Biotechnology news from around the world.
- Amgen forecasts strong 2003
- Applied Biosystems and Celera Genomics to market HIV detection system
- Belgian Senate passes embryo research bill
- Biotec Laboratories gives out free TB tests in London
- Chinese Government sets up stem cell bank
- DuPont releases proprietary wheat genome data
- EU Ministers agree on GMO labelling and tracing
- Neurochem gets C$8.15m for Alzheimer research
- Philip Morris and North Carolina State University to map tobacco genome
- ProdiGene settles soybean contamination allegations
- Stanford University to target stem cells with new Institute
- UK Government to provide £40m for stem cell research
- US considers WTO action against EU over GM freeze
- US to create a vaccine trial fund
Amgen forecasts strong 2003
12 December – The world's largest biotechnology company, Amgen Inc, expects its profits to rise significantly in 2003 due to strong anaemia and cancer drug sales. Amgen anticipates that its 2003 earnings will be in the order of US$1.70 to US$1.80 per share. Total revenue is likely to be between US$7.3bn and US$7.8bn. According to Thomson First Call, analysts had previously predicted 2003 earning of US$1.65 per share, based on total revenue of US$7.1bn. Amgen Chairman and CEO Mr Kevin Sharer says Amgen is positioned for an extremely strong year in 2003.
[Source: Company Announcement]
Applied Biosystems and Celera Genomics to market HIV detection system
11 December – US regulators have approved a gene-based system for detecting HIV virus resistance which will be produced by Celera Diagnostics, a joint venture of Applied Biosystems Group and its related company, Celera Genomics Group. ViroSeq HIV-1 detects mutations in the genome of a particular type of the HIV virus which cause HIV patients to become resistant to drugs.
[Source: Reuters]
Belgian Senate passes embryo research bill
6 December – The Belgian Senate has voted 39 to 17 in favour of allowing human embryos to be created for medical research. There were eight abstentions from the vote. The bill allows embryo research for the purpose of prevention and treatment of diseases. In vitro embryos may only be created where research cannot be conducted on spare IVF embryos. Research targeted at reproductive cloning or gender selection is banned.
[Source: The Life Science Network; Royal Society NZ Science News]
Biotec Laboratories gives out free TB tests in London
6 December – British biotechnology firm Biotec Laboratories will give away tuberculosis tests to health professionals as tuberculosis hits London. Rates of the disease in some parts of London are said to be ten times the western European average. Biotec Laboratories usually sells its low-cost tuberculosis tests to developing countries. The company says it is concerned that expensive traditional diagnostic methods are allowing tuberculosis to establish itself in Britain once more. Biotec Laboratories hopes the distribution of free kits will lead to repeat orders from London health professionals.
[Source: Reuters]
Chinese Government sets up stem cell bank
11 December – China's State news agency, Xinhua, says the Chinese Government intends to establish the country's first state-run stem cell bank in Tianjin, near Beijing. According to state media, 6,000 human tissue samples have already been gathered. The centre will take eight years to create and will be the largest in Asia. According to Xinhua, the facility will include a stem cell transplant centre, where eventually 200 patients a year will be treated. According to the BBC, the Government's decision is further evidence that south east Asia, particularly China, is playing an increasingly important role in genomics, cloning and stem cell research. The Chinese Genome Centre made an important contribution to mapping the genetic structure of rice, for example. Chinese and South Korean researchers are also leaders in the creation of animal-human hybrid cells.
[Source: EBBC News]
DuPont releases proprietary wheat genome data
10 December – DuPont has decided to make proprietary wheat genome data available to public and private researchers without restriction. This contribution is expected to stimulate industry-wide research and boost nutritional applications of all cereal crops. DuPont's data includes more than 20,000 lines of expressed sequence tags, parts of a gene which can be used to find an entire gene. Granting access to the data will more than double the amount of wheat genome information currently accessible to researchers through GenBank.
[Source: PR Newswire]
EU Ministers agree on GMO labelling and tracing
10 December – Environment Ministers of the European Union have agreed upon comprehensive new rules regarding the traceability and labelling of foods which contain GMOs. The agreement, which must now be endorsed by the European Parliament, requires that food or animal feed containing more than 0.9 per cent of GM ingredients should be labelled as such. The label would have to list all GMOs used to make up the particular product. The agreement is hoped to lead to a removal of a ban on GMO products, imposed by 15 member states in 1999. The efficiency of the new clause will be re-examined within two years.
[Source: Checkbiotech.org]
Neurochem gets C$8.15m for Alzheimer's research
11 December – Picchio Pharma Inc, in which the Chairman of Canadian drug developer Neurochem Inc Mr Bellini has a 50 per cent stake, is to invest C$8.15m in Neurochem to boost research and development relating to Alzheimer's disease. Picchio, a joint venture of Bellini and Power Technology Investment Corp (a subsidiary of Power Corp of Canada), invested C$15.75m in Neurochem last June. The latest purchase increases its holding in Neurochem to 31 per cent. Bellini says Neurochem should become profitable within three to four years and believes the company must move from research and development to the licensing of international patents.
[Source: Reuters – Patrick White]
Philip Morris and North Carolina State University to map tobacco genome
11 December – Philip Morris USA will pay the North Carolina State University US$17.6m to map the genome of tobacco. The project is expected to take around four and a half years and will be carried out by the University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. According to the University, mapping the tobacco genome could lead to engineering the leaf for various uses. Philip Morris hopes it might be possible to genetically alter tobacco so that the health risk of smoking is reduced. The research will be made public once completed.
[Source: Associated Press]
ProdiGene settles soybean contamination allegations
6 December – ProdiGene Inc will pay more than US$3m pursuant to an agreement with the US Agriculture Department to settle allegations that it mixed genetically modified corn containing an animal vaccine with soybeans intended for human consumption. The Government prevented ProdiGene's soybeans from entering the market. As part of the settlement agreement, the company will pay a penalty of US$250,000. The company will also have to pay for the 500,000 bushes of contaminated soybeans, worth around US$2.7m, and cover the cost of their destruction. ProdiGene has apologised for the mishap.
[Source: Associated Press – Emily Gersema; Reuters – Christopher Doering]
Stanford University to target stem cells with new Institute
11 December – Stanford University has announced it is to create a new Institute to develop therapies for diseases such as cancer from human embryonic stem cells. The Institute, to be funded with US$12m from an anonymous private donor, will be able to access stem cell lines other than those approved by President Bush in late 2001. The Institute has prompted intense discussion in the US media, as it has refused to rule out cloning human embryos as one source of stem cells. No US-based university has admitted to undertaking such research, which is not illegal in private settings.
[Source: Washington Post – Rick Weiss]
UK Government to provide £40m for stem cell research
9 December – Stem cell research is to benefit from the latest UK science budget, with Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt announcing the dedication of over £40m to this research. Other biotechnology sectors set to benefit include brain sciences and infectious diseases, with existing programmes in genomics and basic technology to continue. The country's science budget is currently growing at a rate of over 7 per cent per year.
[Source: ananova.com]
US considers WTO action against EU over GM freeze
9 December – The Bush administration is considering filing a complaint with the WTO about the European Union's refusal to approve new genetically engineered products. The EU moratorium affects a range of products, from soybeans to pharmaceuticals. A trade policy group is expected to make a strong case for taking the dispute to the WTO to US Cabinet heads. A US official says the case should be a major trade case and that carries lots of political implications for other trade issues as well as for bilateral relations with Europe outside of trade.
[Source: Reuters – Richard Cowan]
US to create a vaccine trial fund
5 December – The US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has announced that the Government plans to create a fund to be used by biotechnology companies to pay for late-stage clinical trials and manufacturing of vaccines. The fund would initially be used for vaccines against bioterrorism agents, but would later be available for vaccine trials relating to other infectious diseases.
[Source: Reuters Health – Alicia Ault]
