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CSL Behring joins pandemic R&D fight with antibody work

Australia’s largest biotech company CSL says it is working on a plasma-based therapy for patients with more severe forms of COVID-19.




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COVID-19: Lilly ramps up to beat the virus with neutralizing antibodies as scientists raise worries

Eli Lilly has teamed with China’s Junshi Biosciences in the U.S., marking the company's second COVID-19 pact to develop neutralizing antibodies against the virus. It promises to be a faster approach than designing a new small-molecule drug would be, but getting from idea to an effective product may not be so simple.




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FDA delays decision on approval of Bristol Myers' CAR-T

The FDA has delayed its decision on whether to approve Bristol Myers Squibb’s CAR-T cell therapy by three months. Bristol Myers attributed the delay to its submission of additional information upon the request of the FDA.




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Janssen promotes R&D exec into newfound data science role

Following in the footsteps of an increasing number of biopharmas that want to use data to get more bang for their buck in R&D, J&J has promoted Najat Khan, Ph.D., to the role of chief data science officer.




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Could Sanofi and Regeneron's Dupixent also treat age-related macular degeneration?

Sanofi and Regeneron’s Dupixent has become a popular treatment for atopic dermatitis and asthma. Now, a research team in Japan has discovered that IL-4 and its receptor—which Dupixent inhibits—could be promising targets for treating the eye disease age-related macular degeneration.




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PTC Therapeutics nabs 'phase 3 ready' biotech Censa for just $10M upfront plus stock

PTC Therapeutics is adding to its rare disease pipeline with a midstage biotech buyout with a low upfront payment tied in with stock and biobucks.




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Moderna eyes 'early summer' start for phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial

Moderna is finalizing the protocol for a phase 3 trial of its COVID-19 vaccine with a view to starting the study early in the summer. The establishment of the timeline, which follows FDA clearance to run a phase 2 trial, puts Moderna on track to win approval for its mRNA vaccine mRNA-1273 next year.




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GSK taps experimental arthritis antibody to calm the cytokine storm hitting COVID-19 patients

GlaxoSmithKline is hard at work with partner Sanofi in getting a vaccine tested for COVID-19, but this morning it said it was now also entering the race to treat patients already hit with the disease.




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Chutes & Ladders—Johnson & Johnson elevates Khan to data science officer role

Johnson & Johnson taps Khan for chief data role; Icon poaches AstraZeneca vet Buck as CMO; Intellia signs on Lebwohl as CMO.




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After Alexion buyout, ex-Achillion nephrology lead jumps ship to Gemini Therapeutics

Just a few months after Alexion snapped up complement inhibitor biotech Achillion, Gemini Therapeutics has nabbed one of its key R&D execs as its new chief medical officer.




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Sorrento ventures into COVID-19 with Mount Sinai antibody pact

Sorrento Therapeutics is jumping into the race to develop therapies against COVID-19, teaming up with Mount Sinai to develop a cocktail of antibodies from the blood of 15,000 recovered patients. The company's scientists believe their multipronged therapy will sidestep risks such as treatment resistance.




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Fortress joins KRAS race through Columbia University deal

Fortress Biotech has licensed a treatment for KRAS-driven cancers from Columbia University. Sticking to its blueprint, Fortress has set up a new biotech, Oncogenuity, to advance the preclinical asset and work to generate more oligonucleotides from the underlying platform.




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Orchard Therapeutics cuts 25% of staffers, rethinks pipeline, closes California site

Tough times at Orchard Therapeutics as it swings the ax across staffers and facilities, phases in new pipeline advances and reduces interest in others.




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What’s driving sports nutrition segmentation?

A new report out by Innova Market Insights has identified several new trends that are driving sports nutrition.




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Essential oils marketers added to list of coronavirus claims offenders

Some producers of essential oils have thrown their hats into the coronavirus claims ring, according to recent warning letters from the US Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission.




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No difference found in caffeine's effects on exercise power among 'fast' or 'slow' metabolizers

A recent study looking at the effects of caffeine on brief, high intensity exercise found the substance improved performance, regardless of genetic variations in how subjects metabolized caffeine.




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UNPA’s Israelsen: ‘We’ve had a good six weeks, but consumers have used some of their last spending power to buy supplements’

While dietary supplement sales have surged in recent months, the extent of the economic damage caused by the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 could lead to some very tough quarters as families and businesses start to run out of money.




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BENEO president: ‘We have seen higher and more volatile demand during the pandemic’

From fewer containers and reduced shift work at harbors to delays in planned maintenance in factories, the coronavirus pandemic is impacting global supply chains in myriad ways. FoodNavigator-USA (FNU) caught up with Jon Peters (JP), president at Beneo, a leading supplier of chicory root fiber, rice ingredients, and the specialty low-GI carbs Isomalt and Palatinose, to find out more.




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Despite sales bump, brands that are not preparing for stormy seas ahead could struggle, consultant says

The dietary supplement industry as a whole is enjoying booming sales as consumer stock up on products to support optimum health. But an industry strategist warns that that sales bump is likely to be ephemeral, and brands that are not strategizing vigorously now may be caught out in the near future.




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‘Overwhelming evidence’ supports Vitamin D’s immune function benefits

There is an âindisputable relation between vitamin D and the immune systemâ, says a new review that shows that avoiding vitamin D deficiency has clear benefits for immune health.




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Surge in screen time has led to jump in sales, says eye supplement president

With social distancing in full effect, families have not only found themselves with a lot more time together, but a lot more time in front of their screens.




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Study: Potato protein a winner for women

The recommended daily allowance of protein may be inadequate to support maintenance of muscle in young women and eating protein from the humble potato can help to maintain muscle, according to research from McMaster University funded by the Alliance for Potato Research & Education.




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Probiotic combination boosts amino acid absorption from plant protein: RCT

A novel combination of two Lactobacillus paracasei strains may increase absorption of key amino acids in plant proteins, according to a new placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, multicenter, crossover study.




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Casein-encapsulated calcium eases GI concerns, study finds

Researchers working with a group of postmenopausal women found that a technology using casein to encapsulate calcium nanoparticles reduced GI issues compared with more conventional calcium carbonate or calcium citrate supplements.




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Persona CEO Jason Brown on state of personalized nutrition

Consumers arenât just looking for custom-made approaches any more, theyâre expecting it. As technology advances, more companies are offering custom nutritional solutions.




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Personalized Nutrition: New research highlights value society places on genetic testing

The results provide priceless information on ancestry and predispositions to various illnesses.




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CRN’s Mister: ‘This could be a sea change for the industry as consumers take more interest in their health’

Consumers are turning to dietary supplements in record numbers, but the industry must deliver on the results the products are promising if the industry is to convert them to long term customers, says Steve Mister.




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Herbal ingredient supplier benefits from incontinence product supply problems

The unpredictable spikes in demand that are distorting the supply chain in the current crisis has created another opportunity, in this case for herbal ingredients that help adults deal with urinary incontinence issues.




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NutraCast Podcast: Michelle Ricker on biohacking

Youâve likely heard of life hacks, which are tricks or shortcuts that help you be more efficient in life. You may or may not have heard of biohacks. But chances are, youâve already tried some without even knowing it. You might even be biohacking right nowâ




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Bifido probiotic may enhance effects of exercise and boost training results: Study

Combining exercise with a bacterial strain isolated from an Olympic weightlifting gold medalist may synergistically increase endurance compared to training or the probiotic alone, suggests data from a mouse study.




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Experts lay out post-pandemic retailing strategies

Marketing experts recommend that brands formulate a strategy to be as nimble as possible to deal with the as yet unknown changes to the supplement marketplace in the post pandemic world. A greater online capability is seen as one of key parts of that toolkit.




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How Could Science #BreaktheInternet?

I saw the Breakthrough Prizes announced this weekend and was excited to learn about the interesting scientists on the list, including Jennifer Doudna who many of us in life science recognize for her CRISPR/Cas9 work. I’ll start out saying that I am glad to see a group of such influential people (Sergey Brin and Anne Wojcicki, Mark

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Supporting Biotech Development in Madison

As part of our follow up to our recent Biotech in Wisconsin Meetup about professional development skills, we are asking folks to fill out this poll.




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We All Need a Risk Framework

I recently read “The Most Important Thing Illuminated: Uncommon Sense for the Thoughtful Investor” by Howard Marks, Chairman and cofounder of Oaktree Capital Management. While I’m not an investor, Juan Serrate (@JPZaragoza1) brought the book to my attention during a Twittersation about risk. In my job developing a discovery into an actual drug, I think

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Case Study: When does “technology” turn into medical device

This semester I’ve embarked on an adventure to co-teach a class in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Masters in Biotechnology program. What sold me on the experience was the majority of my responsibility is interacting with second year students on their final major project (essentially their thesis). That said, I will give one lecture, which will be “health

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Precision in Oncology: Using the Macro and Micro

Last week, the New York Times had a nice piece “A Faster Way to Try Many Drugs on Many Cancers” on basket clinical trials, which matches patients to a therapy based on the genetics of their tumor as opposed to the site of their primary tumor. This type of trial feeds into the current excitement about precision

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#MHVF Approaches to Drug Development

Today I had the chance for a panel conversation with Geeta Vemuri from Baxter Ventures and Ed Silverman from Pharmalot blog (Wall Street Journal) at the Midwest Healthcare Venture Forum. Our general topic was how we (an entrepreneur and a corporate venture capitalist) look at bringing drugs/devices to market. Here are a couple of takeaways from our

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Blood: Underappreciated Resource in the Health/Disease?

Alternative title: Pitching a VC on Disruption of Blood Testing You may have seen some recent editorials about the necessary frequency of blood tests for healthy individuals, many of them prompted by a series of tweets from Mark Cuban: Although there are certainly potential dangers in expecting any and all test results to be immediately

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The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Pharma Day*

A challenge You are passionate about providing an intervention (drug or device) to a group of patients who can’t access the current options due to availability or pricing. You could could go the philanthropic route to pay for the interventions. You could work towards regulation to apply downward pressure on pricing. No matter what, you have to

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Some Questions On The Future Of The Coronavirus Vaccine, Answered

Scientists work tirelessly to find a coronavirus vaccine. But there are some questions to answer: How soon a viable vaccine would be developed? Would billions of people worldwide be able to to get it?




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V-E Day: Europe Celebrates A Subdued 75th Anniversary During COVID-19 Pandemic

"Today, 75 years later, we are forced to commemorate alone, but we are not alone!" Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier says, celebrating international unity in the post-war era.




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Google Says Most Of Its Employees Will Likely Work Remotely Through End of Year

The tech giant announces it is extending its previous work-from-home plans for most of its staff and will begin reopening offices this summer.




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Seen 'Plandemic'? We Take A Close Look At The Viral Conspiracy Video's Claims

The video has been viewed millions of times on YouTube via links that are replaced as quickly as the video-sharing service can remove them for violating its policy against "COVID-19 misinformation."




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Coronavirus FAQs: Do Temperature Screenings Help? Can Mosquitoes Spread It?

And as summer nears, the question must be asked: Is it risky from a COVID-19 standpoint to go in a swimming pool?




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Haitian Doctor Says This Is The Worst Epidemic He's Faced

A major health agency fears a humanitarian crisis. Migrant workers are returning home from the hard-hit Dominican Republic. Medical equipment is in short supply. And social distancing is improbable.




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What Happened Today: Health Care System Crumbles, Testing Questions

Marc Lipsitch, a professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, answers questions about access to testing for COVID-19, false-negative results and the challenges of mass testing.




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Public Health Experts Say Many States Are Opening Too Soon To Do So Safely

By Monday at least 31 states will be open or partially open. This as President Trump pushed for the country to get back to work despite public health experts warning that it's too soon.




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COMIC: Hospitals Turn To Alicia Keys, U2 And The Beatles To Sing Patients Home

Call them victory anthems. Every time a patient with COVID-19 is well enough to be discharged, hospitals in New York and elsewhere play songs of celebration over the intercom. A doctor explains.




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Reopening After COVID: The 3 Phases Recommended By The White House

President Trump wants businesses to start reopening after the coronavirus forced shutdowns. Here's what the White House task force recommends for states.




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Anti-Vaccination Activists Join Stay-At-Home Order Protesters

Among those rallying against state shutdown orders are anti-vaccination activists. They see these protests as a way to form political alliances that promote their movement.