Month: November 2010
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Engineered Bacteria Process Converts Bio-Wastes to Plastics
A Ph.D. candidate at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands has discovered a process for engineering bacteria to more efficiently convert agricultural wastes into industrial-quality plastics. Jean-Paul Meijnen presented the findings in his dissertation, which he defends at TU Delft on Monday 22 November. Lignocellulose, the complex combination of lignin and cellulose…
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FDA Approves Drug for Cancer-Related Bone Deterioration
Amgen Inc., a biotechnology company in Thousand Oaks, California, said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its drug XGEVA (denosumab), for the prevention of skeletal-related events in patients with bone cancers from solid tumors. The company says FDA approved XGEVA following a 6 month priority review by the FDA, a process reserved…
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Life Sciences Venture Network Launches in New York
The New York Academy of Sciences plans to kick off the Life Science Angel Network (LSAN) at the academy’s lower Manhattan headquarters on Thursday 18 November. The new investment network is expected to connect scientists and entrepreneurs with funding to support commercialization of discoveries in biotechnology, medical devices, and health care informatics. The academy says…
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Late Stage Trial Shows Parkinson’s Drug Efficacy
Biotechnology company Impax Laboratories Inc. in Hayward, California says that a Phase 3 clinical trial of its drug IPX066 shows it is effective in patients with early Parkinson’s disease (PD), with side effects similar to related PD drugs in use. A Phase 3 trial studies a drug or treatment given to large groups of people…
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Genzyme Sells Diagnostics Business to Sekisui Chemical
Genzyme Corporation, a biotechnology company in Cambridge, Massachusetts said today that it has an agreement with Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd., which will acquire Genzyme’s diagnostic products business for $265 million in cash. Sekisui Chemical is a manufacturer of plastic materials for automotive and medical products, as well as PVC pipe systems and fabricated housing headquartered…
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New Process Breeds Resistance to Potato, Tomato Blight
Researchers have discovered a process that offers an alternative to combating resistance to late blight, a disease of potatoes and tomatoes costing the industry £5 to £6 billion ($8.0 to $9.6 billion) a year worldwide. Late blight of potatoes and tomatoes is caused by the fungus-like pathogen Phytophthora infestans (P. infestans), and was responsible for…
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Rare Earths in the U.S.: More Than You Think
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), an agency of the Department of the Interior, says rare earth elements in the U.S. are not all that rare. Rare earths are 16 metallic elements with similar properties that are used in the manufacture of many of high-technology applications, such as high-strength magnets, metal alloys for batteries and light-weight…
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Trial Shows Catheter-Based Therapy Reduces Hypertension
Data from a clinical trial of a hypertension therapy using a catheter indicates the device significantly reduced the treated patients’ blood pressure compared to a control group. Results of the HTN-2 trial of the Symplicity system made by Ardian Inc. of Mountain View, California were reported at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2010 and…
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University Spins Off Biomarker Targeting Company
The University of Liège in Belgium announced the first spin-off company, called Targetome, from GIGA, the university’s applied geno-proteomics center. The company is led by Vincent Castronovo (pictured left), a university faculty member on whose research the company is based. The company is developing a new technique to identify biomarkers which are over-expressed in certain…
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Univ. Researchers Develop Dry Powder HPV Vaccine
A new targeted, inhalable dry-powder human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, according to its developers, can help overcome resistance from needle avoidance and offer better logistics than the current commercial HPV vaccine used worldwide. HPV is the number one cause of cervical cancer, which is the second most common cancer in women around the globe. According to…