Saturday, August 31, 2013

Leonard Susskind on The World As Hologram


More Money Won’t Win the War on Cancer

More Money Won’t Win the War on Cancer

“More money by itself is not going to solve anything,” Leaf said. “Let’s say we doubled the [National Institutes of Health] budget, that isn’t going to make the lives of researchers better.”
 

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Depeched music of the week. I feel it


Targeted failure of the week. Post No 96. Vercirnon

This time we have problems with CCR9 chemokine receptor antagonist.

The trial enrolled 608 patients with moderately to severely active CD who were not adequately controlled with conventional therapy, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha antagonists. Following the miss, GSK suspended the Phase III program, which comprises the SHIELD-2, SHIELD-3 and SHIELD-4 trials in addition to SHIELD-1. The pharma said it has not yet put a time frame on when it will make a decision on the program.
Vercirnon, a CC chemokine receptor 9 (CCR9) antagonist, is ChemoCentryx's most advanced compound. ChemoCentryx said it does not yet have access to the SHIELD-1 data, but does "not believe there is evidence that CCR9 is anything but a good target." The company also has a small molecule third-generation CCR9 inhibitor, CCX507, in Phase I testing to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). ChemoCentryx's lead unlicensed product is CCX140, a CCR2 antagonist. The biotech expects data from a Phase II trial of CCX140 to treat diabetic nephropathy this quarter. GSK is also developing ChemoCentryx's CCX354, a CCR1 antagonist, which has completed Phase II testing for rheumatoid arthritis.
 

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Merck and R&D setbacks



 
The note comes shortly after Merck cuts its earnings forecasts for 2013 in the face of continued pressure from patent expiries on big-selling brands such as asthma treatment Singulair (montelukast), as well as greater competition to growth products such as diabetes treatment Januvia (sitagliptin).
 
Chief executive Kenneth Frazier insisted last month that Merck was continuing to manage costs effectively, but the analysts would like to see $1 billion or more carved off operating expenses.

Merck has traditionally been a big spender on R&D, but has suffered a series of disappointments in its late-stage pipeline of late, including delays to osteoporosis candidate odanacatib and neuromuscular blocker Bridion (sugammadex) and a narrower-than-hoped FDA approval for insomnia drug suvorexant.

Dzhops


He has a personal vision...

Friday, August 16, 2013

Fake?

Screen Shot 2013-08-06 at 11.15.02 PM

The capitalism!

From here.
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На одном из американских форумов некая девица задала вопрос:

«Я – красивая, веселая, умная девушка. Хочу выйти замуж за парня, который зарабатывает в год не меньше 500 тысяч долларов»

Один из молодых финансистов не поленился ответить ей по существу:

«Я прочитал твой пост с большим интересом. И вот как я все это вижу.

Твое предложение с точки зрения такого парня, как я, – однозначно плохая сделка, и вот почему. Если говорить кратко, то ты предлагаешь свою красоту в обмен на мои деньги. Прекрасно. Но ведь твоя красота будет увядать, а мой капитал – только расти. Конечно, вероятность увеличения моего капитала можно поставить и под вопрос, но ты-то красивее точно не станешь!

Так что на языке экономики ты – обесценивающийся актив, а я – доходный актив. Но ты не просто обесценивающийся актив: твоя ценность падает все быстрее и быстрее, через 10 лет на тебя никто и не посмотрит. Покупать тебя (о чем ты просишь) – плохой бизнес, так что я бы лучше взял тебя в аренду.

Если мои слова покажутся тебе жестокими, задумайся над тем, что, если мои деньги исчезнут, так же поступишь и ты. Так что, по справедливости, когда твоя красота увянет, мне нужно будет избавиться от этого актива. Это очень просто. Так что сделка, которая имеет для меня смысл, – это свидания, но не свадьба.

Надеюсь, я помог тебе.

Да, если будешь готова обсудить варианты аренды – дай мне знать!»

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

???

Демотиваторы за 12/08/2013

Nanotechnology according to Pereslegin. Quantum macrophysics. Real understanding.

Targeted failure of the week. Post No 95. Allovectin.


Monday, August 12, 2013

Sheraton Lisbon Hotel & Spa? Because you're worth it!

Genome Informatics
Deciphering Disease through Sequencing Data

5-6 December 2013 | Sheraton Lisbon Hotel & Spa | Lisbon, Portugal

 

All agree genomic technologies hold the potential to improve diagnosis and treatment of inherited and complex diseases--including cancer--and facilitate the move towards personalized predictive medicine. However, the higher throughput and rapidly falling costs of next-gen sequencing have resulted in voluminous genomic data and downstream computational challenges. Thus, the shift from discovery research to clinical implementation can only be accomplished through stringent data management, analysis, interpretation and quantification. Bio-IT World and Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s Clinical Genomics and Informatics Europe is pleased to host the Second Annual Genome Informatics conference. Ultimately, putting genomic data analysis tools into the hands of biomedical experts will ensure that patients receive the correct diagnosis and treatment. 

Let's party in Sheraton! Because you're worth it!

Anti HCC treatment as a rocket science

Would you argue?

Image

Freelove cover of the week


Friday, August 9, 2013

Russian politics - be smart!


Julius Caesar. Quotes of the day

“It is better to create than to learn! Creating is the essence of life.”

What we wish, we readily believe, and what we ourselves think, we imagine others think also .”

“If you must break the law, do it to seize power: in all other cases observe it.”

It's only hubris if I fail,

"Cowards die many times before their actual Deaths"

Be creative with tax paying


From here

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Superhero...

Targeted failure of the week. Post No 94. Afinitor against HCC

Bild på substansens strukturformelSwiss drugmaker Novartis said on Wednesday its drug Afinitor did not show a survival benefit in patients with advanced liver cancer.

Data from a late-stage trial found that Afinitor did not extend overall survival compared with placebo in patients with locally advanced or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of liver cancer.
The study was examining the efficacy and safety of Afinitor, which is also known as everolimus, in patients whose disease had progressed after treatment with or were intolerant to Onyx and Bayer's drug Nexavar.

"While we are disappointed with these results, Novartis remains committed to studying everolimus through a robust research and development program to address unmet needs in different types of cancer," said Alessandro Riva, Global Head of Oncology Development & Medical Affairs at Novartis Oncology.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

BBC Horizon 2011 What is Reality



http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xkvoa0_bbc-horizon-2011-what-is-reality-hdtv_Tech

Somebody has to take responsibility to figure out what the reality is! Is there any real scientist out there???

Ukraine: game is over!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAzkUbwl6s8

For sure Ukraine HAS TO BE deindustrialized to become "european". Let's go european way! First 100 years will be really tough! But there is no alternative if Ukraine will become ONE DAY a "civilized" european country.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAzkUbwl6s8


Thursday, August 1, 2013

Capitalismus...

Производство сигарет в Рангпуре, Бангладеш

Biomarkers mess: a revolt?

Among the list of recommendations "to improve the landscape" for tumor biomarker tests, the researchers said FDA should require evidence of both analytical validity and clinical utility of biomarker tests prior to approval and ensure laboratory-developed tests (LDTs) are "subject to FDA regulatory controls." The researchers also said government and third-party payers should increase reimbursement for tumor biomarker tests that have clinical utility. Additionally, the researchers said FDA should require all clinical trials for new therapies to be accompanied by a biospecimen bank to support clinical utility for a subsequently generated predictive biomarker, and government, private foundations and industry should all increase investments in trials for tumor biomarker tests.
 

Another magic cure against cancer. Post No 46. Zoptarelin doxorubicin (AEZS-108)