Archive for the ‘Europe’ Category
7TH DUESSELDORF SYMPOSIUM ON IMMUNOTOXICOLOGY Biology of the Arylhydrocarbon Receptor
Last Updated on Wednesday, 14 September 2011 01:45 Written by admin Tuesday, 13 September 2011 12:27
Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf
September 21 – 24, 2011
AhR research has taken great momentum recently, with a number of seminal discoveries, especially regarding its role in physiological events. This has opened new arenas, attracted new groups into the field, and led to a steep interest in the potential of AhR as a therapeutic target for the immune system, cancer and other diseases.
We invite you to join us for this exciting meeting on the biology of AhR.
Presentations by international renowned speakers.
Sessions will cover
- AhR and Signaling
- AhR and Skin biology
- AhR and Immunology
- AhR and Neurobiology
- AhR and Translational Medicine
We invite you to register, submit an abstract and join us for three days of exciting presentations. Opportunities for oral presentations from selected abstracts will be scheduled as well. We look forward to lively scientific exchange.
The meeting will take place from September 21-24, 2011 at the University of Düsseldorf, Germany, Lecture Hall 13B.
Browse Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) Ligands
Posted under Cancer Research, Cell Analysis, Drug Development, Europe, New Drugs, Oncology Research, Press Releases, R & D, Targeted Libraries | Comments Off
Positive agreement received for approval of AXANUM (low-dose ASA/esomeprazole) in Europe
Last Updated on Tuesday, 2 August 2011 01:50 Written by admin Tuesday, 2 August 2011 01:50
AstraZeneca today announced that AXANUM, a fixed dose combination of 81 mg low-dose ASA (acetylsalicylic acid) and 20 mg esomeprazole, has received positive agreement for approval in 23 European Union member countries and in Norway. AXANUM is indicated for prevention of cardiovascular (CV) events such as heart attack or stroke, in high-risk CV patients in need of daily low-dose ASA treatment and who are at risk of gastric ulcers.
Low-dose ASA (commonly known as aspirin) is recommended mainstay therapy for patients with high-risk for cardiovascular events. About one third of these patients are also at increased risk of stomach ulcer. Low-dose ASA further increases the risk for gastric ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding. In fact, the most common reason for stopping low-dose ASA treatment is upper gastrointestinal problems. The consequences of interrupting low-dose ASA treatment can be severe, increasing the risk of a heart attack or stroke as early as eight to 10 days later.
AXANUM is the only medicine that ensures every single pill of low-dose ASA comes with built-in protection against gastric ulcers. That means AXANUM has the potential to provide continuous CV protection in this patient population.
The EU decision took place under the decentralised procedure (DCP), with Germany acting as reference member state. This process is now followed by national approvals and local pricing and reimbursement discussions.
Tony Zook, Executive Vice President of AstraZeneca’s Global Commercial Organisation said: “AstraZeneca has had some significant regulatory approvals this year, and we’re pleased with this positive agreement for AXANUM in Europe. We will now work with relevant health authorities to secure reimbursement decisions and get onto formularies to bring this medicine to patients as soon as possible.”
Source: http://www.europeanpharmaceuticalreview.com/8417/news/industry-news/positive-agreement-received-for-approval-of-axanum-low-dose-asaesomeprazole-in-europe/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EPR+-+Newsletter+16+2011&utm_content=EPR+-+Newsletter+16+2011+CID_0d42f174df14efdb3a6804bfbf1f416a&utm_source=Email+marketing&utm_term=Positive+agreement+received+for+approval+of+AXANUM+low-dose+ASAesomeprazole+in+Europe
Posted under Drug Development, Europe, Europe, Medicinal Chemistry, New Drugs, New Products, R & D | Comments Off
Protein ‘helps predict Alzheimer’s risk’
Last Updated on Thursday, 23 June 2011 12:53 Written by admin Thursday, 23 June 2011 12:53
A protein in spinal fluid could be used to predict the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to German researchers.
Patients with high levels of the chemical – soluble amyloid precursor protein beta – were more likely to develop the disease, they found.
Doctors said in the journal Neurology this was more precise than other tests.
Alzheimer’s Research UK said early diagnosis was a key goal, and the study represented a potential new lead.
Doctors analysed samples of spinal fluid from 58 patients with mild cognitive impairment, a memory-loss condition which can lead to Alzheimer’s.
The patients were followed for three years. Around a third developed Alzheimer’s.
Those who developed the illness had, on average, 1,200 nanograms/ml of the protein in the spinal fluid at the start of the study.
Those who did not started with just 932 nanograms/ml.
Beta amyloid proteins have already been implicated in Alzheimer’s itself, but not as a “predictor” of the disease.
The researchers said that a combination of soluble amyloid precursor protein beta, defective tau proteins, which are involved in the structure of brain cells, and a patient’s age was 80% accurate in predicting the onset of the disease.
Early diagnosis crucial
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. If a treatment is developed, it is thought that it would need to be delivered early, before any permanent damage was done.
Dr Robert Perneczky, from the Technical University Munich, said: “Being able to identify who will develop Alzheimer’s disease very early in the process will be crucial in the future.
“Once we have treatments that could prevent Alzheimer’s disease, we could begin to treat very early and hopefully prevent the loss of memory and thinking skills that occurs with this devastating disease.”
More than 800,000 people have dementia in the UK, and that figure is expected to rise as populations get older.
Rebecca Wood, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “The ability to diagnose Alzheimer’s early is a key goal for doctors and researchers. This small study provides a potential new lead to follow up.
“We will need to see larger trials before we can know how accurate this method could be as a diagnostic test. It will also be important to see how measurements of these proteins compare to those found in healthy people.”
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13875984
Posted under Alzheimer's disease, Discoveries, Innovations and Patents, Europe, Europe, Medicinal Chemistry, R & D, Reports | Comments Off
Swine flu concerns in jails
Last Updated on Friday, 20 May 2011 02:03 Written by admin Friday, 20 May 2011 02:03
In a confined space, a contagious illness like the swine flu (H1N1) could spread quickly. It’s a problem health officials inside jails are thinking about as cases of swine flu fluctuate. Many have come up with a health plan, but in Ireland their plan is raising eyebrows.
In Ireland, swine flu cases are increasing rapidly which is forcing every organization to make a long term plan. If there was an outbreak of the swine flu in a prison staff may be quarantined with inmates.
An Irish Prison Service spokesman said, “At a corporate level, we are acutely aware of the possible adverse impact of a swine flu outbreak at a prison level and we are considering the necessary steps which may have to be considered in the event that significant numbers of cases occur within the prison system, either involving staff or prisoners.”
The Irish Prison Service has secured medical supplies and has contracted with community pharmacists to access Tamiflu if needed. Tamiflu is often prescribed to help kick the symptoms brought on by the flu, including fever, aches and stomach pain.
It’s one of several plans being looked at to safeguard the country’s 4,000+ inmates and staff.
The plans come on the heels of an inmate dying from an alleged case of swine flu. John O’Connor, 52, was being held at the Cloverhill Prison when he died. His family believes his medical care was not handled properly. They specifically want to know why he was not given Tamiflu to fight the illness.
Swine Flu Background
The World Health Organization says this strain of flu sparked the century’s first influenza pandemic in 2009. Now it’s considered to be in the post pandemic phase, meaning the number of illnesses is scaling back. The pandemic meant mass amounts of vaccine had to be shipped around the world. It was the first time the world faced such a pandemic in more than 40 years.
Source: http://www.accessrx.com/blog/current-health-news/swine-flu-jails-l0509
Posted under Europe, Europe, Swine Flu Research | Comments Off
Fragment Library
Last Updated on Monday, 20 December 2010 02:59 Written by Editor Monday, 20 December 2010 02:59
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. announced that its Maybridge Ro3 Diversity Fragment Library has helped researchers validate an emerging technique for drug discovery that targets key protein receptors involved in a wide range of biological functions.
David Myszka, founder of Biosensor Tools LLC and director of the Center for Biomolecular Interaction Analysis at the University of Utah, used surface plasmon resonance (SPR) to screen small molecules (fragments) in the Maybridge Ro3 collection against stabilised G-Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) provided by Heptares Therapeutics1. Several new classes of compounds were identified from the Ro3 library, which is accelerating drug discovery efforts around these receptors
Dr. Myszka’s study demonstrated for the first time that fragment screening by SPR is an effective approach. It utilises the sensor surface to purify and concentrate solubilised tagged GPCRs and then characterise their binding activities with the fragments. Dr. Myszka and Rebecca Rich, a research scientist in Dr. Myszka’s group, recently presented their work, “Fragment Screening against Membrane Receptors using SPR,” at the Fragment-Based Lead Discovery Conference in Philadelphia and at the Developments in Protein Interaction Analysis symposium in Barcelona, Spain.
“While fragment screening by SPR has become standard practice, this is the first example of a successful SPR-based fragment screen against GPCRs,” said Dr. Myszka. “One major factor contributing to our success was the integrity of the Maybridge Ro3 Fragments. The library was well-behaved in terms of high solubility and displayed minimal nonspecific binding or so-called promiscuous binders. In addition, the structural diversity within this library allowed us to span a lot of chemical space, helping us to identify subsets of novel compounds that targeted two GPCRs. From the primary screen we identified thematic structural elements in the hits and then selected analogs from within the full Maybridge collection to investigate as confirmatory hits. With these follow-up studies in hand, we are now poised to pursue the next stage in elaborating compounds for drug development.”
“The guaranteed aqueous solubility of Maybridge Ro3 Fragments is not only key from a practical perspective, but it also provides an insight into likely ADME problems as the hits are evolved into drug-like molecules,” said Simon Pearce, product manager for Maybridge products at Thermo Fisher Scientific. “Furthermore, pharmacophoric enrichment and quality assurance of at least 95 percent, with full Rule of Three (Ro3) compliance, meant that all fragments used for the study possessed physicochemical properties that also increased the probability of successful hits.”
Thermo Fisher Scientific and Dr. Myszka are continuing their collaboration as the study now expands to drug development using additional Maybridge Ro3 Fragments.
Source: Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc and DDDMag.com
Posted under Compound Libraries, Compound Screening, Diversity Libraries, Drug Development, Europe, Europe, North America, Press Releases, USA and Canada | Comments Off
Could Starfish Inspire New Cure for Inflammation?
Last Updated on Monday, 13 December 2010 05:25 Written by Editor Monday, 13 December 2010 05:25
Lurking in the seas of Scotland is an unlikely candidate for a medical breakthrough.
But scientists believe the starfish could hold the key to finding a new treatment for inflammatory conditions such as asthma, hay fever and arthritis.
The species they are interested in is the spiny starfish (Marthasterias glacialis), and in particular the slimy goo that covers its body.
The team says that chemicals in this coating could inspire new medicines.
Diver with starfish The spiny starfish can be found on the west coast of Scotland
While most man-made structures that are placed in the water rapidly get caked with a mixture of marine life, starfish manage to keep their surface clear.
Dr Charlie Bavington, from GlycoMar, a marine biotechnology company based at the Scottish Association for Marine Science in Oban, explained: “Starfish live in the sea, and are bathed in a solution of bacteria, larvae, viruses and all sorts of things that are looking for somewhere to live.
“But starfish are better than Teflon: they have a very efficient anti-fouling surface that prevents things from sticking.”
And it is this non-stick property that has grabbed medical scientists’ attention, particularly in the field of inflammation.
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to an injury or infection, but inflammatory conditions are caused when the immune system begins to rage out of control.
White blood cells, which normally flow easily through our blood vessels, begin to build up and stick to the blood vessel wall, and this can cause tissue damage.
The idea is that a treatment based on starfish slime could effectively coat our blood vessels in the same way the goo covers the marine creature, and prevent this problem.
Dr Bavington said: “It is a very similar situation to something sticking to a starfish in the sea.
“These cells have to stick from a flowing medium to a blood vessel wall, so we thought we could learn something from how starfish prevent this so we could find a way to prevent this in humans.”
While many inflammatory conditions can be effectively treated, for example with steroids, these drugs can often cause unwanted side effects.
Continue reading the main story
But scientists at King’s College London (KCL) think starfish could offer a better solution, and they have been analysing the chemicals in the creature’s non-stick slime.
Clive Page, professor of pharmacology at KCL, said: “The starfish have effectively done a lot of the hard work for us.
“Normally when you are trying to find a new drug to go after a particular target in human beings, you have to screen hundreds of molecules to find something that will give you a lead.
“The starfish is effectively providing us with something that is giving is different leads: it has had billions of years in evolution to come up with molecules that do specific things.”
Having identified promising compounds, the team is now working on creating their own versions of them in the laboratory. They want to create a treatment that is inspired by starfish goo rather than one that is made from it.
Professor Page said: “Conceptually we know this is the right approach.
“It’s not going to happen tomorrow afternoon, but we are learning all the time from nature about how to find new medicines.”
While the starfish-based cure might be some years off, the race to explore the oceans for its medical potential is only just beginning.
Spiny starfish Starfish could be one of many marine creatures to inspire new medicines
A sea snail has already formed the basis of a new painkiller, and scientists are starting to look at a whole range of marine life, from sea cucumbers to seaweed.
Dr David Hughes, an ecologist from the Scottish Association for Marine Science, explained: “Some of the most widespread, widely used medicines come from nature.
“Penicillin is a mould that grows on bread, aspirin comes from willow trees, so it’s not too surprising turning to nature to find useful drugs. But we’ve only very recently begun to look to the sea for a useful source of medicines.”
And with the oceans covering nearly three quarters of the Earth’s surface, scientists have likened the deep to an untapped underwater pharmacy.
Dr Hughes told the BBC: “There is such a huge diversity of animals and plants living in the oceans and very few of them have been tested and investigated in any way.
“We know marine animals and plants produce a huge range of compounds, sometimes very different compounds from those produced by animals and plants on land.
“So many might have useful properties that could be brought into medicine and other medicinal applications.”
Source: BBC.com
Posted under Antibiotics, Discoveries, Innovations and Patents, Drug Development, Europe, Europe, New Drugs | Comments Off
Nuevolution Announces Worldwide Technology Cross-Licensing Agreement With GSK
Last Updated on Monday, 24 August 2009 11:11 Written by Editor Monday, 24 August 2009 11:11
COPENHAGEN, Denmark, July 28 /PRNewswire/ — Nuevolution today announced the execution of a worldwide technology cross-licensing agreement with GlaxoSmithKline.
The agreement relates to a number of patented technologies for rapid synthesis and DNA-tagging of hundreds of millions of chemically diverse drug-like small molecule compounds and the efficient screening of these, facilitating the identification of potent drug leads. These technologies were developed by Nuevolution and Praecis Pharmaceuticals, a wholly owned subsidiary of GlaxoSmithKline.
Under the terms of the cross-licensing agreement, GlaxoSmithKline will obtain a non-exclusive license under technology patents of Nuevolution, and Nuevolution will obtain a one time license fee and a non-exclusive license under technology patents of GlaxoSmithKline.
Further details of the agreement are not disclosed.
“By entering into this agreement, both companies are offered an optimal basis for continued development and application of the technologies” said Allen Oliff, SVP Molecular Discovery Research of GSK and Alex Gouliaev, CEO of Nuevolution A/S continued “our innovative technologies allow small molecule hit and lead discovery at an unprecedented scale. This agreement secures both companies the rights to operate these powerful technologies to their fullest extent”.
About Nuevolution
Nuevolution is a leading lead discovery company founded in 2001 and based in Copenhagen, Denmark. The company has developed Chemetics(R), a unique, patent protected hybrid of proven wet chemistry and molecular biology which represents the ultimate fragment based lead discovery technology. Chemetics(R) enables rapid synthesis and DNA-tagging of hundreds of millions of chemically diverse drug-like small molecule compounds and the efficient screening of these, facilitating the identification of potent drug leads at unprecedented quantity, quality and speed compared to existing lead discovery technologies.
Nuevolution partners its technology with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and is also developing an internal pipeline by applying Chemetics(R) to validated cancer and cardiovascular targets. Nuevolution has demonstrated the power of Chemetics(R) by identifying highly potent and drug like novel ligands with the potential to address major unmet medical needs across a range of therapeutic areas and target classes.
Nuevolution is a privately owned company and has raised EUR 37 million in financing from key Scandinavian investors, including SEB Venture, Sunstone Capital, SLS Invest and Novo A/S. For more information about Nuevolution A/S, please visit the company’s website http://www.nuevolution.com
Posted under Business and Investment, Collaborations, Drug Development, Europe, Press Releases, R & D | Comments Off
Horizon Discovery signs screening agreement with SuperGen Inc.
Last Updated on Friday, 21 August 2009 01:04 Written by Editor Friday, 21 August 2009 01:04
Horizon’s X-MAN (Mutant And Normal) cell-line technology provides the first genetically-defined and patient-relevant in vitro models of human cancer. These models are being used by a growing number of Pharma and Biotech companies to rationalize key steps of the ‘targeted’ drug development process, and thus accelerate and economize the burgeoning field of ‘personalised’ medicine.
The agreement covers the screening of a number of lead compounds on a wide panel of human isogenic cell-lines comprising target genotypes of interest to SuperGen. The approach may enable SuperGen to gather information relating to the selectivity and mode-of-action of their compounds using model in-vitro systems.
“Dr Darrin M Disley, Commercial Director and Chairman of Horizon says “working with SuperGen is an exciting development for Horizon. In this expandable agreement, we hope to further prove the potential of our human X-MAN models in a screening environment; thus facilitating a long and productive relationship with SuperGen.â€
SuperGen will pay Horizon undisclosed fees during the term of the agreement. Work between the parties will begin in July 2009.
About Horizon Discovery
Horizon Discovery is a translational genomics company founded in June 2007 and is headquartered at the Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, UK and with additional research laboratories in Torino, Italy. Horizon’s goal is to convert new information on the genetic causes of cancer into laboratory models that will facilitate the discovery of drugs that target these defects. Central to this aim is Horizon Discovery’s offering of X-MAN cell-lines, which represent accurate models of defined cancer patient populations and their matched normal genetic backgrounds – a missing link in the rational and efficient development of novel targeted anti-cancer agents.
Source: Cambridge Network
Posted under Business and Investment, Cancer Research, Compound Screening, Europe, Europe, Events, Industry News, Press Releases, USA and Canada | Comments Off
qPCR – Quantitive Polymerase Chain Reaction & Transcriptional Profiling
Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 May 2009 08:53 Written by admin Wednesday, 27 May 2009 08:53
With increasing applications in research to provide sensitive quantitative measurements of gene expression, including SNP genotyping, mutation detection and quantification, and gene dosage studies, quantitative polymerase chain reaction technology (qPCR) could soon be the standard for determining the genetic changes in response to a pharmacological agent.
Topic Overview
* Biomarkers clinic
* Increasing through-put
* Solid Phase Gene Expression
* Data Management
* Whole Genome Expression Profiling
Why should you attend this event?
With equipment improving all the time to offer high assay throughput and shorter assay times there has never been a better time to review existing technology, and how it can be applied to research & development in your organisation.
Unique in the market place, the inaugural SMi Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) & Transcriptional Profiling conference brings together industry leaders to discuss opportunities, advances in technology and time saving strategies. The agenda is case study led, allowing delegates to benchmark their own research against that of their peers.
The qPCR and Transcriptional Profiling event is exclusively designed for the senior level practitioners from the world’s leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
This exclusive event consists of world-class keynote addresses, panel discussions and case-study sessions on all aspects of qPCR and Transcriptional Profiling, Biostatistics, increasing through-put, microarrays, microRNA expression and an exclusive Biomarkers Clinic!
Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to increase your throughput, decrease costs and time and make your qPCR really work for you. Can your company afford not to attend?
qPCR – Quantitive Polymerase Chain Reaction & Transcriptional Profiling
Posted under Europe, Genetics & Pharmacogenetics, Press Releases | Comments Off
Clinical Trials Forum, 8th & 9th October 2009, Vienna, Austria
Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 May 2009 08:08 Written by admin Wednesday, 27 May 2009 08:08
How successful are you in patient recruitment and retention? When & how to partner with CROs to achieve greater efficiency in clinical trials?
Now it’s time to focus on strategies and innovations for improving patient recruitment and retention. It is the largest cause of study delays. Join us & understand, when to start when optimizing patient recruitment strategies.
Facing a difficult global operating environment, Pharma companies are looking to consistently increase the CRO efficiency and performance. Learn from first hand experience, how to build and benefit from long-term strategic partnerships with CROs. Reveal the new approaches to CRO selection and relationship management. Benchmark how far & how effective are leading Pharma companies in clinical outsourcing.
This Clinical Trials Forum brings you 20 industry experts from leading Pharma & Biotech companies delivering case studies in 2 streams on the best practices & the latest trends in patient recruitment and clinical partnerships.
Posted under Europe, Press Releases | Comments Off
Medical Devices in Europe, 17th & 18th September 2009, Vienna, Austria
Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 May 2009 08:08 Written by admin Wednesday, 27 May 2009 08:05
The European region is composed of a diverse range of markets, all at different stages of development. Many of these markets exhibit fast growth rates, and the region as a whole is expected to grow. The inclusion of new member states into the European Union is opening up markets for medical devices. The member countries adhere to the regulations and rules, increase in standardization and conformity, and funding from the EU resulting in greater capital investments.
Medical devices have become an increasingly important health care area in relation to their impact on health and health care expenditure.
Speakers from leading medical device companies will share their knowledge and experience. Join them in Vienna! You will meet experienced professionals and discuss views on latest challenges and trends for medical devices in Europe.
Medical Devices in Europe, 17th & 18th
Posted under Europe, Press Releases | Comments Off
5th Annual Project & Portfolio Management in the Pharmaceutical Industry September 17-18 2009 Vienna, Austria
Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 May 2009 08:10 Written by admin Wednesday, 27 May 2009 07:51
What is a balanced portfolio today? How do we ensure, that it’s going to be a balanced one tomorrow?
In current highly regulated and limited resources environment, it is crucial to understand, how to build an optimal mix of innovative projects within a portfolio, bring them forward quickly and manage them effectively.
Reveal new approaches and tools for portfolio prioritization and project selection. Learn from first hand experience, how to select the best portfolio, measure and improve project & portfolio performance.
This event will bring together the experts from the pharmaceutical industry to benchmark their best practices in executing effective project & portfolio management.
5th Annual Project & Portfolio Management in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Posted under Europe, Press Releases | Comments Off
3rd International Symposium on Advances in Synthetic and Medicinal Chemistry
Last Updated on Sunday, 10 May 2009 10:19 Written by admin Sunday, 10 May 2009 10:19
Kiev, Ukraine, August 23 – 27, 2009
ASMC09 in Kiev is being prepared by EFMC (European Federation for Medicinal Chemistry) and ChemBridge Corporation, in the series of events which started with ASCMC04 Moscow followed by ASMC07 St. Petersburg.
Prof. Erick Carreira, ETH Zurich, Switzerland and Dr Scott Biller, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, USA, have kindly accepted to be the Chairmen of the Symposium.
The scientific program of the International Symposium on Advances in Synthetic and Medicinal Chemistry will include:
* 28 invited plenary lectures, presented by highly recognized scientists from academia and the pharmaceutical and biotech industry from Europe, USA and former USSR countries.
* 10 short oral communications which will be selected from submitted abstracts
* poster sessions
The scientific program will be complemented by an attractive cultural program in Kiev.
The topics to be covered during this symposium include:
* New Synthetic Methodologies, Total Synthesis of Natural Products and Heterocyclic Chemistry
* Diversity- and Target-Oriented Synthesis and Chemical Biology
* Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Discovery & Development
The program will also include a commercial exhibition and a half-day Business Mini-Symposium “Small Molecule Screening Libraries in Drug Discovery: Experience and Trendsâ€.
The official language of the symposium is English.
http://www.ldorganisation.com
Posted under Compound Libraries, Diversity Libraries, Europe, Europe, Heterocyclic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, Press Releases | Comments Off
Drug Discovery and Selection – 45e RICT – Orleans, France, July 1-3, 2009
Last Updated on Sunday, 10 May 2009 09:34 Written by admin Sunday, 10 May 2009 09:34
The upcoming edition of the RICT, the annual symposium of the Société de Chimie Thérapeutique (SCT), will be held in Orléans (France). This prestigious International Conference on Medicinal Chemistry will be organized by the University of Orléans and the Institute of Organic and Analytical Chemistry (ICOA).
Aim of the Symposium
The major change which has occurred in drug discovery during the two last decades has clearly been the tremendous increase in data availability. Years ago, the medicinal chemist relied on very limited information on his compounds provided mainly by pharmacologists. Today, he is in danger of being overwhelmed by the flood of data generated by High Throughput technologies of all kinds, structural and physico-chemical, in vitro and in vivo pharmacology or pharmacokinetics. Even if computer-aided data management is of great assistance during the multiparameter optimization process that will allow going from a hit to a drug candidate, drug design remains an art. More than ever, the training of a medicinal chemist is based on experience and requires multiple confrontations with trial and error. In this regard, while SAR “structure-activity relations†remain specific for a pharmacological target (or family of targets), SPR “structure-properties relationsâ€, such as solubility, permeability, plasma protein binding, metabolism, toxicophores… are generic and can be extrapolated from one series to another. Thus, sharing experiences on SAR and SPR at a precompetitive stage should eventually decrease attrition rates at both clinical and preclinical levels. It is the goal of these 45th RICT in Orleans which, like the 43rd RICT in Lille in 2007, will have as theme “Drug Discovery and Selectionâ€, with a particular spotlight on imaging, to provide a stimulating forum for these exchanges.
More information
To find out more about the topics of the conference, we kindly invite you to visit the symposium website http://www.LDOrganisation.com
Posted under Europe, Europe, Press Releases | Comments Off
BioFocus DPI to apply TET Technology in high-throughput screening campaigns
Last Updated on Sunday, 26 April 2009 05:10 Written by Editor Sunday, 26 April 2009 05:10
Saffron Walden, UK and Heidelberg, Germany; 24 April 2009 – BioFocus DPI, a leading provider of gene-to-candidate discovery services, and TET Systems Holding, a privately-held, German-based biotech company, announced today that they have entered into an agreement to apply TET System’s inducible gene technology in high-throughput screening campaigns performed for BioFocus DPI customers.
BioFocus DPI will offer TET Technology as part of its drug discovery screening service. Through this technology, the activity of individual genes can be controlled quantitatively and reversibly in cellular assays. This approach is particularly powerful in cases where the target is not well tolerated in the cells, since the protein will not be expressed until required for screening.
“The TET Technology allows us to build on the proven compound screening service that we offer clients. This powerful approach will benefit discovery programs that are hindered by difficult to express targets. Using this technology, we will be able to perform more efficient, extensive compound screening on these problematic targets,†commented Dr. Kate Hilyard, VP Biological Sciences, BioFocus DPI.
“We are very pleased to sign this agreement with BioFocus DPI, one of the leading drug discovery service providers worldwide. TET Technology has been used successfully for many years by most of the major pharmaceutical companies. Through this new partnership with BioFocus DPI, a broader range of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies will gain access to TET System’s gene expression technology,†stated Dr. Ernst Boehnlein, CEO of TET Systems Holding and IP Merchandisers.
Posted under Biotech & Pharma Law, Discoveries, Innovations and Patents, Europe, Events, Industry News, Press Releases | Comments Off
First auto carbohydrate synthesiser
Last Updated on Tuesday, 24 March 2009 12:24 Written by Editor Tuesday, 24 March 2009 12:24
German researchers have unveiled the first fully automated carbohydrate synthesiser, which they hope will advance development of carbohydrate-based vaccines for the developing world.
The new machine was announced at this week’s meeting of the American Chemical Society in Salt lake City, Utah, and could significantly reduce the amount of time it takes for researchers to build complex carbohydrates for vaccine research. Currently, synthesis of multiple carbohydrates for screening causes a bottle neck in efforts to discover new carbohydrate-based vaccines.
‘A chemical synthesis of a single carbohydrate typically takes months to years,’ explains Peter Seeberger from the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam. His team has now revealed a next generation synthesiser, building on an earlier partially automated model announced in 2001, that Seeberger says is ‘entirely reliable, very fast and can be operated by somebody with no experience of chemistry at all’. And when he says fast, he means fast: ‘we have repeated a synthesis of a carbohydrate that initially took two years in the lab in less than 20 hours.’ He also claims to have fixed protection and deprotection issues, major hurdles in carbohydrate synthesis, that plagued the earlier version of the synthesiser.
The concept of the machine is very simple, solid phase chemistry. The starting point is a polystyrene bead with a single sugar attached and ‘we add to that one sugar at a time like threading beads on a necklace,’ explains Seeberger. ‘The bead’s only role is to stop the sugar from being dissolved, and using this methodology we can build up chains between six and 15 sugars. The addition of each sugar takes about two hours, meaning that in 1.5 to two days we can make pure, useable quantities of carbohydrates.’ In a single run they can make 25-50mg of carbohydrate. Seeberger also claims that the sugar building blocks can be made easily in 50-100g bulk quantities.
Carbohydrates surround every cell in humans, bacteria and viruses and play a crucial role in the body’s immune response to disease-causing viruses and bacteria. They have been used for medicinal purposes before, including in some blockbuster vaccines used to inoculate small children against bacterial diseases, such as meningitis, explains Seeberger. The current vaccines are based on isolated carbohydrates – meaning drug companies have to grow bacteria, harvest the carbohydrates, isolate mixtures of compounds and put them into a carrier protein – and Seeberger is looking to simplify this process by using carbohydrates that can be chemically synthesised and therefore help drive down the cost of these vaccines.
The 2001 version of his machine was used to develop a carbohydrate-based vaccine for malaria, scheduled to enter clinical trials in 2010. Malaria kills two million children a year in the developing world, explains Seeberger, and ‘we have a cost target of under $1 per child’. Using their technique the team now have ‘approximately 15 carbohydrates that are entering different phases of development for potential clinical purposes such as tuberculosis.’
The price is pretty attractive too – according to Seeberger the machine itself will cost somewhere in the region of $25,000 (£17,000), approximately one quarter the price of the analogous peptide synthesiser owned by most labs.
Geert Jan Boons, University of Georgia, Athens, US, an expert in carbohydrate synthesis, says that this technology is ‘very sophisticated and has great potential’. Explaining that there is nothing similar available, he says ‘most complex carbohydrates are made in solution, and any solid phase chemistry that is done uses manual approaches – where you add the reagents one by one yourself.’ Seeberger’s fully automated system handles everything, including cooling and warming of each step as required, he adds. Boons does however say that he is not entirely convinced that the chemistry is yet robust enough to make every type of carbohydrate, but adds that Seeberger does claim to have fixed these issues in research he is yet to publish. ‘I think the biggest hurdle will be when he tries to make a bigger molecule,’ he explains, adding that the separation of the desired product from its isomeric compounds is another hurdle that needs to be overcome.
Posted under Biotech & Pharma Law, Discoveries, Innovations and Patents, Europe, Events, Industry News, Press Releases, USA and Canada | Comments Off
Thermo Fisher Scientific Accelerates Drug Discovery Process with New Maybridge Quick2LeadT Compound Kits
Last Updated on Thursday, 19 March 2009 01:17 Written by Editor Thursday, 19 March 2009 01:17
TINTAGEL, England, (17 March 2009) – Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, announced today that it has introduced a novel tool to accelerate hit-to-lead programmes in the drug discovery process. Its Maybridge Quick2Lead™ Compound Kits are designed to save time and money by enabling rapid compound library synthesis around bioactive “hits†emerging from screening assays. The kits are made up of pre-weighed, diverse building block selections, facilitating rapid capture of structure-activity (SAR) data from the closely related structural analogues within the library.
Quick2Lead Compound Kits are available as five functionality-based kits, with each one containing 48 carefully selected compounds. This enables the exploration of a wide area of chemical space to maximise credible SAR data acquisition for the successful conversion of an initial hit into a genuine, optimisable lead. Since these compounds are all pre-weighed, the kits are ready to use by simply adding solvent and transferring straight to a synthesiser.
The five functional groups available include: carboxylic acids, sulfonyl chlorides, amines, anilines and boronic acids. Each of these different functional groups is applicable to a wide range of tried and trusted parallel synthesis methodologies. Furthermore, although each kit taps into the hugely diverse Maybridge collection, they all include compounds from the top levels of the relevant Topliss Tree, thereby ensuring quality and rigour in interaction testing.
Each of the pre-selected compounds is supplied as 0.1mMol in a 5mL vial. This saves time and money at several levels — minimising stock, avoiding disposal and reducing storage footprint. The pre-selection process also avoids the “dead time†that can be experienced whilst waiting for multiple building blocks from internal and external sources. Maybridge Quick2Lead Kits arrive as a complete library, delivered rapidly ex-stock.
“Our aim with the Maybridge product range is to help shorten the discovery process, from screening to scale-up, and the introduction of our Quick2Lead Compound Kits is the latest addition to our broad product portfolio of pharmacophorically relevant compounds and services,†said Dr. Mick Durrant, Director of Business Development for Maybridge products at Thermo Fisher Scientific. “We recognise that identifying, sourcing and weighing building blocks to feed the library production process around an initial hit can be time consuming and expensive. Our new Quick2Lead Kits offer a novel approach to drive these costs down by providing pre-weighed, diverse building block selections which are simply ready-to-go.â€
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BIO-Europe Spring 2009 Presenter and Exhibitor Profiles
Last Updated on Friday, 13 March 2009 01:34 Written by Editor Friday, 13 March 2009 01:34
Company: Addex Pharmaceuticals Ticker Symbol & Exchange: ADXN Media Contact: Chris Maggos Phone:41 22 884 15 11
E-mail: chris.maggos@addexpharma.com Web: www.addexpharma.com Addex Pharmaceuticals discovers and develops allosteric modulators for human health. Allosteric modulators are a different kind of orally available small molecule therapeutic agent, which we believe will offer patients better results than classical drugs. The lead product in our pipeline, ADX10059, has achieved clinical proof of concept and is in Phase IIb testing for the treatment of GERD (e.g. heartburn) and, separately, migraine headache. ADX10059 is a first-in-class mGluR5 inhibitor, a therapeutic strategy that also is being pursued for multiple indications by large pharma competitors. ADX10059 is not yet partnered but we have established drug development deals with Merck & Co., Inc. (2 deals: schizophrenia & Parkinson's) and Ortho McNeil Pharmaceuticals, a J&J company (anxiety/schizophrenia). Roche Ventures and SR One (GlaxoSmithKline's VC investing unit) have invested in Addex. Company: Allon Therapeutics Inc. Ticker Symbol & Exchange: TSX:NPC Media Contact: Aaron Keay, Director, Investor Relations Phone:
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Flavor/Fragrance Ingredients in the Works
Last Updated on Tuesday, 10 March 2009 12:21 Written by Editor Tuesday, 10 March 2009 12:21
DORTMUND, Germany and MILAN—The joint research efforts of InterMed Discovery (IMD) and Axxam SpA have resulted in a technology platform that offers screening solutions and the discovery of natural bioactive compounds valuable to companies in the food, beverages, flavor and fragrance industries.
Based on that success, the companies signed a second joint research agreement that will focus on discovery and validation of flavor/fragrance functional ingredients, which will then be offered to food, beverages, flavor and fragrance companies. The proprietary compounds will have clearly defined activity profiles and naturally derived chemical properties.
“This cooperation is a direct response to what we see as growing market needs,†said Dr. Thomas Henkel, managing director of InterMed Discovery. “Our innovative approach to developing natural functional ingredients together with Axxam caters perfectly to the increasing market demand for turnkey solutions.â€
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Prous Institute Presents Innovative Approach to Drug Discovery
Last Updated on Tuesday, 3 March 2009 03:44 Written by Editor Tuesday, 3 March 2009 03:44
BARCELONA, February 26 /PRNewswire/ — Prous Institute for Biomedical Research today presented its strategies for drug discovery on its newly designed website (http://www.prousresearch.com). A large computational project with basic research support and broad disease coverage is being developed at Prous Institute under the broad-based Epistemic Drug Discovery(R) project.
President and C.E.O. of the Institute, Dr. J.R. Prous, explained that “We are committed to accelerating biomedical knowledge by the synchronization of powerful expert knowledge-based systems and basic research. This next-generation drug R&D force is expected to increase the efficiency and efficacy of core drug R&D processes, facilitating continuous innovation.”
Two main drug discovery programs are being developed at the Institute. One is focused on the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of new small-molecule modulators of autophagy as therapeutic agents for cancer and neurodegeneration (Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s disease). Another program looks at target-driven drug discovery from natural sources, covering type 2 diabetes, psychological stress and asthma. The Institute’s computational tools enable the in silico screening of thousands of natural products in a rapid, reliable and cost-effective manner, as well as the discovery of new targets and new uses for existing drugs.
J.R. Prous commented “our approach is bringing us closer to drug discovery, and the Institute expects to have several compounds in preclinical evaluation by the end of this year (2009).”
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