Preclinical News and Research

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Novel wound-healing peptide gel

First-String Research, Inc. (FSR), a spin-off biotechnology company from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), has begun the human clinical trial process for its unique, wound-healing peptide gel.

4 Feb 2008

Potential cause of age differences in stimulant response identified

In young children, psychostimulants relieve symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder, yet in adolescents and adults, those same medications can cause euphoria and are often abused.

31 Jan 2008

MUSC spin-off to test wound-healing peptide gel

30 Jan 2008

Unexpected protein-protein interaction suggests new ALS drug target

Discovery of an unexpected protein-protein interaction has led University of Iowa scientists and colleagues to identify a drug that slows the progression of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in mice and nearly doubles the animals' lifespan.

25 Jan 2008

M. D. Anderson, AstraZeneca form alliance to advance understanding of cancer-related pain

The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN) today announced that they will collaborate to help advance understanding of neuropathic pain caused by cancer chemotherapy, a side effect that often limits optimal therapeutic dosing in cancer treatments.

25 Jan 2008

Researcher transplants stem cells to try to save patients' legs

A Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine researcher has launched the first U.S. trial in which a purified form of subjects' own adult stem cells was transplanted into their leg muscles with severely blocked arteries to try to grow new small blood vessels and restore circulation in their legs.

23 Jan 2008

Acanthus ilicifolius plant may combat liver cancer

Liver cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the world with a poor prognosis. About three quarters of the cases of liver cancer are found in Southeast Asia, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, India, and Japan.

17 Jan 2008

Morphotek announces agreement for development of antibodies to treat prostate cancer

Morphotek, Inc., a subsidiary of Eisai Co., Ltd., has announced that it has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for the development of therapeutic antibodies to a cancer-associated protein identified by NCI researchers.

10 Jan 2008

Trius Therapeutics starts U.S. phase I trial for Oxazolidinone antibacterial drug

Trius Therapeutics, Inc. has announced that it initiated its first Phase 1 clinical trial of TR-701, an antibacterial drug candidate intended for treatment of patients with serious Gram-positive bacterial infections, including those caused by MRSA and other drug-resistant strains.

9 Jan 2008

Treating diabetics with pig islet cells

As the fourth-leading cause of death in developed countries, diabetes can truly be called a modern-day plague.

9 Jan 2008

NicOx extends ophthalmology agreement with Pfizer

NicOx S.A. has announced it has signed an extension of its March 2006 collaboration agreement, which grants Pfizer Inc the exclusive right to apply its proprietary nitric oxide-donating technology to drug discovery research in the field of ophthalmology.

9 Jan 2008

Taranabant shows promise for weight loss in obese people

The first clinical studies of an experimental drug have revealed that obese people who take it for 12 weeks lose weight, even at very low doses.

9 Jan 2008

Magen BioSciences licenses dermatology compounds from Lilly

Magen BioSciences, Inc., a privately held specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing pharmaceuticals to treat diseases of the skin, announced today that it had acquired the rights to a series of novel pre-clinical compounds from Eli Lilly and Company.

8 Jan 2008

Baxter to develop recombinant Factor IX proteins to treat hemophilia B

Baxter International Inc. has announced that it has initiated pre-clinical programs to develop recombinant Factor IX proteins to treat hemophilia B.

From Baxter International Inc. 7 Jan 2008

Genmab announces HuMax-CD32b pre-clinical program

Genmab A/S has announced a new pre-clinical antibody program called HuMax-CD32b. This fully human IgG1,k antibody targets the CD32b receptor found on immune cells and hematological tumors.

7 Jan 2008

Sanofi Pasteur enters agreement eith Crucell for next-generation biologicals against rabies

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group, announced today that it has signed an exclusive collaboration and commercialization agreement with Crucell N.V. for Crucell's rabies monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), next-generation rabies biologicals to be used in association with rabies vaccine for post-exposure prophylaxis against this fatal disease.

4 Jan 2008

Cardiac stem cell therapy research

Since the year 2000, much has been learned about the potential for using transplanted cells in therapeutic efforts to treat varieties of cardiac disorders.

28 Dec 2007

Researchers advance stem cell gene therapy

Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals Case Medical Center researchers have recently made great strides in stem cell gene therapy research by transferring a new gene to cancer patients, via their own stem cells, with the ultimate goal of being able to use stronger chemotherapy treatment with less severe side effects.

13 Dec 2007

Cell-tracking software speeds drug development

Time is money, especially in the race to discover new anti-inflammatory drugs and bring them to market.

13 Dec 2007

Resverlogix receives FDA approval to start clinical trial for RVX-208

Resverlogix Corp. has announced that it has received approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to initiate a Phase 1a clinical trial of oral RVX-208 in the USA. RVX-208 is a novel first-in-class small molecule that increases the production of ApoA-I and HDL.

10 Dec 2007