Bionow Newsletter February
Companies
Genzyme announces sublicense agreement with DxS
Genzyme
Genetics announced on 20 February that it has entered into a
sublicense agreement with Manchester based DxS Ltd for
worldwide rights, with the exception of North America and Hong
Kong, for diagnostic testing of epidermal growth factor receptor
(EGFR) mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The license
permits DxS to commercialize diagnostic and research products
that detect mutations in the linase domain of the EGFR gene.
Maelor launches Aloxi® (palonosetron) in the
UK
Maelor
PLC, the Chester based specialist hospital medicines group
announced, ahead of schedule, the UK launch of Aloxi®, a new
generation treatment for chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting.
Aloxi®, which is licensed from Helsinn Healthcare SA,
is a patented second generation 5-HTз antagonist,
differentiated by its strength on initiation and the duration of
its activity. It obtained a centralised registration in Europe in
2005, and is being successfully marketed in 40 countries with
annual sales in 2006 of $323M worldwide, according to IMS figures
Peakdale Molecular announces £1 million funding to
support expansion and growth
Peakdale Molecular Ltd, a leading provider in
specialist chemistry services to the pharmaceutical industry has
announced that they have successfully completed a £1m round of
equity funding which will enable Peakdale to
continue the expansion of its facilities in the UK to support its
continued rapid growth. The investors in this round were led by
Solon
Ventures LP, and supported by a number of existing investors.
Waters launch the new SYNAPT™ MS system
On 22 January, Manchester based Waters launched the new SYNAPT™ MS system,
a next-generation quadrupole acceleration, time-of-flight, mass
spectrometry platform. The SYNAPT MS system is designed to leverage
life science research, bio-pharmaceutical development and classic
drug discovery. It is the only research platform with an upgrade
path to the SYNAPT™ High Definition Mass Spectrometry™
- uniquely enabling researchers to analyse samples differentiated
by size, shape, charge and mass to deliver increased specificity
and sample definition beyond that achievable by conventional mass
spectrometers.
Intertek Enhances Outsourced R&D Servuces through
Purchase of BioClin
Intertek has
taken over BioClin Research Laboratories. The acquisition
advances Intertek's strategic growth in support services to the
global pharmaceutical, medical device, and drug delivery industry
Verna Group plc undergoes management buy-out
Verna
Group, the Bolton-based healthcare products firm, has undergone
a £50m management buy-out from LGV Capital.
People & Jobs
UK Trade & Investment appoint new Sector Manager for
USA BioPharma/Healthcare
Robert Walcott joins the UKTI team
replacing Michelle Bacarese-Hamilton with responsibility for USA
BioPharma/Healthcare. Robert spent time working at the Foreign Office in
communications and was also part of a team attempting to ensure
consistent messages regarding both the 'Biometric and
Commercial Partnerships Programmes'.
UK Trade & Investment appoint new
Sector Champion - Life Sciences
Jon Mowles has been appointed as the new
LifeSciences Sector Champion, working predominantly with the
UKTI
Inward Investment team. Jon has previously worked as a Life
Sciences Management Consultant and most recently as a Commercial
Director for Alpha Biologics.
Events
Exporting to Germany Seminars
UK Trade & Investment and Medilink North
West would like to invite you to take part in one of
twoUKTI sponsored regional seminars covering the basic
essentials for all UK based companies who are considering entering
the German healthcare market. The event will be held on Tuesday 18
March at the Reebok Stadium, Bolton. For further information
contact Karen Field on 0161 276 5491 or email karen.field@cmmc.nhs.uk
Merseyside Network Evenings
Bionow are hosting
quarterly network evenings in 2008 in both Liverpool and
Manchester. These events are always an excellent opportunity to
meet up with new and existing colleagues, share knowledge and
experiences and maybe also find new opportunities to development
your business. For more information and to register for the events,
please contact alison.sammin@liverpool.ac.uk for the Liverpool
events and helen.williams@nwda.co.uk
for the Manchester events.
Research
£35 million new Christie centre - giving hospital
largest patients trials unit in the world
The Christie Hospital has announced major new plans for
a £35m patient treatment centre - providing the famous cancer
hospital with the biggest early trials unit in the world and an
expanded world class chemotherapy centre. Construction work will
start at the hospital's main site in Withington later this year
and will be finished by 2010. The Christie already
runs one of the largest clinical trials units in Europe, but this
new development will double the number of early trials
undertaken.
Information
Government welcomes new skills plan for UK Bioscience
The Rt Hon John Denham MP, Secretary of State for
Innovation, Universities and Skills, launched the UK's first
skills plan for bioscience on 6 February at the House of Lords.
Attended by representatives from bioscience companies and
organisations including Pfizer, the Bio Industry Association, Novartis Vaccines,
AstraZeneca, Cogent, The Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry,
GlaxoSmithKline,
and Penn
Pharmaceutical Services, the event unveiled a ten-year skills
action plan for the sector. With revenues worth £3.3bn per
annum, the biosciences play a vital role in maintaining the
UK's international competitiveness.
UK Bioscience Industry pledges to
'grow its own' scientists to avert staffing crisis
Research bySEMTA (Sector Skills Council for Engineering,
Manufacturing & Technology) has revealed that two out of five
UK bioscience companies have hard-to-fill vacancies and one in five
organisations admit skills gaps in their current workforce. There
are concerns that the skills gap will lead to the loss of
Britain's status as one of the world's leading centres for
bioscience research and development.
Could you win the Merseyside Innovation Awards?
The
Merseyside Innovation Awards are inviting people with
innovative products or business concepts to enter the competition.
The Awards are open to individuals or companies with less than 50
employees who are based within Merseyside. They will be eligible to
win £10,000 in cash, £4,000 worth of legal, business,
accounting or design consultancy; support from some of the
region's leading business advisors; and publicity for the idea.
Last years winner was Iota Nanosolutions, which is based in the University of
Liverpool's Merseybio incubator facility.
Free R & D Collaboration Service
FrameworksNW, which is funded by the Northwest
Development Agency can help you develop strategic partnerships
with European research organisations to address your research
needs. FrameworksNW are introducing a new brokerage service to
enhance this support to link industry and SMEs in the Northwest
with European research performers to develop R&D
collaborations. Through this service, FrameworksNW can help you
develop cooperative working relationships with key European
research players who have extensive experience of engaging in
European R&D and a good track record in previous Framework
Programmes.
Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology to Invest £30m in
Cancer Care
Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology is to help fund the
development of a GBP £15m cancer care centre at Fazakerley
Hospital in Liverpool, and a further GBP £15m will be
invested in three radiotherapy machines.
Datamonitor
Datamonitor is pleased to support
the work of Bionow. By reporting on the shape of the Biotech
industry, Datamonitor aims to help Northwest firms stay one step
ahead in the global marketplace.
Vernalis has received a setback this month after the
FDA turned down a supplemental New Drug Application for Frova for
the treatment of menstrual migraine. A successful application had
been anticipated to double the revenue potential of Frova. As a
result, Vernalis has undertaken major restructuring, more than
halving its staff and refocusing on its R&D department.
On a more positive note, early results for Apitope Technology's
multiple sclerosis vaccine are promising. Apitope has reported
results from its Phase I/IIa trial which suggest that its MS
vaccine may be effective. The Phase I/IIa trial was designed as a
dose-escalation study to assess the vaccine's safety and
tolerability, however, although the trial was not designed to show
efficacy, two patients demonstrated improvement in relation to the
neuroinflammatory process involved in MS.
Vernalis: revised R&D focus after Frova decision hits
home
Vernalis's decision to undergo major
restructuring is a direct result of the non-approval of the
company's sNDA submission for Frova, for the treatment of
menstrual migraine. A successful application had been anticipated
to double the revenue potential of Frova.
Read full article
Apitope Technology: MS vaccine shows promise in Phase
I/IIa Apitope has reported results from its Phase I/IIa
trial which suggest that its multiple sclerosis vaccine may be
effective. Apitope is not the only small company developing a
multiple sclerosis immunization, and as a novel treatment approach
in a rapidly growing market, larger companies are likely to be
monitoring the progress of this potential new treatment class
closely.
Read full article
Antisoma starts Phase I trial of anticancer drug
Antisoma has initiated Phase I trial of AS1409 in
patients with renal cancer and melanoma.
Read full article
Acambis starts pre-clinical testing with herpes vaccine
Acambis has initiated pre-clinical trials with a
herpes vaccine, licensed from Harvard University through its Office
of Technology Development, with a view to submitting an
investigational new drug application in 2009.
Read full article
Novozymes and Upperton join hands on nanoparticle drug
technology
Novozymes has signed a new collaboration agreement
with Upperton, a UK based biotech company specializing in novel
nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems.
Read full article
SymbioTec and NextGen to form collaborative venture
UK based NextGen Bioscience has said that it is in
collaboration negotiations with SymbioTec, a German company that
develops and markets innovative cancer-fighting products.
Read full article
DSMB recommends continuation of Oxford BioMedica's
Phase III cancer study
Oxford BioMedica has reported that the independent
Data Safety Monitoring Board or DSMB for the Phase III TRIST study
of TroVax in renal cancer has completed its third planned interim
analysis and recommended that the study continue without
modification.
Read full article
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