Bringing patients and providers together one tweet at a time
As an open forum for human interaction, social media have become the great equalizer of health information – providing a means for patients and health care providers to connect outside of the hospital or...
Patients who have had an irregular heart beat can’t ever be considered ‘cured’, say...
Patients with an abnormal heart rhythm that can leave them at a higher risk of suffering from stroke still need treatment even after their heart rhythm seems to have returned to normal, say researchers...
Creating an encyclopaedia of mammalian gene function
The International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC) is working to provide freely available information about the function of every gene in the mouse genome, based on the focused efforts of its 18 member organisations.
Understanding health...
Taking a global view
Work being done by Romanian and Ukranian scientists in the Danube Delta is helping to drive a research programme that could have global ramifications.
Findings by the Danube Delta Research Institute show that algae bloom...
Gene editing success holds promise for preventing inherited diseases
Scientists have, for the first time, corrected a disease-causing mutation in early stage human embryos using gene editing.
The technique, which uses the CRISPR-Cas9 system, corrected the mutation for a heart condition at the earliest...
With Great promise comes great responsibility
In the world of drug production, the search is relentless for treatments that can reduce the planet’s spiralling pharmaceutical bill by curing illness.
However, although billions of pounds is ploughed into developing new drugs, attention...
A golden generation
can the precious metal hold the key to killing cancerous cells?
In the second century A.D., during the Han dynasty, a Chinese author and alchemist known as Wei Boyang is believed to have written: “Gold...
The growth in the global biosimilars market
The growth in the global biosimilars market is continuing to accelerate ata remarkable rate, drivenby an increasing interest in cheaper versions of major drug brands as health services try to reduce spiralling drug bills.
One...
The importance of Intellectual Property strategy; creating a foundation on which to build value...
Dr Emma Longland and Craig Thomson
of HGF writing for the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys
Most companies in the Biotech space appreciate the need for patent protection; after all, no company wants to bring...
MenB – RIP
The UK Department of Health has announced that it will work to introduce the meningococcal B (MenB) vaccine into the childhood vaccination programme – But to what impact?
Officials made the announcement following independent advice...
New treatment option for ‘wake-up’ stroke patients
Detail revealed in MRI brain scans can help doctors accurately deduce when a stroke begins, according to new research, allowing treatment for many patients who currently cannot receive it.
The findings could help to better...
Fantastic Voyage
In 1966, movie-goers were treated to the release of a film called Fantastic Voyage, a Cold War science fiction thriller about a scientist who is nearly killed in an assassination attempt.
As he hovers between...
Life sciences – developments from the IPO’s perspective
Liz Coleman, Divisional Director at the Intellectual Property Office
Welcome to our new regular feature on IP issues in the life sciences. Our aim is to keep you up to date on key IP issues in...
The body in miniature
By Craig Brierley at University of Cambridge
The past few years has seen an explosion in the number of studies using organoids – so-called ‘mini organs’. While they can help scientists understand human biology and...
Genome editing technology moves forward
Editing the human genomeis a ground-breaking technique which is raising the hopes of millions of people afflicted by inherited disease.
Research has already made significant advances in possible therapies for diseases as diverse as sickle-cell...
Drug delivery market witnesses significant growth
Developing new ways of delivering drugs has become big business with companies now investing many millions of pounds in seeking the next big breakthrough.
Indeed, market analysts Mordor Intelligence estimates in a new report that the...