Neoprobe taps pharma vet Pykett as development chief

November 16, 2010 By MedCity News Leave a Comment

Neoprobe Corp. (OTC:NEOP) hired a biotechnology and pharmaceuticals industry veteran as its chief development officer.

Mark Pykett, 46, is stepping into the role, which calls for him to assist the company with its product and business development, partnering and investor relations efforts, according to a press release from the Dublin, Ohio-based firm.

Pykett joins Neoprobe at what could be a transformative time for the company. Early next year, it’s planning to file for regulatory approval of its cancer-detecting drug Lymphoseek, a tracing agent that identifies cancerous lymph nodes in patients with breast cancer and melanoma. The company pegs the drug’s market at $450 million.

Pykett said he’d help the company prepare its application and provide additional perspective, based on his experience guiding companies through the Food & Drug Administration’s review process.

“I’ll complement what’s already a strong existing team,” he said.

Neoprobe is also seeking to list its shares on New York Stock Exchange’s AMEX market to make itself more attractive to institutional investors. NEOP shares are listed on NASDAQ’s Over-The-Counter Bulletin Board. Pykett said he’d work with investors and analysts to improve the company’s visibility.

The company also is looking to move ahead with clinical trials of RIGScan, a tracing agent that works by attaching itself to cancerous cells in the body, which can then be identified by a handheld radiation-detection device. RIGScan is likely years away from approval.

One of Pykett’s main responsibilities related to RIGScan will be seeking out a larger partner company to commercialize the technology once the agent gains regulatory approval.

Previously, he founded Massachusetts-based Talaris Advisors, a drug-development consulting firm. He was also COO at Alseres Pharmaceuticals, which develops drugs for central nervous system disorders.

Pykett plans to work out of Boston, but said he’ll spend “substantial” time in Dublin and on the road.

Hospital survey reveals front-line needs, desperate measures
Hospitals across the U.S. have begun resorting to unorthodox means of replacing or sanitizing personal protective equipment (PPE) and atypical sourcing of PPE and other supplies needed to fight the coronavirus pandemic, according to a government survey. The Department of Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General (OIG) conducted the random survey of 323 hospitals… […]
CDRH gives medtech manufacturers employee coronavirus safety tips
As certain medtech companies continue ramping up production of devices and components to fight the coronavirus, the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) on Sunday announced several tips to help protect medtech manufacturing employees from contracting COVID-19. In addition to frequent and thorough hand-washing, maintaining social distancing and avoiding face-touching, the agency urged… […]
Lin Engineering hastens manufacture of DC motors for fight against COVID-19
Lin Engineering — a designer and manufacturer of precision electric motors and motion systems — is prioritizing the production and supply of motors to support companies making medical devices critical in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Morgan Hill, Calif.-based Lin Engineering said last week its highest priority is supplying motors to the makers of medical… […]
Nortech, Minnetronix may start building ventilators
Two Minnesota medtech contract manufacturers are taking a hard look at producing ventilators, including one from the plans that Medtronic made public last week to address the coronavirus outbreak. Maple Grove-based Nortech Systems (NSDQ:NSYS) told Medical Design & Outsourcing it is seriously considering starting to produce the machines based on the design specifications of Medtronic’s… […]
Materialise touts 3D-printed oxygen mask that could free up ventilators
Materialise announced today that it developed a 3D-printed device to convert standard hospital equipment into a mask to help patients breathe by creating positive pressure in the lungs. The Leuven, Belgium-based company’s Materialise NIP Connector is designed to give clinicians the ability to reduce the time that patients need access to ventilators and relieve the… […]
Plastikos implements bio-contamination testing and compliance under ISO 14698
Plastikos (Erie, Pa.) recently announced that it has implemented a formal bio-contamination testing and compliance system that’s in full compliance with ISO 14698-1 and ISO 14698-2 — a move the company described as paramount amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Plastikos and Plastikos Medical presently mold medical devices and parts within multiple ISO-7 certified cleanrooms. The new… […]
How 3D printing is enabling ventilator splitting
Amid the shortage of ventilators due to the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers are finding success using 3D printing to enable “ventilator splitting.” The search continues to go on for more machines, but there have already been government actions taken to increase amounts, while researchers have taken it into their own hands to create homemade-style ventilators. However,… […]
How R&D departments are coping with coronavirus
Hardly anyone’s R&D workplace has been spared all the repercussions of the COVID-19 crisis. People are working remotely, staggering their hours in laboratories to avoid too many coworkers, and relying heavily on conference calls and video meetings. Our WTWH Media sister site R&D World spoke to a few industry people to see how they’re coping… […]
Europe waives tariffs, import taxes on COVID-19 medtech
The European Commission has decided to waive tariffs and value-added taxes (VAT) on certain medical devices and personal protective equipment (PPE) coming from outside the EU during the coronavirus pandemic. The measure includes testing kits, ventilators and other medical equipment and will remain in force for six months, the commission said today. “In this emergency,… […]
FDA eases mask regulations, seeks to boost decontamination of used masks
The FDA yesterday further relaxed regulations on medical and surgical masks and face shields to ease shortages during the coronavirus pandemic, and invited companies that decontaminate masks to submit proposals for emergency authorizations. In a new guidance, the agency also gave its blessing to healthcare providers to use improvised masks during the public health emergency when… […]
BARDA opens research portal to fight COVID-19
By James Keller, Emergo Group The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), which is part of the US Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, is seeking information from stakeholders on available medical countermeasures in development. It is particularly interested in products and technologies that have progressed into… […]