Archive for the ‘Europe’ Category
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 | No Comments
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 | No Comments
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 | No Comments
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 | No Comments
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 | No Comments
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 | No Comments
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
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 | No Comments
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.
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.
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€
Posted under Discoveries, Innovations and Patents, Drug Development, Europe, Events, Industry News, Press Releases | No Comments
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:
Posted under Collaborations, Europe, Events, Industry News, Press Releases, USA and Canada | No Comments
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€
Posted under Europe, Europe, Events, New Products, North America, Press Releases, Research Projects, USA and Canada | No Comments
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).”
Posted under Drug Development, Europe, Europe, Events, News by Region, News by Subject, North America, Press Releases | No Comments
European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Signs Agreement to License Themis and Surflex-Dock Technologies from Tripos
Last Updated on Wednesday, 18 February 2009 04:13 Written by Editor Wednesday, 18 February 2009 04:13
ST. LOUIS, Mo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Triposâ„¢, a leading provider of drug discovery informatics products and services, today announced an agreement with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Europe’s leading research institution for molecular biology, to license Tripos’ Themisâ„¢ and Surflex-Dockâ„¢ software to support their efforts in Chemical Biology. According to Dr. Joe Lewis, Head of the Chemical Biology Core Facility, a collaboration between EMBL, the DKFZ [German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg] and the University of Heidelberg to provide the infrastructure and expertise to enable small molecule development to research groups at these institutions. “Anytime we can reduce the amount of time it takes to advance our drug discovery efforts, we are very pleased. Tripos’ Surflex-Dock, and new Themis product have enabled us to do exactly that.â€
In a benchmark study at EMBL, Surflex-Dock was installed on EMBL’s Linux Grid of 1,400 CPUs. Five million structures of EMBL’s virtual database of commercially available compounds were then docked into a binding site of a project’s receptor structure. The computation was completed in about two days and yielded a promising pool of candidates for experimental testing.
“Virtual screening has become a key technique in Chemical Biology to identify small molecules as tool compounds to help address biological questions. Our testing of Surflex-Dock’s capabilities in this area convinced us that its high speed and accuracy will enable us to quickly find the most promising compounds,†said Dr. Lewis.
Dr. Lewis added, “In first experiments performed at EMBL, Tripos’ Themis already provided interesting new chemical ideas contributing to new drug discovery projects, so in parallel, the Themis technology will enable us to search vast chemical fragment space, as composed and implemented into the Themis database by our medicinal chemists.â€
“The decision by the European Molecular Biology Laboratory to select our new Themis technology together with Surflex-Dock is very significant,†said Jim Hopkins, Tripos’ Chief Executive Officer. He added, “The vigorous EMBL study demonstrated that the powerful combination of these two Tripos offerings can effectively enhance the success of discovery efforts.â€
International Symposium Stem Cell Transplantation in Multiple Sclerosis: Sharing the Experience in Moscow, Russia on the 5th of October, 2009
Last Updated on Friday, 23 January 2009 11:35 Written by admin Friday, 23 January 2009 11:34
The Symposium is focused on the new modality of multiple sclerosis treatment– immunosuppressive therapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation. Centers in Europe, North and South America, Russia, China, Israel and Australia have successfully performed this procedure, and, to date, more than 600 stem cell transplantations in multiple sclerosis have been performed worldwide.
Along with promising results there are a number of unclear and challenging issues that are worth studying.
The Symposium intends to share the newly acquired knowledge in the field, to discuss the challenges and perspectives of the method, and to develop collaborative projects. The topics to be covered within the symposium include:
- Regimens of conditioning: Immunoablation or immunosupression?
- Types of transplantation: autologous or allogenic?
- Posttransplant immunological reconstitution
- Side effects
- Outcome measures: clinical, imaging, patient-reported outcomes
- Posttransplant neurorehabilitation
- Long-term follow-up results
- Proposal for cooperative studies
We invite the submission of abstracts on the above aspects of stem cell transplantation in multiple sclerosis. All abstracts will be reviewed by an international committee and a number of abstracts will be selected for oral presentation within the Symposium.
Posted under Cell Analysis, Europe, Europe, Press Releases, Stem Cell Research | No Comments
International symposium “Stem Cell Transplantation in Multiple Sclerosis, October 5th, 2009 Moscow, Russia
Last Updated on Friday, 23 January 2009 11:42 Written by admin Tuesday, 13 January 2009 06:19
International symposium “Stem Cell Transplantation in Multiple Sclerosis: Sharing the Experience” will be held on October 5th, 2009 in Moscow, Russia. Symposuim Organizers are Pirogov National Medical Surgical Center, National Center for Research and Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases, Russian Cooperative Group for Cellular Therapy, New Jersey Center for Quality of Life and Health Outcomes Research.
The symposium will be the first special meeting fully meant to discuss the state-of-the-art and perspectives of the new and quite promising method of multiple sclerosis treatment – high dose immunosuppressive therapy + autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. It intends to share the newly acquired knowledge in the field, to discuss challenges and perspectives of the method, and to develop collaborative projects. The topics to be covered within the symposium include:
“Â Â Â Regimens of conditioning: Immunoablation or immunosupression?
“Â Â Â Types of transplantation: autologous or allogenic?
“Â Â Â Posttransplant immunological reconstitution
“Â Â Â Side effects
“Â Â Â Outcome measures: clinical, imaging, patient-reported outcomes
“Â Â Â Posttransplant neurorehabilitation
“Â Â Â Long-term follow-up results
“Â Â Â Proposals for cooperative studies
Neurologists, immunologists, transplantologists, hematolosits, specialists in stem cell research are invited to participate in the Symposium.
Key dates:
1 March 2009 -Â Â Deadline for abstract submission
1 April 2009Â Â -Â Â Deadline for early registration
Symposium Organizers Contact Information:
Tel: +7 495 463 4923 or +7 962 710 17 11
Web-site: http://www.stemcellms.ru
Posted under Clinical Trials, Europe, Europe, Medicinal Chemistry, North America, Press Releases | No Comments
Trends in Drug Research 27th Noordwijkerhout-Camerino-Cyprus Conference Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands, May 3 – 8, 2009
Last Updated on Thursday, 27 November 2008 10:24 Written by admin Thursday, 27 November 2008 10:24
The Symposium is sponsored by the European Federation of Medicinal Chemistry (EFMC).
The Organising and Scientific Committees cordially invite you to attend the 27 edition of this meeting on Trends in Drug Research. The interplay between molecular structure and biological activity is central to contemporary biomedical and translational research, relevant not only to structural biologists but also to diverse scientists involved in the study of bioactive compounds and signalling mediators and those working in drug discovery and development.
The scientific programme will include plenary lectures, oral communications and poster sessions. Registration will open on Sunday May 3, followed by an inaugural evening lecture and a welcome gathering.
The scientific programme ends on Thursday May 7 and the meeting will be concluded by the symposium dinner on Thursday evening. On Friday after the conference, a complimentary workshop “Virtual Screening and De Novo Design” is offered by BioSolveIT.
REGISTRATION Information and the complete SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME is available on the SYMPOSIUM’S WEBSITE: WWW.NOORDWIJKERHOUTMEDCHEM.ORG
PROGRAMME
Opening keynote lecture
Chairman Prof. Henk TIMMERMAN (VU UNIVERSITY AMSTERDAM, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
Chemistry’s Role In Target Identification And Validation Dr. Scott A. BILLER (NOVARTIS, Cambridge, United States)
KINASE INHIBITORS: TARGETING THE NON-ATP SITE
Chairman: Dr. Edmond DIFFERDING (UCB, Braine-l’Alleud, Belgium)
Discovery And Development of Selective, Orally Bioavailable Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors For Targeted Treatment Of Human Cancers Prof. Stephen K. BURLEY (SGX PHARMACEUTICALS, SAN DIEGO, United States)
Non-Competitive Inhibitors of MEK1: from Discovery to the Clinic Dr. Jeffrey OHREN (PFIZER, GROTON, United States)
Allosteric Inhibition of Kinase Function Philip E. SANDERSON (MERCK, Rahway, United States)
CHEMICAL AND ENZYMATIC MODIFICATION OF THERAPEUTIC PEPTIDES AND PROTEINS TO IMPROVE THEIR MODE OF ACTION
Chairman: Dr. Stan VAN BOECKEL (ORGANON, Oss, The Netherlands)
Title to be announced
Dr. Jesper LAU (NOVO NORDISK, Maaloev, Denmark)
Sugars and Proteins
Prof. Ben DAVIS (OXFORD UNIVERSITY, Oxford, United Kingdom)
CarboCarrier(TM): a Novel Technology to Extend the Half-life of Small Proteins and Peptides Martin DE KORT (ORGANON, Oss, The Netherlands)
PROMISES IN GPCR DRUG DISCOVERY
Chairman: Prof. ROB LEURS (LEIDEN/AMSTERDAM CENTER FOR DRUG RESEARCH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
Structural Genomics of GPCRs; New Opportunities for Drug Discovery Chris TATE (MRC LABORATORY OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, Cambridge , Belgium)
GPCR Hetero-Dimerisation: Contribution to Receptor Pharmacology and Function Prof. Graeme MILLIGAN (UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW, Glasgow, United Kingdom)
Dicovery & Development of Allosteric Modulators: Hopes and Promises Dr Emmanuel LE POUL (ADDEX PHARMA, Plan les Ouates, Switzerland)
TRANSPORTERS
Chairman: Prof. Gerhard ECKER (UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA, Vienna, Austria)
Predicting Substrate Properties for ABC-Transporter – Safety Sciences on the Molecular Level Prof. Gerhard ECKER (UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA, Vienna, Austria)
Drug Transport and Metabolism: Value of Knockout and Transgenic Mouse Models Dr. Alfred SCHINKEL (HET NEDERLANDS KANKER INSTITUUT , Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
Title to be announced
Prof. Robert FORD (THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER, Manchester, United Kingdom)
OFF-TARGET EFFECTS
Chairman: Prof. Hugo KUBINYI (Weisenheim am Sand, Germany)
GPCR Antitargets – Prediction and Prevention of Side Effects Dr. Thomas KLABUNDE (SANOFI-AVENTIS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH, Frankfurt am Main, Germany)
Understanding Ion Channels Using Computational Approaches Dr. Marcel J. DE GROOT (PFIZER, Sandwich, United Kingdom)
The QSARome of the Receptorome: Development of Robust QSAR Models Capable of Predicting Compound Binding Profiles against Multiple Targets Prof. Alexander TROPSHA (UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL, Chapel Hill, United States)
FRAGMENT BASED DRUG DISCOVERY
Chairman: Dr. Iwan DE ESCH (VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT AMSTERDAM, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
Experiences in Fragment-based Lead Discovery Prof. Roderick E. HUBBARD (UNIVERSITY OF YORK, York, United Kingdom)
SPR Biosensor-Based Fragment Screening and Lead Characterization Prof. U. Helena DANIELSON (UPPSALA UNIVERSITY, Uppsala, Sweden)
Novel-Generation Kinase Inhibitors: Deep Pocket Binders by Fragment- Based Design Dr. Gerhard MÃœLLER (CSO PROTEROS FRAGMENTS GMBH, Munich/Martinsried, Germany)
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUG DISCOVERY
Chairman: Robin THURMOND (JOHNSON & JOHNSON, San Diego, United States)
Histamine H4 Antagonists as Future Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Robin THURMOND (JOHNSON & JOHNSON, San Diego, United States)
JAK3 Kinase: a Molecular Target for Treatment of Inflammatory Diseases and Renal Transplant Rejection Dr. Paul S. CHANGELIAN (CHANGELIAN BIOSCIENCE, LLC, , United States)
Molecular Mechanim of Action for Chemokine and Other Anti-inflammatory Agents on 7TM Receptors Dr. Thue W. SCHWARTZ (UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN, Copenhagen, Denmark)
Complimentary Workshop on Friday: “Virtual Screening and De Novo Design” offered by BioSolveIT Late Departure – the transportation will be provided by the organisers.
http://www.LDOrganisation.com
Posted under ADMET Studies, Drug Development, Europe, Europe, Press Releases, Targeted Libraries | No Comments
Vienna to Host BIO-Europe 2009
Last Updated on Friday, 21 November 2008 09:23 Written by admin Friday, 21 November 2008 08:20
Zurich, Switzerland; Carlsbad, USA; Vienna, Austria, November 20, 2008 – At the closing of BIO-Europe 2008 in Mannheim/Heidelberg which saw 2400 life science executives engage in an astounding 10,250 one-to-one meetings, EBD Group today announced that next year’s BIO-Europe partnering conference will pay a visit to Vienna, Austria. The 15th annual edition of BIO-Europe, the world’s largest stand-alone partnering event will gather leaders of the life science industry at the Wiener Messe on Nov. 2–4, 2009 to take dealmaking to a new level. This represents the first time in the conference’s 14 year history that it will venture outside of Germany, and is testimony to the recognition of the Vienna region’s emergence as a robust cluster of biotech innovation.
Joining LISA VR in welcoming BIO-Europe 2009 will be the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Labor, the City of Vienna, the Austrian Business Agency and the Center for Innovation and Technology. In the recent years over 140 life science companies have been established in Vienna.
“The biotechnology scene in our region already employs nearly 10,000 people many of whom specialize in red biotechnology. Five life science universities, outstanding research institutions such as IMP and IMBA, international corporations with headquarters in Vienna for the Eastern and South Eastern European markets and numerous dynamic start-up companies have combined to make the industry a showpiece for Austrian technology policy,” said Michaela Fritz and Eva Czernohorszky, Managing Directors of LISA VR.
Latest news from the Viennese emerging start-up scene offer proof of the dynamism of this young life science location. For example, Affiris recently secured EUR 430 million from GlaxoSmithKline for the rights to its Alzheimer’s vaccines currently under development, emerging company Intercell is close to market with its Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine, and Fibrex is a company worth monitoring after its positive Phase II results for FX06, a fibrin derived peptide for the treatment of reperfusion injury in myocardial infarction.
Vienna is home to the Research Institute for Molecular Pathology, the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, the Austrian Center of Biopharmaceutical Technology, the Austrian Breast and Colorectal Cancer Study Group and the Gregor Mendel Institute for Molecular Plant Biology.
The University of Vienna, the Medical University of Vienna, the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, the University of Veterinary Medicine and the Vienna University of Technology represent five of the universities with a focus on life sciences located in the capital.
Global life science players in Vienna include Baxter BioScience, Boehringer Ingelheim Austria, Eli Lilly’s Vienna School for Clinical Research, Sanochemia and Octapharma.
About EBD Group
EBD Group is the leading partnering firm for the global life science industry. Since 1993, biotech, pharma and medical device companies have leveraged EBD Group’s partnering conferences, technology and services to identify business opportunities and develop strategic relationships essential to their success.
EBD Group’s conferences are run with the support of leading corporations and international trade associations and include:
•    BIO-Europe and BIO-Europe Spring(R), the world’s largest stand-alone life science partnering conferences, supported by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)
•    BioPharm America(TM), EBD Group’s North American partnering event
•    EuroMedtech(TM), EBD Group’s new partnering event for the innovative medical technology industry
•    BioEquity Europe, the investor conference co-organized with BioCentury Publications and BIO
EBD Group’s sophisticated Web-based partnering service, partneringONE(TM), is used as the partnering engine at numerous third-party events around the world. Outside of the conference format, EBD Group’s consultants provide hands-on assistance for firms seeking to in- or out-license products and technologies.
EBD Group has offices in the USA and Europe.
For more information please visit www.ebdgroup.com
About BIO
BIO represents more than 1,200 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world.
Posted under Europe, Europe, Press Releases | No Comments
7th International Bird Flu Summit November 13 – 14, 2008 Monte Carlo Resort
Last Updated on Thursday, 13 November 2008 03:19 Written by admin Thursday, 13 November 2008 03:19
At the summit, attendees will be able to draw on first-hand best practices to create the solid business continuity plans that their companies and organizations need in order to prepare for, respond to, and survive a pandemic.
The summit draws on the success of the six previous summits which featured as speakers several distinguished personalities such as Dr. David Nabarro, the United Nations Coordinator for Avian and Human Influenza, Alex Thiermann of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and Dr. Wenqing Zhang of the WHO Epidemic and Pandemic Alert and Response.
Well-known emergency responders, heads of hospitals from around the world, and poultry industry leaders also spoke in previous summits. Included in this list are Adolfo GarcÃa-Sastre of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, John Thompson of the National Sheriffs Association, Prof. Oleg I. Kiselev of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Anna Thorson of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute and Dr. Bruce Stewart-Brown, Vice President of Food Safety and Quality for Perdue Farms.
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 Preparing Communities Strategies; Local Partnership and Participation |
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 Delivery of Vaccine and Antiviral Medication |
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  National Pandemic Influenza Medical Countermeasure |
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  Socio Economic Impact on Poultry Industry |
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  Benefit-risk Assessment: Public Health, Industry and Regulatory Perspectives |
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  Prevention Education Efforts and Risk Communication |
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  Command, Control and Management |
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  Emergency Response Management |
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Posted under Bird Flu Research, Europe, Press Releases | No Comments