The candidate drug, TAK-875, was in the global phase-III development stage. Development was discontinued due to potential side-effects. As the drug is based on a novel mechanism of action and was positioned as a major source of future revenue, the announcement will probably affect Takeda’s stock value. Takeda news release, December 27, 2013-12-30
Sysmex starts marketing lectin which detects liver fibrosis early
The lectin was developed in a long-term NEDO project. Japan has about 3 million patients affected by viral hepatitis. NEDO news release, December 26, 2013
JST and Israel’s MOST start cooperation program
The initial projects will focus on biomarker for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the molecular basis of neurodevelopmental disorders in schizophrenia and research on the molecular pathogenesis and neural abnormalities in old age depression JST news release, December 25, 2013
Team at Nagoya University achieves enhanced plant growth by engineering CO2 uptake
The group of Professor Toshinori KINOSHITA overexpressed plasma membrane H+-ATPase in guard cells thus promoting light-induced stomatal (pore) opening and enhancing plant growth. Model organism was Arabidopsis thaliana. JST news release, December 24, 2013
OncoTherapy Science announces stop of phase III study on COMPETE-PC, its pancreatic cancer-directed cocktail vaccine C01
Clinical efficacy is not sufficiently higher as compared to control group. OncoTherapy Science press release, December 20, 2013
Ministry of Agriculture (MAFF) will support advanced technology for food and agriculture by supplementary budget
After a 10 billion Yen supplementary budget was provided in FY 2013 for advanced agrofood technologies in private-public partnerships, the program will be essentially continued until 2017. Nikkei Biotech news release, December 20, 2013
Group at Tokyo University identifies muscone-specific receptor neurons in mouse brain, achieve imaging of odor responses
Among the 1063 types of receptors in mice, a few were highly specific to macrocyclic ketones. Mika SHIRASU et al., Neuron, Dec. 19, 2013, 10.1016/j.neuron.2013.10.021
RIKEN develops automatic 15 min microarray-based assay for serodiagnosis of antiviral immune status
Using inactivated viruses plated on a coated microarray plate, binding of serum sample and EIA are handled by an automatic machine-based microfluidic assay, and readout is through a sensitive CCD camera. RIKEN news release, December 19, 2013
Suntory-led public-private partnership solves genome sequence of carnation flower
The public partners are MAFFs NARO Institute of Floricultural Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology and Kazusa DNA Research Institute. The number of resolved genes (ORFs) is around 40.000. Carnations are No. 3 of all flowers sold in Japan (world market: 3.1 billion pieces), and genome analysis will help to change color, enhance stability […]
UMN Pharma and Yakult sign second joint venture agreement on joint development of biosimilars
The agreement covers development of therapeutic antibodies for cancer treatment. UMN Pharma news release, December 18, 2013