The ongoing opioid crisis in the U.S. is harrowing – 91 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Companies are searching for innovative ways to deliver opioid maintenance treatment to patients that are hoping to get clean. Buprenorphine is a compound used for medication-assisted treatment, traditionally administered […]
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Researchers develop luminescent carbon nanodots to track drug delivery
Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed photo-luminescent carbon nanodots that exhibit reversible switching of their optical properties in cancer cells. The team’s work was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The carbon nanoparticles could be applied to intracellular imaging and drug delivery, the authors said. “One of the major advantages […]
Teva Pharmaceutical beats Q4 earnings, sales estimates
Shares in Teva Pharmaceutical (NYSE:TEVA) rose today after the pharmaceutical company met expectations on Wall Street with its 4th quarter results. The Israel-based company posted a loss of -$974 million on sales of $6.49 billion for the 3 months ended Dec. 31, for bottom-line loss of -296% on sales growth of 33% compared with the same period last […]
AcelRx touts Dsuvia data for burn victims
AcelRx Pharmaceuticals (NSDQ:ACRX) said today that it plans to present data from a study evaluating its Dsuvia pain reliever in patients with moderate-to-severe acute pain resulting from trauma or injury. The company’s Dsuvia candidate is composed of 30 sufentanil tablets delivered sublingually using a disposable, pre-filled single-dose applicator. Dsuvia is investigational and not approved in […]
Allergan acquires Zeltiq Aesthetics in $2.48B deal
Allergan (NYSE:AGN) said today that it will pay $2.48 billion for Zeltiq Aesthetics Inc. (NSDQ:ZLTQ) and its portfolio of body-contouring products. Zeltiq’s FDA-approved CoolSculpting system uses a cooling mechanism to reduce the appearance of fat which has not responded to diet or exercise, without disturbing surrounding tissue. According to the deal, Allergan agreed to pay […]
Marathon hikes MD drug price 70x to $89k a year
After winning FDA approval for its muscular dystrophy drug last week, Marathon Pharmaceuticals set the drug’s list price at $89,000 a year – 50 to 70 times greater than what most U.S. patients have paid for decades by importing the drug from Europe. Marathon’s drug is a corticosteroid, deflazacort, that has been shown to improve muscular […]
Missouri University researchers use autograft harvesting to treat chronic wounds
Chronic wound sufferers were able to get skin grafts in an outpatient clinic—all through a Missouri University research team’s work. The researchers used the Acelity Cellutome Epidermal Harvesting System. It is an automated, precise and reproducible process that offers minimal pain and less donor-site trauma. It features suction microsomes that harvest epidermal micrografts automatically, eliminating the […]
Democratic senators float bill to protect ‘scientific integrity’
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) introduced a bill this week that aims to protect and promote ‘scientific integrity’. The legislation builds on policies from former President Barack Obama’s 2009 executive order, which required federal agencies to define how they planned to safeguard scientific integrity. The bill, which has 27 co-signers and has been referred to the Committee […]
New technique rapidly tests nanoparticles for safety
Researchers from the University of Geneva and the University of Fribourg have developed a screening method that rapidly assesses and selects nanoparticles for their biocompatibility. The team’s work was published in the journal Nanoscale. The researchers touted that they can determine if a nanoparticle will be compatible with the human body in less than a week […]
Immunomedics, Seattle Genetics ink $2B deal for antibody-drug conjugate
Immunomedics (NSDQ:IMMU) said it landed an exclusive global licensing agreement with Seattle Genetics (NSDQ:SGEN) for Immunomedics’ antibody-drug conjugate, IMMU-132, for the treatment of solid tumors. The deal could potentially bring in $2 billion plus royalties for Immunomedics. According to the deal, Seattle Genetics is responsible for developing, funding, manufacturing and commercializing IMMU-132. The Washington-based company will […]