News

US stem cell research involving human embryos received a setback after a US judge ruled that a 2009 Presidential order expanding funding for this research is illegal.

The Roche Group has announced plans to acquire privately-owned BioImagene Inc of Sunnyvale, California for $100 million in order to bolster its position as a provider of personalised medicines. BioImagene develops digital pathology services.

European researchers have reported that stem cells from the thymus of a rat can be reprogrammed into skin stem cells without the need for genetic modification. The research was published in the journal Nature on 19 August 2010.

The US Food and Drug Administration has granted priority review status to belimumab, a potential treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus, according to the drug’s co-developers, GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Human Genome Sciences Inc.

Preclinical research showing that reprogrammed adult stem cells can repair damaged heart tissue in mice has been published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The technology is also being tested in a human trial in Europe.

Building on momentum in the first-half year, SkyePharma Plc said it expects to report an increase in revenue for 2010. Driving the business forward will be the new CEO, Axel Müller, who takes over the top job from Ken Cunningham on 23 August.

The European regulatory review of a ground-breaking gene therapy for the treatment of a protein deficiency linked to pancreatitis is on schedule with a decision expected by mid-2011, according to the developer, Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics (AMT).

Intercell AG, the Austrian maker of vaccines for the prevention and treatment of disease, reported a 35.2% decline in revenue to €9.7 million for the second 2010 quarter, mainly due to the absence of milestone receipts from its collaborations.

Total revenues and other operating income of Crucell NV rose by 63% to a record €128.6 million in the second 2010 quarter, mainly due to booming sales of Quinvaxem in the developing world.

Eli Lilly and Company said it is stopping development of semagacestat for Alzheimer’s disease after preliminary data from two Phase 3 studies showed the compound did not slow disease progression and was associated with an increased risk of skin cancer.