St. Cloud Surgical Center is First ASC in U.S. to Utilize Xenex Germ-Zapping Robot to Disinfect Operating Rooms & Enhance Patient Safety more

4 cheap small cap stocks I’ve got my eye for Christmas more

Southern Biologics Network Established to Create Biologics Faster and Less Expensively

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. and BATON ROUGE, La. and RALEIGH, N.C. and RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Dec. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Five biopharmaceutical research organizations with operations in Birmingham, Baton Rouge, Raleigh and Research Triangle Park have formed a new public-private partnership called the Southern Biologics Network (SBN) to create biologics faster and less expensively.

The five research organizations will work together to create advanced biologics for biopharmaceutical companies of all sizes.

Biologics are genetically engineered proteins from plant, animal and human cells. They'll be used to create therapeutics, vaccines, diagnostics and drug targets to treat and prevent diseases, assist in drug discovery, and improve the lives of tens of thousands of patients across the United States.

The five research organizations are:

Birmingham-based Southern Research Institute, which has created seven FDA-approved cancer drugs. Scientists there are discovering and developing treatments in multiple disease areas including oncology, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, diabetes and infectious diseases.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge is at the forefront of medical discovery on understanding and combatting obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia, and other chronic diseases with the goal of improving human health across the lifespan.

The Center for Structural Biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham is a leading structural biology research center providing scientists with biophysical and structural information on protein and protein/drug complexes.

ProteoVec, Inc., in Baton Rouge, Raleigh and RTP. PV's scientists develop and scale biologics production processes earlier in development, and more cost effectively, than previously possible.

Soluble Therapeutics, Inc., in Birmingham can determine optimized formulations that maximize solubility and stability for protein-based therapeutics in less than 60 days.

Biologics have revolutionized the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis and different types of cancers. Development of new biosimilar versions of existing breakthrough biologics are key to making healthcare more affordable and improving outcomes.

Pharmaceutical Companies Will Bring More Life-Saving Treatments to Market by Using SBN's Services

SBN is the first organization in the Southeastern United States to provide truly comprehensive biologic development services. Pharmaceutical companies will be able to save time and money because they'll be able to select one organization, SBN, instead of trying to coordinate the work of several biopharmaceutical research firms for the manufacture, discovery, preclinical development, and early-stage clinical development of biologics.

"More affordable production and more mature early-stage process development will lead to a greater number of breakthroughs making it to market," said ProteoVec CEO Michael Crapanzano, M.D. "Not only does that save time; that saves money, too."

That's a significant point of difference, considering the business risks and costs of drug development. According to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, it can take up to 15 years to create an FDA-approved drug. Research and development costs can exceed $1 billion, and only 20 percent of marketed drugs break even or turn a profit. Still, medicine can make a huge difference. Since 1980, 83 percent of life expectancy gains for cancer patients can be attributed to new treatments. The HIV/AIDS death rate has dropped more than 80 percent since the use of antiretroviral treatments in 1995.

"SBN combines some of the brightest minds in biologics, helps reduce the risk that pharmaceutical companies take at the earliest stages of biologics discovery and development, and allows our five entities to work together more efficiently with clients to do what we all do best — create biological therapeutics for our customers that will dramatically improve patients' lives," said Art Tipton, Ph.D., president and CEO of Southern Research Institute.

"We are excited to be part of this network, since we have many of the components necessary to quickly advance high value drug targets using our expertise in protein characterization, target validation, and the ability to optimize preclinical candidates for clients," explained Dr. Larry DeLucas, director of the Center for Structural Biology at UAB.

About the Southern Biologics Network

Morningside Ministries at the Manor is the First Skilled Nursing Facility in Texas to Protect Residents with Xenex Germ-Zapping Robot more

RBA to cut rates in 2015: Still want to invest in term deposits? more

Can robots help stop the Ebola outbreak? more

Robots Help Fight Ebola more

South Florida Hospital Unveils Ebola-Zapping Robot more

Sonoma Valley Hospital uses robot to kill germs more

Robots go to war against Ebola more

New iTraumaCare CEO to pursue big growth more

UAB and SRI have plans to spinoff more success more

Launch of Galderma's new acne products more

iTraumaCare’s new CEO to help company secure new funding more

U.S. Air Force Hospital Langley Adds Xenex Ebola-Zapping Robot to Inventory more

Forthcoming Acne Treatment Made With Exclusive (And Sustainable) East Indian Sandalwood Oil more

Sonoma Valley Hospital Acquires Xenex Germ-Killing Robot to Enhance Patient Safety more

Robot fights germs at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center more

Xenex updates protocols for germ-zapping robots in response to Ebola threat more

How do we get rid of the endotoxins? Birmingham's  has the solution more

Medical Device ® Positions New Leader for Next-Level Growth more

The Xenex robot at South Shore Hospital featured on an Xploration Earth more

Germ-zapping robot Gigi sets its sights on Ebola more

Morningside Ventures leads a Series B round for DNAtrix more

StemBioSys secures new research space at BioBridge Global more

Birmingham's Soluble Therapeutics acquires Seattle company Dilyx Biotechnology more

Company invents germ-zapping robot more

Xenex Congratulates Houston Cancer Hospital more

Australian grown Indian Sandalwood timber attracts lucrative Asian markets more

DNATRIX ANNOUNCES TREATMENT OF FIRST PATIENT WITH DNX-2401 more

Targeted Technology raises more than $40 million more

Reducing Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs): Not All UV Light is the Same more

Bluegrass Vascular Technologies Names Dr. Gabriele Niederauer President And CEO more

Three Birmingham companies recognized in PwC report more

Former Kinetic Concepts Inc. CEO to lead StemBioSys more

International dermatology company Galderma confirmed more

AUSTRALIAN Sandalwood producer TFS Corporation will supply oil more

San Antonio luring biotech firms with venture capital more

Biotech firm secures nearly $5 million in funding, is relocating to San Antonio more

Birmingham is on the front lines of medical research: take a look at this incredible biotech startup more

Germ-Zapping Robots Fight C. diff and MRSA at Mercy Health Saint Mary's more

Milford hospital enlists robots in war against infections more

Xenex Testifies About UV Room Disinfection Technology Effectiveness to U.S. House of Representatives more

Western Pa. hospitals test robot using ultraviolet rays to kill bacteria more

Xenex Demonstrates UV Room Cleaning System’s Effectiveness in Reducing Hospital Acquired Infections more

TFS flags record full-year profit more

Sweet scented sandalwood flavour of month more

House committee looks for new technology in Veterans Affairs hospitals more

FDA grants fast track status to drug DNX-2401 for recurrent Glioblastoma more

CEO shakeup at San Antonio biotech company StemBioSys more

First harvest to be completed in June more

BiO2 Medical Enrolls Subjects in the New U.S. FDA Early Feasibility Pilot Study for the Angel® Catheter more

San Antonio biotech firm readies skin treatment for distribution more

ViroXis Gets Approval To Initiate FDA Phase 2 Study For Molluscum Contagiosum more

Medical technologies conference announces speaker lineup more

Australian sandalwood sells for millions more

Sandalwood exports as good as gold more

Santalis Pharmaceuticals Signs Exclusive License Agreement with Global Pharmaceutical Company to Commercialize OTC Dermatology Products more

ViroXis Corporation Signs Exclusive License Agreement with Global Pharmaceutical Company to Commercialize an OTC Dermatology Product more

DNAtrix Awarded $10.8 Million Grant by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas more

ViroXis Corporation Achieves Key Clinical Milestones more

There are growing concerns about the threat of an antibiotic crisis caused by the spread of drug-resistant superbugs. Those concerns could result in more