Science and Enterprise

Tag: biotechnology

  • Weill Cornell, Tres Cantos Lab to Research TB Chemistry

    Weill Cornell Medical College in New York will provide a microbiologist to work at Tres Cantos Open Lab, a facility of GlaxoSmithKline in Spain, to identify the ability of chemical compounds to penetrate the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria. Financial aspects of the two-year project, funded by the Tres Cantos Open Lab Foundation, were not disclosed. The…

  • Bioengineered Microbe to Convert, Recycle Biofuel Waste

    Plant biologists at Texas A&M AgriLife Research in College Station are creating a bioengineered microbe to convert the waste from biofuel production into more biofuel. The project led by plant pathologist Joshua Yuan is funded by a $2.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. Yuan and colleagues at AgriLife are developing a genetically…

  • Genetic Tech Company to Acquire Prenatal Test Developer

    Illumina Inc., a developer of genetic diagnostics systems in San Diego, will acquire Verinata Health Inc. in Redwood City, California, a provider of non-invasive prenatal tests for high-risk pregnancies. The deal will pay Verinata Health $350 million, with up to $100 million in additional milestone payments through 2015. Illumnia offers technology for research and diagnostics,…

  • Trial Fails to Show Biogen Idec ALS Drug Efficacy

    Biogen Idec, a biotechnology company in Weston, Massachusetts, reported the clinical trial of a drug to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) did not meet its main objectives. Based on these results, the company decided to stop further development of dexpramipexole, the drug tested in the trial. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a…

  • Sanford-Burnham, Intrexon to Partner on Stem Cell Technology

    Intrexon Corporation in Germantown, Maryland and Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in La Jolla, California will collaborate on research with induced pluripotent stem cells. The deal gives Sanford-Burnham access to Intrexon’s latest stem cell processing technology in exchange for commercial and intellectual property rights to technological advances under the agreement. Financial aspects of the deal were…

  • Clinical Trial Underway for Cancer Stem Cell Therapy

    OncoMed Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biotechnology company in Redwood City, California, began dosing patients enrolled in a clinical trial of its therapy addressing cancer stem cells. The phase 1 trial is testing OMP-52M51, a monoclonal antibody — a type of engineered antibody molecule — designed for patients with hematologic cancers, in this case lymphoid malignancies. Cancer…

  • Biogen Idec, Four Universities Partner on ALS Therapies

    Biogen Idec, a biotechnology company in Weston, Massachusetts, will collaborate with researchers from Yale, Harvard, Columbia, and Rockefeller universities to identify new treatment strategies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The company says it is committing $10 million over three years to the research consortium. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a rapidly progressive…

  • Synthetic Sugars Developer Lands $3.5M Venture Financing

    Proterro Inc. in Ewing, New Jersey, a developer of synthetic sucrose for biofuels and chemicals, secured $3.5 million in new venture financing. The company also says the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a notice of allowance for the genetically engineered bacteria used in its production process. The company combines genetic engineering with chemical…

  • University Biotech Spinoff Secures $38M Venture Funding

    Naurex Inc., a spin-off company from Northwestern University creating neurological and psychiatric drugs, closed a $38 million series B venture round, the second financing cycle after start-up. Financing for the Evanston, Illinois biotechnology company was led by new investor Baxter Ventures, and joined by new investor Savitr Capital, as well as 10 current backers including…

  • New Life Sciences Venture Fund to Invest in Europe, U.S.

    Sofinnova Partners, a venture capital company in Paris, closed its seventh fund focusing on investments in life sciences start-up companies, valued at €240 million ($312 million). Sofinnova Partners is affiliated with Sofinnova Ventures, a life sciences venture capital company in Menlo Park, California. The company says contributors to the Sofinnova Capital VII fund are major…