Bionow Newsletter June
Companies
Roche signs exclusive distribution deal with DxS for
K-RAS and EGFR Cancer Mutation Tests
Roche and DxS Ltd based in Manchester, have signed an
exclusive distribution agreement for the DxS TheraScreen
K-RAS Mutation Test and TheraScreen EGFR 29 Mutation Test. The
tests are intended, when considered with other clinically relevant
factors, to aid doctors in identifying suitable patients likely to
benefit from a specific cancer therapy based on their mutation
status. Daniel O'Day, President and CEO of Roche said 'There
is growing demand for tests to indicate prognosis and identify
patient groups more likely to benefit from a particular drug'.
Nanoco Technologies signs exclusive distribution agreement
with KISCO Ltd
Nanoco Technologies in Manchester has signed an
exclusive agreement with KISCO
Ltd, a leading Japanese chemicals trading company, to supply
commercial quantities of its Quantum Dot materials in Asia.
Nanoco
is unique in the nanomaterials market as a company that
manufactures quantities of quantum dots, and is partnering with
major R&D and blue-chip industrial organisations in the
development of such applications. The partnering is hoped to
strengthen sales and support capabilities in Japan and the rest of
Asia.
IS Pharma report profit after a year of record performance
Chester based IS Pharma
has reported it's first-ever profit after a year of record
performance. The group, formerly known as maelor pharmaceuticals,
reported a pre-tax profit of £1.18m for the year ended 31
March 2008, compared to a loss the previous year. CEO Tim Wright
said the growth was driven by the acquisition of pharmaceuticals
firm Acorus last April, as well as by strong growth domestically
and internationally.
Eden Biodesign confirm Research Triangle Park
Facility
Speke based Eden
Biodesign, an expert provider of biopharmaceutical process
development and cGMP manufacturing services confirmed on 17 June
its expansion plans for Eden Biodesign Inc., the group's US
subsidiary. The announcement of a facility in the highly coveted
biotech hub, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, will build on
the strong track record and recent growth of its UK cGMP facility.
Eden
Biodesign Inc will offer a range of cell line/strain
development and early process development services.
SmartLife hopes for £10m sales
Manchester based healthcare company SmartLife
Technology, announced on 25 June plans to roll out its flagship
product - a vest which can measure the wearer's temperature,
heart rate and breathing. They are hoping its 'Health Vest'
will enable the firm to achieve sales of more than £10m by
2012. CEO Mark Pedley is targeting markets in the United States, as
SmartLife
gears up to launch the garment later this year.
Advanced Medical Solutions gets key NHS contract
Shares in Cheshire based medical technology company Advanced Medical Solutions
rose by 2.29% to 33.5p on news of a key supply deal with the
National Health Service. The NHS procurement group, NHS Supply Chain has
included its active ActivHeal range on its new arrangement to
supply advanced woundcare products to hospital trusts. The
agreement runs from June 2008 to May 2010.
Cyprotex to raise £1m
Macclesfield based Cyprotex, the drug discovery company, is to raise
£1m in a share placing to fund the expansion of its commercial
sales and infrastructure and laboratories.
Robot that will help treat baldness
Manchester based Intercytex, has
developed a robot that will help to treat baldness by growing new
hair follicle cells. The company has successfully tested the
treatment in removing hair follicles from the back of the neck,
multiplying then and them re-implating the cells. It has initially
tested the treatment on seven men with male pattern baldness, five
of whom grew hair. They are to test the treatment on a further 20
men. The most common form of baldness is triggered by the male
hormone dihydrotestosterone, which causes follicles to shrink and
hair to thin, before it disappears altogether.
Invitrogen in $6.7bn deal for Applied Biosystems
Invitrogen,
a US biotechnology company, is to merge with rival Applied
Biosystems, who have a base in Warrington, in a $6.7bn deal
that will create the world's largest provider of research tools
for the life sciences industry. Invitrogen, which
provides chemical reagent kits and other products for genetics and
cellular research, will pay $38 a share in cash and stock for
Applied
Biosystems, whose equipment includes mass spectrometers and
gene sequencing instuments.
MedImmune to Expand in US and UK
MedImmune
Inc, with a site in Liverpool, has said that it aims to recruit
800 additional staff by the end of 2008, which would be a 25 per
cent staff increase. MedImmune CEO David Mott said that the new recruits would be
spread across their sites in Gaithersburg, California and United
Kingdom.
AstraZeneca sells portfolio of prescription drugs for
£45m
AstraZeneca PLC has sold a portfolio of 16 prescription
drugs to Swedish biotech group BioPhausia AB for £45m.
DxS launches Cancer Mutation Kit for K-RAS in
Australia
DxS the
Manchester based personalised medicine company and leaders in the
provision of companion diagnostics, announced on 1 July the launch
of it's K-RAS cancer mutation detection kit in Australia. This
follows the kit meeting compliance standards of Australia's
Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). DxS
TheraScreen® K-RAS kit allows clinicians to screen patients
for mutations in the K-RAS gene, which correlates with poor
prognosis if patients are treated with a class of drugs called EGFR
inhibitors.
Assura to raise £200m
Assura, based in Chester, are looking to raise up to
£200m to fund the expansion of its healthcare business, and
hopes to run some of the government's proposed Polyclinics.
BioMed Central open new office
London based publisher BioMed Central has opened a new office at
Liverpool Science Park. Seven people will initially staff
the new office, but expansion is anticipated. The company published
more than 30,000 peer-reviewed biomedical research articles in
2007.
People & Jobs
Vice Chancellor honoured with knighthood
Universityof Liverpool Vice-Chancellor, Professor Drummond Bone, has
been awarded a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
Professor Bone, who has been awarded the honour for services to
Higher Education and the regeneration of the North West said
'This is an honour I share with my colleagues at the University
and also those I have been proud to work with in the North
West'.
Manchester Pharmacist named in the Honours List
Peter Noyce, Professor of Pharmacy Practice at
The
University of Manchester, has been awarded a CBE in recognition
of his national contribution to pharmacy policy. Professor Noyce
founded the Drug Use and Pharmacy Practice Group and he is a
professional advisor to the Department of Health's Pharmacy Regulation and
Leadership Oversight Group.
Eden Biodesign appoint Business Development Director at its
US Operation
Eden Biodesign announced on 5 June, the appointment of
Michael Faughnan as Business Development Director of its US
subsidiary, Eden Biodesign Inc. Michael will be supporting
President Dr Roger Lias, with the company's expansion in the US
and is responsible for North American Business Development
activities.
New Appointment at Manchester Science Park
Manchester Science Park has appointed three new staff
members, bringing its workforce up to 37. Shirley Kernan has been
appointed Communications Executive working within the Marketing
department to promote both MSP and its group of tenants. Catrin Davis has been
appointed Management Accountant, and will be responsible for
assisting the Commercial Manager in implementing the business
strategy and Kelly Jones will take on the role of Commercial Lease
Administrator being the first point of contact for new tenants, as
well as being responsible for existing tenant company leases.
Events
Annual bioProcess UK Conference 2008
bioProcess UK are hosting their annual
conference in Brighton on 26 and 27 November. The conference will
focus on the theme of 'Developing Biological Medicines,
Unravelling the Process'. For further information and to
register visit www.bioprocessuk-annualconference.org.
Queen's Awards for Enterprise
The prestigious Queen's Awards for Enterprise,
which honours outstanding UK companies and individuals, are once
again open for applications. UK Trade &
Investment, in association with Northwest Regional
Development Agency, is organising an event at the Daresbury Science
& Innovation Centre on Thursday 26 June where Queen's
Awards staff will be presenting and offering advice on the
application process. For further information, please visit www.queensawards.org.uk.
2008 Bionow Awards Dinner
Preparation for the 2008 Bionow Awards Dinner is underway, and as per previous
years we are hoping for a fantastic evening, giving recognition to
the excellent work that is being done in the Northwest. If you wish
to sponsor a table at the awards or nominate a company/individual
for one of the prestigious awards please contact Helen Williams on
01925 400345 or email helen.williams@nwda.co.uk
Information
Centre will make Manchester world-beater in health
research
The University of Manchester and six Greater Manchester
NHS trusts launched a new strategic partnership in a bid to become
one of the world's leading centres in health on 18 June.
The Manchester Academic Health Science Centre
(AHSC) will provide a shared vision and strategy for health
research in Greater Manchester and establish a number of
world-class research programmes in the city region by 2014.
Manchester clears first hurdle in
€170m biobank building boom
The University of Manchester has been successful in
gaining major European Union funding to begin joint planning of how
millions of biological samples, such as DNA, can be managed and
made available to research scientists across Europe. The
Centre for Integrated Genomic Research (CIGMR), based in the
School of Translational Medicine, is playing a key role in
developing the Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research
Infrastructure (BBMRI) alongside scientists and funding
agencies in other European member states.
BBSRC Industrial Case Studentship Competition
The Industrial CASE Studentship Competition is held
annually in order to award studentship funding for collaborative
research training. Proposals for Industrial CASE studentship
funding can now be submitted by either the industrial company or an
individual academic supervisor. BBSRC is seeking to attract high quality
proposals from a wide range of academic staff who wish to be
involved in establishing robust collaborative training projects
with industrial partners. Full details of the competition can be
found at www.bbsrc.ac.uk/funding/training/calls.html
NW patients to benefit from £580,000
'good ideas' award
Patients from across the North West will benefit
from a major funding award designed to help NHS staff turn good ideas
into exciting new treatments and services. TrusTECH the North
West NHS Innovation hub which helps staff to develop ideas which
could benefit patients, has been awarded £580,000 by the
government's Public Sector Research Exploitation (PRSE) fund.
Bionow Readers
Bionow are
constantly striving to produce the most up to date monthly
newsletter for our colleagues, and would welcome any news stories
or information relating to biomedical businesses and individuals,
which highlights the fantastic work that is being done in the North
West. If you would like to include a short article in the July
edition of the newsletter, please forward the story to helen.williams@nwda.co.uk.
Research
Funding boost in fight against leukaemia
University of Manchester researchers have been awarded
£1.6m to study a group of genes identified as playing a key
role in leukaemia. The grant, by Leukaemia Research, will fund work analysing a
wide range of cancer-causing genes in the hope of targeting their
common mechanisms of action for patient benefit.
Website of the Month
Website of the MonthThis website is full of amazing animations of processes such as mitosis, meiosis, transcription and translation. See www.johnkyrk.com
Joke of the Month
Q. What do you call a biologist who's afraid of little glass
dishes?
A. Petrified!
Q) Why do cell biologists always go to the doctor?
A) They're mitochondriacs.
