Industry news

FDA: Solution to drug prices not as simple as clearing generic backlog

Mari Serebrov / BioWorld

A backlog of generic drug applications is not to blame for escalating drug prices that have become standard fare for presidential campaigns and congressional hearings over the past few months.

04 February 2016

Blood Test Offers An Amazing View Of Metastatic Prostate Cancer Cells

Elaine Schattner / Forbes

A few months ago, I met with Murali Prahalad, CEO of Epic Sciences (San Diego). We discussed the company’s methods of processing blood samples to store, identify and examine circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Since then I’ve been following reports on Epic’s method and other, competing CTC platforms.

Cash flows for China biotech, healthcare plays show pace

EJ Lane / FeircePharmaAsia

Getting money to budding biotechs in China or for China-focused healthcare companies in the United States seems to be getting easier every day with this week seeing several moves of note.

MoU Between NIIF and Rusnano OJSC of Russia

Business Standard

To Set-Up The Russia-India High Technology Private Equity Fund for Joint Implementation of Investments into Projects in India. National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with RUSNANO OJSC of Russia

Emerging trends in microbiological diagnostics: an introduction to rapid microbiological methods

Adewale Joseph Ogunleye, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria / Europian Pharmaceutical Review

Just like any other scientific study, the continuous study of microbiology has been coincidental with the emergence of new ideas, methods and technologies.

How Testing Workers' Genes Could Make Office Wellness Programs Work

Rebecca Greenfield / Bloomberg Business

Tell people they have a genetic condition and it might get them to stick with weight-loss regimens. Aprillia Jeffries is a model success story for her company's efforts at improving the health of its staff. Jeffries, who works at Aetna, has lost 50 pounds and dropped eight dress sizes in the last two and a half years through a program at Aetna run by Newtopia, a company that provides wellness services. 

Cleveland BioLabs Announces Start of Colorectal Cancer Study of Entolimod in Russian Federation

CNN Money

Cleveland BioLabs, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBLI) today announced the initiation of a Phase 2, single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study of the safety and tolerability of entolimod as a neo-adjuvant therapy in treatment-naïve patients with primary colorectal cancer who are recommended for surgery. Up to 32 patients are expected to be enrolled in the study, which is being conducted at four leading oncology centers in the Russian Federation. The study is supported by a development contract with the Russian Federation Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Index Ventures Spins Off Biotech Investment Arm Into New Firm

Kristen Hallam / Bloomberg Business

Index Ventures, best known for funding startups like Skype and the creator of the Candy Crush Saga online game, is spinning off its biotechnology investments into a new venture-capital firm.

One-third of U.S. startups that raised a Series A in 2015 went through an accelerator

PitchBook Blog

The topic of accelerators is among the more contentious in today’s startup industry. More and more seem to be popping up every month with different vertical focuses and value propositions for early stage founders. Opinions on the matter range. Some doubt that the value accelerators provide is worth the equity they take, while others say they play a valuable role in the industry, vetting and training startup founders and in turn creating more quality companies. 

Siberian medical researchers named world’s best in clinical trials for diabetes

Marchmont Innovation News

The Tomsk-based Siberian State Medical University has been officially declared the world’s best center for clinical trials to test new drug candidates for type 2 diabetes, portal Science and Technologies RF  reported . The university received a gold certificate at the most recent Global Study Symposium of international researchers in Rome.