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Under pressure to reap return on investment, companies are seeking ways to ensure success in designing drug tests This past July, Synergen Inc. suspended clinical trials of its anti-inflammatory drug candidate, Antril--being tested to fight sepsis--for lack of efficacy. Faced with the setback to its $100 million-plus investment, the Boulder, Colo.-based biotech was forced to lay off more than half its work force and shut down two

These days, many biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms facing the daunting road to market with a new drug are opting to get help from contract research organizations, or CROs. These service companies specialize in providing all or part of the necessary clinical trials; they also manage regulatory reviews. And their participation in the drug- development process is growing dramatically as the number of candidate compounds coming thr

The two-time Nobel laureate, winner of prizes in chemistry in 1954 and peace in 1962, passed away at his home in Big Sur, Calif. He succumbed to prostate cancer, which he had been battling for about a year. "He was, in my judgment at least, the greatest and most original scientist--especially in chemistry--in the 20th century," says Norman Davidson, a professor, emeritus, of biology and chemistry at the California Institute of Tech

At the same time, he and other framers of the statement say they are gratified that so many diverse and prestigious organizations have put their support behind the effort. "I guess I had hoped that more congressional offices and more parts of the [Clinton] administration would have taken note of the breadth of the constituents that had thought it important to prepare a statement," says Leon Rosenberg, president of the Bristol-Myers

Molecular biologists and biochemists these days are focusing an increasing share of their investigations on the activities of a class of small peptide messenger molecules called cytokines. The following companies provide a broad array of cytokines and related products for use in biological research laboratories. For more information, please use the Reader Service Card inserted in this issue. Accurate Chemical & Scientific Corp.

Given the international attention accorded the recent Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, another historic cross- cultural event taking place in Israel has received somewhat less publicity. Khaled El-Shami, a surgical intern from Alexandria University Hospital, has become IsraelUs first doctoral student from Egypt. The 29-year-old El-Shami, who holds a masterUs degree in molecular biology from the University of Sussex in England in

Biomedical career decisions have never been easy. It's typical for a bright young student assessing the options to go through a period of self-examination, according to doctors and scientists interviewed for this article. Such introspection generally focuses on questions like: "Do I need to care for sick people in order to be professionally fulfilled, or would I be happier doing basic research, which ultimately could benefit million

Citing broad range of challenges facing the president, observers laud diversity among advisory panel choices PP.,10 Chairman and CEO of Martin Marietta Corp., Bethesda, Md. Currently serving on the Defense Policy Advisory Committee on Trade and as chairman of the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee. Served as undersecretary of the Army in 1975-77. Donald Bren Professor of Biological Sciences and professor of

Symposia: Monday, September 19, 8:45 a.m.-noon: NICHD Distinguished Alumni Symposium: Contributions of Basic Science to Human Biomedical Research (Bldg. 10, Masur Auditorium) Tuesday, September 20, 8:30 a.m.-noon: HIV Pathogenesis and Therapy (Bldg. 10, Masur Auditorium) Tuesday, 8:30 a.m.-noon: Apoptosis and the Cell Cycle (Bldg. 10, Lipsett Amphitheater) Wednesday, September 21, 8:30 a.m.-noon: Genetic Predisposition to Diseas

Today's researchers are being offered a host of opportunities to study philosophical implications of scientific activity As students at the California Institute of Technology arrive on campus for the fall semester, they're finding that a new ingredient has been stirred into the curricular mix. The Caltech catalog now lists an undergraduate major--a four-year degree program of required courses in science ethics and history--and a

Given the international attention accorded the recent Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, another historic cross- cultural event taking place in Israel has received somewhat less publicity. Khaled El-Shami, a surgical intern from Alexandria University Hospital, has become IsraelUs first doctoral student from Egypt. The 29-year-old El-Shami, who holds a masterUs degree in molecular biology from the University of Sussex in England in

Biomedical career decisions have never been easy. It's typical for a bright young student assessing the options to go through a period of self-examination, according to doctors and scientists interviewed for this article. Such introspection generally focuses on questions like: "Do I need to care for sick people in order to be professionally fulfilled, or would I be happier doing basic research, which ultimately could benefit million