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october 2011 Volume 7, Number 10
www.drugdiscoverynews.com
Global News
6
Instruments & Informatics
14
what’s inside
Diagnostics19
PTH at picograms
Thermo Fisher Scientific
acquires Intrinsic
Bioprobes to enhance
workflow for biomarker
research and diagnostics
28
research & development
33
Contract Research Services
39
finance.........................................................3
Markets........................................................4
Editorial/commentary..............................12
products & services................................44
facts & figures..........................................46
Taking aim at Alzheimer’s
Evotec, Roche to partner
on development of
Alzheimer’s treatment
By Kelsey Kaustinen
By Lloyd Dunlap
Dr. James Ladine, global director of R&D
with Thermo Fisher’s lab consumables
division, says there are two trends in
biomarker assays for PTH—greater
complexity and lower abundance. In
terms of complexity, he cites PSA as an
example of a “traditional marker” that
is being seen as more complex than
previously thought.
and software creates a complete,
integrated workflow for the
quantitative detection of protein
pth continued on page 30
HAMBURG, Germany—After tackling cancer and central
nervous system diseases, longtime drug discovery partners Roche and Evotec AG are setting their sights on
Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The two companies signed
an exclusive worldwide agreement in early September
to develop and commercialize Evotec’s MAO-B inhibitor for patients suffering from AD.
“We are delighted to have Roche as our strategic partner to fight Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. Werner Lanthaler,
CEO of Evotec, said in a press release. “Their outstanding commitment to pharmaceutical innovation makes
Roche the ideal partner to fight one of the biggest
healthcare problems of our time.”
Per the agreement, Evotec will receive an upfront payment from Roche of $10 million, and could receive devel-
Digging in the dirt
Researchers at the universities
of Nottingham and Maastricht
make headway in the use of the
bacteria strain Clostridia as a
way to safely and effectively
deliver drugs to tumor sites
dirt continued on page 38
opment and commercial milestone payments of up to
$820 million as a result of the deal, in addition to tiered
double-digit royalties on sales. Roche will begin studies
in 2012 to demonstrate proof-of-concept, and will also
ad continued on page 10
PerkinElmer acquires Caliper
Life Sciences for approximately
$600 million, with eye toward
expansion into preclinical work
and companion Dx
By Amy Swinderman
NOTTINGHAM, U.K.—Scientists at the U.K.’s
University of Nottingham and the Netherlands’ University of Maastricht are digging
deep in the fight against cancer—and they
aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty.
Building on decades of research into the
drug delivery potential of a harmless soildwelling bacteria, the scientists recently presented evidence showing how this strain can
specifically target cancerous tumors, and ultimately, be used as a vehicle to deliver drugs
in frontline cancer therapy.
In their recently signed Alzheimer’s disease research deal, Roche
will be responsible for running and monitoring all clinical trials,
and Evotec will handle clinical development.
Looking beyond
imaging and detection
By Jeffrey Bouley
WALTHAM, Mass.—PerkinElmer Inc. has its
Nigel Minton, a professor of Applied Molecular
Microbiology in the faculty of Medicine and Health
Sciences at the University of Nottingham, and his
colleagues are preparing to test in clinical trials a
soil-dwelling bacteria that can specifically target
cancerous tumors. According to these researchers,
because the bacteria, Clostridia, cannot grow in the
presence of oxygen, it may be used as a vehicle to
deliver drugs to tumors without exposing healthy,
oxygenated tissue to toxicity.
sights set on strengthening its market
position for molecular imaging and detection for human and environmental health,
but is also seeking to expand into the preclinical realm, companion diagnostics and
other “compelling customer solutions in a
broad range of high-growth end markets.”
To those ends, the company announced in
caliper continued on page 16
show preview
ROCHESTER, N.Y.—Thermo Fisher
Scientific Inc. has enhanced its
workflow for biomarker research
and diagnostics by acquiring
Intrinsic Bioprobes Inc. (IBI), a
manuf acturer of immunoenrichment, sample-preparation
tools used in quantitative mass
spectrometry.
Adding IBI’s consumable sample-preparation technologies to
Thermo Fisher’s automated sample processing and quantitative
mass spectrometry instruments
Omics & Systems Biology
Products like PerkinElmer’s Operetta high-content
imaging system may soon be joined by Caliper’s
technologies to potentially usher in a suite of
tools that create the in vitro to in vivo human
“bridge” for personalized medicine.
The big brains
Society for Neuroscience
brings a wide range of
perspectives to the nation’s
capital with Neuroscience 2011
See page 24
FINaNCe
For more information, visit www.DrugDiscoveryNews.com
octobeR 2011 • Drug Discovery News
3
Series D financing round nets $13.1 million for Metabolon
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.—
Diagnostics and services company
Metabolon Inc. recently announced
the closing of a Series D round of
financing, one that netted the company $13.1 million.
Several of the company’s existing investors took part in the
financing round, including Sevin
Rosen Funds, Syngenta Ventures,
Fletcher Spaght, Fulcrum Financial Partners, Harris & Harris
Group and Aurora Funds. Keating
Capital Inc. joined the fi nancing
round as a new investor.
“We’re very impressed with
Metabolon’s disruptive technology
and commercial success. Its diagnostic portfolio is targeting disease
areas where there is a significant
unmet clinical need and we’re excited to become a part of the team,”
Timothy J. Keating, CEO of Keating
Capital, said in a press release.
The company specializes in making pre-IPO investments in highgrowth companies committed to
and capable of going public.
According to John Ryals, presi-
oncocyte
secures
$10 million
for oncology
programs
ALAMEDA, Calif.—OncoCyte
Corp., a
majority-owned subsidiary of BioTime
Inc., recently received a new round of
equity financing consisting of $4 million
in cash ($3 million from an outside
investor and $1 million from BioTime)
and $6 million of BioTime common
shares. The financing will help to fund
the expansion of OncoCyte’s development of novel proprietary cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.
OncoCyte’s focus is the development of novel products for cancer
diagnosis and treatment based on
embryonic stem cell-derived technology, and through the use of its proprietary algorithms, the company has
discovered and filed patent applications on more than 100 novel cancerassociated genes.
“Our research has demonstrated that
many of the same genes associated with
the normal growth of embryonic stem
cells are abnormally reactivated by cancer cells,” Dr. Joseph Wagner, CEO of
OncoCyte, said in a press release. “Using
this logic, we have developed a discovery
platform that has already identified
numerous, previously unknown cancerassociated genes. We intend to use this
platform to develop novel cancer diagnostic products that will address large,
unmet needs in the field of cancer detection and treatment. The near-term revenue opportunity of this product line is
also a perfect complement to our ongoing stem cell-derived therapeutic development efforts.” ddn
dent and CEO of Metabolon, the
proceeds of the financing round
“will support further growth in our
Metabolytics division and ongoing
development of our oncology diagnostics product portfolio.”
“We are pleased by the participation of current investors in the
Series D round, and are delighted
to have esteemed new investor
Keating Capital among our backers,” said Ryals.
Among Metabolon’s offerings are
its global biochemical profiling services (Metabolytics) for researchers
specializing in drug safety and toxicology, bioprocess optimization and
consumer products, among other
areas. That technology has been
utilized to identify biochemical biomarkers with development potential in a variety of clinical diagnostics, and the markers are being
applied to the development of pro-
prietary diagnostic tools, with prostate cancer and insulin resistance
being the primary focus points.
Metabolon’s oncology diagnostics product portfolio consists of
nine metabolic diagnostics tests for
prostate cancer, kidney cancer,
bladder cancer and nephrotoxicity
(damage to the kidneys) of chemotherapy drugs. On its website, the
company notes that its tests “are
designed to provide information
that will change clinical practice by
allowing physicians to choose the
best course of therapy for each
patient. In some cases, unnecessary
surgical procedures, expensive
imaging tests, and drug treatments
can be avoided. Developing tests
based on the unique metabolic
physiology of individual patients
and their tumors to guide therapy
truly advances the frontiers of personalized medicine.” ddn
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markets
4 Drug Discovery News • October 2011
Pharmaceutical and biotech market indices
A
ccording to venture capital firm Burrill & Co., IPO
activity for the month of August saw a couple U.S. companies
having to seek funding outside of the United States.
Renewable chemicals company EcoSynthetix went public
Aug. 4, completing a $101.6 million offering on the Toronto
Stock Exchange. Similarly, GI Dynamics, a medical device company that
commercializes non-surgical treatments for diabetes and obesity, completed
an $85 million offering on the Australian Securities Exchange on Aug. 30.
Burrill & Co.’s report notes that collectively, the 13 U.S. life sciences IPOs
closed in 2011 on U.S. markets had moved into negative territory by the
end of the month, down an average 7.4 percent from their IPO price,
a disappointing comparison to the 17.2 percent gain they realized by the
end of July. The August group fell 18.9 percent, consisting of three advancers
and 10 decliners.
Amex Pharmaceutical Index
302.88 307.85
307.01 305.54 299.73
318.66
1195.6
1001
909.86
1025.2
1159
1065
1071.9
937.21
977.74
1058
1165
325.53
306.68 306.14
1375
1406
1386
1136
1140
1400
1385
1266
1265
1200
1229
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Source: Burrill & Co.
1043.5
300
1353
1097
350
331
1600
1510
1404
Burrill Select
335.18
317.16
Burrill Mid-Cap Biotech and Small-Cap Biotech
1056.7
1070.1
1090.7
1085
1082
1231
1159
1149
1179
1079
1126
1200
1000
250
800
200
600
150
400
100
50
200
0
0
Source: Yahoo Finance
Source: Burrill & Co.
Industry limps through August due to market instability
By Burrill & Co.
SAN FRANCISCO—According to venture capi-
tal firm Burrill & Co., the volatility of the
market in August caught up with several
companies trying to go public this year, with
almost $1.3 billion in capitalization being
demolished as unstable trading activity took
its toll. In fact, life sciences companies were
hit harder than the broader market, IPOs in
general and biotech stocks as a whole, according to the company’s latest report. While life
sciences IPOs outperformed broader market
indices by the end of July, they are significantly underperforming the Burrill Biotech
Select Index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the Nasdaq Composite Index and the
AMEX Biotech Index.
“Investors took flight from risk in the recent
market turmoil and that does not bode well
for life sciences companies hoping to complete
public offerings,” says G. Steven Burrill, CEO
of Burrill & Co. “If the volatile market activity
that characterized August persists, it could
cause private life sciences companies to turn
away from the IPO market and seek financing
elsewhere.”
There were some bright points in August,
however, with personalized medicine breathing some life into the sector as Roche secured
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
approval for its melanoma drug Zelboraf and
Pfizer securing approval for its non-small cell
lung cancer drug Xalkori. Both drugs received
approval to be used in conjunction with companion diagnostics. Seattle Genetics also
gained FDA approval, with the agency giving
the go-ahead on Adcetris, which combines an
antibody with a toxic chemotherapeutic
payload.
“There has been criticism of late about the
slow progress in realizing the promise of personalized medicine,” says Burrill. “The recent
activity, though, points to the very real changes
that are underway to incorporate genomic
medicine into standard practice of healthcare
today.”
P
u
b
l
i
c
Q2 sees revenue
drop 1 percent for Pfizer
NEW YORK—Pfizer posted a Q2 profit of $2.6
billion, up 5 percent from the same quarter last
year. Overall revenue for the quarter was $17 billion, which matched analyst expectations while
representing a 1 percent decrease from the same
quarter in 2010. Revenue fell by $1.5 billion due
to patent expirations, and by $158 million due to
healthcare reform in the United States. Sales of
biopharmaceuticals fell 3 percent for the quarter,
dropping to $14.6 billion, with quarterly sales of
Lipitor falling 8 percent to $2.6 billion as it lost
patent exclusivity in both Canada and Spain last
year. Effexor also faced generic competition, with
sales dropping a hefty 89 percent. Analysts expect
Lipitor sales to decrease by half in 2012 once
generic competition reaches the United States
this November. Overall sales for the quarter
dropped 9 percent to $6.7 billion, though international revenues increased 5 percent to $10.3
billion. Pfizer reaffirmed its previous full-year guid-
ues across the board could spur an increase
in M&A activity, according to Burrill.
“Big Pharma’s problems have not gone
away. The need to find new sources of revenue
to replace income from sales of drugs going
off patent continues to fuel deal-making,” says
Burrill. “With values depressed, acquirers
will likely find more bargains today when
they go shopping. We could see a pick-up in
activity between now and year-end.” ddn
The instability of the market, spurred by
continuing concern over the U.S. debt ceiling
debate and ongoing economic turmoil in
Europe, limited capital market activity for life
sciences companies, with only immunotherapeutics company Agenus completing a followon offering of only $7 million. On the whole,
nearly six decliners were seen for each
advancer for stocks trading over $1 in the life
sciences sector in August. The depressed val-
C
o
m
pa
n
ance of earnings per share in the range of $2.16
to $2.26 per share.
Accelrys posts revenue
of $36.7 million for Q2
SAN DIEGO—Accelrys Inc. ended its second quar-
ter June 30, posting non-GAAP revenue for the
quarter of $36.7 million, up 86 percent from
$19.8 million in the same quarter last year. NonGAAP revenue for the six months ended June 30
was $76.2 million, an 88 percent increase from
last year’s revenue of $40.5 million. For the quarter, non-GAAP free cash flow was $6.9 million, up
significantly from the $1.2 million posted for the
same quarter in 2010. GAAP net loss was $4.5
million or $0.08 per diluted share for the second
quarter, compared to a GAAP net loss of $1.6
million or $0.06 per diluted share for the same
quarter in 2010. GAAP results for the quarter were
affected by the business combination accounting
associated with the Symyx Technologies, Inc.
merger completed last July and the acquisition of
y
N
e
w
s
Contur Industry Holding AB and Contur Software
AB this May, as well as other nonrecurring acquisition-related and restructuring costs.
Ranbaxy sees 25 percent
drop in profits
HARYANA, India— Ranbaxy,
which is majority
owned by Daiichi Sankyo, reported a 25 percent
drop in profits for the second quarter, with profits
down to $53.7 million. Despite the decline, the
company still managed to beat analyst expectations of a forecasted profit of $43.6 million. Sales
for the quarter were $460.5 million, representing
a 1.8 percent drop from the same quarter in
2010. Sales in Europe rose 15 percent to $80.5
million. Within the company’s domestic market,
revenue increased to $107 million, up 11 percent
from the same quarter last year. Revenue for the
company reached $93.9 million in the United
States, though growth was affected by Ranbaxy’s
loss of market exclusivity on its generic version of
Eisai’s Aricept, which was launched in 2010.
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Aurobindo and DIOD establish
Russian joint venture
An affinity for Graffinity
ANDHRA PRADESH, India—OJSC DIOD and
Aurobindo Pharma Ltd., through their respective
investment holding subsidiaries, have established a Russian joint venture on a parity basis.
The joint venture, Aurospharma Co., will manufacture and sell pharmaceuticals in the markets
of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, and will
construct a state-of-the-art plant to manufacture non-penicillin and non-cephalosporin prescription generics as well as other over-thecounter drugs in Russia. Penicillins, cephalosporins and other Aurobindo therapy products will
be sourced to sell in the same markets. The
plant will be constructed in the Podolsk District,
in the Moscow region, and is expected to be
completed and reach its rated capacity near the
end of 2013.
Eisai and SFJ Pharma partner
on Phase III studies
TOKYO— Eisai Co. recently announced the
establishment of a partnership with Pleasanton,
Calif.-based SFJ Pharmaceuticals, a private biotechnology firm that focuses on unique development business models for pursuing regulatory
approval for drugs in the Japanese market.
Under the agreement, the two companies will
conduct Phase III studies of Eisai’s thyroid cancer drug E7080, lenvatinib. The compound is a
multi-kinase inhibitor that is under development
as a molecular-targeted agent for several types
of cancer, including thyroid, melanoma, glioma
and endometrial cancer. The agreement is
intended to accelerate late-stage development
of Eisai’s pipeline and take advantage of external resources. SFJ will fund the study and will
receive milestone payments from Eisai if E7080
gains regulatory approval, while Eisai will retain
commercial rights to the drug.
Pall Centre of Excellence
debuts in Singapore
PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.—Pall Corp. recently
announced the inauguration of its Pall Life Sciences Centre of Excellence in Singapore, located in Gemini Science Park II. As the latest addition to Pall’s global customer support network,
it provides advanced process demonstration,
validation support and training capabilities for
the company’s growing base of life sciences
customers in the region. The facility has 430
square meters and hosts a range of life sciences equipment and solutions, including single-use systems, Stax systems, tangential flow
filtration, depth filter systems, process monitoring, chromatography systems and sterile filters,
among others. Eric Garnier, president of Pall
Asia, noted that “the Singapore Life Sciences
Centre of Excellence consolidates training and
technical services, making it unparalleled as a
resource for biotechnology companies seeking
solutions for their process challenges.”
NovAliX and Galapagos
collaborate in osteoarthritis
discovery research program
By Kimberley Sirk
NovAliX’s Graffinity fragment-based screening
technology is suited for soluble proteins and has
been successful with kinases, proteases, proteinprotein interactions and most recently with
intrinsically disordered proteins that are
challenging to screen with other methods. NovAliX
will use Graffinity to discover specific smallmolecule lead candidates for a novel, validated
osteoarthritis target chosen by Galapagos.
STRASBOURG, France—NovAliX announced at
the end of August it has entered into drug
discovery collaboration in the field of osteoarthritis with Galapagos NV. Under the terms
of the agreement, NovAliX will be responsible
for the discovery of specific small-molecule
lead candidates for a novel, validated osteoarthritis target chosen by its new partner.
NovAliX will receive technology access
fees, research funding and is eligible to receive
success-based milestones from Galapagos.
The partners are eyeing the European market
(primarily France and Germany), but also
seek to grow in Japan and the United States.
NovAliX will identify hits using its Graffinity fragment-based screening technology
that combines chemical microarrays with a
proprietary SPR imaging method for the
detection of compound-protein interactions.
It will then further work toward the lead can-
didate stage by applying its medicinal chemistry and structural biology expertise.
The name “Graffinity” comes with some
history. Graffinity was originally a company
formed in 1998 funded by U.S. and European
partners to pioneer the chemogenomics space
combining SPR and microarrays. Built from
scratch, it took a few years to bring the technology to the appropriate level.
Over time, the original company took on
other partners and changed its focus, but in
2005, Graffinity was re-established as a separate legal entity. The new Graffinity was then
on the road to market its unique screening
capability with good success, as it has since
inked deals with giants in the biopharma
space such as Genentech, Amgen, Rigel, Pfizer, Elan and Boehringer-Ingelheim.
Company officials say the Graffinity
platform is suited for soluble proteins and
has been successful with kinases, proteases, protein-protein interactions and
most recently with intrinsically disordered
proteins (IDPs) that are challenging to
graffinity continued on page 8
U.K. union has
great chemistry
Lilliputian meets
Brobdingnagian
Cresset, Redx Pharma
to collaborate on
drug discovery for
a wide range of
therapeutic areas
By Kelsey Kaustinen
Astellas Pharma
signs a license
agreement with
Evec for a fully
human antibody
WELWYN GARDEN CITY, U.K.—
By Lloyd Dunlap
Drug development company
Redx Pharma and Cresset, which
develops software for calculating
and comparing the molecular
field characteristics of chemical
compounds, recently announced
the signing of a drug discovery
collaboration. Through the agreement, Redx Pharma gains access
to Cresset’s publicly available and
proprietary computational chemistry technologies, which will be
utilized within the company’s
portfolio of drug discovery programs. Cresset will also provide
consulting services in terms of
candidate selection across a range
of therapeutic areas and targets.
SAPPORO, Japan—Evec Inc. and
redx continued on page 11
Dr. Robert Scoffin,
CEO of Cresset, notes
that the company “has
developed an extensive
range of consulting
services around the
critical areas of library
design, compound
design, virtual screening
and lead optimization.”
Astellas Pharma Inc. have
entered into a license agreement for one of Evec’s fully
human antibodies against
infectious diseases. Based on
the agreement, Astellas has
worldwide exclusive development, manufacturing and
commercialization rights for
the program. In return, Evec
expects to receive an upfront
payment of approximately
$7.86 million upon signing the
license agreement and milestone payments, depending
on development and sales
phases from Astellas, totaling
up to $17 million. Astellas will
also pay additional royalties
associated with potential
sales. The development stage
of the program is preclinical.
A 13-employee laboratory
launched in 2003, Evec developed its own technology for
producing fully human antibodies in order to circumvent
U.S. and European patents,
which the company claims are
too expensive to license. The
company says it now has a
dozen patents granted or
pending.
The company founder and
chairman, Dr. Kenza Takada,
notes that “human blood
teems with highly active antibodies which can never be
induced by the mouse immunizing method. Evec has the
unique technique to develop
antibodies from human blood
lymphocytes by using EpsteinBarr (EB) virus that induces
B-lymphocytes to proliferate.
evec continued on page 9
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© 2011 Beckman Coulter, Inc.
global news
Small but mighty
Ascenta Therapeutics
licenses experimental
small-molecule cancer
drug candidate to
Debiopharm
Debiopharm says it should be
possible to combine Debio 1143
with other pro-apoptotic agents,
which could potentially bring huge
benefits to patients by enhancing
the efficiency of their treatment.
By David Hutton
LAUSANNE, Switzerland—Debiopharm and cancer drug firm Ascenta Therapeutics have
reached an exclusive license agreement for the
development and commercialization of
Ascenta’s Phase I stage candidate AT-406.
AT-406 is an orally available small molecule
that is designed to neutralize major inhibitors
of apoptosis. AT-406 was discovered in the
laboratory of Dr. Shaomeng Wang at the University of Michigan. Clinical trials with AT-101
are ongoing in the United States and
Europe. Phase I and Phase II trials evaluating
AT-101 as single-agent therapy have already
demonstrated cytoreductive activity in several
cancers, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and prostate
cancer. Phase II trials evaluating AT-101 in
combination with chemotherapy and/or
radiotherapy have also been carried out in a
number of cancers including hormone-refractory prostate cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, B-cell malignancies, small cell lung cancer,
glioma and esophageal cancer.
Debiopharm will designate the molecule
Debio 1143. The molecule is designed to block
the activity of a number of IAPs including
XIAP, c-IAP1, c-IAP2 and ML-IAP.
Dr. Rolland-Yves Mauvernay, president and
founder of Debiopharm, says it should be possible to combine Debio 1143 with other proapoptotic agents, which could potentially
bring huge benefits to patients by enhancing
the efficiency of the treatment.
Evasion of apoptosis is a hallmark of cancer, enabling cancer cells to live indefinitely
and grow uncontrollably. Most current cancer
therapies, including chemotherapeutic
agents, radiation and immunotherapy, work
by inducing apoptosis. However, because of
molecular alterations in the apoptotic pathways, many cancer cells are resistant or develop resistance to these agents. A promising
new direction for drug development involves
targeting apoptotic pathways directly to
induce cell death and/or restore sensitivity to
other treatments.
According to Maurice Wagner, director of
corporate affairs and communications for
Debiopharm Group, the timeline to develop
the small-molecule IAP inhibitor may be hard
to gauge at this stage, as Phase I clinical trials
have yet to be completed.
INTRODUCING
“In any event, we will proceed as quickly as
we can, whilst observing all safety standards,”
he says. “As is our business model, we will not
commercialize the drug ourselves, but license
it out in due time to a company that can sell
and market it internationally. The out-licensing partner will be selected at a later stage.”
Looking forward, Wagner says as the company proceeds with development, it will set
objectives to reach.
“We will in particular design carefully
clinical studies in cancers with high medical
needs,” he explains. “Our success will depend
upon whether we can reach our objectives.
In the short term, successes might be related
to preclinical synergistic activity of Debio 1143
and other anti-cancer agents, and most
importantly, obtaining encouraging clinical
data from the ongoing Phase I study. The
long-term success will depend upon our findsmall continued on page 9
Your gateway
to the latest
oncology
news, trends
and resources
■
■
■
■
■
Visit: www.ddncancer.com
Top cancer-related news
and opinion stories
Archive of all of ddn’s
cancer-related news stories
Interviews with key
oncology leaders
Links to various companies,
research centers and
organizations involved
in the field of oncology
and much more!
graffinity
continued from page 6
screen with other methods.
“We look forward to utilizing NovAliX’s capabilities in biophysics and
lead-generation methodologies for this
novel target-based drug discovery program,” said Dr. Graham Dixon, senior
vice president for drug discovery at
Galapagos, in a prepared statement.
NovAliX officials say the two companies have enjoyed a “longstanding relationship.” In part, this relationship is
described as including a fee paid to Galapagos for service-based chemistry and
medchem support.
As for Galapagos, it will provide two
things to the collaboration: an expertise
in drug development, and a strong
expertise in the osteoarthritis field. The
company has a history in a cascade of
other mergers and spin-offs that has led
it to its strong current position in its field.
NovAliX officials point to Galapagos’ key
areas of expertise and multiple pharmaceutical alliances in the joint and bone
diseases field as attractive attributes.
For its part, Galapagos was described
as enticed by NovAliX’s technology toolbox and trusted medchem expertise,
which is revered because of past results.
Stephan Jenn, president of NovAliX,
says this “drug discovery collaboration
with a leading European biotech confirms the quality of our technologies and
science, and underlines the value of our
platform as an important tool to deliver
valuable lead candidates.”
In key ways, the two companies differ.
NovAliX is private, rather discreet and
still small, yet it strives to build a company that provides external research
capabilities with strong technology. The
company calls its most attractive trait
“integrated drug discovery,” but notes it
goes beyond basic pharma because of
biophysics capabilities that appeal to
other industry sectors.
NovAliX provides enabling chemistry
and biophysical technologies to support
the pharmaceutical industry’s outsourcing needs from discovery to manufacturing. With proprietary SPR technology,
X-ray protein crystallography, supramolecular mass spectrometry and chemistry, NovAliX offers comprehensive integrated services for small-molecule drug
discovery.
With advanced NMR technologies,
NovAliX also provides fine characterization of biologics, thorough analysis of
APIs and polymorphism studies to support pharmaceutical development and
manufacturing teams.
Galapagos, in contrast, is a big, public
pharmaceutical company. One NovAliX
official calls Galapagos, in his words,
“gold diggers,” while NovAliX “sells
sieves and shovels.” The two companies’
goals are aligned as they don’t compete
with each other, but their combination
of capabilities complement each other.
Galapagos specializes in the discovery
and development of small-molecule and
antibody therapies, and it is progressing
one of the largest pipelines in biotech,
with six programs in development and
more than 50 discovery programs. ddn
EDITCONNECT: E101105
global news
eVec
I am confident that our technique
will replace the currently major one
to develop antibodies using mouse,
and will be the standard method of
antibody development.”
Most of the antibody medicines
currently available are of chimeric
or humanized antibody, which is a
modification of mouse antibody
with replacement of the mouse element. Recently, however, Evec
notes that fully human antibodies
containing no mouse elements are
coming to the fore. Evec has
devised a technique to develop
fully human antibodies from
B-lymphocytes, cells responsible
f or antibody p roduction in
humans.
Evec points out on its website
that humans are exposed to various
antigens, from infections, for example. On each exposure, antibodyproducing lymphocytes are activated, which then remain as memory B-lymphocytes.
“Our peripheral B-lymphocyte
population can be considered as
a library of memory B-lymphocytes expressing antibodies,”
Takada says.
His technique uses the EB virus
to induce proliferation of B-lymphocytes and promote antibody production. In in-vitro experiments, EB
virus-infected lymphocytes stably
proliferate over six months, while
non-infected lymphocytes die within a week or so, according to Evec.
“We develop antibodies by using
the EB virus activity to proliferate
B lymphocytes. B-lymphocytes are
separated from 10∼20 ml blood, and
infected with EB virus. From the
proliferated B-lymphocytes, cell
clones producing the antibody of
interest are separated. The clone
separation is carried out by a combination of the clone culture method
SMaLL
ing a good combination in the clinics, such as a combination that will
prove therapeutically superior to
the standard of care.”
According to Wagner, the company has worked with Ascenta in
the past few years, but this is the
first time that the two companies
have entered into a partnership with
each other.
Wagner says there were two factors that led Debiopharm to target
Ascenta as a collaborator for this
effort: “We saw the expertise of
Ascenta in the field of apoptosis,
and the quality of the relationship
that we could establish with the
Ascenta team,” he says.
Mel Sorensen, president and
CEO of Ascenta, says Debiopharm
proved to be an attractive collaborator because of its commitment to
and expertise in the development
of medicines to help cancer
patients. ddn
eDitcOnnect: e101106
(repeating dilution culture) and the
sorting method (selectively separating the antibody of interest with the
use of FACS). After the separation,
the antibody gene is cloned and
transfected into CHO cells for antibody production. Namely, the EB
virus is used merely as a means to
isolate antibody genes from blood
lymphocytes. There is no risk for
contamination of the antibody with
EB virus,” Takada states.
The highest binding activity of
the antibodies developed by mouse
immunization is around 10-9M, and
OctOber 2011 • Drug Discovery News
“evec has the unique technique to develop antibodies from human blood
lymphocytes by using epstein-barr virus that induces b-lymphocytes to
proliferate. i am confident that our technique will replace the currently major
one to develop antibodies using mouse, and will be the standard method of
antibody development.” dr. Kenza takada, founder and chairman of evec
those of the antibody medicines
already in the market are much the
same, says Takada. In contrast, the
binding activity of Evec’s antibodies developed from blood B-lymphocytes is 10-11M, 100 times higher
than that of mouse antibody, he
asserts.
Based in Tokyo, Astellas hopes to
strengthen its pipeline in infectious
diseases therapies through its collaboration with Evec. It is currently
Japan’s second largest pharmaceutical company and ranks within the
top 20 in the global market. Astellas
Pharma U.S. Inc., the company’s
U.S. affiliate, reported North American sales of $1.9 billion in 2009. The
company employs 1,900 and is
headquartered in Deerfield, Ill. ddn
eDitcOnnect: e101107
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global news
Valeant ups
ante in bid
to nab Afexa
MISSISSAUGA, Ontario—Mere hours after
Paladin Labs Inc. confirmed Sept. 26
that it is increasing its offer to acquire
Afexa Life Sciences Inc. to 81 cents per
share, Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. said it will increase its
own bid to 85 cents per share from its
previous offer of 71 cents per share
made in August—for a total value of
about $78 million.
Valeant is in a bidding war with
Montreal-based Paladin Labs, which
launched a hostile takeover bid for
Afexa in August.
“We have decided to offer a premium to Paladin Labs’ most recent proposal as we are able to attribute more
value than Paladin to the Afexa business given both our larger scale and
resources in Canada, coupled with our
extensive international consumer
footprint,” said J. Michael Pearson,
chairman and CEO of Valeant, in
announcing the offer increase. “While
we normally don’t participate in an
auction process, given that our existing offer has the full support of the
board and management of Afexa, we
felt it was appropriate to continue to
respond quickly to Paladin’s hostile
overtures.”
The brass ring that both Valeant and
Paladin are after is over-the-counter
flu remedy Cold-FX, sales for which
Valeant plans to boost by marketing it
in the United States and globally—particularly in Australia, Latin America
and Central Europe—if it successfully
acquires Edmonton-based Afexa. ddn
ad
assume responsibility for clinical development, manufacturing and commercialization
activities. According to Lanthaler, Roche will
be responsible for running and monitoring
all clinical trials, and Evotec will “fully hand
over the clinical development package.”
“Roche is committed to bringing innovative
treatments to patients suffering from devastating neurodegenerative diseases, and is
developing a number of approaches to tackle
Alzheimer’s,” Jean-Jacques Garaud, head of
Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, said in a press release. “The addition of
EVT-302 to our CNS pipeline complements
other approaches we are investigating including tau- and amyloid-targeted therapies.”
Evotec’s EVT-302 compound is a novel,
potent inhibitor of monoamine oxidase type
B (MAO-B), an enzyme known to break down
dopamine in the brain and contribute to the
production of free radicals. Free radicals can
cause oxidative stress, which may contribute
to pathogenesis of AD, as seen in the upregulation of MAO-B expression in the brains of
AD patients. The use of a selective MAO-B
inhibitor is targeted for the treatment of AD
symptoms and can potentially slow the progression of the disease.
According to the World Health Organization, AD currently affects approximately 35
million people worldwide. The disease is the
most common form of dementia, in which
protein plaques begin to manifest in the
brain, eventually leading to the death of
brain cells. Though specific genes contribute
to or predispose someone to Alzheimer’s
disease, no one factor has been identified as
its cause.
However, patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease also display dopamine shortages, which sheds some light on just how
much of an impact a lack of dopamine can
have on the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, and has several important
Dr. Werner Lanthaler, CEO of Evotec, explains that the MAO-B
inhibitor his company and Roche are developing is a stand-alone
intervention that slows down the progression of AD significantly.
“On a broader scale, one could see also potential combinations,
where the addition of EVT-302 could complement other approaches
such as tau- and/or amyloid-targeted therapies,” he adds.
roles in the brain, including punishment
and rewards, sleep, memory, learning and
movement. Given the results of Phase I studies, which showed EVT-302 to be well tolerated and highly selective for MAO-B, Lanthaler is optimistic regarding the therapeutic potential of EVT-302.
“In the best case, this is a stand-alone intervention that slows down the progression of
AD significantly,” says Lanthaler. “On a
broader scale, one could see also potential
combinations, where the addition of EVT-302
could complement other approaches such as
tau- and/or amyloid-targeted therapies.”
As for whether this has the potential to
become a standard early treatment measure
to slow or halt the progression of Alzheimer’s,
Lanthaler notes that there is “a very good
rationale and already clinical data,” adding
that the partners will wait to see what the final
trials reveal. ddn
Evotec reports
34 percent
revenue and
earnings growth
HAMBURG, Germany—Evotec AG recently
reported a strong operational performance for the first half of 2011. Total
group revenues increased by 34 percent
to $45.7 million, including $5.3 million
from the acquisitions of DeveloGen, Kinaxo and Compound Focus in the first half
of the year.
Meanwhile, R&D expenses increased
by $2.3 million, mainly from the inclusion
of DeveloGen and Kinaxo R&D expenses
and the strategic build-up of Evotec’s beta
cell franchise, CureBeta. Liquidity,
including cash, cash equivalents, investments and long-term financial assets,
remained strong at $73.3 million.
Based on these results, Evotec raised
its revenue guidance for the current fiscal year. Total group revenues are now
expected to grow by approximately 30
percent, leading to revenues of $95.7 million to $98.5 million. Evotec said potential milestone achievements in the
second half of the year are expected
to further enhance the company’s
operating financial performance, giving it a strong basis for increased
operating profitability over 2010. ddn
More Info @ adv-connect.com
global news
redx
Financial terms of the agreement
were not disclosed.
“Cresset has developed an extensive range of consulting services
around the critical areas of library
design, compound design, virtual
screening and lead optimization,”
Dr. Robert Scoffin, CEO of Cresset,
said in a press release. “In this case,
we will initially be focusing our
skills on helping Redx with their
lead candidate selection process,
whilst the collaboration also gives
Redx the ability to access our expertise, in a very flexible manner,
across the full range of computational drug discovery services.”
According to Scoffin, Redx
Pharma will be responsible for
“setting overall project direction,
selection of targets, synthesis of
analogues and testing of molecules,” while Cresset will be
responsible for evaluating the candidate molecules and determining
the “most appropriate molecules to
be synthesized.” This is the first
time the two companies have
worked together, Scoffin notes,
though Cresset ran a short pilot
project for Redx Pharma at the end
of last year, which led to “a larger
engagement in designing and evaluating candidate molecules for
their various discovery projects.”
“Redx has a very interesting
business model and a refreshing
approach to building value through
a mixture of innovation and re-use
of existing knowledge,” says Scoffin. “Their desire to create an efficient and mostly virtual discovery
organization, featuring best-ofbreed companies in chemistry, biology and computational drug design,
matched very well with our continued growth as a leading provider of
outsourced drug design solutions
and services.”
Redx Pharma’s programs utilize
several of Cresset’s chemistry tools,
such as FieldTemplater to provide
binding hypotheses and FieldAlign
to predict likely biological similarity
for sets of molecules in different
lead series. The company’s Switch
platform, as explained on the company’s website, “modifies existing
drugs, enabling faster candidate
selection and development towards
clinical trials for improved, nextgeneration therapies.” Redx Pharma’s pipeline focuses on the development of new compounds in four
main areas, including cardiovascular, influenza, antibiotics and neuropathic pain.
“Cresset is a valuable partner in
our drug discovery programs,” Dr.
Neil Murray, CEO of Redx Pharma,
said in a press release. “Their deep
knowledge of computational chemistry and its application to drug
discovery is enabling us to progress
multiple projects across a wide
range of target classes very quickly
and cost effectively.”
Cresset’s Field technology evaluates the activities and properties of
October 2011 • Drug Discovery News 11
molecules based on their surface
properties, rather than 2D structure
similarity. The technology works to
provide “views of the way in which
ligands interact with proteins, to
interrelate compounds from different chemical series that act at the
same protein site, to find novel chemical series through virtual screening
and to decode Structure Activity
Relationships by comparing molecules as proteins ‘see’ them,” according to the company’s website.
Scoffin says using Cresset’s technology in collaboration with Redx
Pharma is a combination that will
benefit both companies.
“We hope to develop novel drug
candidates across a very broad
range of therapeutic targets which
can then be put through the development process in the most appropriate manner for each target,” says
Scoffin. “Cresset gain excellent
knowledge and experience of a wide
range of targets and molecule classes, which feeds back into the further
development of our scientific and
technological platforms.” ddn
“In this case, we will initially be focusing our
skills on helping Redx with their lead
candidate selection process, whilst the
collaboration also gives Redx the ability
to access our expertise, in a very flexible
manner, across the full range of
computational drug discovery services.”
Dr. Robert Scoffin, CEO of Cresset
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© 2011 Molecular Devices, LLC. All Right Reserved. Molecular
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are the property of Molecular Devices, LLC.
editorial
Announcing the ddn Cancer Research
Portal: Your gateway to the latest
oncology news, trends and resources
I
By Amy Swinderman
n a May 2009 editorial in this publication,
fresh off the American Association for
Cancer Research’s 100th Annual Meeting in
Denver, I shared with our readers that I had
never personally known anyone who suffered from or died of cancer—despite the sobering statistics put forth by the American Cancer
Society that nearly 1.5 million new cancer cases
were diagnosed and more than a half million
people died of cancer in the United States alone
the year prior.
In late 2011, this isn’t the case for me anymore.
Startlingly, a little more than two years later, I
now need two hands to count how many friends
and colleagues have been impacted by some form
of this disease … and I am quickly running out of
fingers.
For some of these friends and colleagues, the
battle was waged uphill. For others, a cancer
diagnosis was but a mild hiccup in their lives,
and they quickly moved on from treatment to
emerge healthier and more proactive about maintaining their health.
At the same time, in the course of reviewing
the past year and planning for 2012, the journalists of ddn recently
took a look at how much
of our news coverage
involves oncology, and
we were stunned to learn
that in the last two years,
our cancer-related news
stories have doubled.
Amy Swinderman,
Today, cancer research
ddn Chief Editor
dominates nearly every
section of our newspaper and other news vehicles. From diagnostics to R&D and everything in
between, cancer is clearly a hot topic.
That’s why we decided to launch our latest
news division, the ddn Cancer Research Portal,
your gateway to the latest oncology news, trends
and resources. Here, on this special website, you
will have immediate access to all of our cancerrelated coverage, as well as featured news and
spotlights on some of the industry’s oncology
leaders and links to various companies, research
centers and organizations dedicated to treating—
or even curing—cancer.
It’s our hope that this news portal will serve
as a bridge between you and the growing cancer
community. In the months to come, we will be
announcing special coverage that will shine a
light on the various players in oncology
research—from bench to bedside. Much like the
I
received emails exhorting me to “stop
complaining and propose something.” I
agree that we’re exhausted from defining
the problem and it’s time to define solutions. With the election coming up in 2012, let’s
go! I am disappointed in both Republicans and
Democrats, often for the same reason. In an election cycle, they are like Michigan and Ohio State
fans arguing before a big game. Once on the field,
they play by the same rules and the proposals
made beforehand quickly fade away. Candidates
don’t change Washington; Washington changes
them. After the inauguration, it’s quickly back to
business as usual. This really matters today
because time is short.
My party is the Pragmatic People’s Party
(PPP). Our slogan is “What works—no magic!”
We have a few central fiscal themes. First, the
federal government is the people, not something
separate from the people. We need it for very few
purposes, including shared defense, shared
infrastructure (physical, electrical, environmental), international relations and regulating commerce (patents, safety). The federal government
should stay far away from limiting social choices,
beyond allowing those choices to be made.
Second, it makes perfect sense to support these
common interests with user fees and income,
sales/excise and property taxes. Third, our party,
unique among the others, insists that taxes
should rarely, if ever, be a means to influence
human behavior.
Fourth, we, the PPP, also accept the principle
that if you are more fortunate, you should contribute more to the common good in linear proportion
to your success, not more and surely not less. Fortune consists of various combinations of luck and
effort. Neither should be considered unfair. Fairness is a concept for meteorologists and elementary
school students. Adults know life is unfair, and we
get over it. Our platform
specifically rejects the
idea that taxes should
appear to accelerate with
success and then be countered with incentives and
then countered again
(alternative minimum
tax) when those special
incentives are perceived
by some to be used too
Peter T. Kissinger,
much. Huh? This is a CEO, Prosolia
riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Speaking of Churchill, we
agree “that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying
to lift himself up by the handle.”
It’s time to trim the rose bushes at the Internal
Revenue Service. Its complexities are a large
drain on our productivity as a nation. Some calculate that it costs 30 percent of tax revenues
collected to both calculate what is due and then
scheme to find ways to avoid it. That’s more than
$400 billion annually, a great potential source for
United Way, your local symphony or even my life
science startup.
Fifth, our party opposes corporate income tax
and the corporate component of social welfare
taxes. These indirect tax channels from individuals (employees, shareholders, customers) provide
opportunity for political and business shenanigans that are not transparent. Following this
tenet, life science companies will not be arguing
for R&D tax credits. Depreciation rates need not
be different for taxes versus book accounting.
There will be no credit unions. There will be no
income tax preferences for drilling for oil or building a plant in a special real estate zone. Real estate
and property tax abatement are development tools
that would remain for local government. No company will be motivated to hide cash overseas for
tax reasons. All organizations should be profitable
Publisher
Bruce Poorman
Associate Publisher
Laurence Doyle
Editorial
Amy Swinderman, Chief Editor
swinderman@drugdiscoverynews.com
Jeffrey Bouley, Managing Editor
bouley@drugdiscoverynews.com
Kelsey Kaustinen, Associate Editor
kaustinen@drugdiscoverynews.com
Contributing Editors
Lloyd Dunlap, David Hutton,
Lori Lesko, Kimberley Sirk
Advertising
Northeast
ever-changing news, we expect the ddn Cancer
Research Portal to exist as a living, breathing
entity that alters in reaction to the most up-todate announcements and trends.
Whether you are a cancer researcher, a student pursuing the oncology field, a company
engaged in the search for anti-cancer compounds, a member of government or just an
interested party, we hope you enjoy this new
resource, which you can access by visiting
www.ddncancer.com. Thanks for reading. ddn
Taxes, innovation and life science jobs
By Peter T. Kissinger
n response to several recent columns, I
including churches, museums, universities, families and governments. To be nonprofit is a curse
to be overcome, not a badge to be proudly worn.
Sixth, revenue would come to the federal government primarily from the income tax directly
on individuals with few—if any—deductions.
There also would be user fees for parks, highways, airways, patents, FDA and the like. Charities would be supported from the heart. To collect
adequate revenue without deductions, the rates
will be modest for all.
Seventh, Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX, or the Full
Employment Act for Attorneys and Accountants
of 2002) should be reversed (NOSOX, or the
Unemployment Act for Attorneys and Accountants of 2012). We must slow down responding
to the question, “Why didn’t the government do
something about that?” We ARE the government. A few of us will behave very badly no matter what. We have long proven that rules to prevent the malfeasance of a few often do great
damage to the majority and little to those selfaggrandizing slimes who are a side effect of
sexual conjugation. The Enron and Tyco boards
screwed up. Now the rest of us pay. Shutting
down the IPO route to investment liquidity was
equivalent to taking milk from babies and venture capital from startups.
Eighth, as we have proven time and again,
reducing capital gains tax rates increases capital
gains tax revenues. Life science investing is a
long-term activity that must be driven by hope
for more than just change, but for gold. Should
we tax those gains at all? I’m thinking perhaps
not. Whatever gains there are will be put to
work and thereby soon enough provide tax revenue from sales taxes, property taxes and
income taxes. Growth catalyzes tax revenue.
Rates can do the opposite.
A lot of cash is frozen today by an uncertain
upside and repeated short term plans that purtaxes continued on page 13
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editorial
Multi-parameter optimization:
The delicate balancing act of drug discovery
A
By Matthew Segall, Optibrium Ltd.
safe and efficacious drug has
percent, it is common for computational models in drug discovery to have uncertainties of
an order of magnitude, and even experimental
measurements may have uncertainties of a factor of two or more. Therefore, when selecting
and designing compounds, it is important to
consider the confidence with which we can
choose between compounds in order to avoid
missed opportunities.
A number of MPO methods are being
applied in drug discovery. Here, we will briefly discuss some key, illustrative examples.
a balance of many properties.
Potency against the therapeutic
target is essential, and appropriate physicochemical and absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination (ADME)
properties are also required in order to achieve
suitable in-vivo disposition. Furthermore,
selectivity against off targets and an absence
of non-specific and idiosyncratic toxicities are
necessary to achieve acceptable side effect and
safety profiles. Unfortunately, these requirements are often conflicting, with improve- Rules-of-Thumb
ments in one property leading to detrimental The most famous example of a rule-of-thumb
changes in another.
is Lipinski’s Rule of Five (RoF), which relates
The challenge of successfully achieving this the molecular weight, lipophilicity and hydrodelicate balancing act is illustrated by a his- gen bonding characteristics of a compound to
torical view of pharmaceutical R&D, a picture its likelihood of achieving good oral absorpdominated by increasing costs and low suc- tion. The RoF has since been joined in the
cess rates. The causes of the
medicinal chemists’ armory
high attrition rates for cliniby many other rules-of-thumb
cal candidates have changed
that relate the biological propover the years. In particular,
erties, development potential
the previously high failure
or safety of compounds to
rate due to poor pharmacosimple characteristics, includkinetics (PK) has been
ing polar surface area, flexibilreduced, while the failures
ity, number of sp3 carbons and
du e t o t ox i c it y h ave
number of aromatic rings.
increased. The reduction in
The enormous popularity
PK f ailures has been
of rules-of-thumb derives
achieved through the introfrom the ease with which they
duction of early in-vitro
may be applied and interpretscreens to filter out comed. They provide clear guidepounds with potential
lines that help chemists to
ADME issues, and similar Matthew Segall, Optibrium
focus on factors that will
efforts are underway to
increase the potential to idendevelop early tests for toxicities. However, the tify high-quality compounds while optimizing
overall success rate has not improved, and the potency and eliminate chemistries with a low
hidden cost of missed opportunities due to chance of success early in the process.
good compounds incorrectly eliminated is
Rules-of-thumb have been derived from
also likely to be high. This suggests that an extensive statistical analysis of historical data
alternative approach is required, taking a and most relate to a specific objective. Thereholistic approach to designing compounds fore, it is important to apply them in an approwith a good balance of properties as early as priate context; for example, the RoF was develpossible in the process.
oped as a guide to improving the chance of
This realization has led to a recent surge in achieving oral absorption, but it is frequently
interest in methods for simultaneously opti- applied as a definition of “drug-likeness,”
mizing multiple factors, described as multi- despite the fact that the requirements for a
parameter optimization (MPO). Many MPO compound intended for other routes of adminmethods have been developed in fields such istration such as intravenous or inhalation are
as engineering, economics and quality control quite different, potentially leading to inapprothat may be readily adapted to the drug dis- priate decisions.
covery environment, and in the context of
It is also important not to be too rigid when
drug discovery, a good MPO method needs to applying rules-of-thumb, particularly when
satisfy the following requirements:
options are limited. The correlations between
■■ Interpretability: The output must provide
these simple characteristics and the biological
intuitive guidance on the impact of individual properties of a compound are not strong. Is
properties on the quality of a compound and there a significant difference in the chance of
oral absorption for a compound with a molechow it could be improved.
■■ Flexibility: There is no “one-size-fits-all”
ular weight of 501 Da versus one with 499 Da?
definition of a perfect drug. A project team
should be able to define the profile of proper- Filtering
ties they require, depending on the therapeu- Probably the most common approach used in
tic and commercial objectives of the project, an attempt to identify compounds with an
historical data and experience.
appropriate property profile is to filter out
■■ Weighting: Not all properties are equally
those compounds that fail to meet each criteimportant. Compromise is usually neces- rion in turn, with the hope that one or more
sary, and it should be possible for a project “ideal” compounds will emerge at the end,
team to define the acceptable trade-offs by having satisfied all of the criteria. Early in a
project, the criteria corresponding to one of
weighting individual property criteria.
■■ Uncertainty: Unlike engineering discithe rules-of-thumb may be applied as filters,
plines, where it is often possible to simulate the but predicted and experimentally measured
properties of a design within a fraction of a properties are often compared against a target
product profile in this way.
The apparent simplicity of a filtering
approach hides a number of dangers. Achieving a balance of properties often requires
compromise, as the requirements often conflict and it is very common for no compounds
to emerge from the sequence of filters. Hard
cut-offs introduce artificially harsh distinctions between options, and this is exacerbated
by the effect of the uncertainty in the underlying data; combining multiple uncertain filters
accumulates error and dramatically increases
the chance of incorrectly discarding a good
compound. As a simple illustration, if we
apply 10 filters that are each 90 percent accurate in passing/failing a compound, the probability of an ideal compound emerging, even
if it was present in the set being filtered, is
only 35 percent; we are more likely to throw
away an ideal compound than accept it.
Desirability
An alternative approach that avoids hard cutoffs and allows acceptable trade-offs to be
defined is provided by “desirability functions.” A desirability function maps a property value onto a scale between zero and one
that represents the desirability of a compound
with that property value; an ideal value will
achieve a desirability score of one, while a
completely unacceptable value will receive a
desirability score of zero. Desirability functions give excellent flexibility, as a desirability
function can take any shape. For example, a
slope indicating increasing desirability as the
property value approaches the ideal range or
even non-linear relationships, such as a sigmoid or bell curve. The desirability scores of
individual properties can then be easily combined into a “desirability index” to reflect the
overall quality of a compound by adding them
together or taking the average or geometric
mean. Furthermore, the results may also be
easily interpreted, as the impact of each individual property to the overall desirability
index can be calculated to guide strategies to
improve the overall quality.
A group at Pfizer described an application
of desirability functions to prioritize compounds with a greater chance of success
against a central nervous system (CNS) target. Its “CNS MPO” approach employs six
calculated physicochemical parameters to
calculate a desirability index in the range 0
to 6. They found that 74 percent of a set of
marketed drugs for CNS targets achieved a
CNS MPO index of about 4, compared with
only 60 percent of the Pfizer candidates, a
statistically significant difference. They also
found that high CNS MPO index correlated
with positive outcomes for several key invitro ADME and toxicity endpoints including permeability, metabolic stability, active
transport by P-glycoprotein, cytotoxicity
and hERG inhibition.
Considering uncertainty
The probabilistic scoring method builds on
the flexibility and interpretability of desirability functions by explicitly taking into account
the uncertainty in the underlying data. Thus,
not only is a score calculated for each compound, representing the likelihood of achieving the required profile of properties, but an
uncertainty in each overall score is also estimated. This provides much more information,
as it becomes possible to see when the data
allows compounds to be confidently distinguished or, alternatively, when higher resolution data or another criterion is necessary to
make a clear choice. The objectivity this introduces allows projects to focus their efforts on
chemistries with the highest chance of success
while not missing potential opportunities.
Conclusion
Dealing with complex, multi-parameter data
with high uncertainty is an enormous challenge. The temptation is to focus on a single
property, often targeting potency, in the hope
that issues that arise can be dealt with later
in the process. This is a risky strategy, as once
locked into a tight chemical series, it becomes
difficult to break out if other necessary properties are not achievable. This leads to long
optimization cycles and late-stage failures,
increasing the time and cost of drug discovery
and reducing productivity. It is much better
to consider the overall balance of properties
as early as possible in the process to focus on
chemistries with the best chance of quick
progress and downstream success. ddn
Dr. Matthew Segall is director and CEO of Optibrium
Ltd. Segall has a M.Sc. degree in computation
from the University of Oxford and a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the University of Cambridge.
As associate director at Camitro, ArQule Inc. and
then Inpharmatica, he led a team developing predictive ADME models and state-of-the-art intuitive
decision-support and visualization tools for drug
discovery. In January 2006, he became responsible
for management of Inpharmatica’s ADME business,
including experimental ADME services and the
StarDrop software platform. Following acquisition of
Inpharmatica, Segall became senior director, where
he was responsible for BioFocus DPI’s ADMET division. In 2009, he led a management buyout of the
StarDrop business to found Optibrium.
taxes
port to create jobs, but simply move money
from one private economy job to another or
to the public sector. Capital senses irrational
behavior and hides. Consider the tax on medical device revenues proposed to begin in 2013.
How does this make healthcare more affordable any more than raising the price of milk
makes milk more affordable? How does
reducing social security taxes for a brief time
encourage long-term hiring and solve the economic problems of entitlements?
Prune the IRS rose bushes now. We can
lower tax rates, simplify the process, improve
transparency and raise government revenues
while freeing capital to get back to work. That’s
where jobs will come from. We in life sciences
neither need nor deserve any special help.
Freedom now! We’ll get it done the day we see
a future of opportunity, not the threat of taking
it away. Paying taxes is the result of success.
I’d love to pay more to do my share. ddn
Peter T. Kissinger is professor of chemistry at Purdue
University, chairman emeritus of BASi and a director
of Chembio Diagnostics, Phlebotics and Prosolia.
b r i e f s
PCR services are basis of new
Exiqon, AROS agreement
WOBURN, Mass.—Exiqon AS and AROS Applied
Biotechnology AS recently signed a Center of
Excellence agreement by which AROS will gain the
ability to provide real-time PCR services based on
Exiqon’s miRCURY LNA Universal RT microRNA
PCR product line. The agreement leverages
Exiqon’s and AROS’ positions as leaders in the
supply of high-value gene expression analysis
products and total genomic solutions services,
respectively. Additionally, LNA-based microRNA
profiling has significant potential as a non-invasive method of discovering new biomarkers, since
including LNA in the PCR primers adds a sensitivity that makes it possible to profile non-invasive
samples, such as serum or plasma, with a very
low quantity of RNA. Brian Sorensen, CEO of AROS,
said the company is “convinced that Exiqon’s
miRCURY LNA Universal RT microRNA PCR product line is a strong addition to our offering.”
Promega, Puracyp merge
cell lines, assay systems
MADISON, Wis.—Puracyp
Inc. and Promega
Corp. recently came together to provide allinclusive kits for the assessment of nuclear
receptor activation, P450 metabolism and cellular toxicity during the development process.
The kits boast components that are designed
and tested to work together in comprehensive
user protocols. Puracyp brings to the table its
proprietary nuclear receptor expressing cell
lines, while Promega brings its assay and detection technologies for bioluminescent reporters,
cell viability and P450-Glo substrate-based
metabolism assays. In addition, the two companies have also launched a product line made up
of DPX2 cells (human PXR), rPXR cells (rodent
PXR), MkB3 cells (monkey PXR) and 1A2-DRE
cells (human AhR). The cell-based assay systems
are compatible to multiplexing in which activation, metabolism and toxicity can be assessed
in one well of a 96- or 384-well plate.
TEMIS, Alfresco launch content
management integration
LONDON—TEMIS and Alfresco have recently
announced an integration that will enable the
deployment of Luxid, TEMIS’ flagship content
enrichment platform, to Alfresco’s open-source
content management solutions. Luxid is a content enrichment solution that extracts important
information from documents automatically, and
when combined with Alfresco Enterprise, it can
access documents to generate metadata and
complete the embedded Apache Tika metadata
and extraction with semantic analysis. The
extracted semantic metadata can then be utilized through Alfresco Enterprise to strengthen
search facets, identify related content, link to
enterprise knowledge bases, feed business intelligence dashboards or trigger business workflows.
Going with the flow
EMD Millipore acquires
cell-imaging instrument
maker Amnis
By David Hutton
SEATTLE—In an effort to strengthen its bioscience business, EMD Millipore, the life science
division of Merck KGaA of Germany, has
acquired Amnis Corp., a cell-imaging instrumentation maker based here.
Financial terms of the deal have not been
released. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and closing is expected to take
place in the fourth quarter.
According to Steffen Grimminger, director
of Communication Strategy & Governance for
EMD Millipore, the acquisition will help EMD
Millipore to execute upon its strategy to build
a powerful systems biology platform.
“Currently, there are no solutions available
that enable customers to directly link the outputs of flow and image analysis,” he says.
“Specifically, confirming flow data with image
analysis, linking multi-parameter flow data
with protein localization via imaging and con-
Amnis is EMD Millipore’s second acquisition this year.
The company, which spun out of the University of
Washington in 1998, makes an imaging device that
provides detailed images of large numbers of cells,
potentially enabling researchers to detect trace
amounts of cancer in a blood sample, or determine
whether a drug will hit a particular protein target.
necting cell characteristics such as morphology to protein expression. All of these are
significant unmet needs that we have validated through extensive market analysis and
voice of customer through our rigorous strategic planning process.”
Jonathan DiVincenzo, head of the Bioscience
business unit within EMD Millipore, says the
acquisition of Amnis significantly contributes
to the company’s strategy to be a leader in cellular analysis and systems biology.
“Amnis’ technology will put EMD Millipore
at the forefront of cell analysis by providing
us access to breakthrough, combined imaging
flow cytometry, addressing several unmet
needs in the field of cell analysis and systems
biology,” he says. “Today, there are no comparable alternatives that enable our customers
to combine flow cytometry and image analysis
in one integrated solution. With this acquisition, EMD Millipore becomes the only provider of this technology.”
This is the second acquisition for EMD
Millipore this year. In March, Merck acquired
the microbiology business of Biotest AG of
Germany and added it to the operations of
EMD Millipore, to boost its business in
hygiene monitoring and ready-to-use media
products for contamination detection.
Grimminger says both EMD Millipore and
its parent company Merck KGaA have a longterm view when considering acquisitions.
“It is kind of hard to measure success when
flow continued on page 15
Broadway
On a kidney quest
boogie-woogie
NuGEN will partner with Advanced Liquid
Logic to co-develop Mondrian-like microfluidic
sample preparation automation
By Lloyd Dunlap
SAN CARLOS, Calif.—NuGEN Technologies Inc., which focuses on the
development of sample preparation solutions for next-generation
sequencing (NGS) and genomic
profiling applications, and
Advanced Liquid Logic (ALL), a
pioneer in digital microfluidics
technology, have inked an exclusive co-development and supply
agreement under which ALL will Artist Piet Mondrian painted traditional
provide instrumentation, software subjects in an increasingly abstract
and digital microfluidic cartridge style. In his Broadway Boogie Woogie,
technology to NuGEN for Mondrian depicts the restless motion
of New York City.
commercialization.
As part of the co-development process, NuGEN will focus on
reagent and sample preparation, and ALL will provide its expertise
in digital microfluidic design and programming. NuGEN will be the
exclusive provider of both the instrument and reagent technology
commercially to the life-science research market.
“I became aware of Advanced Liquid Logic as I was searching for a
mondrian continued on page 18
Critical Path Institute’s collaboration
with Pharsight explores new model
in battle against kidney disease
By David Hutton
ST. LOUIS—The
Critical Path
Institute’s PKD Consortium
has entered a collaboration
with the scientists at software
and consulting firm Pharsight
to develop quantitative models of kidney disease.
This work is the latest step
in the Critical Path Institute
(C-Path) PKD Consortium’s
quest to advance CDISC
research data standards and
an imaging biomarker for
autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD),
which affects one in 500
Americans and more than 12
million people worldwide.
The consortium is led by
C-Path and funded through a
grant from the PKD Foundation and philanthropic donations. Additionally, a representative from the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration
(FDA) serves as an active
advisor to the consortium.
The consortium also includes
four leading academic medical centers: Tufts University,
the University of Colorado
Denver, Emory University
and the Mayo Clinic.
The primary goals of the
PKD Consortium are to develop CDISC research data standards for PKD and to use clinical data from PKD patients
collected over many years
through patient registries and
clinical trials to support the
FDA’s qualification of an imaging biomarker, total kidney
volume (TKV), as an endpoint
in drug development trials.
Financial terms and other
details of the deal are confidential and have not been
released.
According to Lisa Romero,
kidney continued on page 16
DDN 1-2 Pg Ad VERTICAL_DDN 1-2 Pg Ad VERTICAL 8/30/11 2:36 PM Page 1
Instruments & informatics
Sweet deal for
Agilent in Asia
Agilent Technologies
and Chungnam National
University team up to push
glycomics research forward
By Jeffrey Bouley
SANTA CLARA, Calif.—Marking the first part-
tion and funding situation.”
“We are excited about this collaboration
with one of the world’s leading universities on glycan research,” said Rod Minett,
general manager, Agilent Life Sciences
Group, South Asia Pacific and Korea, in
the news release about the deal. “The
knowledge gleaned from the collaboration
will not only contribute toward the
improvement of the biosimilars industry
nership of its kind for Agilent Technologies
Inc. in Asia, the company has come together
with Chungnam
National University
(CNU) in Daejeon,
Korea, to announce an
agreement for developing new applications, methods, technologies and software
tools in the field of
g l yc o m i c s , o r t h e
study of complex sugars. The university’s
primary goal in this
effort is to identify
and develop biomarkers for diseases such
as cancer, thereby
leading to develop- Present at the signing of the memorandum of understanding between Agilent
Technologies and Chungnam National University were, from left to right: Dr.
ment of therapeutic Rudolf Grimm, director of science and technology for Agilent’s Life Science
antibody products.
Group; Park Si-Young, country manager for the Life Science Group in Korea; Prof.
“This collaboration Kwang Hwa Chung, dean of faculty of analytical science and technology at the
is a perfect fit to Agi- university; and Prof. An Hyun Joo, head of the new Asia Glycomics Education
lent as key focus areas Center and a member of the analytical science and technology faculty at the
in life science are the university’s Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology.
academic market as well as the biotech/phar- in Korea, but also help scientists discover
ma industry,” Dr. Rudolf Grimm, director of new cures and develop new drugs and vacscience and technology for Agilent’s Life Sci- cines to treat and prevent diseases.”
The research will be jointly led by Prof.
ence Group, tells ddn in describing how the
deal fits into his company’s strategic goals Hyun Joo An, a professor of analytical sciand the university’s. “CNU’s benefit is in the ence and technology at Chungnam National
first bigger university-industry relationship, University’s Graduate School of Analytical
which will increase the university’s reputaasia continued on page 17
flow
a technology that was created by a company of 40 people gets integrated into an
organization with 40,000 employees,” he
says. “Having said that, it will be truly
rewarding for EMD Millipore to be the
only provider of the flow and image analysis technology going forward.”
Amnis has had an interesting path to
date. The company spun out of the University of Washington in 1998. It makes an
imaging device that provides detailed
images of large numbers of cells, potentially enabling researchers to detect trace
amounts of cancer in a blood sample, or
determine whether a drug will hit a particular protein target. The company’s customers include academic researchers and
big drugmakers.
According to David Basiji, CEO of
Amnis, the main reason behind his company’s decision to sell was to accelerate the
growth of its technology.
“We’re comfortably profitable, and our
business has grown at an 80 percent compounded annual rate since 2005,” he says,
“but with the addition of the lower price/
higher volume FlowSight product, plus
three clinical applications in development,
we now have far more to do than we can
fund organically.”
Amnis generated sales of $14 million in
2010.
Basiji also points out that Amnis’ technology is highly complementary to EMD
Millipore’s existing flow cytometry-related products and capabilities, both from an
instr umentation and application
perspective.
“It’s too early to talk about specific strategic moves, but I think we have all the
ingredients in place to become a major
player in all aspects of cellular analysis and
systems biology,” he says. “This will help
us to drive the penetration of Amnis’ technology, not only with our combined customer base, but also in adjacent fields and
markets of cell analysis where we see a
huge potential. We expect Millipore will
both accelerate our existing projects as
well as allow us to broaden into areas we’ve
wanted to go, but haven’t been able to pursue due to resource constraints.”
Amnis, which currently has 40
employees, will remain in Seattle with its
existing staff and management, according
to Basiji. ddn
NDRI recovers
human tissue
for your research
Photo: Digital rendition of a triple-labeled section of human retina,
courtesy of Lauren C. Liets, Ph.D., University of California, Davis, CA
Human tissue is
the pathway to
drug discovery
Every human tissue is available through NDRI’s national
system. You are a phone call away from immediate service
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caliper
September the signing of a definitive agreement
to acquire Hopkinton, Mass.-based Caliper Life
Sciences Inc.
“It was featured in our strategic plans back at
the end of 2008 or beginning of 2009 that we had
identified preclinical work as a natural stepping
stone from cellular imaging,” Alan Fletcher, vice
president of strategic marketing for the Bio-discovery unit of PerkinElmer, tells ddn. “If you
think about our capabilities in detection as well,
we have a natural progression to proceed into
clinically relevant data for trials. We’ve been
looking at areas like toxicology and animal imaging, which are high-growth areas in our view.”
Under the terms of the agreement, PerkinElmer will buy Caliper for $10.50 per share, or a
total of about $600 million in cash. The deal is
expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2011,
and Kevin Hrusovsky, Caliper’s CEO, plans to
join PerkinElmer’s senior leadership team following the close of the transaction.
Robert F. Friel, chairman and CEO of PerkinElmer, said in the news release about the deal
that the combined R&D expertise and intellectual
property of the companies will accelerate their
ability to bring new innovations to market, adding, “The acquisition of Caliper Life Sciences
brings innovative molecular imaging and detection technologies to our portfolio, complement-
world-leading microfluidics platform for genomics and proteomics applications, for improved
detection and screening through low sample use
and efficiency; and high-value sample preparation technologies for key scientific workflow
areas such as next-generation DNA sequencing.
In addition, PerkinElmer foresees more comprehensive solutions and services for identification of therapeutic response, biotherapeutics
development and biologics QA/QC; platform
technology additions that will drive expansion
into attractive areas such as detection for environmental contaminants and food pathogens;
and broadened services capabilities that will
leverage multi-vendor asset management, custom research and profiling for contaminants and
adverse effects.
Fletcher believes the cultural fit between the
two companies is good, saying that change in the
Bio-discovery unit and health sciences in general
at PerkinElmer for the past few years has been
strongly driven by a commitment to innovation.
“If you look at Caliper, Kevin himself stands
up as an extremely motivational individual, and
the culture he has encouraged overlaps significantly with our own Bio-discovery business with
the potential for spreading out to other divisions
of PerkinElmer,” Fletcher adds.
“Throughout the past eight years, Caliper has
assembled an unparalleled suite of disruptive
technologies to revolutionize medicine. We are
excited about the merger with PerkinElmer as it
Cellular imaging is one of PerkinElmer’s strengths, but the company’s leaders want to expand on that to enter the
preclinical realm, companion diagnostics and other “compelling customer solutions in a broad range of highgrowth end markets.”
ing our world-leading offerings in life science,
diagnostics, environmental and food markets.”
Reportedly, the combined technology platforms will expand PerkinElmer’s portfolio of
solutions and services for global customers,
including: broader offerings for molecular, cellular, animal and tissue imaging to enable translational medicine research; the addition of a
enables us to rapidly ramp the adoption of these
technologies and accelerate our expansion into
molecular diagnostics and environmental health
markets—areas where PerkinElmer has established and growing market positions,”
Hrusovsky says. “We are confident that this
merger maximizes value for Caliper’s key stakeholders while strengthening the company’s posi-
kidney
Combining the R&D power and the intellectual property
of PerkinElmer with Caliper’s will accelerate their ability
to bring new innovations to market, says Robert F. Friel,
chairman and CEO of PerkinElmer.
tion as a leading provider of enabling technologies for personalized medicine.”
He adds that PerkinElmer and Caliper’s technologies are “a great fit” and the resulting combined portfolio promises to be the “premier suite
of tools that create the in vitro to in vivo to human
‘bridge’ for personalized medicine.” Hrusovsky
predicts synergistic opportunities in several key
technology areas, including small-molecule discovery, biotherapeutics and vaccines, biomarker
discovery and companion diagnostics, next-generation sequencing and regenerative medicine.
This deal follows the acquisition of several
other companies by PerkinElmer earlier in the
year, but it has a much different character. For
one thing, the Caliper acquisition is the largest
of the lot, but also the previous acquisitions—
Geospiza, CambridgeSoft and ArtusLabs—
focused on expansion of PerkinElmer’s bioinformatics capabilities.
Still, while this acquisition may seem to be of
a different character, Fletcher emphasizes that
the informatics focus earlier in the year and the
Caliper acquisition now stand to provide “significant overlap” and strengthen the overall
offerings by bringing together such things as
DNA and RNA sample preparation, bioinformatics, toxicology CRO services, imaging and more,
“complementing not only Bio-discovery, but also
the broader PerkinElmer portfolio.”
Fletcher also notes that PerkinElmer has been
looking to expand in Asia and sees that region
and other emerging markets as attractive places
to market Caliper’s products.
The total purchase price represents a premium
of 42 percent for Caliper Life Sciences shareholders, relative to the closing price of $7.39 on Sept.
7, which was the last trading day prior to the
announcement of the acquisition plans.
The acquisition has received the unanimous
support of the boards of directors of both companies, and the transaction is expected to be dilutive
to PerkinElmer’s 2012 GAAP earnings per share
by approximately 5 cents and accretive to PerkinElmer’s 2012 First Call consensus adjusted earnings per share by approximately 8 cents.
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval of Caliper Life
Sciences stockholders, and the expiration or termination of the waiting period under the HartScott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. ddn
Caliper Life Sciences and Yale Center for Genome
Analysis automate next-gen sequencing workflows
HOPKINTON, Mass.— Caliper Life
Sciences Inc. last month
announced a collaboration with
the Center for Genome Analysis at
Yale University to implement automated protocols for exome capture
and library preparation
workflows.
Yale has purchased Caliper’s Sciclone NGS Workstation and Lab-
Chip GXI to improve key bottlenecks in the Illumina HiSeq2000
NGS sample preparation process,
said Dr. Shrikant Mane, director of
the Yale Center for Genome Analysis, in a statement.
“We chose these systems because
of their flexibility, which will enable
us to automate protocols for the
Pacific Biosciences sequencing
workflow in the future, and because
of the hands-on support Caliper
provides in customizing their systems to automate the numerous
sequencing workflows utilized at
our center,” Mane said.
Caliper is working to enhance its
NGS sample preparation suite to
accelerate sample preparation for
each of its sequencing instrumenta-
tion and reagent platforms, added
Kevin Hrusovsky, the company’s
president and CEO.
“Our team is committed to providing the highest level of support
and resources to enable leading
NGS institutions to conduct fundamental research that will enable the
delivery of medicine in a more personalized manner,” he added. ddn
communications and strategic
outreach manager for Critical
Path Institute, the company
“works with many collaborators on its various consortia/
projects and is looking forward to a productive new partnership between its PKD Consortium and Pharsight.”
“The PKD Consortium is
very pleased about this significant partnership to create and
study quantitative models of
disease progression in patients
with autosomal dominant
polycystic kidney disease,” she
says, noting how much need
there is for a biomarker that
will assess disease progression
“Traditional endpoints
of renal function only
show changes very
late in the course of
the disease, making it
difficult to assess the
effectiveness of new
medications. There is
critical need for a
biomarker that will assess
disease progression at an
earlier stage when patients
may be more likely to
respond to new therapies.”
Dr. Eslie Dennis,
executive director
of the PKD Consortium
at C-Path
earlier and make it easier to
give patients the right kind of
therapy at the right time.
The timeline to develop a
quantitative disease progression model, Romero notes,
depends on C-Path’s plans and
the plans of collaborators and
pharmaceutical companies.
She adds that the model provides an incentive for industry
to develop a treatment for this
disease since there is an
approval path.
“A qualified measure will
encourage drug development
organizations to test potential
new disease-modifying treatments for ADPKD,” she adds.
Dr. Eslie Dennis, executive
director of the PKD Consortium at C-Path, says the project
l eve r age s t h e p owe r o f
collaboration.
“Traditional endpoints of
renal function only show
changes very late in the course
of the disease, making it difficult to assess the effectiveness
of new medications,” Dennis
says. “There is critical need for
a biomarker that will assess
disease progression at an earlier stage when patients may be
more likely to respond to new
therapies.” ddn
asia
A lab at Chungnam National University,
outfitted with Agilent instruments as part
of the collaborative work between the
university and the company.
drugs and biosimilar drugs as well
as glycan biomarkers. Since Korea
is investing heavily into academic
research on one hand as well as
into the biosimilar industry—but
so far lacked local expertise in glycan research/analysis—our partnership will strongly benefit the
entire community.”
“There has been an increased
interest in the area of glycomics
research in Korea,” said An in the
official statement about the collaboration. “I am very pleased
that Chungnam National University and Agilent have chosen to
combine their cutting-edge technology and knowledge in Korea to
further research in this very exciting field.”
“Chungnam National University,
with our motto, ‘Creativity, development and service to the community,’ has been offering the best
possible environment for excellence in research and education for
over 50 years,” added Prof. Kwang
Hwa Chung, dean of Chungnam
National University. “We are proud
to announce this collaboration
with Agilent that will see our university using the latest analytical
and scientific technologies for
research in glycomics.”
Under the agreement, GRAST
will also develop glycomics training
courses for Agilent’s customers and
employees to help further the
advancement in the field, while Agilent Life Sciences will use GRAST
“The knowledge gleaned from the collaboration will not
only contribute toward the improvement of the biosimilars
industry in Korea, but also help scientists discover new cures and
develop new drugs and vaccines to treat and prevent diseases.”
Rod Minett, general manager, Agilent Life Sciences Group
as its strategic glycomics reference
site in Korea and Southeast Asia.
A collaboration with “a worldclass analytical scientist like Prof.
An” is a critical step in efforts to
push innovation in the field of gly-
comics, Grimm says, adding that
“such partnerships will ensure that
Agilent remains a leading provider
of knowledge and analytical solutions to further research.”
The partnership will also ben-
efit from familiarity, as Grimm and
An are previously acquainted.
Grimm explains that he has
known An for more than seven
years from her former postdoctoral time at Prof. Carlito Lebrilla’s
lab at the University of CaliforniaDavis, which was the site of another strategic glycomics collaboration with Agilent.
“When she became a professor at
Chungnam National University in
March 2011, we started to talk about
continuing our collaborative work
in the form of a glycomics network
between Agilent, UC Davis and
Chungnam National University,”
Grimm says. “We have published
jointly several papers in the past
several years.” ddn
Synergy™2
Alpha
Science and Technology (GRAST)
and head of the new Asia Glycomics Education Center, and by
Grimm, whose duties also include
serving as Agilent’s manager of collaborations in the Asia Pacific
region. Grimm was appointed as an
adjunct professor by the university
for his work in the glycomics field.
Both researchers will define and
conduct joint research projects to
develop new applications, methods
or analytical tools for glycan
analysis.
As Grimm tells ddn, “Agilent will
provide cutting-edge technologies
to An, and she will use those technologies to develop novel analytical
methods to analyze glycoprotein
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Aridhia, Glencoe create analysis products mondrian
GLASGOW, Scotland—Aridhia
Informatics Ltd., a multidisciplinary
health informatics company,
recently partnered with Glencoe
Software to create products to aid
the development of personalized
therapies and deliver improved
patient outcomes.
The partnership brings together
Aridhia’s capabilities in accessing,
storing and analyzing healthcare
information with Glencoe’s exper-
tise in managing, sharing and publishing large scientific datasets
generated in laboratories around
the world.
Anticipating an increased focus
on stratified medicine in coming
years, the two companies will work
together to create products for the
international healthcare, life and
biomedical science markets using
real-world clinical, genetic and
research information.
As part of the agreement, Aridhia
will make a major investment in
Seattle-based Glencoe to further
accelerate its already rapid growth
in these areas.
“Dundee is a great place for life
sciences companies such as Aridhia
and Glencoe to do business,” said
Prof. Peter Downes, principal of the
university, in a statement. “Their collaboration here will create jobs and
further strengthen our innovation
economy. It is good news for Dundee
and good news for Scotland.”
Aridhia Informatics is a joint
venture between the University of
Dundee, NHS Tayside and Sumerian IT Analytics. Aridhia provides
a combination of clinical expertise,
academic excellence and high-performance computing experience to
generate real-time information services that improve the safety, quality and efficiency of healthcare. ddn
way to provide affordable automation of sample preparation to the
market,” says NuGen CEO Elizabeth
Hutt. “This is a natural extension of
our commitment to develop technologies that solve bottlenecks in
sample processing, streamline
workflows and expand access to
precious clinical specimens. There
is a strong synergy between the two
companies, as both have unique
offerings that change the way scientists think about their research.”
NuGEN will market the system
under the brand name Mondrian
SP, she notes, because NuGEN’s
brand identity evokes a Mondrian
look and feel.
“We recognized that there was a
strong similarity between the cartridge design and Piet Mondrian’s
Broadway Boogie Woogie—where art
meets science—the perfect description of an innovative and elegant
design,” Hutt adds.
ALL’s technology enables direct
electrical manipulation of submicroliter droplets without requiring pumps, valves or channels.
The instrument itself is small, very
reliable, easy to maintain and lowcost, as it has virtually no moving
parts, Hutt notes. Single instruments accommodate lower throughput requirements effectively, while
multiple units reportedly can be
used in tandem with HTP robotics
to further streamline larger workflow processes.
The collaboration will focus initially on NGS library preparation
protocols for Illumina sequencing
platforms. The first protocols are
currently being developed in partnership with the Broad Institute.
NuGEN is also collaborating with the
Broad Institute and Advanced Liquid Logic on method development on
the digital microfluidic cartridge.
A broad menu of protocols will
be developed for applications that
will be compatible with all major
NGS platforms and also for other
genomic analysis techniques,
including microarrays and qPCR.
Future development plans from
NuGEN include Ovation RNA-Seq
and Encore Amplification Free NGS
Library Systems, with availability
expected by year’s end.
“We think NuGEN has demonstrated unique capabilities in
enabling researchers to work with
very small amounts of starting
materials,” says Hutt. “The need for
these cost-effective tools and efficient workflows in sub-microliter
volumes transcends laboratories
of all sizes.”
“Increasing interest in employing
NGS technology has created a need
for sample preparation automation
that is cost-effective to acquire and
operate,” adds Richard West,
president and CEO of ALL. “We
expect the Mondrian SP to gain
broad adoption in the research
laboratory environment.” ddn
b r i e f s
3M, Lumora ink joint developing
and licensing agreement
LONDON—Lumora Ltd., headquartered in Ely,
Cambridgeshire, and St. Paul, Minn.-based 3M
have announced the recent signing of a joint
development and licensing agreement. The conclusion of this agreement will allow 3M, a
research and development leader specializing
in the manufacture of products for several markets, to develop and sell nucleic acid test kits
that utilize Lumora’s Bioluminescent Assay in
Real-Time (BART) technology. Lumora focuses
on the development of robust, affordable, easyto-use molecular diagnostics systems based on
BART, a novel reporter system designed for use
in conjunction with isothermal nucleic acid
amplification technologies, primarily as a molecular diagnostic tool. No financial details for the
agreement were disclosed.
Billion-dollar boost
GE’s health business
unit earmarks $1
billion for cancer
diagnostics and
molecular imaging
By Amy Swinderman
CHALFONT ST. GILES, U.K.—As the
medical community continues to
struggle to tackle the complexity
of cancer, GE Healthcare, the
health business division of General Electric Co., is rising to the
challenge with a $1 billion boost to
its R&D budget over the next five
years to expand its cancer diagnostic and molecular imaging capa-
Much of GE Healthcare’s $1 billion
R&D investment will focus on
the identification of new cancer
biomarkers, says Dr. Nigel Darby,
vice president of biotechnologies
and chief technology officer at GE
Healthcare Life Sciences.
bilities, as well as technologies for
the manufacture of biopharmaceuticals and for cancer research.
The investment is congruent
with GE Healthcare’s “Healthymagination challenge,” an open call
to action for oncology researchers
NIH to establish brain
injury database
Market report forecasts growth
for molecular imaging market
LONDON—According to market research firm
Companies and Markets, the molecular imaging
market is expected to reach more than $6 billion
by 2015. Despite its growth being slowed by the
recession, the molecular imaging market is only
in its early stages and has much potential for
growth, with key applications most likely to be
found in neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, oncology, cardiovascular disease and drug
development, according to the firm. Its report,
“Molecular Imaging: A Market Coming of Age,” also
highlights consolidation as an expected trend for
the market, with the landscape changing from its
current fragmented, highly populated state to
trend toward an increase in licensing and M&A
deals as companies strive for dominance in the
market. In addition, Brazil, China and India are
identified as three countries driving molecular
imaging demand in emerging economies.
ge continued on page 23
Colorectal
cancer
compatriots
WASHINGTON. D.C.—In partnership with the U.S.
Department of Defense, the National Institutes
of Health (NIH) is creating the Federal Interagency Traumatic Brain Injury Research (FITBIR)
database, a central database on traumatic brain
injuries. The database will be funded $10 million
over four years and is intended to accelerate
research on brain injury treatments and diagnosis, serve as a repository for data, link to existing
databases and allow cross-study results comparison. The FITBIR database will, through collecting uniform data such as brain-imaging scans
and neurological test results, allow for enhanced
diagnostic criteria, clearer understanding of the
effects of physical characteristics on injury and
recovery, comparison of treatment efficacy and
improved guidelines for patient care.
and healthcare innovators seeking ideas to accelerate innovation
in breast cancer. Through the
challenge, GE and its venture
partners will award up to $100
million to fund breakthrough
ideas that advance early detection,
more accurate diagnoses and targeted treatment of breast cancer.
According to the company’s
announcement, made Sept. 15,
the investment crosses all lines of
GE Healthcare’s global businesses. Dr. Nigel Darby, vice president
of biotechnologies and chief technology officer at GE Healthcare
Life Sciences, tells ddn, “We’ve
not broken down the investment
commitment by project; however,
technologies for cancer research
and the discovery and manufacture of the new cancer therapies
are a key part of this initiative.”
Arizona State and China’s Sun Yat-sen
University to develop early diagnostics
against colorectal cancer
By Lloyd Dunlap
with Eli Lilly & Co. and Pfizer Inc.,
both with a focus on companion
diagnostics for cancer treatments.
Financial details were not disclosed for either agreement.
Lilly and QIAGEN will work
together on the development,
manufacturing and commercialization of a molecular companion diagnostic for Lilly’s proprietary compound, called a JAK2
inhibitor. It targets the Janus
TEMPE, Ariz.—Arizona State University (ASU) and China’s Sun
Yat-sen University (SYSU) have formalized a research collaboration aimed at developing early and predictive diagnostics to
improve patient outcomes for colorectal cancer (CRC). ASU’s
Nobel Laureate, Dr. Leland Hartwell, chief scientist at the Biodesign Institute’s Center for Sustainable Health, spearheaded the
agreement with Dr. Jianping Wang, director of the SYSU Gastrointestinal Institute of the Sixth Affiliated Hospital in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
According to Hartwell, “Recent advances in molecular technologies promise great improvements in medical care through
prevention and early detection of disease. Developing these
advances to the stage where they are useful in the clinic requires
a systematic, dedicated and long-term collaboration between the
most advanced clinical research sites and state-of-the-art technology centers. We are optimistic that this collaboration will help
advance the quality of colorectal cancer care worldwide.”
The Center for Sustainable Health (CSH) is a multimilliondollar, ASU-led partnership within the Biodesign Institute with
a mission of improving healthcare and reducing costs through
advances in diagnostics. The Sixth Affiliated Hospital (500 beds,
soon to expand to 1,000 beds) is one of eight affiliated hospitals
at SYSU that have a total of 7,500 beds.
SYSU is named after Dr. Sun Yat-sen, founder of both the
university and the Republic of China. He is said to be the only
figure that is revered among people on both sides of the Taiwan
qiagen continued on page 21
colorectal continued on page 23
Members of QIAGEN’s manufacturing team put together the company’s diagnostic
kits in clean room conditions. The company recently established partnerships with
Pfizer and Lilly for the development of companion diagnostics.
Queue up
with QIAGEN
QIAGEN
announces
companion Dx
partnerships
with Pfizer, Lilly
By Kelsey Kaustinen
GERMANTOWN, Md.— QIAGEN
recently announced a pair of collaborations, revealing that it has
entered into separate partnerships
diagnostics
20 Drug Discovery News • OctOber 2011
TOGETHER AGAIN AGAINST PROSTATE CANCER
Genomatix and
uniformed service
university build on
previous work to
seek prognostic
genetic markers
through next-gen
sequencing
by JeFFrey bOuley
MUNICH, Germany—Genomatix Soft-
ware recently entered into a Cooperative Research and Development
Agreement (CRADA) with the Uniformed Service University of the
Health Sciences (USU) and the
Henry M. Jackson Foundation for
the Advancement of Military Medicine to undertake a joint research
effort that will seek to differentiate
prostate cancer patients with favorable versus poor prognosis at the
time of diagnosis and primary
treatment using definitive genetic
markers discovered through the
use of next-generation sequencing
(NGS) technology.
As the parties in the CRADA
note, the majority of prostate cancer cases in those people screened
via prostate-specific antigen tests
fall into a “gray zone” of prostate
cancer in which outcomes are
extremely difficult to predict at the
time of diagnosis. The collaboration will combine the translational
research resources of the USU’s
Center for Prostrate Disease
Research (CPDR) with Genomatix’s
data analysis expertise in, as
Genomatix founder Dr. Thomas
Werner puts it, “teasing out novel
androgen receptor binding sites in
the genome and analyzing prostate
cancer metastasis using prostate
cancer model systems and clinical
specimens.”
Werner maintains that Genomatix
is one of the world’s leading suppliers of technologies to analyze and
interpret genomic data and notes
that “as well as laying the groundwork for microarray experiments
and NGS data analyses, our hardware and software solutions help
answer the typical questions posed
by systems biology.”
All of this fuels the company’s
stated approach to research, which
is to combine multiple lines of evidence to perform an integrated
meta-analysis.
This isn’t the first time Genomatix
and USU’s CPDR have worked
together. In fact, their substantive
work goes back to the early 2000s,
having conducted research leading
to two key publications: “Androgen
receptor binding sites identified by
a GREF_GATA model” in 2005 in
the Journal of Molecular Biology and
“Transcriptome analyses of benign
and malignant prostate epithelial
cells in formalin-fixed paraffinembedded whole-mounted radical
prostatectomy specimens” in 2007
in the journal Prostate Cancer and
Prostatic Diseases.
“This CRADA is a natural extension of accomplishments we have
already achieved together,” Werner
says. “Next-generation sequencing
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driving force behind daily work at
Genomatix. It’s the engine that
propels fundamental advances in
biology and medicine. Our knowhow helps keep this motor running and—wherever we can—
make it even more powerful than
it is today.”
Work such as this is expected to
help advance Genomatix’s goal to
and functional context.
In their 2007 article, they noted
that formalin-fixed paraffinembedded (FFPE) prostate specimens are rich sources of molecular
pathological information, but
noted that FFPE-based microarray
analysis of tissue samples may be
hampered by the degradation and
chemical alteration of RNA mole-
“next-generation sequencing opens a new dimension
in biomarker research and will allow a finer grained, unbiased
look at some of the genomic mechanisms behind prostate
disease, thus providing the opportunity for the discovery of new
prognostic biomarkers, some of which also may be targets for
therapeutic intervention and treatment monitoring.”
DR. THOMAS WERNER, fOuNDER Of GENOMATIx
Dr. Shiv Srivastava, the CPDR’s
co-director and scientific director,
as well as a professor of surgery at
USU, agrees that USU and
Genomatix work well together,
noting, “our work to date with
Genomatix has been very productive. People from both our organizations have already established
quality working relationships.
Leveraging this and moving forward together into a technology as
groundbreaking as next-generation sequencing holds great promise for significant progress in prostate disease research.”
As Genomatix notes on its website with regard to its scientific
publications, “Research has
always been and always will be the
find more meaningful answers to
biology’s fundamental questions
by focusing on gene regulation and
gene expression, and the work of
the CRADA fits in with the company’s stated vision of being built
of the three pillars of better diagnoses, better prognoses, better
therapies, with an eye toward helping to usher in an era of personalized medicine.
In their 2005 article, Genomatix
and the CPDR found that a complex
model combing the glucocorticoid
responsive element matrix family
(GREF) and GATA transcription
factor binding sites could be more
predictive than GATA alone by recognizing transcription factor binding sites in their proper biological
cules due to the preservation procedure. To get around this problem, they used probe analyses of
Affymetrix oligonucleotide arrays
at individual probe level to compensate for the potential loss of
gene identifications associated
with compromised mRNA quality
in FFPE preparations and used
laser capture microdissection of
prostate tumor and benign epithelial cells. They concluded it was
quite possible that a combination
of laser capture dissection with
computational enhancement of
microarray data might be useful for
the assessment of gene expression
changes in FFPE prostate cancer
specimens. ddn
editcOnnect: e101116
Genomatix launches secure
cloud-like model for nextgen sequencing data analysis
I
for insulin
responsive
cells and tissue
info@cosmobiousa.com
opens a new dimension in biomarker research and will allow a finer
grained, unbiased look at some of
the genomic mechanisms behind
prostate disease, thus providing the
opportunity for the discovery of
new prognostic biomarkers, some
of which also may be targets for
therapeutic intervention and treatment monitoring.”
bilities, complementing our turn-key in-house
N OTHER NEXT-GENERATION sequencing
(NGS) news at Genomatix Software, the platforms, the Genomatix Mining Station and the
company announced in mid-March the Genomatix Genome Analyzer,” said Genomatix
launch of a new service, mygenomatix, CEO Dr. Martin Seifert at the time. “We have been
said to “incorporate all the
power of its in-house platform
and combine it with the affordability of
cloud computing and the security of an
in-house solution.”
Genomatix says the service will
return analyzed data back in a matter
of one to two weeks and grant users
access to the full Genomatix software
DR. MARTIN SEIfERT, GENOMATIx CEO
and background data content as part
of the service. For ease of use, the service uses exploring a cloud-like model for quite some time,
graphical user interface and standard operating and our service model addresses the issue of secuprocedures and workflows, and access to software rity by getting the data to our computers via a
and data content is possible via any standard hard disk shipment program. With mygenomatix,
anyone doing NGS data analysis now has access
Internet browser.
“We want to provide an easy entry to our excel- to an easy entry path to our technology and
lent NGS data analysis and interpretation capa- databases.” ddn
“we want to provide an
easy entry to our excellent
NGS data analysis and
interpretation capabilities.”
diagnostics
QIAGEN
coNtINuED From PAGE 19
kinase 2 (JAK2) gene, which plays
a role in myeloproliferative neoplasms, an assortment of blood
cancers that lead to abnormal
growth of blood cells. Per the
terms of the agreement, QIAGEN
will develop a companion diagnostic test that will provide quantitative and qualitative results for the
JAK2 V617F mutation to aid in the
identification of patients who are
more likely to respond to Lilly’s
JAK2 inhibitor.
“The collaboration with Lilly is a
strong testament to QIAGEN’s
capabilities in companion diagnostics, biomarkers and personalized
healthcare,” Dr. Stephen Little, vice
president of personalized healthcare at QIAGEN, said in a press
release. “We look forward to developing the potential for this innovative diagnostic-therapeutic combi-
opment of a KRAS companion diagnostic to be used in conjunction
with dacomitinib. The partnership
includes clinical trials and submissions for a Premarket Approval
application in the United States and
the CE mark in Europe, in addition
to applicable regulatory approvals
in other regions.
“We are pleased to collaborate
with Pfizer seeking to advance
personalized healthcare with a
new potential tool in the fight
against non-small cell lung cancer,
a major killer around the world,”
said Little in a press release. “This
partnership unites QIAGEN’s
capabilities in companion diagnostics with Pfizer’s scientific
excellence and global presence to
develop an innovative diagnostictherapeutic combination with the
potential to improve the standard
of care for [non-small cell lung
cancer] patients.”
The companion diagnostic will
be based on QIAGEN’s proprietary
KRAS assay technology, which
identifies mutation in the KRAS
gene. Since EGFR inhibitors are
usually effective in patients without
KRAS mutations, the new assay
will aid in the identification of
patients who will benefit the most
from EGFR-inhibitor therapies.
QIAGEN has already submitted an
application for Premarket Approval
for KRAS companion diagnostics to
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use with the other
drugs that target metastatic colorectal cancers.
Once clinical development is
finished for the KRAS companion
diagnostic for non-small cell lung
21
cancer, QIAGEN intends to submit
a premarket approval application
supplement to the FDA for full
automation of the workflow,
which will grant pathologists
access and easy processing of lung
tissue samples.
“We see business benefits for
Pfizer and QIAGEN, improved
healthcare for patients and
reduced costs for healthcare providers,” Little says of the partnership. “It really is a win-win-win
situation.” ddn
The Seahorse
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metabolism in a single assay
Dr. Stephen Little, vice president of
personalized healthcare at QIAGEN, notes
that “in addition to more than 20 tests we
already offer commercially, QIAGEN is
co-developing companion diagnostics in
more than 15 pharma partnerships.”
nation to improve the standard of
care for patients suffering from
these blood cancers.”
Development and use of the QIAGEN JAK2 assay during clinical trials is also included in the partnership, as is manufacturing and joint
commercialization of the diagnostic
product in parallel with Lilly’s compound. QIAGEN originally secured
exclusive access to the JAK2 biomarker thanks to an agreement
with Ipsogen, which it proposed to
acquire in June.
“QIAGEN’s strategy is to establish a broad range of [companion
diagnostic] partnerships which are
not only commercially valuable in
themselves, but also have the potential to improve patient outcomes
and minimize drug wastage,” says
Little. “The Lilly partnership met all
of these criteria.”
QIAGEN’s partnership with
Pfizer has a similar structure,
except that the pair will be developing a companion diagnostic test for
Pfizer’s non-small cell lung cancer
compound. The investigational
compound, dacomitinib (PF00299804), is an oral inhibitor of
HER-1 (EGFR), HER-2 and HER-4
tyrosine kinases. QIAGEN and
Pfizer will collaborate on the devel-
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Irish blessing
Queen’s University of
Belfast and Almac agree
to work on cancer tests
By Kimberley Sirk
CRAIGAVON, Northern Ireland—Pharmaceutical
development company Almac and Queen’s
University of Belfast joined forces in early September to co-develop tests for diagnosing and
treating prostate, ovarian and breast cancer.
“The initial focus is on the development of
a prognostic test for prostate cancer, the
development of technology to develop biomarkers from blood and the identification and
development of novel drug targets” in the
three cancers, says Prof. Richard Kennedy,
the McClay Chair of Experimental Cancer
Medicine at Queen’s University. Kennedy also
now has a joint appointment at Almac.
The research initiative, based at the Centre
for Cancer Research and Cell Biology at
Queen’s, will be led by Kennedy, one of Almac’s
experts in personalized medicine—which tailors specific treatment to each cancer patient.
Kennedy explains the research will
involve using cutting-edge technology developed by Almac that will allow the partners
to analyze patient tumors collected by
Queen’s in quantity.
“Almac provides technological and bioinformatics expertise required in the analysis of
archived human tumor samples for target and
biomarker identification,” Kennedy says. “The
organization also has considerable expertise in
the development of novel drug compounds
through Almac Discovery, an independent
member of the Almac Group focused on inno-
Prof. Richard Kennedy with Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster and Prof. Patrick Johnston, the dean of the School
of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences at Queen’s University.
vative approaches to the treatment of cancer.”
The two organizations, according to Kennedy, have enjoyed successful collaborations before now but this project is the first
of its kind.
“As well as having a large archived tumor
bank, Queen’s University also has expertise in
preclinical drug target and biomarker modeling as well as immunohistochemical biomarker development,” he says. “The university is
also a leader in medicinal chemistry, particularly in fragment screening approaches.”
In addition, Almac Group’s U.K. headquarters and Queen’s University are geographically close and have collaborated on projects
in the past such as in the development of a
prognostic test for stage II colon cancer and
in the identification of a novel anti-angiogenic
cancer therapy.
The partners say that they will consider the
pact successful if they are able to identify at
least two commercially viable biomarkers and
two drug targets that enter the Almac biomarker and drug development pipelines.
The projects will be run under project management from Almac and have well-defined
Go/No go criteria, goals and timelines.
Kennedy also points out the regional economic development benefits of the partnership by pointing out that Almac has always
demonstrated its commitment to education
by funding several graduate student research
positions. Full-time positions are also part of
this collaboration.
“There are 10 posts immediately linked to
the program but also the possibility of
expanding the number of jobs if the program
is commercially successful,” he says.
Economic development officials in Northern
Ireland have expressed their support for the
project, pointing out that academic and industry linkages are vital to economic growth,
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Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster (left) and Prof.
Richard Kennedy (right), will lead a $6.9 million
collaborative research initiative between Almac and
Queen’s University to develop better tests for
diagnosing and treating prostate, ovarian and
breast cancer.
strengthening the knowledge base and
enhancing Northern Ireland’s reputation as an
international research and development hub.
Invest Northern Ireland (NI) and the
McClay Foundation are partnering to fund
the lab facilities and staff costs. Invest NI
has committed financial support, which
includes in part funding from the European
Regional Development Fund under the Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for
Northern Ireland.
“The initial focus is
on the development of a
prognostic test for prostate
cancer, the development
of technology to develop
biomarkers from blood
and the identification
and development of
novel drug targets.”
Prof. Richard Kennedy, McClay Chair
of Experimental Cancer Medicine
at Queen’s University
The Almac Group provides a range of pharmaceutical services from R&D, biomarker
discovery and development, API manufacture, formulation development, clinical trial
supply and IXRS technology, to commercialscale manufacture. Almac provides services
to more than 600 companies in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors.
While it is headquartered in Craigavon,
Northern Ireland, it maintains a North
American headquarters in Souderton, Pa.,
and has sites in California and North
Carolina.
The McClay Foundation, established in 2008
by Almac’s- founder, the late Sir Allen McClay
in 2008, is a charitable trust which aims to
advance the use of diagnostic tools and drugs
in the prevention, control and cure of the disease and to support and encourage research
and innovation in the field of healthcare across
the globe, while promoting employment opportunities for the people of Northern Ireland. ddn
diagnostics
GE
The company’s oncology
portfolio already encompasses
cellular research, medical
imaging, laboratory diagnostics, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies and
information technology.
“We offer a portfolio of diagnostic technologies, such as
X-ray, ultrasound and MRI, all
of which are used for the diagnosis of cancer,” says Darby. “In
December 2010, we acquired
Clarient, a leading player in the
fast-growing molecular diagnostics sector. Clarient’s technologies, combined with GE
Healthcare’s strengths in diagnostic imaging, are expected to
accelerate the development of
new integrated tools for the
diagnosis and characterization
of cancer.”
Other oncology portfolioboosting acquisitions by GE
Healthcare that have brought
the company to this moment
include Amersham PLC in
2004, Biacore International AB
in 2006, Wave Biotech LLC in
2007, MicroCal LLC in 2008
and Applied Precision in 2011.
GE Healthcare also entered
into a joint venture with
Omnyx in 2009.
The $1 billion investment will
build on technologies and
research already in progress,
but it will also focus heavily on
developing new oncology solutions—namely, in the identification of new biomarkers.
“This is a key area of
research for GE Healthcare,”
Darby tells ddn. “Clarient
pathologists recently identified
a unique cancer diagnostic
technology at GE Global
Research that may give a clearer picture of the pathways
driving specific tumors, and in
turn may lead to more effective, personalized treatment
recommendations. It is Clarient’s goal that by developing
this sophisticated multiplexing technology, pathologists
will be able to conduct more
than 50 different stains on a
single tissue section. GE Global Research’s ability to invent
key technologies identified as
critical by Clarient’s Medical
Staff and Clarient’s ability to
commercialize mean this
game-changing breakthrough
in science will be available for
cancer patients in the very
near future.”
In addition to oncology,
other key areas of research for
GE Healthcare include investing in the development of stem
cells as a tool for drug discovery research as well as cellimaging technologies. ddn
COLORECTAL
Strait. The university has evolved
into a multidisciplinary, comprehensive research center. The Sixth
Affiliated GI Hospital of SYSU is
the first GI hospital in China, focusing on treating malignant and
benign gastrointestinal diseases—830 new GI cancer patients
including 589 with CRC were diagnosed in the hospital last year.
Within SYSU and its eight affiliated
hospitals, more than 2,000 CRC
patients are treated each year.
Research scientists at the two
universities will collaborate on the
discovery, development and validation of biomarkers for screening
high-risk populations to detect
colon cancer at an early stage and
for providing the most effective
treatment strategy for patients, with
the aim of improving patient outcomes and reducing cost.
The agreement with SYSU forms
the second hub in the Center for
Sustainable Health’s Global Biosignatures Network (GBN), an effort to
harness scientific, academic, industry and healthcare system resources
to make a major impact on 21st century healthcare practice. SYSU
joins founding member Chang
Gung University, which focuses on
biomarker discovery and validation
for oral and colorectal cancer.
In his keynote address at the Arizona BioIndustry Association’s 2011
Expo earlier this month, Dr.
Michael Birt, director of the Center
for Sustainable Health at ASU’s
Biodesign Institute, called for a shift
in our health system to reward cost-
effective prevention, early detection
and intervention, saying this “has
the potential to spur growth among
bioscience organizations, reduce
patient suffering, and lower healthcare costs.
“By establishing biosignatures
centers, we hope to build a global
network that will provide the scale
necessary to overcome scientific
limitations while creating a global
platform to share methods, results
and experiences,” Birt told the conference. ddn
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23
Society for Neuroscience (SfN)
41st annual meeting
November 12–16, 2011 Walter E. Washington Convention Center Washington, D.C.
n
Improved member directory
launched this spring
WASHINGTON, D.C.—April saw the Society for
Neuroscience (SfN) launch a new “Enhanced
Member Directory” (EMD) to give its members
“a great new resource for finding colleagues
around the world.” The EMD is accessible only
to fellow SfN members, the society notes, “so
you can share your fields of study, contact
information and biographical information
within a trusted community.” According to SfN,
populating the EMD was the first step toward
the launch of NeurOnLine, SfN’s membersonly online community that launched in the
summer. Designed to engage members at all
career levels, NeurOnLine “will keep you
plugged in to the global SfN membership
community,” the organization maintains.
NeuroJobs gets a facelift
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Early July saw SfN change
up the technology platform for the NeuroJobs
online professional development offering, giving
it what the organization calls “a new look and
enhanced features to help you find jobs even
faster. New features include: advanced search
options with “cloud filters,” an intuitive and
visual way to sort and customize your job search
results; saved job searches; enhanced job
alerts, allowing users to establish a search and
receive an automatic notification whenever a
matching job is posted; Google Maps, so that
job-seekers can now assess potential commutes
right from the job detail screen; social media
integration to more easily access NeuroJobs on
Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and to post and
find positions using all three networking sites;
job application previews; and a searchable portfolio.
THE BIG BRAINS
Society for
Neuroscience brings
a wide range of
perspectives to the
nation’s capital with
Neuroscience 2011
By Jeffrey Bouley
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Billed
as “the world’s
largest forum for neuroscientists to debut
research and network with colleagues
from around the world,” the 41 st annual
meeting of the Society for Neuroscience
(SfN)—otherwise known as Neuroscience
2011—will take place Nov. 12 to 16 in Washington, D.C., at the Walter E. Washington
Convention Center.
With an expected attendance of more than
31,000 people, SfN will keep everyone engaged
and interactive through lectures, symposia,
workshops and social events focused on innovative neuroscience research. The meeting
also will feature thousands of abstracts and
provide networking and professional development opportunities.
If figuring out what to attend and when to
do it is a bit of a challenge—and it probably
is for most people—the meeting section of the
SfN website, located at www.sfn.org/
am2011/, features the Neuroscience Meeting
Destination DC
b r i e f s
n
A view of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center from 7th Street Northwest and Mount Vernon Place/New
York Avenue.
programs for those attending the meeting
with their families in tow. Onsite childcare
and youth programs are available for children
between the ages of 6 months and 12 years,
but spaces are limited, and it’s possible if you
haven’t already reserved a spot, there may not
be any more left. KiddieCorp can be reached
by phone at (858) 455-1718 or by email at info@
kiddiecorp.com, and its website is at http://
www.kiddiecorp.com/.
KiddieCorp is in its 25th year of providing
such services at conventions, trade shows and
special events, with the goal of providing children “with a program they want to attend,
while providing you with that critical ‘peace
of mind’ so you can attend sessions,” according to the company. This year’s theme is “Science Camp” and activities will include arts
and crafts projects each day, group games,
music and movement, board games, story
time and dramatic play.
Planner (NMP). The NMP can be used not
only to search abstracts and sessions, but
also to create your own itinerary for the
annual meeting.
To head off other potential complications
for attendees, SfN has also contracted with
KiddieCorp to provide childcare and youth
Online funding
directory available
WASHINGTON, D.C.— A
NeuroJobs Job Fair
Destination DC
new online offering
appeared in mid-August courtesy of SfN,
called the “SfN Directory of International
Sources of Neuroscience Funding.” This
resource is for members seeking information
about international sources of funding for
neuroscience. The online directory provides
information about agencies, programs and
opportunities for research grants, fellowships
and other types of funding available by region
and country. SfN will continue to update the
directory as it learns about new opportunities,
and SfN members are encouraged to submit
updates and information about additional
resources to globalaffairs@sfn.org.
At its full size, the main ballroom of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center can seat more than 2,700 for a
banquet and 4,600 when set up as a theater.
New at this year’s meeting will be SfN’s first
NeuroJobs Job Fair, featuring employers
from industry, nonprofit organizations and
academia on-site, along with concurrent
brains continued on page 26
Blue and red plate specials
Presidential
Special
Lectures
Regardless of where
you lie on the political
or ideological spectrum,
D.C. offers plenty of
culinary choices
Neurotrophins: From Axon Growth
to Synaptic Plasticity
M
By Jeffrey Bouley
any people think meat and
STEAKHOUSES
BLT Steak
1625 I St. N.W., Washington, D.C.
This restaurant aims for an interpretation
of the American steakhouse that combines bistro ambiance with steakhouse
fare. The owners invite you to “Indulge in
our signature warm popovers, along with
specially selected steaks, fresh seafood
and satisfying sides. Weekly blackboard
specials highlight seasonal flavors and
local ingredients.” You can choose from
Japanese Kobe beef or less expensive
American cut, and you can also enjoy lob-
Saturday, Nov. 12, 5:15 p.m. to 6:25 p.m.
Destination DC
potatoes when they think of
conservative folks, and they
think field greens and organic grains when they think liberal. So, with
the polarization so common in the nation’s
capital these days, let’s have both ends of
that culinary ideological spectrum—steakhouses on one end and veggie fare on the
other—with a couple other cuisines tossed
in to appeal to the moderates.
The choices below—a few of them outside the D.C. city limits—are by no means
the limit of your options within those categories, nor are they even endorsements
(talk to my lobbyist about those), but
they’ll give you a start on calming the
stomach growls when you’re done with
daily events, meetings and presentations
at Neuroscience 2011.
Mu-Ming Poo, Ph.D.
University of California, Berkeley and Institute
of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Dupont Circle is described as a cosmopolitan neighborhood and features many museums, historic homes,
foreign embassies, ethnic restaurants, bookstores and private art galleries—as well as being one of the
nightlife hubs. Dupont Circle is served by the Washington Metro Red Line at the Dupont Circle Metro station,
which is a five-minute walk from the restaurant Cafe Green, listed in the vegetarian section of this article.
VEGETARIAN CUISINE
Mall, this place is known for such range as
aged Angus rib-eye “cowboy” steak and an
iced shellfish platter of lobster, shrimp,
king crab and oysters, as well as a novel
wine cube—which is designed to appear as
if floating on water—boasting 3,500 bottles
of exclusively American wine featuring
more than 600 selections. Reportedly, this
is a place that keeps busy with power brokers, so consider reservations, and if
you’re there in the afternoon, there is a
prix-fixe lunch.
Smith & Wollensky Aroma
1919 I St. N.W., Washington, D.C.
It’s not that Aroma is a vegetarian restaurant per se, but as with so many venues with
Indian cuisine, veggies loom large and meat
often takes a back seat—or at least less
prominence than is the case with so many
other places in the United States. Aroma
prides itself on fine dining and authentic
cuisine in a “serene, pleasant atmosphere”
and counts entirely vegan soups and a vegetarian section among its menu options.
The restaurant also has a location in nearby
Arlington, Va.
Amsterdam Falafel Shop
1112 19th St. N.W., Washington, D.C.
This restaurant offers an outside patio, the
bustling Wollensky’s Grill and quiet formal dining rooms, as well as private
rooms that can seat as many as 450 people.
The theme here is “simple, elegant food in
Located in the Adams Morgan neighborhood, this establishment offers all-vegetarian offerings specializing in falafel. Reportedly, it also has an almost all-vegan toppings bar to create your own sandwich.
Prices are reasonable and the eatery is open
late into the night.
Elizabeth’s Gone Raw
Destination DC
1341 L St. N.W., Washington, D.C.
M Street is Georgetown’s main shopping street, and tends to be known primarily for stores that are part of
major chains or bear well-known names, though many smaller boutique and specialty shops can be found
nearby as well. In addition to the stores and restaurants at street level, there are also many underground
in the Georgetown Shops.
ster, cheesecake, fresh fruits, cheese selections and more—but apparently you’d
better make reservations well in advance.
Charlie Palmer Steak
101 Constitution Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C.
Although it’s not attributed, I imagine the
quote on the website, “I’m a patriotic guy
and someone has to supply the apple pie
around here,” is probably from Charlie
Palmer himself. Located near the National
a refined setting.” Midday food options
include the house hamburgers made from
Smith & Wollensky’s own aged beef and
served with crispy, hand-cut fries. Other
options include split pea soup, fried calamari, an iceberg wedge salad topped with
thick slices of ripe tomatoes and a Roquefort dressing. Lamb chops and roast chicken provide options for the meat-eaters
who are beef-averse.
This gourmet restaurant—for which reservations are required—serves an entirely
raw, all-vegan menu for your dairy-, glutenand meat-free needs that also include desserts and organic wines. Elizabeth’s Gone
Raw seeks to celebrate nature and the
ingredients of Earth in their purest form.
Even the water they serve has been through
a reverse-osmosis treatment.
Cafe Green
This all-vegan, organic, full-service restaurant and bar has featured such items as raw
pizza, vegan steak n’ cheese sandwich and
hand-made gnocchi, all with an emphasis
on using local, seasonal ingredients. Cafe
Green also offers raw selections, smoothies
and desserts. It’s open until midnight on
Friday and Saturday and offers an extensive brunch menu on Sundays until 4 p.m.
MONGOLIAN BARBECUE
BD’s Mongolian Barbeque
7201 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda Md.
The website for this restaurant recounts the
plate continued on page 27
Neurotrophins were first identified as target-derived
factors that promote neuronal differentiation and
survival. Over the past decades, they also were found
to regulate neuronal differentiation, axonal and dendritic growth, synapse formation and plasticity, as
well as cognition and behavior. This lecture provides
a retrospective view of the evolving concepts in the
study of neurotrophins, with some highlights on
recent findings on the role of neurotrophins in axon
development and synaptic plasticity.
The Basal Ganglia:
Binding Values to Action
Ann M. Graybiel, Ph.D.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Sunday, Nov. 13, 5:15 p.m. to 6:25 p.m.
This lecture will summarize evidence that neural
activity in cortico-basal ganglia circuits can exhibit
high levels of flexibility related to value-based decision-making and adaptive behavior, but also can
become overly fixed despite the need for change.
This interplay between flexibility and fixity, if imbalanced, may underlie dysfunctions leading to motor
and neuropsychiatric problems in basal gangliabased disorders.
Genes, the Environment, and
Decisions: How Fixed Circuits
Generate Flexible Behaviors
Cornelia I. Bargmann, Ph.D.
Rockefeller University
Monday, Nov. 14, 5:15 p.m. to 6:25 p.m.
How do genes and the environment interact to
generate flexible behaviors? How are behavioral
decisions modified by context and experience?
Genetic variation, internal states and environmental conditions converge on common neuronal circuits to regulate behaviors in the nematode worm
C. elegans. Analysis of these circuits shows the
detailed wiring diagram of C. elegans is both
incomplete and ambiguous, because modulatory
inputs invisible in the anatomical wiring change the
flow of information.
The Epigenetic Basis of
Common Human Disease
Andrew P. Feinberg, M.D., MPH
Johns Hopkins University School
of Medicine
Tuesday, Nov. 15, 5:15 p.m. to 6:25 p.m.
Epigenetics is the study of heritable information
other than the sequence of DNA. We are taking an
integrated approach to catalyze the generalization
of gene-specific to genomic epigenetics and to
advance the focus from cancer to common disease.
Doing this requires an integration of new conceptual, technological, epidemiological and statistical
approaches. Epigenetic variation influenced by
genetic variants could help mediate complex traits.
We have identified sites of stochastic epigenetic
variation in the genome that are stably linked to
traits such as body mass index. ddn
Such sights to see
You know about the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial
and the rest, but here are some lesser-hyped places
weakness and instability associated with any
disability during those times.
The memorial is located at 1850 West Basin
Drive S.W.
By Jeffrey Bouley
WASHINGTON, D.C.—You
could probably visit
the capital every week for a conference like
Neuroscience 2011 and still barely scratch the
surface of what there is to see and do, even after
a few years. The Smithsonian campus alone is
one of those places that requires numerous
visits, and then there are all the famous memorials and other attractions to be seen.
But if you’ve been to the “must-see” places
that grace all the tour guidebooks and news
coverage—or if you’d prefer to avoid them—
we offer a quartet of lesser-known things to
see while you’re in town for the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience.
Kramerbooks & Afterwords
Duke Ellington Mural
Destination DC
A jazz legend looms large on the side wall of
Mood Indigo, a shop specializing in vintage
clothing, shoes and accessories and located
adjacent to the Green Line Metro station at
13th St. N.W. and U St. N.W. You’ll be visiting
the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, D.C.,
within the Mount Vernon Square historic
district to view the Duke Ellington Mural, and
Located roughly at 1214 U St. N.W. in Washington,
D.C., this mural of jazz legend Duke Ellington is in
what many deem to be DC’s jazz district and is right
next to Ben’s Chili Bowl, a well-known eatery with
some very late hours.
you’ll be in an area that has been a hub of
African-American cultural life since the late
19th century and the neighborhood that is said
to have shaped and nurtured him. Ellington
grew up just around the corner on Bates
Street and began his career in the music halls
and clubs that flourished along nearby 14th
Street in the early 1900s.
The painting was completed in 1997 by
muralist G. Byron Peck, and is based on a
photo of Ellington on the frontispiece of his
autobiography, Music Is My Mistress. If you’re
a bit hungry after making the trek to see it,
stop into Ben’s Chili Bowl, a well-known
casual eatery that boasts some very late
hours and is famous not just for chili (meat
and vegetarian) but also chili dogs
and seafood.
World War II Memorial
While many people think of the memorial to
Vietnam veterans, this more recent arrival to
Washington, D.C., isn’t as well known. Located at 17th St., between Constitution Avenue
and Independence Avenue, the World War II
Memorial honors the 16 million people who
served in the armed forces of the U.S. during
that conflict, the more than 400,000 who died
in it and all who supported the war effort from
home. The memorial is noted for the fact that
the Second World War is the only 20th century event commemorated on the National
Mall’s central axis.
The design of the memorial features 56 pillars and a pair of arches surrounding a plaza
and fountain, and it was built on the former
site of the Rainbow Pool at the eastern end
of the Reflecting Pool, between the Lincoln
Memorial and the Washington Monument.
On the west side of the memorial is the
Freedom Wall, which has a view of the
Reflecting Pool and Lincoln Memorial
behind it. Adorning the wall are 4,048 gold
stars, each star representing 100 Americans
who died in the war. In front of the wall is
the message, “Here we mark the price
of freedom.”
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
The only U.S. president to serve more than
two terms is honored here—a man who was
stricken with polio at age 39 and paralyzed
from the waist down, as well as having to lead
the nation during the Great Depression and
World War II.
Sculptures inspired by photographs show
the president alongside his dog Fala, and there
is also a bronze statue of Eleanor Roosevelt
standing before the United Nations emblem—
reportedly notable as being the only case of a
presidential memorial depicting a first lady—to
honor her dedication to the U.N. Other sculptures depict scenes from the Great Depression,
such as listening to a fireside chat on the radio
and waiting in a bread line.
Because Roosevelt himself dealt with a physical disability, the memorial’s designers endeavored to create a memorial that would be accessible to visitors with physical
impairments. Among other
features, the memorial
includes an area with tactile
reliefs and Braille writing for
people who are blind, although
many criticized that feature
because the Braille was beyond
the reach of even most tall
people. Another point of controversy with the memorial
was the statue of FDR himself,
because the designers didn’t
show his wheelchair. Instead,
the statue depicts the president
in a chair with a cloak obscuring the chair, the given rationale being that FDR’s reliance
Dedicated on May 2, 1997, by President Bill Clinton, the FDR Memorial is
on a wheelchair was not pubmore than just the statue shown here, spreading over 7.5 acres and tracing
licized or emphasized during
12 years of the history of the United States through a sequence of four
his life, given the stigma of
outdoor rooms, one for each of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s terms of office.
Destination DC
Destination DC
The national World War II Memorial opened to the public on April 29, 2004, and was dedicated by President
George W. Bush on May 29, 2004, two days before Memorial Day. The memorial is administered by the National
Park Service under its National Mall and Memorial Parks group.
Want to catch up on some reading and refreshments? Here at 1517 Connecticut Ave. N.W., the
vibe, as described once by The Washington Post,
goes like this: “The action at Kramerbooks &
Afterwords starts with breakfast and the
morning papers at 7:30 a.m., and keeps throbbing until well after midnight, seven days a
week, complete with indoor and sidewalk
cafes, a full-service bar and live entertainment. The sounds are diverting, the smells are
delicious, the sights are tempting.”
Kramerbooks is a cultural landmark and the
New York Times writes that “Many people do
not consider themselves true Washingtonians
until they have received a phone call that begins
as an invitation for drinks after work and ends
with ‘I’ll meet you at Kramer’s.’ Kramerbooks
& Afterwords is definitely an institution.”
Reportedly, the Afterwords Cafe, which
opened in 1976, was the first bookstore/cafe
in the country to feature cappuccino, espresso, a full bar and food. ddn
brains
career development workshops. The
event is free for all meeting attendees
and is, as SfN notes, “an opportunity
for employers to meet hundreds of job
seekers at Neuroscience 2011.” The
NeuroJobs Job Fair will be held Saturday, Nov. 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.,
and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., closing at
midday for the Neuroscience 2011’s
“Dialogues” lecture.
Speaking of that lecture, the speaker will be Dr. Robert J. Shiller, an
American economist, academic and
bestselling author, who will talk about
economics and behavior under the
title of “Animal Spirits: How Human
Behavior Drives the Economy.” Shiller
currently serves as the Arthur M.
Okun Professor of Economics at Yale
University and is a fellow at the Yale
International Center for Finance of the
Yale School of Management. Reportedly ranked among the 100 most influential economists of the world,
Shiller’s work has addressed how psychological factors influence decisionmaking in the economic arena and the
impact of group dynamics on financial
markets, and SfN invites you to “join
Dr. Shiller and leading neuroscientists
for an exciting opportunity to examine
the interplay between economics and
the brain.” ddn
Plate
history of the Mongolian barbecue
concept—a cuisine I first became
acquainted with on a business trip
to D.C. When the Mongols were
doing their fighting and hunting
centuries ago, BD’s notes, they
would gather in large community
groups to celebrate their adventures
and their successes. “Communing
in banquet-style pavilions, the Mongols would create a ‘feast’ for all to
enjoy by combining slivers of meat
and vegetables, sliced with their
razor-sharp swords, then cooked on
their overturned shields over a blazing fire,” the website notes.
In the modern day, this means
going to a restaurant and picking
out your own noodles, rice, vegetables, meats, sauces and/or other
fixings, and giving them over in a
bowl to a chef who will stir-fry it on
a big cooking surface where other
patrons’ food is likely also cooking.
It can be confusing for some at first,
but many people like the control
they get over their flavors, and BD’s
regularly comes up as a recommended Mongolian barbecue
destination.
Tony Cheng’s Mongolian
Restaurant
619 H St. N.W., Washington, D.C.
Located in Chinatown, this restaurant gets mixed reviews at times
regarding the price-to-quality ratio,
but it remains a popular choice. In
addition, there is a portion of the
restaurant devoted to more traditionaly Chinese food options.
Genghis Grill
7001F Manchester Blvd., Alexandria, Va.
This restaurant touts not only its
casual setting and “colorful, lively”
atmosphere but also the notion that
Mongolian barbecue is not really a
cuisine but rather an “interactive
style of exhibition cooking modeled
after a centuries-old legend.”
SEAFOOD
The Oceanaire Seafood Room
1201 F St. N.W., Washington, D.C.
Located in the Penn Quarter, Oceanaire goes for the “sleek and sophisticated” vibe, while offering the
freshest seafood that it can manage
to fly in daily from around the
world. The menu is based on market availability so selections change
each day.
Legal Sea Foods
Calling itself a bipartisan favorite
since 1995, Legal has a racetrackshaped bar at which you can dine or
a main dining room underneath a
hull-like ceiling—plus a neon sign
outside—so this is less highbrow
than Oceanaire and is just a block
from the convention center, as well
as being near the Verizon Center,
International Spy Museum and
National Portrait Gallery, among
other locales.
Sea Catch Restaurant
1054 31st St. N.W., Washington, D.C.
This restaurant and raw bar is
located in downtown D.C. in
Georgetown, just steps from M
Street, and is reportedly the only
restaurant overlooking the C&O
Canal. Sea Catch offers what it calls
“fresh seafood simply prepared in a
casual, relaxed atmosphere.”
DC Coast
1401 K St. N.W., Washington, D.C.
Chef Jeff Tunks is said to be famous
for his Chinese-style smoked lobster and pan-roasted rockfish with
polenta cake and lobster corn broth,
but the restaurant also offers such
non-seafood fare as grilled New
York strip steak with andouille
hash and marinated free-range
chicken with roasted fingerling
potatoes and grilled ramps.
Now, if that list isn’t enough for you,
and if you like to bump elbows with
important people—or self-important
people, depending on your outlook—
you can always take a look at the
“Power Dining” list of restaurants at
the Destination D.C. website, at
http://washington.org/visiting/
experience-dc/foodie-experience/
power-spots/. ddn
Destination DC
Located in the northwest portion of Washington, D.C., the Woodley Park neighborhood is
bounded on the north by Woodley Road and Klingle Road, on the east by the National
Zoo and Rock Creek Park, on the south by Calvert Street, on the southwest by Cleveland
Avenue and on the west by 34th Street.
b r i e f s
Sistemic added to the
ranks of ARM
SISTEMIC, U.K.—Sistemic Ltd. recently joined
the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), a
nonprofit organization with the goal of advancing
regenerative medicine by representing and supporting members in front of government agencies
as well as the general public. More than 80
members are part of ARM, including research
institutes, companies, foundations and investor
groups. Sistemic’s contribution to the initiative
will include access to its cell characterization
knowledge, innovative tools and experience for
the members of ARM as well as the community.
Morrie Ruffin, managing director of ARM, said,
“We are delighted that Sistemic have joined ARM
and look forward to sharing information and
understanding … we feel Sistemic has a great
deal to offer the Alliance in helping to support
and develop this sector.”
Lessons in lifestyle and lipids
Shimadzu and the
University of Tokyo
to develop lipidomics
technology for
biomarker discovery
By Lloyd Dunlap
KYOTO, Japan—Shimadzu Corp.
and the University of Tokyo have
signed a joint research agreement
aimed at developing technology
for the comprehensive analysis of
functional, membrane and other
lipids for the purpose of discovering biomarkers for such lifestyle-
related diseases as hypertension,
diabetes, atherosclerosis, stroke
and dyslipidemia.
“We aim to explore some factors (markers/profiles) which are
common to such lifestyle diseases
and also analyze the separate factors that characterize these diseases,” says Shimadzu spokesperson Satoko Maeji.
Lipid metabolism is also
thought to be involved in and/or
responsible for a host of additional diseases and conditions, ranging from myocardial infarction to
congenital diseases such as Niemann-Pick disease, Gaucher’s
disease and Tay-Sachs disease.
Drug-induced phospholipidosis is
one of the challenges in drug discovery, Maeji notes. The accumulation of phospholipids in various
tissues causes failure in physiological functions.
“You should choose the medicine which does not result in these
side effects,” Maeji adds.
Shimadzu, the University of
Tokyo and Ono Pharmaceutical
Co. Ltd. of Osaka, Japan, have
jointly established a sponsored
laboratory at the university, the
Department of Lipidomics in the
Graduate School of Medicine and
VANCOUVER, British Columbia— Tekmira
TGen Center for
Proteomics named Waters
Center of Innovation
MILFORD, Mass.—Waters Corp. recently recog-
nized the Center for Proteomics at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) as a
Waters Center of Innovation. Dr. Konstantinos
Petritits, head of TGen’s Center of Proteomics,
and his team in particular were also recognized
for their leadership in proteomics research and
biomarker discovery and verification. The selection establishes TGen in the ranks of fewer than
20 partners worldwide that have been recognized as part of the Waters Centers of Innovation.
“We are making steady progress in the development of diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers
for lung, colon, breast and pancreatic cancer as
well as other diseases. We’re thankful to Waters
for their support of our programs, not just in terms
of instrumentation, but in terms of their training,
technical support and services,” said Petritis.
lipid continued on page 30
Not just an
expression
Tekmira, Halo-Bio sign
exclusive license agreement
Pharmaceuticals recently announced the acquisition of an exclusive, worldwide license to HaloBio RNAi Therapeutics Inc.’s novel and proprietary RNAi technology, MV-RNA (multivalent RNA).
Within this license and collaboration agreement,
Tekmira and Halo-Bio will work together to design
and develop MV-RNA molecules to gene targets
specified by Tekmira, in addition to combining
MV-RNA molecules with Tekmira’s lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology for the development of
therapeutic products. Halo-Bio’s MV-RNA technology consists of single macromolecules with
the ability to mediate RNAi at multiple target
sites, with MV-RNA being capable of targeting
three sites on one gene or up to three separate
genes simultaneously. Financial details of the
agreement were not disclosed.
Faculty of Medicine, which began
operation in April of this year. The
research is being coordinated by
associate professor Yoshihiro
Kita. The purpose of the department is to systematically and comprehensively analyze low molecular weight compounds, such as
bioactive and membrane lipids, as
the next area of research following
genomics and proteomics. In
addition, it also aims to clarify
how these substances relate to
sustaining life and to discover biomarkers for the onset of diseases,
such as lifestyle-related diseases
Clavis, Skyline team up on
biomarkers for AML drug
By David Hutton
Mental Health (NIMH).
“We are embarking on another large study
of bipolar disorder with our colleagues at the
University of Michigan, and these data give us
hints on genetic variants to examine further
with more in-depth technologies,” Richard
Myers, director of the HudsonAlpha Institute,
stated in a news release in late August.
Given the complex nature of bipolar disorder and other psychiatric conditions, scientists need to examine variation in the genomes
of large numbers of individuals and pool the
information together, Myers said.
“Bipolar disorder is severely disabling and
often life-threatening,” Myers stated. “This
study, which will continue into 2014, will
increase our understanding of bipolar disorder
and support identification of targeted therapies
ROTTERDAM—Clavis Pharma and Skyline Diagnostics recently took the wraps
off a deal to investigate gene expression
biomarkers that may help determine
which patients will benefit from a drug
compound being developed for treating
acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
Under this agreement, Skyline will
investigate gene expression biomarkers
for selection of individual AML patients
that may benefit from a new AML drug
in development at Clavis. The drug, elacytarabine, is a novel elaidic acid derivative of cytarabine and currently undergoing a Phase III study for treatment of
patients with relapsed/refractory AML.
Financial terms have not been
released. The research agreement is a
service-for-fee agreement, and Clavis
Pharma retains the right to exploit any
and all results coming out of the research.
Athos Gianella-Borradori, chief medical officer of Clavis, says the collaboration
is key for Clavis and for elacytarabine.
“Skyline Diagnostics’ expertise will be
instrumental in searching for gene
expression patterns that can be utilized
in the further biomarker program of elacytarabine,” notes Gianella-Borradori.
“This genomic approach adds to our currently ongoing patient selection based on
protein markers and will deepen our
insights into the potential for precise and
highly effective personalized medicines.
bipolar continued on page 32
express continued on page 30
The Huntsville, Ala.-based HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology and the University of Michigan recently received
a $7.8 million award from the National Institute of Mental Health to probe genetic contributors to bipolar disorder.
On the hunt for genetic clues
By Lori Lesko
HUNTSVILLE, Ala.— Touted
as the largest
genetic study of bipolar disorder to date, 169
scientists from 11 countries have discovered a
new genetic location contributing to susceptibility to the disorder, and found further
evidence of a genetic link to the mental illness
marked by mood swings, mania and depression. These findings were published Sept. 18
in the online journal Nature Genome.
The scientific article has set the stage for
interest in a new three-year study launched
by researchers at the Huntsville, Ala.-based
HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology and
the University of Michigan. The institutions
are teaming up—this time using wholegenome sequencing to look for genetic contributors to bipolar disorder—thanks to a $7.8
million award from the National Institute of
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omics & systems biology
Think about the orphans
Synageva BioPharma
enters R&D partnership
with Mitsubishi Tanabe
Pharma to develop
protein therapeutic for
orphan disease target
By Jeffrey Bouley
LEXINGTON, Mass.—Synageva BioPharma Corp. recently announced
that it has formed a research and
development partnership with
Osaka, Japan-based Mitsubishi
Tanabe Pharma Corp. to develop a
novel therapeutic for an undisclosed orphan disease.
Under the terms of the deal, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma will make
an upfront payment of $3 million
and will contribute additional
research funds, getting in return
Synageva’s expertise in the rare disease space, its product development
capabilities and the benefits of its
proprietary protein expression
platform, according to Sanj K. Patel,
Synageva’s president and CEO.
Partnering is a particular focus
of Synageva’s efforts on both the
business and science sides of the
corporate equation, with the company noting on its website that it is
“committed to becoming the leading
innovator of therapies for patients
with rare diseases. We intend to
further our mission to reach these
patients by establishing partner-
lipid
and other metabolic disorders.
Parallel with genomics and
proteomics, lipidomics refers to
the comprehensive analysis of
lipids, which have been considered difficult to analyze in a comprehensive manner. Due to
recent advances in mass spectrometry, there has been rapid
progress in this field. By participating in this joint research, Shimadzu says it aims to develop
instruments and software that
are better tailored to the needs
of research laboratories and contribute to pathological analysis
and the development of basic
technology for drug discovery.
The University of Tokyo will use
state-of-the-art technology for
analyzing lipids to understand
the mechanisms involved in diseases fundamentally based on
lipid metabolism.
Lipid mediators, including
prostaglandins, leukotrienes,
platelet-activating factor and
many other bioactive lipid
metabolites, are attracting great
attention as disease-related or
physiologically important molecules. Comprehensive analysis of
known lipid mediators is a use-
ships with organizations to license
assets to partners or bring new
assets into Synageva for development and commercialization.”
That means everything from outlicensing to in-licensing and technology licensing to product development collaborations like this one
with Mitsubishi Tanabe. Looking to
such development collaborations,
the company notes that “Synageva’s
senior team has been involved in the
development and commercialization of nearly all of the novel protein
therapeutics marketed to date for
rare disease markets.”
Although neither company would
comment on the current deal, Synageva’s Patel noted very specifically
in the news release that “this agreement illustrates Synageva’s strategy
to help fund our internal product
development by selectively forming
partnerships to create therapeutics
for rare diseases not targeted by our
pipeline products.” This suggests
that the target isn’t related to Synageva’s current pipeline, and the only
other thing Patel will say about the
target is that the partnership “should
result in a new treatment for a devastating condition.”
It remains to be seen whether
that “devastating condition” is one
of Mitsubishi Tanabe’s current
pipeline targets, which domestically in Japan focuses on immunology and inflammatory diseases,
ful, unbiased method in disease
mechanism studies, and the lipid
mediator profile is a useful
parameter that characterizes disease status as well. At the University of Tokyo, the scientific team
has developed an original multiplex quantification method for
trace amounts of lipid mediators
using liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry (LCMS/MS). The goal is to develop
more sensitive and rapid methods that cover more lipid mediators, which meet the demands of
various large-scale studies and
high-throughput screening
approaches.
Shimadzu will provide the
LC-MS/MS system to the University of Tokyo for lipid biomarker
discovery, says Maeji. This agreement specifies a research term
for the Department of Lipidomics that extends until March 31,
2014. During this term, Shimadzu and the university will jointly
research topics such as the development of a biological sample
pretreatment system and a comprehensive method for analyzing
lipids, and apply these to the discovery of lipid biomarkers. The
department will assist with this
effort. ddn
diabetes and lipid metabolism disorders and hepatic diseases, and
in Europe and the United States is
“centered on two products that
have advanced to the development
stage in the field of renal diseases,”
according to Mitsubishi Tanabe’s
website.
Synageva is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused
on the discovery, development and
commercialization of therapeutic
products for patients with lifethreatening rare diseases and
unmet medical need, with its
major product being SBC-102,
which has been granted orphan
designations by the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) and
the European Medicines Agency,
and fast-track designation by the
FDA. SBC-102 is a recombinant
human lysosomal acid lipase currently under clinical investigation
for the treatment of patients with
early-onset and late-onset lysosomal acid lipase deficiency—a
progressive and often fatal lysosomal storage disorder also known
as Wolman disease and cholesteryl
ester storage disease.
In addition to SBC-102, Synageva
has other protein therapeutic programs targeting lysosomal storage
disorders and other rare diseases
that are in various stages of preclinical development. ddn
pth
biomarkers, enabling Thermo Fisher to offer its worldwide life science
research and clinical diagnostics
customers an enhanced solution for
quantitative protein biomarker
detection, according to a Thermo
Fisher media release.
“We began our collaboration
about a year ago,” says Dr. James
Ladine, global director of R&D with
Thermo Fisher’s lab consumables
division. The collaboration recently
resulted in a paper in the Journal of
Clinical Chemistry, which detailed
the workflow and assay results for
parathyroid hormone (PTH) in
blood.
“We showed 17 different PTH
hormone variations,” Ladine notes,
most resulting from ends having
been truncated. “Other techniques
just show a big, dumb number,” he
says, and lump together forms of the
hormone that may not be active.
Sensitivity is 8 picograms per milliliter, which compares favorably
with other assays, he says.
The IBI portfolio includes its
novel Mass Spectrometric Immunoassay (MSIA), featuring a patented
sample preparation technique. This
technology allows enrichment of
low-abundance proteins in biological samples. The specificity of
immuno-enrichment, coupled with
express
It is our goal and vision that this
collaboration with the experts of
Skyline will bring better therapies
to the many patients suffering
from difficult-to-treat leukemia.”
According to Henk Viëtor,
CEO of Skyline Diagnostics, Clavis proved to be an attractive collaborator because it is working on
an AML compound and is investigating associated biomarkers.
“Skyline’s expertise in companion diagnostics, gene expression analysis and hematological
diseases makes this a perfect fit,”
he says.
Ole Henrik Eriksen, chief operating officer of Clavis, adds that
this is the first time the companies
have worked together. He says
Skyline was an attractive partner
because it has a large sample database and proprietary technologies
that can potentially help Clavis
identify patients who may benefit
from treatment with elacytarabine.
“Elacytarabine has been
designed to target leukemia
patients with low expression of
hENT1 (human equilibrative
nucleoside transporter 1),” notes
Eriksen. “Elacytarabine is
thought to be independent of
hENT1, whereas it is believed
that today’s standard therapy,
cytarabine, requires hENT1 for
entry into cancer cells. The goal
is to demonstrate that the efficacy
the sensitivity and quantitative
capability of mass spectrometry,
gives researchers a complete, higher-resolution view of the proteome.
According to Thermo Fisher, the
MSIA technology provides greater
sensitivity and higher throughput
than conventional ELISA and beadbased immunoassay formats.
Ladine notes that there are two
trends in biomarker assays like that
for PTH—greater complexity and
lower abundance. In terms of complexity, he cites PSA as an example
of a “traditional marker” that is
being seen as more complex than
previously thought.
“Complexity can involve truncation,” as with PTH, “splicing variances and different sites or extent of
phosphorylation,” he says.
IBI’s proprietary immunoenrichment technology involves 10 steps,
Ladine notes, nine of which are now
made by Thermo Fisher, and is
based on a patented pipette tip that
integrates a high-throughput, highbinding-capacity microcolumn activated with antibodies. This technology addresses one of the key challenges of biomarker discovery and
validation—the isolation and analysis of very low-abundance proteins
such as PTH in complex biological
matrices. Conventional approaches
involving depletion of interfering
high-abundance proteins are timeconsuming and introduce analytical
of elacytarabine is independent
of the patient’s hENT1 status.”
Elacytarabine is a lipid-conjugated derivative of cytarabine, the
standard treatment for AML. In
contrast to cytarabine, elacytarabine can enter cells without
requiring membrane expression
of transporter proteins, particularly hENT1, and therefore retain
its effect independent of the
hENT1 expression level. Clavis
wants to strengthen its biomarker
program by exploring whether
mRNA expression of hENT1 and
related genes is correlated to cytarabine response.
Skyline Diagnostics will use its
bioinformatics engine to search
for and validate biomarkers that
are relevant for elacytarabine. Its
focus will be on hENT1 and related
genes to see if there is a correlation
with response to cytarabine.
Viëtor notes that the current
project will focus on expression
of the hENT1 gene and related
genes. The results of this study
will determine if this technology
can provide new insight and predict response.
In the short term, success will
be gauged on whether array technology can be used to determine
efficacy using expression of
hENT1 and related genes, and in
the midterm, to determine the possibility to develop a companion
diagnostic and design a development plan and platform. ddn
variability. Compared to other
immunoenrichment approaches,
IBI’s approach promises more effective capture of low-abundance proteins. A key challenge in proteomics
research is the ability to differentiate
between and accurately quantitate
intact proteins and their variants.
Traditional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) are limited by the inability of the antibodies
to discriminate between all variants
and quantify their abundance, Thermo Fisher states.
“The Intrinsic Bioprobes portfolio will enhance Thermo Fisher’s
position in the rapidly emerging
field of clinical proteomics,” says
Chuck Kummeth, president of Thermo Fisher’s laboratory consumables
business. “It is a simple, yet powerful approach to uncovering the proteomic basis of disease, and it better
positions us to support our customers in their efforts to realize the
promise of personalized
medicine.”
IBI was founded in 1996 by Randall W. Nelson, who has served as
its president since then. He will continue to be involved with the business as a consultant.
Thermo Fisher declined to comment on the possible integration of
IBI’s staff or facilities or provide
information on the dollar value of
the acquisition. ddn
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1/13/2011 11:27:14 AM
bipolar
and approaches for treatment.”
Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental illness that affects roughly 1 percent of the population. Often diagnosed before the age of 25, bipolar
disorder is characterized by dramatic
mood and behavioral changes that
oscillate between mania and depression, according to the NIMH. Symptoms may seem like separate problems, so diagnoses have been impeded and therapy often delayed.
omics & systems biology
Doctors have suspected for
decades that bipolar disorder is
hereditary since individuals with an
affected parent or sibling are more
likely to develop bipolar disorder
than the general population—but
there was no way to prove it.
The NIMH reports that children
with a parent or sibling who has
bipolar disorder are four to six times
more likely to develop the illness,
compared with children who do not
have a family history of the disorder.
The NIMH project encompasses
information from more than 7,000
individuals to provide more accurate
prediction of risk, Myers said.
Myers’ colleague and friend,
Michael Boehnke, director of the
University of Michigan Center for
Statistical Genetics Scientists, is one
of the study’s lead investigators.
“There’s a strong familial component,” says Boehnke, who is also
director of the University of Michigan’s Genome Science Training Program. “It’s not necessarily the case
that that strong familial component
would translate to a genetic basis, but
it’s entirely possible that it would.”
The first phase of the NIMH-funded project will include whole-genome
sequencing of 2,000 individuals, half
of whom have been diagnosed with
bipolar disorder and half of whom
have not. Scientists will look for similarities between those diagnosed
with bipolar and the control population. An additional 5,000 individuals
will be included in comparative studies addressed with separate
funding.
“We are working exclusively with
bipolar I, the most severe type [of
bipolar disorder],” said Myers. “It is
not just a passing [depression]. Once
this starts, it seems to set in and massively affect people as well as their
families and people around them.”
Analysis on samples previously
collected will be one of the largest
sequencing studies in the world,
he said.
Myers is leading the effort at the
HudsonAlpha Institute, where the
bulk of the experimental work will
take place, while Boehnke will head
the University of Michigan arm of
the study, focusing on statistical
analyses of the data.
“Our research team combines
strengths in high-throughput genetics and genomics and development
and application of innovative computational and statistical methods
to maximize the benefits of cuttingedge technologies,” Myers stated.
Boehnke says the bipolar sequencing study may ultimately include
collaborators and participant samples from other institutions.
To be successful in the genetics of
something as complex as bipolar
disorder, it’s important to build collaborations “both within our own
study in terms of samples for initial
sequencing and follow-up genotyping and sequencing, and also for
confirming results or disproving
results across other studies,”
Boehnke says.
In 2009, Myers, Boehnke and a
host of researchers from each institution published a genome-wide
association study involving thousands of bipolar disorder cases and
controls in the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences. But
even though some loci have been
linked to bipolar disorder, the overall number of known genetic contributors is still relatively small.
Given what he referred to as the
“incredible drop in sequencing
prices, the incredible increase in
sequencing throughput, the time
seemed right for a large-scale
sequencing study,” Boehnke says.
By comparison, Myers said the
Human Genome Project—which
first sequenced a single person’s
DNA ran from 1990 to 2003—
involved thousands of scientists
and technicians around the world
and cost $2.5 billion.
Along with clues about what
causes the disease, those involved
in the bipolar disorder study hope
to unearth information for improving treatment.
The NIMH study’s ultimate goal
is to identify genes and pathways
that contribute to the risk for bipolar disorder, says Chris Gunter,
director of Research Affairs at the
HudsonAlpha Institute.
“We feel that completion of the
grant study will provide new
insights into disease mechanisms
that have the potential to catalyze
breakthroughs in bipolar disorder
prevention, treatment and diagnosis,” Gunter tells ddn. “This could,
of course, lead to collaborations
between business and our academic
groups.” ddn
b r i e f s
Adimab collaborates with
Biogen Idec, Novo Nordisk
LEBANON, N. H.—Adimab LLC entered into two
collaborations with industry giants recently, signing one deal with Weston, Mass.-based Biogen
Idec Inc. and another with Novo Nordisk A/S of
Denmark. The terms of both deals are similar,
stipulating that Adimab, a company focused on
the development of yeast-based antibodies, will
utilize its proprietary discovery platform to identify human antibodies against a pair of targets
selected by Biogen Idec and another pair of targets chosen by Novo Nordisk. Adimab will receive
upfront payments of unspecified values from both
partners, as well as potential preclinical milestone payments. In addition, Adimab has the
potential to receive clinical development milestones and product sales royalties from both
collaborations as well. No specific financial
details were disclosed for either collaboration.
Biologics named strategic
partner by Genentech
CARY, N.C.—Genentech recently selected Biologics Inc. as its strategic partner to support their
suite of services for Zelboraf (vemurafenib), which
received U.S. Food and Drug Administration
approval on Aug. 17 as an oral therapy treatment
for patients with unresectable or metastatic
melanoma with BRAFV600E mutation. In partnership with Genentech, Biologics is a key provider
of clinical support, patient access and pharmacy
services for patients taking Zelboraf. Biologics was
selected by Genentech to administer the Patient
Partners program, and will also provide adverse
event monitoring and reporting, therapy adherence evaluations and side effect education and
management for Zelboraf patients. Additionally,
Biologics’ oncology pharmacy was selected as a
strategic channel partner to dispense Zelboraf in
the United States. No financial details for the
partnership were disclosed.
Galenea, CHDI Foundation form
Huntington’s collaboration
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—Galenea Corp. and CHDI
Foundation Inc. have come together to collaborate on the identification of synaptic dysfunctions linked to Huntington’s disease (HD) using
Galenea’s proprietary synaptic transmission
drug discovery platform. Galenea’s platform,
which examines synaptic transmission on several levels, will hopefully offer insight into a new
approach to discovering therapies for HD. The
company’s Multiwell Automated Neuro TRansmission Assay (MANTRA) system is a highthroughput screening assay that monitors synaptic events at the cellular level through the use
of primary neuronal cultures. Galenea’s system
for establishing in-vivo EEG measures of behaviors in rodent disease models by monitoring
brain and behavioral activities in parallel also
allows for surveillance at the network level.
Acquisition is
par for the course
Par Pharmaceutical
acquires rival Anchen
Pharmaceuticals
for $410 million
By Lori Lesko
WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J.—Aimed
at enhancing
its R&D platform and significantly increasing
its pipeline, Par Pharmaceuticals’ agreement
to purchase privately held specialty drugmaker and rival Anchen Pharmaceuticals is
the “most significant acquisition in Par’s history,” declares Paul V. Campanelli, Par’s
executive vice president.
If approved, Par will pay the acquisition
price of $410 million, and is expected to reap
the rewards of the Irvine, Calif.-based company’s extended release and niche generic
products and other assets as early as year’s end.
The transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to non-GAAP earnings in 2011,
Par executives announced at a conference call
held for investors and the media on Aug. 24.
With Anchen onboard, “our new portfolio
is expected to generate significant and positive
future cash flow, including more frequent product launches every year,” Campanelli said in
the call. “We look forward to Anchen launching from eight to 10 new products within the
next two years, which will contribute significantly to Par’s revenues and gross product.”
Par plans to finance the Anchen acquisition in part with a $350 million bank loan, to
Stem cell
breakthroughs
within Cyte?
BioTime’s ReCyte and
OncoCyte subsidiaries ink
pact with Cornell on vascular
cells derived from hESCs
be repaid over five years with an adjustable
rate that is expected to average around 5 percent, according to Michael A. Tropiano, Par’s
chief financial officer.
Anchen is described as a profitable, fully
integrated pharmaceutical company with five
commercialized products including generic
forms of the well-known drugs Cipro, Wellbutrin and Ambien.
The California pharma has 27 abbreviated
new drug approvals (ANDAs) on file with the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—
five of which are believed to be first-to-file
—and approximately 26 additional products
in development, according to Par.
Founded in 2002, Anchen has 218 employees and more than 72,000 square feet of
expandable manufacturing and warehouse
facilities, with state-of-the-art equipment.
J.B. Davis, senior vice president at Anchen,
deferred all questions about the acquisition
to Par.
Anchen has demonstrated sound management in all aspects of its operations, including
its legal department, which has handled patent challenges, said Campanelli.
“Par has been evaluating Anchen for more
than a year, and in that time, we have developed
a very deep understanding of the organization,
its assets and its culture,” Campanelli said.
Campanelli stated during the conference
call that it is too early to say whether all of
Anchen’s employees would be kept on.
A L A M E DA , C a l i f . — B i o T i m e I n c .
announced in early October that it has
entered into an exclusive license agreement with Cornell University for the
worldwide development and commercialization of technology developed at
the university for the differentiation of
human embryonic stem cells (hESCs)
into vascular endothelial cells.
BioTime is a biotechnology company
focused on regenerative medicine and
blood plasma volume expanders that
carries out much of its work in the
human stem cell space.
According to the companies, the new
methods will provide an improved means
of generating these cells on a large scale.
BioTime will employ the technology in
two of its subsidiaries: ReCyte Therapeutics Inc. and OncoCyte Corp.
ReCyte targets age-related vascular
disease, and OncoCyte will use the
technology to find a way to deliver a
toxic payload to cancerous tumors. The
work at both spinoffs relies on the
work of capillaries, which play a role
in vascular health and also provide a
par continued on page 35
cyte continued on page 37
By Kimberley Sirk
Stem cells offer new hope for MS patients
By Amy Swinderman
CLEVELAND, Ohio— A
group of
researchers here are collaborating
on a clinical trial that aims to treat
or even reverse the debilitating
effects of multiple sclerosis (MS)
by harnessing the power of stem
cell research.
The trial—the first of its kind in
the United States—is the work of
a consortium of researchers from
the Cleveland Clinic, University
Hospitals’ Seidman Cancer Center and Case Western Reserve
University (CWRU). Researchers
are harvesting mesenchymal stem
cells (MSCs)—or adult stem cells
found in the bone marrow—of
patients with MS, cultivating
them in a CWRU lab and then
Researchers are interested in mesenchymal stem cells because they have several
properties that could possibly make them helpful in treating multiple sclerosis,
says Dr. Jeffrey Cohen, lead investigator of the trial and director of the
Experimental Therapeutics Program at the Cleveland Clinic’s Mellen Center for
Multiple Sclerosis Treatment.
injecting them intravenously back
onto the patients.
The primary goal of these
efforts is to test the safety and
feasibility of using the body’s
own stem cells to treat MS. More
long-term, though, the researchers hope to find evidence that
these transplanted cells can help
moderate the overactive immune
systems of MS patients—or to
develop regenerative strategies to
repair or even stop the debilitation seen in the more progressive
stages of the disease.
The researchers are interested
in MSCs because they have several properties that could possibly
make them helpful in treating MS,
msc continued on page 34
msc
says Dr. Jeffrey Cohen, lead investigator of the trial.
“One reason is that they have the
ability, in a number of animal models
of other human diseases, to increase
repair in tissue damages—not just by
replacing the cells themselves, but
also by creating an environment that
supports normal repair mechanisms
that are already present in tissue,”
says Cohen, who directs the Experimental Therapeutics Program at the
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Cleveland Clinic’s Mellen Center for
Multiple Sclerosis Treatment. “In
addition, the anti-inflammatory
effects of these cells are quite potent
in modulating a number of immune
mechanisms, may of which have
been implicated in MS. Finally, these
cells appear to have the ability to
migrate through the blood into tissues that are inflamed and seek out
areas of damage. This is much more
convenient than directly injecting
them into the brain.”
The study is the clinic’s first foray
into performing stem cell research
In Phase I of this clinical trial, researchers are testing the safety and feasibility of
harvesting the mesenchymal stem cells of patients with MS, cultivating them in a
lab and then injecting them intravenously back onto the patients, with the hope of
moderating their overactive immune systems and limiting or even stopping the
debilitating effects of the disease.
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on MS patients, Cohen says. The
researchers have enrolled four
patients in Phase I studies so far.
After a formal safety review, they
hope to enroll a total of 24 patients
by the end of 2012.
Getting the trial off the ground
hasn’t been easy. Researchers first
had conversations about it in early
2007, but had to work earnestly for
a few years to obtain funding.
“This study is fully funded by
grants, rather than industry,” Cohen
notes.
But the researchers’ main stumbling block, he says, was obtaining
the necessary regulatory approval to
proceed.
“Even though there has been
some experience with using these
cells in other disease areas, the overall published experience has been
very modest,” Cohen explains. “We
hope to get the reassurance we need
to move at a more rapid place.”
The researchers have not yet considered a commercial partner to
bring the results of their findings to
market, he notes. Instead, they are
focused more on furthering the science involved in using MSCs.
“We’re less encumbered by commercial constraints, and more concerned with
how a treatment would be
offered more
broadly down
the road,” he
says. “Even if
the cells are not
commercializDr. Jeffrey Cohen
able, the data
we are generating will surely help
other people who have commercial
plans underway.”
The outcome of this trial is expected to be a significant advance in the
field of MS research. About 10,000
people in the United States are diagnosed with MS annually, and there
is no known cure. Cohen notes that
medications currently approved for
the treatment of MS focus on preventing disease activity, but do not
address damage. They can also have
adverse effects or be poorly
tolerated.
“There is a huge unmet need for
therapies for MS patients,” Cohen
says.
MSCs have also been tested on
and demonstrated potential in other
conditions such as heart disease,
stroke, spinal cord injury and nonhealing bone fractures, he adds.
“MSC transplantation is a very
effective treatment for conditions
where anti-inflammatory actions
are discovered,” Cohen says. “It’s
being evaluated in a wide variety of
conditions. The areas that have
received the most attention are cancer, graft-versus-host disease, bone
marrow transplants, coronary disease and peripheral vascular disease. There are also a number of
smaller studies in diseases like irritable bowel syndrome. But the overall experience there is relatively
modest.” ddn
Specificity counts in Merck deal
Zymeworks Inc. to
collaborate with Merck
on developing bi-specific
antibody therapeutics
By Jeffrey Bouley
VANCOUVER, British Columbia—Zymeworks Inc.
recently granted Merck, through a subsidiary, a worldwide license to develop and commercialize bi-specific antibodies generated
through use of the Azymetric platform toward
certain exclusive therapeutic targets.
Under the terms of the research collaboration with Merck, known as MSD outside the
United States and Canada, Zymeworks will
receive an upfront fee and is eligible to receive
research, development and regulatory milestones with a potential value of as much as
$187 million, as well as tiered royalty payments on sales of products.
Both companies will collaborate to advance
the technology platform and work on novel
bi-specific antibodies, which are designed to
bind to two different drug targets for broad
use in clinical applications, such as oncology
or autoimmune disease. Merck will work to
progress the bi-specific therapeutic antibody
candidates through clinical development and
will have exclusive worldwide commercialization rights to products derived from the
collaboration.
“Zymeworks’ technology platform has the
potential to provide a unique solution for
engineering novel antibodies,” said Dr. Richard Murray, senior vice president of biologics
research at Merck, in the news release about
the deal. “At Merck, we continue to build
upon our portfolio of novel technologies
aimed at developing a new generation of biologic candidates designed to provide
improved therapeutic properties.”
“From the day we got started in the business of biologics, we had an eye out for Merck
as a company we really wanted to do a deal
with,” Dr. Ali Tehrani, CEO of Zymeworks,
tells ddn. “An early thing I learned is that the
world is not your playground in this business, and you need a focus—and part of that
focus was thinking about companies we most
wanted to do deals with. I admit that with the
acquisition of Schering, I was nervous like a
lot of people, but I think it brought them a lot
of strengths and made them even more desirable a company with which to form a collaboration. Now we have that chance, bringing
our Azymetric platform while they bring
their drug expertise.”
He also had noted earlier, in the news
par
After searching for the ideal
acquisition for some time, Par
believes it got it right.
“Anchen is the one we wanted
and a terrific acquisition for Par
Pharmaceuticals,” Patrick G.
LePore, chairman, CEO and president of Par, told investors. “I can’t
wait to work with the people from
California.
“This transaction accelerates the
expansion of Par’s research and
release about the deal, that this collaboration is “an important validation of our scientific leadership in the field of structureguided protein engineering and we look
forward to working with Merck to realizing
the full value of this novel platform technolo g y ac r o s s a r a n ge o f t h e r ap e u t i c
indications.”
Antibodies developed using the Azymetric
platform, unlike native antibodies, consist of
two different heavy chains engineered to
potent drugs.”
The timing for a deal like this now is right,
he says, because there is no clear leader yet
in the bi-specific space.
“There is a race, and someone is going to
come out as one of the leaders and maybe
that someone will also ‘win’ the race,” Tehrani notes. “Who that will be depends on the
right technology and platform and the right
combination of teams to get there. I think
that Merck placing a bet on us with this col-
Zymeworks has long seen Merck as a prime candidate for a major collaboration partner, and now the company
has the chance with the development and possible commercialization of bi-specific antibodies generated
through use of the Azymetric platform toward certain exclusive therapeutic targets. Says Zymeworks CEO
Dr. Ali Tehrani: “It’s nice to be inspired; the Merck term inspires the Zymeworks team.”
exclusively assemble into a single molecule,
thereby allowing bi-specific binding of two
different antigens or drug targets, Zymeworks notes. Because they have two different
but complementary heavy chain subunits,
Azymetric antibodies are classified as “heterodimeric” antibodies—reportedly, similar
to natural antibodies, heterodimeric antibodies retain long serum half-lives and the ability
to induce effector function.
“Antibody therapeutics are a very hot area,
and if you’re in the business of drug development and you’re looking at biologics, antibodies are attractive, and have proved to be
effective drugs,” Tehrani says. “Within the
antibody space, there is a lot of interest in
multivalent bi-specific molecules that can
create opportunities for more efficacious and
development infrastructure and
reinforces our strategy to provide
long-term sustainable growth,”
LePore added. “Anchen has an
excellent development track record
and robust product pipeline, which,
when combined with Par’s existing
capabilities and pipeline, more than
doubles our product opportunities.
Anchen also shares Par’s highly
entrepreneurial culture and costefficient approach to product development, which should allow for a
seamless integration.”
Par made a deal for another
laboration shows that they are very committed to this race.”
Zymeworks’ proprietary ZymeCAD structure-guided protein engineering technology
and its novel Azymetric and AlbuCORE platforms are said to enable the development of
highly potent bi-specific antibodies and multivalent protein therapeutics targeted across
a range of indications. The company is growing its preclinical biotherapeutics pipeline
through a combination of in-house research
and development programs and strategic
collaborations.
Looking toward this most recent and highly sought-after collaboration, Tehrani says of
Merck: “It’s nice to be inspired; the Merck
term inspires the Zymeworks team.” ddn
Merck Serono,
F-Star, ink
inflammatory
disease deal
LONDON— Merck Serono SA recently
announced the signing of an inflammatory disease research deal with F-Star
GmbH, a specialist in antibody engineering, which is worth up to $691.1 million.
The partners will work with “up to
three” targets selected by Merck Serono
as the basis for the joint discovery of
antibody fragments as well as bi-specific
antibodies. F-Star will receive research
funding as well as a technology access
fee, and license fees and milestones will
be paid out as the projects progress.
While no additional financial details
were released, Kevin FitzGerald, F-Star’s
CEO, said in a press release that achieving the full $691.1 million value would
require commercialization of products.
“We certainly value our partnerships,” FitzGerald said. “They have real
benefits that go beyond early- and midterm cash. They are a great validation for
the technology, great internally in terms
of motivating our people and showing
pharma is interested in our
technology.”
F-Star’s modular antibody technology allows it to engineer additional
antigen-binding sites in both antibodies
and antibody fragments. Its Fcab antibody fragments enable the production
of entities a third of the size of normal
antibodies with the same functionality,
but a longer half-life than antibody fragments usually have. Fcabs, according to
FitzGerald, can be used as therapeutic
products or as modules for generating
mAb2 antibodies. F-Star’s mAb2, or bispecific, antibodies offer greater functionality than their conventional counterparts as well as the option of having
two binding sites for the same disease
antigen, dual targeting against a second
antigen or using the additional binding
site for the delivery of the antibody to a
specific tissue.
“We believe that F-Star’s modular
antibody technology has the potential to
offer important functional advantages
over conventional antibodies and will
potentially allow us to generate highly
differentiated drugs,” Susan Herbert,
head of portfolio development at Merck
Serono, said in a press release. ddn
small generics company in May,
agreeing to acquire India-based
Edict Pharmaceuticals for up to
$37.6 million. The company expects
the deal to close by the end of the
year and add to earnings in 2013.
Par has also been moving into
the branded pharmaceutical market by developing updated versions of off-patent drugs.
Par has two operating divisions,
Par Pharmaceutical and Strativa
Pharmaceuticals, which develop,
manufacture and market generic
drugs and proprietary pharama
ceuticals. Par announced this summer that it plans to cut 100 jobs—
about 15 percent of its workforce of
600—in the Strativa division.
At that time, LePore said the
company planned to focus on two
Strativa products: Megace, which
treats appetite loss and weight
loss, especially in AIDS patients;
and Nascobal, a vitamin B-12 nasal
spray. Strativa also makes
Zuplenz, an anti-nausea drug
aimed at cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation,
and Oravig, an anti-fungal medi-
cine. Besides its headquarters in
Woodcliff Lake, the company has
locations in Suffern, Spring Valley
and Hauppauge, N.Y.
Par Pharmaceuticals conducts
manufacturing in the United
States and markets and/or licenses
more than 85 prescription drug
product. Par also has more than
50 currently marketed products,
more than 30 products in active
development and manufacturing
plant capability of more than 2 billion tablets per year. ddn
Baxter acquires privately held
Baxa, establishes investment arm
Baxter International Inc.
announced last month the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire privately held Baxa
Corp., an Englewood, Colo.-based company
focused on developing pharmacy technology
to enhance the safety and efficiency of oral
and IV dose preparation and delivery.
At the same time, Baxter also announced
its establishment of Baxter Ventures, a joint
venture that will invest up to $200 million in
equity in promising early-stage companies
developing therapies that complement the
company’s existing portfolio.
Baxter will acquire Baxa for a total upfront
cash consideration of $380 million. The closing is subject to customary closing conditions
as well as the expiration of the waiting period
under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust
Improvements Act.
“With this agreement, Baxa will be able to
play a greater role in delivering safe medication practices,” Greg Baldwin, Baxa chairman
and CEO, said in a press release. “We are very
DEERFIELD, Ill.—
mately $150 million, and Baxter expects the
acquisition of Baxa to be accretive to its future
sales growth. The company also expects the
acquisitive to be neutral to full-year 2012 earnings excluding dilution of approximately
$0.03 to $0.05 per diluted share related to
acquisition accounting and transaction-related expenses, and increasingly accretive in the
following years.
Baxa’s website states that its mission is “to
be a great medical device company that continually improves and maximizes long-term
value through lifetime partnerships with customers.” The company’s pharmacy products
include automated compounding devices,
dose management, pharmacy admixture
tools, oral and enteral systems, automated
filling systems and IV administration. Baxa
also has a variety of nursing products, including supplies for neonatal feeding, oral and
enteral systems and IV administration. Baxa’s
product line includes the ExactaMix Compounder, devices that work to automate
“bringing this expertise together with
Baxter’s commercial capabilities and global
reach will enable us to continue to meet our
customers’ evolving needs and extend our
position in IV nutrition and fluid delivery.”
ROBERt M. DAVIs, pREsIDENt OF BAXtER’s MEDICAL pRODUCts BUsINEss
pleased to find a partner that shares our commitment and sees the potential in our products, technology and people.”
Baxa’s annual sales in 2010 were approxi-
multi-ingredient nutritional solution compounding, as well as its DoseEdge Pharmacy
Workflow Manager, which provides an integrated system for managing IV and oral dose
The acquisition of Baxa gives Baxter “a comprehensive solution to fulfill the majority of patients’ nutritional
requirements and increase efficiency in the pharmacy,” says Robert M. Davis, president of Baxter’s Medical
Products business.
preparation activities.
“With these new offerings, Baxter will be
able to provide a comprehensive solution to
fulfill the majority of patients’ nutritional
requirements and increase efficiency in the
pharmacy,” said Robert M. Davis, president
of Baxter’s Medical Products business, in a
press release regarding the acquisition.
“Bringing this expertise together with Baxter’s commercial capabilities and global reach
will enable us to continue to meet our customers’ evolving needs and extend our position
in IV nutrition and fluid delivery.”
The acquisition is a strong one for Baxter
based on the extremely complementary
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nature of the two companies’ businesses.
Baxter’s areas of expertise include anesthesia, clinical nutrition, infusion systems/IV
tubing, pharmaceuticals, solutions and drug
delivery.
When combined with the company’s drug
delivery systems and nutrition products—
such as Baxter’s multi-chamber, prefilled,
premixed containers—Baxa’s products will
boost the company’s portfolio and its strength
in its areas of focus.
Premixed medications and pharmacy automation serve to minimize issues in the medication process, in terms of reducing errors in
dosage and administration and improving
effectiveness. Baxter’s premixed multi-chamber containers include essential nutrients for
a range of patients, and Baxa’s integration and
automation technology give hospital pharmacists the ability to customize treatments for
specific patient populations.
Of Baxter Ventures, Robert L. Parkinson
Jr., chairman and CEO of Baxter, said in a
statement, “Baxter’s mission is to apply innovative science to develop therapies and medical technologies that save and sustain
patients’ lives. As the company’s internal
capabilities have advanced our late-stage
pipeline, we have the capacity to further
accelerate the early-stage development of
essential therapies.”
Baxter Ventures will invest globally and
focus on innovative technologies with sustainable long-term growth. The company has
continued to grow its internal investments in
R&D and to pursue business development
initiatives, collaborations and alliances as
part of its long-term growth strategy.
Baxter Ventures will report to Dr. Norbert
Riedel, Baxter’s chief scientific officer.
“Baxter Ventures will allow us to provide
companies with promising, early-stage
technologies with the capital and expertise
needed to drive successful innovation,” said
Riedel. “Through this additional investment,
Baxter will expand its internal pipeline
with the goal of further strengthening the
company’s history of innovative ‘firsts’ in
medical therapies.” ddn
cyte
route directly into tumors.
Vascular endothelial cells
form the tubular structure of
capillaries and the innermost
cells of larger arteries and
veins in the body. When these
cells become dysfunctional,
they are believed to play a key
role in numerous disease
processes.
The technology was developed at the Weill Cornell Medical College. The journal Nature
Biotechnology published a story
about the work in 2010.
The ability to reprogram cell
lifespan and manufacture
young, healthy, patient-specific
vascular endothelial cells may
prove to be important in the
field of regenerative medicine.
BioTime has tested the Cornell technology when combined with BioTime’s ACTCellerate technology and has successfully produced highly
purified monoclonal embryonic vascular endothelium.
This high level of purity and
scalability is expected to facilitate the manufacture of clinical-grade cells that may be used
for transplantation therapies.
“The technology invented
by Drs. Shahin Rafii and Daylon James of the Weill Cornell
Medical College is both elegant
and useful,” said Dr. Joseph
Wagner, CEO of OncoCyte, in
a prepared statement. “The
products derived from the
combination of this technology
with BioTime’s ACTCellerate
and OncoCyte’s existing technologies to target and destroy
malignant tumors may lead to
an entirely new modality for
the treatment of solid tumors.”
BioTime’s license is worldwide and exclusive for the
fields of cell therapy for ageand diabetes-related vascular
diseases and cancer therapy.
The license also covers products utilizing human vascular
or vascular forming cells for
the purpose of enhancing the
viability of the graft of other
human cell types, and cellbased research products.
“In addition to obtaining
exclusive worldwide licenses
to the patent-pending Cornell
technology, we have entered
into a sponsored research
agreement with Weill Cornell
Medical College that will utilize the expertise of the scientists who developed the
licensed technology,” said Dr.
Steve Kessler, vice president of
research and development of
ReCyte, in a statement.
Cornell and BioTime representatives did not answer questions posed to them for this
story by press time. ddn
BioTime receives NIH approval for four hESC lines
ALAMEDA, Calif.—BioTime Inc. also
recently announced that four human
embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines—
ESI-035, ESI-049, ESI-051 and ESI053—developed by a BioTime subsidiary have been approved by the
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
for inclusion in the NIH Human
Embryonic Stem Cell Registry.
The approval opens the door to
the use of these cell lines in federally
funded research.
The lines were developed by ES
Cell International Pte. Ltd. (ESI). The
lines were derived using procedures
and documentation that are in compliance with current Good Tissue
Practices (cGTP) and current Good
Manufacturing Practices (cGMP),
are free of animal feeder cells and
have been assessed for pluripotency
and karyotypic stability.
In collaboration with the California Institute of Regenerative Medi-
cine, BioTime has supplied researchgrade versions of these lines to dozens of researchers throughout California, including those in the University of California system. BioTime has agreed to provide the
complete genome sequence to the
public this fall to facilitate the development of products derived from
these cell lines. One of the ESI cell
lines is being evaluated by an undisclosed large pharmaceutical com-
pany for potential use in its product
development program.
“As researchers work towards
developing therapeutics for use in
hard-to-treat diseases, we believe
that our clinical-grade hESC lines
will enable them to easily translate
scientific progress into commercially successful therapeutic products,” said Dr. Michael D. West,
president and CEO of BioTime, in a
statement. ddn
INTRODUCING
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to the latest
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news, trends
and resources
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Top cancer-related news
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DIRt
continued from PAge 1
“When Clostridia spores are injected into a cancer patient, they will only grow in
oxygen-depleted environments, i.e., the center of solid tumors,” explains Nigel Minton,
a professor at the University of Nottingham. “Unfortunately, because the outside of the
tumor is oxygenated, tumors always regrow. We have done something about that by
using this enzyme as a pro-drug therapy.”
Although these findings about
the bacteria strain—called Clostridia—have generated quite a bit of
interest, scientists have been aware
of its potential for many years. Clostridia are an ancient group of bacteria that evolved on the planet before
it had an oxygen-rich atmosphere.
Because they cannot grow in the
presence of oxygen, they produce
spores to survive.
Medically speaking, Clostridia
cannot grow in normal, healthy tissue. Their ability to germinate in
necrotic tissue, however, has long
been recognized. In the last 50
years, these characteristics have
been probed by researchers for
their potential to select and target
tumors. In the 1950s, Parker, et al.,
showed that the injection of Clostridium histolyticum spores to the
transplanted sarcomas of mice
results in significant tumor lysis.
Soon after, it was shown that a
direct injection is not necessary, and
that tumor colonization was readily
Neuroscience
D223-3
Isotype Control
MZ
CP
20 µm
MZ
{
CP
20 µm
Immunohistochemical detection of Reelin
on frozen sections of mouse fetal brain
(E18) with D223-3 (left) or isotypic control
IgG (right). This data was kindly provided by Professor
International Corporation
Kazunori Nakajima and Dr. Ken-ichiro Kubo (Department of
Anatomy, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo).
International Corporation
obtained after intravenous administration of spores.
Now, in a poster that was recently
presented at the Society for General
Microbiology’s Autumn Conference
at the University of York, the Nottingham/Maastricht team has
shown it has overcome the hurdles
that have so far prevented this therapy from entering clinical trials.
They have introduced a gene for a
much-improved version of the
enzyme into the C. sporogenes DNA.
This improved enzyme can now be
produced in far greater quantities in
the tumor than previous versions,
and is more efficient at converting
the pro-drug into its active form.
“When Clostridia spores are
injected into a cancer patient, they
will only grow in oxygen-depleted
environments, i.e., the center of
solid tumors,” says Nigel Minton, a
professor of Applied Molecular
Microbiology in the faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Nottingham. “Unfortunately, because the outside of the
tumor is oxygenated, tumors always
regrow. We have done something
about that by using this enzyme as
a pro-drug therapy.”
Their approach presents a paradigm shift in the treatment and control of tumors. Traditional cancer
treatments—such as surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy—are
reasonably successful in controlling
the disease, but in certain types of
tumors and circumstances, these
approaches may be ineffective.
Moreover, in the cancer community,
the holy grail of treatment has
become the ability to subject tumor
cells to a toxic agent while at the
same time excluding normal, healthy
tissues from toxic exposure.
Recent experiments have shown
that although intravenously injected Clostridia spores are dispersed
throughout the body, only those
that encounter the hypoxic environment of a solid tumor go on to germinate and multiply. This predisposition of Clostridia spores to germinate selectively in the hypoxic
regions of solid tumors makes them
an ideal delivery vehicle for anticancer agents, according to Minton
and his colleagues.
Clostridia, Minton notes, is a
“totally natural phenomenon,”
requires no fundamental alterations and is “exquisitely specific.”
“We can exploit this specificity to
kill tumor cells, but leave healthy
tissue unscathed,” he adds.
Ultimately, the Nottingham/
Maastricht team hopes these findings will lead to a simple and safe
procedure for curing a range of solid
tumors. They hope to begin testing
this strain in patients by 2013.
“A successful outcome could lead
to its adoption as a frontline therapy
for treating solid tumors. If the
approach is successfully combined
with more traditional approaches,
this could increase our chance of
winning the battle against cancerous tumors,” says Minton. ddn
b r i e f s
Spaulding Clinical
partners with Clinigene,
Eurofins Optimed
WEST BEND, Wis.—Spaulding Clinical Research
LLC, a West Bend, Wis.-based clinical pharmacology, cardiac core lab and medical device
manufacturer, recently announced a strategic
partnership agreement with Clinigene International Ltd. The partnership provides both companies with the opportunity to interact with clients strategically and accelerate first-in-human
to proof-of-concept clinical development.
Spaulding also announced a joint partnership
agreement with Eurofins Optimed Clinical
Research for global clinical studies, which will
facilitate collaboration on integrated clinical
studies. The two companies both noted that a
key focus of the partnership was securing a highquality partner that met their standards for both
study conduct and participant safety. No financial details were disclosed for either partnership.
Sinochem, DSM establish
global anti-infectives
joint venture
BEIJING—Sinochem Group and Royal DSM have
finished the transaction delivery to establish the
50/50 global anti-infectives joint venture, DSM
Sinochem Pharmaceuticals Ltd., in Hong Kong.
Per the terms of the agreement, the joint venture
will have its headquarters in Hong Kong, and its
board of directors will consist of six members,
three of whom will represent DSM and three
Sinochem. Sinochem Group has taken a 50
percent equity interest in the group for a total
cash consideration of approximately $289.6
million on a cash- and debt-free basis.
Pan Zengyi, vice president of Sinochem, said
in a statement, “We are confident that this is a
very positive step for Sinochem and DSM in their
respective ambition to apply biotechnology
broadly, to help the advancement of human health
with environmentally sustainable processes.”
SCRA MUSC Innovation Center
chosen as VaxyGen HQ
CHARLESTON, S.C.—VaxyGen
Assay Services
will be the latest tenant at the SCRA Medical
University of South Carolina (MUSC) Innovation
Center in Charleston, S.C., and will lease space
for both laboratory and business operations.
VaxyGen is a provider of contract custom testing
services for the characterization of active components and their effects in the development of
therapeutics and vaccines. The SCRA MUSC
Innovation Center is one of three facilities built
by SCRA in conjunction with its South Carolina
university and civic partners.
“This facility and, in general, the resources
within the ‘MUSC/Charleston area’ are highly
impressive and a tremendous asset to the life
sciences area and, in particular, our company,”
said David Dodd, VaxyGen’s CEO.
Building on a strong foundation
ICON selected as a
preferred provider for
early-phase clinical
development by
Bristol-Myers Squibb
By Jeffrey Bouley
DUBLIN—Building on an existing
strategic partnership for global
clinical development, BristolMyers Squibb Co. (BMS) has
chosen ICON PLC, a Dublinbased global provider of outsourced development services to
the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, as a preferred provider for
full-service clinical pharmacology and exploratory clinical
studies.
In June 2010, BMS announced
the signing of agreements with
ICON and PAREXEL Intl., as
two leading providers of clinical
development services, for joint
strategic, operational and capability support of the company’s
clinical development program.
Under the agreements, ICON
and PAREXEL were to provide
global support for the execution
of BMS’s clinical studies to support its full development pipeline
over the following three years.
“These partnerships will
increase the operational capability of our clinical development
organization, and support our
icon continued on page 41
ICON’s Clinical Pharmacology Unit in Manchester, United Kingdom, is one of
three—along with two others in the United States—that will be brought to bear in
ICON’s new role as a preferred provider for full-service clinical pharmacology and
exploratory clinical studies for Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.
Blueprint for
Build it
neurotherapeutics and they
will come
AMRI wins
five-year, $43
million federal
contract award
Start-up research institute
forms strategic alliance
with LabCorp Clinical Trials
to offer specialized
biomarker and assay
development services
By Lori Lesko
ALBANY, N.Y.—Chosen to provide chemistry and other
drug discovery technologies
for the National Institutes of
Health (NIH) Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network,
Albany Molecular Research
Inc. (AMRI) has won a fiveyear $43 million federal contract award—the largest government award in the company’s history and one of the
largest ever given by the NIH.
The award from the NIH
and the National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and
Strokes (NINDS) in support
of NINDS’ Medicinal Chemistry for Neurotherapeutics
P r o g r a m ( M C N P) wa s
announced Aug. 18.
AMRI has been collaborating with NINDS since 2005 on
novel treatments for spinal
muscular atrophy, a degenerative neuromuscular disease.
By Lloyd Dunlap
KANNAPOLIS, N.C.—The David H. Mur-
patients who suffer from devastating neurological and
degenerative diseases, such
as macular degeneration and
Alzheimer’s disease.”
Christopher Conway,
senior director of business
development for AMRI,
says the award “represents
the federal government’s
awareness of the great need
for treatment for muscle
degeneration and nervous
system disorders.”
“There is substantial unmet
dock Research Institute (DHMRI) has
formed a strategic alliance with Esoterix Clinical Trials Services, a division
of Laboratory Corporation of America
Holdings (LabCorp), to provide LabCorp’s clients with access to enhanced
assay development services. Assays
developed at DHMRI for contracted
research will be transferred to LabCorp laboratories worldwide to support global clinical studies. The agreement also provides a mechanism for
downstream commercialization of
companion diagnostics and other biomarker assays once clinical validation
has been established.
Launched in 2009 after a six-year
development program engineered by
David H. Murdock, the institute dif-
amri continued on page 42
dhmri continued on page 42
AMRI has been collaborating with the National Institute of Neurological
Disorders and Strokes since 2005 on novel treatments for spinal
muscular atrophy, a degenerative neuromuscular disease. Shown here is
a liquid handler in the company’s Singapore facility.
“After a highly competitive, rigorous application
process, AMRI was selected
for this contract award
because of our proven track
record on projects of similar
scope with a number of global pharmaceutical companies,” Thomas E. D’Ambria,
AMRI chairman, president
and CEO, said in a news
release. “We are pleased to
support NIH/NINDS’ efforts
and provide our discovery
resources to the neuroscience
research community and to
contract research services
Advantar partners with DavosPharma
by daVid huttOn
SAN DIEGO—Advantar Laboratories
and DavosPharma have forged an
alliance to accelerate clients’ development programs with chemistry
and analytical services.
Under the collaboration, the companies will provide U.S.-based biotech and pharmaceutical clientele
with development, consultancy and
program management support for
preclinical and clinical trial materials as well as approved drugs and
devices.
According to Brandon M. Griffin,
vice president of sales and marketing for Advantar, mutual client
opportunities brought the companies together this year.
“After various discussions evaluating the given chemistry and/or
drug development approach of cli-
ents, it was apparent that both teams
had strong complimentary expertise
and resources to leverage,” he says.
“A collaborative approach simply
made sense from the perspective of
supporting clients more strategically
and promoting that relationship.”
Giff Marzoni, vice president of
global API development at
DavosPharma, explains thatAdvantar is one of about 50 laboratories
and manufacturers with which
DavosPharma has partnered.
“We have known the principals at
Advantar for many years, so we feel
confident that we can offer Advantar’s analytical services to successfully meet our clients’ needs,” Marzoni says.
The collaborative offerings
include custom synthesis for APIs
and advanced intermediates, formu-
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Rich Kenley, CEO of Advantar
Labs, says the alliance enables mutual clients to rapidly and confidently
place their program with dedicated
teams of experts to manage.
“For time-critical studies, we are
able to utilize DavosPharma’s infrastructure and broad network to provide more options and overall guidance to customers for their development needs than previously,” Kenley says. “This accomplishment puts
our lab well ahead of many competing CROs with in-house project
management, because they often
lack specific area expertise or comprehensive tracking tools.”
Marzoni notes that a key resource
DavosPharma will add to the partnership is its technical staff.
“Our chemists and chemical
engineers have many years experience in dealing with FDA regulations, process development issues,
and commercial manufacturing,”
he says. “In my 33 years as a process
chemist, I have taken four clinical
candidates from the bench to fullscale commercial production.”
Marzoni also says the Advantar
team has a breadth of analytical and
formulation development experience that DavosPharma will leverage for its customers.
“Finding the right partner with
the compliance, analytical resources
and communication we need is no
easy feat,” he says. “However, Rich
and his team simply make it very
easy to work with and get the job
done right. They share our corporate
vision in providing great science and
exceptional support for every program awarded.”
Griffin adds that the overall focus
of the collaboration is to provide
more reliable resources to customers
at various stages of their drug development process.
“Our customers will realize a
reduced overall development risk,”
he adds. “Also, access to more centers of excellence, more options to
meet an individual customers needs,
streamlined sourcing and manufacturing efforts and international
access.”
Griffin also notes that the collaboration will give Advantar customers
access to trusted manufacturing
partners and a more diverse customer base and more expertise in
compliance with foreign regulations.
Moreover, DavosPharma’s infrastructure and broad network will
boost Advantar Lab’s efforts.
“The resources of DavosPharma
will create an ongoing opportunity
for new business with both foreign
and domestic customers,” Griffin
notes. ddn
conract research services
icon
ICON will now be bringing its skills in Phase I studies to its support of Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.’s development
efforts, along with the Phase II, Phase III and central lab work it had been conducting previously.
sors are looking for in a strategic partner.
Performing the clinical development of BMS
compounds from early phase through late
phase will put the BMS/ICON relationship
in a unique position for fully realizing efficiencies and leveraging expertise.”
Previous to the early-phase preferred provider relationship status, ICON did a small
amount of clinical pharmacology support for
BMS, Rocci says, but this new addition to
their work together “ provides both BMS and
ICON with continuity in the development of
a compound from early through late stage.”
He also noted, in the official statement
about the deal, that “we look forward to demonstrating the same value and efficiencies to
BMS’s early-phase clinical programs. Our
global network of clinical research units,
scientists and project teams, underpinned
by world-class technology, will drive significant cost savings and productivity.”
ICON specializes in the strategic development, management and analysis of programs
that support clinical development from com-
ddn Market Research:
CRO market trends
pound selection to Phase I through IV clinical studies, and the company currently has
approximately 7,800 employees, operating
from 77 locations in 39 countries.
The preferred status conferred by BMS
follows news of another relationship
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industry-leading position in productivity and
innovation,” said Brian Daniels, senior vice
president of global development for BMS at
the time. “Working with ICON and PAREXEL, two leaders in clinical research, Bristol-Myers Squibb will enhance support for
our robust pipeline and improve our ability
to deliver innovative medicines to patients
with serious disease.”
Under this latest agreement with BMS,
for preferred-provider status that adds
early-phase development to the mix, ICON
will provide a broad range of clinical pharmacology and exploratory clinical trial
services, including study conduct in
ICON’s Clinical Pharmacology Units located in San Antonio, Texas; Omaha, Neb.;
and Manchester, United Kingdom. ICON
will also provide all supporting scientific
services, such as protocol design and development, project management, clinical monitoring, medical monitoring/pharmacovigilance, data management, biostatistics,
pharmacokinetics and medical writing.
There is a fairly direct line from the previous agreement to the current one, Mario L.
Rocci Jr., president of ICON Development
Solutions, tells ddn.
“As often is the case, ICON’s performance
in the Phase II to III and central lab partnerships certainly helped pave the way for our
early-phase partnership. It’s a testament to
the fundamental principle that if you do a
good job for a client at a good price you will
earn more business from them,” Rocci says.
The combination of agreements is good for
ICON’s short-term and long-term goals,
Rocci notes, adding that “ICON is well-positioned for the strategic partnership model
many pharmaceutical companies are seeking
as they respond to the growing pressure to
reduce development timelines and decrease
overall development costs. This award is a
very important indication that ICON’s fullservice clinical platform spanning the development continuum is in line with what spon-
announced in late May of this year, when
ICON launched a strategic partnership with
Pfizer Inc. that will see ICON serve as one of
two preferred providers of clinical trial
implementation services for Pfizer.
That partnership was touted as being part
of Pfizer’s comprehensive program of change
in research and development “to sharpen
research focus, deliver differentiated innovation, and create a more flexible cost base
through external partnerships for certain
R&D services.”
Intended to be fully implemented over an
18- to 24-month period, the partnership will
reportedly enable Pfizer to focus internally
on its core capability in clinical trial design,
while leveraging the strengths and scale of
ICON to implement clinical development
programs with greater efficiency and rigor.
Under that partnership agreement, Pfizer
retains scientific ownership of the clinical
development process and maintains strict
oversight and quality standards relating to
patient safety and regulatory compliance.
Pfizer is leveraging ICON’s expertise in the
areas of program initiation and management; site and country feasibility; data management and reporting set-up; program
study drug logistics; scientific and medical
communications; and quality assurance. ddn
CONTRACT RESEARCH SERVICES
dhmri
ferentiates itself by stating that
DHMRI is a place “where research
begins with an idea, not a sample.”
Murdock, once broke and homeless
on the streets of Detroit, rose meteorically via a number of real estate
transactions to rank 376th on Forbes
Magazine’s list of the world’s billionaires. When Cannon Mills Plant #1
in Kannapolis closed, Murdock
bought the land, demolished the
mill and built the 5.8 million square-
foot North Carolina Research Campus, of which DHMRI is a part.
“DHMRI was created as a magnet
or catalyst for NCRC,” says the institute’s CEO, Dr. Michael Luther. “The
institute bridges the research gap
between academics and industry by
providing R&D solutions in a customer-focused, yet collaborative
environment. The DHMRI catalyzes
innovation at the public-private
interface by driving and supporting
R&D efforts with partners who are
located both on and off campus. We
work as a non-traditional CRO pro-
viding answers from the bench to
proof of principle.”
Among the affiliated companies
are Murdock interests Castle and
Cooke and Dole Foods—and its new
partner LabCorp.
In addition to biomarker assay
development, DHMRI provides a
broad array of analytical, genomic,
immunology and informatics services. The services available to clients include broad biomarker discovery and proof-of-concept assay
development to support early- and
late-stage drug discovery and devel-
opment. The institute uses transdisciplinary approaches to provide
solutions for customers. Its capabilities and expertise range from
profiling at the genetic, biochemical,
cellular and in-vivo levels to clinical
immune system monitoring using
multiparameter flow cytometry and
multiplexed protein analysis and
quantitative gene expression.
“With the addition of DHMRI’s
discovery capabilities, LabCorp
offers its clinical trials clients the
most complete suite of biomarker
development tools in the industry,”
says Dr. David Johnston, senior vice
president and global head of clinical
trials at LabCorp. “Our collaboration
with DHMRI exemplifies our strong
commitment to providing cuttingedge services to our clients.”
LabCorp’s core business provides a broad test menu ranging
from routine blood analyses to
reproductive genetics to DNA
sequencing. The company conducts
clinical trials testing through its
Esoterix Clinical Trials Services
division. ddn
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need for treatments in the area of
nervous system disorders, which
affect millions of Americans,” Conway tells ddn. “About 10 to 20 percent of candidate drugs for all disease indications survive the early
phases of development and reach
clinical trials. Some nervous system
disorders are rare and present small
markets for drug companies, and
the process for developing new drug
therapies is costly and carries high
risk. With this NIH funding, investigators involved in this project gain
access to the same resources and
expertise that drug companies have,
thus enabling AMRI to provide
input in patients care.”
For AMRI, the initial funding of
up to $10 million applies to the first
phase of the project, with the objective of delivering at least one Phase
I clinical trial candidate and subsequent funding of up to $33 million
to be spread over the remaining
four years of the contract.
“The investigators get access to
the same resources and expertise
that drug companies have,” says Jill
Heemskerk, a program director in
the NINDS Office of Translational
Research and lead contact for the
Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network. “The investigators will retain
intellectual property rights for any
drugs they develop through the
network. Our hope is that pharmaceutical companies will license the
most promising drugs and invest in
the clinical studies needed to bring
them to market.”
According to the SMA Foundation, an estimated 9,000 people in
the United States have spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). SMA types I,
II and III belong to a group of
hereditary diseases that cause
weakness and wasting of the voluntary muscles in the arms and legs of
infants and children.
The disorders are caused by an
abnormal or missing gene known
as the survival motor neuron gene
1, which is responsible for the production of a protein essential to
motor neurons, the NIH reports.
Muscular dystrophies are a group
of more than 30 genetic diseases
characterized by progressive
weakness and degeneration of the
skeletal muscles that control
movement. ddn
For
For more
more information,
information, visit
visit www.drugdiscoverynews.com
ANNOUNCEMENTS
October 2005
2011 • Drug Discovery News 43
NOVEMBER
People & Promotions
Roche
Rainer Metternich, Ph.D.
Head of Small Molecules Research
BASEL, Switzerland—Taking over for Klaus Strein,
who is retiring from Roche, Dr. Rainer Metternich is
the company’s new head of
small molecules research,
a position in which he will
lead some 800 scientists
across Europe and the
United States who work in
medicinal chemistry, discovery technologies, process
research and formulation.
In addition, he will oversee the development of
the Small Molecule Research division’s mid- and
long-term vision and strategy and guide the group
as it applies novel technologies to develop worldclass compounds. Rainer brings more than two
decades of experience in the pharma industry,
having worked for Novartis (formerly Sandoz),
Schering AG and Merck & Co. Since returning to
Europe in 2010, Rainer has been the chief scientific officer and chief business officer for Caprotec
Inc., a German biotechnology company based in
Berlin with expertise in chemical proteomics.
iPierian Inc.
Nancy Stagliano, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.—As iPierian’s
interim CEO, Dr. Peter Van Vlasselaer, transitions
to his role as executive chairman of the board of
directors, Dr. Nancy E. Stagliano has been tapped
to officially fill the CEO position. Stagliano joins
iPierian after serving as CEO and co-founder of
CytomX Therapeutics, and she boasts a career
as a biotech leader spanning all aspects of the
industry, from discovery research and strategy
to global medical affairs and corporate communications. She brings to iPierian a combination
of business skills, based on her roles launching
CytomX Therapeutics and Cynvenio Biosystems,
along with deep expertise in drug discovery and
development, including her role as a lead inventor
on the patents for CytomX’s Probody platform.
NIH Intramural Sequencing Center
James C. Mullikin, Ph.D.
Director
BETHESDA, Md.—Dr. James C. Mullikin, who
has been acting director of the NIH Intramural
Sequencing Center (NISC)—which the NHGRI
created in 1997 to develop its own genome
sequencing capabilities and
to collaborate with other
NIH intramural researchers—has been named the
permanent director of the
NISC. Mullikin takes up the
baton of NISC director from
NHGRI Director Eric Green,
who founded the multidisciplinary genome sequencing center 14 years ago.
Mullikin has been with NISC since 2003, and for
the past two years has served as acting director
of the center during what the NHGRI describes as
“a time of rapid changes in genome sequencing
technologies.” He is also an associate investigator in NHGRI’s Genome Technology Branch and
is head of the Comparative Genomics Unit. Prior
to joining NHGRI in 2003, Mullikin worked at the
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in the United
Kingdom for five years, where he led the production informatics department. His group developed
sample and data tracking systems, automated
sequence-assembly tools for the Human Genome
Project and sequence variation analysis methods for the SNP Consortium Project and the
International Haplotype Map Project. During his
final six months at the Sanger Institute, he was
the acting director of informatics.
National Human Genome Research
Institute (NHGRI)
Mark S. Guyer, Ph.D.
Deputy Director
BETHESDA, Md.—Dr. Mark S. Guyer, who has
been serving as director of NHGRI’s Division of
Extramural Research, has been named deputy
director of the institute, only the third person to
hold that post since the NHGRI was founded in
1988 as an office to lead NIH’s portion of the
effort to sequence the human genome for the first
time. Guyer will play a key role in implementing
the institute’s new strategic plan, the fifth one
that he has helped develop in his 23 years at
NHGRI. In helping to guide implementation of the
new strategic plan, Guyer will work to balance the
institute’s ongoing commitment to basic genomic
research, including developing new technologies
for sequencing and analyzing genomes, with
NHGRI’s commitment to expanding the use of
genomic knowledge in medical care. Guyer has
served in many capacities during the evolution of
the organization from office to center to institute
and has participated in all phases of NHGRI’s
scientific activities, from genome sequencing to
the creation of the ethical,
legal and social implications program. The institute’s extramural program
that Dr. Guyer currently
directs annually distributes
more than $350 million
in research and training
grants and cooperative
agreements, and plans a wide range of scientific
activities to advance genomics, including studying
the societal implications of genomics research.
PBS Biotech Inc.
Lourie Zak
Chief Financial Officer
CAMARILLO, Calif.—PBS Biotech Inc., a supplier of innovative single-use bioreactors for
the biotechnology market, has named Lourie
Zak, a former executive director of finance at
Amgen, as its new chief financial officer. For
the past eight years, Zak held executive roles
of increasing responsibility at Amgen, joining
the company in 2003 as special projects lead
on the process improvements team overseeing
the finance integration of Tularik, a research firm
acquired by Amgen. She also served for three
years as european controller based in Breda, the
Netherlands, for Amgen Europe. For the past four
years, Zak was executive director of finance for
Amgen’s Global Commercial Operations at the
Thousand Oaks, Calif. headquarters.
Missed our bi-monthly e-newsletter, ddn Online, or our daily website reports?
Catch up on these additional stories, available at www.drugdiscoverynews.com. Simply enter the EditConnect codes below in the “EditConnect” function in the lefthand menu bar of our homepage.
NEWS BRIEFS
ddn launches Cancer Research Portal
Recently, Drug Discovery News marked the debut
of the ddn Cancer Research Portal, your gateway to the latest news, trends and resources in
cancer-related drug discovery and development.
Valeant ups the ante in faceoff with
Paladin to acquire Afexa
Valeant sweetens the pot with its friendly takeover
offer of Afexa.
Boehringer Ingelheim’s blood-thinning drug
Pradaxa raises side effect concerns in
New Zealand
New Zealand drug regulators are now under fire
after two patients using Pradaxa died and 36
others suffered severe bleeding.
RXi Pharmaceuticals plans to split into two
public companies
One company will focus on the development of
targeted cancer therapies and the other will focus
on the development of RNAi-based therapeutics.
BENCH PRESS
MIT, Carnegie Mellon researchers link
protein behavior to rapid-aging disease
Using engineering approaches to study protein
behavior, researchers at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) and Carnegie Mellon
University are gaining important clues about the
genetic mutation that causes progeria.
Sanford-Burnham researchers identify key
protein involved in glucose metabolism
Scientists at the Sanford-Burnham Medical
Research Institute have unveiled a new blueprint
for glucose uptake.
Scripps scientists identify white blood cells
responsible for growth, metastasis of tumors
A particular kind of white blood cell known as
neutrophils, bone marrow-derived cells that generally serve as “first responders” at sites of severe
inflammation, seems to play a direct role in the
growth and spread of tumors.
Novartis hands out 2,500 pink slips
According to at least one media report, Novartis
has laid off 2,500 people over the past year.
A one-two combo
Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital
share findings about a new combination of targeted cancer therapies that seems to be effective
in treating two types of cancer that thus far have
lacked significantly effective treatments.
Visit the ddn Blog at http://drugdiscoverynews.com/blog/ and catch news we
haven’t posted elsewhere as well as some of our opinions, views and insights
about pharmaceutical and biotech business news. Here are some recent posts:
Hot trend for fall: Fat!
Fat seems to hold the secret to extended lifespans—if you’re a worm, at least. Chief Editor
Amy Swinderman shares some interesting findings about something a lot of people are trying
to lose, but which has shown some surprising value in improving health. http://bit.ly/pWy6fQ
Drunk on possibilities, sobered by reality
It’s all well and good to gaze in wonder at the many drug candidates being explored for so
many diseases right now, but let’s not forget how few of them will ever see approval, much
less success. http://bit.ly/rmRTB2
Delving deeper into abuse-resistant opioids
A Q&A with Nektar Therapeutics, a company that is working on the problem of opioid abuse
by attaching a polymer to the opiate to slow the speed at which the drug moves across the
blood-brain barrier. http://bit.ly/ncUKwA
Resistance is futile (and unhelpful)
Recently, scientists at the Scripps Research Institute have been able to successfully reengineer
an antibiotic to kill the deadliest antibiotic-resistant bacteria, leading to hope that we can stay
ahead of drug-resistance pathogens one day. Associate Editor Kelsey Kaustinen shares this
work and highlights other efforts to combat drug-resistant pathogens. http://bit.ly/nIXmtF
Products & Services
Covance SFN Satellite Symposium
highlights recent advances in
biomarkers of Parkinson’s disease
Covance
Alzheimer’s research: ApoE4/
Pan-ApoE ELISA Kit
MBL International Corp. (MBLI)
MBLI’s ApoE4/Pan-ApoE ELISA Kit measures the
amount of human ApoE4 or Pan-ApoE specifically
with high sensitivity using an affinity-purified polyclonal antibody against ApoE and a monoclonal
antibody against ApoE4. It also measures the
difference among the homozygotes (E4/E4) and
the heterozygotes (E2/E4, E3/E4) of ApoE4 phenotypes, and non-ApoE4 zygotes (E2/E2, E3/E3,
E2/E3) by taking a concentration ratio between
ApoE4 and Pan-ApoE.
MBL International Corp. (MBLI)
(800) 200-5459
www.mblintl.com
Visit us at Neuroscience booth #1801
Samaritan Alzheimer’s Rat Model (SAM)
Taconic
The Samaritan Alzheimer’s Rat Model (SAM)
produces results faster. Onset of disease just
four weeks from start of induction. It’s genetically unlinked. Mimics symptoms common to 95
percent of Alzheimer’s cases. It’s pathologically
relevant. Physiologically closer to humans than
mouse models.
Taconic
(888) 822-6642
www.taconic.com/SAM
Covance cordially invites you to participate in the
discussions regarding recent innovations in
imaging, genomic, proteomic and fluid biomarkers of Parkinson’s disease and their potential
applications to the clinic at the Society for
Neuroscience show, Sunday, Nov. 13, 6:30-10:30
p.m., in the Grand Hyatt Hotel’s Constitution
Ballrooms CDE. RSVP at rsvp@covance.com with
the subject line, “SFN Symposium.”
Covance
(888) 268-2623
www.covance.com
microRNA sequencing services
LC Sciences
RNA sequencing is a powerful new tool for discovery of novel microRNAs and other small RNAs in
your total RNA sample. LC Sciences provides a
turnkey solution for microRNA sequencing using
the latest in RNA-Seq technology including all
sample handling and library preparation, microRNA sequencing and advanced bioinformatics
analysis. Detect and quantify rare microRNA
sequences and sequence isoforms in your samples.
LC Sciences
(888) 528-8818
www.lcsciences.com
Breakthrough TUNE technology
Molecular Devices
Molecular Devices announces the addition of the
TUNE detection cartridge to the SpectraMax
Paradigm Multi-Mode Microplate Detection Platform.
TUNE offers wavelength flexibility in a monochromator device and up to 10 times the sensitivity. The
patent-pending Spectral Optimization Wizard in
SoftMax Pro software reduces the assay set-up
time by more than 50 percent with simultaneous
scanning of excitation and emission spectrums.
Seahorse Bioscience
(800) 671-0633
www.seahorsebio.com
the comfort of PIPETMAN L by adapting to both
right- and left-handed users.
Gilson
(800) 445-7661
www.gilson.com
Second-generation multimode
reader with versatility and appeal
Berthold Technologies
The TriStar2 LB942 offers new proprietary single
optics, improved fluorescence performance, injector reservoirs at the front, two injector tips in
measurement position and a full modularity of
reading technologies. TriStar2 is equipped with
or can have added a universal and low-noise
detector; photo diode for absorbance reading,
fluorescence and luminescence; up to three reagent
injectors; and temperature control for cellular and
temperature-sensitive assays.
Berthold Technologies
(865) 483-1488
www.berthold.com
IVIS Spectrum CT for
next-generation imaging
Caliper Life Sciences
The IVIS Spectrum CT offers premier optical imaging seamlessly integrated with fast, low-dose
microCT. The IVIS Spectrum CT was designed to
offer the ultimate range of applications for in-vivo
and non-invasive imaging. The system enables
integration of functional and anatomical data simultaneously for true multimodal quantitative imaging.
Caliper Life Sciences
(508) 435-9500
www.CaliperLS.com/SpectrumCT
The Thermo Scientific CV2000 automated aliquoting liquid handler is a newly developed, secondgeneration platform that enhances laboratory
efficiency through workflow automation. The
CV2000 can accurately dispense liquid volumes
from 100-875 µL and process up to 1000 samples
per hour. With its robotic arm and rotary height
sensors, it fits easily into automated workflows
to boost sample throughput. The system is compatible with a wide variety of sample management
software, but can also be used as a stand-alone
instrument. Fully compatible with multiple rack
formats, the CV2000 system allows users to
change the loading and dispensing routine to suit
their needs. A unique tip preservation system
allows the instrument to only discharge used tips,
reducing waste while eliminating contamination.
Capable of holding up to 300 samples and accommodating both 45 and 90 mL urine containers,
the system can automate the process of aliquoting urine from primary samples to analyzer racks.
Gilson has released PIPETMAN L, the latest innovation from Gilson PIPETMAN, the pipetting standard
for nearly 40 years. PIPETMAN L is an adjustable
volume pipette that features a Gilson patented
volume locking system. This GLP feature, among
other features, meets the current needs of intensive pipette users who desire accuracy and precision without sacrificing comfort. Once you lock the
thumbwheel, the operating rod is no longer in
contact with the counter assembly, which is responsible for changing the volume; as you pipette, the
volume cannot be accidentally changed—a concern
in some manual pipettes. PIPETMAN L boasts the
most natural and patented tip ejection system that
reduces forces through a pulley system offering
low tip ejection forces with any brand of tip. An
adjustable tip ejector button has further improved
Cellular Dynamics International (CDI)
(877) 310-6688
www.cellulardynamics.com
Cell-based assay enables researchers
to distinguish primary mitochondrial
dysfunction from secondary cytotoxic
events in a single well
Promega Corp.
Promega has launched the Mitochondrial ToxGlo
Assay, a cell-based assay that enables researchers to quickly profile large compound libraries or
medicinal modifications for their effects on mitochondria by allowing them to distinguish primary
mitochondrial dysfunction from secondary cytotoxic events in a single well via a sequentialaddition, multiplexed assay chemistry. The
Mitochondrial ToxGlo Assay is based on the differential measurement of biomarkers associated
with changes in cell membrane integrity and cellular ATP levels during short xenobiotic exposure
periods. The assay is easy to automate and can
be scaled to meet throughput needs for 96- and
384-well plate formats.
Horizontal Amersham ECL Gel System
for protein electrophoresis
GE Healthcare
Automated aliquoting
liquid handler
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.
Increase productivity without
sacrificing comfort
Gilson
for use in vascular-targeted drug discovery, tissue
regeneration and other life-science research. iCell
Endothelial Cells are derived from human induced
pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, actively proliferate, are
capable of arranging themselves into tubular formations and exhibit biochemical properties of normal
human endothelial cells. Because they are human
cells, they better recapitulate human biology and
therefore are better predictors of drug candidate
responses than current cell models. CDI manufactures iCell Endothelial Cells in industrial quantities
with more than 95 percent purity, which is ideal for
vascular biology research, including revascularization of an organ for tissue regeneration.
Promega Corp.
(608) 274-4330
www.promega.com
Molecular Devices
(800) 635-5577
www.moleculardevices.com/Paradigm
Kits measure cellular bioenergetics
Seahorse Bioscience
Seahorse Bioscience’s XF Extracellular Flux Analyzer
is the industry standard for measuring cellular
bioenergetics, simultaneously measuring the two
major energy-producing pathways of the cell mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis in a microplate
in real time. The XF Analyzer and kits determine
in-vitro oxygen consumption, glycolysis, mitochondrial function and fatty acid oxidation, providing a
full bioenergetics profile. Now it’s easy to determine
the reserve respiratory capacity of resting and
stressed primary neurons, astrocytes, glia and
other neural cells in a microplate, opening the
door to new understanding of cancer and aging
as well as metabolic, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.
(508) 742-5254
www.thermofisher.com
iCell Endothelial Cells for
vascular-targeted drug discovery
Cellular Dynamics International (CDI)
CDI has launched human iCell Endothelial Cells
GE Healthcare’s horizontal Amersham ECL Gel
System is designed for high-quality protein electrophoresis, enabling efficient, high-quality and reproducible protein separation. Offering high sensitivity and resolution, it works with standard protein
detection protocols and is easy to integrate into
the Amersham ECL Western blotting workflow. The
core of the system is Amersham ECL Gel, a precast
gel available in a variety of concentrations and well
configurations. Gels are processed using Amersham
ECL Gel Box, a dedicated electrophoresis unit with
horizontal design, and significantly increased ease
of use compared to vertical systems. Everything
required to access and cut the gel is included in
the cassette. At 1.4 mm thickness, it is thicker
than most other precast and hand-cast gels, providing peace of mind when handling and reducing the
risk of gel breakage in downstream processing.
GE Healthcare
(800) 526-3593
www.gelifesciences.com
Sample traceability and enhanced
security is facilitated with reliable
plug-and-play technology
WHEATON
WHEATON introduces the new SingleScan Bar
Code Reader, a tool to aid researchers in making
sample traceability more efficient and accurate.
A sophisticated 2D Data Matrix and 1D Linear
Bar Code Reader capable of reading coded vials
and ampules from a wide range of manufacturers
and label printers, the new SingleScan Bar Code
For
For more
more information,
information, visit
visit www.DrugDiscoveryNews.com
www.DrugDiscoveryNews.com
Reader offers enhanced reading performance in
a compact unit. Researchers simply hold or place
the vials, such as the CryoELITE Cryogenic vials,
over the scanning element for rapid reading and
precise identification. The SingleScan features a
user-friendly, plug-and-play design that enables an
easy set-up with no software installation required.
Simply plug into the USB port and open the application file. The USB interface allows for an easy
connection to any computer and enables multiple
user/multiple software applications. Additionally,
it inputs decoded bar code ID into any software
application where the cursor is placed, making
the SingleScan the easiest and most cost-effective
way to manage and track biological samples.
WHEATON
(800) 225-1437
www.wheaton.com
Software offers a better
understanding of intracellular and
intercellular relationships
PerkinElmer Inc.
PerkinElmer announces the release of Volocity
6.0, which represents a major advance in the
power and simplicity of Volocity Quantitation.
Define and measure cells, organelles or other
biological structures, and the relationships between
them, with greater ease. Measure distances in
3D between structures across a whole field or
within biologically relevant compartments such
as cells or nuclei. Enjoy more interactivity and
even simpler workflows to obtain quantitative 3D
answers more quickly and easily. Perform FRAP
analysis on data that has not been acquired in
Volocity software (requires FRAP plug-in and Volocity
Quantitation). Faster and easier export of multiple,
processed images for presentation and for use
in other applications.
PerkinElmer Inc.
(781) 663-6900
www.perkinelmer.com
High-throughput centrifuge boosts
reliable lab performance
Beckman Coulter Inc.
The Allegra X-14, a new three-liter benchtop centrifuge from Beckman Coulter Inc., accepts a
variety of tubes and adapters to provide reliable
performance in a range of applications. Refrigerated
and constant-temperature models are offered
individually or in pre-bundled packages that provide
everything needed for quick set-up in the laboratory. With a fixed-angle rotor, the X-14 provides a
maximum speed of 10,200 rpm and delivers rcf
of 11,400 X g. Swinging-bucket rotors can achieve
a maximum speed of 4,300 rpm and rcf of 4,300
X g and, utilizing a wide selection of tubes, bottles
and plates, accommodate a range of sample types
and volumes. Depending on rotor and labware,
the Allegra X-14 can process as many as 148
tubes per cycle. The refrigerated model offers a
temperature range of 2° to 40°C, and features a
robust cooling system that brings samples from
room temperature to 4°C in less than four minutes,
reducing wait time and enabling runs to be processed efficiently. The constant-temperature model
is pre-set to 20°C. Allegra X-14 series units can
be equipped with exclusive ARIES Smart Balance
rotor technology, which automatically detects and
corrects sample-load imbalances of up to 50
grams. This saves time by easing sample prep
Products & Services
requirements, eliminating mid-run interruptions
and reducing wear by correcting imbalances before
damage can occur.
Beckman Coulter Inc.
(800) 526-3821
www.beckmancoulter.com
Stellaris FISH advances
research in cancer, developmental
biology and pathology
Biosearch Technologies Inc.
Biosearch Technologies’ Stellaris Fluorescence
In Situ Hybridization (FISH) Probes are an RNA
visualization method that allows simultaneous
detection, localization and quantification of individual mRNA molecules at the subcellular level in
fixed samples. Biosearch currently offers Stellaris
FISH probes manufactured on a custom basis,
including software for optimum probe design. In
addition, premade probe sets for glyceraldehyde
3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) in human
and mouse applications are available. By enabling
scientists to localize and count discrete molecules
of mRNA using widefield fluorescence microscopy,
Stellaris FISH probes can lead to streamlined
studies in stem cell, cancer, pathology, developmental biology, transcription regulation and neuroscience research.
Biosearch Technologies Inc.
(800) 436-6631
www.biosearchtech.com
Instant visualization at every stage
reassures researchers throughout
immunoblotting workflow
Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc.
Bio-Rad announces the launch of its ChemiDoc
MP imaging system, the industry’s only stain-free
enabled instrument capable of chemiluminescent,
multiplex fluorescent and routine gel imaging.
Using the stain-free detection option of the
ChemiDoc MP system, researchers can quantify
total protein for normalization purposes after
transfer to the membrane. This stain-free total
protein normalization method produces faster
results and overcomes the potential errors associated with normalization using housekeeping
proteins. The ChemiDoc MP system also integrates
with Bio-Rad’s V3 Western Workflow, a portfolio
of Bio-Rad products that shorten the protein
separation and blot transfer steps from several
hours to 30 minutes. In addition, the V3 Western
Workflow offers researchers confidence in their
Western blot results, providing them a way to
visualize their proteins at every stage of the protocol. Using the ChemiDoc MP system, researchers can visualize protein separation on Criterion
TGX Stain-Free precast gels, verify successful
transfer with the Trans-Blot-Turbo transfer system
by imaging the membrane using stain-free detection and validate the accuracy of Western blot
results at every step.
Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc.
(800) 424-6723
www.bio-rad.com
October 2005
2011 • Drug Discovery News 45
NOVEMBER
adv e r t is e r ’ s ind e x
Asuragen, Inc..................................................................29.
BASi...............................................................................10.
Beckman Coulter Genomics, Inc.......................................5.
Beckman Coulter, Inc........................................................7.
Bio-Rad Laboratories........................................................9.
Biosearch Technologies...................................................23.
BioTek Instruments, Inc...................................................17.
Caliper Life Sciences........................................................3.
Cosmo Bio USA, Inc........................................................20.
Covance..........................................................................40.
DiscoveRx Corporation....................................................27.
Hamilton Robotics............................................................2.
IBC Life Sciences...........................................................36.
INDIGO Biosciences, Inc.................................................18.
Invitrogen, Part of Life Technologies................................48.
LC Sciences....................................................................32.
MBL International Corporation........................................38.
Molecular Devices, Inc....................................................11.
National Disease Research Interchange (NDRI)..............15.
OriGene Technologies, Inc.......................................... Cover.
R&D Systems, Inc...........................................................34.
Regis Technologies, Inc...................................................41.
Roche Applied Science...................................................31.
Seahorse Bioscience......................................................21.
SLAS 2012.....................................................................22.
Taconic...........................................................................47.
Waters Corporation.........................................................42.
phases for the analysis of intact proteins, phosphopeptides and glycans. All cHiPLC-nanoflex
columns are designed and microfabricated to be
robust and highly reproducible, providing superiorquality separations that are easy to obtain by
users at all experience levels.
AB SCIEX
(877) 740-2129
www.absciex.com
Bioprocess analyzer for reliable
metabolite profiling and substrate
analysis
Roche
The Cedex Bio Bioprocess Analyzer is a continuous
random-access analyzer enabling a safe and reliable determination of chemical and biochemical
parameters in aqueous solutions. Its comprehensive testing capabilities include photometric testing and electrolyte testing. The measurement of
up to 14 parameters simultaneously (out of 28
programmable tests) is possible per sample. The
analyzer is easy to operate, enabling continuous
loading and unloading of diverse cup types as
well as on board dilution of highly concentrated
samples.
drug compounds. Based on HP inkjet technology,
the Digital Dispenser is the result of an agreement
between Tecan and HP to commercialize this new
technology for use in drug discovery research. The
HP D300 provides fast and reliable performance
across a large dynamic range, eliminating the need
for slow, error-prone and wasteful serial dilutions.
Using disposable dispense heads to help avoid
the possibility of cross-contamination, the instrument offers non-contact digital dispensing from
13 pl to 5 μl, delivering any dose to any well and
virtually eliminating waste of valuable compounds.
Tecan
+41 44 922 81 11
www.tecan.com
IDBS announces
multiple web-based advances
IDBS
HP D300 offers exceptional speed
for drug discovery workflows
Tecan
IDBS has announced that it will launch a range
of new products over the next six months that
enhance its integrated enterprise software platforms. In July, IDBS released a web-based version
of its E-WorkBook product to support searching
and reviewing content while on the move. The next
release of E-WorkBook Web will support editing
of a wide range of content as well as web-based
review and sign-off, enabling researchers to collect,
calculate, store, search and use data across a
wide range of browsers. This fall, IDBS will release
ActivityBase 8 to enhance personal productivity
and performance at a time of increasing data
volumes, and further ease administration and
deployment through a web-based interface.
Registration of samples and administration can
be carried out securely and remotely to make the
process of high-capacity experimentation even
more efficient. IDBS will also launch a high-capacity ‘omics analysis system that offers fast analysis of high-context ‘omics data, molecular analysis
and research collaboration.
Tecan announces the availability of the HP D300
Digital Dispenser, a simple, standalone instrument
that uses HP Direct Digital Dispensing technology
to rapidly deliver picoliter to microliter volumes of
IDBS
+44 1483 595 000
www.idbs.com
Roche
+49 8856 604830
www.roche.com
AB SCIEX expands Eksigent Chip
Column family for nano- and micro-LC
proteomics analysis
AB SCIEX
AB SCIEX has extended its Eksigent line of column
chips for the cHiPLC-nanoflex system. Five new
chips expand the flexibility and application of the
system for high-performance proteomics analysis
including biomarker discovery, validation and
verification. The extended offering adds higher
flow micro-cHiPLC columns for peptide separation
at increased throughput levels, as well as new
www.asuragen.com
www.basinc.com
www.beckmangenomics.com
www.beckmancoulter.com
www.bio-rad.com
www.biosearchtech.com
www.biotek.com
www.caliperLS.com
www.cosmobiousa.com
www.covance.com
www.discoverx.com
www.hamiltonrobotics.com
www.ibclifesciences.com
www.indigobiosciences.com
www.invitrogen.com
www.lcsciences.com
www.mblintl.com
www.moleculardevices.com
www.NDRIresource.org
www.origene.com
www.RnDSystems.com
www.registech.com
www.roche-applied-science.com
www.seahorsebio.com
www.slas2012.org
www.taconic.com
www.waters.com
facts & Figures
Report examines benefits,
factors of portfolio management
P
ortfolio management is quickly gaining strength as more and more pharma-
ceutical organizations recognize its benefits and potential. However, as market
research firm Cutting Edge Information (CEI) notes in its report, “Pharmaceutical
Profile Management Strategy,” like many business operations, portfolio management
has to be overseen and maintained correctly to truly benefit a company.
One of the key factors in successful portfolio management, according to the report’s interviewees, is “a clear corporate strategy to drive the portfolio management process.” The most
effective portfolio management functions, the report
Portfolio Management Budgets Based
notes, are those that work in
on Number of Investigational Drugs
tandem with corporate strategic planning toward achieving
company goals. Without proper leadership and connection
with the executive leaders, it
becomes much less effective.
Company size can also
affect portfolio management
effectiveness. Licensing is a
viable option for mid-sized
companies, although on average, only 8 percent of their
portfolio investments are allocated to licensing activities,
while an average 69 percent is
allocated to marketed products with proven success.
D at a s t a n d a r d i z at i o n
serves as a significant help in
ensuring that portfolio manage m e nt f u n c t i o n s r u n
Portfolio Management Budgets Based
smoothly, since the sheer volume of data that is amassed
on Number of Marketed Drugs
can make thorough analysis
and comparison difficult and
overwhelming. One of the
interviewed companies struggled to institute “a web-based
metrics and measurement
tool for each of its brand
teams to track product performance,” and after a year, it
was implemented in all its
subsidiaries, resulting in full
integration and data outputs
that are “fully comparable
between products.”
The corporate factor has to
be present, though, as 45 percent of those interviewed say
that the “chief reason for lessthan-satisfactory portfolio
management is a lack of either
buy-in or corporate culture,”
while 62.5 percent believed that to be “the chief barrier” to success. For some, it might come
down to a battle between executive unease at granting decision-making power to another business function and acknowledging the benefits a sharing of power could have. ddn
Portfolio Management Budgets Per Company
Reporting Relationships in Portfolio Management
Departments Participating in Portfolio Management Activities
ABOUT CUTTING EDGE INFORMATION
Cutting Edge Information is a business intelligence firm providing primary and
secondary research on a wide range of business subjects, with a specialization on
the pharmaceutical research industry. For more information about this report, or
other CEI reports, visit www.cuttingedgeinfo.com.
Drug Discovery News (USPS 024-504) is published monthly by Old River Publications LLC, 19035 Old Detroit Road, Suite 203, Rocky River, OH 44116; 440-331-6600. Periodical postage paid at Cleveland, Ohio and additional mailing
offices. Publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material or prices quoted in the magazine. Contributors are responsible for proprietary classified information. ©2011 by Old River Publications. All rights reserved. Reproduction,
in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher is expressly prohibited. Back issues, when available, cost $7 each within the past 12 months; $12 each prior to the past 12 months. Back orders must be paid in advance
by check. Drug Discovery News is distributed without charge in North America to qualified drug discovery research professionals. Paid subscriptions to those not qualified cost $65 annually to the U.S. and Canada and $150 to all other
countries. All payments must be made in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank. Publications mail agreement no. 41401058 return undeliverable Canadian addresses to PO Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4R6.
For subscription services, including subscription information, please call 215-785-5196. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Drug Discovery News, PO Box 3100, Langhorne, PA 19047-8800.
Tac transADMET_Ad_DDN 8/24/11 1:07 PM Page 1
The smarter the mouse...
...the better its ability to predict ADMET in humans.
With the introduction of transADMET™, a portfolio of novel humanized mouse models, Taconic is helping
to transform compound development by predicting with greater accuracy ADMET in humans.
transADMET™ models are humanized or annulled for key proteins involved in drug metabolism and
disposition, and have the potential to significantly improve the safety and efficacy evaluation of new drugs.
transADMET™ models are offered in three panels: xenoreceptors, cytochrome P450s, and drug
transporters. For further information, visit www.taconic.com/transADMET
Smart. Very Smart.
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Wolf goby fish (Luposicya lupus) seamlessly transitions into its environment.
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Setting a new standard in cell reprogramming, the CytoTune™-iPS Sendai Reprogramming Kit
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For Research Use Only. Not intended for any animal or human therapeutic or diagnostic use.
© 2011 Life Technologies Corporation. All rights reserved. The trademarks mentioned herein are the property of Life Technologies Corporation or their respective owners.
CytoTune is a trademark of DNAVEC Corporation. Printed in the USA. CO23755 0911
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