"These clinical data, coupled with our phase IIa results in asthma last year, support the growing scientific evidence that the IL-4/IL-13 pathway may be a fundamental driver in allergic diseases. Blocking IL-4/IL-13 signaling may provide an important new approach to atopic conditions, including asthma, atopic dermatitis and nasal polyposis, where we have ongoing clinical programs."
George Yancopoulos, chief scientific officer, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. on encouraging phase IIb data of its allergy therapeutic dupilumab (REGN668/SAR231893), which helped clear skin lesions in patients with a serious, chronic and hereditary form of eczema called atopic dermatitis

"The idea came up after Argentina had to face a huge problem in 2008, when a counterfeit drugs ring was discovered trading hemophilia and cancer drugs through social security institutions. That triggered the political impulse required that led to the current traceability system."
Fabien Nodet, CEO, Cloudingsoft, a Buenos Aires-based consultancy and technology company, on a system to trace pharmaceutical products from manufacturer to patient

"Our work has allowed us to identify those genes which are and those genes which are not crucial for the parasite to grow and, in particular, at which part of the life cycle it is essential for these genes to be expressed. We can use this knowledge to develop new drugs or vaccines that will stop the parasite growing in humans or in mosquitoes and so stop this disease."
Rita Tewari, associate professor of molecular cell biology at the University of Nottingham, UK on an eight-year study that involved examining the genome of the malaria parasite

"We have probably found a common pathological mechanism for several different neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, Parkinson's disease and ALS, and this has never been observed before. I always hoped that one day we would see a mechanism that would affect all of these diseases, because this would mean it may one day be possible to offer a common treatment strategy."
Christian Haass, professor of biochemistry at Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Munich, Germany