CHAPEL HILL, N.C.–Crown Marketing (OTCQB: CWNM) is pleased to announce that Crown’s Controlled Drug Delivery Technology (CDDT) will focus on utilizing its unique and novel controlled drug delivery device to assist pharmaceutical companies in their lifecycle management strategies to extend patent life for blockbuster drugs. (more…)

(Research Triangle Park, N.C.) The pharmaceutical industry’s go-to resource for pharmacokinetics (PK), ClinPharm Consulting, LLC, is sharing its in-depth knowledge of how to use PK to make better decisions faster at a key gathering of pharmaceutical scientists in Chicago October 15-18. ClinPharm will be exhibiting at the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting, following the firm’s recent participation in September’s Annual Meeting of the American College of Clinical Pharmacology (ACCP). (more…)

(Cary, N.C.) Trana Discovery, Inc., a drug discovery technology company, has announced the identification of a target for the development of new antibiotics for infections caused by hospital-acquired Gram-negative bacteria. The target, the anticodon stem loop (ASL) found in transfer RNA used by bacteria for replication, is common in four of the most deadly bacteria that cause serious hospital-acquired infections but not in many of the most beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.  This discovery will enable Trana to develop an assay to identify compounds that could treat Gram-negative infections without the side effects associated with antibiotics that also eradicate many of the beneficial bacteria normally found in the gastrointestinal tract.  The target represents a major advance for the discovery of novel antibacterial agents to combat Gram-negative infections. (more…)

(Research Triangle Park, N.C.) SCYNEXIS, Inc. announced that it has signed an agreement with Abide Therapeutics to collaborate in the search for novel anti-viral and anti-parasitic therapeutic compounds for human and animal health applications. Under the agreement, SCYNEXIS will screen, through its diverse biological screening platforms, Abide’s proprietary serine hydrolase inhibitor library with the objective of identifying compounds for advancement to the preclinical stage. (more…)

(Research Triangle Park, N.C.) Mustard Tree Instruments®, continuing to lead the way in developing innovative solutions to evolving pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing challenges, shared best practices and new products to address quality control issues at the major industry tradeshow Pittcon 2012, the world’s largest annual conference and exposition for laboratory science March 11-16. Todd Blonshine, CEO, presented twice during the event on emerging multi-variant approaches to obtaining immediate, unambiguous results from drug product samples, in addition to hosting demos of his company’s VTT-1000 and VPS-1000 at-line and in-process raw material testing instrumentation. (more…)

(Morrisville, N.C.) Furiex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: FURX) today announced that the European Commission endorsed the positive opinion adopted by the Committee for Human Medicinal Products (CHMP) on October 18, 2011 for Priligy™ (dapoxetine) 30 mg and 60 mg doses. Pending national approvals, the marketing authorization for the Priligy doses can be granted in the European Union Member States where the drug has not yet been approved, and also in Norway and Iceland. The indication for Priligy approved by the EC is the on-demand treatment of premature ejaculation in men between the ages of 18 and 64. (more…)

(Research Triangle Park, N.C.) Mustard Tree Instruments®, the leader in analytical instrumentation for the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, has strengthened its executive team with the promotion of Peter Cregger to the position of Chief Operations Officer. Cregger will be responsible for manufacturing, engineering, software development, and project management for hardware and software products such as the VTT-1000 multi-variant testing device. (more…)

(Research Triangle Park, N.C.) Liquidia Technologies has announced it has entered into a collaborative agreement with PATH, a global health nonprofit organization, to conduct preclinical proof-of-concept studies on a next generation pneumococcal vaccine that could potentially allow for broadened efficacy and manufacturing efficiencies and result in greater access of such a vaccine to a global population. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), pneumonia kills an estimated 1.4 million children under the age of five years every year – more than any other illness. More than half of these deaths are caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, a bacterium that has many variations globally and is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. (more…)

(Hayward, Calif. & Research Triangle Park, N.C.) To speed development of a potential ground-breaking therapy for Type 2 diabetes – a debilitating and deadly disease that currently affects almost 350 million people worldwide – Intarcia Therapeutics, Inc., and Quintiles today announced the signing of definitive agreements whereby Quintiles will become a financial and strategic partner for the global clinical development of Intarcia’s ITCA 650 (DUROS® continuous subcutaneous delivery of exenatide). (more…)

(Morrisville, N.C.) Furiex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: FURX) today announced top-line results from the Phase II trial of the investigational drug PPD-10558 in patients with statin-associated myalgia, or SAM. PPD-10558 did not meet its primary efficacy endpoint in this randomized, double-blind, proof-of-concept study. The study enrolled patients with high cholesterol and a prior history of SAM, and evaluated recurrence rates for SAM over a twelve-week treatment period across the following three different treatment regimens: placebo; PPD-10558; and atorvastatin (Lipitor®). Patients did not report any significant differences in muscle symptoms, nor did they drop out due to SAM in significantly different percentages, among the three regimens. As expected, however, PPD-10558, a novel statin, did significantly lower LDL-cholesterol compared with placebo, and the compound also had a favorable safety profile. (more…)

(Research Triangle Park, N.C.) Mustard Tree Instruments®, an innovator in analytical instrumentation for the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, is pleased to announce that Science Officer Brisco Harward Ph.D. addressed members of the NY Section of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy (NYSAS) on November 9, 2011. Dr. Harward was invited to address the group by a leading spectroscopist who was attending a demonstration of the Mustard Tree Verifier™ Tri-Test 1000 (VTT-1000) analytical testing device earlier this fall. (more…)

(Durham, N.C.) PharPoint Research, Inc., a leading drug development service provider offering biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies expertise in project management, clinical monitoring, data management and biostatistics services, announces that PharPoint Research was recognized by Triangle Business Journal as one of the 50 fastest growing companies in the Triangle area. The Fast 50 winners were selected and ranked based on a formula that counts revenue growth and profitability in the preceding three years (2008-2010). Art Holmes, the company’s President and CEO, commented, “This award is a testament to our company’s commitment to superb quality and client satisfaction. By focusing on these two areas, in the past 12 months we have been able to grow the company’s size by over 45% to offer even more services to better serve our clients.” (more…)