The Dish’s Weekly News Wrap Up – July 18, 2014
This week’s headlines include, Gene Therapy’s biological pacemaker, Scripps gets award from NIH to develop stem cell lines, Roche melanoma drug meets main goal in combo study, drug firms argue disposal law, Cellular Dynamics claims patents on stem cells from blood, Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer study shows promise in combo therapy, and GSK gets CodeEvolver from Codexis.
Cell Culture Events
The Bioprocessing Summit – August 18-22, 2014 – Renaissance Waterfront Hotel – Boston, MA
http://www.bioprocessingsummit.com/
Cell Line Development & Engineering – September 8-10, 2014 – Doubletree by Hilton Berkeley Marina Berkeley, CA
http://www.ibclifesciences.com/CellLine/overview.xml
Cell Culture World Congress USA – September 15-16, 2014 – The Westin Copley Place – Boston, MA
http://www.terrapinn.com/conference/cell-culture-world-congress-usa/index.stm
Stem Cells Regenerative Medicine Conference –
World Cord Blood Congress –
Headlines:
“Gene Therapy Creates “Biological Pacemaker” Cells for the Heart,” Reuters
“Researchers have succeeded in turning ordinary cardiac muscle cells into specialized ones that deliver a steady heartbeat using a Gene Therapy procedure they predict could become an alternative to implanted electronic pacemakers.”
If you like this story, please see our blog titled “Flexible Facilities for Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing”
“Eli Lilly Alzheimer’s Study Shows Combo Therapy Clears More Amyloid in Mice,” Fierce Biotech Research
“Scientists at drug giant Eli Lilly ($LLY) have found that a combination therapy may be more effective at removing clumps of amyloid-β protein–widely thought to contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease–than the use of one therapy in mice.”
If you like this story, please see our blog titled “Stem Cell Therapy Indications for Neurological Disorders in Phase II Clinical Trials”
“Roche Skin Cancer Drug Meets Main Goal in Combination Study,” Reuters
“An experimental drug from Roche helped people with an advanced form of skin cancer live longer without their disease worsening when used in combination with another treatment, the Swiss drugmaker said on Monday.”
If you like this story, please see our blog titled “Single-use Technology for Microbial Fermentation”
“NIH Awards Scripps Researchers $2.6M to Develop Stem Cell Lines,” Genetic Engineering News
“Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have been awarded a $2.6 million grant from the office of the director of the National Institutes of Health to produce specialized stems cells.”
If you like this story, please see our blog titled “Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Model Human Disease”
“Cellular Dynamics Claims Patents on Making Stem Cells from Blood,” Xconomy
“Cellular Dynamics International has already situated itself as an early leader—if not the leader—in large-scale manufacturing of human cells from induced pluripotent stem cells. Today the company says it has strengthened its market position with three new patents related to making stem cells from human blood samples.”
If you like this story, please see our blog titled “Part II – Key Tools and Technology Hurdles in Advancing Stem-Cell Therapies”
“Drug Firms Argue in Court Alameda County Disposal Law,” San Francisco Chronicle
“Pharmaceutical companies argued Friday that Alameda County’s first-in-the-nation law, requiring them to pay for disposing of leftover drugs in medicine cabinets, places an unfair burden on out-of-state drug manufacturers. But a federal appeals court seemed skeptical.”
If you like this story, please see our blog titled “Paper or Plastic: A Study on Single-use and Sustainability”
“GSK Picks Up CodeEvolver from Codexis,” Genetic Engineering News
“Codexis inked a platform technology license agreement with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) allowing GSK to use Codexis’ CodeEvolver® protein engineering platform technology to develop enzymes GSK can use to manufacture pharmaceutical and healthcare products. GSK can also use the technology to develop new therapeutic, diagnostic, and prophylactic products in the human health field.”
If you like this story, please see our blog titled “GE Healthcare Completes Acquisition of Three Thermo Fisher Scientific Business Divisions”