Biotechnology news

• Nominations Now Open for the BIO George Washington Carver Award for Innovation in Industrial Biotechnology!

  23-02-2017 21:05
  
  The ninth annual George Washington Carver Award will recognize an individual who has made a significant contribution to building the biobased economy by applying industrial biotechnology to create sustainable and environmentally sustainable products. BIO has officially begun accepting nominations for the Award!
  George Washington Carver is an icon of American ingenuity. A botanist and inventor, Carver’s research and promotion of alternative crops, such as peanuts, showed farm
  
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• ICYMI: How Other Countries Freeload on U.S. Drug Research -WSJ

  23-02-2017 16:31
  
  Writing for the Wall Street Journal this week, former FDA Associate Commissioner Peter Pitts has a timely reminder on why allowing the importation of overseas drugs in an effort to save money – despite being proposed for decades– remains a bad idea that would produce scant savings while hampering continued innovation and investment.  Regarding the supposed savings of such a policy, Pitts writes:
  The prospect of huge savings through drug importation is enticing but fanciful. The
  
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• CRISPR Turbocharges CAR T Cells, Boosts Cancer Immunotherapy

  23-02-2017 16:20
  When T cells are modified to fight cancer more effectively, cellular mechanics don’t pick up a socket wrench. Instead, they take hold of retroviral or lentiviral technology, which is used to install genes for synthetic T-cell receptors. Such technology, however, doesn’t always place genes in just the right place. Enter Mr. GoodCRISPR. This mechanic uses CRISPR gene-editing technology, which is more precise.CRISPR can be used to install genes, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) g
  
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• Targeting MicroRNAs to Control Spread of Mosquito Viruses

  23-02-2017 16:05
  Mosquitoes are considered to be the deadliest animal on the planet, as the viral and parasitic infections they carry and spread have inflicted a tremendous burden on human morbidity and mortality. While many of these mosquito-borne infections have very diverse pathologies, they share a commonality in the mosquitoes themselves. For instance, the Aedes aegypti species can spread dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika fever, and yellow fever virus. However, since only female mosquitoes bite, requiring a b
  
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• Incyte Partners with Penn on Cancer Immunotherapy Research

  23-02-2017 15:33
  Incyte said today it will partner with the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania on research into cancer biology and immunotherapy.Through the collaboration, whose value was not disclosed, Penn investigators will study novel therapeutics being discovered at Incyte, with the goal of better understanding their mechanisms of action and developing clinical rationales for combination therapy and patient selection.Incyte said it will also partner with Penn to develop a bioinformatic
  
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• Cyclacel Phase III Sapacitabine AML Study Fails to Meet Primary Endpoint

  23-02-2017 14:09
  A Phase III trial evaluating Cyclacel’s lead anticancer candidate sapacitabine (CYC682) against acute myeloid leukemia (AML) missed its primary endpoint of increasing overall survival (OS). The firm said that while it will re-evaluate its investment in developing sapacitabine against blood cancers, it hasn’t yet written off the drug completely.“We plan to discuss the data with European and US regulatory authorities once subgroup analyses are completed over the next few months a
  
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• Genetic Mutation in Synaptic Receptors Found Linked to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

  23-02-2017 14:08
  Researchers at Northwestern Medicine report that they have found evidence suggesting how neural dysfunction in a certain region of the brain can lead to obsessive and repetitive behaviors much like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The corticostriatal connection in the brain regulates habitual and repetitive actions in both humans and mice. This new study found certain synaptic receptors are important for the development of this brain circuit. If these receptors are eliminated in mice, t
  
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• Novasep Opens Commercial-Scale Bioconjugation Plant for ADCs

  23-02-2017 11:37
  Novasep opened a new, €11 million (approximatley $11.6 million) bioconjugation facility for antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) at its Le Mans site in France.  The 2,000 m 2 purpose-built facility comprises two GMP production suites for clinical- and commercial-scale production of ADCs, and offers R&D services, together with QC and scale-up laboratories. Novasep already has manufacturing platforms for producing the ADC payloads, linkers and monoclonal antibodies.“We designed the
  
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• Novasep Opens Commercial-Scale Bioconjucation Plant for ADCs

  23-02-2017 11:37
  Novasep opened a new, €11 million (approximatley $11.6 million) bioconjugation facility for antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) at its Le Mans site in France.  The 2,000 m 2 purpose-built facility comprises two GMP production suites for clinical- and commercial-scale production of ADCs, and offers R&D services, together with QC and scale-up laboratories. Novasep already has manufacturing platforms for producing the ADC payloads, linkers and monoclonal antibodies.“We designed the
  
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