Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have identified epigenetic changes that contribute to the development of alcohol tolerance. Drinking alcohol changes the expressions of many different genes, most of whom are presumably not specifically related to tolerance. Read More
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., of Tokyo, said the European Medicines Agency has accepted the submission of a marketing authorization application for the potential approval of tolvaptan for the treatment of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Read More
Alkermes plc, of Dublin, said the FDA has scheduled a meeting of the Allergenic Products Advisory Committee on Jan. 28, 2014, to discuss its biologics license application (BLA) for the ragweed sublingual allergy immunotherapy tablet. Read More
One of 2013’s scientific breakthroughs of the year, according to Science, was the human microbiome. “Research on the trillions of bacterial cells that call the human body home made it clear how much these microbes do for us,” the American Association for the Advancement of Science announced, adding that “‘Personalized’ medicine will need to take these microbial tenants into account in order to be effective.” Read More
As a biotech business development executive turned best-selling author, Doug Richards has been compared to Michael Crichton for penning novels that straddle the line between suspense and science fiction with a biomedical twist. Read More
LONDON – Johnson & Johnson has ratcheted the pharma’s quest for innovation up yet another notch, establishing a network of five partnering offices at life sciences clusters across the UK to work with the London center it set up earlier this year to scout for technology across Europe. Read More
Back in 2006, a company named Synovex Corp. was launched around discoveries by scientists Michael Brenner and David Lee into the role of Cadherin-11 as an adhesive control part of cell-cell interaction. And for several years, the fully virtual discovery firm operated under the radar until a lead clinical asset emerged: an antibody designed to inhibit Cad-11 designated SDP051. Read More
In the world of biopharmaceuticals, there’s no such thing as a boring year. Yet even by those standards, 2013 may be a standout, as the sector saw explosive growth on the capital markets, witnessed burgeoning scientific advances reach maturation and encountered new regulatory challenges that will set the stage in the years to come. Read More