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Life Sciences News Brief
Vol. 5 no. 12 - May 05, 2005
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Pharmaceuticals Update |
Technique May Speed Drug Production, Reduce Costs And Waste
University of
Toronto researchers have a developed a new chemical reaction that
could greatly accelerate pharmaceutical production, while also
cutting costs and toxic by-products. The reaction, designed by
chemistry Professor Mark Lautens and graduate student Eric Fang,
simplifies the creation of the basic molecular framework found in
many natural products and popular pharmaceuticals like some
cholesterol-lowering drugs. Until now, synthesizing this framework -
an indole - was inefficient, requiring six to 10 steps and often
producing toxic by-products. "This new method only takes three steps
and results in less waste," says Lautens, the NSERC-Merck Frosst
Industrial Research Chair in New Medicinal Agents via Catalytic
Reactions and AstraZeneca Professor of Organic Synthesis. Indoles
are ring structures containing carbon and nitrogen. In the process,
the researchers used a metallic element as a catalyst to form two
chemical bonds and create a diverse range of indole-containing
compounds. These compounds could then be used to make drugs now on
the market or form the basis of new therapeutic drugs. Lautens says
this new molecular-level technique could equal big savings and less
environmental impact. "In order to make a hundred kilograms of these
best-selling drugs, there are often hundreds of litres of solvent
used, not to mention the many purification processes involved. Not
only are you speeding up the process, you're also reducing waste and
energy used in manufacturing." A provisional patent was filed by U
of T's Innovations Foundation in March. The research was funded by
the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
PharmaGap Reports Breast Cancer and Multi-Drug Resistance Results
PharmaGap
Inc. (Ottawa) announced bench test results demonstrating the
effectiveness of PharmaGap's lead drug compound in controlling
growth and/or killing breast cancer cells, and in reducing the
effects of Multi-Drug Resistance (MDR, the body's defense mechanism
against toxic chemotherapy agents). The Company's lead drug
compound, PhG-alpha-1, has demonstrated effectiveness against the
57% of all breast cancer types that either do not respond to, or
which develop resistance over time to, the accepted and widely-used
anti-estrogen drug therapy. The breast cancers that respond to
treatment by PhG-alpha-1 in bench tests are characterized by
over-expression of Protein Kinase C alpha ("PKC alpha"), an enzyme
found in human cells. PhG-alpha-1 works by reducing the enzymatic
activity of PKC alpha, which is over-expressed in a wide range of
cancers and multi-drug resistance and which is known to be
associated with abnormal cellular communication. Cancer cells are
characterized by abnormal and chaotic growth. By restoring the
normal intercellular communication function, PhG-alpha-1
re-establishes the natural signals to cells to either limit their
proliferation or expire. |
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Diagnostics and Therapeutics Update |
AEterna Expands Therapeutic Approaches in Oncology
AEterna
Zentaris Inc. (Quebec City) announced that it has established new
research collaboration with Wurzburg/Germany-based Julius-Maximilians-University
on the development of tumor vaccines based on attenuated bacterial
carriers. Aeterna Zentaris also acquired patent rights from the
university and the inventors covering several aspects of both
immunotherapeutic approaches against cancer as well as bacterial
tumor targeting. The first expected targets for this research
project would be the development of vaccines against prostate cancer
and melanoma.
Cardiome Successfully Completes Second Phase 1 Trial
Cardiome
Pharma Corp (Vancouver) announced that it has successfully completed
the Phase 1b study for its controlled-release oral formulation of
RSD1235. The completed study evaluated the safety and efficacy of
oral RSD1235 as a function of fed and fasted states in normal and
poor metabolizers. The study confirmed that RSD1235 is well absorbed
and tolerated in all subjects. Absorption was not influenced by a
fed or fasted state. On the basis of these results, Cardiome has now
begun enrolling patients into a Phase 1c study evaluating safety and
tolerability after multi-day dosing.
OncoGenex Announces Plans For A Novel Cancer Therapeutic
OncoGenex
Technologies Inc., (Vancouver) announced that it has in-licensed the
rights to inhibitors of heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27) from The
University of British Columbia. Additionally, Hsp27 has been
accepted by Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. as a collaboration target
under the expanded OncoGenex/Isis antisense drug discovery agreement
announced earlier this year. The lead compound, designated OGX-427,
will add to OncoGenex's growing pipeline of therapeutics targeting
cancers resistant to standard treatments. Based on pre-clinical data
generated to date, OncoGenex anticipates that OGX-427 will be the
second product in its portfolio to enter clinical development, which
is slated to begin in 2006.
Stressgen Restructuring To Focus Resources On Advancing Its Lead
Product
Stressgen
Biotechnologies (Victoria) announced a restructuring that will allow
the Company to focus its resources on the advancement of its lead
product candidate, HspE7, for human papillomavirus (HPV)-related
diseases. As a result of the restructuring, the Company will reduce
its workforce approximately 49 percent from 77 to 39 employees, and
redirect its research efforts in order to reduce the Company's
annual cash expenditures. As part of the restructuring, the Company
will consolidate its U.S. offices by closing the Collegeville,
Pennsylvania facility by year-end. The restructuring activities are
expected to cut the Company's baseline burn rate over time by
approximately C$5 million per year.
Common painkillers may help prevent, slow macular degeneration:
study
Common painkillers may play a role in preventing
or slowing the progression of macular degeneration, the most common
form of age-related blindness in North America, a new study
suggests. The work by two Canadian researchers does not prove that
so-called NSAIDS - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - can
prevent or stop macular degeneration in its tracks. But it indicates
the readily available drugs - often both inexpensive and sold over
the counter - could play a role in controlling this debilitating
form of vision loss. Authors Dr. Patrick McGeer of the University of
British Columbia and Dr. John Sibley of the University of
Saskatchewan published their findings in the current issue of
Neurobiology of Aging. McGeer and Sibley found the rate of macular
degeneration in the Saskatchewan rheumatoid arthritis sufferers was
10 times lower than prevalence rates in four existing studies of
similarly aged people who did not suffer from rheumatoid arthritis.
Those studies looked at prevalence of macular degeneration in
populations in the United States, Britain, Australia and the
Netherlands. |
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Medical Devices |
MIV Therapeutics Announces Excellent Results For Cardiovascular
Stents
MIV
Therapeutics, Inc. (Vancouver) a developer of next-generation
biocompatible stent coatings and drug delivery technologies,
announced it received encouraging reports from independent
researchers evaluating the Company's novel multi-platform/multi-drug
delivery solution in short-term animal studies. The independent
porcine studies evaluated MIVT's proprietary hydroxyapatite (HAp)-based
coatings designed for drug-eluting cardiovascular stents and other
implantable medical devices. The studies were conducted at
Cardiovascular Interventions Core of The Methodist Hospital Research
Institute. Researchers from these institutions have supplied a final
report that summarized the outcome of preliminary short-term animal
study of MIVT proprietary drug eluting formulas. The studies were
conducted on stents coated with a combination of HAp and Paclitaxel-eluting
non-polymeric composite coating. |
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Genomic Update |
Genizon Announces Major Milestone in Identifying Genes in Psoriasis
Genizon BioSciences (Montreal) announced the
confirmation of a previously reported disease-gene location, PSORS1,
as well as the identification of more than 10 new regions strongly
associated with psoriasis, each containing only a limited number of
genes. The company will be discussing with potential pharmaceutical
partners how these discoveries can translate into new therapeutics
and diagnostics, leading to a Personalized Medicine approach to this
disease, an approach advocated by the US FDA. These discoveries were
achieved through completion of a linkage disequilibrium-based
genome-wide scan (LD-GWS) of psoriasis in the Quebec Founder
Population (QFP) using a Quebec LD (genetic sharing) map recently
developed by Genizon. |
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Industry Briefs |
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BioMS
Medical Corp
(Edmonton), a leading developer in the treatment of multiple
sclerosis (MS), announced that 9 clinical trial sites in Canada
are now active and recruiting patients for its pivotal Phase
II/III clinical trial of MBP8298 for the treatment of secondary
progressive MS. Patient enrollment began in Canada in December
2004, with the first patients being dosed in January 2005……
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Haemacure Corporation
(Montreal) announced that its Board
of Directors approved the decision to manufacture its
proprietary fibrin sealant and thrombin products itself, using a
disposable, single-use process system based on Hynetics
technology. Haemacure will work in close collaboration with Alfa
Laval Biokinetics Inc. for the setting-up of the planned
facility…..
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Tm Bioscience Corporation
(Toronto), a leader in the
commercial genetic testing market, announced it has signed an
agreement with the Oklahoma State Department of Health to supply
its Newborn Screening Program (NSP) with Tag-It(TM) Analyte
Specific Reagents(*) for the CFTR gene……
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Generex Biotechnology Corp.
(Toronto) announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Antigen
Express, has received Australian Patent No. 778115 titled
"Hybrid Peptides Modulate the Immune Response." Antigen Express
is designing and testing such vaccine peptides for the control
of cancer and infectious diseases with a particular focus on the
pandemic H5N1 influenza, which has been reported in South East
Asia…….
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Allon Therapeutics Inc.
(Vancouver), The Neuro Protection Company(TM), announced that
its Alzheimer's clinical development program has been selected
by the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) in the
United States to be included in its submission to receive Phase
II clinical trial funding from the U.S. National Institutes of
Health (NIH)…….
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Tm Bioscience Corporation
(Toronto), a leader in the commercial genetic testing market,
announced it has signed an agreement to supply Lenetix(TM)
Medical Screening Laboratory, Inc. (Franklin Square, New York)
with the Tag-It(TM) ASR(*) reagents for use in their Cystic
Fibrosis gene (CFTR 39+4) assay……
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Neurochem Inc.
(Laval) announced that its Independent Safety Review Board (ISRB)
has issued a recommendation to continue the Company's North
American Phase III clinical trial for Alzhemed(TM) for the
treatment of Alzheimer's Disease (AD)…..
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DRAXIS Health Inc.
(Montreal) has appointed Mr. Jean-Pierre
Robert as the new President of its radiopharmaceuticals division
in Montreal, Quebec. Mr. Robert will report to Dr. Martin Barkin,
President and Chief Executive Officer of DRAXIS Health Inc. and
will also serve as a member of the DRAXIS executive management
group…….
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Stressgen Biotechnologies
(Victoria) announced that at a meeting of the Company's Board of
Directors held April 12, 2005, the Board appointed Gregory M.
McKee as a director of the Company effective immediately. The
appointment was made concurrently with the appointment of Mr.
McKee as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company……
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MedMira Inc.,
(Halifax) the global market leader in rapid flow-through
diagnostic technology, announced that it has successfully
completed the registration process with the Ministry of Health
in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This registration enables
MedMira to participate in government tenders and sell its rapid
HIV and Hepatitis C tests to government healthcare facilities,
where 70% of all HIV and Hepatitis C testing is conducted in the
UAE.
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(Life Sciences News Briefs © 2004 is prepared by Armar International for
the Life Sciences Branch of Industry Canada (contact: Sandy Vien; Tel:
613-941-6479; E-mail: vien.sandy@ic.gc.ca).
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