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June 19, 2019 Comments (1) Views: 2299 Biotech, Biotech Briefing, Blog

Biotech Briefing: UC San Diego Celebrates a Year of Innovation

Plus: Metabolomics and Cancer Treatments

Reports + Research

UC San Diego Celebrates a Year of Innovation

UC San Diego announced a record number of commercial licenses and patents for the 2018-2019 academic year. One of those licenses went to Samsung to improve wireless communication (5G). UC San Diego also has spun-out several start-ups, including Cavogene. This biotech is developing gene therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

 

Metabolomics and Cancer Treatments

Scientists are using metabolomics in cancer to find biomarkers and new ways to inhibit cancer growth. UC San Diego professor, Dr. Shankar Subramaniam told GEN that metabolomics is a platform to detect cellular physiological changes, but researchers must be careful to separate correlative versus causal biomarkers. Dr. Andreas Huhmer of Thermo Fisher says metabolomics provides actionable information because “it allows the study of how organisms react to change which is more difficult to study using only genomics.” With FDA approval of two cancer drugs against metabolomic targets from Agios Pharmaceuticals, the space is one to watch.

 

Kura Oncology Reports Positive Phase 2 Clinical Trial Results

Kura’s lead drug candidate, tipifarnib, has shown positive results in a Phase 2 clinical trial for relapsed peripheral T cell lymphoma. The drug is a farnesyl transferase inhibitor, which is designed to indirectly inhibit the activity of Ras oncoproteins.  Mutant Ras proteins are detected in a third of cancers, but this cytosolic protein has been considered to be nearly undruggable. Recently, Amgen reported at ASCO encouraging Phase 1 clinical results of a KRAS inhibitor targeting a specific mutated form of the protein (G12C).

 

Read + Listen

POW: Podcast of the Week

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine chats with The Bio Report about their pipeline of regenerative medicine therapies.

 

It’s Happening Here

June 23-27:

DIA 2019 Global Annual Meeting will take place June 23rd to 27th at the San Diego Convention Center.  The meeting focuses on innovation for the development of safe and effective medical products and therapies.

June 26:

Osage University Partners will hold a webinar titled, “Venture Capital 101,” on June 26 from 12pm to 1:30pm.  For those that want to attend the session in-person, it will be held at UC San Diego Biomedical Research Facility 2.

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One Response to Biotech Briefing: UC San Diego Celebrates a Year of Innovation

  1. GIFT LEE says:

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