@FierceBiotech: Five prostate cancer diagnostics to watch. Article | Follow @FierceBiotech
@JohnCFierce: Novartis has mapped out a blockbuster future for INC424. Story | Follow @JohnCFierce
> London-based PsiOxus Therapeutics will start a Phase II trial for MT-102, a therapy for cachexia. Cachexia is a wasting disease caused by various diseases including cancer, cirrhosis and rheumatoid arthritis. PsiOxus release
> The science and business of predictive biomarkers has received another affirmation in the form of a funding round of roughly $804,000, or £500,000. London-based Activiomics has only been in existence since February 2010, but, according to a news release, has already "demonstrated the value of its technology through revenue generating partnerships with big pharma, including GlaxoSmithKline, UCB and Genentech." Item
> GenSpera has received a patent for its prostate oncology drug Ac-GKAFRR-L12ADT, which is developed from HK2, an enzyme created by prostate cancer cells. GenSpera uses the enzyme to deliver thapsigargin. Announcement
> Caliper Life Sciences and HistoRx are pooling their resources to produce a new way of imaging and analyzing tissue to measure proteins based on immuno-fluorescence. According to a release, the collaboration will enable researchers to leverage the combined imaging and analysis power of Caliper's Vectra, an automated multiplexed tissue imaging platform, and HistoRx's Aqua image analysis system. Story
Pharma News
@FiercePharma: Herper: Cheap Lipitor could increase health costs. Story | Follow @FiercePharma
> Drug prices steam ahead at record pace. Report
> Novartis to slice 500 jobs from UK facility. News
> J&J CEO earns $29M and high praise for a grueling year. Story
> Analysts ponder prospects of $7B Pfizer spinoff. Story
> PFizer yanks one of its new pain pills from King. Item
Vaccines News
> UK and Scotland look at foot-and-mouth disease vax program. Report
> OSU finds new delivery tech for norovirus vax. Item
> Daiichi recalls Sanofi ActHIB vax in Japan. Report
> Animal data supports J&J's Alzheimer's vaccine. Story
Manufacturing News
> Hamburg: FDA needs funding to hit inspection goal. Item
> Obama administration's track/trace recommendation lacks teeth. News
> Japan pharma stocks fall; pharma aid rises. Story
> OTC cold drug prescriptions get mixed review among states. Article
> Ranbaxy's manufacturing woes make Daiichi buy a 'failure'. Item
> Obama lobbies Congress for track/trace. Story
And Finally... A team at the Chinese University of Hong Kong has researched the activity of enzymes based on habitat temperature. By working with salt-bridges, the scientists were able to change the properties of th enzymes from thermophilic to mesophilic or vice versa. "It is like two cars having similar engines but one runs 10 times faster than the other. If thermophilic enzymes can be made more active without compromising their stability, it will be of great commercial value to the biotech industry," explained Professor Kam-bo Wong. Release