This week’s biotechnology news headlines include, Ebola news, FDA advice on pivotal trials, Amgen’s leukemia drug approved, AstraZeneca and Lily begin Alzheimer drug trial, Roche acquires Ariosa Diagnostics, and Top 20 VC firms for biotech.

Cell Culture Dish – Ask the Expert Session

Our Next Session – Meet the Cells – Get your questions answered about some popular cell lines.

World Stem Cell Summit – December 3-5, 2014 – San Antonio, Texas

http://worldstemcellsummit.com/

Visit Roche Custom Biotech in booth #1 to learn more about our range of solutions for Cell Therapy applications, including Liberase enzyme blends for dissociating cells from primary tissues, bio-analytical instrumentation, downstream proteases, and products for in-process quality control testing.

ASCB – December 6-10, 2014 – Philadelphia, PA

http://www.ascb.org/meetings-home

Headlines

“Ebola vaccine from Glaxo passes early safety test,” Reuters

“An experimental Ebola vaccine made by GlaxoSmithKline caused no serious side effects and produced an immune response in all 20 healthy volunteers who received it in an early-stage clinical trial, scientists reported on Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.”

If you like this story, please see our blog titled “Three vaccines in development are poised to make significant impact on global public health“

“Should Drug Makers be Required to Take FDA Advice on Pivotal Trials?” The Wall Street Journal Pharmalot

“Should drug makers be required to submit protocols for late-stage clinical trials to the FDA? And if so, should drug makers then also be required to accept binding recommendations from the agency about study designs? Most important, what might be gained if these steps are mandated?”

If you like this story, please see our blog titled “The Benefits of Implementing Bioprocess Monitoring and Quality by Design in Process Development”

“U.S. FDA approves Amgen leukemia drug ahead of schedule,” Reuters

“U.S. health regulators on Wednesday approved an Amgen Inc drug that helps the immune system fight a rare type of leukemia, more than five months ahead of the expected decision date.”

If you like this story, please see our blog titled “Where’s the Beef!?”

“The Virus Detectives,” The New York Times

“An old two-story brick building in a shabby part of town, formerly a distribution center for Budweiser beer, is now the world’s most powerful factory for analyzing genes from people and viruses.”

If you like this story, please see our blog titled “Last Week’s BioProcess International Conference and Exhibition”

“AstraZeneca and Lilly move Alzheimer’s drug into big trial,” Reuters

“AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly said on Monday they had started a large trial of their experimental Alzheimer’s drug, seen as a promising, but still risky, approach for slowing the memory-robbing disease.”

If you like this story, please see our blog titled “Raw Material Sourcing for Cell Culture Media – Important Considerations”

“Roche says will buy U.S. maker of prenatal Down syndrome test,” Reuters

“Roche said on Tuesday it will acquire San Jose, CA-based Ariosa Diagnostics, Inc., a molecular diagnostics firm which makes a prenatal test to assess the risk of Down syndrome and other genetic abnormalities.”

If you like this story, please see our blog titled “Genome Editing and Associated Technologies”

“20 Top VC Firms for Biotechs,” Genetic Engineering News

“The stampede is back on among venture capital firms to raise new money and close more funds, after years of standing pat following the recession and years of sluggish recovery.

If you like this story, please see our blog titled “Cool Tool – Creating the Perfect Scientific Poster,”