University Develops Treatment for better Cancer Outcomes
Wednesday, October 20th, 2010
University of Queensland in Australia has developed Theraphil that can prevent neutropenia in cancer patients undergoing high doses of chemotherapy. Neutropenia results when the chemotherapy destroys white blood cells that fight bacterial and fungal infections. As a result, the cancer patients become highly susceptible to infections that can often lead to death.
Theraphil was developed by UQ researchers working at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN). It is a cell based therapy that UniQuest, the university’s main commercialization company, will be promoting at the annual Ausbiotech Conference. UniQuest has been working with the researchers to create a commercially viable prospect for potential investors, according to the company’s Managing Director.
UniQuest is seeking an investment or licensing partner to get the product into hospitals. The product incorporates valuable intellectual property and now needs a partner with requisite financial strength to see it through clinical trials and marketing. It can produce financial, clinical and economic returns to the partner, University, Australia’s biotech industry and the health services sector, according to UniQuest MD.
UniQuest hopes to announce the partner at the Ausbiotech Conference scheduled this week. The partner will be benefiting patients in critical need according to UniQuest.
Read the news at UUQ News website.
Tags: biopharmaceuticals, biotechnology, cancer treatment, nanobiotechnology
Posted in biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, diseases | No Comments »
Success against H1N1 Virus?
Friday, September 3rd, 2010
AVI BioPharma focuses on “the discovery and development of novel RNA-based therapeutics for rare and infectious diseases, as well as other select disease targets.” The company reports that with its proprietary technologies, it is able “to directly target both messenger RNA (mRNA) and precursor messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) to either down-regulate (inhibit) or up-regulate (promote) the expression of targeted genes or proteins.”
Recently the company announced positive results for AVI-7100 against human pandemic H1N1 influenza virus. According to the announcement, preclinical studies demonstrated statistically significant reductions in average viral titer for AVI-7100 against a fully virulent pandemic H1N1 virus versus saline and Tamiflu(R) controls.
The studies used AVI’s proprietary PMOplus(TM) chemistry, and were supported by the Transformational Medical Technologies program (TMT) of the U.S. Department of Defense to identify RNA-based drug candidates against pandemic H1N1 virus. The report mentions that “the studies were undertaken as part of a rapid response exercise demonstrating TMT’s ability, in partnership with AVI, to rapidly respond to a real-world emerging viral threat.”
According to the company spokesperson, the PMO Plus(R) and other advanced proprietary chemistries already have found success in developing anti-infective therapeutic candidates. As a result, TMT is funding “an accelerated IND enabling program and Phase 1 study, as well as expanded preclinical evaluation that explores AVI-7100’s potential as a broad spectrum influenza therapeutic.”
Read the news release at MarketWatch.
Tags: biopharmaceuticals, biotechnology, H1N1 virus, RNA-based therapy
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
