The Costly Game of Drug Discovery: Finding New Medicines
Only about 30 new drugs are approved each year. How are these new drugs identified? From where do companies find the chemicals, antibodies, peptides and other molecules that they test and try to get approved? Also, why is it so expensive to develop new drugs? Discover how new medicines are found. (Posted: Jan 31, 2014)
Pressure from Patients and Payers Is Changing Drug Development
An increased understanding of disease, escalating healthcare costs and informed patient groups are having a transformative impact on the development and approvals of new therapeutics. What do pharmaceutical and biotech companies need to do to account for these changes to maximize the success of their drug development programs? This summary of a panel discussion at the Biotech Showcase on the Changing Dynamics of the Drug Development Ecosystem provides some insight. (Posted: Jan 22, 2014)
6 Biotech and Biomedical Advances on Horizon in 2014
What are the key biomedical developments expected in 2014? What new discoveries are anticipated, or new disease treatments that might pan out? Will the 2013 biotech boom continue? Check out these 6 key stories expected to dominate 2014 biotech news. (Published: January 14, 2014)
Are There Pesticides in Some GMOs?
Have some genetically modified crops have been genetically engineered to express insecticide? Yes. Some GMOs express a protein from a bacteria called Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that kills insects. Is this a reason to be concerned about eating these GM-crops? Not really. Read why there is little reason to be concerned about Bt-GMOs. (Posted: Dec. 30, 2013)
Food Allergies, Intolerance, and Genetic Engineering
Groups concerned about the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) often cite concerns about the dangers of unknown allergies from engineered food sources. How significant is this concern? Is it hype or a real danger? (Published: Dec 19, 2013)
The Truth about GMOs: They Are All Different
Why are GMOs talked about and thought of as a category? Genetic modification refers to how the strain of plants were made, not what they are. GMOs really have no distinct characteristics as a class yet there are constant debates about whether they are safe, if they should be cultivated, why they should be labeled. It's about time to drop the myth that all GMOs are somehow similar. (Posted: Dec 4, 2013)
Playing Around with Genes in Your Spare Time
The emerging trend of DIY biotechnology has some worried and others excited. However, it is just a natural extension of maturing life science research. More and more, individuals are trying to put our ever advancing knowledge and capabilities to design and manipulate living organisms to use in solving everyday problems. Who are these biohackers, what are they working on, and how do they support their efforts? (Posted: Nov. 27, 2013)
Synthetic Biology: The Next Step in Genetic Engineering
How difficult is it to make a new organism from scratch? It is routine now to synthesize whole genes, so why not whole genomes to make completely new organisms. Synthetic biology attempts to emphasize the engineering aspect of genetic engineering to design and produce biologically engineered solutions to pressing global problems. How feasible is this? (Posted: Nov 5, 2013)
The Increasing Challenges to Making New and Better Drugs
Advances in biomedical research are coming faster than ever but drug development is sputtering. What's the problem? Researchers understand more about the causes of disease than ever before and personalized medicine is finally becoming a reality. However, pharma companies continue to only release a few new drugs a year. Why is there a disconnect? (Posted: Oct 30, 2013)
The Battle to Vanquish Death
Is death inevitable or will science eventually figure out a way to conquer it? Could science eventually keep people alive forever or bring back dead loved ones? Biomedical research is continually pushing back the boundaries of death. How far could this research eventually go? (Posted: Oct. 23, 2013)
CRISPR: A New Tool for Gene Manipulation
Have you heard of the new genetic engineering tool that generating lots of excitement? Since the discovery of their ability to target and cut DNA, CRISPRs have become the latest rage for genomic researchers. Find out what all the excitement is about. (Posted: Sept 30, 2013)