Vaccine for Brain Tumor: A New Height in Personalized Medicine

Developing a Vaccine produced from a patient's one's own tissues has definitely taken Pharmacogenomics-popularly known as "Personalized medicine" to a new height in the present scenario.

The concept of Pharmacogenomics deals with the genetic variation among the masses, and using the genetic data to select the right drugs to treat disease in a given patient. Although at a primary level, this can help the doctors in avoiding pointless treatments and reducing adverse drug reactions in the concerned patients.

Using a patient's own tissues for developing a Vaccine, is in itself a novel strategy employed by Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, N.J, wherein they are offering patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) (brain tumor) the opportunity to take part in the clinical trials.

The phase II trial, headed by principal investigator and researcher Anthony D'Ambrosio, M.D., director of Valley's neuro-oncology disease management team, is designed to evaluate safety, survival and immune response in patients treated with a heat shock protein peptide-complex vaccine (HSPPC-96) derived from each patient's specific tumor cells.

"Heat shock proteins are believed to play an essential role in helping the immune system to recognize and eradicate diseased cells," said D'Ambrosio.

The Glioblastoma Vaccine study is sponsored by the University of California, San Francisco, and is currently available in limited locations across the country. The study is currently searching for participants who are newly diagnosed, over age 18 and whose tumors have not been excised.

These trials indicate a new era in healthcare with the advent of personalized medicines, for the common good of humanity.

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Free SciFinder access For Unemployed

Are you currently unemployed and wish you still had access to SciFinder to help you find new employment or to stay current in your research area? If you had access to SciFinder and lost your job this year, CAS now offers complimentary SciFinder access under a special program for free. 


Apply Here

SciFinder is a research discovery tool that allows college students and faculty to access a wide diversity of research from many scientific disciplines, including biomedical sciences, chemistry, engineering, materials science, agricultural science, and more!  

SciFinder gives an instant access to the world's largest curated collection of information on disclosed chemistry and related research produced by CAS.

It includes:  References from more than 10,000 currently published journals and patents from more than 62 patent authorities.   Important scientific discoveries from the present to the mid-1800s.  The latest scientific breakthroughs almost as soon as they are published with references added daily and some patent information as recent as 2 days ago. The world's largest collection of organic and inorganic substance information.  

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International Symposium on Drug Metabolism & Pharmacokinetics @NIPER, Mohali

NIPER S.A.S. and Bristol-Myers Squibb is organizing 4th International Symposium on  Drug Metabolism  & Pharmacokinetics (DMPK) , at NIPER S.A.S. Nagar (Mohali), Punjab, India. This conference will be useful for scientific community working in the field of Drug Metabolism  & Pharmacokinetics.

Objectives of the Symposium

Provide a better understanding of the role that drug metabolism, drug transporters, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics play in the drug discovery development process.

Evaluate new and current techniques and models associated with drug metabolism and drug transporters, as well as development of pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic models.

Gain insights into the issues encountered during the drug discovery process and the interface between discovery and clinical development.

Identify processes for reducing the attrition of drug candidates through a better understanding of metabolism and in vitro and in vivo correlations

This is primarily a lecture-based symposium intended for students and scientists from industry, academia, health-based government organizations, and healthcare professionals with a background in chemistry, biology, or the pharmaceutical sciences, with some experience in the principles and techniques of drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics.  The symposium is also intended for experienced researchers in these areas who wish to broaden or supplement their area of expertise, as well as contribute to the discussion topics.

Important Dates:

Receipt of Abstract: 20^th Jan. 2012

Intimation of acceptance : 20^th Jan. 2012

Receipt of Reg. Fee :20^th  Jan. 2012

Dates of symposium : 16,17,18 and19^th Feb. 2012

Contact Details:

Dr. Abhay Sangamwar (Coordinator)
DMPK Symposium
Department of Pharmacoinformatics
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research 
(NIPER), Sector 67, S.A.S. Nagar (Mohali) - 160 062
Punjab, India
Phone:+91-172-2214682-87 Extn. 2211 (office)
Fax:+91-172-2214692
e-mail: dmpk2012@niper.ac.in

Register Here 

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Avalanche'12, The National level Pharma Carnival on 3-4 Feb,2012

Event Name: AVALANCHE’12
Event type: A National Level Pharma Carnival
Organizer: Ramanbhai Patel College of Pharmacy
Location: Education Campus Changa, Anand,Gujarat.


Important Dates for Avalanche'12


Event dates: February 3-4, 2012
Last date for registration: Jan 25, 2012
Eligibility: Open to all  Pharmacy students of India(D.Pharm, B.Pharm, M.Pharm)


AVALANCHE'12
The much awaited national level Pharma Carnival, ‘Avalanche’ is back in 2012 and is all set to create a nation-wide sensation as it has been with the last two editions of Avalanche. Avalanche'12 has been made all the more exciting with lot of innovative ideas and additions that may provide a platform for all the pharma students of the country to exhibit their skills.


"Avalanche....the fury of thoughts", ever since its inception in 2007 has been one of a kind national Level Pharma carnival, which has gained much recognition among the masses due to its uniqueness and fun-filled activities. Avalanche'07 was a brainchild of the First batch of RPCP started with the objective to provide a platform exclusively for Pharma Students, in synchronous to the technical Festivals commonly observed in Engineering Colleges.


The second TechFest - Avalanche ‘10 got an overwhelming response from the Pharma fraternity from all over the country.  Some of the prominent sponsors for Avalanche ’10 were pharmaceutical MNCs like Zydus Cadila, Torrent Pharma, Troikaa, Dishman and Claris Lifesciences.  Mr. Arjun Handa, CEO, Claris Lifesciences served as the chief guest at an Inauguration function. It received participation from students of Gujarat, Andhra pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and other states across the country.


With various interesting events in line like Pharma Marketing, Pharma Modelling, pharma Recipe, case study, quiz, etc... Avalanche'12 is all set to create a fury of thoughts amongst the masses. 


Various Events include: 


Quiz
Debate 
Pharma Marketing
Pharma Modelling 
Poster Presentation
Pharma Recipe
Case Study
Scitoons
Network Gaming
Youth Asssembly


For more information on the events, Click here

The Pharmablockbusters Team recommends this event strongly, as it has been scrunitizing the event since its inception, and all the Pharmacy students will definitely gain a lot from this  experience.

Registration Details:


Last Date for registration – 25th January 2012
Registration fees – Rs. 250/- per student
Mode of Payment: By Cash or At Par Cheque/DD in favour of “Ramanbhai Patel College of Pharmacy” payable at Anand.
For registration forms, Click here.

VENUE

Ramanbhai Patel College of Pharmacy, CHARUSAT Campus,Changa

Ta-Petlad,Dist-Anand 388421

Gujarat, India

CONTACT

Maharshi Raval- (+91) 9428805096

Sanket Shah- (+91) 9825313637

Email Address: avalanche12@charusat.ac.in

For More Information:

http://www.charusat.ac.in/avalanche12/index.html

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Bardoxolone: A potential Mega Blockbuster!!

Bardoxolone methyl (other names “RTA 402” and “CDDO-methyl ester”) is a synthetic oleananetriterpenoid that is an orally-available first-in-class antioxidant inflammation modulator (AIM). It is the most potent known inducer of the Keap1-Nrf2pathway to enter clinical development and works to suppress both oxidative stress and inflammation.

The drug: Bardoxolone

The Disease: Chronic Kidney Disease

The Develepors: Reata and Abott Pharma

Peak Projections: Several billion plus*

Bardoxolone methyl is currently being developed in late-stage clinical trials by Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for the treatment of moderate to severe chronic kidney disease (CKD) in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

Pathogenesis:
Oxidative stress and inflammation are thought to be key drivers of the fibrotic process in CKD inducing structural changes within the glomerulus. 
Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen species (ROS) activate NF-kB, which activates various pro-inflammatory mediators, resulting in oxidative stress.
This then results in chronic inflammation and fibrosis, thus causing chronic kidney diseases.

In vivo data indicates that the Keap-Nrf2 pathway is suppressed in models of kidney fibrosis whilst there is a simultaneous increase in oxidative stress and inflammation.Thus, activating this pathway, may lead to improved conditions in chronic kidney diseases.

Scientists at Reata Pharma, explored 
this pathway, and developed some compounds, which are potent inducers of the transcription factor Nrf2.

Nuclear factor-erythroid-related factor 2 (Nrf2) plays a critical  part in basal activity and coordinated induction of genes encoding numerous antioxidant and phase II detoxifying enzymes (including catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathionse s-transferase etc.).






Mechanism of Action:
Bardoxolone, their most active compound, acts as an Anti-inflammation Mediators (AIMs) and activates Nrf2, causing causing increased production of over 250 antioxidant enzymes and resulting in the inhibition of pro-inflammatory transcription factors, such as NF-κB and STAT3.
Thus AIMS provide a vital mechanism based relief from oxidative stress and damage to the neprons, thus proving to be a key player in CKD clinical control.


Bardoxolone in Clinical Trials:
Clinical observations in Phase 2 studies with bardoxolone methyl have included the following:

• Significant and sustained improvements in eGFR.
• Increased creatinine clearance, with no decrease in 24-hour creatinine excretion.
• Parallel improvements in other measures of kidney function, including blood urea nitrogen and uric acid, which correlate with the improvement in eGFR.
• Persisting increase in eGFR from baseline following withdrawal of therapy (when the drug has largely been cleared out of the body).

Reata started enrolling patients for the Phase III on bardoxolone last summer. As per Reata CEO Warren Huff, the process is running ahead of schedule, leaving them on track to wrap in the summer of 2013 with a possible approval in 2014.

A Blockbuster deal: 

Recently,Reata Pharmaceuticals snagged a $450 million quick-cash deal with Abbott on the ex-U.S. rights to bardoxolone, which is the focus of a big pivotal study. Now Abbott, is committing itself to a long-term future with Reata in what amounts to an unusually large cash commitment to a preclinical venture.

In the deal, Abbott and Reata have agreed to share the costs and profits on the biotech's antioxidant inflammation modulators(AIM). The two companies also agreed to collaborate on discovery work related to other drugs that can be derived from the AIM program. The first human study of a preclinical drug covered by the partnership is slated to begin in 2012.

This treatment has the potential to dramatically change the treatment landscape,  Current therapies only modestly slow the progression of the disease, while bardoxolone has the potential to markedly improve patient outcomes. It has been proposed to lengthen the lives of patients without the need of undergoing the ardent task of constant dialysis.


With more varied implications of AIMs in many diseases like Parkinson's,alzheimers, Cancer, etc. due to its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory action, Bardoxolone sets the right parameters to be a potential Mega Blockbuster in the near future!!

*as per Fierce Pharma report.
Know more about clinical trials of Bardoxolone from: http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMc1110239
To know more about Chronic kidney Disease, Click here

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GPAT 2012: Important Dates

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World’s first carbohydrate malaria vaccine wins Gates Foundation grant!!

A Walter and Eliza Hall Institute project to develop the world’s first carbohydrate-based malaria vaccine has received a US$1 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, through the Grand Challenges Explorations program.

Associate Professor Louis Schofield has been awarded a US$1 million 

grant to advance the development of the world's first carbohydrate malaria vaccine

The vaccine, developed by Associate Professor Louis Schofield from the institute’s Infection and Immunity division, targets an essential Plasmodium parasite carbohydrate called GPI (glycosylphosphatidylinositol). GPI is also a toxin produced by the Plasmodium parasite that has previously been identified as a major determinant in the severity and fatality of disease.

Associate Professor Schofield said the US$1 million Grand Challenges Explorations Phase II funding will allow the team to advance development and preclinical trials that will test the ability of the vaccine to interrupt transmission of the parasite, and decrease the severity of the disease.

“The anti-GPI vaccine is novel in that it is the first potential antimalarial vaccine that targets a parasite carbohydrate, rather than a protein,” he said. “Malaria parasites invest considerable effort in evading the immune system, continuously modifying its proteins to avoid detection, which is why a malaria vaccine has continued to be elusive. A vaccine that targets a highly conserved carbohydrate target could be especially effective in treating malaria.”

Associate Professor Schofield said that a vaccine with anti-toxic properties could also be a highly effective public health tool. “Vaccines against pathogen-derived toxins have been successful against tetanus, diptheria and pertussis [whooping cough], but have not been developed for treating malaria,” Associate Professor Schofield said. “The use of a vaccine with anti-toxin properties could help to diminish the disease burden in countries where malaria is endemic, particularly if used in combination with other prevention and treatment strategies.”

The US$1 million Phase II funding follows on from a one-year Phase I funding project also supported by the Gates Foundation’s Grand Challenges Explorations program.

The phase I project generated some very encouraging results indicating that the anti-GPI vaccine could be very useful in both preventing and treating malaria.

World Health Organization figures indicate more than half the world is at risk of malaria infection, with 225 million cases of malaria and almost 800,000 deaths annually. The disease is the biggest killer in sub-Saharan Africa, where approximately 20 per cent of all childhood deaths are due to malaria, the equivalent of one child every 45 seconds.

“We have done extensive work in areas where malaria is endemic, such as Papua New Guinea, where malaria is a substantial disease and economic burden,” Associate Professor Schofield said. “We are excited to move into further development and trials of a vaccine that may help to diminish this burden.”

The project is one of only nine Grand Challenges Explorations projects that received up to $1 million in funding to advance ideas that have shown promise in tackling global health challenges. Grand Challenges Explorations enables researchers worldwide to test unorthodox ideas that address persistent health and development challenges.

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Top Ten Unusual Logos: Pharma & Bio-Tech

Company: Adocia
Based: Lyon, France
Website: http://www.adocia.com

Scoop: This French regenerative medicine company is named for the Adocia, a sea sponge that has the ability to regenerate itself.

Adocia is developing protein formulations based on its proprietary technology, BioChaperone. Candidates in its pipeline include treatments for chronic wounds, a fast-acting insulin, and a spinal fusion product.

Company: Aslan Pharmaceutical
Based: Singapore
Website: http://aslanpharma.com/index.html

Scoop: Aslan is known to fans of C.S. Lewis as the main character of the Chronicles of Narnia series. But Singapore’s Aslan Pharmaceuticals was harkening back to its home city’s roots when it chose its logo. Company CEO Carl Firth told Scrip Asia 100 the logo was appropriate because a symbol of Singapore is the mythical merlion, which has a lion's head and fish body.

Aslan was recently in the news for entering a strategic partnership with Bristol-Myers Squibb ($BMY). The agreement allows for the quick development of BMS-777607, an investigational small molecule inhibitor of the MET receptor tyrosine kinase for treatment of solid tumors.

Company: Aursos
Based: Kalamazoo, MI
Website: http://www.aursos.com/

Scoop: Aursos appropriately uses the bear as its symbol. The company, which was founded in 2007, has licensed technology developed at Michigan Technological University on the family of naturally-occurring parathyroid hormone proteins found in the black bear. Aursos is looking to develop black bear PTH (BB-PTH) 1-84 for the prevention and treatment of primary and secondary osteoporosis.

Aursos has had successful proof-of-concept in animal tests and wants to raise $3.1 million, notes Crain's Detroit Business.

Company: Chesson Labs
Based: Durham, NC
Website: http://www.chessonlabs.com

Scoop: Founded in 2006, Durham, NC-based Chesson Laboratory Associates' mission is "[t]o improve global healthcare by becoming a market leader in the development and delivery of innovative polymer-based medical products." Jerry Chesson, former head of Southeastern Shelter Fireproofing and dabbler in scientific experiments, helped found the company, as the Triangle Business Journal notes.

Chesson's liquid bandage has been cleared by the FDA, and it is conducting clinical trials to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a product intended for the use in the management of toenail fungus.

Company: Elder Pharmacueticals
Based: India
Website: http://www.elderindia.com/

Scoop: Elder was founded in 1989 by Jagdish Saxena after the marketing executive, along with 400 other salespeople at his company, lost his job. He decided to found his own company, which took off when Elder began to market a calcium supplement derived from natural sources. Today the company manufactures and markets prescription pharmaceutical brands, surgical and medical devices and claims to be the third fastest-growing pharma company in India.

According to an interview, Saxena picked his company's name at random. "We had registered many names for the new company but all were rejected," the exec told the Business Standard. "The name Elder came from my trip to Australia. One day while crossing the road I saw a truck with the name Elder Food Production. So I returned and registered the same name." He gave no explanation for the company's stick-figure logo.

Company: Irazu Biodiscovery
Based: Baltimore, MD
Website: http://www.irazubiodiscovery.com/

Scoop: Irazu is the name of an active volcano in Costa Rica. It's also the name of a Maryland company looking to decelerate the onset of age-associated diseases. Founded in 2000, IRAZÚ Biodiscovery is looking to develop nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals that mimic the age-decelerating effects of caloric restriction.

The company thought the volcano was a perfect symbol on many levels. "The Irazú Volcano is one of several fiery tectonic sentinels guarding the Central Plateau of my native Costa Rica--a mountain that was to shape my childhood with appreciation of both the striking beauty and the sheer power of Nature," CEO Marco Chacón told FiercePharma in an emailed statement. Furthermore, "[a] volcano is also a fitting metaphor for scientific inquiry and discovery. Scholarship and the pursuit of science can be described as climbing a steep mountain...a mountain that--once in a great while--reveals the secrets of our very own nature," he added.

Company: LEO Pharma
Based: Denmark
Website: http://www.leo-pharma.us

Scoop: Chemists August Kongsted and Anton Antons founded LEO Pharma in 1908, when they set up a company in the basement of their pharmacy. The shop where they worked, which dated back to the 1620s, was called Leo. According to the company's history, Kongsted and Antons registered the logo as a trademark, which was based on a painting by artist Anna Rink inspired by a bas-relief at the Louvre, in 1901. Today, LEO Pharma is a worldwide company that markets and develops dermatology and thrombosis treatments. 

Company: Orchidia Pharma
Based: Egypt
Website: http://www.orchidiapromo.com/

Scoop: Orchidia Promotions was founded in 1993 as a marketing company to help multinational pharma companies reach the Egyptian market. One of its major clients was Ciba Vision, a contact lens company owned by Novartis. The company changed its name and focus in 2003 as it began promoting its own range of prescription and OTC eye products and later established a manufacturing facility outside of Cairo.

Company: Premas Biotech
Based: Haryana, India
Website: http://www.premasbiotech.com/index.aspx

Scoop: According to Indian contract research and manufacturing services organization Premas, its logo has deep meaning. The round bottom flask, with one side open, signifies the openess of the company. It also has an eye in the form of a leaf, which signifies environmental consciousness. The company is also a warm one with which to work, as embodied by the smile on the flask. Finally, the bubbles, which demonstrate that company is an exciting place to work for. "We are deliberate in our approach, while maintaining a warm and exciting profile," the company notes.

Company: Trinity Pharma

Based: South Africa
Website: http://www.tripharm.co.za/

Scoop: Frolicking abounds in the logo for South African Trinity Pharma, which notes on its website that the company was founded in 2002 by three regulatory consultants. Its original mission was to help international developers navigate regulation in South Africa, and its business has expanded to include market assessment, marketing and distribution, and selection and coordination of the marketing partnerships.

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