Lyndra, Inc. said today that it closed a $23m Series A round, led by Polaris Partners, to fund the development of its long-acting therapeutic oral delivery platform. Quark Venture, GF Securities, Yonghua Capital, Healthlink Capital, Partners Healthcare, Suffolk Equity and others invested in the round. The Watertown, Mass.-based company touts its tech as the 1st […]
Pharmaceutical
CareFusion recalls IV sets on cracked back-check valves
Becton Dickinson subsidiary CareFusion recalled some IV sets today after reports that cracks in the secondary set back-check valve caused infusion fluid to leak. The company said the secondary sets are attached to a needle-free device that has been cleaned with isopropyl alcohol and CareFusion thinks that causes the plastic to crack. Leakage in the back-check valve connection […]
CRISPR uncovers drug compounds in bacterial genome
Researchers at the University of Illinois and the Agency for Science, Technology & Research in Singapore are using the gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 to uncover potentially useful drug compounds. The team has used CRISPR-Cas9 to turn on “silent” gene clusters in Streptomyces and express genes that naturally produce drug compounds to be used as antibiotics or […]
Nanoparticles permeate lungs to deliver pulmonary drugs
Researchers from Johns Hopkins University have developed nanoparticles that can shuttle chemicals through the thick mucus membranes of pulmonary airways to deliver drugs. The team’s work was published in the journal Science Advances. Traditional therapies for cystic fibrosis, COPD and asthma include inhaled corticosteroids that adhere to the walls of air passages. Thick mucus tends to build […]
European countries vie to host drug agency after Brexit
The European Medicines Agency said it has heard from 21 countries that want to host the London-based regulator once Britain leaves. The EMA is preparing to leave its headquarters as a result of Brexit and the agency’s executive director reportedly said they are hoping for a quick decision on its new location. The location will […]
Report: Fresenius set to buy generics maker Akorn
German healthcare group Fresenius SE (NYSE:FMS) reportedly said last week that it is in talks with generic drugmaker Akorn Inc. (NSDQ:AKRX) for a potential takeover. Akorn shares jumped 10% to $32.60 on news of the potential bid. Fresenius said in a statement that there is no guarantee that any deal will happen as a result of […]
After review of patient deaths, European regulators OK Actelion’s Uptravi
The European Medicines Agency told doctors today that they can continue to prescribe Actelion‘s (VTX:ATLN) pulmonary arterial hypertension drug, Uptravi. The regulatory body initiated a safety review in January after 5 patients in France died and docs were asked to stop prescribing the drug. Regulators reported that their review did not suggest an increase in mortality […]
Patients twice as likely to take anticoagulants with artificial intelligence platform
Researchers from the Stern Stroke Center at Montefiore Medical Center published trial results this week showing that stroke survivors were twice as likely to take anticoagulants when using an artificial intelligence platform compared to patients receiving standard therapies. The AI platform, AiCure, features software algorithms on smartphones that confirm patient identify, medication and drug ingestion. […]
Keystone Nano launches clinical trial for NanoLiposome cancer therapy
Keystone Nano said today that it has begun clinical testing for its ceramide NanoLiposome cancer therapy. The Phase I trial plans to evaluate the company’s NanoLiposome as a targeted treatment for solid tumors. Ceramide is a lipid that has demonstrated efficacy in liver cancer, breast cancer, leukemia and pancreatic cancer. Preclinical evidence has shown that […]
Homing system targets drugs to individual neurons
Researchers from Duke University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute have developed a technique to target and deliver drugs to specific types of neurons in the brain. The team argues that this will enable scientists to more accurately study neurological disease while offering a more targeted treatment method. The current method of treatment for neurological […]
AcelRx touts data from Dsuvia pain relief trials
AcelRx Pharmaceuticals (NSDQ:ACRX) touted efficacy and safety data today for its pain reliever, Dsuvia. The company’s lead drug candidate is composed of 30 sufentanil tablets delivered sublingually using a disposable, pre-filled single-dose applicator. Dsuvia is investigational and not approved in any country. The 4 late-phase studies enrolled 480 patients total. In 2 randomized studies, enrolled patients underwent bunionectomy […]