A new life science facility is set to open in Scotland providing small companies with shared resources for their drug discovery and development. Called BioCity Scotland Ltd, the facility is being housed at a former Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) research site.
Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH has reported that a Phase 2 study of its experimental vaccine for colorectal cancer, IMA910, was able to stimulate immune responses from a majority of patients and that this was associated with a better clinical outcome.
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4SC AG has reported new data showing that its lead oncology compound, resminostat, an HDAC inhibitor, met its primary endpoint in a Phase 2 study of patients with advanced liver cancer. The results were reported on 19 January.
Pfizer Inc and its partner, Medivation Inc are stopping a Phase 3 trial of the Alzheimer’s disease compound, Dimebon (latrepirdine), because it didn’t achieve statistical significance for either of its two co-primary endpoints.
Wilex AG has reported the successful completion of a Phase 1 study in volunteers of a small molecule inhibitor of the MEK signalling pathway. MEK inhibition is being studied by a number of companies and institutions as a potential anti-cancer agent.
Scientists from Cambridge and Harvard Universities have reported that the deterioration of CNS tissue in aged mice can be reversed by exposing them to cells from younger animals. Their findings appear in the 6 January issue of Cell Stem Cell.
A new preclinical study has shown that a combination of experimental vaccines can provide partial protection against infection from the simian immunodeficiency virus, a virus similar to HIV. The results were reported online in Nature on 4 January.
Neovacs SA of France has reported promising data from a Phase 2a study of a new immunotherapy for patients with rheumatoid arthritis who have ceased to respond to an anti-tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) monoclonal antibody.
Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and colleagues have described how antigenic drift occurs on the influenza virus opening the possibility that more rational designs for influenza vaccines could be created in the future.
A novel study that will look at the relative efficacy of two marketed rheumatoid arthritis drugs has been initiated by UCB SA. The post-marketing study will compare UCB’s Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) with Abbott’s Humira (adalimumab).