Biotech Week back issues from January 2004:
Drug-coated biomaterials prevent artery reblockage.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cornell University Professor C.C. Chu was browsing through Business Week in 1997 when he read about a cardiologist using radioactivity to reduce artery reblockage following angioplasty and stent surgery, a condition called restenosis. Chu called ...
Data reported in trials of heat shock protein-based cancer vaccines.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Antigenics, Inc., (AGEN) announced updated results from clinical trials of HSPPC-70 (previously referred to as AG-858) and Oncophage (HSPPC-96) personalized cancer vaccines, both of which are based on the company's proprietary heat shock protein ...
FDA advisory panel backs easier morning-after pill.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Women may soon have an easier way to help prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex now that government advisers have supported over-the-counter sales of the so-called "morning-after pill." "It's extraordinarily safe," said Alastair Wood, ...
Large dimeric ligands possess PPAR agonist activity in vivo.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Large dimeric ligands possess favorable pharmacokinetic properties and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) agonist activity in vitro and in vivo. According to a study from Denmark, "Two potent nonselective, but ...
Study to provide more data on targeted 5-day radiotherapy for DCIS patients.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Proxima Therapeutics, Inc., announced the initiation of the largest partial breast irradiation study for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). The study will be conducted at six breast centers across the U.S. DCIS is the ...
Data on next-generation VEGF cancer agent presented at ASH.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The first in the next generation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibiting agents - those that employ a three-prong approach to inhibiting tumor growth - can be administered safely in a number of cancers and HIV-related malignancies ...
Crossreactive antibodies against Plasmodium protein induced.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers have reported the induction of crossreactive antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum variant protein. "The variant antigen Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1), present on the surface of P. ...
Nanotech-based hydrogel launched.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- 3DM, Inc., introduced its PuraMatrix line of synthetic peptide hydrogels at the 43rd annual conference of the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) in San Francisco. Their line of biomaterials are already in use at major ...
Phase I study of SC12267 initiated.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- 4SC announced the start of clinical phase I trials of its first small molecule product candidate SC12267 for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. In this study the compound will be examined with 56 healthy volunteers divided into seven ...
Post-tamoxifen use of Femara reduces risk of breast cancer recurrence by 43%.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Extended adjuvant treatment with Femara (letrozole tablets) in a group of postmenopausal women with early breast cancer who had completed 5 years of therapy with tamoxifen cut the risk of recurrence of early breast cancer nearly in half (43%), and ...
John Weinstein, MD, PhD, appointed to scientific advisory board.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- ACLARA BioSciences (ACLA) announced that John N. Weinstein, MD, PhD, of Bethesda, Maryland, has been appointed to its scientific advisory board. Weinstein's research focus is the molecular pharmacology of cancer cells utilizing ...
AIDS group releases white paper urging new HIV prevention strategies.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- With World AIDS Day observations concluded for another year, AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) has announced the publication of "Changing How We Think: HIV Prevention Policy in the U.S.," a white paper outlining the current state of efforts to reduce ...
Diagnostics firm announces ISO 13485 audit complete.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- AMDL, Inc., (Amex: ADL; Berlin, Frankfurt), developer and marketer of tests for the early detection of cancer and other serious diseases, said that it has successfully undergone an extensive audit to receive certification for EN ISO 13485 and ...
Preclinical data on microbubble drug delivery reported.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- AVI BioPharma, Inc., (AVII) announced the presentation of preclinical data at two international conferences. The first presentation detailed a novel drug delivery mechanism, AVI's proprietary microbubble technology, which is currently ...
Dendritic cell vaccine to be used in trial for new cancer treatment.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aastrom Biosciences, Inc., (ASTM) announced the initiation of a phase I clinical trial in collaboration with investigators at Duke University Medical Center (Duke). The clinical trial will evaluate a dendritic cell-based vaccine as a ...
Alliance formed to develop an automated test to monitor transplant drug.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Abbott Laboratories announced a collaboration and license agreement with Wyeth to develop an automated blood test to monitor therapeutic levels of the anti-rejection drug Rapamune (sirolimus). Under the agreement, Abbott and Wyeth, a ...
Research suggests more needs to be done to protect at-risk infants from RSV.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- New clinical data provide additional evidence that premature (i.e., less than or equal to 35 weeks gestational age [wGA]) infants are at elevated risk for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-related morbidity and mortality. Data presented ...
New targets for therapy in prostate cancer discussed.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A quantitative assay for DD3(PCA3) could have important implications for the earlier diagnosis and molecular staging of prostate cancer. "Identification of new markers for diagnosis and new targets for therapy would represent a ...
BLA filed for Arilvax vaccine.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Acambis plc (ACAM) announced that it has filed a Biologics License Application (BLA) with the CBER vaccine division of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to seek registration in the U.S. of its Arilvax vaccine to prevent yellow fever. ...
Matrix VSG System pivotal clinical trial commences.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- AccessClosure, Inc., announced that it has commenced a clinical trial in the U.S. on the use of its Matrix VSG System, at the Washington Adventist Hospital, Takoma Park, MD. The Matrix VSG System will be used to seal femoral artery ...
Growth of extracranial radiosurgery highlighted at CyberKnife Users' Meeting.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Accuray, Inc., a company focused on full-body image-guided radiosurgery, held the third annual CyberKnife Users' Meeting. Extracranial radiosurgery using the CyberKnife Stereotactic Radiosurgery System was the highlighted topic at the ...
Agreement signed to acquire noncancer assets from Cadherin.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Adherex Technologies, Inc., (AHX) announced that it has signed a memorandum of agreement to acquire noncancer related cadherin-based intellectual property from Cadherin Biomedical, Inc. (CBI). The boards of both Adherex and CBI have ...
Escherichia coli adheres to bladder epithelium with fimbriae, sialic acid.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Escherichia coli adheres to bladder epithelium with fimbriae, and nonspecifically with sialic acid. "The first step in the bacterial colonization and infection of uropathogenic Escherichia coli is adherence to uroepithelium. Over 80% of ...
AVR118 suppresses progression of disease in animal model.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Advanced Viral Research Corp. (ADVR) announced that administration of its novel immunomodulator AVR118 (formerly known as Product R) in animals with induced experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) suppressed progression of this demyelinating ...
Hawkins named to board of directors at viral disease drug company.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Advanced Viral Research Corporation (ADVR) announced that Elma S. Hawkins, PhD, MBA, has been appointed to the company's board of directors and named a member of the executive management committee, effective immediately. Hawkins has more ...
Senior management team strengthened at pharmaceutical firm.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Advancis Pharmaceutical Corporation (AVNC), a pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel anti-infective products, announced that it has added two key executives to lead the development of Advancis' sales and marketing ...
Phase II study of aerosolized amikacin completed in critical care setting.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aerogen, Inc., (AEGN) announced completion of its first phase II clinical study evaluating delivery of aerosolized amikacin for the treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia. These data have been submitted for presentation at the ...
Studies highlight aerosol generator technology in infant mechanical ventilation.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aerogen, Inc., (AEGN) reported on data presented at the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) 49th Annual International Respiratory Congress, which highlights applications of Aerogen's OnQ Aerosol Generator electronic micropump ...
Aetna signs contract renewals with two northern Virginia hospitals.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aetna (AET) announced that it has signed contract extensions with Reston (Virginia) Hospital Center and Northern Virginia Community Hospital. The new contracts will enable Aetna members in Northern Virginia to continue using Reston ...
Alliance to advance whole transcript analysis.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Affymetrix, Inc., (AFFX) and Nugen Technologies, Inc., a privately held company developing and commercializing products for high sensitivity nucleic acid amplification and detection, announced that they have entered into a joint collaboration to ...
Vectosomes improve the delivery of antisense oligonucleotides.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Vectosomes improve the delivery of antisense oligonucleotides. "VP22, a protein of the herpes simplex virus tegument, can form complexes with fluorescein-labeled oligonucleotides. These particles, termed ''vectosomes,'' are efficiently ...
Advances in tuberculosis research offer novel vaccine strategy insights.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Advances in antibody-mediated immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis have provided insights for developing novel vaccine strategies. "Cell-mediated immunity is considered to be the major component of the host response against ...
Human antibodies from immunized donors protect against anthrax.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Human antibodies from immunized donors are protective against anthrax toxin in vivo. "A panel of Fabs that neutralize anthrax toxin in vitro was selected from libraries generated from human donors vaccinated against anthrax. At least two ...
Orphan drug designation granted in U.S., Europe for Eculizumab.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (ALXN) announced that both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products have granted eculizumab orphan drug status for the treatment of paroxysmal ...
Significant reduction in heavy drinking seen in phase III trial Of Vivitrex.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alkermes, Inc., (ALKS) announced preliminary results from its phase III study of Vivitrex (naltrexone for injectable suspension) in a total of 624 male and female patients with alcohol dependence. Patients received psychosocial therapy ...
InterfeRx licensing program launched for RNAi therapeutics.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced the launch of the InterfeRx licensing program for RNAi therapeutics. Through the InterfeRx program, Alnylam will grant licenses for the development of RNAi therapeutics under the company's broad ...
An invagination technique treats esophagogastric end-to-end anastomoses.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- For end-to-end esophagogastrostomy, researchers recommend an anastomotic technique due to its simplicityand low anastomotic leakage rate. According to recent research published in the journal Zentralblatt Fur Chirurgie, ...
Senior R&D executive to lead product development.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Altea Therapeutics has appointed David J. Enscore, PhD, as senior VP for product research & development. Enscore is responsible for leading all of the company's pharmaceutical product research and development activities. The company's ...
Two siRNA libraries launched.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Ambion announced the launch and availability of two siRNA libraries: the first targets 597 human kinases and the second targets 441 human G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). The kinase siRNA library includes one or more functionally ...
AmeriHealth to cover FluMist due to vaccine shortage.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In response to the reported shortage of injectible flu vaccines, AmeriHealth announced that for the remainder of this flu season, the insurer will expand its coverage of flu vaccines to include the nasal-spray FluMist. This special ...
Univ. of Buffalo, military collaborate on design, testing of first drug to prevent deafness.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Six hundred marines at Camp Pendleton in California will undergo 2 weeks of war games in the coming months armed with a new weapon: a drug designed to protect their hearing from the destructive decibels of battle. For the Marines, it's ...
Modified Rotterdam Symptom Checklist is reliable, valid for cancer patient use.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The modified Rotterdam Symptom Checklist (RSCL-M) is a reliable and valid instrument for use with cancer patients in the United States, researchers say. "The Rotterdam Symptom Checklist (RSCL) is a well-known instrument for the ...
Disease management company appoints chief medical officer.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- American Healthways, Inc., (AMHC) announced the appointment of James E. Pope, MD, to the newly created position of executive vice president and chief medical officer. Pope has previously served as a member of the company's medical ...
Chinese biotech to apply for listing on primary U.S. stock exchange.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- American Oriental Bioengineering, Inc., announced that it would apply for a full listing on one of the primary U.S. stock exchanges over the next few weeks. The company anticipates it will apply to the NASDAQ Small Cap Market or the ...
FDA grants approval for Piperacillin injection.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- American Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc., (APPX), announced that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to launch Piperacillin for injection, USP, the generic equivalent of Wyeth's Pipracil. Piperacillin ...
Positive Abraxane phase III data released.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- American Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc., (APPX) (APP) and ABRAXIS Oncology, the proprietary drug division of APP, announced positive results of the randomized, controlled phase III clinical trial in patients with metastatic breast cancer comparing ...
New pharmacy automation system launched.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- AmerisourceBergen Corporation (ABC) launched the AutoMed Efficiency Pharmacy H750, the first radio frequency identification (RFID) enabled hospital pharmacy automation and barcoding system for all types of orders and dosage forms. Like ...
Phase III data show that Palifermin improves oral mucositis in cancer patients.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Amgen (AMGN) announced additional data from a phase III study demonstrating that treatment with palifermin (recombinant human keratinocyte growth factor or rHuKGF), an investigational product, was associated with a statistically significant and ...
Beier named senior VP, global government affairs at biotech firm.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Amgen, Inc., (AMGN) announced that David Beier has been named senior vice president, Global Government Affairs. Beier will be responsible for the operations of Amgen's Washington, DC, office and the management of corporate regulatory and ...
Pharmaceutical company files shelf registration statement.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (AMLN) announced that it has filed a shelf registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Upon being declared effective by the SEC, the shelf registration statement will ...
Deal signed for generic oral contraceptive products.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Andrx Corporation (ADRX) and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd., (TEVA) jointly announced that they have entered into a strategic collaboration to develop and market generic oral contraceptive pharmaceutical products. Under the terms ...
Phase II study of Acclaim initiated.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Angiogenix, Inc., announced the initiation of a phase II clinical trial of its lead product candidate, Acclaim, for the treatment of chronic angina, the chest pain that occurs from inadequate blood flow to the coronary arteries around the heart. ...
New stem-cell transplantation drug addresses unmet need in cancer patients.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- AnorMED, Inc., (AOM) announced that AMD3100, its lead drug candidate for stem cell transplantation, helps cancer patients who would otherwise be unable to undergo a stem cell transplant because they cannot generate an adequate number of stem cells ...
Milestone payment made for needle-free technology.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Antares Pharma, Inc., (ANTR) announced that it has received a milestone payment from Eli Lilly and Company (LLY), the licensee of Antares Pharma's needle-free injection technology in the fields of diabetes and obesity. This milestone ...
DNA technology company completes initial bridge financing.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., (APDN) announced that its placement agent Vertical Capital Partners, Inc., has closed on its initial $750,000 bridge financing commitment. The bridge financing was made pursuant to Regulation D under the ...
NF2 gene overexpression thwarts schwannoma cell growth.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NF2 gene overexpression thwarts schwannoma cell growth. "The loss of NF2 gene function leads to vestibular nerve schwannoma formation in humans. The NF2 gene product, Merlin/Schwannomin, has recently been found to interact with the two ...
New eco-evolutionary model of tumor dynamics described.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers describe a new eco-evolutionary model of tumor dynamics that incorporates stoichiometric mechanisms. According to a study from the United States, "Biological stoichiometry is the study of the balance of energy and multiple ...
Researchers uncover pathway that could lead to plant generation of human-like protein.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers led by Lokesh Joshi, an Arizona State University (ASU) associate professor in the Harrington department of bioengineering of the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering and a member of the Arizona BioDesign Institute - have found a pathway ...
Scientists investigate childhood nutrition mystery's causes, effects.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists funded by the U.S. Agricultural Research Service are investigating how nutrition may affect children who develop normally in most ways but grow slowly in the first 3 years of life. Pediatricians describe this condition as "failure to ...
Positive data reported on phase II breast tumor cell proliferation study.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Ascend Therapeutics, Inc., announced that it presented data from a phase II dose-escalating study comparing the antiproliferative effect of the company's percutaneous TamoGel (4-Hydroxytamoxifen gel) to oral tamoxifen on malignant breast cancer. ...
Data presented on oral anticoagulant after total knee replacement surgery.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Results of a phase III clinical trial comparing AstraZeneca's investigational oral anticoagulant Exanta (ximelagatran) with warfarin in patients following total knee replacement (TKR) surgery were presented at the 45th Annual Meeting of the ...
Deal signed for solid-tumor cancer treatment development.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Avanir Pharmaceuticals (AVN) announced that a commercial license agreement with Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (PPHM) has been executed for an antibody Avanir produced for a cancer target in Peregrine's Vascular Targeting Agent (VTA) product ...
Shipment of about 43M doses of influenza vaccine completed.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aventis announced that the company has completed shipment of approximately 43 million doses of its influenza vaccine (Fluzone, Influenza Virus Vaccine) to customers for the 2003-04 influenza season. The company was the first manufacturer ...
Anti-inflammatory cytokine technology licensed.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Avigen, Inc., (AVGN) announced that it has exclusively licensed rights to the treatment of chronic pain using anti-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin 10 (IL-10), from the University of Colorado. Avigen also expanded its ...
Positive ITAX phase II results reported.
Jan 07, 2004 ... 2004 JAN 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Axcan Pharma, Inc., disclosed efficacy and safety results of a phase II study related to ITAX (Itopride hydrochloride or Itopride), a patented oral gastroprokinetic drug with antiemetic properties recently acquired from Abbott Laboratories. ...