A Minnesota doctor reportedly created a $50 EpiPen alternative and is trying to raise money to bring it to patients. Dr. Douglas McMahon, who has severe food allergies, told CBS Minnesota that he was hesitant to carry his EpiPen because it was so bulky. As a certified allergy specialist, McMahon began constructing an alternative in his […]
Research & Development
High-capacity nanoparticle holds potential for targeted cancer therapies
Chemists from the Mass. Institute of Technology developed a nanoparticle that they can pack with 3 or more drugs to create custom combination therapies for cancer, according to a study published this week in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The team also revealed that cisplatin, a powerful anti-cancer drug, doesn’t work using the […]
AstraZeneca, Bespak ink deal for metered-dose inhaler
AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN) said last week that it inked a multi-year commercial supply deal with Consort Medical (LON:CSRT) subsidiary Bespak for its pressurized metered-dose inhaler technology. Bespak will supply inhaler valves and actuators for use with AstraZeneca’s inhaled aerosol treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. AstraZeneca won FDA approval in April for the aerosol, Bevespi Aerosphere […]
DelMar, Accurexa ink deal for chemotherapy combo
DelMar Pharmaceuticals and Accurexa said today that they inked a deal to collaborate on a combination chemotherapy for local treatment of brain cancer. The agreement calls for DelMar to supply the drug dianhydrogalactitol (VAL-083) as part of a combination with another chemotherapeutic, either temozolomide or carmustine, for local delivery to the tumor via Accurexa’s ACX-31 implantable […]
GlaxoSmithKline’s triple combo with Innoviva tops Symbicort Turbohaler in COPD
GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK) and Innoviva (NSDQ:INVA) yesterday touted results from a Phase III study investigating the triple-combination therapy fluticasone furoate/umeclidnium/vilanterol for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The 1,810-patient Fulfil study is a randomized, double-blinded trial comparing once-daily FF/UMEC/VI against AstraZeneca‘s (NYSE:AZN) Symbicort Turbohaler dry powder inhaler, a twice-daily combination of budesonide and formoterol. Patients in the FF/UMEC/VI […]
MIT, Singapore Univ. dev 3-D-printed structures that “remember” their shapes
By Sarah Faulkner Engineers from MIT and Singapore University of Technology and Design are using light to create 3D structures that remember their shape when triggered by external stimuli like temperature. These structures, also known as shape-memory polymers, could be useful as delivery vessels for drugs in the human body. Get the full story at […]
BioCorRx launches R&D program for anti-addiction naltrexone drug-device combo
Anti-addiction developer BioCorRx said today it launched a research & development initiative as it seeks FDA approval for its naltrexone implant designed to treat opioid and alcohol addictions. The implant slowly releases naltrexone, a non-addictive opioid antagonist that can reduce physical cravings and block some of the effects of alcohol and opioids, the Los Angeles-based […]
Unilife & Amgen finalize $75m co-development deal
Unilife (NSDQ:UNIS) said today it finalized a $75 million collaborative deal with Amgen (NSDQ:AMGN) for injectable drug delivery systems, a deal the companies have been working out for the past month. The deal includes licensing, investment, development and supply agreements and is centered around Unilife’s prefilled customizable wearable injectors, according to an SEC filing from the York, […]
Diabetes: Medtronic furthers the quest for an artificial pancreas
Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) and Intarcia Therapeutics were in the spotlight at the American Diabetes Assn.’s annual scientific sessions conference in Boston last week, revealing new medical device developments in the fight against diabetes. Medtronic took center stage, announcing new developments for its artificial pancreas program, touting positive data from a user study of its MiniMed 640g and revealing plans to collaborate […]
Delcath's Chemosat gives terminal cancer patients several more months of disease-free life

Delcath Systems Inc.’s (NSDQ:DCTH) Chemosat organ-targeting chemotherapy system extended the lives of terminal eye cancer patients by several months without disease progression, researchers said.
Melanoma of the eye often spreads to the liver, generally killing a patient in 1 to 2 months, according to a press release. Patients who received targeted treatment to saturate the liver lived an average of 8.1 months, compared to 1.6 months for patients receiving the best alternative care.