Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are using nanoparticles to tackle drug-resistant bacteria, according to a study published in Advanced Materials. Gram-negative bacteria are particularly difficult to treat, since they are protected by two cell membranes. But the team of Cambridge-based researchers reported that antimicrobial peptides inside of a silicon nanoparticle effectively reduced the number […]
Featured
Mallinckrodt wins orphan drug status for long-acting muscular dystrophy therapy
Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:MNK) said today that the FDA granted orphan drug status to its long-acting cosyntropin acetate formulation, MNK-1411, for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In August last year, the FDA approved the company’s request to fast track its investigational new drug application for the therapy. “We are pleased the FDA has granted orphan drug status to […]
Sunovion divests asthma, allergy tech to Covis Pharma
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals said today that it plans to divest the U.S. market rights for its allergy and asthma products to Covis Pharma, in an effort to narrow its focus to the company’s COPD portfolio. Included in the deal is Sunovion’s Alvesco inhalation aerosol, its Omnaris nasal spray and its Zetonna nasal aerosol. All three products […]
FDA panel recommends approval for gene-altering cancer treatment
An FDA advisory panel yesterday recommended approval for Novartis‘ (NYSE:NVS) CAR-T gene therapy. If approved, it would be the first ever treatment of its kind on the market. The panel voted unanimously, 10-0, to recommend that the FDA give its official nod. The company’s therapy genetically alters a patient’s own cells to fight acute lymphoblastic leukemia. […]
Bigfoot Biomedical taps Abbott to collaborate on automated insulin delivery tech
Abbott (NYSE:ABT) and Bigfoot Biomedical said today that the companies inked a deal to develop and commercialize diabetes management systems. The collaboration will bring together Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre glucose monitoring tech and Bigfoot’s insulin delivery platform, the companies reported. According to the deal, Abbott will provide Bigfoot with the next-gen version of its FreeStyle Libre continuous […]
Milestone Scientific appoints new CEO following FDA nod | Personnel Moves – July 13, 2017
Milestone Scientific (NYSE:MLSS) said this week that it appointed Daniel Goldberger to the company’s corner office. Leonard Osser, who previously served as CEO, is slated to remain on the board and will continue to serve as director of Milestone’s China operations. The appointment comes on the heels of the FDA’s decision to grant Milestone’s CompuFlo epidural […]
Blood test enhances early detection of pancreatic cancer
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have devised a biomarker panel that could enable earlier diagnosis and better treatment for patients with pancreatic cancer, according to a study published in Science Translational Medicine. Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., the team reported, and often patients are not diagnosed until […]
Study: Nanomedicine shuts down cells that drive cancer growth in glioblastoma
Researchers from Northwestern Medicine have developed lipid polymer-based nanoparticles that target key cancer drivers, called brain tumor initiating cells, in a mouse model of glioblastoma brain tumors. “BTICs are malignant brain tumor populations that underlie the therapy resistance, recurrence and unstoppable invasion commonly encountered by glioblastoma patients after the standard treatment regimen of surgical resection, […]
Synspira’s therapy could boost antibiotics against drug-resistant bacteria in CF patients
Privately-held Synspira touted a study today of its inhaled glycopolymer-based therapeutic with antibiotics as a potential treatment for pulmonary infection caused by the Burkholderia cepacia complex in patients with cystic fibrosis. The study was published in PLOS One. Synspira’s lead polycationic glycopolymer, SNSP113, was studied in combination with tobramycin and meropenem. These antibiotics, as well as ceftazidime, are often […]
Clearside Biomedical launches Phase II diabetic macular edema trial
Clearside Biomedical (NSDQ:CLSD) said today that it enrolled the first patient in a Phase II clinical trial of CLS-TA in patients with diabetic macular edema. The trial plans to evaluate Clearside’s suspension formulation of a corticosteroid, triamcinolone acetonide, as a suprachoroidal injection in combination with an intravitreal injection of Eylea, an anti-VEGF agent. Patients with DME will either receive […]