Research & University News

Ipsen SA has discontinued development of its steroid sulfatase inhibitor, Irosustat, as a monotherapy for the treatment of hormone-dependent cancers. Instead it will explore development of the drug in combination with other hormonal therapies.

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A consortium of Belgian academic scientists and biotechnology companies has recruited ImaginAb Inc of Los Angeles, California to work on a project to develop new diagnostic tools to monitor beta cell depletion in adult-onset diabetes.

Algeta ASA’s investigational radiopharmaceutical (radium-223 chloride) that is being developed by Bayer Schering Pharma AG, has met its primary endpoint in a Phase 3 trial of patients with prostate cancer and bone metastases.

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Circulating tumour cells appear to have potential as a biomarker for clinical trials involving patients with metastatic prostate cancer. Data from a study of the potential biomarker was presented at the annual meeting of ASCO in Chicago.

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Researchers from the Mayo Clinic in the US have reported that a tumour suppressor protein called PTEN does not reduce the effectiveness of Herceptin (trastuzumab) and therefore should not be used as a biomarker to predict resistance to the drug.

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Roche and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company have announced plans to investigate a combination of vemurafenib and ipilimumab in patients with BRAF-mutated metastatic melanoma. The two agents target the disease in different ways.

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Novartis said the results of two Phase-3 studies of ACZ885 (canakinumab) indicate that the human monoclonal antibody can slow attacks of severe gouty arthritis by up to 68% when compared with the standard steroid treatment (triamcinolone acetonide TA).

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A Phase 3 trial of a combination vaccine intended to protect children against six infectious diseases is being launched at multiple sites in the US according to its sponsors, Merck & Co and Sanofi Pasteur. The trial will involve 1,440 infants.

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Transgene SA of France has entered into a collaboration with two other companies to evaluate a new therapeutic vaccine strategy against the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The partners are ChronTechPharma AB and Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc.

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The nonprofit drug discovery affiliate of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is expanding a collaboration with Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc to develop new medicines called ‘correctors’ that aim to treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis.

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