Biologics market predicted to see 6.5% yearly growth in demand, spurred by new cancer and infectious disease therapies

Biologics market predicted to see 6.5% yearly growth in demand, spurred by new cancer and infectious disease therapies

The demand for biologics such as monoclonal antibodies and vaccines will continue to expand in the US during the next five years, according to predictions in a new industry report. The report, published by the Freedonia Group in Cleveland, Ohio, attributes the predicted annual 6.5 % growth in demand to advances in production technologies and an increasing number of novel disease targets. “The report analysis is consistent with what we see in market trends, but also in translational research trends,” says Terry Flotte, dean of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and acting head of MassBiologics, a University-associated nonprofit manufacturer  … Read more

New guidelines for early Alzheimer’s diagnoses found wanting

New guidelines for early Alzheimer’s diagnoses found wanting

Like with any neurodegenerative disorder, treating Alzheimer’s early is key to arresting the disease’s inevitable mental decline. But this is easier said than done. The earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease — before the symptoms of dementia become apparent — are vague and undefined, and neuroscientists remain divided about how best to characterize the distinct clinical phases of disease progression. In April, a working group formed by the US National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association (NIA-AA) revised the disease’s diagnostic criteria for the first time in 27 years to reflect latest findings about the asymptomatic phases of Alzheimer’s. The  … Read more

There’s no tiring of controversy in the XMRV–chronic fatigue syndrome link

There’s no tiring of controversy in the XMRV–chronic fatigue syndrome link

It’s been a hectic couple of weeks for Judy Mikovits. First, her controversial research on the viral cause of chronic fatigue syndrome was condemned by the journal that published it. Then, her alternative hypothesis — that a new gammaretrovirus closely related to the originally proposed culprit, xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV), is responsible for chronic fatigue — was received with misgivings by the scientific community at a major international conference. Add to the mix allegations of fabricated results and a blow-out with her boss, and Mikovits ended up being fired from her job at the Whittemore Peterson Institute (WPI)  … Read more

New mouse model for autism could open door to new drug testing

New mouse model for autism could open door to new drug testing

A new mouse model of autism created by scientists at the University of California-Los Angeles promises to mimic the disease more closely than previous animal models, according to a paper out today in the journal Cell. The mice possess the same mutation in the gene contactin associated protein-like 2 (CNTNAP2) seen in a small subset of people with autism. When individuals have two non-functioning versions of the gene, as found in two Amish families, they suffer a suite of symptoms such as epileptic seizures, language regression, hyperactivity and autism. The mice created by the UCLA team exhibit all of these  … Read more