Medical comms - Today Stories
BiomX Ltd., a microbiome company developing customized phage therapies, today announced that it has entered into a collaboration with Janssen Research & Development, LLC to utilize BiomX's XMarker microbiome-based biomarker discovery platform. The XMarker platform will be used to stratify responders and non-responders to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) therapeutics. The collaboration was facilitated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation Limited.
"The XMarker platform was created for BiomX's microbial target discovery, based on the advanced algorithms developed by our scientific founders and our internal computational team," stated Jonathan Solomon, CEO of BiomX. "Beyond target discovery, we believe that our microbiome analytics holds great promise for the development of a new clas…
Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) today announced a novel multi-year collaboration with Magellan Rx Management, the pharmacy benefit management division of Magellan Health, that will leverage each company's capabilities and resources to identify clinical gaps for some of the healthcare system's most difficult-to-treat diseases. Based on Amgen and Magellan's extensive expertise in complex areas of health and specialty populations, the initial projects will focus on improving patient outcomes for the treatment of osteoporosis and migraine. These projects mark Amgen's first value-based collaboration with a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM).
"Amgen's collaboration with Magellan Rx demonstrates our commitment to cultivating deeper, more meaningful relationships with PBMs, moving beyond the typical transaction…
Orion Corporation and Novartis Pharma AG have agreed that Novartis will return the sales and distribution rights in certain European countries for Parkinson's disease drug Stalevo® to Orion.
The sales and distribution rights in certain European countries for the proprietary product Stalevo® (active pharmaceutical ingredients: levodopa, carbidopa, entacapone), which has been patented and developed by Orion for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, transfer from Novartis to Orion as of 3 December 2018.
Central nervous system (CNS) disorders are one of Orion's three core therapy areas, and, measured by net sales, Parkinson's disease drugs are Orion's largest family of pharmaceutical preparations. Stalevo has been on the market since 2003.
Orion has been responsible…
Shield Therapeutics plc (LSE:STX), a commercial stage, pharmaceutical company delivering innovative specialty pharmaceuticals to address patients’ unmet medical needs, is pleased to note the announcement today by Norgine that they have launched Feraccru® in the UK. Feraccru® is a novel, effective and well tolerated treatment for Iron Deficiency in adults. In September 2018, Shield licensed Feraccru® to Norgine B.V. in most European territories.
Carl Sterritt, Chief Executive Officer of Shield Therapeutics, added: “I am delighted that Norgine’s UK team is now starting to promote Feraccru® in the UK. Since announcing the licence agreement in September 2018, we have been working closely with Norgine to transfer knowledge and responsibilities from Shield to them and…
Q BioMed Inc. (OTCQB: QBIO), a biotechnology acceleration company, is pleased to announce that it has entered into agreement to acquire the metastatic skeletal cancer palliation drug, Metastron™, from GE Healthcare.
The agreement gives Q BioMed ownership of the brand, trademarks and market authorizations in 22 countries. In addition, all historical and current sales and distribution data related to those market authorisations will be assigned or transferred to Q BioMed to allow for as seamless a transition as possible in all markets.
Q BioMed CEO Denis Corin said of the deal, “This is a major deal for Q BioMed. Strategically, it affirms our belief in this drug as an effective and underutilized non-opioid therapy for the treatment of debilitating pain associated with skele…
The agreement will see the implementation of Elsevier's Order Sets and Care Planning solutions in all three Al Hammadi hospitals over the next five years
Elsevier, the information analytics business specializing in science and health, today announced an agreement with Al Hammadi Company for Development and Investment (Al Hammadi) to implement Elsevier's Order Sets and Care Planning solutions in Al Hammadi hospitals across Saudi Arabia.
Al Hammadi currently oversees three large hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Al Hammadi Hospital Al Olaya (300 beds), Al Hammadi Hospital Al Suwaidi (428 beds), and Al Hammadi Hospital Al Nuzha (600 beds).
Implementation of Order Sets and Care Planning solutions marks an important step of digital transformation for the hospital. The Saudi Arabian governme…
Mazor Robotics Ltd. (TASE: MZOR; NASDAQGM: MZOR), a pioneer and a leader in the field of robotic guidance systems, today announced that at a Special General Meeting of Shareholders held earlier today, Mazor Robotics shareholders approved the previously announced definitive merger agreement with wholly-owned subsidiaries of Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT).
Approximately 53 percent of Mazor Robotics ordinary shares were represented in the meeting. Approximately 95 percent of the shares represented in the meeting which are neither held by a Medtronic affiliated party nor by a controlling shareholder of the Company or a shareholder with a personal interest in the merger proposal, were cast in favor of the merger.
Upon completion of the transaction, Mazor Robotics shareholders will receive $58.50 p…
TIME has selected ACUVUE OASYS with Transitions Light Intelligent Technology as one of the 'Best Inventions of 2018,' in its annual round-up spotlighting groundbreaking innovations worldwide. The development of ACUVUE OASYS with Transitions has created and defined an entirely new category of contact lenses that provides wearers with vision correction and reduces blaring light*,i for all-day soothing vision.**
The contact lenses – built for a modern and active lifestyle – help reduce exposure to bright light indoors and outdoors, including filtering blue light¨ and blocking UV rays that can impact eye comfort and vision.+‡ ii,iii,iv,v,vi
"Receiving this prestigious designation for ACUVUE OASYS with Transitions alongside other game-changing inventions that are improving the way we live in…
Grünenthal announced today that it has acquired the US-based pharmaceutical company Averitas Pharma, thereby extending its commercial footprint to the United States. Averitas Pharma will be commercialising the pain patch Qutenza® (8 % capsaicin) for Grünenthal in the US. Grünenthal had only recently acquired the remaining global rights, including the US rights, for the product from Acorda Therapeutics.
"I am proud to say that we are now establishing our own commercial presence in the world's biggest pharma market, the US, for the first time," says Gabriel Baertschi, Grünenthal's Chief Executive Officer. "This acquisition is another important milestone in executing our growth strategy and expanding our business across multiple pain related therapeutic categories and geographies. Averitas P…
Lannett Company, Inc. (NYSE: LCI) today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Amneal) with regard to Levothyroxine Sodium Tablets USP. Under the agreement, Amneal will be Lannett's sole customer for Levothyroxine Sodium beginning December 1, 2018 through March 23, 2019, and will re-sell the products to its customers. Lannett will receive an upfront payment of $50 million, other terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
As previously announced, Lannett's distribution agreement with Jerome Stevens Pharmaceuticals (JSP), which includes Levothyroxine Sodium Tablets USP, expires on March 23, 2019 and will not be renewed.
"This agreement benefits all parties, including and importantly patients and customers who can be assured of a def…
Theravance Biopharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: TBPH) ("Theravance Biopharma") and Mylan N.V. (NASDAQ: MYL) ("Mylan") today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the New Drug Application (NDA) for YUPELRITM (revefenacin) inhalation solution for the maintenance treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). YUPELRI, a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA), is the first and only once-daily, nebulized bronchodilator approved for the treatment of COPD in the US. The companies expect YUPELRI to be available to COPD patients in the US before the end of the year. COPD is the third leading cause of death and the fourth leading cause of hospital readmissions in the US, affecting approximately 16 million Americans.
"Long-acting muscarinic ant…
- Upfront payment of US$15m
- Up to US$80m of development milestone payments
- Mid teen percentage profit share arrangement for each portfolio product
Chippenham, UK – 08 November 2018: Vectura Group plc (LSE: VEC) ("Vectura", "the Group"), today announces signing an agreement with Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC ("Hikma") for the global development and commercialisation of generic versions of GSK’s Ellipta® portfolio, utilising Vectura’s proprietary Open-Inhale-Close dry powder inhaler device.
Following interactions with US FDA, the Open-Inhale-Close dry powder inhaler device has the potential to be developed as an AB-rated substitutable drug-device combination for g…
American Healthcare Investors and Griffin Capital Company, LLC, the co-sponsors of Griffin-American Healthcare REIT IV, Inc., announced today that the REIT completed the acquisition of 13 healthcare buildings in five states for an aggregate contract purchase price of approximately $178.4 million during the third quarter of 2018. The acquisitions were comprised of three medical office buildings, two senior housing facilities and eight skilled nursing facilities.
"We continue to acquire accretively for the quickly growing portfolio of Griffin-American Healthcare REIT IV," said Stefan Oh, executive vice president of acquisitions for American Healthcare Investors and Griffin-American Healthcare REIT IV. "Including acquisitions completed during and after the close of the third quarter, our por…
WELL Health Technologies Corp. (TSX.V: WELL) (the "Company or "WELL"), a company focused on consolidating and modernizing clinical and digital assets within the primary healthcare sector, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a subscription agreement with Circle Medical Inc. ("Circle Medical") to invest $200,000 USD in the Silicon Valley based digital health company's latest round of financing.
"We are pleased to become shareholders of Circle Medical a company that has been successful in developing technology applications that have contributed to a more digital and convenient patient experience," said Hamed Shahbazi, Chairman and CEO of WELL Health Technologies. "We look forward to considering various ways we can unlock value together as both companies evolve and augment c…
Medela LLC announced today that Apria Healthcare, one of the nation's largest providers of home healthcare and equipment services, will begin distributing Medela's negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) product line on a national basis.
Under the terms of the agreement, Apria will expand its wound care portfolio to include the full line of Medela's negative pressure wound therapy products, including the Invia® NPWT System with FitPad. Apria will offer the Medela products through its more than 300 local branch offices and its nearly 1,900 commercial payers and preferred provider arrangements with integrated health systems across the country.
"I am excited about bringing Apria and Medela together," said Kevin Ackermann, vice president of healthcare for Medela USA. "By offering…
31-Oct-2018
LifeArc, a medical research charity, has signed an agreement to review Asthma UK’s research portfolio, aiming to identify promising projects and results which are most suited to development into treatments. LifeArc will also advise on strategies to deliver that development. LifeArc’s expertise in intellectual property (IP) protection, development and management will allow Asthma UK to translate its research funding into maximum benefit for patients.
Dr Erika Kennington, Head of Research at Asthma UK, said: “An estimated 5.4million people in the UK live with asthma and despite the prevalence of the condition, there is still much that isn’t understood. Asthma can leave people gasping for breath and at risk of a potentially life-threatening asthma attack. Research enables a bette…
Novartis announced additional brolucizumab Phase III results from year two that reaffirmed its positive year one findings. Brolucizumab met its primary endpoint of non-inferiority versus aflibercept in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and exhibited superiority in key retinal outcomes at year one (48 weeks)1,2. Secondary endpoints at year two (96 weeks) reaffirmed superiority of brolucizumab 6 mg in reduction of retinal fluid, an important marker of disease activity in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD)1,3. Approximately 20 to 25 million people are affected by nAMD, also known as wet AMD, a leading cause of blindness worldwide4,5.
The year two HAWK and HARRIER findings demonstrated that fewer patients with nAMD had intra-retinal fluid (IRF) and/or…
EB8018, the lead investigational candidate, targets Crohn’s disease with potential for other GI disorders
ENTEROME SA, a clinical-stage biotech company developing innovative therapies to treat microbiome-associated diseases with a focus on auto-immune disease and cancer, has entered into a global licensing, co-development and co-promotion agreement with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (“Takeda”). The agreement covers Enterome’s lead investigational drug candidate EB8018 in patients with Crohn’s disease, with the potential to expand to other gastrointestinal (GI) disorders and liver diseases.
“We are delighted to sign this agreement for EB8018, our most advanced candidate that represents a non-antibiotic, non-steroidal, non-immunomodulatory approach for the treatment of GI d…
Selexis SA and Berkeley Lights, Inc. today announced a collaboration around the acquisition of Berkeley Lights’ Beacon® optofluidic platform. The partners will leverage the technology to accelerate cell line development (CLD) with the Selexis SUREtechnology Platform™. Selexis scientists have extensively evaluated the Beacon technology and will now further incorporate it into the SUREtechnology Platform workflow. Utilizing the Beacon’s optofluidic and single cell analysis technology, the Selexis team has significantly shortened the time required to identify and select the optimal cell line manufacturing clones within the CLD process.
“We are very enthusiastic about the timeline advantages that the Beacon platform will bring to our SUREtechnology Platform,” said Igor Fisch, PhD, chi…
LNC Therapeutics, a French biotech company specializing in gut microbiome-based drug discovery, today announced that it has signed an exclusive license agreement with Cornell University (Ithaca, NY, USA ) for its Christensenella patent family.
Christensenellais a recently discovered family of gut bacteria. Considered a keystone taxon in the human gut microbiome, it represents a major opportunity in the fight against obesity, metabolic disorders and other high-impact diseases. Christensenella and microbiome modulation is an innovative approach with the potential to unlock a wide range of therapeutic applications.
By securing a license for the Christensenella patent, LNC has bolstered its strategy for developing innovative therapeutic approaches based on this new family of bacteria. "…
