DNA

NovAliX, a CRO specialising in drug research and development, has partnered with Sanofi for the development of new DNA-Encoded Libraries (DELs), allowing the partners to design both general and focused chemical libraries, and carry out screening activities to identify new and useful chemical structures.  Why is this useful?  DEL technology can be used to support the drug […]

This is the latest episode of the free DDW podcast, “Building on current drug discovery methods”. It covers two narrated article written for Volume 22, Issue 2 – Spring 2021 of DDW and read aloud by Megan Thomas. The articles are called “The new synthesis: How synthetic DNA technology is changing drug discovery” and “In […]

Target class-specific libraries mean you need to screen less to identify high-quality antibodies. Aaron Sato, Chief Scientific Officer at Twist Bioscience, elaborates. Antibody developers are increasingly utilising antibody libraries to derive high-quality, drug-like biologics. However, only a few general-purpose libraries have been commercially available for drug discovery. As a result, most approved library-derived antibodies originate […]

Flerie Invest led a syndicate of investors in the $52 million acquisition of Cobra Biologics, Charles River Laboratories’ DNA and protein manufacturing subsidiary in Sweden. The new entity, NorthX Biologics, will take over and expand the facility, which is equipped to provide GMP-grade plasmid DNA and technical protein manufacture at commercial scale.   Ibrahim Baylan, the Swedish Minister for Business, […]

DNA Script has raised $165 million in a Series C financing led by Coatue Management and Catalio Capital Management, whose representatives have joined as board observers. The new funds will be used to accelerate expansion and commercialisation of the company’s SYNTAX Platform and broaden the portfolio of products powered by EDS.  DNA Script released the SYNTAX System in June 2020, a […]

As an expert in DNA-encoded chemical library (DEL) technology, X-Chem has set up a free-to-register, interactive virtual booth to display how it efficiently unlocks possibilities in small molecule drug discovery and development. The booth includes information about X-Chem, a video library, brochures and insert sheets on mechanical chemistry, as well as the opportunity to schedule […]

Scientists have identified a new class of targeted cancer drugs that offer the potential to treat patients whose tumours have faulty copies of the BRCA cancer genes. The drugs, known as POLQ inhibitors, specifically kill cancer cells with mutations in the BRCA genes while leaving healthy cells unharmed. Crucially, they can kill cancer cells that […]

Charles River has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Vigene Biosciences. The purchase price is expected to be US$292.5 million, subject to customary closing adjustments. The acquisition will enhance Charles River’s gene therapy capabilities in the high-growth, value-added cell and gene therapy CDMO sector. In addition to the initial purchase price, the transaction includes contingent […]

Listen to this article on the DDW Podcast: Now a key pillar in the early stages of therapeutics development, the limitations of introducing a DNA double strand break mean that workflows are broadening away from CRISPR–Cas as a gene knockout technology and towards platforms that enable genetic modulation and safer genetic alterations. Nicola McCarthy, Horizon Discovery, […]

Listen to this article on the DDW Podcast: Dr Tim Brears, CEO, Evonetix and Dr Raquel Sanches-Kuiper, Director of Biology, Evonetix explore applications of synthetic DNA in drug discovery and development, the benefits and limitations of current methods, and the opportunities offered by emerging DNA synthesis technologies. On 16 April 16, 1956, Arthur Kornberg and his […]

The biggest constraint in discovering new antibodies for immunotherapy is constructing the underlying DNA sequence, says Dr. Aaron Sato, CSO of Twist Bioscience. Inside the human body, the immune system generates antibodies that can target just about any foreign molecule. It does so through DNA recombination and somatic hypermutation – essentially, a genetic mix-and-match system […]

In a study by Yale Cancer Centre, researchers report on the discovery of a new role for STimulator of INterferon Genes, or STING. STING has traditionally been implicated in the immune response to DNA damage, however, in this study, the focus is on STING’s role in the tumour DNA damage response. The findings may lead […]

New research has uncovered an unexpected role for so-called “jumping” genes that are a source of genetic mutations responsible for many human diseases. In the new study from Children’s Medical Centre Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI), scientists discovered that these DNA sequences, also known as transposons, can protect against certain blood cancers. These findings, […]

Kancera, a company developing a new class of drugs for the treatment of inflammation and cancer, has reported preclinical research results, which show that the company’s Fractalkine blockers have the potential to disrupt cancer cells’ resistance to chemotherapy and thereby significantly improve the treatment of advanced cancer such as ovarian cancer. The disease affects over […]

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have found that blocking a specific protein could increase tumour sensitivity to treatment with PARP inhibitors. Their work published in Science suggests combining treatments could lead to improved therapy for patients with inheritable breast cancers. Some cancers, including certain breast, ovarian and prostate tumours, are caused by a fault […]

X-Chem, provider of DNA-Encoded Library (DEL)-based discovery services, has acquired IntelliSyn, a Montreal-based drug discovery services company and its US-based sister company, AviSyn. The transaction will enable the company to offer a complete, seamless solution for screening, hit validation and lead optimisation on existing and new markets. Financial details of the deal have not been […]