Better, safer, small molecule drugs
Scientists say they have hit on a new way to make safer, more versatile small molecule drugs that could pave the way to treatments for a slew of currently hard to treat or untreatable diseases.
Biodegradable cigarettes
An Italian company is starting to produce cigarette filters made from biodegradeable biopolymers – which should make cigarettes easier to recycle.
Recyclable food packaging
Current food packaging, such as crisp and coffee packets, contain materials that act as a barrier against oxygen and moisture, essential for food preservation.
Protein supplement for autism
Dietary supplementation with certain amino acids may be of benefit for some children with autism, according to researchers. The suggestion follows the discovery that one group of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) share a similar profile of amino acid metabolites in their blood: with lower levels of so-called ‘branch chain’ amino acids – leucine, isoleucine and valine – and higher levels of ornithine, glutamine and glycine than usual.
New therapy for H. pylori
H. pylori bacteria are commonly known to be the cause of stomach ulcers. Less well known, however, is the fact they are the strongest known risk factor for gastric cancer – the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide.
Vaccine for coeliac disease
Coeliac disease is one of the world’s most common genetic autoimmune diseases. Currently, there is no cure and the only option is strict adherence to a life-long gluten free (GF) diet. Now, however, researchers at Cambridge, MA-based ImmusanT say they have a therapeutic vaccine that could restore immune tolerance in those with the most common underlying genetic risk factor for the disease.
Cancer prevention and progress
Cancer prevention efforts should be the ‘base’ of the pyramid of approaches to tackle the disease – with early detection as the layer above and treatment at the top, according to Siddhartha Mukherjee, oncologist and Pulitzer prize-winning author of The Emperor of All Maladies. However, progress in building the base has stalled in recent years, Mukherjee told BIO president James Greenwood, speaking at a keynote session at the BIO annual convention in Philadelphia in June, 2019.
Sugar stabilised vaccines
Researchers have reported a method to stabilise fragile vaccines for weeks at a time at temperatures up to 40°C – potentially allowing life-saving medicines to reach remote regions of the world.
Memory boost drug
Researchers in the US have reported the synthesis of a selective phosphodiesterase 4 enzyme (PDE4) inhibitor that could help to protect against memory loss, without the usual side effects seen in inhibitors of this class of enzyme.
CIA Industry awards 2019
The UK Chemical Industries Association (CIA) announced the winners of the Chemical Industry Awards 2019 on 13 June at St George’s Hall, Liverpool.