Month: July 2013
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Early Trial Results Show Venous Leg Ulcer Drug Efficacy
The biotechnology company Pergamum AB in Solna, Sweden reports an early-stage clinical trial shows its drug to treat venous leg ulcers improved healing among patients taking the drug compared to a placebo. The trial also showed the drug, code-named LL-37, was well-tolerated at lower doses. Venous leg ulcers are shallow wounds appearing on the skin…
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Going Fourth
It’s Independence Day in the U.S., so Science Business will take a holiday today. We’ll be back tomorrow. For those in the U.S., enjoy your holiday. * * *
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Biotech, Cancer Center Partner on Tumor-Targeting Peptides
Blaze Bioscience, a biotechnology company in Seattle, is partnering with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, also in Seattle, to develop and commercialize drug candidates based on engineered peptides that better target tumor cells than conventional cancer drugs. Financial amounts in the agreement were not disclosed. The Hutchinson Center is conducting research on optides —…
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FDA Giving Roche Leukemia Antibody Priority Review
An engineered antibody to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia developed by the pharmaceutical company Roche is receiving priority review from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which sets a goal of six months to complete its evaluation. The therapy is obinutuzumab, code-named GA101, which in May, FDA designated as a “breakthrough” that expedites the review process…
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University, 23andMe Identify Genetic Allergy Associations
Two large-scale population studies associating allergies to genomics discovered 16 genetic regions associated with common allergies, including pollen, cats, and dust mites. The findings from the studies that combined databases collected by the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children at Bristol University in the U.K. and the personal genetics company 23andMe in Mountain View,…
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Arthritis Drug Shown to Reduce Glucose in Type 2 Diabetes
Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center, affiliated with Harvard Medical School in Boston, found the arthritis drug salsalate helps lower blood glucose levels and improves control of blood sugar among people with type 2 diabetes. Results of the clinical trial, which included researchers from several other universities and hospitals, appear in today’s issue of the journal…
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Research Funded for DNA Vaccine to Create Nicotine Immunity
Researchers at Arizona State University in Tempe are investigating the ability of human DNA, assembled into nanoscale particles, to help people develop an immunity to nicotine. The project is funded by a three-year $3.3 million grant from National Institute of Drug Abuse, part of National Institutes of Health, and led by Arizona State immunologist Yung…
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Blood Stem Cell Transplants Tested as Sickle Cell Therapy
Researchers at University of California in Los Angeles, University of Southern California, and hospitals in California tested a technique that harnesses a patient’s own blood-producing stem cells as a potential treatment for sickle cell disease. The team led by UCLA’s Donald Kohn published its findings today online in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, under a…
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Alternative Solar Cell Developer Adds $10M Venture Funding
Scifiniti, a developer of silicon-based solar materials in San Jose, California secured $10 million in series B venture financing, the second round of funding after initial start-up. Current investors Alloy Ventures, Firelake Capital, I2BF Global Ventures, and Peninsula Ventures took part in the round. The company’s first product is SmartWafer, an alternative photovoltaic solar cell…