Science and Enterprise

Tag: biotechnology

  • Alectos Therapeutics, Merck Collaborate on Alzheimer’s Drug

    Alectos Therapeutics Inc. in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada will collaborate with global pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. to identify and develop compounds that modulate O-linked N-acetylglucosaminidase (O-GlcNAcase) an enzyme believed to be involved in the development of Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders. The agreement provides Merck with a worldwide, exclusive license to research, develop, and…

  • Biotech Company Awarded Grant for Melanoma Immunotherapy

    Lentigen Corporation, a biotechnology company in Gaithersburg, Maryland has received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to advance an immunotherapy for melanoma invented by Michael Nishimura, Professor of Surgery, at the Medical University of South Carolina.  In this program, Lentigen will collaborate with Nishimura. Melanoma is the most dangerous…

  • Patent Issued for Nucleic Acid Extraction Technology

    Akonni Biosystems in Frederick, Maryland, received a U.S. patent for its “Apparatus, system, and method for purifying nucleic acids” technology, which applies to its nucleic acid binding matrix when inserted into a pipette tip, tubing or cartridge for nucleic acid purification. According to Akonni Biosystems, this technology can reduce to a few minutes the time…

  • Biotech Company, University to Partner on Polymers

    Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Inc., a biotechnology company in Lansing, Michigan confirmed that the company entered into a collaborative research and development agreement with the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana for the development of new polymers. Polymers are molecules strung in long repeating chains that are found in a host of natural and…

  • Nanotech Firm Commercializing Biotechnology Research Tools

    Shrink Nanotechnologies, a nanotechnology company in Carlsbad, California, announced today formation of a new wholly-owned subsidiary, Shrink Chips LLC, to commercialize biotechnology research tools. Among its offerings is the ShrinkChip Rapid Prototyping System (RPS) to manufacture microfluidic chips, also known as lab-on-a-chip (LOC) devices, as well as other biological and chemical sensors. LOC devices are…

  • New E. Coli Test Announced, Certfied

    The biotech company Life Technologies in Carlsbad, California unveiled a new, faster test for E. coli bacteria at the International Association for Food Protection annual meeting now in progress. This particular assay detects the E. coli O157:H7 strain known for causing serious diseases in humans. E. coli O157:H7, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease…

  • Biotech Company Finds Genes Enabling One-Step Biofuel Process

    A team from LS9 Inc., in South San Francisco, California published results of research describing the discovery of engineered genes that create alkanes — the hydrocarbon building blocks of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel — from sugar. The company says this discovery, published in today’s issue of Science magazine, accelerates the process of converting biomass…

  • Trial Shows Results for Topical Treatment of Head Lice

    Topaz Pharmaceuticals Inc. in Horsham, Pennsylvania presented results of a clinical trial showing topical ivermectin cream effective at treating head lice. Findings from a related study, also presented at the recent annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology in Portland, Oregon, showed minimal plasma absorption of ivermectin when the topical formulation was applied to…

  • Biotech Company to Partner with Scripps on Parkinson’s Drugs

    Envoy Therapeutics Inc., a drug discovery company in Jupiter, Florida says it has begun a research collaboration with The Scripps Research Institute to identify new drugs for Parkinson’s disease that have greater efficacy and safety compared to current therapies. Using funding provided by Envoy, scientists at the two organizations will apply Scripps-Florida’s screening facilities —…

  • Clinical Trial Shows Promise of Immune Therapy HIV Vaccine

    Two researchers gave findings from a Phase II clinical trial, sponsored by FIT Biotech, a biotechnology company in Tampere, Finland, showing the company’s immunomodulator FIT-06 vaccine offered long-term reductions in viral load and statistically significant CD4 (white blood or T) cell count increases in HIV-infected, previously untreated patients. The effects lasted longer than two years…