Don't miss out on the latest business and technology news for chemical engineers, featuring select items in relation to Food, Pharmaceuticals & Bioengineering!
4 life sciences startups launch IPOs
Life sciences startups had a big day of initial public offerings on Wednesday. The genome sequencing and analysis platform Personalis raised $134 million; biotech Akero Therapeutics raised about $92 million; gene therapy developer Prevail Therapeutics raised $125 million; and immune therapy developer Atreca raised $113.8 million.
Pfizer acquisition suggests more deals on the horizon
Pfizer announced Monday that it plans to purchase oncology drug manufacturer Array BioPharma for $11.4 billion, and the news sent shares of other companies in the cancer therapeutics space higher. The move indicates more deals will be forthcoming, according to Jefferies strategist Jared Holz.
Molecular mechanism in bacteria to boost biofuel production
Scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Joint BioEnergy Institute identified a molecular mechanism in bacteria that can be manipulated to promote imidazolium ionic liquid tolerance, boosting the biofuel and biochemical production processes. Two of the four bacillus strains used in the study were found to withstand high levels of two IILs.
Lingrove develops sustainable wood alternative
San Francisco startup Lingrove has developed a biomaterial that uses flax fiber with a cashew-based bioresin to substitute for wood. Ekoa is flame-resistant, lighter than carbon fiber, stiffer than aerospace-grade fiberglass and costs less than premium wood, according to the company.
FDA OKs drug to boost sexual desire in premenopausal women
The FDA has approved Vyleesi, a treatment developed by Amag Pharmaceuticals and Palatin Technologies to restore sexual desire in premenopausal women. Amag will give Palatin $60 million for the regulatory approval and additional payments for milestones and royalties.
CAR-T therapy shows efficacy in tough-to-treat multiple myeloma
CT103A, a chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy being co-developed by Innovent Biologics and Nanjing IASO Biotherapeutics, induced strong anti-cancer responses in individuals with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, along with patients who previously received CAR T-cell therapy and relapsed. Data were presented during the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and in Amsterdam at the 24th Congress of the European Hematology Association.
Breakthrough drug may benefit children with achondroplasia
Youths with achondroplasia who received increasing subcutaneous doses of the new drug vosoritide daily had a 50% faster growth rate on average than at baseline and height improvements were sustained after nearly four years, Australian researchers reported in The New England Journal of Medicine. The findings also showed that vosoritide had mostly mild side effects, didn't adversely affect body proportion and didn't speed up overall bone age, indicating that it may boost final height in adulthood.
Speed-breeding crops could help feed world's growing population
Researchers are developing techniques to speed up plant breeding to develop new drought- and disease-resistant crops that can feed the world's ever-growing population. "What we're really talking about here is creating plant factories on a massive scale," said Lee Hickey, author of a study published in Nature Biotechnology.
Researchers use social media to recruit gene study participants
The University of Michigan's Genes for Good project has engaged more than 80,000 Facebook users and collected some 27,000 saliva samples for genetic testing, as well as surveys from a diverse cohort. The researchers have been able to replicate findings from other studies, such as genetic and phenotypical associations with types 1 and 2 diabetes, says Katharine Brieger, first author of the study, published in The American Journal of Human Genetics.
Corn-based plastic research awarded $460K
The University of Minnesota's Center for Sustainable Polymers has been awarded a $460,000 grant from the Minnesota Corn Growers Association to develop more durable corn-based plastics. Researchers will focus on creating plastics that can break down quickly but have the toughness of traditional plastics.
Clariant, Elevance develop plant-based emollients
Clariant and Elevance Renewable Sciences have successfully produced high-performing, plant-based emollients that can replace silicones in personal care products. "Thanks to the versatility of the process, we will deliver a new generation of emollients that are more respectful to the environment, while still maintaining a high degree of functionality," says Clariant's Ralf Zerrer.
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