Researchers reported on new approaches to the knotty problem of triple-negative breast cancer, using genomics to identify ways of targeting the intractable disease with drugs already in the industry pipeline, at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium Dec. 4-8.

Someone seeking a clinical space that offers a great deal of activity and anticipation, and where the major developments and dealmaking remain around the corner, would have to look no further than the PI3 kinase area. Early bets placed on PI3K pan-selective inhibitors may pay off, but smart money lately has been focused on isoform-selective inhibition of this signaling pathway implicated in cancer, inflammation, and autoimmune disease. In this issue, we profile three emerging companies hoping to succeed in developing PI3K inhibitors for diverse clinical applications: Arno Therapeutics, Intellikine, and Paloma Pharmaceuticals.

Highlights from the Q2 2008 review of pharmaceutical and biotechnology dealmaking: Despite the dearth in biopharmaceutical financings in the quarter (total money raised was just $2 billion) acquisitions thrived with total M&A volume of $11.8 billion. And biopharma alliance activity reached $2.7 billion in potential deal value during 2008's second quarter with only a handful more deals than the first quarter, but a 43% increase in dollar volume.

Inflammation plays a part in a wide range of diseases across a broad spectrum of markets, including the huge and already crowded, like rheumatoid arthritis; the difficult to navigate, like Crohn's disease; and the emerging, like atherosclerosis. Start-ups looking to compete in inflammation can boost their chances of success by focusing on niche indications or on drug targets with broad applicability, and thus attract the attention of in-licensers or acquirers. In this issue, we profile four young companies hoping to prove the worth of their technologies to investors and partners alike.