Researchers Discover Way To Make Insulin Cells

Simply put, people develop diabetes because they don't have enough pancreatic beta cells to produce the insulin necessary to regulate their blood sugar levels. But what if other cells in the body could be coaxed into becoming pancreatic beta cells? Could we potentially cure diabetes? Researchers from UCLA's Larry...

Reducing Risk of Renal Failure in Obese Patients

The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor drug, ramipril, is particularly effective in lowering the risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in obese patients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American ...

Study: Flu Vaccine Safe for Transplant Recipients

Getting vaccinated against the flu lowers kidney transplant recipients’ risk of organ loss and death, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The results suggest that ...

PacBio starts shipping Real-Time sequencing machine

This week Pacific Biosciences--the biotech superstar that has raised hundreds of millions in venture capital and launched an IPO--started shipping its PacBio RS system. According to a release, the DNA sequencing system incorporates single molecule sequencing techniques and advanced analytics to reveal biology in real time--and it gives results to users in less than a day versus a week for current machines. The units, which BusinessWeek says look like "fancier-than-usual copier...

Oncothyreon raises $40M for cancer work

Seattle's Oncothyreon has priced a public offering of 10 million shares of its stock at $4 per share in order to raise $37.4 million after  deducting the underwriters' discounts and other expenses. Underwriters have a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 15 percent of the shares, which could garner up to $6 million more in funding. The developer plans to use the funding to finance two development projects. PX-866, a PI-3 Pan-isoform irreversible Kinase inhibitor, is...

Paragon, UBM team up on stem cell partnership

CMO Paragon Bioservices has teamed with The University of Maryland Baltimore to form a public-private partnership to develop and manufacture stem cell therapies. "The main objective of the consortium is to accelerate the development of novel strategies for regenerative medicine, including new treatments and preventatives derived from stem cell research," explained Dr. Curt Civin, director of the University of Maryland's Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, in a...

Labopharm continues strategic review, mulls future of Oleptro

Labopharm said today that it's reviewing options for its assets, technologies and products and considering "potential business combinations that could create value for shareholders." The Canadian company revealed in March that it was undertaking a strategic review following CEO James Howard-Tripp's departure. At the time it laid off 38 people, or about a third of its staff. Management says it will continue to examine ways to control its costs and look for potential cost...

New Antibiotic For Treating Typhoid In Low Income Countries Recommended Following Clinical Trial

A large clinical trial comparing treatments for typhoid has recommended the use of gatifloxacin, a new generation and affordable antibiotic. The results of the trial in Kathmandu, Nepal, funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Li Ka Shing Foundation, are published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases. Typhoid - also known as 'enteric fever' - is characterised by a high fever and...

FDA panel unanimously backs Vertex’s Hep C drug telaprevir

In an 18-0 vote, an FDA advisory committee has voted to recommend approval of Vertex's ($VRTX) telaprevir for people with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C. The vote comes a day after the same panel offered its unanimous support for Merck's hepatitis C treatment boceprevir. And the experts' ready embrace of these breakthrough meds left both drug developers in an ideal position to follow up with a formal agency sanction in a matter of weeks--the last hurdle that separates...

Study: Daily Dialysis Healthier Than Thrice Weekly

NxStage Medical, Inc., a manufacturer of dialysis products, today commented on study results presented by the Chronic Disease Research Group (CDRG) showing daily home hemodialysis with the NxStage System One is associated with reduced mortality and ...