Today Stories

Abingdon, UK, 8 November 2019: – OBN (UK) Ltd., the membership organisation that supports the life sciences industry, is delighted to announce the winners of the 2019 OBN Awards. The Awards, which are in their 11th year, celebrate the best of UK life sciences – from outstanding scientific innovation within Biotech, Medtech and Digital Health, to the companies that support the industry and the fundraisers that make it happen.  This year’s event hosted an audience of over 250 life sciences industry leaders at the Oxford Examination Schools. John Harris, CEO of OBN, said: “We received an incredible number of entries yet again this year, so competition has been really tough for all nominees.  All our winners and finalists are truly innovative, at the very top of their respective sectors, and s…

A multimillion-pound initiative will bring together hospitals, universities and industry to boost the economy with life sciences innovations. This is the first time that the Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA) and MedCity have worked collaboratively to support the UK sector’s growth and productivity in this way. Together the two life sciences cluster organisations cover a population of 34 million. MedCity facilitates economic growth in life sciences by working with universities, industry and the NHS within London and the greater south east of England.  The NHSA brings together life sciences expertise in leading universities, NHS Teaching Trusts and Academic Health Science Networks across the North of England. The new partnership will foster economic growth and help speed up the develop…

Combining two major forces in HEOR, market access, medical affairs and healthcare communications 4th November, 2019, London, UK and Bethesda, USA – OPEN Health has today announced the integration of Pharmerit International, a global leader in health economics and outcomes research (HEOR), into its group of companies. Joining the Pharmerit business with the OPEN Health Group establishes a new unique entity equipped to be a global leader in HEOR, market access, medical affairs and healthcare communications. The merger enhances and supports OPEN Health’s positioning – deep, broad and connected: Deep in that integration will expand the company’s global footprint and capabilities in the HEOR and market access space – across four integrated centres of excellence: Strategic market access Modell…

London, UK - Some of the UK’s leading Harley Street outpatient clinics specialising in delivering expert mental health support have partnered with medical device company Flow Neuroscience to offer patients a new medically approved brain stimulation headset to treat depression. The type of brain stimulation used in the headset has been shown in independent clinical studies to have a similar impact to antidepressants but with fewer and less-severe side effects. Clinics within London’s esteemed medical district, including the NHS-connected private therapy clinic The Chelsea Psychology Clinic, will now offer patients the new brain stimulation headset as an add-on treatment in combination with their traditional therapy and psychiatrist services. An additional 10 clinics are trialling the headse…

Scientists from the University of Nottingham have discovered an easy, cost-effective and safe method of sending cells and small living samples worldwide, which could revolutionise conventional practice. Cultured cells are currently transported using dry ice - the solid form of carbon dioxide - which keeps them frozen at -80oC. However, dry ice shipping is expensive, voluminous and hazardous, so much so that many couriers refuse to handle it. Also, if it evaporates before a shipment reaches its destination, cellular recovery is jeopardised, as the cells get crushed and the cryoprotectant needed for their storage at low temperatures, is toxic to cells at ambient temperatures.   Dry ice is also damaging to the environment, with 5kg, (the quantity typically used in a consignment of frozen ce…

Singapore, 22 October 2019– ASLAN Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq:ASLN, TPEx:6497), a clinical-stage oncology and immunology focused biopharma company, today announced the enrolment of the first patient in its multiple ascending dose (MAD) study testing the first-in-class therapeutic antibody ASLAN004 in moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD) patients. ASLAN004 is a fully human monoclonal antibody that binds to the IL-13 receptor α1 subunit (IL-13Rα1), blocking signalling of two pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-4 and IL-13, which are central to triggering symptoms of AD, such as redness and itching of the skin. The randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled study will initially be conducted at Singapore’s National Skin Centre and Changi General Hospital and will be led by Prof Steven Thng. It i…

Grant will support researchers from King’s College London and King’s College Hospital to test a personalised treatment approach for Aplastic Anaemia patients who have not responded to available therapies 21 October 2019 - LifeArc, a UK-based medical research charity, and the Aplastic Anaemia Trust (AAT) have jointly awarded a £1.15m research grant to King’s College London and King’s College Hospital to investigate the potential of a novel type of “personalised cellular therapy” to reverse the ultra-rare condition aplastic anaemia (AA). The results of this research could give new hope to people living with a severe, life-limiting form of this condition. The grant will fund a clinical trial to investigate the safety and efficacy of using a patient’s own T-reg cells to restore the blood-makin…

Manchester’s leading health innovation campus, Citylabs, is set to expand again following high levels of demand as it continues to grow its presence as an international hub for genomics and precision medicine.  Manchester Science Partnerships (MSP) and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) have unveiled plans to develop Citylabs 4.0, a new £35 million development which will grow the existing Citylabs campus by 125,000 sq ft. The Joint Venture partnership between MSP and MFT, the UK's largest NHS provider Trust, is the first of its kind, with the first phase - Citylabs 1.0 - already home to a thriving cluster of diagnostics, medtech, digital health and genomics businesses who are driving the future of medicine and healthcare. The new development represents another step forward fo…

The Primary Care Women’s Health Forum (PCWHF), the leading membership forum for primary care clinicians with an interest in women’s health, is pleased to announce the publication of ‘Her Life Her Health’, its new women’s health publication. It is a new quarterly publication for PCWHF members. Written by primary care clinicians for primary care, the publication follows the journey a woman typically takes throughout her lifetime when accessing healthcare, from contraceptive needs to conception, from menstruation to menopause. Spearheaded by Editor-in-Chief, renowned women’s health expert and Chair of the PCWHF, Dr Anne Connolly, Her Life Her Health combines the latest research and guidelines with news, policy, best practice, features, resources and quick reference guidelines. It is packed wi…

The publication in the Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance concluded that application of a nasal gel formulation of XF-73 in healthy volunteers was safe, well tolerated and generated minimal side effects Treatment with XF-73 was also associated with a rapid reduction in nasal Staphylococcus aureus in all subjects; nasal carriage of the bacteria is the source of the majority of post-surgical bacterial infections The same nasal formulation is being used in the Company’s phase 2b trial assessing the microbiological effect of XF-73 on nasal S. aureus in patients scheduled for cardiac surgery and at high risk of postoperative S.aureus/MRSA infection; headline results continue to be expected in mid-2020 Brighton, United Kingdom – 16 October 2019 Destiny Pharma (AIM: DEST), a clinical sta…

Clinical Professionals fully fund and train some of the UK’s brightest life science graduates with the aim of giving back and assisting in the future of the industry talent pool and future skilled professionals. The Parliamentary Review, co-chaired by former ministers Lord Pickles and Lord Blunkett, publishes its latest, highly anticipated edition this September. Featuring commentary from the prime minister and senior politicians alongside business and thought leaders across both the private and public sectors, The Review aims to share and promote best practice among executives and policymakers. Success for businesses of any size does not always come easily, and this year's edition of The Parliamentary Review is indispensable for anyone who seeks to make a name for themselves in industry.…

London, 10 October 2019 - The Dementia Discovery Fund (“DDF” or “the Fund”) this week welcomed more than 100 key stakeholders to its Annual Forum to discuss the opportunities and challenges surrounding the development of high-impact therapeutics for age-related dementias. Established in 2015, DDF is the world’s only global venture capital fund dedicated to delivering both high-impact therapeutics for age-related dementias and financial returns by investing in, creating, and supporting innovative companies. The Annual Forum, now in its second year and attended by representatives from innovative research companies, academia and the investment community, welcomed presentations from emerging companies who are supported by DDF investment and who are pursuing the development of highly promising…

A public focus group has responded positively to a smart pill bottle, Pill Connect, developed by eLucid mHealth to prompt patients to take their medications on time. Pill Connect also allows both trial investigators and doctors to effectively monitor medication and provide novel insights into adherence. The focus group, run by Research for the Future, was made up of seven volunteers aged over 50 years. The participants took part in a roundtable discussion on medicine management, followed by a demonstration and hands-on session with the Pill Connect bottle and app. In the final roundtable discussion, all participants said that the Pill Connect system was simple to use and that it was easy to remember how to use it. Other feedback from the participants included: 86% said they would like to…

LONDON, UK, 8 October 2019 – Prokarium today announced it has received an investment of £4.59 million from Wellcome to fund two clinical trials of its lead programme, Entervax™, a bivalent vaccine against enteric fever. “Funding from a prestigious foundation such as the Wellcome Trust underlines the strength of our approach and provides the support necessary to progress to the clinic,” said Ted Fjallman, Ph.D, Chief Executive Officer, Prokarium. “Entervax™ performed as expected in the preclinical and nonclinical models and we look forward to building on the results we observed previously with our monovalent typhoid vaccine candidate, ZH9. Enteric fever, primarily caused by Salmonella enterica serovars Typhi and Paratyphi A, is the most common bacterial bloodstream infection in South Asia a…

The Physiological Society has congratulated Nobel Prize winners William G. Kaelin Jr., Sir Peter J. Ratcliffe and Gregg L. Semenza. It was announced today (Monday 7 October) that they have been awarded the Nobel Prize for their discoveries of how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability. While the fundamental importance of oxygen has been understood for centuries, this research focuses on understanding how cells adapt to changes in levels of oxygen. Sir Peter Ratcliffe is a former Editor of Journal of Physiology, a journal published by The Physiological Society. Responding to the Nobel Prize announcement, President of The Physiological Society, Bridget Lumb, said: “This year’s Nobel Prize puts physiology front and centre. It shines a light on the vital research carried out by physiolog…

Mark Geremia, VP and GM for Dragon Professional and Consumer, Nuance Communications.  Studies have found that on average one in every 10 people in the UK are dyslexic and struggle with literacy.   Encouragingly, in recent years there has been a new focus on education around dyslexia. Through in-depth studies and research alongside efforts to raise awareness – such as World Dyslexia Awareness Day - a new understanding of the condition is being established and outdated misconceptions are – thankfully – being challenged.   For many living with dyslexia, using AI-powered speech recognition software, such as Dragon, could open up a new world of possibilities.  For example, the keyboard can often act as a barrier, for those with dyslexia. Removing it ultimately provides a more fluid writing expe…

Living close to the sea could support better mental health in England’s poorest urban communities, finds a new study published today in the journal Health and Place. Researchers from the University of Exeter used survey data from nearly 26,000 respondents in their analysis, which marks one of the most detailed investigations ever into the wellbeing effects of being beside the sea. After taking other related factors into account, the study revealed that living in large towns and cities near to England’s coastline is linked with better mental health for those in the lowest earning households. Approximately one in six adults in England suffer from mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression, and these are far more likely in people from poorer backgrounds. The findings suggest tha…

Servier, an independent international pharmaceutical company, today announced the acquisition of PIXUVRI® from CTI BioPharma. PIXUVRI is a treatment for adult patients with multiply relapsed or refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma. Servier and CTI Biopharma completed an Asset Purchase Agreement which transferred worldwide rights of PIXUVRI to Servier. Servier commercialized PIXUVRI globally, in all countries where the drug was approved under an exclusive license from CTI BioPharma. “The acquisition of PIXUVRI is an important step towards Servier’s long-term strategy to become a key player in oncology. Within oncology, one of our key focuses is hematology, and we now have two medicines that are marketed globally alongside a strong and innovative pipeline of drug candidates whic…

LEIDEN, and UTRECHT, the Netherlands, October 1st , 2019 / B3C newswire / -- MIMETAS and Hubrecht Organoid Technologies (HUB) announce that they entered into a strategic collaboration to market organoid models on a Chip. The agreement includes a license to MIMETAS to market HUB Organoids in an assay ready format, as well as a collaborative effort to develop disease-specific models. "We're delighted and proud that we could transition our long-standing collaboration with the group of Professor Hans Clevers into a commercial proposition," says MIMETAS CEO Paul Vulto. "The adult stem cell biology and Organoid technology of HUB is the very best in the world. By combining it with our OrganoPlate technology in an assay-ready format, the technology becomes available to researchers from any laborat…

READING – 30 September 2019 – Sanofi announced today the UK launch of Suliqua™ (insulin glargine/lixisenatide), a once-daily titratable fixed-ratio combination of basal insulin glargine 100 Units/mL and GLP-1 receptor agonist lixisenatide for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes. Suliqua™ in combination with metformin is authorised for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus to improve glycaemic control when this has not been provided by metformin alone or metformin combined with another oral glucose lowering medicinal product or with basal insulin.[2] Approval of the once-daily injection is based on two phase III studies, LixiLan-O and LixiLan-L.[3],[4] LixiLan-O showed Suliqua™ to be statistically superior in reducing blood sugar levels in comparison with both lixis…