Pharmaceuticals Search Engine [selected websites]

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Ariana : new KEM multi-objective data analysis and decision support software with enhanced chemical structure analysis and predictive capabilities

Paris, France. March 12th, 2008 – Paris based Ariana Pharma announced that it has released a new version of its multi-objective dat analysis and decision support software KEM®, bringing enhanced 2D visualization capabilities for identifying relations that link chemical structural features with multiple end points. In addition, the learning and prediction processes have been streamlined into a dedicated KEM Predict module for accurate prediction of end points. KEM is now also available through a command line interface, readily allowing the integration with a large variety of platforms.
The new release of KEM® fully supports visualization of SMILES descriptors. Enhanced filtering capacities include substructure searches. Complex relations identified by KEM can be easily exported to a variety of formats including PDF. Improved molecular table include new tools for easy selection of molecules...
... About Ariana Pharma
Ariana™ Pharma delivers pioneering multi objectives decision support tools to dramatically accelerate and improve the discovery, development and safety of pharmaceutical products. Its KEM® knowledge extraction and management platform comprehensively mines data, including data other systems neglect, and helps scientists take simultaneous decisions involving multiple criteria and objectives. The Company has established a rapidly growing software business through collaboration and licensing agreements with some of the largest pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Ariana was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Paris, France... [PDF] Ariana Pharma's Press Release -

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Biocortech Issued Key US Patent for a Small-Molecule Antidepressant

Paris, March 10, 2008 - Biocortech announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has approved the issuance of a patent for a family of compounds, including BC-22, under development for the treatment of depression. The patent (Application No 11/581,950) was filed on Oct 13, 2006, and is titled, "Derivatives of 14,15-dihydro 20,21-dinoreburnamenin-14-ol, and applications thereof".

Clinical depression affects more than 20 million American adults each year. Although available antidepressant medications are effective for a large segment of the population with depression, symptoms may continue despite multiple treatment strategies in 10 to 30 percent of those patients. In addition, current treatment strategies also face other issues, such as delayed onset, dose-limiting side effects, and tolerance/dependence. Thus, there is a clear need for novel depression treatments...
...About Biocortech
Biocortech is a biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery and development of novel biomarkers and treatments for psychiatric disorders. Biocortech has proprietary assays and technologies to identify biomarkers and develop compounds that can safely and effectively identify and treat diseases such as depression, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia and cognitive deficits. Biocortech has a strong clinical advisory group and drug development capabilities, enabling us to move diagnostic platforms and drugs into humans quickly and efficiently. Biocortech is based in Paris, France... Biocortech's Press Release -

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Cellectis : publication of a paper entitled "Computer design of obligate heterodimer meganucleases allows efficient cutting of custom DNA sequences"..

April 22nd 2008 - Cellectis SA, the rational genome engineering company specializing in the production of meganuclease recombination systems and in meganuclease engineering, announced the publication of a new paper in the high-profile Nucleic Acids Research journal (Fajardo-Sanchez et al., Computer design of obligat heterodimer meganucleases allows efficient cutting of custom DNA sequences, Nucleic Acids Res. 2008, Feb. 14th [Epub ahead of print])...
... In this study, researcher from CRG modified two engineered meganucleases from Cellectis’ collection, in order to improve their specificity. Most engineered meganucleases so far are heterodimers derived from the dimeric I-CreI protein. Heterodimer formation is obtained by coexpression of two monomers in the targeted cell, and is actually associated with the formation of two homodimers recognizing different targets. This results in a loss of specificity, which can be solved only by the suppression of homodimer formation. To address this problem, CRG researchers have modified the protein-protein interface of the two proteins in order to abolish homodimerisation. This design could in principle be applied to every and any heterodimer produced by Cellectis... [PDF] Cellectis' Press Release - PDF du Communiqué de Presse de Cellectis -