Chris Cain

Regeneron revisits genomics

Regeneron has opened a genetics center tasked with analyzing the genomes of at least 100,000 patients in the next 5 years. The company hopes the volume of data, diversity of the patient population and rapid validation in humanized mouse models will yield actionable opportunities.

Circling back to basics

Creating potent and orally bioavailable macrocycles is more challenging than developing small molecules, but a trio of studies could close the gap by proposing new design guidelines, identifying protein-protein interfaces to target and providing a new method to synthesize cyclic peptides.

Leukemia team building

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has announced its first research partnership with a large biopharma company—a four-year, multimillion-dollar deal with Celgene to solicit and fund proposals from academics and smaller biotechs. The not-for-profit organization expects the deals framework to serve as a template for future collaborations and is in talks with additional big biotech and pharma companies.

Merck's reCalibration

Merck is investing up to

Hands-off incubator

90 million over the next seven years to fund the California Institute for Biomedical Research. The pharma is hoping the wide spectrum of translational research to be covered by the institute will yield first access to drugs against new targets that might not yet be on the companys radar.

TRNDing toward translation

Johnson & Johnson is opening a life sciences incubator in San Diego that provides no funding and receives no IP rights from its occupants, unlike now-defunct facilities started by companies such as Biogen Idec and Pfizer. Instead, J&J hopes to spark informal connections that could lead to deal opportunities down the road.

CRISPR genome editing

After two years of funding pilot partnerships, the NIHs Therapeutics for Rare & Neglected Diseases program has announced its first round of competitively awarded projects. The awards to three biotechs and an academic team illustrate how the NIH plans to advance a range of small molecules into the clinic.