Industry News
Researchers find new molecule to target in pancreatic cancer treatment
Researchers at Mayo Clinic in Florida have identified a new target to improve treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cancer, which accounts for more than 95% of pancreatic cancer cases. [ + ]
Polyhydroxylated steroids - synthesised in 21 easy steps
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have achieved a feat in synthetic chemistry by inventing a scalable method to make complex natural compounds - polyhydroxylated steroids. These compounds, used in heart-failure medications and other drugs, have been notoriously problematic to synthesise in the laboratory. [ + ]
Sorting stem cells
A team of researchers from Scotland has now demonstrated a way to easily distinguish undifferentiated embryonic stem cells from later-stage stem cells. [ + ]
Planting ideas for medicine
Medical research designed to benefit humans may, in the future, also be carried out on plants, according to Associate Professor Sureshkumar Balasubramanian of the School of Biological Sciences at Monash University. [ + ]
Alchemia pulls plug on Audeo Oncology demerger
Lack of investor interest has caused Alchemia to abandon plans to spin off its cancer business into a separate company, Audeo Oncology. [ + ]
Bionomics’ BNC210 anti-anxiety drug enters phase I
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals has commenced a phase I trial of Bionomics’ (ASX:BNO) anti-anxiety drug, BNC210. [ + ]
National initiative to personalise breast cancer treatment
Researchers are working on a solution for a large number of breast cancer patients who do not respond to chemotherapy, thanks to $5 million in funding. [ + ]
AI computer program develops free downloadable game for Christmas
Researchers at Imperial College London have developed an artificially intelligent (AI) computer program that has itself designed a video game for the Christmas season, which can be downloaded for free. [ + ]
UNSW secures Australia-China joint research centre
The University of New South Wales (UNSW) has secured funding for one of six new Australia-China joint research centres, which aims to meet the challenges facing the minerals, metallurgy and materials industries in both countries. [ + ]
Biotech bites: Sirtex to be listed on S&P/ASX 200
Sirtex Medical (ASX:SRX) will be added to the S&P/ASX 200 after Integra Mining Limited (ASX:IGR) was dropped from the list. [ + ]
Charge detector for ion chromatography receives patent
The University of Texas at Arlington and Thermo Fisher Scientific have been granted a United States patent for a novel charge detector for ion chromatography that they developed together. [ + ]
Invion to submit IND for lupus treatment in 2013
Following a pre-IND meeting with the FDA that set the roadmap for clinical trials for its lupus treatment, Invion (ASX:IVX) will file an IND early next year. [ + ]
A non-invasive method for estimating skin thickness
A non-invasive approach to measuring skin thickness using near infrared light has been published in the latest issue of the Journal of Near Infrared Spectroscopy by Dr Yuta Miyamae, POLA Chemical Industries, Japan, and his colleagues from School of Science and Technology, Kwansei-Gakuin University, Japan. [ + ]
Bionomics progressing with Alzheimer's drug
Bionomics (ASX:BNO) has chosen an Alzheimer's treatment candidate from its alpha-7 programme, and is preparing for both clinical trials and a potential industry partnership. [ + ]
Industry sponsorship leads to bias in reported findings of clinical trials
Studies reporting the results of industry-sponsored clinical trials present a more favourable picture of the effects of drugs and medical devices than those reporting on non-industry-sponsored trials, according to a Cochrane systematic review. [ + ]
