(Reuters) – Scientists are getting closer to building life from scratch and technology pioneers are taking notice, with record sums moving into a field that could deliver novel drugs, materials, chemicals and even perfumes. Despite ethical and safety concerns, investors are attracted by synthetic biology’s wide market potential and the plummeting cost of DNA synthesis, […]
Wall Street Beat
German billionaire Hopp readies sale of skin patch maker LTS
German billionaire Dietmar Hopp is reportedly preparing to sell medical skin patch maker LTS Lohmann as he looks to shake-up his investment porfolio. LTS has 1,300 employees and brings in more than 300 million euros ($319 million) in annual sales from nicotine and medical patches that treat conditions such as Parkinson’s and restless legs syndrome. […]
B. Braun launches app for Easypump home infusion therapy
B. Braun launched an app yesterday for its Easypump ST/LT elastomeric infusion pump to help patients and clinicians use the system more safely and efficiently for home infusion therapy. The Easypump app features graphics and videos that explain the infusion therapy process, B. Braun said, and provides nurses with tools to teach patients how to […]
SteadyMed studies accuracy and precision of PatchPump infusion system for Trevyent
SteadyMed (NSDQ:STDY) said yesterday that it finished a clinical study for its lead drug candidate, Trevyent. The pulmonary arterial hypertension treatment is a combination of treprostinil and the PatchPump prefilled, disposable infusion system. The San Ramon, Calif.-based company said it is on track to submit a New Drug Application for Trevyent in the 2nd quarter […]
Therapix, Yissum ink nasal drug delivery pact
Therapix Biosciences (NSDQ:TRPX) said today that it inked a sublicense agreement for nasal drug delivery tech from Yissum Research Development Company at the Hebrew University. According to the deal, Yissum plans to give Therapix an exclusive, global, sub-licensable, royalty-bearing license for its nasal delivery tech to be used with cannabinoids. The technology was developed by […]
Actelion shareholders OK R&D spinout
Actelion (VTX:ATLN) shareholders today reportedly approved spinning off the company’s early clinical assets and drug discovery branch into a new company. The move keeps Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) $30 billion takeover on track to close in the 2nd quarter. The newly formed biopharmaceutical company will be called Idorsia Ltd and led by Actelion CEO Jean-Paul Clozel. Shares in Idorsia […]
Acorda to cut 20% of staff in restructuring effort
Acorda Therapeutics (NSDQ:ACOR) said today that it plans to cut 20% of its workforce as a part of a cost reduction and restructuring effort. The move comes less than 1 week after the company lost patents related to its multiple sclerosis drug, Ampyra. The Ardsley, N.Y.-based company had 597 employees as of February, according to Reuters, […]
Study: Nanoparticles could improve efficacy of cancer immunotherapy
Researchers from the University of North Carolina have discovered that they can potentially improve cancer immunotherapy drugs by binding 2 compounds to a single nanoparticle. The team’s work was presented this week at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. “Our data shows that 2 compounds on a single nanoparticle will make […]
Sentien raises $12m Series A for drug-device combo for acute kidney injury
Sentien Biotechnologies said today that it closed a $12 million Series A financing round, co-led by Boehringer-Ingelheim Venture Fund USA, Inc. and BioInnovation Capital. Chiesi Ventures, MBL Venture Capital Co. and Mass Medical Angels also contributed to the round. The Cambridge, Mass.-based company said it plans to use the funds for initial clinical development of […]
More trouble for United’s Remodulin
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ruled yesterday that the claims of United Therapeutics‘s (NSDQ:UTHR) patent, which covers Remodulin, are unpatenable due to obviousness. SteadyMed (NSDQ:STDY) challenged the patent in October last year. The patent, No. 8,497,393, relates to the process to purify prostacyclin derivatives, including treprostinil, which is […]
