Drug Discovery and Development

Dr. Jeremy Katzen, a clinical instructor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has received the National Institutes of Health K08 Clinical Investigator Award. Katzen’s research aims to contribute to an improved scientific understanding of cell biology of the respiratory system while discovering new potential therapeutic possibilities for respiratory disorders. In particular, his work focuses on…

Oxford Gene Technology (OGT) has expanded its SureSeq line of next-generation sequencing (NGS) panels to detect genetic variants associated with breast and ovarian cancer and myeloid disorders. One of the offerings is a myeloid panel that can detect abnormalities in 70 genes associated with a range of diseases, including acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome and…

Merck (NYSE: MRK) recently announced that it will pay $425 million in cash to acquire privately-held biopharmaceutical company OncoImmune and its potential COVID-19 treatment. OncoImmune’s CD24Fc is a first-in-class recombinant fusion protein that targets the innate immune system. OncoImmune recently announced positive top-line findings from an interim efficacy analysis of a Phase 3 study evaluating…

Biotechnology traces its roots to the Neolithic era when early civilizations discovered how to ferment grains to prepare alcoholic brews and bread. It wasn’t until genetic engineering became mainstream in the mid-1970s, however, that biotechnology, as we know it today, was launched. The field continues to evolve today. The advent of new technology has revolutionized the market…