base of more than 200 million USD and a goal of continually securing adequate resources and expertise for CLC bio to develop ground-breaking end-to-end bioinformatics solutions. These solutions will ensure that CLC bio becomes and stays the top choice in the biotech, agricultural, and pharmaceutical industries as well as at universities and hospitals all over the world.

Mr. Thomas Bruno, representing the group of new CLC bio Investors, states,
With very few resources, CLC bio has managed to develop an unequaled DNA, RNA, and protein sequence analysis solution. This, in conjunction with the fact that the solution addresses a rapidly growing market makes the company unique. Moreover, their well-developed and deliberate strategic and organizational planning is exceptional for such a young company. I am confident of the company’s tremendous potential, and I believe their bioinformatics solutions will dominate the industry within few years because customers achieve enormous rationalizations and savings. Which research- or business manager would pass up an opportunity like that?

The background for the financing agreement is very positive: An increasing number of CLC bio customers perceive the company as being able to solve most of their bioinformatics challenges – particularly areas related to DNA, RNA, and protein sequence analyses. Thus CLC bio experiences a sharp increase in the demand for developing even broader bioinformatics solutions than those offered presently. The extra financing ensures that these solutions will be developed even faster than originally planned.

Some of the new focus areas are end-to-end solutions for genomics research and solutions for handling the many computational challenges of the new generation of DNA sequencing techniques. In addition to this, present high-performance computing products and bioinformatics software solutions will be aggressively expanded.

About CLC bio

CLC bio is the world’s leading full-service bioinformatics solution provider, solely focusing on the development of bioinformatics: software, hardware, data analysis, and custom-designed bioinformatics algorithms. CLC bio is an Apple solution provider and value added reseller.

CLC bio’s mission is to be among the most innovative bioinformatics companies in the 21st century. This is realized through:

  • Development of bioinformatics software and hardware based on the latest scientific findings
  • User-friendly, integrated and intuitive cross-platform software solutions
  • Continuous focus on customer needs and superior customer service
  • Frequent product updates including the latest IT technologies and bioinformatics algorithms
  • A flexible IT architecture, enabling customers to buy or develop individualized solutions at a reasonable price

Posted under Business and Investment, ChemInformatics, Europe, Press Releases  |  No Comments

CLC bio’s solutions fully compatible with Windows Vista and upcoming Mac OS X Leopard

Last Updated on Thursday, 19 July 2007 02:14 Written by Fred Thursday, 19 July 2007 02:14

Aarhus, Denmark, July 5, 2007 — CLC bio has once again proven their commitment to delivering true cross-platform software and regular updates with new and improved features. With last week’s major release of their software workbenches, CLC bio now fully supports Windows Vista, as well as the upcoming Mac OS X 10.5 “Leopard”, scheduled for release by Apple Inc. in the fall of 2007.

CLC bio’s Vice President, Jan Lomholdt, states
Through our affiliation with Microsoft’s BioIT Alliance, and being part of Apple’s Solution Provider program, we’re always dedicated to supporting the newest operating systems and maintaining our profile as cutting edge bioinformatics solution providers. However, being cross-platform is also a tremendous advantage for our customers as we have eliminated the tedious processes of porting data and establishing workflows across different operating systems, such as Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux.

Last week’s major release implies that all CLC bio’s workbenches have been improved and numerous new features have been added, to the benefit of upcoming customers as well as the more than 40,000 users around the globe who already use CLC bio’s solutions.

CLC bio’s premier software solution, CLC Combined Workbench, contains all features from CLC Free Workbench, CLC Protein Workbench, and CLC DNA Workbench (formerly known as CLC Gene Workbench). Furthermore it now also covers all the features from the brand new CLC RNA Workbench, and thus offers even more value for money as the price has not increased.

With CLC RNA Workbench, CLC bio offers a solution, which will help RNA researchers to a considerably more efficient workflow, and thereby also save precious time in the research phases. Furthermore, researchers will get better quality in the results, due to the easy and user-friendly access to the cutting edge algorithms included in this new workbench. CLC bio offers a free 30-day trial of CLC RNA Workbench which can be downloaded from www.clcbio.com/rna

About CLC bio

CLC bio is the world’s leading full-service bioinformatics solution provider, solely focusing on the development of bioinformatics: software, hardware, data analysis, and custom-designed bioinformatics algorithms. CLC bio is an Apple solution provider and value added reseller.

CLC bio’s mission is to be among the most innovative bioinformatics companies in the 21st century. This is realized through:

  • Development of bioinformatics software and hardware based on the latest scientific findings
  • User-friendly, integrated and intuitive cross-platform software solutions
  • Continuous focus on customer needs and superior customer service
  • Frequent product updates including the latest IT technologies and bioinformatics algorithms
  • A flexible IT architecture, enabling customers to buy or develop individualized solutions at a reasonable price

Posted under ChemInformatics, Europe, Press Releases  |  No Comments

Cisbio international’s upcoming third annual “HTRF® In Drug Discovery” Symposium will be held September 26-28 in Sonoma, California

Last Updated on Thursday, 19 July 2007 02:13 Written by Fred Thursday, 19 July 2007 02:13

Over the course of three days, experts in drug screening from around the globe will assemble to discuss the latest applications of Cisbio’s proprietary HTRF® technology in the drug screening, target discovery and mechanistic fields.  A number of scientific sessions will specifically examine GPCR and kinase screening, cell-based biomarker detection and functional assays. 

 

HTRF® (homogenous time-resolved fluorescence) technology is a highly sensitive, robust technology for the detection of molecular interactions and is widely used for the high throughput stage of drug development. As part of its ongoing commitment to providing the highest quality technical support to HTRF® customers, Cisbio established its annual symposium in 2005 as a forum for exchanging ideas on drug screening and the latest in HTRF® innovation

Posted under Compound Libraries, Europe, HT Screening, Targeted Libraries  |  No Comments

Tecan and the Monash Antibody Technologies Facility join forces to produce the largest monoclonal antibody production facility in the Southern hemisphere

Last Updated on Thursday, 19 July 2007 02:11 Written by Fred Thursday, 19 July 2007 02:11

Männedorf, Switzerland, July 11 2007: Tecan, the leading provider of advanced automation and detection systems, and the Monash Antibody Technologies Facility (MATF) at Monash University, Australia, have announced a partnership to create one of the largest, most sophisticated monoclonal antibody production systems in the world today. Plans are already underway to develop the system, which will be based around multiple, integrated liquid handling workstations and will fully automate all the stages of the production process.

The importance of monoclonal antibody production is reflected by the breadth of use, which includes research applications, diagnostic applications and successful use as therapeutic agents. In the research world, the use of monoclonal antibodies has proven crucial to the understanding of a myriad of physiological processes, and has led to new approaches in the treatment of diseases with great unmet clinical need. In the medical world, they are currently used as diagnostic agents to detect cancers or infectious diseases; as vaccines to boost the body’s immune response; and as therapeutics, to target cancerous cells or to decrease the body’s own immune response in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

The MATF is one of the only high throughput production facilities in the world offering custom-made, high-affinity monoclonal antibodies. The new system will increase the production capacity at MATF from original estimates of 500 panels of novel antibodies a year to potentially 5,000, helping to alleviate the bottleneck of antibody supply experienced by many researchers working on protein function and physiological processes. 

The new system, partially funded by the Victorian State Government and Monash University, National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy and the Australian Stem Cell Centre, is the first major step towards an extensive assay development program planned for 2008, which will further strengthen Monash University’s rising profile as a centre of excellence in the international medical research community.

Alan Sawyer, Director of MATF, who was instrumental in establishing a similar world-renowned facility for the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), said: “Probably the main bottleneck in biomedical sciences right now is a lack of affinity reagents like antibodies – we wanted to remove that bottleneck and open up new ways for investigators and pharmaceutical companies to think about doing science. This is a colossal step towards accomplishing that.” Deputy Director Michael Spiegel added: “Tecan’s involvement on this project has far exceeded a simple supplier/client relationship. They have embraced this challenging project becoming a fundamental partner, contributing innovative project design, competent expertise and a flexible working attitude.”

Carl Severinghaus, Senior Vice President at Tecan, said: “We are delighted to be co-developing this exciting new system with the MATF and look forward to working together on this as well as any future endeavours.”

Tecan’s team of experienced application specialists and engineers will build the new system at the company’s headquarters in Männedorf, Switzerland, ready for installation at the MATF in April 2008.

Posted under Collaborations, Equipment & Supplies, Europe, Europe, New Products, Press Releases  |  No Comments

CLC bio releases Molecular Diagnostics Solution

Last Updated on Thursday, 19 July 2007 02:07 Written by Fred Thursday, 19 July 2007 02:07

Aarhus, Denmark, July 12, 2007 — CLC bio just released a molecular diagnostics solution for Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST). MLST is a portable and precise state-of-the-art technique for typing bacteria and yeast isolates. The development of this new module was motivated by usability studies showing that a typical current-day MLST workflow takes 25 minutes on average. Now, with CLC bio’s MLST Module, scientists can conclude the same work in less than a minute and with only a few clicks of the mouse.

Research Scientist DVM, Evert Jor, from the National Veterinary Institute in Oslo, Norway, states
Previously, the lack of adequate and professional software has been a major obstacle for establishing a single, integrated MLST analysis workflow. With this state-of-the-art MLST solution from CLC bio, we can entirely eliminate the old tedious workflows.

A typical MLST workflow includes assembly, inspection of assembly, trimming of sequence ends, copying and pasting into a web form, and noting the allele number. This routine must be repeated for all loci, leaving room for manual errors and scarce time for inspection of the results. On average, this non-integrated workflow takes 25 minutes – a process which CLC MLST Module can achieve in under a minute and with a couple of clicks of the mouse. Moreover, the user can easily inspect and edit the sequencing data to correct sequencing errors and verify the result, thereby delivering higher quality results in considerably less time.

Senior Scientific Officer at CLC bio, Dr. Roald Forsberg, states
As the amount and complexity of data within molecular diagnostics continually increases, so does the demand for optimized bioinformatics solutions. We believe that nucleotide-based microbial identification and typing is the future, and that is why CLC MSLT Module is only the first in a line of molecular diagnostics solutions from CLC bio.

Visit www.clcbio.com/mlst for more in-depth information and download a free 14-day trial.

About CLC bio

CLC bio is the world’s leading full-service bioinformatics solution provider, solely focusing on the development of bioinformatics: software, hardware, data analysis, and custom-designed bioinformatics algorithms. CLC bio is an Apple solution provider and value added reseller.

CLC bio’s mission is to be among the most innovative bioinformatics companies in the 21st century. This is realized through:

  • Development of bioinformatics software and hardware based on the latest scientific findings
  • User-friendly, integrated and intuitive cross-platform software solutions
  • Continuous focus on customer needs and superior customer service
  • Frequent product updates including the latest IT technologies and bioinformatics algorithms
  • A flexible IT architecture, enabling customers to buy or develop individualized solutions at a reasonable price

Posted under ChemInformatics, Europe, New Products, Press Releases  |  No Comments

1st Virtual Discovery Conference and Exhibition

Last Updated on Thursday, 19 July 2007 02:03 Written by Fred Thursday, 19 July 2007 02:03

Select Biosciences is proud to announce their inaugural Virtual Discovery conference and exhibition. The event will be held on October 24-25 at the Centre Point Tower in the heart of London, just a few streets away from some of the most famous city’s attractions (Theatre district, Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Oxford Street…).

Alongside an exhibition of selected scientific posters and service providers, Select Biosciences has organised a two day conference programme gathering some of the most influential players in the field from Europe, Asia and America. They will present advances in computational techniques designed to turn raw data into chemical information and its increasingly valuable application in Drug Discovery.

The session will develop:

  • New strategies
  • Virtual screening
  • Case studies and success stories.

The following distinguished speakers have already confirmed their participation:
Martin Harrison, Associate Principal Scientist, AstraZeneca
Hugo Kubinyi, Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Heidelberg University
Mario Lobell, Computational Chemist, Bayer HealthCare
Malcolm Walkinshaw, Professor of Structural Biochemistry, Edinburgh University
The complete agenda as well as a downloadable brochure can be found on VirtualDiscovery.net

In addition, to make your trip to London even more cost efficient, Select Biosciences has also organised a training course on the afternoon prior the conference, 23 October, on “Design and Deployment of High Throughput in Silico Docking on Grid Infrastructure” by Nicolas Jacq, who led the first large scale biomedical deployments on the EGEE grid infrastructure. His research activitiy concentrates on the development of in-silico drug discovery services in computing grid environments.

Further details available online, as well as early and group registration deals and special hotel rates.

Selected media partnerships are available for this event.

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BIO-Europe 2007 to Tackle Most Urgent Issues Arising From Convergence of Biotech and Pharma

Last Updated on Thursday, 19 July 2007 02:02 Written by Fred Thursday, 19 July 2007 02:02

Carlsbad, CA and Munich, Germany, July 16, 2007 –  The leaders of the biotechnology industry will once again gather for BIO-Europe, the world’s largest stand-alone partnering conference, in Hamburg, Germany (November 12-14). This year’s edition promises to set a new standard for compelling and informative content necessary to discern opportunities in an era of significant biotech industry change. Join many of the most respected thought leaders and decision makers in the industry and examine the issues, new business approaches and policy trends most important to the emerging biotech future.

A central theme to BIO-Europe 2007 will be to understand the signs, symptoms and opportunities of the much-anticipated convergence of biotech and Big Pharma. Fundamental questions, such as how can biotechnology companies help the pharmaceutical industry meet double digit growth expectations by contributing new products and processes, will be openly discussed and debated by some of the most notable names in the industry.  A session destined to shake up traditional wisdom and preconceived notions of the industry is entitled, “The Changing World Order of Biotech-Pharma – How Will Emerging Realities Affect Your Business Strategy?”

Other conference highlights include the not to be missed 5th annual “A Day in the Life of Experienced Dealmakers” Plenary Session.  Led by James Watson, Managing Director and Head of Merchant Banking, Burrill & Company and including industry notables as Thomas Hofstaetter, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development, Wyeth and John G. Goddard, Global Head and Senior VP of Strategic Planning and Business Development, AstraZeneca, this highly popular and provocative forum promises to continue its tradition of lively and insightful debate over key issues of strategic deal making by some of the biggest names in biotech deal making.

Notes to Editors:

Entry to BIO-Europe 2007 is free to the media, including full access to the partnering system, sessions, press conferences, workshops, and pre-arranged partnering meetings. Visit the BIO-Europe conference website at http://www.ebdgroup.com/bioeurope for detailed information on this year’s conference and online registration. When you register online, please indicate in the comment field that you are requesting a complimentary press registration. Please fax a copy of your press pass to complete your complimentary media registration to fax number +49 (89) 23 88 756 – 55.

About BIO-Europe 2007

BIO-Europe 2007 is the preeminent partnering conference for the biotechnology industry. Delegates from all parts of the biotechnology value-chain come to BIO-Europe to efficiently identify, engage and enter into the strategic relationships that drive their business successfully forward. It is anticipated that this year’s BIO-Europe partnering event will draw 2,000 industry attendees from almost 40 countries, representing over 1,000 companies for three days of high-level networking.  BIO-Europe features the industry’s most advanced Web based partnering system that delegates will use to generate in excess of 7,000 partnering meetings. BIO-Europe features an exceptional international exhibition where companies, organizations and biotech regions can showcase their offerings. Additional networking opportunities will abound at evening and special events.

About EBD Group

EBD Group is the leading partnering firm for the global biotechnology industry. Since 1993, firms in the life sciences have leveraged EBD Group’s partnering conferences, technology and services to identify business opportunities and develop strategic relationships that drive their business.

EBD Group’s conferences (run in collaboration with leading industry partners and international trade associations such as BIO and Eucomed) include BIO-Europe, the world’s largest stand-alone life science partnering conference; BIO-Europe Spring; the investor conference, BioEquity Europe (co-organized with BioCentury Publications); and the convergent medical technology partnering conference, BioDevice Partnering.  EBD’s novel, web-based, partnering software system is also used at numerous third-party events around the world. Outside of the conference format, EBD Group’s consultants can provide hands-on assistance for firms seeking to in- or out-license products and technologies.

EBD Group has offices in San Diego, Munich and London. For more information visit www.ebdgroup.com

Posted under Europe, Press Releases  |  No Comments

Definiens Reveals an Integrated Data Management Approach For Image Analysis in Life Sciences Enterprises

Last Updated on Thursday, 19 July 2007 02:00 Written by Fred Thursday, 19 July 2007 02:00

Munich, Germany – July 18th , 2007 – Definiens, the number one Enterprise Image Intelligence™ company, today revealed the Definiens Enterprise Image IntelligenceTM Suite 7, available immediately. The latest version of the powerful image analysis platform provides Life Science organizations with superior data management capabilities. Definiens Data Management is an open framework that gives organizations easy access to all relevant information acquired in image analysis. The wealth of image information gathered in the various phases of the drug development process can now be integrated across and exchanged within the entire organization. It provides professionals with the best intelligence on which to base better business decisions.

Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are under intense pressure to reduce costs and increase productivity. The research and development for new drugs generates vast amounts of complex data. This data is difficult to access since it exists in numerous departmental proprietary IT solutions. According to a recent report from research analyst Frost & Sullivan, “informatics helps to store, retrieve, sort, organize, analyze loads of chemical, biological and mathematical data and arrive at critical and accurate decisions sooner… It is estimated that the integration of bioinformatics can actually shrink the timeline by a couple of years. This saving of two to three years will dramatically cut down the cost.”

Definiens Data Management is designed to intelligently manage all image analysis related data on an enterprise level. A central repository automatically stores ruleware and any types of image analysis results and statistics. Powerful and flexible search capabilities quickly locate information, workspaces, projects, results and ruleware while user-defined queries can be saved to enable common retrieval tasks to be reused and automated. Users can also add metadata to better describe objects and perform related searches. Analysis results can be connected to other contextual information using common informatics tools.

In addition to its advanced Data Management capabilities, the Definiens Enterprise Image Intelligence Suite 7 includes the following enhancements:

- Faster image analysis results through improved viewing and visualization tools: with ‘multi-magnification views’ users can easily identify areas of interest, zoom in and out and view different magnifications; new ‘heatmaps’ display results clearly, even over a range of tissue samples.

- Easy creation of new image analysis applications: the new powerful and easy-to-use graphical environment is tailored to needs of scientists, pathologists and users without programming experience, enabling them to configure their own applications.

– Simplified management with a new web-based administrator: centralized management of Definiens eCognition Server, Definiens’ high performance grid computing environment, reduces administration costs and enables different groups to share the same computing infrastructure.

- Full integration capabilities across the enterprise leverage existing investments: Definiens Enterprise Image Intelligence Suite 7 collaborates seamlessly with standard databases and third party information management solutions. The open platform and a comprehensive software development kit (SDK) integrate any business process, data source and data target and enable the reuse of existing analysis algorithms.

“We provide biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies with a technology that helps them to rapidly analyze and interpret cellular, tissue or whole body images. Definiens Data Management enables a single view of all the knowledge obtained in image analysis processes. With our new platform, Definiens takes business decision support to a new level,” commented Dr. Wolfgang Rencken, Executive Vice President Technology and Products at Definiens.

Definiens in Life Sciences

By automating image analysis on an enterprise level, Definiens supports Life Science organizations to analyze and interpret vast numbers of images accurately and consistently. Definiens improves the measurement of cell assays, the examination of tissue samples and the interpretation of non-invasive imaging, enabling high-content screening, digital pathology and translational medicine.

About Definiens

Definiens is the number one Enterprise Image Intelligence company for analyzing and interpreting images on every scale, from microscopic cell structures to satellite images. The Definiens Cognition Network Technology®, developed by Nobel laureate Prof. Gerd Binnig and his team, is an advanced and robust context-based technology designed to fulfill the image analysis requirements of the Life and Earth sciences markets. The technology is modeled on the powerful human cognitive perception processes to extract intelligence from images. Definiens provides organizations with faster image analysis results, allowing deeper insights enabling better business decisions. The company is headquartered in Munich, Germany and has offices throughout the United States. Further information is available at www.definiens.com.

Definiens, Definiens Cellenger, Definiens Cognition Network Technology, Definiens eCognition, Enterprise Image Intelligence and Understanding Images are trademarks or registered trademarks of Definiens. All other names are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

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Preclinical services news in brief – In this week’s review of activity within the preclinical research services arena, news has emerged involving ZoBio, Charles River Laboratories and TetraQ

Last Updated on Monday, 16 July 2007 03:14 Written by Fred Monday, 16 July 2007 03:14

Belgian biopharma firm UCB has this week selected ZoBio to provide ligand screening services for some of its targets in the field of fragment-based drug discovery.

ZoBio will undertake this task using its proprietary Target Immobilized Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Screening (TINS) technology.

According to ZoBio, TINS is capable of” rapidly generating high affinity, high specificity lead compounds with optimal drug-like properties” and allows “fragment-based screening of a much broader array of targets than competing technologies.”

Charles River Laboratories has been chosen by Akesis Pharmaceuticals to perform a 28-day renal-focused safety and toxicology study for its lead product candidate, AKP-020.

AKP-020 is a novel vanadium-containing compound that is being developed as a treatment for patients with Type II diabetes and, according to Akesis, “has shown considerable potential”.

“Charles River’s expertise in managing good laboratory practice (GLP) research studies is important to our ability to cost-effectively advance our drug candidates,” said Jay Lichter, president and CEO of Akesis.

Meanwhile, Charles River has now completed the previously-announced joint venture with Shanghai BioExplorer, resulting in a new company called Charles River Laboratories Greater China, Preclinical Services Shanghai Company, in which Charles River will own a 75 per cent stake.

Through this company, “we embark on the first phase of our initiative to become the leading global contract research organisation (CRO) providing regulatory-compliant preclinical services in China,” said James Foster, chairman, president, and CEO of Charles River.

The newly-built Shanghai facility is expected to open in the second half of 2008.

In other news, University of Queensland-based preclinical CRO, TetraQ, has announced it is now recognised to provide internationally-accredited testing services to the Australian biopharma industry, after having received GLP certification from the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) for one of its key laboratories.

TetraQ’s absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination (ADME) laboratory’s bioanalytical work will now be accepted internationally for regulatory review, meaning that new drugs being developed in Australia can be analysed there, rather than being sent off-shore, said TetraQ’s executive director, Professor Maree Smith.

Posted under Discoveries, Innovations and Patents, Europe, Europe, Mergers and Acquisitions, Press Releases  |  No Comments

Evotec and Research Support International Limited Announce the Formation of Evotec-RSIL Ltd, a Joint Venture for the Design, Synthesis, Management and Commercialisation of Compound Libraries

Last Updated on Monday, 16 July 2007 02:26 Written by Fred Monday, 16 July 2007 02:26

HAMBURG, Germany and OXFORD, England, July 11, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Evotec AG and Research Support International Limited (RSIL), a subsidiary of DIL Ltd, announced today the formation of a joint venture in India, Evotec-RSIL Ltd, to design, synthesise and manage compound libraries as a service. The joint venture will combine Evotec’s expertise in library design, synthesis, analysis, purification and project management with RSIL’s first class scientists coupled with a low cost structure in India to provide a high quality, cost efficient solution for the provision and management of compound libraries to the pharmaceutical industry.

The pharmaceutical industry is seeking cost efficient solutions for the continual enhancement of their screening libraries. Whilst looking for cost effectiveness, the design and synthesis of high quality compounds using strong project management is critical. Evotec has a strong track record in this field as exemplified by collaborations with companies such as Bayer, Merck & Co. Inc, Almirall Prodesfarma, Roche and Solvay. RSIL is a well established contract research organisation located on a scientific campus in Thane, a suburb of Mumbai, India. It has offered chemistry services for over two decades to pharmaceutical and biotech companies worldwide.

The joint venture will be located in Thane, India, and will use newly constructed, state-of-the-art laboratories. Evotec will contribute its proprietary technologies, years of experience and expertise in library synthesis in addition to providing a range of parallel synthesis equipment, high throughput analytical apparatus and expert training in the design, synthesis and management of compound libraries.

Evotec-RSIL Ltd will design compound libraries of low hundreds to thousands of compounds per scaffold by accessing chemistries already validated at Evotec and/or RSIL. As well as being able to design and synthesise compound libraries the joint venture will also offer library management services in which it will be able to analyse and purify large screening libraries in a cost efficient manner.

“Evotec has enjoyed an enviable reputation in the synthesis of large screening and focused libraries for many years. Through this joint venture we are able to team up with the excellent scientists and management at RSIL to continue to provide this invaluable service at competitive prices for our customers. We are very pleased to collaborate with RSIL, one of India’s premier chemistry services business”, commented Dr Mario Polywka, Chief Operating Officer of Evotec. “With the formation of this joint venture through a contribution in kind of Evotec’s library business, Evotec is making another significant step in its strategy to focus its core business in Europe on high value solutions and products for the pharmaceutical industry.”

Commenting on the joint venture RSIL’s Director, Irfan Bandukwalla, said: “We are delighted to partner with Evotec in offering the design, synthesis and management of compound libraries to the pharmaceutical industry. This joint venture will be able to address the ever growing need of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies who want to outsource their library synthesis needs to highly skilled partners who offer expertise, experience and solutions at cost effective rates.

Both RSIL and Evotec have an excellent and well established understanding and track record of providing services to the global pharmaceutical industry. Through our complimentary skills our customers will derive added value, which is so necessary to grow in this competitive business, thus addressing the ever growing desire for a win-win situation for all concerned.”

Adjusted for the library business, Evotec’s 2006 revenues would have amounted to EUR 60.8 million (2006 revenues reported: EUR 67.4 million).

Posted under Business and Investment, Compound Libraries, Europe, Europe, Press Releases  |  No Comments

Senomyx Announces Issuance of a New U.S. Patent Covering the Human Taste Receptor That Responds to Sweet Taste

Last Updated on Thursday, 12 July 2007 01:53 Written by Fred Thursday, 12 July 2007 01:53

SAN DIEGO, July 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Senomyx, Inc. , a leading company using proprietary technologies to discover and develop novel flavor ingredients for the packaged food and beverage industry, announced today the issuance by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office of U.S. Patent No. 7,241, 880, “T1R Taste Receptors and Genes Encoding Same.” The new patent contains broad claims covering the human T1R2 taste receptor, which responds to the taste of both natural and synthetic sweet compounds. The patent extends the intellectual property protection provided by Senomyx’s previously issued U.S. Patent No. 6,955,887, “Use of T1R Hetero-Oligomeric Taste Receptor to Screen for Compounds that Modulate Taste Signaling” and U.S. Patent No. 7,223,551, “T1R3 Receptor Binding Assays For Identification of Taste Modulatory Compounds,” which have broad-based claims that cover novel techniques for using the human sweet taste receptor as the basis for assay systems that are more efficient than traditional flavor discovery procedures.

“The human sweet taste receptor is composed of two subunits, hT1R2 and hT1R3,” explained Mark Zoller, Ph.D., Senomyx’s Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President of Discovery and Development. “Senomyx’s pioneering work in clarifying the structure and function of the human sweet taste receptor has led to issued patents covering the sequences that encode each of the subunits, as well as subunit variants. The patents also cover the use of the receptor subunits in assays designed to identify new flavor ingredients that enhance or impart sweet taste. Senomyx is using these proprietary assays to screen our expansive libraries of nearly half a million natural extracts and synthetic compounds in an effort to discover new sweet taste enhancers and high potency sweeteners.”

Senomyx’s Sweet Enhancer Program is intended to provide novel flavor ingredients that enhance the taste of natural and artificial sweeteners and enable a significant reduction of added sweeteners in foods and beverages. The Company’s complementary High Potency Sweetener Program is focused on identifying novel low- or non-caloric natural high potency sweeteners that provide improved taste and physical properties compared to currently available products. The flavor ingredients resulting from these programs may have applications in multiple product categories such as confectionaries, cereal, ice cream, beverages, yogurt, desserts, spreads, and bakery products, each of which represents a sizeable commercial market opportunity.

“Senomyx is now the owner or exclusive licensee of 88 issued patents and 323 pending patent applications in the U.S., Europe, and elsewhere.” said Kent Snyder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Senomyx. “We view our intellectual property portfolio as an important asset that helps the Company establish collaborative agreements with market-leading food and beverage companies. Senomyx currently has product discovery and development collaborations with seven of the world’s foremost packaged food and beverage companies: Ajinomoto, Cadbury Schweppes, Campbell Soup Company, The Coca-Cola Company, Kraft Foods, Nestle, and Solae. We intend to continue to leverage Senomyx’s proprietary technologies and capabilities to enter into additional partnerships with preeminent companies that are looking to gain a competitive advantage for their products.”

About Senomyx, Inc. (http://www.senomyx.com)

Senomyx is a leading company using proprietary taste receptor-based assays, screening technologies and optimization chemistry to discover and develop novel flavors, flavor enhancers, and taste modulators for the packaged food and beverage industry. Senomyx’s current programs focus on the development of these flavor ingredients in the savory, sweet, salt, and bitter areas. Senomyx has entered into product discovery and development collaborations with seven of the world’s leading packaged food and beverage companies: Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Cadbury Schweppes, Campbell Soup Company, The Coca-Cola Company, Kraft Foods Global, Inc., Nestle SA, and Solae, LLC. For more information, please visit http://www.senomyx.com.

Forward-Looking Statement

Statements included in this press release that are not a description of fact are forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, our ability to identify potential flavor ingredients, the product categories our products will address, the size of the commercial opportunity for our products, and plans for additional collaborations. The inclusion of forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by us that any of our plans, projections or future financial, scientific or business objectives will be achieved. Our actual results may differ materially from any projected future results set forth in this release as a result of the risks and uncertainties inherent in our business including, without limitation, difficulties or delays in developing, testing, obtaining regulatory approval, producing and marketing our flavors, flavor enhancers, taste modulators and related technologies; whether we will be able to enter into additional collaborations; our ability to collect royalties under our collaborations; the progress and timing of our scientific programs; changes in the laws or regulations of the United States and other countries that could adversely affect our and our collaborators’ ability to develop and commercialize our products; whether any of our collaborations will result in the discovery and development of novel flavor ingredients, enhance the nutritional profile of products incorporating them or otherwise enhance our market position; our ability to protect our intellectual property and proprietary technology and to maintain and enforce our patents and licensing arrangements with various third party licensors; our ability to define the scope and validity of patent protection for our products and technologies; competition from other companies and flavor manufacturers and other risks detailed in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2007. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement and we undertake no obligation to revise or update this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

Posted under Discoveries, Innovations and Patents, North America, Press Releases  |  No Comments