January | 2020 | Aspen Xchange

Camels Can Drink 30 Gallons of Water in Just 13 Minutes

Whose MFC would you recommend for the measurement and control of gas flow in a bioprocess?

While there are several MFCs out there to choose from, based on first hand experience from having evaluated many over the years, only two really stand out. They are the Brooks Instrument SLA 5800 and the Burkert 8700 series. If I had to ch

Methods of Replicating a Large Scale Eculizumab Production Cell Culture

A U.S. Patent for "Methods of Replicating a Large Scale Eculizumab Production Cell Culture" was awarded to Alexion on January 28th, 2020. The present invention is a method of replicating a large-scale

Piramal Pharma Investing $19 Million to Add API Manufacturing Capability at Site in Canada

CDMO Piramal Pharma Solutions has announced plans to expand its Aurora facility in Canada with the addition of a new state-of-the-art wing dedicated to manufacturing Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs). A total investment of $19 milli

‘Scrambled’ Cells Fix Themselves

Human cells have a defense mechanism that protects them from microbial attacks, a Canadian-led team of international researchers has discovered. When microbes enter our body, they liberate toxins that can damage cells by poking holes in th

UK Explains What Happens to SPCs and Patents After the Brexit Transition Period

With the official beginning of Brexit starting soon, the UK government this week offered further information on supplementary protection certificates (SPCs) in a post-Brexit world. The guidance explains how after the transition period that

Bioinformatic Identification of Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) Cold-Shock Genes and Biological Evidence of their Cold-Inducible Promoters

This study provides a list of cold-inducible genes and endogenous cold-inducible promoters of CHO cells. Transcriptome data before and after a temperature shift from 37 to 33 °C are analyzed to identify 94 cold-inducible genes, which are

Market Data to Benchmark Performance of Single-Use Systems (SUS)

The Bio-Process Systems Alliance (BPSA) has published a 20-page Market Data Report - A Data

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Re-Imagine the Future

1990 First McDonald’s Opens in Soviet Union

Sorrento Therapeutics Rejects $1 Billion Buyout Offer

Sorrento Therapeutics has rejected a $1.1 billion buyout offer, saying it significantly undervalues the company and is not in the best interest of shareholders. The company announced this week that its board of directors unanimously rebuff

2nd Study Finds US FDA Approving Drugs Faster But Based on Less Data and Weaker Evidence

In the second research report published this year investigators have found that the U.S. Food FDA is approving drugs faster than ever. Unfortunately, it appears that the agency is also approving those drugs on less data and weaker evidence

Vigene Biosciences Opens New Research Facility in Rockville, Maryland

Vigene Biosciences has opened its new research facility in Rockville, Maryland. The opening of a new laboratory at 5 Research Court - near Interstate-270's Shady Grove Road exit - significantly increases the biotech's Rockville footprint,

In 1959, USPS Delivery of Mail by Rocket Took Place for the First and Last Time. The USS Barbero, a Submarine, Fired an Unarmed Cruise Missile Carrying ~3,000 Pieces of Mail as its Payload

It took 22 minutes to travel 100 miles and arrive at Naval Auxiliary Air State in Mayport, where

Bioreactors and Uses Thereof

A U.S. Patent for "Bioreactors and Uses Thereof" was awarded to Biostage on January 28th, 2020. The present invention is a bioreactor comprising: vessel having side walls defi

Krystal Biotech Building $80M Biologics Manufacturing Facility in Pennsylvania

Krystal Biotech has broken ground on its new biologics manufacturing facility near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The 100,000 sq. ft. building in the Airport Corridor will be primarily used to make the company's gene therapy medicines for rare

Solving a Biological Puzzle: How Stress Causes Gray Hair

For a long time, anecdotes have connected stressful experiences with the phenomenon of hair graying. Now, for the first time, Harvard University scientists have discovered exactly how the process plays out: stress activates nerves that are

Would you be more likely to buy a streaming service that was less expensive but contained advertising content?

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How Your Personal Narrative Limits Your Future

1933 The Lone Ranger Debuts on Detroit Radio

Harvard’s Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology Arrested for Aiding China

The US Department of Justice has arrested a Harvard professor and two Chinese nationals in connection with aiding the Chinese government. Dr. Charles Lieber, 60, Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard Universi

US Congress Discussing Bipartisan Bill Encouraging Continuous Drug Manufacturing

The House Energy & Commerce Committee of the US Congress this week considered a bill, supported by members on both sides of the aisle, that focuses on encouraging continuous drug manufacturing. As currently written, the bill, known as

Spring Bank Pharma Stops Hepatitis Drug Development After Patient Dies During Trial

Shares of Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals plummeted 26% this week after the company said it would end the development of an experimental drug to treat chronic hepatitis B virus, following the death of a patient in a mid-stage trial. The drug d

In a New Study, Researchers Found that the Human Nose has Roughly 400 Scent Receptors that Can Detect at Least 1 Trillion Different Odors

Method of Cell Culture

A U.S. Patent for a "Method of Cell Culture" was awarded to Pfizer on January 28th, 2020. The present invention isa method of cell culture comprising (i) providing cells in a cell culture medium to st

Merck KGaA Investing $275 Million to Build Biotech Center in Switzerland

Merck KGaA has announced an investment of $275 million (€250 million) in a new facility in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland - the Merck Biotech Development Center - dedicated to biotech development and manufacturing. Located near Merck's c

Nanoparticle Chomps Away Plaques that Cause Heart Attacks

Michigan State University and Stanford University scientists have invented a nanoparticle that eats away -- from the inside out -- portions of plaques that cause heart attacks. The results, published in the current issue of Nature Nanotec

FDA Finalizes 6 Gene Therapy Guidances, Unveils a New Draft

The US FDA this week finalized six guidance documents on gene therapy development and released a new draft guidance on interpreting the sameness of gene therapies under the orphan drug regulations. The guidance release comes as more than 9

Protein Analyzer

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The Future of Our Coastal Systems

1845 “The Raven” is Published

Horizon Therapeutics Purchasing 70 Acre Campus Formerly Home to Takeda

Horizon Therapeutics is set to buy the massive 70-acre campus formerly occupied by Takeda Pharmaceuticals. The Deerfield, Illinois property, which runs along the Tri-State Tollway, totals 660,000 square feet and includes three interconnect

Report Analyzes CMO Pricing, Forecasts Average Increases Over Next Two Years

A recently published report from HighTech Business Decisions titled "Biopharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing: Best Practices Pricing Study 2019" expects increased prices over the next two years, but at rates slightly lower than histori

Allergan Opens $160 Million Biologics Manufacturing Facility, R&D Center in Ireland

Allergan officially opened its new $160 million (€145m) biologics manufacturing facility in Westport, Ireland this week. The site is designed to provide increased production capacity for Botox and facilitate development of a new generati

Poison Dart Frogs Derive Their Toxicity from Eating Poisonous Ants and Termites in the Wild

Tangential Flow Depth Filtration Systems and Methods of Filtration Using Same

A U.S. Patent for "Tangential Flow Depth Filtration Systems and Methods of Filtration Using Same" was awarded to Repligen on January 21st, 2020. The present invention is a bi

World’s Largest CDMO for Cell and Gene Therapy Being Established in Pennsylvania

The Center for Breakthrough Medicines, a newly formed CDMO whose mandate is to facilitate patient access to critically needed cell and gene therapies, has signed a long-term lease for 680,000 square feet at The Discovery Labs site in King

New Gene Correction Therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

An interdisciplinary Munich research team led by scientists from TUM has for the first time succeeded in correcting the mutated dystrophin gene in living pigs. In order to cut the defective gene sequence from the DNA of the animals' muscle

FTC, New York Sue Vyera Pharma Over Blocking Daraprim Generics

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and New York Attorney General this week filed a lawsuit against Vyera Pharmaceuticals, which was previously known as Turing and was run by the infamous "Pharma Bro" Martin Shkreli. The FTC and New York la

Dissolved CO2 in Upstream Bioprocessing

On-Demand Webinar

Accumulation of CO2 in fermentation and cell cultures can become a significant problem affecting productivity and product quality of rec

Using Digital MFC Capabilities to Improve Bioprocessing Results

In today's state-of-the-art bioprocessing systems, one of the most

Have you ever cried while watching a movie?

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Mass Extinctions and the Future of Life on Earth

1997 Afrikaner Police Admit to Killing Stephen Biko

Concerns Grow That Coronavirus in China Could Threaten BioPharma Supply Chain

Amid reports of the ongoing spread of the coronavirus, and associated closures of entire cities by the Chinese government, some have expressed their concern for the continued reliability of the global supply chain on which biopharma relies

Allergan Offloads Two Drugs to Secure Approval of Merger With AbbVie

Allergan is selling off an experimental drug and a commercialized product in order to address antitrust concerns expressed by the European Commission earlier this month. This comes as regulators are reviewing the company's $63 billion acqu

Merck KGaA Investing $275 Million to Build Biotech Center in Switzerland

Merck KGaA has announced an investment of $275 million (€250 million) in a new facility in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland - the Merck Biotech Development Center - dedicated to biotech development and manufacturing. Located near Merck's c

Whitepaper: Using Digital MFC Capabilities to Improve Bioprocessing Results

Biomanufacturing relies on numerous pieces of equipment working in concert to produce life-altering therapeutics. The equipment relies on various subsystems to achieve the desired results. In a bioreactor, one of the most essential s

The Servant of Philon was an Ancient Greek Humanoid Figure Capable of Automatically Filling a Wine Cup when Placed in its Hand

Port and Related Container System

A U.S. Patent for a "Port and Related Container System" was awarded to Thermo Fisher on January 21st, 2020. The present invention is a container system that includes a flexible bag

Gilead Claims Truvada Patents in HHS’ Complaint are Invalid

Alert readers will recall that late last year the US Department of Health and Human Services took the rare step of filing a complaint against Gilead for infringing on government-owned patents related to the HIV drug Truvada. Now Gilead has

Can two people remain friends after a breakup or divorce?

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The Age of Genetic Wonder

1970 John Lennon Writes and Records “Instant Karma” in a Single Day

World’s Largest CDMO for Cell and Gene Therapy Being Established in Pennsylvania

The Center for Breakthrough Medicines, a newly formed CDMO whose mandate is to facilitate patient access to critically needed cell and gene therapies, has signed a long-term lease for 680,000 square feet at The Discovery Labs site in King

First of its Kind “Universal” Immune Cell Cancer Therapy

Findings published in Nature Immunology this week, show potential in using our body's immune system to treat all cancers. Researchers from Cardiff University have found a way of killing cancers that range from prostate, lung and br

Pfizer Launches Biosimilars to Roche’s ‘Big Three’ Cancer Drugs in US

Pfizer has announced the launch of its competitors to Roche's 'big three' cancer drugs in the US, at a "substantially discounted price" compared with the originators. The launches put further pressure on Roche's Herceptin, Rituxan and Avas

GE Healthcare Life Sciences Plans New Manufacturing Facility in Switzerland

GE Healthcare Life Sciences is building a new 79,000 sq. ft. (7,360 sqm) facility in Grens, Switzerland. The site, located in the new Signy Park will be equipped for the manufacture of single-use kits for the Sepax and Sefia cell pro

Oncology Loses Top Spot for BioPharma Investment After 6 Year Run

For the first time since 2013, Series A oncology investments fell out of first place, receiving $835 million in 40 investment rounds. Taking the lead were platform companies, which are typically preclinical and don't have a lead asset, but

Lewis Fry Richardson, Considered the Father of Modern Weather Forecasting, Derived Many of the Complex Equations Needed for Weather Prediction in the 1920’s

At a recent conference I heard the term Dynamic Dialysis used in reference to increasing the efficiency of purification. Do you know where I can find more information about this approach?

If the "Dynamic Dialysis" I'm thinking of is the same one you heard about at the conference, then it is actually a combination product and process. The trade name is SpectraFlo and it is available from Repligen. The leading feature of this

Method for Improving the Stability of Purified Factor VIII After Reconstitution

A U.S. Patent for a "Method for Improving the Stability of Purified Factor VIII After Reconstitution" was awarded to CSL on January 21st, 2020. The present invention relates to a method for increasin

AstraZeneca to Invest $500+ Million in France Over 5 Years

AstraZeneca has announced plans for a five-year, $500 million investment in France. The details of the investment includes $230 million to finance the expansion and modernization of the company's development and manufacturing site in Dunki

Two-Drug Combo Halts the Growth of Cancer Cells

UT Southwestern Simmons Cancer Center researchers have discovered a two-drug combo that halts the growth of cancer cells that carry HER2 mutations. The findings were prompted by the observation that, after an initial response, patients wit

Scathing Rejection Letter from the FDA Raises Concerns About Future of Sarepta’s Next Drug

New details on the US FDA's tussle with Sarepta over the approval of golodirsen, a drug that treats Duchenne muscular dystrophy, are raising worries over the fate of another drug for the same disease that Sarepta is seeking approval for. A

Effects of Titanium Contamination Caused by Iron-Free High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Systems on Peak Shape and Retention of Drugs with Chelating Properties

Iron-free HPLC systems, better known as biocompatible systems, are generally regarded to be chemically more inert compared to conventional HPLC systems. In this work, we studied the chromatographic behavior of some classes of compounds of