454 Life Sciences (Branford) announced that researchers from The International Mesothelioma Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston have used the 454 long-read sequencing technology to characterize for the first time mutations in expressed genes unique to malignant pleural mesotheliomas (MPMs). The 454 Sequencing system was used to comprehensively investigate the transcriptomes of four MPMs and two control tissues. The data revealed a number of genes which could be causally realated to cancer.

Michael Kishbauch, president and CEO of Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (New Haven), commenting on 2007 results, said, “We are pleased with the progress of the Achillion's four programs during 2007, and we enter 2008 well positioned for continued advancement in our pipeline of novel drug candidates to treat infectious disease. In the coming year, our primary goals are to prepare elvucitabine to move into phase III trials with a collaborative partner, a goal made more attainable by the recent announcement of multiple positive Phase II data sets in that program, and to finalize the preclinical packages for both of our HCV programs and advance these candidates into the clinic by this time next year. In addition, we currently plan to convene with the FDA on the data package we have prepared for an IND related to ACH-702, our novel antibacterial drug candidate. With the unique profiles of elvucitabine and our three preclinical pipeline assets, coupled with the cash resources to fund the execution of these goals in the coming year, we anticipate a productive and exciting year for the company.”

Leonard Bell, CEO of Alexion Pharmaceuticals (Cheshire), commenting on 2007 results, said, “Alexion's regulatory and commercial success in 2007 is a direct result of breakthrough science, compelling clinical data and a steadfast commitment to patients. During 2007, Alexion became a global commercial organization and started to fulfill its mission of improving the lives of people with serious and life-threatening disease. Physicians are developing a new sense of urgency in detecting and treating patients with PNH as early as possible. We greatly appreciate the confidence and support we have received from physicians, employees, and shareholders since Alexion was founded.”

Bayer HealthCare (Leverkusen, Germany/West Haven) unveiled plans to launch VistaTrak™, an innovative contrast media management system that provides radiology departments with a new and powerful management tool to help enhance patient care and safety, optimize inventory management, and improve billing accuracy.

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Ridgefield) has received the prestigious certification from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for its educational resources and programs related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).  A chronic illness that may result in severe morbidity, COPD, which includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both, is the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (New York/Wallingford) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the supplemental New Drug Application for ABILIFY® (aripiprazole) for the acute treatment of manic and mixed episodes associated with Bipolar I Disorder, with or without psychotic features in pediatric patients (10 to 17 years old). ABILIFY has been approved for the acute and maintenance treatment of manic and mixed episodes associated with Bipolar I Disorder with or without psychotic features in adults since September 2004 and March 2005, respectively.

Cantor Colburn LLP (Hartford), the intellectual property firm, has been recognized as a Go-To Law Firm® for Leading Technology Companies by American Lawyer Media and has been ranked the #19 Top Patent Firm, out of more than 350, in the US by Intellectual Property Today magazine. The firm recently moved its offices from Bloomfield to 20 Church Street in Hartford. The Go-To Law Firms® list was compiled by asking general counsel at leading technology companies which outside law firms they hire.

Danbury Hospital (Danbury) scheduled its 17th Annual Children's Day for Saturday, March 29, 2021 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. The purpose of the event is to promote physical activity, good nutrition, and general wellness to children in a non-threatening way by creating a free, entertaining day of “hands-on” educational activities and entertainment, while at the same time introducing them to the hospital environment.

Genomas, Inc. (Hartford) announced the award of a Fast-Track Phase I-II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grant totaling $1.2 million. The grant, entitled “DNA Diagnostic System for Statin Safety and Efficacy,” was awarded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Statins are the most prescribed drugs in the world. Statin-induced neuro-myopathy is the main clinically relevant safety risk of these drugs.

GlaxoSmithKline (Research Triangle Park, NC) presented data suggesting that the efficacy of Advair Diskus (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder) and Serevent Diskus (salmeterol xinofoate inhalation powder) is not impacted by genetic profile. “This study is a large step forward in furthering our knowledge of the interplay between genetics and therapy in asthma,” said Eugene R. Bleecker, M.D., a professor of medicine and co-director of the Center for Human Genomics at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

The Cordis Corporation unit of Johnson & Johnson (New Brunswick, NJ) has received 510(k) marketing clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the S.M.A.R.T.® Nitinol Stent Transhepatic Biliary System for lengths of 120 mm and 150 mm. These stents are indicated for use in the palliative treatment of malignant strictures in the biliary tree that can restrict the flow of digestive fluids and compromise digestion.

Alfred Mann, chairman and CEO of MannKind Corporation (Valencia, CA/Danbury), commenting on 2007 results, said, “During this past year, we made excellent progress toward our goal of bringing Technosphere Insulin to market. It is clear that in today's environment, to be successful a new therapy must provide a differentiated safety and efficacy profile over existing therapies. We believe that Technosphere Insulin's unique ability to more closely match the normal pattern of insulin secretion following a meal will differentiate our product from other insulins, including rapid-acting analogs and long-acting analogs. Our Technosphere platform now includes MKC-253 (GLP-1), which in a recent Phase I trial demonstrated remarkable pharmacokinetics and a highly favorable safety profile. I am proud of what our team is accomplishing and I remain committed to seeing that these innovative products are made available to patients who desperately need improved therapeutic options.”

NanoViricides, Inc. (West Haven) says that nanoviricides™ drug candidates were found to be highly effective against the deadly Ebola virus in initial cell culture studies by scientists at the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. “The fact that the same drug candidates that were highly effective against common influenza and rabies in animal studies and bird flu (H5N1) in cell culture studies were also found to be highly effective against the deadly Ebola virus clearly indicates that these nanoviricides are truly broad-spectrum,” said the company's  CEO, Eugene Seymour, MD, MPH.

Howard Fields, Ph.D., currently a member of the scientific advisory board of the company, will join NanoViricides as Vice President of Virology. He is an  international expert in several areas of
immunology, biochemistry, molecular biology, virology, and general microbiology. “The NanoViricides technology represents an innovative and novel approach in the treatment of viral infections and I’m truly excited to be part of its future,” Dr. Fields said.

The president and CEO of Neurogen Corporation (Branford), Stephen R. Davis, commenting on 2007 results, said, “While 2007 marked a year of solid progress, I expect 2008 to be a year of both new exploration and the realization of important clinical results. We have recently initiated Phase 2 studies with aplindore in both Restless Legs Syndrome and Parkinson’s disease and anticipate results by the end of this year. With adipiplon, our GABA alpha-3 partial agonist, we are expanding into anxiety where we will conduct proof-of-concept studies in humans this year. Recent animal studies indicate that our selective GABA approach produces a strong anxiety relieving effect without the behavioral impairing effects seen with existing drugs. With additional opportunities to further define the clinical and commercial profile of adipiplon for insomnia in a Phase 2/3 side-by-side study with Ambien CR, and a new opportunity to explore adipiplon in schizophrenia, we look forward to further advancing the portfolio.”

The animal health unit of Pfizer Inc. (New York, NY/Groton/New London) announced it will acquire two livestock genomics companies: Catapult Genetics, Pty., Ltd., focused on developing and commercializing innovative livestock DNA tests and gene markers to assist global food producers, processors and retailers in improving profitability and quality in the global food chain; and Bovigen, LLC, which markets DNA technology, including Catapult’s products in the U.S. and throughout Canada, Central America, and South America.

In a statement commenting on drug costs, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) (Washington, DC) said: “Data, released in January by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, demonstrate that drug costs in 2006 rose at a rate that was 5 percentage points below the average for the prior decade. the recent growth of prescription drug costs in the U.S. has been shown to be modest, with CMS estimating that drug price growth was 1.4 percent in 2007. Other government data reiterate this. According to the Consumer Price Index, the prices of prescription medicines have increased by less than the rate of overall medical inflation for the last several years. Ultimately, according to CMS, medicines accounted for roughly 10 percent of total health spending in the U.S. in 2006 – the same proportion as in 1960.”

Alan Kessman, CEO of Vion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (New Haven), commenting on 2007 results, said, “Based on our current operating plan, we are funded through the third quarter of 2009. We continue to make progress on preparing a New Drug Application for our lead anticancer agent Cloretazine (VNP40101M) for filing with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2008.”

WinStanley Enterprises, LLC (Concord, MA/New Haven) the new owners of the bio-tech lab building at 25 Science Park, is also planning to build a garage with ground-floor retail, as well as a chiller plant for Yale University across from the lab building in Newhallville. Winstanley is marketing 10 lab spaces at 25 Science Park.

Following is recent news from The University of Connecticut (Storrs) and the University of Connecticut Health Center (Farmington).

A UConn Health Center research team, including Robert Kosher, Caroline Dealy, Deborah Ferrari, and Guochun Gong, says it has been able to turn embryonic stem cells into the cells that make up cartilage. The team's work could became important in the future creation of a treatment for osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease that is caused by the breakdown of cartilage which afflicts more than 20 million Americans, including most people older than 60.

UConn chemistry professor Challa Kumar and ThoughtVentions Inc. (TvU), a Connecticut company, are developing a prototype device that will test a novel approach to fighting global warming. Instead of trying to produce energy without creating CO2 gases, they are looking for a way to “sequester” the greenhouse gases that are produced at the source so they don’t reach the atmosphere, literally creating a kind of chemical filter for, say, a coal power plant. Their work is funded by a joint $100,000 Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Science Foundation. more

It’s possible that a cancer patient’s tumor holds the active ingredient for a drug that could provide a cure, according to Pramod Srivastava, a professor of immunology at the UConn Health Center. Srivastava has been studying the effectiveness of a vaccine derived from tumor cells.His research suggests that this custom-made drug therapy, called vitespen, triggers the immune system to recognize and attack cancerous cells. The findings are published in the Feb. 20 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. more

Researchers at the UConn Health Center have identified a gene they believe plays a significant role in the development of heart disease. Lead investigator Lixia Yue, assistant professor of cell biology, says the TRPM7 gene provides a conduit that enables calcium to get into fibroblasts, a type of heart cell. Abnormal calcium levels in fibroblasts can lead to cardiac fibrosis. more

Two faculty members in the Department of Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering, Yong Wang and Lei Zhu, are working to develop artificial antibodies capable of locating and destroying tumors. The three-year project, which began in July, is funded with a $450,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. more

The UConn Health Center will use $1.5 million from the state’s Hospital Hardship Fund to make capital investments in the Newborn Intensive Care Nurseries at John Dempsey Hospital. Social Services Commissioner Michael Starkowski last month announced grants for John Dempsey and seven other Connecticut hospitals, totaling more than $20 million. more

The Health Center’s Ethel Donahue Center for Translating Research into Practice and Policy (TRIPP Center) has received a grant from the Commonwealth Fund to evaluate one of the first major demonstrations of the medical home, a new primary care practice model designed to improve care for adult patients. more

Richard Stevens, a cancer epidemiologist at the UConn Health Center, has been theorizing about a link between artificial light and breast cancer since the mid-1980s. Now, it seems, the scientific community may finally be ready to listen. more

When you think of hazardous work, manicurist probably isn’t the first job that comes to mind. But if you’re pregnant, you should be aware of the risks. The polishes, acrylics, and other products used in nail salons contain some 20 chemicals flagged by the Environmental Protection Agency as having potential symptoms and health effects. “We’re seeing a substantial number of women who work in the beauty industry who are concerned about whether they can work during their pregnancies,” says Dr. John Meyer, an assistant professor in the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at the Health Center. more

Ray Anderson's Herculean efforts to make his company 100 percent sustainable by the year 2020 are winning him accolades. He was the keynote speaker at a recent onference on alternative products and green chemistry sponsored by UConn's Occupational and Environmental Health Center. more

Following is recent news from Yale University and the Yale School of Medicine (New Haven).

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have developed a blood test with enough sensitivity and specificity to detect early stage ovarian cancer with 99 percent accuracy. “The ability to recognize almost 100 percent of new tumors will have a major impact on the high death rates of this cancer,” said Gil Mor, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at Yale.

A protein has been found that influences the response of the heart to a lack of oxygen and blood flow, such as occurs during a heart attack, a team of Yale School of Medicine researchers report today in Nature. The protein, macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), was found to activate an important cellular stress response enzyme called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). AMPK is a key regulator of cellular energy balance and protects the heart from injury during a heart attack. “We found that when MIF is released in response to a lack of oxygen, it causes the activation of AMPK,” said Richard Bucala, M.D., a professor of rheumatology and pathology who co-authored the study. “Thus, this protein which contributes to inflammatory diseases has a protective metabolic effect in the heart.”

A small RNA molecule, known as let-7 microRNA (miRNA), substantially reduced cancer growth in multiple mouse models of lung cancer, according to work by researchers at Yale University and Asuragen, Inc. “We believe this is the first report of a miRNA being used to a beneficial effect on any cancer, let alone lung cancers, the deadliest of all cancers worldwide,” said senior author Frank Slack, associate professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology at Yale.

The immune system's powerful cellular mutation and repair processes appear to offer important clues as to how lymphatic cancer develops, Yale School of Medicine researchers report. “The implications of these findings are considerable,” said David Schatz, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, professor of immunobiology at Yale, and senior author of the study. “It now seems likely that anything that compromises the function of these DNA repair processes could lead to widespread mutations and an increased risk of cancer.”

A new technique that combines bone marrow removal and injection of a hormone helps promote rapid formation of new bone at targeted locations in the body, it was reported by Yale School of Medicine this month in Tissue Engineering. “This could radically change the way patients are currently treated for weakened or fractured hips, vertebrae and acute traumatic long bone fractures,” said senior author Agnès Vignery, associate professor of orthopedics.

A laboratory-engineered virus that can find its way through the vascular system and kill deadly brain tumors has been developed by Yale School of Medicine researchers. Anthony van den Pol, professor of neurosurgery at Yale, said current treatments include chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, which can prolong life for a few months, but generally fail because they don't eliminate all of the cancer cells.

Using artificial cell-like particles, Yale biomedical engineers have devised a rapid and efficient way to produce a 45-fold enhancement of T cell activation and expansion, an immune response important for a patient's ability to fight cancer and infectious diseases. The artificial cells, developed by Tarek Fahmy, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Yale and his graduate student Erin Steenblock, are made of a material commonly used for biodegradable sutures. The authors say that the new method is the first “off-the-shelf” antigen-presenting artificial cell that can be tuned to target a specific disease or infection.

Results from serum creatinine, the current diagnostic test for AKI, are usually normal until two to three days after cardiac surgery. To speed the detection of AKI in cardiac surgery patients, Yale researchers, led by nephrologist Chirag Parikh, M.D., are studying three biomarkers: urine interleuken 18 (IL-18), urine neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL), and serum cystatin C. Parikh and his colleagues are doing the work in conjunction with a clinical consortium called Translational Research Investigating Biomarker Endpoints in Acute Kidney Injury (TRIBE-AKI).

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found that the gene ENPP1 is linked to preterm birth and low birth weight among Hispanic women. One out of eight babies in the United States is born prematurely-delivery prior to 37 weeks gestation. These babies don't fare as well as their full-term counterparts, especially if they are born prior to 28 weeks gestation. In many cases, it is still unclear why preterm births occur, but both the genetic make-up of the mother and the genetic make-up of the baby play a role, according to Errol Norwitz, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at Yale.

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have implemented patient safety enhancements to dramatically reduce errors and improve the staff's own perception of the safety climate in obstetrical care. An estimated 44,000 to 98,000 Americans die in hospitals each year as a result of errors. About half of medical errors are linked to communication errors and system failures. Obstetrics has lagged behind other specialties in attempts to improve safety because perinatal adverse events are both relatively uncommon and usually unexpected, occurring in previously healthy patients who are anticipating good outcomes. “There is a crisis of confidence in American healthcare right now,” said Edmund F. Funai, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at Yale.

The prevalence of congenital heart disease (CHD) among in vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancies is similar to that of the general population, but there is an increased risk of CHD among twins resulting from IVF, according to research by Yale School of Medicine researchers. “We found that twin pregnancies conceived through IVF have a higher prevalence of CHD than singletons,” said Mert Ozan Bahtiyar, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences.

Older women are more prone to depression and are more likely to remain depressed than older men, according to a new study by Yale School of Medicine researchers in the February Archives of General Psychiatry. Lead author of the study, Lisa C. Barry, associate research scientist in the Yale School of Public Health, and colleagues evaluated a group of 754 individuals age 70 and older from 1998 to 2005.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded $3.7 million to researchers in the Yale Center for Genomics and Proteomics (YCGP) for work that will triple the number of plant proteins whose biochemical functions can be studied in protein microarrays. The YCGP, launched in 2002, promotes cutting-edge research in the area of genomics and proteomics. In early 2003, Associate Professor Savithramma Dinesh-Kumar and Center Director Michael Snyder, the Cullman Professor of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, began a large-scale project to characterize plant proteins using microarray technology. This study was funded first by a YCGP pilot grant and later by $2.7 million in grants from the NSF.

Richard Lifton, M.D., a Yale School of Medicine geneticist and internationally known expert on hypertension, has been awarded the Wiley Prize in Biomedical Sciences for discovering genes that cause many forms of high and low blood pressure. Lifton, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and Sterling Professor and chair of genetics, identified 10 genes that cause very high blood pressure and 10 genes that cause very low blood pressure. He also found that these genes are involved in the regulation of salt balance by the kidney.

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have received a five-year, $4 million National Institutes of Health grant to study novel ways to improve the diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI), a common complication of cardiac surgery that results in increased mortality.

The National Institute of Nursing Research has awarded Yale University School of Nursing (YSN) $3.4 million to compare the effectiveness of Internet-based coping skills training versus an Internet education program for diabetic children. The goal is to improve type 1 diabetes management, metabolic control, and quality of life in adolescents. Leading the study are Margaret Grey, dean of the nursing school, and Robin Whittemore, associate professor.

Erin B. Lavik, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Yale, was honored by the Connecticut Technology Council as one of its 2008 Women of Innovation. Lavik, who was cited for her academic innovation and leadership, focuses her research on developing new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of spinal cord injury and retinal degeneration.

Smelling food activates different brain areas than consuming it, according to a Yale University study published in Neuron that shows definitively what researchers have long suspected. “We believe that these findings add to our understanding of chemosensation and food reward and will have important implications in addressing the obesity epidemic,” said lead author Dana Small, assistant professor of psychiatry and associate fellow of the John B. Pierce Laboratory at Yale.

For more member news, see the March 2008 issue of CURE News