Archive for December, 2007

CLC bio provides bioinformatics educational solutions to Andhra University and 25 affiliated colleges

Last Updated on Thursday, 20 December 2007 02:42 Written by admin Thursday, 20 December 2007 02:42

Visakhpatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India â€“ December 20, 2007 — CLC bio today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding at an official ceremony at Andhra University, one of the most prestigious universities in India.

Under the agreement, Andhra University and 25 affiliated post graduate colleges will implement CLC bioâ€™s educational solutions as an integrated part of their curriculum. CLC bio provides their top-line sequence analysis software, CLC Combined Workbench, to the university and colleges as well as training of the teachers and provision of customized education materials like PowerPoint slides, exercises, and more.

At the signing ceremony, Professor L. Venu Gopal Reddy, Vice Chancellor of Andhra University stated,
‘Its our great pleasure to announce this collaboration with CLC bio India. We are very happy to state that from now on Andhra University will be a dedicated user of CLC bio’s bioinformatics solutions in all our life science departments like Biotechnology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Botany and Human Genetics. We consider CLC bio to be the premier bioinformatics solution provider in the world and this agreement will support education in Andhra University significantly. We are very proud to say that this agreement generates a significant competitive advantage compared to most other universities in India and abroad, in the field of bioinformatics and life sciences.’

Thomas Knudsen, Chief Executive Officer in the CLC bio Group continued,
‘I am honored to be attending the signing ceremony of this important agreement. I am sure that the use of our Educational Solutions – already implemented at a large number of universities in Europe, USA, and India – will bring Andhra University and the affiliated colleges a great step forward in their work to be among the top universities in India and abroad. I am also very happy with the extensive future collaboration which is a part of the agreement, ensuring that CLC bioâ€™s Educational Solutions will always stay at pace with the fast moving educational sector in India.’

The software implementation and training will be carried out by CLC bio India which is headquartered in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.

For more information on CLC bioâ€™s educational solutions, go to:
www.clceducation.com

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 bioâ€™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 Asia, BioInformatics, Press Releases | No Comments

CLC bio provides bioinformatics solution for vaccine target development to ACE BioSciences

Last Updated on Wednesday, 19 December 2007 08:01 Written by admin Wednesday, 19 December 2007 08:01

Odense & Aarhus, Denmark — December 18, 2007 — ACE BioSciences, an emerging pharmaceutical company focused on developing novel protein-based vaccines and antibodies to address infectious diseases, and CLC bio, the world’s leading bioinformatics solutions provider, today announced a collaborative bioinformatics agreement.

Dr. Ingelise Saunders, Chief Executive Officer at ACE BioSciences said,
‘At ACE BioSciences we place considerable emphasis on selecting partners based on their scientific know-how – and in that regard we recognize CLC bio as the leading company within bioinformatics, with a global reputation and internationally renowned experts. We see this collaboration as a significant opportunity to augment and expand our bioinformatics platform to increase efficiency, enhance our analyses, and accelerate our research.’

Dr. Jannick D. Bendtsen, project manager and Senior Scientific Officer at CLC bio commented,
‘We are looking forward to this collaboration, which is scientifically interesting and challenging. The implementation of our customized software will streamline and fast-track analysis and further increase statistical confidence in the selection of novel candidates for inclusion in the ACE BioSciencesâ€™ development portfolio. Implementation of automated target validation protocols will increase efficiency and the rate of data throughput, improve quality assurance and enhance data security.’

Under the terms of the agreement, CLC bio will upgrade and expand ACE BioSciences’ existing bioinformatics platform to ensure the company is taking advantage of the most up-to-date, relevant, and innovative software, including state-of-the-art protein vaccine target characterization. In addition, CLC bio will provide greater integration and cross-referencing capabilities, securing for ACE BioSciences the ability to apply more extensive statistical analyses to its databases and laboratory information. CLC bio’s customized solution will strengthen ACE BioSciences’ ability to compare, rank, and prioritize potential vaccine targets.

The solution provided to ACE BioSciences consists of a number of CLC workbenches for DNA, RNA, and protein sequence analysis, supplemented with customized bioinformatics modules that are proprietary for ACE BioSciences

Read more about CLC bioâ€™s customized software solutions on:
www.clcbioconsulting.com

About ACE BioSciences

ACE BioSciences is an emerging pharmaceutical company focused on developing novel protein-based vaccines and antibodies to address infectious diseases. It has unique expertise in the extraction and analysis of the cell surface proteins used by pathogens (eg bacteria, viruses and fungi) to interact with and infect human host cells.

The company’s lead product, ACE393, is an injectable vaccine that is on track to become the world’s first commercial vaccine for Travellers’ Diarrhoea caused by Campylobacter infection, having successfully completed Phase I clinical trials in March 2007.

Campylobacter is one of the greatest causes of gastroenteritis in the developed world as well as a significant contributor to travellers’ diarrhoea. The annual global commercial market for a Campylobacter vaccine is estimated to be worth â‚¬ 350 million.

ACE BioSciences aims to develop a portfolio of products independently and in collaboration with other companies and as part of that strategy the company signed a collaborative development agreement with the US Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) to progress ACE393 through Phase II clinical trials. In addition to ACE393, the company is working on ACE537, an oral, Phase I, Enterotoxigenic E Coli (ETEC) vaccine which has the potential to be the first to market in the US and EU and which combats the single biggest cause of travelers diarrhoea. It is also working on a vaccine for Streptococcus pneumoniae, the bacterium responsible for Pneumococcal disease.The market for a Streptococcus product would be multibillion and ACE BioSciences aims to partner the project.

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 bioâ€™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 BioInformatics, ChemInformatics, Europe, Press Releases | No Comments

Arena Pharmaceuticals Initiates Second and Third Pivotal Trials Evaluating Lorcaserin for the Treatment of Obesity

Last Updated on Wednesday, 19 December 2007 03:19 Written by Fred Wednesday, 19 December 2007 03:19

Patients with FDA-defined Valvulopathy Permitted to Enroll in 2nd and 3rd Pivotal Trials – Echocardiogram Screening Requirement Eliminated

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the initiation of patient screening in the second and third Phase 3 pivotal trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of its lead drug candidate, lorcaserin hydrochloride, for weight management in overweight and obese patients. Known as BLOSSOM (Behavioral modification and Lorcaserin Second Study for Obesity Management) and BLOOM-DM (Behavioral modification and Lorcaserin for Overweight and Obesity Management in Diabetes Mellitus), these one-year, double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trials are expected to collectively enroll approximately 3,750 overweight and obese patients. Consistent with Arena’s proposal, the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, is allowing patients with FDA-defined valvulopathy to enroll in both BLOSSOM and BLOOM-DM. This is different from the design of the initial lorcaserin pivotal study known as BLOOM, in which echocardiography was used to screen for patients with FDA-defined valvulopathy and exclude those patients from enrolling in the trial. Instead, in BLOSSOM and BLOOM-DM, there are no such echocardiographically defined exclusion criteria, although serial echocardiograms will be obtained to extend the lorcaserin safety database. BLOOM, BLOSSOM and BLOOM-DM comprise the entire planned pivotal trial program for lorcaserin.

“Eliminating the requirement of screening echoes, and receiving permission from the FDA to expand the patient population of the lorcaserin pivotal trial program to include patients with FDA-defined valvulopathy, is a significant and positive variation in the protocol for the second two pivotal trials,” commented Steven R. Smith, M.D., principal investigator in the study and Professor at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. “This change will allow the pivotal trial program to more fully explore, and develop a more complete understanding of, lorcaserin’s selective mechanism and its safety profile.”

“Given the prevalence and impact of obesity, patients and their physicians need new treatment options,” commented Lee M. Kaplan, M.D., Ph.D., an investigator in the BLOOM, BLOOM-DM and BLOSSOM pivotal trials, Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Weight Center and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. “Including a broader representation of overweight patients and patients with obesity as part of the pivotal trial program for lorcaserin, including individuals with more significant valvulopathy and type 2 diabetes, is important for providing a more complete assessment of the safety and efficacy of this agent,” concluded Dr. Kaplan.

The BLOSSOM trial will evaluate 10 mg and 20 mg daily doses (10 mg dosed once or twice daily) of lorcaserin versus placebo over a one-year treatment period in obese patients (Body Mass Index, or BMI, 30 to 45) with or without co-morbid conditions and overweight patients (BMI 27 to 29.9) with at least one co-morbid condition at about 100 sites in the United States. The BLOOM-DM trial will evaluate 10 mg and 20 mg daily doses of lorcaserin versus placebo over a one-year treatment period in obese and overweight patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at about 45 sites in the United States.

Consistent with the BLOOM trial, diet and exercise will also be included in the BLOSSOM and BLOOM-DM trials in accordance with current FDA guidelines, and the proportion of patients with a 5% or greater weight reduction from baseline at week 52 will be the primary efficacy endpoint. Secondary endpoints include changes in serum lipids and HbA1c and, in the BLOOM-DM trial, other indicators of glycemic control will also be evaluated. In both of these additional studies, all patients will receive echocardiograms at baseline, at month 6, and at the end of the study to assess heart valve function over time. In contrast to the ongoing BLOOM trial, however, there will be no independent monitoring by an Echocardiographic Safety Monitoring Board. The complete lorcaserin Phase 3 pivotal program is planned to enroll a total of approximately 7,000 patients in these three trials. In addition to the planned pivotal trial program, several additional small studies, such as drug interaction and abuse potential studies, will be conducted.

“As we continue advancing our lorcaserin clinical program, we are looking forward to March 2008 when we expect the BLOOM Echocardiographic Safety Monitoring Board’s review of echocardiograms for patients completing 12 months of treatment. We will continue to work with the FDA as we implement the final non-pivotal trial elements of the complete Phase 3 program,” stated William R. Shanahan, M.D., Arena’s Vice President and Chief Medical Officer.

An earlier estimate of the total external clinical costs of the Phase 3 trial program was updated from approximately $125 million to approximately $160 million. The increased estimate is primarily due to the increased number of patients Arena plans to enroll, and to Arena’s initiative to expand the echocardiographic monitoring program by including patients with FDA-defined valvulopathy in the BLOSSOM and BLOOM-DM trials.

Posted under Clinical Trials, Drug Development, Drug-Like Compounds, North America, Press Releases | No Comments

Michael J. Fox Foundation Awards $4.4 Million for Development of New Class of Parkinson’s Therapy

Last Updated on Wednesday, 19 December 2007 03:15 Written by Fred Wednesday, 19 December 2007 03:15

NEW YORK, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Michael J. Fox Foundation has awarded $4.4 million to jump-start the development of a new class of symptomatic Parkinson’s disease drugs targeting glutamate receptor mGluR4. The funding was awarded to a multidisciplinary team of researchers led by Jeffrey Conn, PhD, of Vanderbilt University under the Foundation’s LEAPS (Linked Efforts to Accelerate Parkinson’s Solutions) 2007 initiative.

The LEAPS 2007 program was funded with a lead gift from the Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation. The Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation has been one of the most steadfast supporters of The Michael J. Fox Foundation since its inception.

“Dopamine replacement therapies have long been considered the ‘gold standard’ of Parkinson’s treatment. But they lose efficacy over time, alleviate only some of PD’s symptoms, and cause side effects that can be as debilitating as the disease itself,” said Katie Hood, CEO of MJFF. “Patients don’t think this status quo is good enough, and neither does our Foundation. Dr. Conn and colleagues are aiming to bring about a 180-degree turn in PD treatment by developing an entirely new class of drugs that would bypass the dopamine system altogether.”

The death of dopamine neurons is a hallmark of PD pathology, and Parkinson’s scientists traditionally have focused their efforts on modulating aspects of the dopamine system. But recent insights into the physiology of the basal ganglia (a brain region affected in Parkinson’s disease) have shed light on the potential for treatments that could alleviate PD symptoms by “resetting” brain circuits. The glutamate system in particular has shown promise as a target for such treatments.

Glutamate, like dopamine, is a neurotransmitter — a signaling molecule that plays a role in transporting brain messages and controlling body functions. In previous work, Dr. Conn showed in an animal model that increasing activity of a specific glutamate receptor, mGluR4, may alleviate symptoms of Parkinson’s. In further work supported by MJFF’s Target Validation initiative, his team identified molecules that increase mGluR4 activity. The researchers will now use a combination of medicinal chemistry, molecular biology, and animal studies to engineer these molecules into a compound that can be clinically tested for use as a drug that could provide sustained symptomatic relief.

LEAPS are multi-year, multi-million, multi-disciplinary projects that bring together “all-star” teams of researchers to address questions with significant practical impact on the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Continued funding is dependent on completion of predetermined milestones at specific stages.

In addition to coordinating principal investigator Dr. Conn, who is professor of pharmacology and director of the Vanderbilt Program in Drug Discovery, this LEAPS team includes:

C. David Weaver, PhD, Research Associate Professor of Pharmacology; Director, Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology High-throughput Screening Facility; Director, New Leads Discovery, Vanderbilt Program in Drug Discovery — Dr. Weaver will oversee the high-throughput screening to identify initially promising lead compounds.

Colleen Niswender, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology; Head, Molecular Pharmacology Team, Vanderbilt Program in Drug Discovery — Once lead compounds have been identified through high-throughput screening, Dr. Niswender will be responsible for screening them in cell-based assays to determine which hold the most promise to move on to testing in animal models.

Carrie K. Jones, PhD, Research Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology; Head, In Vivo and Behavioral Pharmacology Group, Vanderbilt Program in Drug Discovery — Dr. Jones will spearhead the screening of lead compounds in rodent behavior models of Parkinson’s disease.

Yoland Smith, PhD, Professor, Department of Neurology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University — Dr. Smith, an expert in the neurophysiology of primate models of Parkinson’s, will oversee the testing of the most promising lead compounds in the final preclinical phase of the project.

Craig W. Lindsley, PhD, Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Chemistry; Director of Medicinal Chemistry, Vanderbilt Program in Drug Discovery; Director, Vanderbilt University MLSCN (Molecular Libraries Screening Center Network) Chemistry Center and Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology Synthesis Core — Dr. Lindsey, a medicinal chemist, will hold ultimate responsibility for optimizing engineering of the compound that will be tested in the clinic.

Posted under Cancer Research, North America, Press Releases, Research Projects | No Comments

AIDS researchers find protein that greatly boosts HIV infection

Last Updated on Tuesday, 18 December 2007 05:04 Written by Fred Tuesday, 18 December 2007 05:04

German AIDS researchers have discovered a protein common in semen that boosts the infectious potential of HIV 100,000-fold – a remarkable finding that may show how the virus can spread through sexual contact and also suggests new strategies to stop the epidemic.

If scientists can find a drug or chemical that blocks these infection-promoting proteins, it would go a long way toward development of a microbicide, a vaginal cream or gel that could protect sex partners against AIDS.

What is catching scientists’ attention is the 100,000-fold increase. “I was so surprised that I did not believe the numbers,” said Dr. Frank Kirchhoff, leader of the University of Ulm laboratory that found the protein. “But we did the experiment multiple times, and the results were always the same.”

The discovery was made possible by advanced techniques in laboratory screening for tiny proteins. There are more than 900 different kinds in human semen, and these proteins in turn break down into smaller molecular chains that also may carry out important biological tasks.

In this case, researchers at the University of Ulm were screening hundreds of different molecules from semen samples in the hope of finding some that naturally blocked HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Instead, they stumbled upon protein fragments that do the opposite. The fragments dramatically boost HIV infection by clustering into microscopic rafts that ferry crowds of virus particles to cell surfaces, like landing craft disgorging invaders on a beach.

Their findings were released today in advance of Friday’s publication of the journal Cell.

Although HIV has been understood to be a sexually transmitted disease for a quarter century, relatively little work has been done in analyzing what role semen may play in its transmission. And, it seems, few scientists have spent much time analyzing what Kirchhoff calls “pools” of donated semen. “People haven’t dissected the individual components of semen,” he said.

The latest work is the product of an emerging field in biotechnology called proteomics, the study of the molecular structure and function of proteins.

The new study suggests that scientists may have been missing something very important. “This is one of the most interesting new perspectives on HIV transmission to emerge in years,” said Dr. Warner Greene, director of the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology in San Francisco.

Greene said the work may solve a mystery that has puzzled AIDS researchers – why a virus that appears weakly infectious in laboratory dishes can spread explosively through sexual contact.

When researchers try to infect human cells under a microscope with HIV, it takes between 1,000 and 100,000 particles of the virus to cause a successful infection. That’s weak, as viral infectivity goes. But when the proteins found by Kirchhoff are added to the mix, it is possible to start a successful infection with as few as three particles of virus.

If such a weak virus can be turned into a monster by a molecule present in semen, it raises the possibility that knocking that molecule out – or even hobbling it – could make HIV suddenly much more difficult to spread.

Greene is so enthusiastic about this discovery that he has started a project to find ways of blocking the protein. But he concedes that this search will not be quick or easy.

Dr. Tony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the science behind the German study is impressive, but the laboratory dish findings are a long way from producing a practical solution for people. “It is a surprising finding, but I would be cautious about how important this is going to be,” he said.

Fauci also noted that sexual transmission is only one route of HIV infection. Women can pass the virus to their newborns with breast milk, where presumably no similar HIV-promoting proteins exist. It is also clear that other factors, such as genital ulcers caused by diseases including herpes and syphilis, have a well-documented role in enhancing transmission of the virus.

University of Pittsburgh researcher Dr. Ian McGowan, a principal investigator with the Microbicide Trials Network – which coordinates National Institutes of Health studies in that field – was skeptical that the results would lead to any immediate advances in HIV prevention. He noted that a new generation of microbicide made from AIDS drugs has already blocked the virus in test tube studies and is headed for clinical trials, so there may be no advantage to a new approach targeting the infection-promoting proteins.

What happens in the laboratory, he said, may have little bearing on what works in people. “New compounds may block HIV in the test tube or in blood cells, but in reality these (microbicide) products need to be used intra-vaginally or intra-rectally,” he said.

The latest findings, however, are almost certain to prompt a closer look at the role these proteins play in HIV transmission. UCSF virologist Dr. Jay Levy, one of the first to isolate the AIDS virus in the early years of the epidemic, said studies may now be conducted to see how prevalent the protein is among at-risk populations. One example could be among HIV-positive men who have sex with unprotected partners, who nevertheless remain uninfected. Semen from the infected men could be tested to see if the protein is there, or is somehow naturally blocked.

The German researchers acknowledge that they do not know precisely how or why the protein they found has such a marked effect on HIV infectivity. The tiny rafts of protein fragments are called fibrils. They are created when sections of a large and common protein in semen, known as PAP, break off and cluster.

Fibrils are thought to resemble a loose collection of sticks, and numerous virus particles hitch a ride on them. It is possible that the sticky fibrils themselves attach to cell surfaces and make it easier for their HIV passengers to gain entry.

One of the more curious twists about the findings is a link between the HIV-enhancing fibrils and Alzheimer’s disease. These fibrils are structurally very similar to biological debris that clutters up the brain tissue of Alzheimer’s patients. It was a totally unrelated finding, that the amyloid fibrils in the brain disease seemed to promote HIV, that led researchers to suspect it when screens found similar fibrils in semen.

Kirchhoff named the structures Semen-Derived Enhancer of Virus Infection, or SEVI.

The discovery is the second major finding of note in HIV research by Kirchhoff’s laboratory. In April, researchers there used a somewhat similar screening process to find in the waste products from kidney dialysis a human protein that appears to naturally block many strains of HIV.

Posted under Drug Development, Europe, Europe, HIV Research, Press Releases | No Comments

Predicting drug side effects

Last Updated on Tuesday, 18 December 2007 05:01 Written by Fred Tuesday, 18 December 2007 05:01

It would certainly be nice for the pharmaceutical industry to identify potential side effects of a drug before it starts to be tested on humans. Now, a research team at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) might have found a solution. They have developed a new computational technique to predict drug side effects. Besides identifying adverse effects of a new drug before human clinical trials, this method can also be used to explain the known side effects of drugs already on the market.

You can see above how â€œselective estrogen receptor modulators, such as the breast-cancer drug tamoxifen, bind to a specific pocket (top, shown with an unrelated molecule used to determine the pocketâ€™s shape) in a protein called estrogen receptor alpha. The modulators may also bind to a similarly shaped pocket (bottom, again shown with a shape-gauging molecule) in another protein called SERCA. If they do, that could explain several of the side effects associated with tamoxifen.â€ (Credits for images: Credit: Lei Xie, Jian Wang, and Philip Bourne,UCSD; credit for caption: Technology Review)

The UCSD team was led by Philip Bourne with the help of other members of his lab. The two other researchers involved are Lei Xie and Jian Wang. â€œConventional test methods screen compounds in animal studies in advance of human trials in the hope of identifying the side effects of promising therapeutics. The UCSD team instead uses the power of computational modeling to screen specific drug molecules using a worldwide repository, the Protein Data Bank (PDB), containing tens of thousands of three-dimensional protein structures.â€

Here are additional details provided by the UCSD. â€œDrug molecules are designed to bind to targeted proteins in order to achieve a therapeutic affect, but if the small drug molecule that functions as a â€˜keyâ€™ attaches to an off-target protein that has a similar binding site, or â€˜lock,â€™ side effects can result. To identify which proteins might be unintended targets, the UCSD researchers take a single drug molecule and look for how it might bind to as many of the proteins encoded by the human proteome as possible. In this published case study, they looked at Select Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs), a class of drug that includes tamoxifen, to illustrate the novel approach.â€

In â€œCalculating Drugsâ€™ Side Effects,â€ Technology Review describes the results of the researchers. â€œBourne and his team described applying the new method to a class of drugs called selective estrogen receptor modulators. These drugs â€” including tamoxifen, the most widely prescribed drug for breast cancer â€” latch onto a protein called estrogen receptor alpha. Tamoxifen is known to cause side effects such as cardiac abnormalities, retinal degradation, and blood clots. All these side effects have one thing in common: they involve disruptions in the ways that calcium ions normally flow through cells, regulating the balance of electrical charges in various cell compartments.â€

And her is a comment from Bourne: â€œâ€˜That would imply that maybe whatâ€™s involved here is some protein that involves calcium, as part of the normal calcium flow in the cell.â€™ And sure enough, the team found that in addition to the lock on estrogen receptor alpha, tamoxifen could fit into a similar lock on a calcium-binding protein known as SERCA. Bourne speculates that when tamoxifen latches onto SERCA, it physically prevents calcium from doing so â€” potentially leading to the drugâ€™s calcium-related side effects.â€

Anyway, simulations cannot always replace experiments. So â€œthe UCSD researchers are continuing their studies, which Bourne says can be applied to any drug on the market for which a structure of the drug bound to the receptor exists in the PDB. Bourne emphasized that results from this approach still needed to be tested experimentally.â€

Posted under Drug Development, North America, Press Releases | No Comments

Definiens Releases TissueMap 2.0 for Advanced Oncology Research

Last Updated on Saturday, 15 December 2007 05:07 Written by admin Saturday, 15 December 2007 05:05

Munich, Germany â€“ December 6th, 2007 â€“ Definiens, the number one Enterprise Image Intelligenceâ„¢ company, today unveiled the release of Definiens TissueMap 2.0, highlighting the companyâ€™s focus on oncology research. The image analysis software application is especially designed for the detailed, automated morphometric quantification of biomarkers of nuclei or cell bodies in epithelial tumors or xenografts. The application features the detection of viable and necrotic tissue in xenografts, as well as regions of IHC (DAB) positively stained nuclei or cells in the viable tissue. This enables pathologists to automate the process of complex or highly apoptotic xenograft analysis in oncology research.

Effective imaging technologies support pharmaceutical development in oncology

The discovery and application of oncology biomarkers have enhanced opportunities for individual disease treatment by identifying new drug targets. They therefore have a significant impact on the entire process of drug development including the emergence and growth of imaging technologies utilized to acquire accurate measurements of disease parameters.
The effective use of imaging technologies, such as Definiens TissueMap 2.0, significantly improves the selection and prioritization of quality candidates early in the drug development pipeline. This results in substantial cost savings and faster time-to-market as poorer drug candidates are removed early in the discovery process.

Assessment of any biomarkers targeting an antigen located in the nucleus or cell body

Definiens TissueMap 2.0 reliably identifies areas and structures of interest in image data allowing researchers to distinguish between viable and necrotic tumor areas and to quantify markers. It offers:

o Full tissue slide analysis

o Fast and reproducible results

o Platform independence and connectivity

o Easy customization

o Precise measurement of morphological parameters

Definiens TissueMap 2.0 encompasses the assessment of any biomarkers targeting an antigen located in the nucleus such as proliferation markers (Ki67, PCNA, BrdU, etc.), apoptosis markers such as Cap3 as well as estrogen or progesterone receptors. Antibodies or markers co-/located in the cell body, such as cytokeratines (CD31, AE1/3, etc.) and other proteins (CD45, CD23 or similar) can also be evaluated.

Comprehensive software for quantification regardless of staining methodology

Definiens TissueMap 2.0 enables the quantification of biomarker expression patterns in image data regardless of staining methodology. The software application effectively analyzes image data in oncology research, including cases involving poor staining technique and data obtained from heterogeneous equipment.

Definiens TissueMap 2.0 enables the automated detection of relevant morphological structure in tissue and tumor sections. It improves research results through increased data accuracy, consistency and reproducibility.

New information concerning Definiens TissueMap 2.0 was presented at the 7th World Drug Discovery & Development Summit 2007 in Cologne, Germany, December 4-5, 2007, which brought together leading pharmaceutical and biotech professionals to discuss key scientific and strategic challenges.

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 TechnologyÂ®, 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.

Posted under BioInformatics, Europe, Oncology Research, Press Releases | No Comments

CLC bio accelerates biomedical research with new RNA sequence analysis software

Last Updated on Saturday, 15 December 2007 04:15 Written by admin Saturday, 15 December 2007 04:15

Aarhus, Denmark — December 14th, 2007 — CLC bio, the worldâ€™s leading bioinformatics solution provider, today announced the release of version 2.0 of CLC RNA Workbench. Among a wide variety of new features, this new release brings user-friendly versions of partition function calculation for RNA secondary structure and minimum energy free scanning – functions previously only available through highly advanced scripting, are now available through a graphical interface for everyone working with RNA research.

Peter Johannes Steffensen, PhD in Mathematics and algorithm expert at CLC bio, states,
‘We have developed our own minimum free energy algorithm and graphical interface to scan for local structure content – a world’s first! This feature is ideal for full genome scans of viruses, or for scanning mRNA for the presence of structural signals. For scientists working with RNA biology this is a very smooth and fast feature for computing significant local RNA structures based on minimum free energy calculation.

Dr. Roald Forsberg, Senior Scientific Officer at CLC bio, continues,
‘Today RNA biology is becoming important in all areas of biomedical research. We are now introducing a graphical interface to view different applications of partition function calculations for RNA secondary structure – another world’s first. With a few clicks of the mouse, scientists are now able to determine the probability for RNA structure elements like base pairs and unpaired regions. This is extremely useful for researchers who design molecules for RNA interference, and need to statistically test complex structure hypotheses.

By introducing a smooth and graphical approach to these functions, CLC bio helps accelerate viral biology research and reaffirms CLC RNA Workbenchâ€™s position in the market as the only integrated and professional solution which can help RNA researchers to a considerably more efficient workflow, and thereby save precious time in the research phases. Furthermore, researchers will get higher quality results, due to easy and user-friendly access to the cutting edge algorithms included in CLC RNA 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 bioâ€™s mission is to be among the most innovative bioinformatics companies in the 21st century. This is realized through:

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

High Throughput Screening 2007: HighTech Business Decisions Reports New Strategies,

Last Updated on Thursday, 13 December 2007 05:02 Written by Fred Thursday, 13 December 2007 05:02

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(Business Wire)--HTS laboratories continue to evolve their processes and strategies
to increase their success rates and improve efficiencies in their drug
discovery efforts. New strategies include the use of phenotypic and
pathway-based assays in primary or secondary screening, the use of new
targets and the expansion in the diversity of compounds screened for
new drug candidate leads. The Directors at HTS laboratories also plan
to employ new technologies, including the use of label-free
technologies and new detection systems to aid in finding new drug
candidate leads.

HTS laboratories continue to show year to year success at
producing new drug candidates. Fifty-five directors from HTS
laboratories participating in this recently published study, High
Throughput Screening 2007: New Strategies, Success Rates and Use of
Enabling Technologies, identified 163 drug candidates that originated
from their HTS laboratories, a significant increase from HighTech
Business Decisions' earlier study. With new HTS laboratories funded
through NIH or other private foundations beginning to ramp-up their
operations, this new report includes analysis and data from interviews
with HTS laboratory directors at these centers to better understand
their plans and their impact on drug discovery efforts.

William Downey, President of HighTech Business Decisions,
explains, "HTS laboratories are taking on new challenges as they
expand their role in drug discovery. In the past two years, the
industry has seen consolidation in HTS laboratories as many
pharmaceutical companies have either merged or acquired other
operations. This consolidation along with the challenges to improve
drug discovery efforts is leading to changes in the way particular HTS
laboratories operate. In addition to the changes in commercial HTS
laboratories, over the past two years publicly funded and
non-commercial HTS laboratories have been started, and in the next few
years these laboratories will ramp-up their operations." HighTech
Business Decisions extensively interviewed 55 Directors at HTS
laboratories in Asia, Europe and North America.

Posted under Drug Development, HT Screening, Press Releases, USA and Canada | No Comments

Theravance Announces Initiation of Phase 1 Clinical Study with Investigational Medicine for Respiratory Disease

Last Updated on Thursday, 13 December 2007 04:28 Written by Fred Thursday, 13 December 2007 04:28

Theravance, Inc. (NASDAQ: THRX) today announced that GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) initiated subject screening in a Phase 1 clinical study designed to assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of an investigational, inhaled bronchodilator, GSK1160724, for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The compound was discovered by Theravance and is being developed by GSK under the parties’ strategic alliance agreement.

GSK1160724 is an inhaled, long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) discovered by Theravance through the application of multivalent drug design in a drug discovery program dedicated to finding new medicines for respiratory diseases such as COPD and asthma. The LAMA program is one of three respiratory programs under joint development by GSK and Theravance.

Inhaled muscarinic antagonists are frequently used as bronchodilators for COPD and work by inhibiting muscarinic receptors in the airways, which leads to improved lung function. Theravance’s intent was to discover LAMA compounds that are highly lung-selective and have a prolonged effect. Higher lung selectivity should result in improved tolerability.

“The goal of our program is to develop an effective once-a-day inhaled medicine that is better tolerated than the market leaders,” said Michael Kitt, MD, Senior Vice President of Development at Theravance. “In addition, at higher doses, a more lung-selective LAMA might offer improved efficacy with comparable or improved tolerability.”

About Theravance

Theravance is a biopharmaceutical company with a pipeline of internally discovered product candidates. Theravance is focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of small molecule medicines across a number of therapeutic areas including respiratory disease, bacterial infections and gastrointestinal motility dysfunction. Of the six programs in development, four are in late stage — its telavancin program focusing on treating serious Gram-positive bacterial infections with Astellas Pharma Inc., the Gastrointestinal Motility Dysfunction program, the Beyond Advair collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline plc, and TD-1792 for the treatment of serious Gram-positive bacterial infections. By leveraging its proprietary insight of multivalency toward drug discovery focused on validated targets, Theravance is pursuing a next generation strategy designed to discover superior medicines in areas of significant unmet medical need. For more information, please visit the company’s web site at www.theravance.com.

THERAVANCEÂ®, the Theravance logo, and MEDICINES THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCEÂ® are registered trademarks of Theravance, Inc.

This press release contains certain “forward-looking” statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding, among other things, statements relating to goals, plans, objectives and future events. Theravance intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 21E of the Exchange Act and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Examples of such statements include statements relating to the goals, timing and expected results of clinical and preclinical studies, statements regarding the potential benefits and mechanisms of action of drug candidates, statements concerning the goals and timing of seeking regulatory approval of our product candidates, the enabling capabilities of Theravance’s approach to drug discovery and its proprietary insights, statements concerning expectations for product candidates through development and commercialization and projections of revenue and other financial items. These statements are based on the current estimates and assumptions of the management of Theravance as of the date of this press release and are subject to risks, uncertainties, changes in circumstances, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results of Theravance to be materially different from those reflected in its forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements include, among others, the potential that results of clinical or preclinical studies indicate product candidates are unsafe, ineffective, inferior or not superior, and delays or failure to achieve regulatory approvals and risks of collaborating with third parties to develop and commercialize products. These and other risks are described in greater detail under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in Item 1A of Theravance’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on November 7, 2007 and the risks discussed in our other filings with the SEC. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Theravance assumes no obligation to update its forward-looking statements.

Posted under Discoveries, Innovations and Patents, Drug Development, Drug-Like Compounds, North America, Press Releases, USA and Canada | No Comments

5th Anti-Infectives Partnering & Deal-Making Summit

Last Updated on Thursday, 6 December 2007 02:51 Written by admin Thursday, 6 December 2007 02:51

We invite you to join your business development and infectious disease colleagues to discuss new collaborative advancements in infectious disease R&D including anti-virals, anti-fungals, emerging pathogens and new technologies at GTCbio’s 5th annual Anti-Infectives Partnering & Deal-Making Summit (http://www.gtcbio.com/conferenceDetails.aspx?id=117) taking place on March 6-7, 2008 in Philadelphia, PA.

This very specialized summit takes a microscopic look at trends and developments in infectious diseases, from cutting-edge anti-infective research to early and late stage partnerships.Â Whether you are a business development professional or a infectious disease specialist, this conference will help you grasp a full scope of the market for new treatments and therapies for all types of infectious diseases.

Hear from keynote presenter Dr. John Shiver, Vice President, Worldwide Basic Research Franchise Head, Vaccines, Merck & Co. on “A Vaccine Renaissance: New Vaccines for the World.” Also take part of our special panel discussion on: “Investment Opportunities in the Anti-Infectives Space” featuring key leaders in venture capitalism.

Topics include:

- Current Models of R&D Collaboration
+ Human Genome Sciences Collaboration with Novartis for Development and Commercialization of Albuferon(TM)
+ Biota-Boehringer Ingelheim: Making the Right Deal: Itâ€™s Not Just About the Money
+ Replenishing the GSK Infectious Disease R&D Pipeline Using Innovative Deals Structures with Strategic Collaborators

- New Pathogen Challenges
+ Multi-Resistant Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter – Challenges and Perspectives
+ Genetic Determinants of Tetracycline Resistance and their Occurrence in Escherichia Coli Isolates from the Pivotal Tigecycline Phase 3 Clinical Trials
+ Your â€˜Plan Bâ€™ When All Else Fails? Another Alternative for Your Anti-Infective Compounds

- Future of Infectious Disease Therapeutics
+ Clinical Trial Design & Regulatory Approval
+ Positioning Antibacterials within the Hospital and Community Markets amid Regulatory Changes and Continuing Uncertainty
+ Combination Therapy / Dual Mechanism Agents

- New Technologies in Anti-Infectives
+ Hepatitis B Vaccine: Hepislav
+ Oritavancin, a Potent Lipo-Glycopeptide with Unusual Pharmacokinetic Properties that may Allow Single or Infrequent Dosing Schedules

Register today to reserve your spot! Team Registration: Register 2, the 3rd goes free! For more information call 626-256-6405 or visit www.gtcbio.com.

PRESENTERS

David Apelian, Chief Medical Officer, GlobeImmune
James Chafouleas, Director, Global Licensing, Virology, Boehringer Ingelheim
Mark Coflin, Global Executive Director, Infectious Disease Alliance Management, Novartis
Danielle Drayton, Senior Analyst, Decision Resources
Michael Dudley, Vice President of Drug Development, Mpex Pharmaceuticals
Jacques Dumas, Associate Director, Infection Chemistry, AstraZeneca R&D
Roger M. Echols, Chief Medical Officer, Replidyne, Inc.
Leigh Farrell, Vice President, Business Development, Biota
Margery B. Fischbein, Human Genome Science
Lisa Gray, Phoenix IP Ventures
Jennifer Hartt, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern PA
Hal Jones, Infectious Disease Research, Wyeth Research
Damien McDevitt, Director, Business Development, Infectious Diseases, GlaxoSmithKline
Eric Meltzer, Curtis Financial Group
Dennis Molnar, Vice President, Corporate Development, Paratek Pharmaceuticals
Douglas Pon, Assist. Vice President, Vaccine Licensing Global Business Development, Wyeth
Malcolm Page, Head, Discovery Biology, Basilea Pharmaceuticals
Gary Patou, MPM Capital
Glenn Tillotson, Ph.D., Executive Director of Scientific Affairs, Replidyne, Inc.
Michael S. Ostrach, Chief Business Officer, Dynavax Technologies Corporation
Gerald Siuta, Head of Business Development, Global Alliance for TB Drug Development
Paul Stewart, Manager, Global Business Development, Eli Lilly and Co.
Daniel Sikkema, Merck & Co.

Posted under Press Releases, USA and Canada | No Comments

Bio-Synthesis Expands Dye Labeling Licensing

Last Updated on Saturday, 1 December 2007 08:39 Written by admin Saturday, 1 December 2007 08:39

We are happy to announce that Biosearch Technologies of Novato, California, have extended Bio-Synthesis Inc, of Lewisville, Texas their line of Fluorescent dyes and quenchers for use in biomedical research applications. End users who source Biosearch dyes for any purpose other than non-commercial R&D applications will still be required to contact the Biosearch Technologies Licensing Department to obtain a Commercial Use License. These dyes are chemically coupled to synthetic oligonucleotides and provide an excellent means for non-radioactive detection of DNA targets. Bio-Synthesis Inc has been providing custom synthetic oligonucleotides to the biomedical research community worldwide since 1984

Bio-Synthesis Inc, headquartered in Lewisville, Texas is a leading biomedical manufacturer of custom peptide synthesis, polyclonal antibodies, bioconjugates, DNA oligomer, HLA/DNA typing, organic synthesis and a diverse number of bimolecular products for the biomedical/life science community worldwide.Â Our staff of highly experienced and qualified chemists, biologists and immunologists has reliably and consistently provided products and services to large pharmaceuticals and universities across the country that meet the most demanding requirements for quality, turnaround and expert technical support.

Bio-Synthesis Inc was the first commercial company providing DNA and peptides in 1984 and have assisted biomedical researchers (and published articles) in the design of complex bimolecular, of >600,000 peptides used in a variety of fields including but not limited to cancer, apoptosis, signal transduction, cell cycle regulation, genomic sequencing, microarrays, epitope mapping, and HLA typing.Â We specialize in custom peptide synthesis from small to large scale and we can help you design the optimal peptides for your research needs at the most competitive price and the highest quality. We have capabilities to synthesize over 500 peptides simultaneously with over 22 years of experienced manufacturing. We believe our quality control and speed is unmatched in the industry.Â Our organic synthesis divisions have successfully completed a number of projects with various biotechnology companies.Â Furthermore, Bio-Synthesis Inc. is accredited by the AABB (American Association of Blood Banks) to conduct human genetic analysis.Â Bio-Synthesis continues to be the worldwide leader for quality custom synthesis.

For more information, please call 1-800-227-0627

Posted under Equipment & Supplies, North America, Press Releases | No Comments

1st International Conference on Drug Design and Discovery February 4 – 7, 2008, Dubai, UAE

Last Updated on Saturday, 1 December 2007 08:28 Written by admin Saturday, 1 December 2007 08:28

The ICDDD 2008 is going to be the first major international conference and exhibition of this series, which aims to present cutting edge advances in various disciplines of drug design and discovery that have been recently achieved. Over 400 leading industrial and academic experts will present their findings in the form of lectures and poster presentations at this four-day conference. The ICDDD 2008 will offer an in-depth assessment of the challenges involved in the dynamic and fast moving field of drug discovery and development. It will bring together leading chemists, pharmacologists, biotechnologists, and other allied professionals to discuss and present the latest important developments in drug design and discovery.

The major topics of discussion related to drug design and discovery will include: Cancer; Cardiovascular Diseases; CNS; Pharmacogenomics; Protein & Peptides; Inflammation & Allergy; Drug Delivery & Safety; Drug Discovery Informatics; Drug Metabolism; Medicinal and Combinatorial Chemistry; Nanotechnology; Emerging Biomarkers & Drug Targets; Case Studies of Successful Drug Discovery and Development.

Dubai, the host city, is the region’s business and tourism centre which is connected to all international markets. The city is also famous as the regional trading hub and gateway to the rest of the Middle East. The visitors coming to Dubai can enjoy a whole range of different experiences which includes elements of adventure, contrast, discovery and surprise. Dubai World Trade Center, the venue of the conference, offers a comprehensive range of facilities catering to all types of meetings and major international conventions.

Posted under Asia, Press Releases | No Comments

New Multi-channel Microplate Reader from Anthos

Last Updated on Saturday, 1 December 2007 08:23 Written by admin Saturday, 1 December 2007 08:23

Complete with comprehensive on-board software for qualitative, quantitative and kinetic applications, integral shaking, and extensive memory for both results and methods storage the Anthos MultiRead 400 stand-alone reader offers the laboratory versatility, reliability and fast reading times.
Incorporating digital light control to optimise long term stability and an automatic self-test and calibration procedure, quality measurements are continuously assured.
Each instrument is also supplied with Kontrol+ software allowing methods to be stored and downloaded from a PC and results to be transferred from the MultiRead 400. In addition DigiRead software is provided which allows direct control of the reader itself from a PC.
Data sheets for both this new product and other equipment in the Anthos range may be found at www.anthos-labtec.com

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

Burnham Institute Selects Labcyte Acoustic Liquid Handling Technology

Last Updated on Saturday, 1 December 2007 08:06 Written by admin Saturday, 1 December 2007 08:06

Sunnyvale, CA November 15, 2007 – Labcyte Inc. will supply Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham) with more than $2.3 million worth of EchoÂ® liquid handlers for use in screening large biological libraries. The systems will be installed at both the Institute’s LaJolla, (CA) and Lake Nona, Orlando (FL) campuses. These instruments will be part of the world’s largest screening system and will bolster Burnham’s research and drug discovery efforts, which include research on cancer, neurological diseases, aging, diabetes, and obesity.

Burnham is one of the nation’s 10 collaborating centers of excellence funded under a special initiative created by the National Institutes of Health, which together comprise the largest public-sector drug discovery effort in history. The state-of-the-art Labcyte technology will improve screening results while reducing operating costs for Burnham and the collaborating network advancing this historical effort. The systems will be delivered over the next six months.

“The Echo liquid handlers were selected because their unique acoustic technology will enhance our ability to miniaturize assays, reduce compound waste, and meet throughput requirements,” explained Dr. Stefan Vasile, Director of the Chemical Library Screening Facility for Burnham Institute. “The Echo systems will be used for compound plate-to-plate transfer, reformatting, dose-response experiments and hit picking.”

“Our patented acoustic droplet ejection technology dramatically reduces waste while cutting operating expenses,” said Dr. Elaine J. Heron, Labcyte CEO. “Traditional liquid handlers are prone to poor precision and accuracy as transfer volumes are decreased. Researchers who require flexibility in their processes and biology find that the Echo systems provide that for them easily, quickly, and cost-effectively.”

Labcyte Inc., headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, is the world leader in providing acoustic droplet ejection technology for pharmaceutical and life science applications. The award-winning Echo 500 series liquid handlers and Portrait 630 reagent multi-spotters are used in nine of the 10 largest pharmaceutical companies, as well as in leading academic and research institutions and contract research organizations worldwide. The Labcyte acoustic droplet ejection technology has broad applications including compound management, assays, arraying, particle manufacturing, imaging mass spectrometry, and live-cell transfer. Labcyte also provides a range of unique microplate consumables. Labcyte has 29 issued U.S. patents, 3 issued European patents and additional international filings. For more information, visit www.labcyte.com

Posted under Collaborations, Equipment & Supplies, HT Screening, North America, Press Releases | No Comments

Genoway launches standardized genetically modified mousse and rat

Last Updated on Saturday, 1 December 2007 08:04 Written by admin Saturday, 1 December 2007 08:04

The biotechnology company continues its strong growth (+50% tendency) and
reinforces its international leadership in the development and supply of genetically
modified animal models. The products henceforth available from the catalogue
have already attracted Pfizer, GSK, BMS and Servier.
Lyon (France), 19 November 2007 – genOway, a biotechnology company specialized in
the development of genetically modified research models for the biopharmaceutical industry
today announces today the launching of its catalogue activity, based on the development
and supply of standardized tools.
This offer of animal models developed by genOwayâ€™s R&D teams or via the acquisition of
exclusive and non-exclusive licenses from prestigious academic laboratories such as Yale
University (Connecticut), the Hubrecht Institute (Netherlands), and the University of
Michigan is based on the supply of ready-for-use tools selectable from the catalogue.
The biological profile of these new animal models offers numerous advantages for biomedical
researchers: rapid availability, acquisition of biological predictability of the effects on the
human organism and a shortening the development cycle of the therapeutic solutions.
To date, genOway has elaborated a catalogue of standardized products – of which the
company retains the entire of intellectual property – spanning four major therapeutic axes:
- Inflammatory and metabolic pathologies (diabetes, obesity)
- Diseases of the central nervous system (depression, anxiety)
- Infectious diseases and allergy
- Gastroenterology.
In the area of metabolic illnesses, this offer has already attracted many major players in the
biopharmaceutical industry, such as Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Bristol-Myers Squib and
Servier. genOway registed in mid-November 2007 an order sheet of over 0.8 million euros in
this domain.
Alexandre Fraichard, CEO of genOway, stated : â€œWe are delighted to observe the success
achieved by our catalogue models. Recognition by many major pharmaceutical companies
validates our choices and our technical platform. Moreover, genOway benefits from
privileged links with the most cutting edge academic teams at international level, which
grant us exclusive and non-exclusive licenses on the animal models which we judge
pertinent. Thus our catalogue of standardized products will become richer in the coming
months with new proprietary models. We intend to continue our proactive license
acquisition policy, and have other licenses currently in negotiationâ€.
Kader Thiam, VP Transgenic Technologies at genOway added: â€œThrough this new commercial
offer, genOway can now offer two distinct responses to the same demand from industrial
clients. The latter can now choose between customized development of genetically modified
animal models and the acquisition of standardized and more rapidly available animal models.
This approach reinforces our image as the reference point supplier for the entirety of
biomedical researchâ€.
To date, genOway makes its expertise available to over 40 major biopharmaceutical groups
and 160 academic institutions, either through customized development of genetically
modified research animal models or through its emerging activity of sale of proprietary
models.
About genOway:
genOway(ALTERNEXT-NYSE:ALGEN)is a biotechnology company dedicated to the
development of geneticallymodified animal models aimed at enhancing thesecurity and
relevancy ofin vivo research projects. Focusing its efforton the mouse and rat,genOway’s
expertise combined transgenesictechnologies such aspronuclear microinjection, Knockout,
Knock-in,Knock- down, pointmutation, humanization combined with innovative patented
technologiesadapted to target validation, in vivo drugscreening, drug efficacy andsafety
testing program. Collaborations withworldwide leaders (CharlesRiver Laboratories,
Invitrogen, Tet systems,etc..) enable genOway toprovide its customer with a complete
portfolioof products and servicesfor all aspects of model generation and characterization.
Operating in22 countries in Europe, North America and Asia, genOway has developed more
than 450 rat and mouse lines for 40 companies and 160 research institutions. Thanks to its
industrializedproduction facilities,genOway is involved in large-scale projects with several
academic centers (German National Genome Research Network, University College London,
King’s College London, Max Planck Institute) and with pharmaceutical companies
(BayerCorp, Boehringer Ingelheim,Johnson& Johnson).
For more information consult:www.genoway.com
Contacts:
Marie Norbert – genOway – norbert@genoway.com
Contact for investors:
Gilles de Poncins , CFO – genOway – finances@genoway.com
Milestones – Press & Investors Relation
Bruno Arabian
Tel. : +33 170 08 04 13
E-mail : milestones@milestones-fr.com
Warning: This press release expressly contains, in an implicit manner,certain prospective
statements concerning genOway and its activity.These statements rely on certain risks, known
or unknown, uncertainty or onother factors that may lead to actual results, financial
conditions,performance or achievements on the part of genOway that may differ significantly
from the results, financial conditions, performance or achievements expressed or implied in
these prospective statements.genOway is issuing this press release on the present date and is
not committed to update the prospective statements contained therein, either as a result of new
information, future events or other. For a description of the risks or uncertainty of
a nature to cause a difference between genOway’s actual results, financial conditions,
performance or achievements and those contained in the prospective statements, please refer to
the section on “Risk Factors”on the Prospectus available on the genOway website:

http://www.genoway.com

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

XXth International Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry EFMC-ISMC 08

Last Updated on Saturday, 1 December 2007 07:33 Written by admin Saturday, 1 December 2007 07:33

Vienna, Austria, August 31 – September 4, 2008
The EFMC-ISMC 2008 Symposium is organized by the Austrian Chemical Society on behalf of the European Federation for Medicinal Chemistry (EFMC).

This symposium is recognized worldwide as one of the leading Medicinal Chemistry meetings, as proven by its large international attendance, which varies between 1200 and 1500 participants from all over Europe, but also from the United States and Asia.

The Symposium will focus on important new scientific and technological developments in the drug discovery process; particularly those relevant to medicinal chemistry. The meeting will create an environment for in-depth, informed discussions highlighting the importance of medicinal chemistry in the pharmaceutical industry, academia and drug research. It will also provide opportunities to re-emphasise the crucial position of medicinal chemistry in the drug discovery process and its pivotal role in linking and exploiting the associated biological sciences. Therefore, ISMC-2008 intends to create a forum for all scientists interested in medicinal chemistry and related fields.

Programme

Plenary Lectures

Dr. Magid ABOU-GHARBIA
(WYETH RESEARCH, Princeton, United States)

Prof. Chris DOBSON
(UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, Cambridge, United Kingdom)

Prof. Paul HERRLING
(NOVARTIS INTERNATIONAL, Basel, Switzerland)

Prof. Barbara IMPERIALI
(MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Cambridge, United States)

Prof. Steven V. LEY
(UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, Cambridge, United Kingdom)

GlaxoSmithKline Award forOutstanding Achievement in the Field of Chemical Biology
EFFMC Award Lectures

The Nauta Award for Pharmacochemistry

The UCB-Ehrlich Award for Excellence in Medicinal Chemistry

The Prous Institute-Overton and Meyer Award for Technologies in Drug Discovery
1. Novel Lead Finding Approaches 2. Chemistry Strategies to Reduce Attrition in Drug Discovery 3. Emerging Drugs

Session Chair
Dr. Hans-Ulrich STILZ
(SANOFI-AVENTIS, Frankfurt/Main, Germany)
Title to be determined
Dr. Jeff BLANEY
(STRUCTURAL GENOMIX, San Diego, United States)
Title to be determined
Prof. Roderick E. HUBBARD
(UNIVERSITY OF YORK, York, United Kingdom)
Oral communication
to be selected from submitted abstracts

Session Chair
Dr. Geoffrey STEMP
(GLAXOSMITHKLINE, Harlow, United Kingdom)
From Fragment to Clinic
Dr. David REES
(ASTEX THERAPEUTICS, Cambridge, United Kingdom)
Chemical Strategies for Successful Clinical Development
Dr. Christopher N. JOHNSON
(GLAXOSMITHKLINE, Harlow, United Kingdom)
Oral communication
to be selected from submitted abstracts

Session Chair
Dr. Bernd RIEDL
(BAYER HEALTHCARE, Wuppertal, Germany)
The Discovery and Development of Rivaroxaban
Dr. Susanne ROEHRIG
(BAYER HEALTHCARE, Wuppertal, Germany)
The Discovery and Development of a Selective PI3K-Alpha Inhibitor
Dr. Carlos GARCIA-ECHEVERRIA
(NOVARTIS PHARMA, Basel, Switzerland)
Discovery of TMC278: a Next Generation NNRTI Drug, Highly Active against Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1
Dr. JÃ©rÃ´me GUILLEMONT
(JOHNSON & JOHNSON PRD, Val de Reuil, France)

4. Kinase Selectivity-Is it Necessary? (ACS) 5. Predictive ADME/Tox Methods: What to Apply When? 6. Macromolecular and Polymeric Drugs

Session Chair
Prof. David ROTELLA
(WYETH RESEARCH, Princeton, United States)
Title to be determined
Dr. Dennis POWELL
(WYETH RESEARCH, Pearl River, United States)
Title to be determined
Dr. Louis LOMBARDO
(BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB, , United States)
Title to be determined
Dr. Andrew THOMAS
(ASTRAZENECA R&D, Macclesfield, United Kingdom)

Session Chair
Dr. Scott BOYER
(ASTRAZENECA, MÃ¶lndal, Sweden)
Predictive ADME: Examples from the Real World
Dr. Andrew Mark DAVIS
(ASTRAZENECA R&D, Loughborough, United Kingdom)
Virtual Methods for Predicting Off-Target Pharmacology
Dr. Jordi MESTRES
(IMIM AND UNIVERSITAT POMPEU FABRA, Barcelona, Spain)
Oral communication
to be selected from submitted abstracts

Session Chair
Prof. Abraham J. DOMB
(HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM, Jerusalem, Israel)
Keynote
to be selected
Title to be determined
Dr. Ronit SATCHI-FAIRANO
(TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY, Tel Aviv, Israel)
Oral communication
to be selected from submitted abstracts

7. Fragment-Based Drug Discovery (ACS)Â 8. Imaging Ligands and Biomarkers (EUFEPS) 9. Natural Products as Starting Points in Drug Discovery

Session Chair
Dr. Jeffrey ALBERT
(ASTRAZENECA, Wilmington, United States)
Building the Perfect Beast: Designing a Fragment-Based Drug Discovery Paradigm
Dr. Edward ZARTLER
(MERCK RESEARCH LABORATORIES, Rahway, United States)
Fragment-Based Discovery: What Has it Achieved so far?
Dr. Alexander ALEX
(PFIZER, Sandwich, United Kingdom)
Fragment-Based Methods and the Discovery of BACE-1 Inhibitors for Alzheimer’s
Dr. Jeffrey ALBERT
(ASTRAZENECA, Wilmington, United States)

Session Chair
Prof. Pia VUORELA
(Ã…BO AKADEMI UNIVERSITY, Turku, Finland)
Fluorometry and FRET in Measuring Biomarkers and Monitoring Cell Signaling Cascade
Dr. Ilkka HEMMILA
(PERKINELMER LIFE SCIENCES, Turku, Finland)
Mass Sensitive Ligands Useful for Biomarker Discovery and Validation
Dr. Peter SCHULZ-KNAPPE
(PROTEOME SCIENCES, Cobham, United Kingdom)
Oral communication
to be selected from submitted abstracts

Session Chair
Dr. Erden BANOGLU
(GAZI UNIVERSITY, Ankara, Turkey)
Natural Products as Tools to Identify Novel Drug Targets and Novel Therapeutic Interventions
Dr. Gunda I. GEORG
(UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, Minneapolis, United States)
How to Use The Structural Diversity of Natural Products for Drug Discovery
Dr. Philipp KRASTEL
(NOVARTIS INSTITUTES FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH, Basel, Switzerland)
Oral communication
to be selected from submitted abstracts

10. Novel Approaches for Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases 11. Type 2 Diabetes: The Incretin System 12. Progress in COPD and Asthma Therapy

Session Chair
Dr. Magid ABOU-GHARBIA
(WYETH RESEARCH, Princeton, United States)
Title to be determined
Prof. Hilal A. LASHUEL
(EPFL – ECUBLENS, Lausanne, Switzerland)
Title to be determined
Dr. Steve JACOBSEN
(WYETH RESEARCH, Princeton, United States)
Oral communication
to be selected from submitted abstracts

Session Chair
Prof. Koen AUGUSTYNS
(UNIVERSITY OF ANTWERP, Antwerp, Belgium)
Discovery of Sitagliptin and Rational Design of Other Novel DPP-4 Inhibitors
Dr. Tesfaye BIFTU
(MERCK & CO., Rahway, United States)
Peptidic and Nonpeptidic Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonists
Dr. Jesper LAU
(NOVO NORDISK, Maaloev, Denmark)
Oral communication
to be selected from submitted abstracts

Session Chair
Dr. Matthias GRAUERT
(BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM, Biberach, Germany)
Recent Developments in CCR3 Antagonists
Dr. George V. DE LUCCA
(BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB, Princeton, United States)
Discovery of Potent and Highly Isoform Selective PI3Kg Inhibitors
Dr. Thomas RÃœCKLE
(MERCK SERONO, Geneva, Switzerland)
Oral communication
to be selected from submitted abstracts

13. Allosteric Modulation and GPCR Drug Discovery 14. Oncology 15. Immunology & Immunomodulation

Session Chair
Prof. Rob LEURS
(VU UNIVERSITY AMSTERDAM, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
The Potential of Allosteric Modulation for GPCR Drug Discovery
Prof. Arthur CHRISTOPOULOS
(MONASH UNIVERSITY, Clayton, Australia)
Therapeutic Opportunities for Small Molecule Modulators of Chemokine Receptors
Dr. Thomas J. SCHALL
(CHEMOCENTRYX, Mountain View, United States)
Oral communication
to be selected from submitted abstracts

Session Chair
Dr. Graham WARRELLOW
(UCB SA, Cambridge, United Kingdom)
Eg5 Inhibitors
Dr. Christopher COX
(MERCK RESEARCH LABORATORIES, West Point, United States)
Allosteric Akt Inhibitors
Dr. George HARTMANN
(MERCK RESEARCH LABORATORIES, West-Point, United States)
PLK1 Inhibitor (BI-2536)
Dr. Matthias HOFFMANN
(BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM, Biberach, Germany)

Session Chair
Dr. Katerina LEFTHERIS
(BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB, Princeton, NJ, United States)
Current Aspects and Future Trends in Immunomodulation
Dr. Murray MCKINNON
(BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB, Princeton, United States)
Advances in Targeting Glucocorticoids
Dr. Hartmut REHWINKEL
(SCHERING, Berlin, Germany)
Oral communication
to be selected from submitted abstracts

16. Antispsychotic Targets 17. Antivirals 18. Pain

Session Chair
Prof. Klaus P. BOGESO
(H. LUNDBECK, Valby, Denmark)
NK3 Receptors
Prof. Klaus SIMONSEN
(H. LUNDBECK, Valby, Denmark)
PDE10 Inhibitors
Dr. Patrick Robert VERHOEST
(PFIZER GLOBAL RESEARCH, Groton, United States)
Oral communication
to be selected from submitted abstracts

Session Chair
Dr. Maria Jose CAMARASA
(SEQT, Madrid, Spain)
Title to be determined
Dr. Jan BALZARINI
(REGA INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH, Leuven, Belgium)
Lethal Mutagenesis as a New Antiviral Strategy
Prof. Esteban DOMINGO
(UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE MADRID, Madrid, Spain)
Oral communication
to be selected from submitted abstracts

Session Chair
Dr. Mark DUGGAN
(AMGEN, Cambridge, United States)
Title to be determined
Dr. Stefan MCDONOUGH
(AMGEN, Cambridge, United States)
Nav1.7 Inhibitors â€“ Discovery and Development
Dr. Joseph L. DUFFY
(MERCK RESEARCH LABORATORIES, Rahway, United States)
Oral communication
Dr. Graham N. MAW
(PFIZER, Sandwich, United Kingdom)

19. Exploring the Chemical Space 20. Chemokines 21. Systems Level Research Informs Drug Target Identification and Therapy Design

Session Chair
Profs. Herbert WALDMANN & STEFAN WETZEL
(MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE OF MOLECULAR PHYSIOLOGY, Dortmund, Germany)
Title to be determined
Prof. Gisbert SCHNEIDER
(JOHANN WOLFGANG GOETHE UNIVERSITY, Frankfurt, Germany)
Title to be determined
Dr. Antonio MACCHIARULO
(UNIVERSITY OF PERUGIA, Perugia, Italy)
Title to be determined
Prof. Jean-Louis REYMOND
(UNIVERSITÃ„T BERN, Bern, Switzerland)
Title to be determined
Dr. Stefan WETZEL
(MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE OF MOLECULAR PHYSIOLOGY, Dortmund, Germany)

Session Chair
Prof. Gerhard ECKER
(UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA & EFMC, Vienna, Austria)
Title to be determined
Prof. Nobutaka FUJII
(KYOTO UNIVERSITY, Kyoto, Japan)
Selective Dual CCR2/5 Antagonists
Dr. Wolfgang MILTZ
(NOVARTIS PHARMA, Basel, Switzerland)
Oral communication
to be selected from submitted abstracts

Session Chair
Prof. Harel WEINSTEIN
(CORNELL UNIVERSITY, New York, United States)
Drug Discovery, Drug Delivery and Therapeutic Monitoring by Molecular, Cellular and Functional Imaging of Atherothrombosis
Dr. Zahi A. FAYAD
(MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, New York, United States)
Understanding Drug Mechanisms and Designing Therapy at the Systems Level of the Functional Human Interactome
Prof. Gianni CESARENI
(UNIVERSITY OF ROME ‘TOR VERGATA’, Rome, Italy)
Special Structural, Dynamic and Functional Characteristics of Membrane Proteins and their Signaling Partners that Determine the Mode and Putative Success of Therapy Design Targeting Cellular Signaling Systems.
Prof. Harel WEINSTEIN
(CORNELL UNIVERSITY, New York, United States)

22. New Computational Approaches Supporting Drug Design 23. Druggability of Protein-Protein Interactions 24. Systems Biology and Medicinal Chemistry

Session Chair
Dr. Jordi MESTRES
(IMIM AND UNIVERSITAT POMPEU FABRA, Barcelona, Spain)
Overview on New Computational Tools Supporting Drug Design
Prof. Tudor I. OPREA
(UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO, Albuquerque, United States)
Novel Tools for Data Gathering
Dr. Muthukumarasamy KARTHIKEYAN
(NATIONAL CHEMICAL LABORATORY, Pune, India)
Novel Tools for Data Classification
Dr. Ansgar SCHUFFENHAUER
(NOVARTIS INSTITUTES FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH, Basel, Switzerland)
Novel Tools for Data Exploitation
Dr. Elisabet GREGORI-PUIGJANE
(CHEMOTARGETS, Barcelona, Spain)

Session Chair
Dr. Peter NUSSBAUMER
(NOVARTIS, Vienna, Austria)
Title to be determined
Dr. Leonard J. PAGLIARO
(BIOIMAGE, Soeborg, Denmark)
Oral communication
to be selected from submitted abstracts
Oral communication
to be selected from submitted abstracts
Oral communication
to be selected from submitted abstracts

Session Chair
Prof. Christian NOE
(UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA, Vienna, Austria)
Network Based Drug Discovery
Prof. Hans WESTERHOFF
(VU UNIVERSITY AMSTERDAM, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
Title to be determined
Prof. Christian NOE
(UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA, Vienna, Austria)
Oral communication
to be selected from submitted abstracts

25. Structure Based Drug Design (AFMC) 26. Modulators of Adenosine and P2Y Receptors 27. Addressing Therapeutic Complexity in Oncology with Med. Chem.

Session Chair
Prof. Esin AKI-SENER
(ANKARA UNIVERSITY, Ankara, Turkey)
Quantum Chemical Calculation of Protein-Ligand Interaction
Prof. Isao NAKANISHI
(KYOTO UNIVERSITY, Kyoto, Japan)
Title to be determined
Dr. Jose VARGHESE
(CSIRO, Parkville, Australia)
Oral communication
to be selected from submitted abstracts

Session Chair
Prof. Kenneth A. JACOBSON
(NIDDK, Bethesda, United States)
Engineering of Purine Receptors and Their Ligands
Prof. Kenneth A. JACOBSON
(NIDDK, Bethesda, United States)
Title to be determined
Prof. Pier Giovanni BARALDI
(UNIVERSITY OF FERRARA, Ferrara, Italy)
Allosteric Modulation of Purine Receptors
Prof. Ad P. IJZERMAN
(LEIDEN/AMSTERDAM CENTER FOR DRUG RESEARCH, Leiden, The Netherlands)

Session Chair
Dr. Graeme ROBERTSON
(SIENA BIOTECH, Siena, Italy)
Alternatives to Kinase Inhibitors for Cancer Therapies
Prof. Giovanni GAVIRAGHI
(SIENA BIOTECH, Siena, Italy)
Endothelin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors as Anticancer Agents for Human Glioblastoma. A Comparison with Endothelin Receptor Antagonists
Dr. Lucienne JUILLERAT
(CENTRE HOSPITALIER UNIVERSITAIRE VAUDOIS, Lausanne, Switzerland)
Novel Kinase Inhibitors
Dr. Dirk HEERDING
(GLAXOSMITHKLINE, Collegeville, United States)

Posted under Europe, Press Releases | No Comments

Brady labelling technology

Last Updated on Saturday, 1 December 2007 07:27 Written by admin Saturday, 1 December 2007 07:27

Bradyâ€™s proven labelling technology protects against the potential disaster of being unable to identify a sample due to the label falling off!

Laboratory labelling presents many challenges: labels may be subjected to hostile environments, solvents and other chemicals and extreme temperatures. They are also applied to widely varying surfaces and sample shapes and sizes. Sometimes, as in field sampling, labels have to be used in dirty or greasy situations. Under these conditions, the risk is that labels may become detached from the sample they are intended to identify. Of course, this problem may only become apparent when itâ€™s too late!

Brady scientific labelling systems have been developed with these conditions in mind. For example, there are 10 different adhesives to choose from to suit virtually any application, with technical advice to make the right choice, and there are labels specially developed for the laboratory environment.

The Brady Freezerbondzâ„¢ range can be applied direct to new or frozen surfaces and survives exposure to common laboratory environments such as liquid nitrogen and temperatures from freezer (-196Â°C) to autoclave (up to 121Â°C). These labels also show excellent chemical resistance when exposed to solvents such as DMSO and Xylene.

Alternatively, Bradyâ€™s B461 self-laminating labels also provide exceptional permanence under extreme conditions. These labels combine a white label area with a clear overlaminating area that not only protects the legend but allows visibility of the sample itself and are available to suit all standard laboratory consumables â€“ vials, tubes and slides.

The Brady Corporation has offices in 24 countries and is represented in over 100. Research laboratories in the US and Europe ensure a continuous programme of product innovation, evolution and improvement.

Visit www.bradylab.co.uk/adhesion or call 01295 228288 for more information.

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

Screening, MedChem and ADMET Europe 2008

Last Updated on Saturday, 1 December 2007 07:24 Written by admin Saturday, 1 December 2007 07:24

Screening, MedChem and ADMET Europe 2008

19-20 February, Stockholm, Sweden

ScreeningEurope.comÂ Â Â Â MedChemEurope.comÂ Â Â Â ADMETEurope.com

Following the success of the past few years, Select Biosciences is proud to announce their 5th annual Screening Europe conference run concurrently with the 4th MedChem Europe and the inaugural ADMET Europe.

Alongside a shared exhibition of selected scientific posters and service providers, Select Biosciences is organising a two day event gathering some of the most influential players in the field from Europe, Asia and America.

The agendas will include world renowned speakers including :

Guido Zaman, Senior Director GPCR & Kinases, Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Organon BioSciences
Torsten SchÃ¶neberg, Professor of Molecular Biochemistry and Endocrinology, Institute of Biochemistry Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig
Peter Langer, Professor, Institute of Chemistry, University of Rostock
Aaron Beeler, Assistant Director, Centre for Chemical Methodology and Library Development, Boston University
Richard Walmsley, Professor of Genetics, University of Manchester
Alan Wilson, Vice President, Drug Metabolism, Pharmacokinetics and Toxicology, Lexicon Pharmaceuticals
And many more…
Lead optimisation towards novel drug discovery can be achieved with various screening methods. New targets and new strategies will be the center of the debates this year again during the twin-track Screening Europe conference.

Novel High-Throughput Platforms
Protein Kinases
Screening Automation and Miniaturisation
Label-Free Detection
Oncology Target Screening
GPCR’s
Cell-Based Assays and Assay Development
Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion, are the four important criteria that influence levels and kinetics of drug, and allow predicting possible toxic effects or the performance and pharmacological activity of drug compounds in our metabolism. The inaugural ADMET Europe will develop ADMET research and applications in its sessions.

ADME Prediction
Optimisation of ADME Properties
Toxicology & Safety Pharmacology
Transporters in ADME
Finally, our 4th MedChem Europe will present identification, synthesis and development of new chemical entities suitable for therapeutic use.

Target Identification
Lead Optimisation
Platforms and Combinatorial Chemistry
High Throughput Synthetic Chemistry
To guarantee a high attendance at Europe’s largest conference dedicated to biomolecular screening, ADME-toxicology and medicinal chemistry. Select Biosciences will maintain their traditional low registration fees and group booking discounts.

All conference passes include entrance to sessions from any track, the exhibition, as well as conference documentation, lunch and refreshments

To further increase the value of their trip, delegates can opt to attend additional training courses and business tutorials while in Stockholm. Details of the many courses are available on ScreeningEurope.com, MedChemEurope.com and ADMETEurope.com.

About Select Conferences http://www.selectconferences.com/

The conferences division of Select Biosciences Ltd. is focused on organising specialist biomedical meetings each year. Experts from both academia and commerce are invited to present timely information from current research through to commercial implementation of new technologies. These events also provide a unique networking facility and the opportunity to reach a highly targeted scientific audience.

Posted under Europe, Press Releases | No Comments

Profiling of Tumor Tissue Slices is Awarded Prize

Last Updated on Saturday, 1 December 2007 07:22 Written by admin Saturday, 1 December 2007 07:22

Novel drug screening tool based on the BionasÂ® 2500 analyzing system wins silver medal in European business plan contest

Rostock, Germany, November 26, 2007 / b3c newswire / – Bionas GmbH, a specialist for in vitro profiling the metabolic activity of cells, announced that Prof. Pedro Mestres of the Saarland University (Homburg/Saar, Germany) has been awarded the second prize in the business plan contest 1,2,3 GO for a novel drug sensitivity screening tool based on the Bionas technology.

Tumors react in different ways against anti-cancer drugs. It is therefore important to determine tumor drug sensitivity in order to establish a tumor and patient-specific therapy in the clinic.

Prof. Mestres, who plans to found a company for drug screening services in early 2008, has developed a tissue slicing technology producing microtumors that retain near-original tissue structure and cell activity. These microtumors are then analyzed with the BionasÂ® 2500 analyzing system for their metabolic activity upon drug treatment.

With the Bionas 2500 instrument we can analyze the metabolic pattern of the tissue slices in a highly precise way, â€œsays Prof. Pedro Mestres. â€œThis enables us to profile tissue specimens from tumor patients for optimal drug responsivenessâ€.

The BionasÂ® 2500 analyzing system gives a complete overview of the physiological state of cells and tissues by analyzing metabolic and morphological parameters over a long period.

About Bionas www.bionas.de
Bionas GmbH, located in Rostock, Germany, specializes in analyzing systems and services for in vitro profiling the metabolic activity of cells to understand cellular function. BionasÂ® 2500 analyzing system measures extracellular acidification, oxygen consumption and cell adhesion label-free and noninvasively. It can be applied to various cell types including primary cells and tissues. The readout is performed continuously and can be monitored online. Main applications include drug profiling, lead optimization, pharmacokinetics, early toxicology programs, ADME/Tox, chemosensitivity testing, toxicological testing of chemical substances (REACH) and cell culture monitoring and optimization.

Posted under Business and Investment, Cancer Research, Europe, Grants and Awards, Press Releases | No Comments

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Archive for December, 2007

CLC bio provides bioinformatics educational solutions to Andhra University and 25 affiliated colleges

CLC bio provides bioinformatics solution for vaccine target development to ACE BioSciences

About ACE BioSciences

About CLC bio

Arena Pharmaceuticals Initiates Second and Third Pivotal Trials Evaluating Lorcaserin for the Treatment of Obesity

Michael J. Fox Foundation Awards $4.4 Million for Development of New Class of Parkinson’s Therapy

AIDS researchers find protein that greatly boosts HIV infection

Predicting drug side effects

Definiens Releases TissueMap 2.0 for Advanced Oncology Research

CLC bio accelerates biomedical research with new RNA sequence analysis software

High Throughput Screening 2007: HighTech Business Decisions Reports New Strategies,

Theravance Announces Initiation of Phase 1 Clinical Study with Investigational Medicine for Respiratory Disease

5th Anti-Infectives Partnering & Deal-Making Summit

Bio-Synthesis Expands Dye Labeling Licensing

1st International Conference on Drug Design and Discovery February 4 – 7, 2008, Dubai, UAE

New Multi-channel Microplate Reader from Anthos

Burnham Institute Selects Labcyte Acoustic Liquid Handling Technology

Genoway launches standardized genetically modified mousse and rat

XXth International Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry EFMC-ISMC 08

Brady labelling technology

Screening, MedChem and ADMET Europe 2008

Profiling of Tumor Tissue Slices is Awarded Prize

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