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Subtle chemical shift reverses pre-diabetes in Merck-partnered mouse trial

October 17, 2019 Summers’ team collaborated with scientists at Merck Research Laboratories to develop a technique for lowering the amount of ceramides in the body.  They accomplished that by shutting down an enzyme called dihydroceramide desaturase 1 (DES1).  That, in turn, shifted two hydrogen atoms from ceramide, crippling the fatty lipid. When the researchers made … Read more

U.S. looks to extradite Chinese researcher in GlaxoSmithKline trade secrets case

October 15, 2019 Swiss authorities arrested Xue in May and are keeping him in custody while they mull the extradition request, Reuters reported.  He is fighting extradition and considered a potential flight risk, according to a Swiss Federal Criminal Court Verdict. Xue’s sister, Yu Xue, worked at GSK’s R&D unit in Pennsylvania from 2006 to 2016, … Read more

Engineered bacteria prime solid tumors for immunotherapy

October 10, 2019 Scientists at Columbia University hope to change that, using another emerging field of science:  synthetic biology.  A team at Columbia Engineering and the University’s Irving Medical Center are engineering bacteria that can deliver immunotherapy drugs straight to solid tumors.  In mice, the strain of bacteria that the researchers made was able to … Read more

Searching exhaled breaths for the chemical signs of multiple sclerosis

October 03, 2019 The goal is to produce a rapid, inexpensive and simple-to-perform diagnostic tool that could help physicians identify the disease, track a patient’s progression and monitor responses to treatment.  The researchers’ preliminary results have highlighted potential signals related to MS, which researchers believe may be linked to changes in the gut microbiome.  They … Read more

Pharma back in hot seat as 2020 presidential election gets into gear

September 26, 2019 As the first Democratic presidential debates kicked off in June, candidates took numerous shots at drugmakers in an early sign the industry will face plenty of tough questions throughout the 2020 cycle.  The candidates blasted corporate power in the U.S. in general — and pharma in particular, using words like “corruption” and … Read more

Former Pfizer site in Puerto Rico picked up by medical marijuana producer

September 24, 2019 Vireo Health says it has leased a 40,000 square foot former Pfizer site in Cruce Dávila Business Park, in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico to house its cultivation and processing operations.  “We are thrilled to expand into the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, one of the largest pharmaceutical hubs in the world,” Vireo CEO Kyle … Read more

Abbott launches 3-minute, in-office A1c blood test for diagnosing diabetes

September 19, 2019 The company describes the assay as the first and only rapid test cleared by the FDA for use in diagnosing diabetes or for monitoring a person’s risk for developing the condition in the future.  The Afinion HbA1c Dx test is now available for use on Abbott’s Afinion 2 and AS100 analyzers. “In … Read more