Impel NeuroPharma Inc. said today that it closed a $36 million series C financing round to fund its pipeline of precision olfactory delivery (POD) intranasal devices. Life science firms venBIO, 5AM Ventures and Vivo Capital made investments in the round. Seattle-based Impel will get $21 million upfront and $15 million after it reaches development and […]
Modification to delivery polymer sidesteps allergic response
Researchers from Duke University have reconfigured the popular drug-delivery polymer, polyethylene glycol, to sidestep dangerous immune responses that have previously halted clinical trials at Duke. The team’s work was published in Nature Biomedical Engineering. Polyethylene glycol, PEG, is a polymer that is found in toothpaste and cosmetics, but is often used in pharmaceuticals. It can be […]
Virus-inspired drug delivery system travels cell to cell
Researchers from the University of Utah and the University of Washington have developed self-assembling nanocages that are packaged within cell membranes and exported to travel from cell to cell, delivering therapeutics. The team’s work was published in Nature. The drug delivery system is inspired by a mechanism used by viruses to spread their infectious materials among […]
Actelion rejects J&J’s takeover offer
Swiss biotech firm Actelion Pharmaceuticals (VTX:ATLN) reportedly rejected Johnson & Johnson‘s (NYSE:JNJ) 2nd takeover offer, sending it shares down -6% in afternoon trading yesterday. The 2 companies have been engaged in informal talks for 2 months, according to Reuters, and the latest offer was pegged at 250 Swiss francs per share. J&J’s $270 billion bid for Actelion tempted shareholders, […]
BD puts Pyxis drug pump into the Internet of Things
Becton Dickinson (NYSE:BDX) said today that it adopted the Windows 10 Internet of Things operating system for its automated drug-dispensing Pyxis ES system. The new operating system features long-term support and improved cybersecurity. The Windows 10 Internet of Things operating system boasts a 10-year support package and active security patches. It also offers new features […]
Propeller inks deal with Italian spirometer maker
Propeller Health said today that it inked a collaborative deal with Medical International Research to integrate MIR’s mobile and clinical spirometers into the Propeller system. Spirometry, measuring lung function by how much air is inhaled and exhaled, can help provide a physiological measurement for disease progression in patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. […]
Researchers develop method for storing vaccines at room temp
Researchers at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne‘s Supramolecular Nanomaterials and Interfaces Laboratory have developed methods for 3 additives to help store vaccines at room temperature. The team’s work was published in Nature Communications. The need to keep vaccines within a temperature range of 2-8°C contributes to low immunization-coverage rates, because shipping the medicines in an unbroken temperature-controlled […]
Loaded nanocarriers deliver drugs and imaging molecules to tumors
Researchers from the University of Washington developed synthetic nanocarriers to encase chemotherapy drugs and deliver them directly to the tumor site, avoiding healthy tissue. The team’s work was published in the journal Small. The nanocarrier is a hybrid of synthetic materials designed to allow the system to carry drugs and fluorescent particles to stain the tumor for […]
Report: J&J raises the stakes in Actelion pursuit
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) has reportedly raised its offer for Swiss biotech firm Actelion Pharmaceuticals (VTX:ATLN), pressuring the company to accept a takeover deal. The companies have been in talks for nearly 2 months but so far have not reached a deal, according to Reuters. The news outlet reported that Actelion wants J&J to become a major shareholder […]
Nordisk touts Tresiba insulin injection data
Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) said today that data from the Devote clinical trial indicated that its injected insulin, Tresiba, reduced the risk of severe hypoglycemia when compared to insulin glargine. The trial enrolled more than 7,500 type 2 diabetes patients at high risk of adverse cardiovascular events and treated them for 2 years with either Tresiba or insulin glargine […]
OCUL registers for $40m stock sale
Ocular Therapeutix (NSDQ:OCUL) is looking to raise $40 million through a public stock offering, according to a prospectus filed with the federal Securities & Exchange Commission this week. The Bedford, Mass.-based company said it inked a controlled equity offering sales agreement with Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., and agreed to pay Cantor Fitzgerald commissions of up to 3% […]