One-Step Generation of Transgenic Mice in Just Weeks
The lab of Rudolf Jaenisch, who developed the first transgenic mouse in 1974, has developed a new approach to genetically engineer mice in just weeks, rather than years which are currently needed. This new technique does not rely on engineering embryonic stem (ES) cells, but rather, directly introduces the genetic changes in developing mouse embryos. In addition to making production of transgenic mice and rats for laboratory research faster and easier, it should also work with other types of organisms whose embryonic cells are difficult to engineer and manipulate....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - May 4, 2013 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
What Effect Will the Myriad Ruling Have on Biotech?
Much has been made of the importance of the lawsuit brought by the Association of Molecular Pathology and the ACLU against Myriad Genetics over the BRCA patents. The case was just heard by the Supreme Court and some feel a decision in favor of Myriad's patents would stifle research and enable companies to own our genes, whereas others voice concern that a decision against Myriad would undermine the biotech industry and stop the flow of innovative new medical technology. In fact, both positions seem a bit overblown. ...Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - April 26, 2013 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
Day 3 of the 2013 BIO Conference
Session on Obamacare's Impact on Biotech
I started off the conference on Wednesday attending a session discussing the Affordable Care Act. The new law brings up some concerns for biotech businesses since the act significantly affects which drugs are reimbursed under health insurance, particularly Medicare and Medicaid. Changes in how drugs are sold and paid for will influence how they are developed and produced. It was an illuminating discussion that I intend to provide further details on in an article later. However, the short version is that there has to be a return for the costly and risky investment required to devel...
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - April 24, 2013 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
Second Day of the 2013 BIO Conference
Tuesday, the first full day of the 2013 BIO Conference, included a whole day of One-on-One partnering sessions. These are essentially short 25-minute "speed-dating" meetings designed to help companies find business partners. Over 25,000 such partnering meetings will occur in during the conference. The scheduling is facilitated through a software registrants access. It can be a little intense but it's effective....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - April 23, 2013 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
Day 1 of 2013 BIO Conference
The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) kicked off its 20th annual conference on Monday in Chicago, although there were a few satellite courses on Sunday and the BioGENEius Awards honoring winners of a research competition for high school students....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - April 23, 2013 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
SCOTUS Hears Arguments on Patenting Human Genes
The US Supreme Court will hear arguments today on whether Salt Lake City based Myriad Genetics' should be allowed to maintain exclusive rights patents on the BRCA genes that indicate ...Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - April 9, 2013 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
Slow Steady Progress against Cancer and the Rally for Medical Research
The annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Researchers (AACR) starts this Saturday in Washington, D.C. The meeting is expected to draw close to 20,000 attendees who focus on improving the understanding of cancer biology and researching ways to conquer the disease....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - April 4, 2013 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
Researchers Rally for Medical Research in Washington
The Rally for Medical Research, as mentioned in the post a few days ago, was held yesterday with the purpose of bringing attention to the declining level funding for medical research in the US....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - April 4, 2013 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
Novartis Loses Its Case to Stop Sale of Generic Gleevec in India
The Indian manufacturer who sells generic version of Gleevec at approximately $175 a dose, a 15-fold lower price than the drug developer Novaris, will be able to continue to sell it according to the India's Supreme Court. Novartis lost its final appeal of the case....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - April 1, 2013 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
The Changing Biotech Investment Environment
In the last few years the biotech sector has been recovering. IPOs are happening, company buy-outs are making reasonable returns for investors, and the Nasdaq Biotech index is higher than ever. However, venture capital is still hard to come by and pharmaceutical companies are moving into the role of funding early-stage drug development biotech start-ups. What's creating this trend and how's it working?...Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - March 31, 2013 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
Testing Cancer Treatments on an Avatar
Do you know what an avatar mouse is? It's an interesting technique that's being used to help identify which drugs are most effective against a specific tumor, and it involves using real mice. Actually, they are specially bred mice that do not have an immune system. A piece of patient's tumor can be implanted into the mice where the tumor continues to grow and develop. The mice can then be used to test the effectiveness of various anti-cancer drugs on the tumor. The mice, then, act as an avatar for the patient to test potential treatments....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - March 27, 2013 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
Guidance on Health-Related Incidental Findings from Genetic Analysis
As I mentioned in a recent article discussing the challenges of providing DNA sequencing for medical diagnosis, results from genetic testing are different than other simpler diagnostic tests that just look for the presence or absence of some factor. Gene analysis can easily find incidental, but important, DNA mutations indicating health risks unrelated to the conditions prompting the test. For example, a lab may find a mutation related to some cardiovascular disorder when it is looking for genetic factors causing hearing loss. What should the lab do with the information about the cardiovascular risk factor? ...
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - March 25, 2013 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
The Chasm between Biomedical Research and Medical Practice
The diagnostic use of molecular analysis is poised to revolutionize medicine but not without some growing pains. The rapid advances in the last quarter century have enabled massive analyses of tens of thousands of genes, proteins, and other biological molecules in a single experiment, all of which have produced enormous reservoirs of data. There is so much data that it is a major problem now to make sense of it all. While these advances in biomedicine have produced amazing insights into health-related disorders and disease progression, applying these ongoing discoveries in clinical settings remains a challenge...
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - March 13, 2013 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
Medical Testing Using DNA Sequencing Produces Some Unique Challenges
While it is anticipated that individual DNA sequencing will revolutionize how we practice medicine, there are real challenges with implementing this technology in the clinic. At a recent conference, Dr. Heidi Rehm, Director of the Laboratory for Molecular Medicine at Harvard's Partners Healthcare Center, discussed some of the practical difficulties her groups faces when providing DNA sequencing to diagnosis genetic abnormalities in patients....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - March 10, 2013 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
Is Peer Review Impeding the Practical Application of New Biomedical Research?
As biotechnology improves, the rate of discovery in biomedical research is accelerating. Scientists are discovering more and more of the intricacies that produce life, cause disease, and affect growth and development daily. This information can inform important decisions about medical treatment or general healthcare....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - February 24, 2013 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
