DURHAM AND RALEIGH -- Kryosphere Inc. and the Golden LEAF Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center on N.C. State University's Centennial Campus are collaborating on a curriculum to introduce students to biorepository.
Kryosphere, a Durham biorepository company, will provide BTEC and NCSU with biorepository services that meet cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practice) standards. BTEC will have Kryosphere store a portion of its cell banks and archive samples.
"This collaboration between BTEC and Kryosphere will enhance the learning activities of the students and trainees that take courses at BTEC," says Rick Lawless, BTEC associate director of strategic support.
In addition, BTEC will provide Kryosphere access to its campus facilities and resources and expand Kryosphere's support to N.C. State faculty and staff.
Kryosphere and N.C. State will also eventually announce additional collaborations, including the opening of a new KryoCenter on Centennial Campus, the company said.
CancerGuide seals financing
DURHAM -- CancerGuide Diagnostics Inc. has completed the first tranche of a $10.5 million round of private financing as well as signed a multi-year collaboration and license agreement with Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings.
The financing was co-led by Hatteras Venture Partners and Intersouth Partners. LabCorp also is participating in the financing as an equity investor.
The Durham company develops and markets tests supporting individualized cancer therapy decisions. Under the agreement, LabCorp and CancerGuide will develop and commercialize together CancerGuide's molecular oncology assays.
"Cancer is an extremely complex disease that accounts for almost one out of every four deaths in the United States. There is a tremendous need for diagnostic tools to optimize the management of the disease and take full advantage of available therapeutic options," said Myla Lai-Goldman, CEO of CancerGuide. "Through our unique partnership model, CancerGuide will provide companion diagnostic development services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of the market entry strategies."
Glaxo posts 66% profit increase
LONDON -- GlaxoSmithKline PLC, the world's second largest drug maker by revenue, reported Thursday that its fourth-quarter profit soared by 66 percent, boosted by strong sales of swine flu vaccine and flu medicine.
In the three months ending Dec. 31, Glaxo turned a net profit of 1.63 billion pounds, compared to $1.5 billion a year earlier.
The strong finish pushed full-year profits up 20 percent to $8.7 billion pounds.
Sales of Relenza, the company's drug for treating flu, totaled $1.1 billion for the year, compared to just $90 million in 2008. In the fourth quarter, Relenza sales rose to $404 million from $20.5 million a year earlier.
-- From staff, wire reports
