90% of all preclinical drug candidates fail to make the grade. Now novel methods that employ miniaturised organs could help overcome this healthcare hurdle. Researchers and CROs are testing a range of models – whether grown from stem cells or spit out by 3D bioprinters – to identify toxicities, simulate cancer development and identify responders to expensive therapies. The field of 3D microtissue-based screening is just a decade old, but it clearly is soon going to play a key role when it comes to improving productivity in drug development.
Telix licenses Wilex’ girentuximab programme
Latest NewsGerman Wilex has licensed its clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) antibody Redectane to Australian biopharma company Telix Pharmaceuticals. Redectane is a radiolabeled version of Wilex’ Phase III therapeutic antibody girentuximab.
Bioprinting: Screening drugs in multiple dimensions
Background90% of all preclinical drug candidates fail to make the grade. Now novel methods that employ miniaturised organs could help overcome this healthcare hurdle. Researchers and CROs are testing a range of models – whether grown from stem cells or spit out by 3D bioprinters – to identify toxicities, simulate cancer development and identify responders to expensive therapies. The field of 3D microtissue-based screening is just a decade old, but it clearly is soon going to play a key role when it comes to improving productivity in drug development.
Mithra Pharmaceuticals: Master of finance
AppointmentsEU neonicotinoid ban causes environmental damage
Latest NewsSevere economic and environmental damage: A study commissioned by EU industry association Euroseeds says that the ban of a certain class of insecticides to protect bees causes a lot of ecologic and economic burden.
Curevac reports another failed cancer vaccine
Latest NewsFor thirty years, industry has worked hard to establish vaccines that can cure cancer. At the 35th JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, German Curevac reported another failure. It remains open whether cancer vaccines or co-administration of other drug classes to immune checkpoint modulators can break solid tumour’s immune tolerance tactics.
Therachon: Pipeline builder
AppointmentsSwiss rare genetic diseases company Therachon AG has named Luca Santarelli Chief Executive Officer and Director. Santarelli brings widespred experience from his role as Venture Partner at Versant Ventures, founding investor of Therachon.
Researchers overcome chemotherapy resistance in AML
Latest NewsGerman researchers have found a biomarker that reliably predicts outcomes of blood cancer treatment with the chemotherapeutic cytarabine. Targeting the biomarker restored cytarabine sensitivity.
Caution returns to European biotech stocks
Latest NewsAfter the record-breaking year of 2015, biotech stock markets exercised more caution in 2016. However, according to a new report, this represents a healthy reset rather than a new crisis.
Roche gets FDA priority review for atezolizumab
Latest NewsRoche is expanding its indications in cancer immunotherapy. Following FDA approvals of its PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor atezolizumab in NSCLC and bladder cancer patients refractive to platinum-based chemotherapy, the Swiss pharma major is awaiting a FDA decision on whether the antibody is suitable as first-line treatment in a further subpopulation of bladder cancer patients.
UK researchers find metastasis switch in breast cancer cells
Latest NewsConstitutive activation of the mechano-sensor and transcription factor Yes-associated protein (YAP) is key to metastasis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of triple-negative breast cancer, researchers from the Institute of Cancer Research, London, report.