Drug Discovery & Technology News articles from March 2002

Drug Discovery & Technology News archives from March 2002

BASIC SCIENCE: Polyoma Virus Linked to Brain Tumors.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... An association between a human polyoma virus and brain tumors has been established by a group of researchers from Temple University (1801 North Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19122; Tel: 215/204-7000; Website: www.Temple.edu), suggesting a...

Mouse Model for Myeloid Leukemia.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... A method that enables scientists to study the development of an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) was developed by James Downing and his colleagues at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105; Tel: 901/495-3300;...

Super-Staph Invades Hospitals Worldwide.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2002... Only a few families of Staphylococci cause most drug-resistant diseases in hospitals worldwide. These findings, reported in the March 1 issue of Lancet Infectious Diseases by Rockefeller University (1230 York Ave., New York, NY; Tel:...

Enter the Visible Mouse.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2002... Advanced imaging technologies have enabled researchers to produce 3-D magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM) images of mice at more than 250,000 times greater resolution than the MRI scans used to diagnose human disease. This "Visible Mouse"...

Supressing Genes in C. Elegans.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Devgen NV (Technologiepark 9, 9052, Ghent - Zwijnaarde, Belgium; Tel: +32 9 324 24 24, Fax: +32 9 324 24 25; Website: www.devgen.com) has developed the first C. elegans genome-wide (double-stranded) RNAi feeding library as a tool for high-...

DRUG TARGETS: Enzyme Promotes Multiple Sclerosis.
March 1, 2002... Enzymes in the brain are not supposed to digest proteins as efficiently as enzymes do in the digestive track. However, an unusual brain enzyme called myelencephalon-specific protease (MSP) attacks myelin and may contribute to multiple...

PROTEOMICS: Phosphorylation Sites Cataloged.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Researchers from MDS Proteomics, Inc. (251 Atwell Dr., Toronto, M9W 7H4, Canada; Tel: 416/646-6351; Website: www.mdsp.com) say they have developed and proven a new method to determine if drugs and drug targets are effective in combating...

Truncated CF Protein is Functional.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by genetic mutations in a gene that encodes the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) protein. Normal CFTR protein forms channels for chloride ions to leave cells. The controlled outflow of chloride...

NMR Characterizes Protein Binding Sites.
March 1, 2002... Details of Triad Therapeutics' (5820 Nancy Ridge Dr., Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92121; Tel: 858/457-0100, Fax: 858/457-7893; Website: www.triadtherapeutics.com) technique using NMR in structure-based drug discovery have been published in the...

SCREENING: Virtual Screening of Toxin Inhibitors.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2002... Collaborators of the Anthrax Research Project (Website: www.members.ud.com/projects/anthrax), designed to screen 3.5 billion molecules against a known anthrax toxin protein, have released the project's results to the U.S. Department of...

"Monophore" Screening Technique Patented.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Sunesis Pharmaceuticals (341 Oyster Point Blvd., South San Francisco, CA 94080; Tel: 650/266-3500, Fax: 266/266-3505; Website: www.sunesis.com) announced the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 6,344,334, which the company has licensed from the...

Design Your Own Microfluidics Chip.
March 1, 2002... Micralyne, Inc. (1911 - 94 St., Edmonton, Alberta T6N 1E6 Canada; Tel: 780/431-4400, Fax: 780/431-4422; Website: www.micralyne.com) has launched ProtoChip, a platform for small-volume prototyping of microfluidic designs. Microfluidic devices...

DRUG DELIVERY: Implant Delivers Drugs to Eye.(Bausch and Lomb, Control Delivery Systems Inc., Envision)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Bausch & Lomb (1 Bausch & Lomb Place, Rochester, NY 14604-2701; Tel: 716/338-6000, Fax: 716/338-6007; Website: www.bausch.com) says that pre-market development and production of its No. 1 research project-the Envision drug-delivery...

Go Ahead-Inhale, It's Legal.(Unimed Pharmaceuticals, Inhale Therapeutic Systems collaborate on metered dose inhaler of dronabinol)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Unimed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Rue de Prince Albert 33, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium; Tel: 32 2 509 6111, Fax: 32 2 509 6624; Website: www.solvay.com), and Inhale Therapeutic Systems, Inc....

Tests Speed HIV, HCV Diagnosis.(Gen Probe's amplified nucleic acid test)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The U.S. FDA has approved Gen Probe's (10210 Genetic Center Dr., San Diego, CA; Tel: 858/410-8000, Fax: 619/417-5001; Website: www.gen-probe.com) Biologics License Application (BLA) for its amplified nucleic acid test to be used by blood...

NEW COMPOUNDS: Chinese Herbs in Phase II Trials.(at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... A Japanese formulation comprising seven Chinese herbs will be studied by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (Website: www.mskcc.org) to determine its effect against liver cancer. The herbal formulation being tested, called Sho-Saiko-to...

HIV Drug Works Against Hep B.(Gilead Sciences' Viread)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Gilead Sciences (333 Lakeside Dr., Foster City, CA 94404; Tel: 650/574-3000, Fax: 650/578-9264) released data from two studies evaluating its antiretroviral agent Viread (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) in patients co-infected with HIV and...

INDUSTRY NEWS: Australian Biotech Gets a News Outlet.(International Data Group launches Australian Biotechnology News Website)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... International Data Group (IDG) has launched Australian Biotechnology News (88 Christie St., St. Leonards, 2065; Tel: 02 9439 5133, Fax: 02 9439 5512; Website: www.biotechnews.com.au) to serve the information needs of the growing biotechnology...

Homeland Health Offers Biopreparedness.(Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America launches Web site)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) has launched www.Homelandhealth.com, a comprehensive website offering information on biopreparedness in America. Homelandhealth.com offers information and news for...

Battle in Seattle Over Enbrel.(ZymoGenetics Inc. files patent infringement lawsuit against Immunex Corp.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... ZymoGenetics, Inc. (12201 Eastlake Ave. East, Seattle, WA; Tel: 206/442-6600 or 800/775-6685, Fax: 206/442-6608) has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Immunex Corp. (51 University St., Seattle, WA 98101; Tel: 206/587-0430, Fax:...

What Makes Alcoholics Drink?(National Institute on Alocohol Abuse and Alcoholism to fund "Integrative Neuroscience Initiative on Alcoholism")(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA, Bethesda, MD) wants to know why alcoholics drink, a question that has alcoholics themselves perplexed. The NIAAA has announced a 5- yr. "Integrative Neuroscience Initiative on...

COLLABORATIONS: ADA, Entelos Set Diabetes Forum.(American Diabetes Association)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The American Diabetes Association (ADA, 1701 N. Beauregard St., Alexandria, VA 22311; Tel: 800/342-2383; Website: www.diabetes.org) and biotechnology firm Entelos, Inc. (4040 Campbell Ave., Suite 200, Menlo Park, CA 94025; Tel: 650/330-5200,...

Inhale to PEGylate Thrombopoietin.(Inhale Therapeutic Systems, 3-Dimensional Pharmaceuticals to use PEGylation technology for synthetic thrombopoietin memetic compound)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Inhale Therapeutic Systems, Inc. (150 Industrial Rd., San Carlos, CA 04070; Tel: 650/641-3100, Fax: 650/641-3150) and 3-Dimensional Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (665 Stockton Dr., Suite 104, Exton, PA 10043; Tel: 610/458-8959, Fax: 610/458-8258;...

CALENDAR.
March 1, 2002... March 25-27, 2002. Pharma & Biotech Portfolio Management, Philadelphia, PA. Contact: Strategic Research Institute; Tel: 646/336-7030; Email: gpascual@srinstitute.com April 3-5, 2002. World Drug Discovery Summit, Copenhagen, Denmark....