454 Life Sciences (Branford) said that a Penn State-led team has used 454 Sequencing Systems and NimbleGen Sequence Capture arrays to build the first complete genome and exome sequences from the indigenous hunter-gatherer people of southern Africa, the oldest known human lineage.

Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (New Haven) announced the presentation of additional positive safety and efficacy results from its Phase 2 trial studying elvucitabine in patients infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The new data were presented at the 17th Annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in San Francisco.

Separately, the company said it had received a federal research grant to investigate the potential of one of its novel antibacterial compounds to treat drug-resistant tuberculosis.

Affomix Corporation (Branford) announced a collaboration with City of Hope focused on establishing the clinical utility of “digital proteomics” with next generation sequencers.  City of Hope, based in Los Angeles, is a cancer research and treatment center.

Alexion Pharmaceuticals (Cheshire) appointed Andreas Rummelt, Ph.D., to its Board of Directors. With more than 25 years experience in the pharmaceutical industry, primarily focusing on drug development, technical operations, quality assurance and global manufacturing strategy, Dr. Rummelt was most recently a member of the Executive Committee of Novartis.

Shares in Alexion rose after a report from Goldman Sachs mentioned the company as a possible takeover target for pharmaceutical firms trying to expand their offerings. Alexion's drug Soliris®, which was approved in 2007 for treatment of a rare blood disorder, had 2009 sales of $387 million.

Amarin Corporation (Dublin/Mystic) appointed Jan van Heek to its board of directors as a non-executive director. As part of his board role, he will chair the company's audit committee. He is currently a principal and partner at BioPoint Group, and before that spent more than 18 years at Genzyme Corporation.

Boehringer Ingelheim (Ingelheim, Germany/Ridgefield) said that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Mirapex ER® (pramipexole dihydrochloride) extended-release tablets, a new once-daily treatment option for the signs and symptoms of early idiopathic Parkinson’s disease.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (New York/Wallingford) says Apixaban, an oral anticoagulant being developed together with Pfizer, was statistically superior to 40 mg once daily enoxaparin in reducing the incidence of venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing elective total knee replacement surgery. The study results also showed numerically lower rates of major and clinically relevant non-major bleeding in patients treated with apixaban compared with those treated with enoxaparin.

Cantor Colburn LLP (Hartford) for the third consecutive year was listed among the top 20 patent firms by the publication Intellectual Property Today. According to the publication, the firm was issued 1,330 utility patents and 100 design patents by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2009, representing an 18 percent increase over the prior year.

Cara Therapeutics (Shelton) announced positive data in a Phase II proof-of-concept clinical trial of its peripherally-restricted kappa opioid agonist, CR845. The 46 patient Phase 2, multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted at eight hospitals in the United States and evaluated the efficacy and safety of CR845 in women following laparoscopic-assisted hysterectomy.

Connecticut Innovations (Rocky Hill) announced a loan of $1.5 million to HistoRx, through its BioScience Facilities Fund. The funding will be used to help HistoRx build out laboratory space and purchase laboratory equipment. Gov. M. Jodi Rell said HistoRx has already created 30 jobs in Connecticut and has the potential to grow further.

Hartford Hospital (Hartford) has appointed Betsy L. Boatman as Vice President of Cardiology and Transplantation. In this role, Ms. Boatman will provide administrative leadership to the hospital’s cardiac and transplant programs. Most recently, Ms. Boatman was a senior consultant with Kurt Salmon Associates in Minneapolis, where she led health care clients in developing and achieving strategic and operational goals through strategic planning, facilities planning, and operational assessments.

HistoRx (New Haven) announced a multi-year licensing agreement for its AQUA® technology, and several diagnostic assays based on it, with Genoptix, Inc., a specialized laboratory services provider based in Carlsbad, CA.

HistoRx is receiving a $1.5 million loan from Connecticut Innovations for laboratory expansion. The company's technology combines fluorescence-based image analysis with automated microscopy to measure protein molecules.

Ipsogen (Marseille, France/Stamford), a medical diagnostics company specializing in molecular diagnostic products and services for cancer testing, has taken an additional 4,200 square feet in the building at 700 Canal Street in Stamford.

MannKind Corporation (Valencia, CA/Danbury) announced that James S. Shannon, MD, MRCP (UK) has joined the company's Board of Directors. He is currently the president & CEO of Cerimon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Prior to joining Cerimon he was global head of Pharma Development for Novartis AG.

NanoViricides, Inc. (West Haven) reports that it has signed a research and development agreement with Dr. Eva Harris’s laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley. Under the agreement, Dr. Harris and coworkers will evaluate the effectiveness of NanoViricides® drug candidates against various dengue viruses. Cell culture models as well as in vivo animal studies will be employed for testing the drug candidates.

The New England Biotech Association (Boston) elected Paul Pescatello as its president for 2010. A board member since the Association was founded in 2008, Pescatello continues as president and CEO of CURE. View press release

Pescatello recently co-authored an op-ed against LD 821, a Maine proposal that would require biopharmaceutical companies to "operate and finance the collection, transportation and disposal of unwanted drugs." View op-ed

Optherion, Inc. (New Haven) announced an agreement with Sequenom, Inc., under which the Sequenom Center for Molecular Medicine obtains the rights to develop and commercialize diagnostic tests to predict genetic predisposition to late-stage age-related macular degeneration.

Pfizer Inc. (New York, NY/Groton/New London) said that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended the use of Prevnar 13™ for healthy children aged 2 months through 59 months for the prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease caused by the 13 pneumococcal serotypes included in the vaccine.

Two Pfizer scientists from the company's New London center, Dr. James Goodrich and Dr. Jayvant Heera, were honored recently for their work in bringing the new HIV drug Selzentry to market.

Selzentry (marketed outside the U.S. as Celsentri) is the first of a new class of oral HIV treatments that stop the virus on the outside surface of the cell instead of fighting it inside the cell like other classes of HIV medicines. Selzentry is used in combination with other antiretroviral agents for treatment-experienced adult patients who are infected with only CCR5-tropic HIV-1 and who have evidence of viral replication and HIV-1 strains resistant to multiple antiretroviral agents. A simple diagnostic test is used to confirm if a patient has the common strain of HIV that may respond to Selzentry therapy. Conditionally approved by the FDA in 2007, Selzentry gained full regulatory approval in 2008 in the U.S. and is currently approved in more than 50 countries.

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) (Washington, DC) reports that America's pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies have so far contributed nearly $35 million in medicines, medical supplies and cash toward relief in Haiti after the recent catastrophic earthquake there.

Protein Sciences Corporation (Meriden) named Dr. Manon Cox, MBA, president & CEO. Dan Adams has assumed the role of Executive Chairman. The company announced that 2009 was a solidly profitable and cash flow positive year as a result of its contract with BARDA and robust revenues from its GeneXpress® and research antigens businesses.

Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (New Haven) announced that Mark Leuchtenberger has been named President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors. Susan Froshauer, Ph. D., has been appointed to the newly created role of Chief Scientific Officer. Prior to joining Rib-X, Leuchtenberger served as President and CEO of Targanta Therapeutics Corporation and led the company's successful IPO in 2007 and acquisition in 2009. He joined Targanta from Therion Biologics Corporation, a privately-held cancer vaccine company.

Earlier, Rib-X announced the discovery by Thomas Steitz, Ph. D., co-founder of Rib-X and Yale University professor, of important new ribosomal structures of antibiotics, enabling the potential creation of novel treatments for drug-resistant infections, including tuberculosis. In a paper published in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, Dr. Steitz and his colleagues at Yale's Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, describe how they have identified two structures of tuberactinomycins (antibiotics used to treat TB) bound to the ribosome. The identification of these structures provides insight for design of novel antibiotic derivatives that could be effective against a variety of drug-resistant microorganisms.

Ricerca Biosciences, LLC (Concord, OH) has acquired the discovery and preclinical businesses of MDS Pharma Services, based in King of Prussia, PA. Ricerca offers discovery and development srevices required to bring intellectual property, in the form of a target or drug candidate, to a complete IND (investigational new drug) submission.

SBIR - Connecticut (East Hartford) reminds small businesses that the 2010 National SBIR Conference will be held in Hartford April 21-23 (more).

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

The University of Connecticut is just months away from opening a new research building in Farmington to enhance Connecticut’s role as a leader in innovative high tech research and technology transfer in the areas of stem cell biology, advanced microscopy and imaging, computational biology and genetics. "Our goal is to maximize the state’s investment in stem cell research by establishing an infrastructure to support scientists in their quest of turning discoveries at the bench into therapies for diseases such as autism and cancer and to advance the field of regenerative medicine," says Dr. Marc Lalande, senior associate dean for research planning and coordination at the UConn Health Center and director of UConn’s Stem Cell Institute, as well as professor and chairman of the medical school’s genetics and developmental biology department (more).

Merrill Singer, a professor of anthropology with a duel appointment in the UConn department of anthropology and the UConn Center for Health, Intervention, and Prevention, seeks to find community-based solutions to acute public health issues. His latest book, The War Machine and Global Health (edited by Singer and G. Derrick Hodge, AltaMira Press, 2010), brings together chapters by anthropologists working on the numerous and often overlooked health consequences of war and the global arms industry (more).

Two graduate students at the UConn School of Pharmacy were recently recognized their research by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), which awards fellowships each year. Kristyn Greco and Archana Rawat were among six recipients nationally awarded fellowships this year by USP (more).

Dr. Robert Fuller, head of emergency medicine at UConn Health Center, recently returned from Haiti after spending two weeks in Port-au-Prince providing emergency medical care to earthquake survivors (more).

Research by UConn Health Center scientists suggests that a common oral bacterium may exacerbate autoimmune disease. The findings are by Dr. Robert B. Clark, associate professor of immunology, and Dr. Frank Nichols, professor of periodontology (more).

Researchers with the UConn/Hartford Hospital Evidence-based Practice Center recently took a closer look at five popular dietary supplements and found mixed results in regards to their health benefits (more).

With a grant from the National Science Foundation, Spencer Nyholm, assistant professor of molecular and cell biology at UConn's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, is conducting research on the beneficial symbiosis that occurs when the bacterium Vibrio fisheri lives in the Hawaiian bobtail squid. His findings may have implications for the role of bacteria in the guts of humans and other mammals (more).

Avon residents Richard and Jane Lublin have made a major gift to support a cancer researcher and clinician at the UConn Health Center who provided hope, optimism, and encouragement through Mrs. Lublin’s struggle with cancer. Honored was Dr. Upendra Hegde of the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center (more).

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

A Yale research team led by Nobel laureate Thomas A. Steitz has discovered how a family of tuberculosis-fighting antibiotics combats the deadly disease, a finding that may lead to new ways to combat a dangerous emerging drug-resistant form of TB. The Yale team hopes that by finding exactly how current antibiotics block activity within the TB ribosome, scientists could design new drugs to combat resistant forms of the disease.

Yale University said that Faculty at Yale have been awarded over 280 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act research awards with a value of $121 million since February 2009, when the federal stimulus package was signed into law. ARRA was intended to reinvigorate the economy and lay the foundation for long-term economic growth by increasing investments in infrastructure, education, the environment and scientific research.

A Yale School of Medicine neuroscientist investigating how viruses can be used to attack brain cancers has developed a new method to generate novel, color-coded proteins that can be used by researchers investigating cures for a host of diseases. The scientist is Anthony N. van den Pol, professor of neurosurgery.

Yale University scientists have streamlined the process for synthesizing a family of compounds with the potential to kill cancer and other diseased cells, and have found that they represent a unique category of anti-cancer agents. “By shortening the synthesis we can now prepare these molecules in the quantities required for further studies, including animal studies and even clinical trials,” said Seth Herzon, assistant professor of chemistry at Yale.

Stress induces signals that cause cells to develop into tumors, Yale researchers have discovered. The Yale team, led by Tian Xu, professor and vice chairman of genetics and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, illustrated that cancer-causing mutations can cooperate to promote tumor development even when they are located in different cells within a tissue.

Providing insight into why the influenza virus can lead to dangerous bacterial infections such as bronchitis or pneumonia, a Yale School of Medicine study reveals that the flu causes a systemic suppression of the body’s innate immune response. Lead author is Ruslan Medzhitov, Ph.D., professor of immunobiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.

A new study provides new understanding of the mechanisms that underlie how tissue engineered vascular grafts work. Lead author is Toshiharu Shinoka, M.D., Ph.D., now of the Yale School of Medicine.

A new study reveals that the high prevalence of the hepatitis C virus among injection drug users may be partly due to the resilience of the virus in certain types of syringes. Lead author is  Elijah Paintsil, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics and pharmacology at Yale School of Medicine.

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have developed a simple urine test to rapidly predict and diagnose preeclampsia, a common, but serious hypertensive complication of pregnancy. "There is a critical need in the developing world for low-cost diagnostics for preeclampsia," said lead researcher Irina Buhimschi, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine.

Using ultrasound to screen all pregnant women for signs of a shortening cervix improves pregnancy outcomes and is a cost-effective way to reduce preterm birth, Yale School of Medicine researchers report. Erika Werner, M.D., clinical instructor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at Yale and her team developed a computer model to mimic the outcomes and costs that occur when women are screened routinely, compared to when no screening occurs.

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine believe they may have discovered how the hormone progesterone acts to prevent preterm birth. Errol Norwitz, M.D., professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at Yale, said, “We were able to demonstrate that progesterone prevents apoptosis in an artificial environment in the laboratory in which we stimulated healthy fetal membranes with pro-inflammatory mediators."

A Yale University-led team of researchers has demonstrated for the first time that variants in a gene responsible for regulating the body’s circadian rhythm may lead to breast cancer. According to the study’s principal investigator, Yong Zhu, Ph.D., associate professor of epidemiology and public health at Yale School of Medicine, "The next step will be to determine whether environmental factors, such as exposure to light at night, have the ability to induce epigenetic alterations, such as those we observed in the CLOCK promoter.  This would provide a specific mechanism by which environmental circadian disruption could influence breast cancer risk in women."

Our energy-hungry brains operate reliably and efficiently while processing a flood of sensory information, thanks to a sort of neuronal thermostat that regulates activity in the visual cortex, Yale researchers have found. Co-senior author of the study was David McCormick, the Dorys McConnell Duberg Professor of Neurobiology at Yale School of Medicine, researcher of the Kavli Institute of Neuroscience.

Yale University researchers have found more than two dozen scent receptors in malaria-transmitting mosquitoes that detect compounds in human sweat, a finding that may help scientists to develop new ways to combat a disease that kills 1 million people annually. “The world desperately needs new ways of controlling malaria mosquitoes, ways that are effective, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly,” said John Carlson, the Eugene Higgins Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at Yale.

Thanks to genetic data gleaned from the bones found in a several museum collections, an international team of researchers led by scientists from Yale believes it may be possible to resurrect a tortoise species hunted to extinction by whalers visiting the Galapagos Islands during the early 19th century. Over a few generations, a selective breeding program should be able to revive the C. elephantopus species, said Adalgisa Caccone, senior research scientist in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale.

Deciphering microscopic clues hidden within fossils, scientists have uncovered the vibrant colors that adorned a feathered dinosaur extinct for 150 million years. Co-author of a recent study was Richard O. Prum, chair and the William Robertson Coe Professor of Ornithology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale.

African-Americans who report experiencing racial discrimination have higher levels of a particular protein associated with cardiovascular disease and other health problems, a new study led by the Yale School of Public Health has found. Lead researcher was Tené Lewis, an assistant professor in the division of Chronic Disease Epidemiology.

Poor social support following heart attacks contributes to worsening health and symptoms of depression, particularly for women, a new study reveals. Senior author is Judith H. Lichtman, Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health.

African Americans are much less likely to receive surgical treatment at hospitals and from physicians who perform high volumes of specialized procedures, a new study has found. Lead author is Andrew J. Epstein, Ph.D., assistant professor at the Yale School of Public Health.

Supermarket food products are targeting young children more than ever, a Yale study finds. "The marketing of foods with low nutritional value to children in grocery stores should raise as much concern as it does on television or the Internet,” said Jennifer L. Harris, PhD, Director of Marketing Initiatives at the Rudd Center for Food Policy at Yale. The Center recently launched a new database intended to give policy makers, journalists, advocates, researchers and concerned citizens a single online destination for current information on government legislation pertaining to food policy and obesity issues, including access to healthy food, school initiatives, menu labeling, and sugar-sweetened beverage taxes.

For more member news, see the February 2010 issue of CURE News