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Period Ending July 14, 2007
DIABETES: XOMA INITIATES TRIAL OF ANTIBODY FOR PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2
Xoma said it initiated an early-stage clinical trial of its monoclonal antibody that targets Interleukin-1 beta in patients with type-2 diabetes. Interleukin-1 plays a role in multiple inflammatory diseases and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetes through the destruction of the pancreatic islet cells that produce insulin. The trail will test the safety and pharmacokinetics of the product candidate known as Xoma 052. Berkeley, California-based Xoma expect to pursue other indication for Xoma 052, which may include rheumatoid arthritis, systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and osteoarthritis.
VACCINES: SRI AND NEUGENESIS TEAM ON RAPID MANUFACTURING
The Menlo Park, California nonprofit research organization SRI International said it will collaborate with Burlingame, California-based biotech Neugenesis, to develop technologies for the rapid manufacturing of vaccines and drugs. SRI will operate under a subcontract that is part of a major contract awarded to Neugenesis by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Having a rapid "just-in-time" production capability for vaccines and therapeutics will reduce the need for stockpiling and enhance the military's ability to respond to biological threats. The project will focus on the development of technology to accelerate recombinant protein manufacturing using Neugenesis' fungal expression technology. SRI will be responsible for project integration management and for tracking product quality.
INSULIN DISORDERS: DIAGNOSTICS DEVELOPER TO WORK WITH UCSD
Lipomics Technologies, a West Sacramento, California-based developer of clinical diagnostics, said it entered into a collaboration with the University of California at San Diego. The collaboration will focus on clinical investigations aimed at identifying mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, obesity, and other disorders of insulin resistance. Lipomics will retain certain rights to develop diagnostic applications based on the data from the studies.
DIAGNOSTICS: TEST MEETS BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD CRITERIA
Genomic Health said that its breast cancer test meets the criteria of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association's Technology Evaluation Center for use in determining treatment for patients. The Redwood City, California's Oncotype DX breast cancer assay is a multi-gene expression test that has the ability to predict the likelihood of breast cancer recurrence, the likelihood of patient survival within 10 years of diagnosis and the likelihood of chemotherapy benefit for women with estrogen receptor-positive, node-negative, tamoxifen-treated breast cancer. Genomic said the Technology Evaluation Center's conclusion—that the use of Oncotype DX to inform decision making about adjuvant chemotherapy meets TEC criteria—is a substantial step forward for the field of personalized medicine.
CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE: AFFYMETRIX FINDS NEW GENETIC RISKS
Affymetrix said that researchers from the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium and the Cardiogenics Consortium have used its GeneChip microarray technology to discover several new genetic variations that may increase the risk of developing coronary artery disease. The results of the project, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found the genetic variations could increase the risk of coronary artery disease by as much as 36 percent. The Santa Clara, California-based life science research tools company said scientists performing genetic association studies in the past have had to focus on a specific subset of genes to replicate findings from initial genome scans, but its genome-wide approach increased the statistical power of the project and enabled the team to uncover the new genetic variations associated with coronary artery disease.
ALZHEIMER'S: CHEMICAL IN CURRY HELPS IMMUNE SYSTEM CLEAR PLAQUE
Researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles have isolated a chemical in curry that may help the immune system clear plaques found in Alzheimer's disease. The chemical, bisdemethoxycurcumin, is a natural substance found in turmeric root that may help boost the immune system in clearing amyloid beta, a peptide that forms the plaques found in Alzheimer's disease. Using blood samples from Alzheimer's disease patients, researchers found that bisdemethoxycurcumin boosted immune cells called macrophages to clear amyloid beta. In addition, researchers identified the immune genes associated with this activity. The study provides more insight into the role of the immune system in Alzheimer's disease and points to a new treatment approach. The new approach relies on the innate immune system, which is present at birth rather than on antibodies produced by B cells, which is a later developed part of the active immune system.
MS: CHILDHOOD EXPOSURE TO SUN MAY LOWER RISK
People who spent more time in the sun as children may have a lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis than people who had less sun exposure during childhood, according to researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. In a study published in the journal Neurology, the researchers examined 79 pairs of identical twins with the same genetic risk for MS in which only one twin had the condition. The twins were asked to specify whether they or their twin spent more time outdoors during hot days, cold days and summer, and which one spent more time sun bathing, going to the beach and playing team sports as a child. The study found the twin with MS spent less time in the sun as a child than the twin who did not have MS. Depending on the activity, the twin who spent more hours outdoors had a 25 to 57 percent reduced risk of developing MS. The researchers said work should be done to determine how sun exposure reduces MS risk in the hopes of unraveling the mystery of what causes it.
PATENTS: HOUSE COMMITTEE CLEARS REFORM BILL
The U.S. House Judiciary Committee approved patent reform legislation that has long been sought by the high-tech sector but opposed by the pharmaceutical industry, the Associated Press reported. The bill moves to the full House for a vote. If approved, the legislation would establish a process to re-evaluate patents after they are granted. This would allow patents to be challenged without companies needing to go through potentially costly and drawn out litigation that could end with stiff financial penalties. The Biotechnology Industry Organization is opposing the legislation it said because it threatens innovation by diminishing the value of patents and reducing incentives for investment.
INSURANCE: SENATE PANEL WANTS TO ADD BILLIONS FOR KIDS, BUT BUSH VOWS VETO
The Senate Finance Committee approved a major expansion of the Children's Health Insurance Program, but President Bush is threatening a veto saying it is a step toward "government-run health care for every American," The New York Times Reported. The bill, which passed the committee on a vote of 17 to 4, would increase spending to a total $60 billion over the next five years, $35 billion more than it would cost to maintain current levels of spending. A similar bill in the House seeks spending of a total of $75 billion while Bush has proposed spending just $30 billion. The program provided health care for children and some adults from families that earn too much to receive Medicaid, but can't afford private insurance. The program, which covered as many as 6.6 million low-income children, is set to expire Sept. 30.
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