embryonic stem cells

ACT says it has found key to limitless blood supply

John Carroll — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:21:29 -0400

Advanced Cell Technology may be running out of cash, but the biotech still knows how to garner headlines around the world. The company is reporting that it has been able to gin quantities of red blood cells from human embryonic stem cells. And that could create a virtually limitless supply of blood--as well as a possible pathway to the company's survival.

While others have made red blood cells from ESCs, ACT and researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Mayo Clinic have created a way to make billions of red blood cells. A six-well plate of ESCs spawned 10 billion to 100 billion red blood cells. And that could eventually make routine blood shortages a thing of the past. Dr. George Daly from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute told the Boston Globe that this new work constituted a "very nice proof-of-principle." But he cautioned that there's a deeply entrenched system in place for gaining blood supplies.

About 16 people still work for the cash-strapped ACT, which raised $250,000 this month from a tech licensing deal with BioTime.

--read the article in the Boston Globe

ALSO NOTED: Amgen analysts bearish; FDA hands Kyowa not-approvable letter; Valeant plans review; and much more...

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 06:59:50 -0500

> Oh, the curse of duplication. Schering-Plough embarked on a company-wide downsizing yesterday, eliminating hundreds of jobs in nearly all departments, including finance, research, information technology, and marketing. Report

> Faced with what they see as the likelihood of some significant restrictions on the use of Amgen's anemia drugs--as well as new data on risks associated with the drugs--analysts have been turning distinctly bearish on the biotech giant's stock. Report

> Kyowa Pharmaceutical has received a not-approvable letter from the FDA for istradefylline (KW-6002), its investigational drug for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Release

> Valeant Pharmaceuticals says it will undertake a strategic review after reporting weak results for the fourth quarter. Release

> The U.S. Patent office has upheld the validity of Geron's patent for human embryonic stem cells. Report

> Any attempt to track down the source of problems with the blood thinner heparin are likely to run into trouble following a convoluted supply trail in China. Report

> The FDA has nixed Eli Lilly's plans for a long-acting formulation of its antipsychotic Zyprexa. Report

> GSK's secret vaccine adjuvant is drawing attention. Report

And Finally... The CDC has greatly expanded the population of people it's recommending for an annual flu shot, saying everyone aged six months to 18 should get the an annual jab. Report

Novocell reports breakthrough in diabetes cure

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 06:59:57 -0500

Researchers at Novocell report a key breakthrough in their program to find a cure for diabetes. The company reports that the researchers were able to turn embryonic stem cells into insulin-producing cells in mice. And after the mice's insulin-producing cells had been destroyed, the new cells kept their blood sugar levels in check.

"For those who say there is not much evidence that embryonic stem cells can cure diabetes, there you go," Dr. Camillo Ricordi, director of the Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami told The New York Times. Dr. Ricordi was not involved in the research program. The research did raise red flags, though. Some of the mice in the study developed tumors and there were questions raised whether the cells were characterized well enough for use in humans. Human trials are still several years away.

- read the article in The New York Times

Related Articles:
Novocell garners $25M for stem cell work. Report
Novocell scientists create insulin-producing cells. Report
ESC therapies in race to the clinic. Report

ALSO NOTED: Lentigen moves to Gaithersburg; Acorda prices shares; Cytheris releases data; and much more...

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 06:59:50 -0500

> Lentigen Corporation today announced the company is moving its corporate headquarters and manufacturing facilities from the University of Maryland Baltimore County TechCenter to a new 26,000 square-foot facility in Gaithersburg. Release

> Acorda Therapeutics has priced a share offering at $21.50. Report

> Cytheris released new data from a Phase I/II study designed to investigate the safety of Interleukin-7 therapy in chronically HIV-1 infected patients. Release

> Combimatrix won a $31.4 million judgment in its lawsuit against an insurer. Release

> Watson Pharmaceuticals says its NDA for the enlarged prostate drug silodosin has been accepted for filing by the FDA. Report

> The Ketek saga has opened a new chapter, with subpoenas and accusations and even threats. Report

> Want a preview of some "sobering" and "possibly a little alarming" market data? IMS Health gave preliminary figures on the state of the pharma industry to the Health Industry Group Purchasing Organization. Brace yourself: U.S. market growth for drugs grew by only 3.8 percent in 2007--the worst growth rate since 1961. Report

> Will a new Avastin-in-breast-cancer study persuade the FDA? Genentech hopes so. Report

> It's a new blow for the controversial painkiller fentanyl. Johnson & Johnson and Sandoz are recalling defective fentanyl patches that could cause patients or caregivers to overdose. Report

> A protein may hold the key to a new vaccine that could effectively target pneumonia, according to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. Report

> In a first, Geron made headlines at the BIO CEO conference in New York with its announcement that it could begin its first human trials using embryonic stem cells to treat spinal cord injuries as early as this spring. Report

And Finally... Long after Sept. 11, 2001, Americans' terrorism-related thoughts and fears are associated with increased depression, anxiety, hostility, post-traumatic stress and drinking, University of Illinois at Chicago researchers have found. Release

ALSO NOTED: Flamel shares buoyed by partnership buzz; Medarex cuts stake in Genmab; Bush offers new stem cell funds; and much m

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 06:59:50 -0500

> Shares of France's Flamel Technologies were buoyed by an analyst's prediction that the company was nearing a late-stage partnering deal. Report

> Medarex has cut its stake in Genmab as analysts began raising some big questions over the possibility of a buyout. Report

> During the State of the Union address, President Bush promised of new government funding for scientists advancing the uses of skin cells to replace embryonic stem cells in medical research. Report

> A team of scientists have spun off a company to commercialize a new chemical synthesis that they say can far more efficiently create and manufacture new compounds. Report

> Even as the demand for new antibiotics grows, new research programs to advance fresh therapies have been drying up fast. Report

> On a mission for more info on how companies set top execs' pay, the SEC has been pushing for details--and now it's knocking on doors at Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boston Scientific, and Baxter. Report

> Alfacell announced that 311 evaluable events (patient deaths) have occurred in the Phase IIIb clinical trial of its lead compound, ONCONASE, for unresectable malignant mesothelioma. Release

> Roche just posted sales of $42.2 billion, $2.4 billion more than its Swiss rival Novartis' $39.8 billion. Report

> Merck reported a whopping $1.6 billion loss for the fourth quarter. Report

And Finally... Is synthetic biotechnology the next big thing in drug R&D? Report

ALSO NOTED: NMT closes trial; NovaMed raises cash; Sinovac sells shares; Genentech team advances lupus work; and much more...

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 06:59:50 -0500

> NMT Medical says it will close a trial of its migraine technology after experiencing difficulties--and high costs--enrolling patients. Release

> China's Novamed gained $13.8 million in a funding round led by Fidelity Asia Ventures and Fidelity Biosciences. "This Series B round marks a significant milestone in NovaMed's business development in China. It allows us to continually expand and strengthen our portfolio in a number of important therapeutic areas while playing an increasingly stronger role in China's drug development landscape," said Mark Lotter, CEO of NovaMed. Release

> China's Sinovac Biotech has raised $9.75 million from the sale of shares. Release

> A research team at Genentech has identified two new genes that are linked to lupus, further advancing the biotech giant's work to identify new ways to identify and treat patients with the disease. Report

> An international research consortium is launching the 1,000 Genomes Project, mapping the genomes of a thousand different people in an effort to shine a bright research light on the influence of genetic variations on disease. Report

> Researchers have delivered proof of principle in a mouse study demonstrating that embryonic stem cells can be used to spur the development of dystrophin-producing cells, offering a potential cure to Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Report

> A new study from Harvard Medical School that identified antibodies that could be used to slow melanoma, the most lethal form of cancer. Report

> Generex Biotechnology says the Ministry of Health of the Ukraine issued an approval letter for the conduct of a Phase III clinical trial protocol for Generex Oral-lyn. Release

> according to Verispan, U.S. prescriptions written for Vytorin last week fell by 9.5 percent to 359,659 compared with the week before. Zetia scrips dropped even more, to 258,619 from 294,405--a 12 percent decrease. Report

> The Roche-Ventana merger isn't as wrapped up as it might appear. Report

> Can pharma fend off circling critics? Report

And Finally... In a move that could have far reaching influence over the scale of pay for young researchers, the prestigious Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research has significantly increased the wages earned by postdocs. Report

Human embryo clones unveiled by CA scientists

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 06:59:54 -0500

Scientists in California made embryo clones of two men, a step toward developing new stem cells for therapeutic purposes. But a number of experts quickly noted that cloned embryos of humans have been made before. The next key advance would be developing new stem cell lines from the clones. "It's only a mater of time before some group succeeds," notes one expert.

- see this release
- check out the report in the International Herald Tribune

Related Articles:
Cloning project makes a major breakthrough. Report
Mature stem cells prove effective in cloning. Report
Single-parent stem cells may skirt cloning controversy. Report
Researcher promises cloned embryonic stem cells. Report

ALSO NOTED: Biogen snares first start-up for incubator; Alkermes gains from Reliance sale; Galapagos inks deal with Lilly; and

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 06:59:50 -0500

> Biogen Idec has announced the first "occupant" in its Biogen Idec Innovation Incubator (bi3): Escoublac, a startup founded on the discovery of a new link between bone biology and metabolism. The company's goal is to translate this newfound biological link into new treatments for metabolic disorders like Type II diabetes and obesity. Report

> Alkermes announced that it had pocketed $166 million from the sale of its stake in Reliant Pharmaceuticals. Release

> Galapagos is pocketing a €3 million up front from Eli Lilly after signing a collaboration deal to develop new therapies for osteoporosis. Release

> Immusol has changed its name to ItherX Pharmaceuticals and named Jeffrey McKelvy as its new CEO. Report

> Several teams of scientists have been working away at creating new life forms from artificial DNA. Report

> Bioserve is hopping on the pharmacogenomics bandwagon. Report

> Scientists at London's Imperial College have developed a patch made from embryonic stem cells to repair damaged hearts. Report

> The complex genetic machinery that manages our internal body clock is controlled by a single amino acid, which could prove to be one of the biggest new drug targets of the year. Report

> AstraZeneca is plowing ahead with a new distribution deal in the UK, despite opposition from regulators there. Report

> The flip side of Big Pharma's angst over generic competition is growing exuberance about generics makers. Report

> Pfizer's Sutent is "showing the most promise" as a first-line therapy for kidney cancer, according to a new report from Datamonitor. But ironically, the most-prescribed second-line treatment--Nexavar--may not be the most effective choice in patients who started out on Sutent. Report

And Finally... By genetically engineering mice, scientists in Japan were able to switch off their fear of cats. Report

ALSO NOTED: Nuvelo drug gets fast tracked; QLT brings on Goldman Sachs; and much more...

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 06:59:50 -0500

> Sanofi-Aventis has set up a small executive committee to set strategy, allocate resources and oversee company management, according to anonymous sources who talked to APM Europe. The idea is to consolidate decision-making to make management more nimble. Report

> The FDA has handed generic drugmaker Mylan for Lamotrigine Tablets, a generic version of GSK's Lamictal Tablets for seizures. Report

> Nuvelo has started a Phase II trial of alfimeprase for acute ischemic stroke. The company has also won fast track designation by the FDA for this indication. Release

> As promised, QLT has hired Goldman Sachs to explore strategic alternatives. Report

> Roche has filed an IND for an antibody targeting asthma. Report

> The empire strikes back. AstraZeneca went on attack today, suing seven generics makers who've filed for FDA permission to sell copycat versions of Crestor. Report

> Dr. Shinya Yamanaka, the Japanese scientist who led one of the two teams that recently announced they had turned human skin cells into the equivalent of embryonic stem cells, was driven by a passion to stop the destruction of embryos in medical research. Report

And Finally... Harvard Medical School professor George Church, one of the key players in the Human Genome Project and a noted expert in genetics, has set his sights on winning the $10 million prize being offered to the first team that can sequence the genomes of 100 people in 10 days at a cost of $10,000 per genome. Report

ALSO NOTED: ESC companies unimpressed by latest advance; Delcath shares surge in trial resumption; Pharmion CEO ready to start

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 06:59:50 -0500

> News that scientists had found a way to program skin cells to act like embryonic stem cells has failed to shake the clinical trial plans of the leading developers in the field. Report

> Shares of Delcath Systems surged on the news that the FDA approved resumption of clinical trials of its perfusion delivery technology. Report

> At 44, Pharmion co-founder and CEO Pat Mahaffy says he plans to start a new biotech company after Celgene completes its buyout. Report

> Exelixis has sold an 80 percent stake in Artemis Pharmaceuticals to Taconic Farms for $20 million. Artemis develops and markets genetically engineered mouse models and engineered mouse embryonic stem cells as genetic model systems for use in drug discovery or academic research. Report

> Cerus is spinning off its immunotherapy business. Report

> The FDA has extended its action date on Spectrum Pharmaceuticals' ISO-Vorin or levofolinic acid or LFA for injection NDA by 60 days. Report

And Finally… There's new evidence that the best way to stay mentally tough is to give your brain a regular workout. Release