Science and Enterprise

Month: April 2012

  • Biopharm Lands $25M Venture Funding for Phase 3 Trial

    Argos Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company in Durham, North Carolina, says it secured $25 million in series D venture financing, the fourth funding installment after initial start-up. The funds are expected to support a planned clinical trial of Argos Therapeutics’ immunotherapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma, a form of kidney cancer. The financing was led…

  • New York University to Build Urban Sciences Center

    A Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP) is planned for downtown Brooklyn, New York to conduct research on issues and technology related to the needs of the world’s cities. The new campus, which will include an incubator for spin-off businesses, is a consortium of New York University and its Polytechnic Institute (NYU-Poly), other U.S.…

  • Automated Device Developed for Limb Lengthening Adjustments

    Student engineers at Rice University in Houston have developed a system that automatically adjusts distraction osteogenesis devices used to correct bone deformities that leave children with one limb shorter than the other. The LinDi — short for Linear Distractor — was designed in collaboration with Shriners Hospital for Children in Houston, as a senior-year undergraduate…

  • Immune System Signatures Proposed for Disease Diagnostics

    Researchers at Arizona State University in Tempe have developed a technique for harnessing the body’s immune system to give early indicators of disease. Student Brian Chase, postdoctoral fellow Barten Legutki, and faculty member Stephen Johnston at Arizona State’s Biodesign Institute published their findings in last month’s issue of the journal Clinical and Vaccine Immunology (paid…

  • Microemulsion Shows Promise for Extending Vaccine Shelf Life

    A U.S. Army medical researcher has devised a new process for mixing vaccine ingredients with the potential for extending the shelf life of vaccines. Maj. Jean Muderhwa (pictured left) , a deputy laboratory director at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, presented his findings yesterday at a meeting of the American Society for…

  • AstraZeneca to Acquire Biotech for $1.26 Billion

    The global pharmaceutical maker AstraZeneca says it will acquire Ardea Biosciences Inc., a biotechnology company in San Diego developing small molecule therapies. The deal is valued at $1.26 billion, with AstraZeneca paying $32.00 a share, a 54 percent premium over Ardea’s closing price on Friday 20 April. Ardea’s most advanced drug candidate is lesinurad taken…

  • Computer Model to Predict Hip Fracture Risk

    Researchers at University of Arizona in Tucson are developing a computer model to predict which people are most at risk of a hip fracture. The study, led by engineering professor Samy Missoum and epidemiology and biostatistics professor Zhao Chen (pictured left), is funded by a two year, $357,982 grant from the National Institute of Arthritis…

  • Computer Science Spinoff Develops Energy Footprint Gauge

    A company started by a computer science professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg offers organizations a free software tool to measure their total energy use. MiserWare, also in Blacksburg, was founded by Kirk Cameron (pictured right), a computer science faculty member at Virginia Tech, which offers a free program that can measure an organization’s…

  • Nanoscale Film Coating Strengthens Joint Implants

    Chemical engineers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed an ultra-thin film that can strengthen the bond of knee or hip implants and promote bone growth. The findings are described in a recent issue of the journal Advanced Materials (paid subscription required). Knee and hip replacements are becoming more common, with some 773,000 Americans having…

  • U.S. Venture Deals, Dollars Decline in Q1 2012

    Companies in the U.S. raised less money in fewer venture capital deals during the first three months of 2012 compared to the same period last year, according to data compiled by Dow Jones VentureSource. Some science-based sectors fared better than others during this period, while venture capital (VC) investors generally showed more interest this year…