- Drugmakers collaborate to overcome obstacles in R&D
Abbott Laboratories, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly and Co., GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Roche Holding unit Genentech and Sanofi will contribute financial resources and personnel to the TransCelerate Biopharma project to overcome inefficiency in drug development. The collaboration's initial focus is streamlining and standardizing clinical trials. "This collaborative approach in the precompetitive arena, utilizing the collective experience and resources of 10 leading drug companies and others to follow, has the promise to lead to new paradigms and cost savings in drug development," FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Director Dr. Janet Woodcock said. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (9/19), Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (9/19)        | LES Meeting: Network with Top Licensing & BD Execs 10/14-17 in Toronto!
Meet your next partner and connect with execs from Bayer, Lilly, GSK, Merck, Pfizer, Roche, Shire, Takeda and more! Featuring Dr. Eric Topol on the Convergence of Life Sciences and High Tech plus sessions on royalty rates, dealmaking and more. Save $100 with code BIONews. Register now! | |
| Health Care & Policy |  |  | | - NCI taps Eutropics to develop diagnostic test for AML therapy
Eutropics Pharmaceuticals has received a contract from the National Cancer Institute to advance the development of its proprietary BH3 profiling diagnostic test. Under the deal, Eutropics will develop the assay for use in determining appropriate treatments for patients with acute myelogenous leukemia, a type of bone and blood cancer. Mass High Tech (Boston) (9/19) - GTx's Fareston works against breast cancer in Phase II study
A midstage trial found that hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer patients who took GTx's Fareston, or toremifene, had an almost twofold clinical benefit compared with those who received Pfizer's steroidal aromatase inhibitor Aromasin, or exemestane. Progression risk dropped 38% in the Fareston group, although overall survival and objective response did not differ between the groups. "This study suggests that toremifene at a dose of 120 milligrams should be regarded as an appropriate secondary and tertiary endocrine therapy for recurrent breast cancer," researchers said. MedPage Today (free registration) (9/18) - Spectrum initiates late-stage trial of lymphoma drug Zevalin
Spectrum Pharmaceuticals began enrollment for a Phase III study of Zevalin injection, or ibritumomab tiuxetan, to treat diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The study will assess efficacy in improving overall and progression-free survival in newly diagnosed patients who achieved remission after receiving a chemotherapy regimen of rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone. Pharmaceutical Business Review Online (9/20)  | HEALTHY CASH FLOW SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS
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  | Company & Financial News | | | | - Diverse group backs cancer genome test development
Deerfield Management, Casdin Capital and Redmile Group join strategic investors Laboratory Corporation of America, Roche Venture Fund and WuXi Corporate Venture Fund and the original backer, Third Rock Ventures, in investing $42.5 million in Foundation Medicine to develop a novel cancer diagnostic test. The test will analyze individual tumor genomes for 200 of the most common mutations that could drive tumor growth and metastasis. "We've tried to build this company a little differently," said Foundation Medicine President and CEO Michael Pellini. "We wanted to get to market very quickly, get clinical adoption [and] have multiple opportunities with pharma companies, and medical oncologists." Xconomy (9/20)
| Food & Agriculture | | | | - Experts sharply criticize study of biotech corn diet in rats
Experts are skeptical of a study conducted by French researchers that found rats fed on a diet of biotech corn or exposed to an herbicide suffered adverse effects. One scientist described the research as a "statistical fishing trip" and others questioned its methods. Molecular biologist Michael Antoniou, who helped write the study, said: "I feel this data is strong enough to withdraw the marketing approval for this variety of GM maize temporarily, until this study is followed up and repeated with larger number of animals to get the full statistical power that we want." Reuters (9/20) | Industrial & Environmental | | | | - Butamax signs up 8 ethanol plants for butanol retrofit
Eight ethanol plants with a combined annual capacity of 900 million gallons have signed up with Butamax to be retrofitted for butanol production, said CEO Paul Beckwith. Butamax can undertake the retrofitting at a cost of about $1 per gallon of a plant's initial output capacity, Beckwith said. "Having these plants in our 'early adopters group' gives validity to the business going forward," Beckwith said. Engineering News-Record (9/18)  | First class, non-stop, global connections.
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