This week’s biotechnology news headlines include, Array’s skin cancer drug does well in trials, GSK donates to Comic Relief to fight malaria, AstraZeneca buys Takeda’s respiratory business, Novartis opens 600 million dollar facility, CDER outlines 2016 priorities, and Spark Therapeutics gets $15 million milestone payment from Pfizer.

Cell Culture Events

Conferences:

January

PepTalk – January 18-22, 2016 – San Diego, CA

http://www.chi-peptalk.com/single-use-systems/

PepTalk: The Protein Science Week is one of the largest gatherings of protein science researchers in the world. It offers an array of education, innovation and networking programs, and provides many opportunities to scientists.

Don’t miss:

Tuesday, January 19^th at 9:35

Hollow Fiber Perfusion Bioreactors; The Original Upstream Single Use Continuous Manufacturing Technology

Scott Waniger, Vice President, Bioservices, Cell Culture Company

Hollow fiber perfusion bioreactor technology has been used in the bioprocessing industry for 30+ years and continues to be used to manufacture regulated biologics worldwide. While the technology has many similarities to stirred tank bioreactors, it also offers significant advantages over traditional technologies for many applications. The presentation will describe these advantages while explaining the setup, daily operation, and turn-around of this accepted technology within the bioprocessing industry. A case study showing steady state production of a monoclonal antibody (IgG) using hollow fiber bioreactors will be included.

Headlines

“Array’s skin cancer drug succeeds in late-stage study,” Reuters

“Array BioPharma Inc said its experimental drug helped patients with a form of skin cancer live longer without their cancer progressing, in an ongoing late-stage study.”

If you like this story, please see our blog titled “Biomanufacturing CHO Media – A look at different approaches and optimization opportunities”

“GSK donates £17m to Comic Relief malaria partnership,” PharmaTimes

“GlaxoSmithKline is streaming £17 million into a new partnership with Comic Relief to fight malaria and improve health in five countries worst affected by the disease.”

If you like this story, please see our blog titled “Cool Tool – Gibco Essential 8 Flex Stem Cell Media Eliminates Need for Daily Feeding”

“AstraZeneca boosts respiratory unit with $575 million Takeda deal,” Reuters

“Britain’s AstraZeneca (AZN.L) has agreed to buy Takeda Pharmaceutical’s (4502.T) respiratory business, including expanded rights to roflumilast, a treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).”

If you like this story, please see our blog titled “Biomanufacturing Innovations are Plentiful at This Year’s BPI Conference”

“Novartis AG (NVS) Opens New $600 Million Facility in Cambridge, Mass.,” BioSpace

“Novartis (NVS) is looking at a new $600 million facility in Cambridge to expand development of its treatments for malaria, autism, rheumatoid arthritis and bipolar disorder, Wickedlocal.com reported this morning.”

If you like this story, please see our blog titled “Cool Tool- Hybridoma cell growth and performance in reduced serum + Zap-SR”

“CDER’s Woodcock Outlines Priorities for 2016,” Regulatory Focus

“With a banner year for new drug approvals under its belt in 2015 (42 approvals and counting), the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) is now looking at how it can not only negotiate three new user fee agreements but fill an enormous number of staff vacancies.”

If you like this story, please see our blog titled “Exosomes: A Major Phenomenon Flying Under the Radar”

“AstraZeneca Explores Potential Deal With Acerta for Cancer Drug,” Bloomberg Business

“AstraZeneca Plc said it’s exploring a deal with Acerta Pharma BV that would give the U.K. drugmaker a potential blockbuster medicine for blood cancers as well as diseases in which the body attacks itself.”

If you like this story, please see our blog titled “Hollow Fiber Provides a Sweet Spot for Several Biomanufacturing Applications”

“Spark Therapeutics lights up with $15M payment from Pfizer,” Philadelphia Business Journal

“Spark Therapeutics Inc. received a $15 million milestone payment this week from Pfizer Inc. as part of the companies’ collaboration deal covering the joint development of a potential Gene Therapy treatment for hemophilia B.”

If you like this story, please see our blog titled “You can teach an old dog new tricks: Vero cells for virus-based cancer vaccine therapies”