IPS & NewLink’s new vaccine in interim analysis

ips

Now our lab is inducing mouse iPS cells using chemical compounds according to the paper published in Science 2013. We can observe a significant change in cell morphology and the cells formed clone-like tight clusters. Some pluripotent genes’ expression was up-regulated, but the key gene Oct4 was not even for two months reprogramming!

Is anyone else interested in the mouse iPS chemical reprogramming strategy? We are just wondering as the paper has been published for a while, is anyone you know had succeeded in reproducing those CiPS cells?

By the way, we bought all these chemical compounds from Selleckchem at http://www.selleckchem.com/kits/mouse-iPSC-chemical-reprogramming-kit.html

P. Hou et al., Pluripotent stem cells induced from mouse somatic cells by small-molecule compounds. Science 341, 651 (Aug 9, 2013).

NewLink’s new vaccine in interim analysis.

Currently, I have read some news about for Pancreatic cancer, which is a lethal disease and remains one of the most resistant cancers to traditional therapies.

Algenpantucel-L is a pancreatic cancer vaccine and this is now in the midst of a Phase III study from NewLink Genetics. The company initiated a study in November 2005. Phase-II trial evaluated the use of algenpantucel-L in combination with chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy in pancreatic cancer patients in December 2007.

Two weeks ago, the company’s independent data monitoring committee looked over the results under standard procedure for clinical trials. The committee found neither alarming safety issues nor exhilarating efficacy numbers from the trials. The group recommended HDAC InhibitorNewLink stick to the script until the next planned interim analysis.

The interim analysis does not mean the breaking down for the Phase III trial. Late-stage cancer vaccine trials from biotech companies had a very low success rate. Oncothyreon and Keryx all conducted phase III studies of cancer drugs that took longer than expected to reach the predefined time point for analysis, and all eventually failed in the clinic. As Chief enzalutamide Medical Officer Nicholas Vahanian from NewLink said, they will continue the study and to gathering additional data to provide improved treatment for patients. If it is possible, NewLink’s vaccine will be the first example of a successful and delayed cancer drug trial. I hope so.

Numerologist Warda is hooked on OG-L002 fishing, collecting. And lastly her encouragement comes from socializing along with her companions.