Industry news

Scientists develop free web service for joint analysis of gene and metabolism work

TASS

The joint research team from Russia, USA, Canada, and Germany has developed a new web service called GAM (Genes And Metabolites) for the comprehensive study of biological processes in cells, the St. Petersburg State University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics (ITMO) said on Friday. The program identifies relations between changes in metabolism and genes, enabling for example a better understanding of functioning immune system cells or tumor. New insights gained by means of the new service could be applied to develop autoimmune diseases and cancer drugs.

EMA Encourages Advanced Therapies

BioPharm Internationa

Diverging Results in Clinical Success Rates for Biologics

Randi Hernandez / BioPharm International

Clinical success rates of pharmaceuticals were recently examined in two unrelated reports, and even though both analyses reviewed data collected from the company Informa, both of the studies produced reports with slightly different clinical trial success rates for pharmaceuticals. An analysis published online on May 20, 2016 in Nature Reviews Drug Discovery(NRDD) drew from Informa’s Pharmaprojects database, while the BIO report released five days later on May 25, 2016 used information collected from Informa’s Biomedtracker.

China's warning letter uptick continues in 2015

EJ Lane / Fierce Pharma

China's efforts in good manufacturing practice (GMP) certification in 2015 showed a continued shift toward warning letters even as the overall number of reviewed applications fell by more than half.

The health care industry will continue to be affected by policies

RSM International

Any snapshot of the current state of the U.S. health care industry must heavily emphasize how the latest developments in new policies are affecting payments. As is evidenced by the plunge in completed mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity in the first quarter, 2016 will continue to be more affected by either the advent of new policies affecting payment structures and more or continued uncertainty around potential political policy swings down the road, not to mention regulatory action to prevent monopolies in certain regions forming. 

Direct-to-patient outreach comes up big in cancer study enrollment drive

Carly Helfand / Fierce Pharma

Faced with a scarcity of tumor samples, a pair of top cancer institutes went directly to patients to recruit research participants--and it worked. Only a tiny portion of the 150,000 metastatic breast cancer sufferers in the U.S. receive care at centers that conduct research on tumor samples. So, back in October, investigators from the Broad Institute at MIT and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute teamed up with patients and patient advocacy groups to roll out mbcproject.org, a website to help metastatic breast cancer patients participate in study research regardless of their location.

Lower sticker prices don't make cancer meds more affordable in poor countries: Study

Carly Helfand / Fierce Pharma

Researchers recently wrapped up one of the largest-ever analyses of discrepancies in cancer drug prices between countries. Their findings? Oncology meds aren’t necessarily more affordable in low-income countries--despite what their stickers may say.

Can You Lengthen Your Life?

News in Health

Want the secret to living a longer and healthier life? Scientists have found ways to prolong the healthy lifespans of worms, mice, and even monkeys. Their work has revealed exciting new clues about the biology of aging. But solid evidence still shows that the best way to boost the chance of living a long and active life is to follow the advice you likely heard from your parents: eat well, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and stay away from bad habits.

European VC fund hits $280M, with cancer and stroke firms set to benefit

Ben Adams / Fierce Biotech

European venture outfit LSP (Life Sciences Partners) has raised $280 million toward a new biotech fund--surpassing its $170 million target as VC funding continues its healthy run of form in 2016. This is now its fifth fund, which has already started to invest--with the Amsterdam-based firm taking positions in 9 companies.

Health, environmental tracker could head off asthma attacks without drugs

Amirah Al Idrus / Fierce Medical Device

Currently, asthma treatment involves avoiding irritants and taking medication to relieve symptoms. Researchers at North Carolina State University have created a wearable system that more concretely monitors potential environmental irritants and could predict and potentially prevent asthma attacks.