Phase 2 testing commences on Abiogen's anxiolytic ABIO 0801...Novel drug delivery technology facilitating the use of therapeutic macromolecules

Todays Headlines from across the DailyUpdates network (from DailyUpdates 5th July)- Although press releases are quite thin on the ground today because of the July 4th holiday in the US, Abiogen have released important information regarding the start of phase 2 testing of the company's anxiolytic, ABIO 08/01. In addition we feature a review describing a potentially groundbreaking drug delivery technology. This technology harnesses protein transduction domains (PTDs), endogenous peptide sequences that can be conjugated to the desired macromolecule facilitating their cellular entry. This technology can be extended to multiple diseases however the review focuses on cancer. In addition we feature the most recent entries onto Jobs.LeadDiscovery.co.uk, our recruitment area for pharmaceutical and R&D personnel

• Breaking News (from DailyUpdates-Psychiatric Disorders): Phase 2 testing commences on Abiogen's anxiolytic ABIO 0801: The global anxiety disorders market is set to decline from $4.5 billion in 2006 to $2.6 billion by 2015. This will be primarily due to generic incursion (see Anxiety Disorders - A decade of declining revenues). Despite loss of revenue for currently marketed agents there is significant demand for new clinical options, especially those with improved efficacy and this has driven the development of several novel anxiety drugs will be launched over the next few years. Expected newcomers include Predix's PRX-00023 in Phase III for generalized anxiety disorder. This condition is a common subclass of the anxiety disorders which affects an estimated 5% of people. Today’s featured release announces the start of Abiogen Pharma’s Phase II clinical trial of a second candidate for this anxiety disorder, ABIO 08/01 (BTG1640). This candidate is also being developed to treat other anxiety states such as panic disorder.[Source:Abiogen via Businesswire]

Featured Journal Article (from DailyUpdates-Technology): Novel drug delivery technology facilitating the use of therapeutic macromolecules Drug delivery remains a challenge in the management of cancer. Until quite recently, approaches focused on technologies such as liposomes to overcome the poor solubility of cytotoxics; and monoclonal antibodies to target cytotoxic agents to cancer cells. More recently intracellular macromolecules such as siRNAs have risen to prominence as oncology candidates bringing a new set of challenges centered around intracellular access. Overall the market value of drug delivery technologies has been estimated at $7.5 billion rising to $18.4 billion by the year 2010 and $38.5 billion by the year 2015. Technologies and markets in the cancer drug delivery area are evaluated in our feature Drug Delivery in Cancer - technologies, markets and companies. Today’s featured paper reviews an exciting approach to cancer drug delivery which is ideal for optimizing therapeutic macromolecules with an intracellular mode of action including siRNAs, genes and proteins. This approach harnesses protein transduction domains (PTDs), endogenous peptide sequences that can be conjugated to the desired macromolecule facilitating their cellular entry. This technology can be extended to multiple diseases however the review focuses on cancer [Breast Cancer. 2006;13(1):16-26]