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Aug 8, 2009 News & Observer
Micell raises cash to test new stent by Alan M. Wolf
Micell Technologies, a small Raleigh company in the early stages of developing a new type of drug-coated stent to treat heart disease, has raised $5 million in financing. Founded in 1996, Micell originally focused on environmentally friendly dry-cleaning technology developed by Joseph DeSimone, a chemistry professor at UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State University. The company built the Hangers dry-cleaning chain and then sold it in 2002. Micell then shifted to semiconductor technology and began developing new coatings for medical products in 2006. Now the company is developing a product called MiStent, designed to help prop open heart patients' arteries and prevent them from clogging again. The new financing will help pay for lab tests later this year. The company expects to begin human tests next year. The product still requires several years of testing before Micell can seek regulatory approval. Read more ...
August 7, 2009 Triangle Business Journal
Duke professor gets $14M to study risks of nanoparticles by James Gallagher
To make socks that kill foot odors, manufacturers add silver nanoparticles to the material. The microscopic, ionic particles are known for their ability to kill bacteria, the cause of foot odor. But what isn’t known is how many, if any, of those tiny silver particles are absorbed into the human body or whether sock wearers leave a trail of silver particles that continue killing bacteria in the environment. Those are some of the questions researchers at Duke University and the Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology are hoping to answer. Read more ...
August 6, 2009 North Carolina Public Radio - WUNC
Researchers Model Complete HIV Genome
Researchers at UNC Chapel Hill have decoded the structure of an entire HIV genome. They hope their results will lead to drugs that can combat the virus' genetic material, called RNA. Research findings are published in the August 6th issue of the journal Nature. Click here to listen
August 6, 2009 Nabi Biopharmaceuticals Press Release
Nabi Biopharmaceuticals Announces Sale of PentaStaph(tm) to GlaxoSmithKline PLC
Nabi Biopharmaceuticals (Nasdaq:NABI) announced that it has signed a definitive agreement for the sale of PentaStaph(tm) (Pentavalent S. aureus Vaccine) and related assets to GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for a total consideration of up to $46 million. Under the terms of the agreement, Nabi will receive an initial cash payment of $20 million when the transaction closes plus an additional $26 million contingent upon four milestone accomplishments. The sale is subject to satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions by the buyer and seller prior to closing. Nabi anticipates closing the sale before year-end 2009 and completing the milestones within the next 18 months. Read more ...
August 6, 2009 Triangle Business Journal
Entegrion lands $4M in Navy contracts by Cameron Snipes
The U.S. Navy has awarded two additional contracts totaling $4 million to life sciences company Entegrion Inc. for implementation of the company’s proprietary technologies to improve the safety and availability of blood-derived products for treating combat injuries. The company could receive an additional $2 million for expanded research under the terms of the agreements. The first of the new contracts is for advanced development of Entegrion’s Stasix, a powder comprising dehydrated particles derived from human blood platelets. Stasix can be quickly rehydrated and then used to stop internal or external bleeding in people. The Navy contract calls for Entrgrion to work on the development of Stasix for the control of non-compressible internal bleeding. Read more ...
August 4, 2009 Triangle Business Journal
Biotech Center grants $100k each to UNC, NCSU projects
The North Carolina Biotechnology Center has awarded $300,000 in grants to three university-business collaborations – including ones involving the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and NC State University. The Research Triangle Park-based nonprofit granted $100,000 to UNC’s Scott Randell, an associate professor in the Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology who is working with RTP-based company Entergrion to grow eye cells in test cultures. The cells would be used to test dry-eye treatments. Christian Melander, an assistant professor in NCSU’s Department of Chemistry, won a $100,000 grant further a joint project with Agile Sciences of Raleigh. The company develops compounds that disperse biofilms; Melander is working to use that technology to develop an approach to help control bacterial spot disease on peaches. The third $100,000 grant went to Dr. Wayne Cascio, vice chairman of the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences in the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. Cascio is working with RTP-based company Entegion to assess the ability of freeze-dried platelets to help stop excessive bleeding during open-heart surgery and in patients taking anti-clotting drugs. Read more ...
Sanofi starts swine flue shot trial, files with FDA
Sanofi-Aventis (SASY.PA), the world leader in flu immunisation, said on Friday it started human testing of its H1N1 swine flu vaccine on Aug. 6 and filed a supplemental licence application with U.S. regulators. The French drugmaker's vaccine unit Sanofi Pasteur had told Reuters on Tuesday tests would begin "in days". Several other manufacturers have also started clinical trials recently, including Swiss-based Novartis (NOVN.VX) and Australia's CSL (CSL.AX). Sales of vaccines to contain the current swine flu pandemic are expected to provide a windfall for the global drugs industry, leading to billions of dollars in additional revenues in late 2009 and early 2010, according to industry analysts. The World Health Organisation said on Thursday that the first vaccines to combat H1N1 flu should be approved and ready for use in some countries from next month. Read more ...
August 6, 2009 Xconomy.com
Cardiorobotics, Developer of Snake Robot Technology, Aims to Alter Cardiac Surgery by Eric Hal Schwartz
The future of heart surgery is in something called a “snake robot,” at least according to the people at Newport, RI-based Cardiorobotics. We decided to check it out in more depth since Cardiorobotics just raised $11.6 million this week to see if it can demonstrate this is truly the next frontier in minimally invasive ways of fixing irregular heartbeats. Cardiorobotics, a spinout from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, got its start in the nearby Pittsburgh Life Sciences Green House in 2005. The company now splits its operations between the Steel City and Newport. I got the update from the company’s president and CEO, Samuel Straface. Read more ...
August 5, 2009 nytimes.com
Quick Tests for the Flu are Found Often Inaccurate by Andrew Pollack
As the swine flu spreads, many doctors and hospitals are turning to rapid tests that can determine within minutes whether an anxious patient has the flu. Sales of such tests are soaring. Dr. Christine Ginocchio, of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, whose research showed a flaw in rapid flu tests. But the tests have a severe limitation: They may fail more than half the time to detect swine flu infections, according to newly published studies and to experts in medical testing.The low sensitivity of the tests is becoming a concern to health authorities because a false negative reading might prompt a doctor not to prescribe antiflu drugs. Read more ...
Micell raises cash to test new stent by Alan M. Wolf
Micell Technologies, a small Raleigh company in the early stages of developing a new type of drug-coated stent to treat heart disease, has raised $5 million in financing. Founded in 1996, Micell originally focused on environmentally friendly dry-cleaning technology developed by Joseph DeSimone, a chemistry professor at UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State University. The company built the Hangers dry-cleaning chain and then sold it in 2002. Micell then shifted to semiconductor technology and began developing new coatings for medical products in 2006. Now the company is developing a product called MiStent, designed to help prop open heart patients' arteries and prevent them from clogging again. The new financing will help pay for lab tests later this year. The company expects to begin human tests next year. The product still requires several years of testing before Micell can seek regulatory approval. Read more ...
August 7, 2009 Triangle Business Journal
Duke professor gets $14M to study risks of nanoparticles by James Gallagher
To make socks that kill foot odors, manufacturers add silver nanoparticles to the material. The microscopic, ionic particles are known for their ability to kill bacteria, the cause of foot odor. But what isn’t known is how many, if any, of those tiny silver particles are absorbed into the human body or whether sock wearers leave a trail of silver particles that continue killing bacteria in the environment. Those are some of the questions researchers at Duke University and the Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology are hoping to answer. Read more ...
August 6, 2009 North Carolina Public Radio - WUNC
Researchers Model Complete HIV Genome
Researchers at UNC Chapel Hill have decoded the structure of an entire HIV genome. They hope their results will lead to drugs that can combat the virus' genetic material, called RNA. Research findings are published in the August 6th issue of the journal Nature. Click here to listen
August 6, 2009 Nabi Biopharmaceuticals Press Release
Nabi Biopharmaceuticals Announces Sale of PentaStaph(tm) to GlaxoSmithKline PLC
Nabi Biopharmaceuticals (Nasdaq:NABI) announced that it has signed a definitive agreement for the sale of PentaStaph(tm) (Pentavalent S. aureus Vaccine) and related assets to GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for a total consideration of up to $46 million. Under the terms of the agreement, Nabi will receive an initial cash payment of $20 million when the transaction closes plus an additional $26 million contingent upon four milestone accomplishments. The sale is subject to satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions by the buyer and seller prior to closing. Nabi anticipates closing the sale before year-end 2009 and completing the milestones within the next 18 months. Read more ...
August 6, 2009 Triangle Business Journal
Entegrion lands $4M in Navy contracts by Cameron Snipes
The U.S. Navy has awarded two additional contracts totaling $4 million to life sciences company Entegrion Inc. for implementation of the company’s proprietary technologies to improve the safety and availability of blood-derived products for treating combat injuries. The company could receive an additional $2 million for expanded research under the terms of the agreements. The first of the new contracts is for advanced development of Entegrion’s Stasix, a powder comprising dehydrated particles derived from human blood platelets. Stasix can be quickly rehydrated and then used to stop internal or external bleeding in people. The Navy contract calls for Entrgrion to work on the development of Stasix for the control of non-compressible internal bleeding. Read more ...
August 4, 2009 Triangle Business Journal
Biotech Center grants $100k each to UNC, NCSU projects
The North Carolina Biotechnology Center has awarded $300,000 in grants to three university-business collaborations – including ones involving the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and NC State University. The Research Triangle Park-based nonprofit granted $100,000 to UNC’s Scott Randell, an associate professor in the Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology who is working with RTP-based company Entergrion to grow eye cells in test cultures. The cells would be used to test dry-eye treatments. Christian Melander, an assistant professor in NCSU’s Department of Chemistry, won a $100,000 grant further a joint project with Agile Sciences of Raleigh. The company develops compounds that disperse biofilms; Melander is working to use that technology to develop an approach to help control bacterial spot disease on peaches. The third $100,000 grant went to Dr. Wayne Cascio, vice chairman of the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences in the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. Cascio is working with RTP-based company Entegion to assess the ability of freeze-dried platelets to help stop excessive bleeding during open-heart surgery and in patients taking anti-clotting drugs. Read more ...
National and International
August 7, 2009 REUTERS.comSanofi starts swine flue shot trial, files with FDA
Sanofi-Aventis (SASY.PA), the world leader in flu immunisation, said on Friday it started human testing of its H1N1 swine flu vaccine on Aug. 6 and filed a supplemental licence application with U.S. regulators. The French drugmaker's vaccine unit Sanofi Pasteur had told Reuters on Tuesday tests would begin "in days". Several other manufacturers have also started clinical trials recently, including Swiss-based Novartis (NOVN.VX) and Australia's CSL (CSL.AX). Sales of vaccines to contain the current swine flu pandemic are expected to provide a windfall for the global drugs industry, leading to billions of dollars in additional revenues in late 2009 and early 2010, according to industry analysts. The World Health Organisation said on Thursday that the first vaccines to combat H1N1 flu should be approved and ready for use in some countries from next month. Read more ...
August 6, 2009 Xconomy.com
Cardiorobotics, Developer of Snake Robot Technology, Aims to Alter Cardiac Surgery by Eric Hal Schwartz
The future of heart surgery is in something called a “snake robot,” at least according to the people at Newport, RI-based Cardiorobotics. We decided to check it out in more depth since Cardiorobotics just raised $11.6 million this week to see if it can demonstrate this is truly the next frontier in minimally invasive ways of fixing irregular heartbeats. Cardiorobotics, a spinout from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, got its start in the nearby Pittsburgh Life Sciences Green House in 2005. The company now splits its operations between the Steel City and Newport. I got the update from the company’s president and CEO, Samuel Straface. Read more ...
August 5, 2009 nytimes.com
Quick Tests for the Flu are Found Often Inaccurate by Andrew Pollack
As the swine flu spreads, many doctors and hospitals are turning to rapid tests that can determine within minutes whether an anxious patient has the flu. Sales of such tests are soaring. Dr. Christine Ginocchio, of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, whose research showed a flaw in rapid flu tests. But the tests have a severe limitation: They may fail more than half the time to detect swine flu infections, according to newly published studies and to experts in medical testing.The low sensitivity of the tests is becoming a concern to health authorities because a false negative reading might prompt a doctor not to prescribe antiflu drugs. Read more ...