Tag: biotechnology
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Juno, Celgene Partner in $1 Billion Immunotherapy Deal
30 June 2015. Biotechnology company Juno Therapeutics Inc. and biopharmaceutical developer Celgene Corp. are collaborating on therapies that harness the immune system to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases over the next 10 years. The agreement is expected to bring Juno nearly $1 billion from Celgene in upfront payments and stock purchases. Juno Therapeutics, headquartered in…
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Rare Disease Therapy Company Raises $60 Million in IPO
26 June 2015. Catabasis Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biotechnology company creating treatments for rare diseases and cholesterol-related disorders, is raising $60 million in its initial public stock offering, trading on the Nasdaq exchange under the symbol CATB. The Cambridge, Massachusetts enterprise yesterday priced its 5 million shares at $12.00, and as of 4:00 pm today is…
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Trial Begins Testing Sickle Cell Blood Therapy
23 June 2015. A clinical trial began enrolling participants testing a synthesized therapy for sickle cell disease to improve the flow of blood cells blocked by the condition and relieve the intense pain that results. The late-stage trial is being conducted by drug maker Pfizer Inc., with biotechnology company GlycoMimetics Inc. in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Sickle…
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Institute Developing Engineered Bacteria for Gut Diseases
17 June 2015. Engineers and medical researchers at Harvard University are designing genetically engineered bacteria that can diagnose and treat gastrointestinal disorders affecting travelers, as well as people suffering from acute or chronic gut diseases. The team from Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard developing the engineered microbes is funded by a $4.7…
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Report Evaluates Industry-Academic Biotech Partner Roles
16 June 2015. A report released today by Biotechnology Industry Organization, or Bio, indicates academic research labs are playing an increasingly key role in research and development of new therapies, but it also highlights areas where partnerships between academia and industry are still evolving. Bio released the report, Advancing Translational Research for Biomedical Innovation: Measuring…
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Patent Awarded for Early, Pre-Symptom Cancer Tests
16 June 2015. Three researchers at Kansas State University in Manhattan received a patent for an early-stage test that the inventors say can diagnose some solid tumor cancers well before symptoms develop. Kansas State chemistry professor Stefan Bossmann and anatomy-physiology professor Deryl Troyer, with postdoctoral fellow Matthew Basel, received U.S. patent number 8,969,027 in March…
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Trial Underway Testing Immunotherapy for Gout
10 June 2015. An early-stage clinical trial is recruiting patients to test the safety of a treatment for severe gout that harnesses the immune system, but still avoids unwanted immune responses. The trial is conducted by the biotechnology company Selecta Biosciences at two sites in the U.S.: Altoona, Pennsylvania and Dallas, Texas. Gout is a…
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Grant Funds Exosome Cancer Research, Optioned to Spin-Off
9 June 2015. A new $1.7 million grant from National Cancer Institute is funding research at University of New Mexico on harnessing exosomes as potential cancer therapies, with a spin-off company already optioning the technology for commercial development. The alliance between the university and spin-off company, Exovita Biosciences, includes an agreement between the university and…
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Biotech Adds Antibiotic Program, Raises $30 Million
8 June 2015. Spero Therapeutics, a developer of antibiotics, is adding a new class of anti-infection drugs to its pipeline, and raised another $30 million to its first venture funding round. The Cambridge, Massachusetts biotechnology company, a spin-off from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, was founded in April 2014 to develop therapies addressing the growing…
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Gene Editing Modifies Tree Genomes to Reduce Lignin
5 June 2015. Plant scientists at University of Georgia used an emerging technique for gene editing to modify the genomes of poplars and related trees to make those varieties better suited for biofuels. The team from the lab of plant biologist Chung-Jui Tsai in Athens published its findings in a recent letter to the journal…