French Biotechs

ALPHELYS Wins European Competition for Innovative Company in 2009

2009-11-05T10:43:00.000-08:00

Octobre 20, 2009 - ALPHELYS Wins European Competition for Innovative Company in 2009.
The European competition is organized by the French Junior Chamber of Commerce.
This awards many years of great efforts of Research and Development to bring to market a n innovative platform of technologi es to improve the effectiveness of the Cancer Research and increase the chances of cure while contributing significantly to the control Health costs... ALPHELYS' Press Release - version française du communiqué de presse d'ALPHELYS -

About ALPHELYS

ALPHELYS' mission is to design, develop and market innovative solutions including instruments, software and reagents for Pathology and Cytogenetics markets.

A unique concept of Integrated Solution
In research programs as well as in routine activity, one can frequently observe important losses of efficiency intimately associated to the absence of integration between the different technologies involved. Thus, one will be able to analyze a large number of samples but oppositely will be limited by its capacity to process the data generated and make conclusions. Human and financial resources will be higher for reduced result.
ALPHELYS objective is to develop top edge solutions that will allow answering to the whole problem encountered through a complete integration between all the technologies involved.
This is the unique concept of Integrated Solution.

A significant technology expertise
For many years, ALPHELYS has known to develop an important expertise in various technology domains so as to be able to design and develop Integrated Solutions. These domains are data basing and management, image acquisition, processing, archiving and distribution, sample preparation automation.
Since recently, ALPHELYS is now developing a new expertise in reagent development in partnership with renowned biomedical research institutes.
ALPHELYS R&D team head count is 9 including PhDs and software engineers specialized in image processing and data management.

A high level of laboratory needs knowledge
To maintain a high level of expertise in its domains of activity, ALPHELYS has since the beginning concentrated its efforts on 2 markets:

• Pathology,

• Cytogenetics.

ALPHELYS has been able to cumulate along the years a very good knowledge and understanding of laboratories needs and their evolution so to anticipate future technologies needs.
For each market, ALPHELYS' strategy is to bring Integrated Solutions... about ALPHELYS - Mission d'ALPHELYS -

EUCODIS Bioscience presented enzyme offering at CPhI

2009-11-05T10:27:00.000-08:00

October 20, 2009 - Enzyme development company EUCODIS Bioscience presented its recently launched products at CPhI, a major meeting for the pharmaceutical ingredients and services industry. CPhI 2009 took place in Madrid, Spain, from October 13-15.

In 2009, EUCODIS Bioscience has launched two products and product families: a beta-lactamase, used by leading manufacturers of antibiotics for sterility testing, and its portfolio of lipases... EUCODIS Bioscience's Press Release -

EUCODIS Bioscience overview :

EUCODIS Bioscience is an industrial biotechnology company developing high-performance enzymes for industrial applications.

The Company serves customers in the chemical, pharmaceutical, food and feed markets, offering

* development of novel or specific enzymes,
* development of whole biocatalytic processes,
* industrial-scale manufacture of enzymes... EUCODIS Bioscience's overview -

MilleGen : publication of a paper in Nucleic Acids Research

2009-11-02T11:42:00.000-08:00

August 2009, MilleGen announces the publication of a paper entitled "Alternative-splicing-based bicistronic vectors for ratio-controlled protein expression and application to recombinant antibody production" in Nucleic Acids Research (constructs that allow a ratio-controlled expression of proteins of interest in stably transfected cell lines. [PubMed]

...

About

MilleGen S. A. established in October 1999 is a french biotech company specialized in discovery and genetic engineering of antibody.

MilleGen won the national research innovation agency (ANVAR) prize for two consecutive years, 1999 and 2000. The initial goal of MilleGen was to use its proprietary MutaGen technology (a Direct Molecular Evolution technology) to establish a protein diversity platform essential for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies developing novel proteins for use as therapeutic agents, in diagnostics or for industrial or agricultural applications.

Since 2002, MilleGen has focused on antibodies, their engineering and their development as therapeutic and/or diagnostic molecules. This evolution has been supported by advances in the monoclonal antibodies field in terms of their use as therapeutic molecules as well as in the development of new engineering technologies.

In line with this evolution, MilleGen has developed a technological platform dedicated to the identification and development of fully human antibodies destined for therapeutic and diagnostic applications. The tools developed by MilleGen allow an intervention at all stages of antibody development, from the generation of the candidate antibody up to the production of the whole antibody via phases of optimisation by genetic engineering.

Through the technological platform for antibody development, MilleGen strives to be internationally renowned as a major player in the design of therapeutic proteins (new therapeutic targets) and more particularly of human recombinant antibodies on behalf of pharmaceutical and biotech companies, and also in the development of its own molecules... (About MilleGen)

TxCell : The collaboration project with TxCell, TcLand, INSERM U844/CHRU Montpellier, has been approuved

2009-11-02T11:10:00.000-08:00

July , 2009 - The collaboration project with TxCell, TcLand, INSERM U844/CHRU Montpellier, has been approuved by the French Public Institutions for the development of Tr1 cell-based technology in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. [Txcell's news]

About TxCell

Based in Sophia-Antipolis, a large business park near Nice in France, TxCell is a biotechnology company founded in 2001 which is developing new therapies to cure inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

The natural balance between effector T cells and regulatory T cells is essential for the immune system to control autoimmunity against self or environmental antigens.
Its dysregulation leads to uncontrolled development of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. TxCell’s strategy aims to regenerate this immunologic equilibrium by bringing type 1 T regulatory cells to the body.

Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis are autoimmune chronic diseases which require alternative shock and long-term treatments. Current drug therapy for serious cases involves steroids and immunosuppressants which broadly suppress the immune response.

TxCell’s proposed therapy aims to suppress the inflammation and induce a tolerogenic environment within the inflamed tissues by a regenerative process of the immune balance.

Thus, regulatory Tr1 cells treatment is believed to act directly at the level of the cause of autoimmune disorders, the dysregulated immune regulation.

Pharnext and Ipsen : exclusive research, development and marketing agreement

2009-07-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

Paris (France), 15 June 2009 - The agreement concerns innovative drug candidates issued from the Pleotherapy™ technology intended for the treatment of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease - Ipsen (Euronext : IPN), an innovation-driven global pharmaceutical Group and Pharnext SAS, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of innovative treatments, announced they have entered into an exclusive research, development and marketing agreement regarding innovative drug candidates intended for the treatment of Charcot Marie-Tooth disease, issued from the Pleotherapy™ technology. According to this agreement, Ipsen has been granted an option to Pharnext programme and subscribes to the issuing of convertible bonds of the company...

...

About Ipsen
Ipsen is an innovation-driven international specialty pharmaceutical group with over 20 products on the market and a total worldwide staff of nearly 4,200. Its development strategy is based on a combination of specialty products, which are growth drivers, in targeted therapeutic areas (oncology, endocrinology and neurology), and primary care products which contribute significantly to its research financing. The location of its four Research & Development centres (Paris, Boston, Barcelona, London) and its peptide and protein engineering platform give the Group a competitive edge in gaining access to leading university research teams and highly qualified personnel. More than 800 people in R&D are dedicated to the discovery and development of innovative drugs for patient care. This strategy is also supported by an active policy of partnerships. In 2008, Research and Development expenditure was about €183 million, close to 19% of consolidated sales, which amounted to €971 million while total revenues exceeded €1 billion. Ipsen’s shares are traded on Segment A of Euronext Paris (stock code: IPN, ISIN code: FR0010259150). Ipsen’s shares are eligible to the “Service de Règlement Différé” (“SRD”) and the Group is part of the SBF 120 index.

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About Pharnext
Pharnext is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and licensing new pharmaceutical treatments based on intelligent Pleocompounds™ that form the basis of Pleodrugs™. Pharnext was founded in Paris, France in April, 2007, by Daniel Cohen, MD, PhD, his research group (composed of pioneers in genome science and technology) and Philippe Pouletty, MD (General Partner at Truffle Capital). Thanks to Truffle Capital's founding investment, strong support from OSEO, a grant from AFM (The French Muscular Dystrophy Association) and the benefits of France's research tax credit scheme, Pharnext has developed a new proprietary platform (PleotherapyTM) based on network pharmacology and which may provide a solution for the current 3/3 decline in pharmaceutical pipeline productivity. Pharnext is advised by La Compagnie Financière Edmond de Rothschild... [PDF] Ipsen's Press Release - PDF du communiqué de presse d'Ipsen -

Endotis Pharma : successful completion of phase I program with EP42675, a first in class synthetic parenteral anticoagulant

2009-07-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

Paris (France), 19 May, 2009 - Two abstracts will be presented at the ISTH congress in July 2009 - Endotis Pharma, the biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of small-glyco drugs for applications in thrombosis and oncology, announced that EP42675 has successfully completed its Phase I program.
EP42675 is the first representative of a new class of synthetic, parenteral, antithrombotic drugs with a dual mechanism of action combining an indirect factor Xa inhibitor and a direct thrombin inhibitor in a single molecule. Thus, EP42675 inhibits both thrombin formation and activity.
EP42675 was well tolerated in 100 healthy subjects enrolled in five phase I, including single-dose and multiple ascending dose studies and a pharmacodynamic interaction study with a combination of oral aspirin and clopidogrel. The only drug-related adverse effects were minor episodes of bleedings (mostly at the injection or blood sampling site) explained by the anticoagulant activity of EP42675. Vital signs, physical examination, ECG (including the QTc interval) and safety laboratory parameters did not show any treatment-emergent clinically relevant abnormalities...

...

About Endotis Pharma
Endotis Pharma is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of small-glyco drugs (heparin / heparan sulphate mimetics) for applications in thrombosis, oncology and a range of other indications. Its powerful discovery engine reduces risk by focusing on proven concepts, and by rationally designing drug candidates with the properties required for commercial success. The value of this platform is demonstrated by the breakthrough Endotis thrombosis franchise of oral and parenteral drugs in clinical and preclinical development, and a promising oncology pipeline. Endotis has 35 employees based in Paris and Lille (France)... [PDF] Endotis Pharma's Press Release - PDF du communiqué de presse d'Endotis Pharma -

CARMAT SAS : AN INNOVATIVE START-UP DEVELOPING AN ARTIFICIAL HEART

2009-07-23T12:19:00.000-07:00

Paris, October 27, 2008 – CARMAT SAS is an innovative medtech start-up that has just been created and financed by TRUFFLE CAPITAL , EADS and the Fondation Alain Carpentier, with additional funding from the French state innovation agency OSEO . The company has been spun off of the collaboration between the renowned surgeon Professor Carpentier and EADS on implementation of biomaterials and cutting-edge technologies in the construction of an artificial heart. CARMAT intends to market a fully implantable artificial heart that will be able to provide renewed hope and quality of life to the hundreds of thousands of patients suffering in the aftermath of a massive heart attack or with late-stage heart failure and for whom standard drug therapy, ventricular assistance and/or a heart transplant have failed or are not possible... Carmat's Press Release - communiqué de presse de Carmat -

Theraclion : €8.5 million in R&D funding from OSEO

2009-07-19T06:36:00.000-07:00

Paris, February 10, 2009 - Theraclion, the only medtech company in the world developing an innovative technology for the treatment of hyperparathyroidism1, announced that it has been granted €8.5 million in R&D funding by OSEO (the French state innovation agency) as part of the TUCE strategic industrial innovation project on elastography-guided ultrasound therapy. The ultrasound company SuperSonic Imagine will also participate in the Theraclion-driven project. The €8.5 million in funding comes as a direct, €3.5 million grant and €5 million in reimbursable advances. In all, €6.9 million of the total amount will be attributed to Theraclion, with €1.6 million going to SuperSonic Imagine. After €500,000 in 2005 and €1.3 million in 2007, this is the third time that OSEO has provided Theraclion with financial support...

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About Theraclion
The Paris-based medtech specialist Theraclion was spun out from Edap-Technomed in 2004. By leveraging its proprietary "Ultrasound Non-Invasive Surgery" ("UNIS" method), Theraclion develops, produces and commercializes devices for non-invasive, outpatient treatment of primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism. The technology uses diagnostic ultrasound to identify the target and then high-intensity ultrasound to coagulate the tissue - thus enabling patients to avoid burdensome drug treatment and the risks of surgery. Primary hyperparathyroidism has a potential market of over €300 million and secondary hyperparathyroidism corresponds to a potential of 1.5 million easily accessible patients on dialysis. As of today, Theraclion raised €5.1 million from Truffle Capital, one of its founding investor. Theraclion is primarily responding to the needs of clinics and hospitals in Europe, the United States and Asia. The company has initiated procedures for gaining market approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The United States alone represents half of the global market... [PDF] Theraclion's Press Release - PDF du communiqué de presse de Theraclion -

Pharmaleads’ PL37 lead candidate for pain enters Phase I

2009-07-06T12:11:00.000-07:00

Paris, October 1st, 2008 - Pharmaleads has obtained from the French Medicine Agency (AFSSAPS) the authorization to perform a single ascending dose Phase I study with PL37, its lead compound for oral treatment of neuropathic pain.

Neuropathic pain is a major chronic pain condition, with an estimated prevalence in the world’s population of up to 6%, according to the most recent surveys, with many causes such as shingles, herpes, diabetes, antiviral or antitumor chemotherapy surgery, or low back disorders. Neuropathic pain does not respond well to usual painkillers. Worldwide market for neuropathic pain is estimated to reach 5 billion USD by 2010.
This compound originates from the work of Pharmaleads’ chief scientists, Professors Bernard P. Roques and Marie-Claude Fournié-Zaluski, and is a dual inhibitor of both enzymes responsible for the rapid degradation of enkephalins, the endogenous opiates. It therefore elicits an analgesic effect wherever enkephalins are produced as a response to a painful stimulus, and maintains a high level of these natural analgesic substances by preventing their rapid degradation...

[...]

About Pharmaleads:

Pharmaleads is a pharmaceutical company focusing on research and early development of small molecules. Headquartered in Paris, France, Pharmaleads was founded in 2001 by Professors Bernard P. Roques, pharmacist and PhD in chemistry, Member of the French Academy of Sciences, and Marie-Claude Fournié-Zaluski, PhD in chemistry, both of them inventors of drugs (2 on the market). They were joined in 2004 by Thierry Bourbié, alumnus from Polytechnique and Mines, PhD from Stanford, former Deputy General Manager, Suez Group and Jean-Pierre Rogala, PhD from Agro, MBA from MIT (IBM, Suez Group). They were able to bring in their first rank international business expertise to fully unleash the world-class capabilities of the company in pharmacology and medicinal chemistry. In 2006, Michel Wurm, M.D. joined and added his extensive experience in drug and business development... Pharmaleads' Press Release -

Biosystems International : Licensing Agreement with Lohocla Research Institute to Search for Novel Alcoholism Liver Disease Biomarkers

2009-06-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

PARIS - june 11, 2009 - Biosystems International (BSI) a biotechnology company focused on the development of novel monoclonal antibody-based diagnostics for cancer and metabolic diseases has established a licensing agreement with the Lohocla Research Corporation for the use of BSI’s patented monoclonal antibody proteomics platform for the discovery of novel alcoholism liver disease biomarkers in blood. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed...
About Biosystems International
Biosystems International (BSI) is a biotechnology company aiming to become a world leader in the discovery and development of novel diagnostics for diseases with critical unmet needs. Using our proprietary monoclonal antibody proteomics process BSI rapidly discovers novel biomarkers and corresponding antibodies in a single step. The company is currently focused on the discovery and development of diagnostic tests in the areas of cancer and metabolic diseases as well as the
development and commercialization of antibody arrays for plasma proteome profiling... [PDF] Biosystems International's Press Release -

MYOSIX : Afssaps Authorization

2008-10-29T03:37:00.000-07:00

2 Sept 2008 - MYOSIX is please to announce that the French Agency for Therapeutic Product (Afssaps) certified its cell therapy laboratory as an authorized center to prepare Cell Therapy Product for clinical use.
About MYOSIX:
Myosix dedicates its strong expertise in muscle cell technology to the development of cell-based therapies for diseases with unmet medical needs, such as myopathies. Myosix has developed an innovative technique for culturing adult skeletal muscle cells. This unique technique generates very large quantities of muscle precursor cells (myoblasts) from a small muscular biopsy sample... MYOSIX' Press Releases -

Immutep : IMP321 IND Allowance in Pancreatic Cancer

2008-10-20T03:32:00.000-07:00

Orsay, October 16, 2008 - Immutep S.A. announced that the FDA, after review of the Investigational New Drug Application (IND), has allowed the administration of IMP321 in cancer patients in a Phase I trial conducted by Dr. William G. Hawkins at the Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis (MO).
IMP321 is a first-in-class immunopotentiator that agonizes MHC class II molecules thereby stimulating antigen-presenting cells (APC), such as dendritic cells and monocytes, leading to markedly improved cytotoxic CD8 T cells responses against tumours in patients with metastatic kidney or breast cancer. More than 500 s.c. injections have been administered to date at doses up to 30 mg.
The phase I study is an open-label, two-arm, dose escalation trial in advanced pancreatic cancer treated by first-line gemcitabine alone or associated with increasing doses of IMP321. Investigators will assess the safety and tolerability of this new chemo-immunotherapy combination protocol. The other points to be studied include IMP321's pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and immunogenicity, as well as the exploration of the molecule's mechanism of action. IMP321 will be given s.c. q14 for a 6-month period the day after gemcitabine injection, with an option for additional months of therapy if disease improvement or stabilization is observed. The first two dose levels will be 3 and 6.5 mg followed by 13 and 26 mg if safety at higher doses is confirmed. At least 27 patients are expected to be enrolled...
...Immutep S.A.
Immutep S.A. is a biopharmaceutical company developing immunostimulatory factors for the treatment of cancer and chronic infectious diseases and immunomodulatory therapeutic antibodies for the treatment of cancer or autoimmune disease. The Company's technologies are based on the LAG-3 immune control mechanism that mediates T cell immune responses... Immutep's Press Release -

Imagine Eyes : mirao™ 52-e for retinal imaging and vision science applications

2008-10-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

Orsay France, September 3, 2008 – After unveiling the prototype at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), Imagine Eyes is proud to announce that mirao™ 52-e Electromagnetic Deformable Mirror is now commercially available. This latest evolution of the award winning mirao product line follows on the success of the mirao 52-d by offering users several important new hardware and software features that make integrating and using the device even easier than before.

Key enhancements include:

USB2 connectivity
Space saving design
Improved temporal behavior
All-new Application Programming Interface
Trigger output signal for TTL device synchronization

Perhaps the most easily visible improvement is that mirao 52-e’s electronic driver unit has been totally redesigned. The unit’s new compact size, half that of its predecessor and now one of the smallest on the market, incorporates several important enhancements and, even more, is fully plug-and-play compatible via a standard USB2 interface. On the software front, mirao 52-e is delivered with an all-new Application Programming Interface (API) that was painstakingly developed to provide easy access to mirao’s powerful wavefront correction abilities and ensure backwards compatibility as the product continues to evolve. Of course, mirao 52-e is CE marked and conforms to international electromagnetic and electrical safety standards... Imagine Eyes' Press Release -

GenoSafe : GLP certification

2008-10-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

Evry, September 16th, 2008 – GenoSafe® SAS (the Genopole Evry-based service company specializing in evaluation of the safety and efficacy of innovative biotherapeutic products) has just obtained good laboratory practice (GLP) certification from the French Agency for Healthcare Products Safety (AFSSAPS)
An essential guarantee of quality and safety
The principles behind GLP constitute an organisational framework that covers all aspects of the planning and execution of non-clinical safety trials. Ever since GenoSafe's incorporation, customer-initiated preclinical studies have represented an ever-increasing proportion of the company's business. Following the inspection of GenoSafe's installations and an audit of its studies, the AFSSAPS has awarded the company with a GLP compliance certificate. GenoSafe obtained "A grade" compliance from the French regulatory authority in the "drugs for human use" category. GLP certification is a significant step forward for GenoSafe and will enable it to provide its customers with an internationally acknowledged guarantee of the quality, reproducibility and integrity of the regulatory data that the company generates. The certification will help GenoSafe meet its customers' needs and should attract new business in the field of GLP-compliant product safety evaluation...
... GenoSafe: From the initial steps in lab research to clinical trials, GenoSafe (a biotech company based on the Genopole Evry biopark, just south of Paris) has unique expertise in the development, validation and implementation of analytical methods for evaluating the safety and efficacy of biotherapeutic products such as gene and cell therapy products, vaccines, recombinan proteins and monoclonal antibodies. GenoSafe provides advice and project support to its customers (biotech firms, pharmaceutical companies, academic labs and research institutes) by offering them a broad range of services in complementary fields: molecular analysis (personalized qPCR, RT-qPCR and biodistribution studies), immunomonitoring, the quality control of viral vector batches and the creation and verification of custom cell lines... [PDF] GenoSafe's Press Release - PDF du Communiqué de Presse GenoSafe -

BMSystems and CEA life Sciences : patent application covering new therapeutic strategies and preclinical evaluation platform in psychiatric disorders

2008-10-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

Paris, France, September 25, 2008 – The utilization of CADI™ (biological modeling approach and technologies) leads to a new industrial success in CNS diseases. BMSystems filed on Septembers 10, 2008, with CEA life Sciences, a patent application covering new therapeutic strategies and a preclinical evaluation platform in the field of psychiatric disorders.
This shared patent illustrates the unique efficacy of BMSystems’ proprietary CADI™ technologies, the excellence of the respective research teams and the successful application of the collaborative CADI™ four steps validation process.
After the successful launch and financing, in 2006, of its spin-off Pherecydes-Pharma (infectious diseases, 2 patents), Bio-Modeling Systems confirms the power of its business strategy to create immediate value through collaborations with partners...
...About the Company:
BMSYSTEMS is an independent research-based biotech company that creates CADI™ models of biological systems (pathologies, embryology, bacterial metabolism, etc.) to generate businesses with immediate applications... [PDF] Bio-Modeling Systems' Press Release -

About GENOMIC VISION

2008-09-24T11:53:00.000-07:00

GENOMIC VISION develops novel diagnostic and drug discovery solutions based on its world-leading nanotechnology for DNA analysis in the areas of cancer and acute diseases. These diagnostic tests and drug discovery tools operate where genome dynamics and human disease intersect. GENOMIC VISION uses a powerful technique, Molecular Combing Technology, for the direct visualization of single DNA molecules to detect quantitative and qualitative changes in the genome landscape and establish their contribution to pathology.

GENOMIC VISION initial focus is towards early cancer detection and drug therapy monitoring. The company possesses an unrivalled capability for discovering genomic biomarkers implicated in the predisposition and development of many forms of cancer and in following and analyzing DNA replication during cell division. This provides a unique approach for evaluating the efficacy of new drugs on the cell cycle... GENOMIC VISION's Company Profile -

Magnisense : MIAplex, a unique magnetic technology to detect multiple biological agents simultaneously

2008-09-17T04:13:00.000-07:00

Paris, May 20, 2008 —Magnisense, a diagnostics company that develops and markets magnetic immunoassays, announces MIAplex™, a new magnetic bead technology that allows simultaneous multiparametric testing of biological samples, delivering improved speed and cost-performance ratios.

MIAplex™ builds on Magnisense’s MIAtek™, a robust and versatile detection technology making possible the development of magnetic immunoassays using magnetic beads as labels for monoparametric testing. It differs from Magnisense’s existing offer and competing technology by allowing the simultaneous use of several magnetic beads with varying magnetic properties for labeling several parameters in one sample – without the need for spatial resolution of key parameters. No other company worldwide offers such ability.

MIAplex™ has wide-ranging application potential, including medical and veterinary diagnostics, food inspection, environmental and security monitoring. The MIAplex™ approach is especially suited to biosensing of samples with practically unlimited volume. It can be used for example for testing drugs of abuse in drivers or occupational medicine, for infectious agents in blood, or for bacteria in foodstuffs...

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About Magnisense

Magnisense develops and markets magnetic immunoassays. These next-generation bioassays improve rapid diagnostic performance for human and animal diagnostics, food safety and environmental protection testing. They are based on magnetic bead markers, which can be used to achieve the accuracy of laboratory testing with the ease of use of rapid test methods.

Exploiting a unique feature of magnetic bead markers, Magnisense’s MIAtek™ technology provides true quantification of a large volume sample. The magnetic signal is free of interference from environmental factors, permitting a more sensitive and reproducible detection than possible with other surface-restricted approaches common in lateral flow rapid testing.

Magnisense is developing two test formats for different application areas:
MIAstrip™: Point of care testing with a single dose, producing objective, quantifiable and traceable results via a portable reader. MIAstrip enables the identification of a target via detection of known markers for a number of diseases including avian flu, cardiac disease, tetanus, and bacterial, viral, parasitic or mycotic infections.
MIAflo™: Disposable cartridges for detection of targets, such as bacterial contamination in food products, e.g. Listeria and Salmonella, or in water, e.g. Legionella, with a sensitivity that brings a significant reduction in testing time... Magnisense's Press Release - Communiqué de Presse Magnisense -

MAT Biopharma : completion of enrollment for Ferritarg

2008-09-12T02:04:00.000-07:00

Evry, France, September 11 2008 - MAT Biopharma announced the completion of enrollment in the Phase I/II clinical trial for Ferritarg® in patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin’s disease. The objective of this study is to assess the safety and determine the MTD. Results from this study are expected in Q4 08 and MAT Biopharma projects to initiate the pivotal phase III in 2009...
...About MAT Biopharma.
MAT Biopharma is a privately held biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of antibody based therapeutics for the treatment of haematological cancers and some solid tumors... [PDF] MAT Biopharma's Press Release -

CERENIS THERAPEUTICS : PHASE I CLINICAL TRIAL OF CER-002 FOR TREATMENT OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

2008-09-11T02:18:00.000-07:00

Ann Arbor, Michigan & Toulouse, France, May 15, 2008—Cerenis Therapeutics SA (Cerenis), a privately held pharmaceutical company developing HDL-related compounds for the treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, announced that it has completed a Phase I clinical trial for CER-002, one of the company’s lead product candidates. CER-002 is a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) delta specific agonist in development for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

CER-002 is the most advanced small molecule HDL candidate in Cerenis' portfolio. It was developed from new chemical entities that are specific agonists for human PPAR delta, a multifaceted therapeutic target with broad potential for the treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. In preclinical models, CER-002 has demonstrated strong efficacy in elevating HDL and in halting the progression of atherosclerosis. It was selected for clinical development from a series of small molecule compounds available to Cerenis through a licensing agreement with Nippon Chemiphar Co., Ltd....

...About Cerenis Therapeutics

Cerenis Therapeutics is a pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of breakthrough HDL-related therapies for the treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Based on pioneering research conducted by the Cerenis team of world leaders in HDL therapy, the company is pursuing a range of HDL product candidates that are positioned to represent major advances in patient care and significant commercial opportunities in the treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Cerenis has operations in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Toulouse, France.

Cerenis Therapeutics' Press Release -

Biomnis : Laboratory Pathology Handbook

2008-09-09T02:05:00.000-07:00

April 7 2008 - Biomnis presents the Medical Pathology Handbook.The first edition of a reference work on medical pathology.
Major advances in medical pathology have contributed to the remarkable development of medicine in recent years. The number of tests available has continually increased, as has their complexity.
Pathologists are daily confronted not only with the need for precise measurements (which necessitates an understanding of the sensitivity and specificity of the technique being used) but also an appreciation of their relevance and how to interpret the results in terms of the disease in question. This means understanding current physiological knowledge and the relevant pathology...
...About Biomnis
The leading French specialised medical pathology laboratory which resulted from the merger of Marcel Mérieux and LCL, Biomnis has more than 1,000 employees in France and performs nearly 40,000 tests a day, including highly specialised procedures for which it has all the required accreditations.... Biomnis' Press Releases - Communiqués de Presse Biomnis -

MEDIAN Technologies : contract in Barcelona

2008-09-08T07:01:00.000-07:00

March 18, 2008 - MEDIAN Technologies has signed an agreement with CETIR Grup Mèdic, a radiology provider based in Barcelona, Spain, to install its LMS-Lung and LMS-Liver clinical applications.
The applications will be integrated with AGFA Impax PACS at Clínica Nuestra Señora del Pilar in Barcelona, and MEDIAN plans to expand the installation to the other sites of the CETIR group...
...About MEDIAN Technologies
MEDIAN Technologies develops and sells advanced clinical applications for CT oncology. The company’s product line, MEDIAN LMS – Lesion Management Solutions – is a comprehensive portfolio of clinical applications for the management of cancerous or suspicious lesions diagnosed in CT scans. LMS applications feature LMS-Lung, LMS-Liver and LMS-Colon... MEDIAN Technologies' Press Release -

Guerbet : Updated information about NSF and Dotarem

2008-09-04T03:35:00.000-07:00

Villepinte, 2 july 2008 - ...What is Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF)?
NSF was first recognized in 1997 in 15 dialyzed patients and described in 2000 (1). This rare and highly debilitating disorder is characterized by extensive thickening and hardening of the skin associated with skin-colored to erythematous papules that coalesce into erythematous to brawny plaques with an “peau d’orange” appearance. Nodules are sometimes also described. Joint contractures may develop, with patients progressively becoming wheelchair-dependent. Patients often complain of pruritus, causalgia and sharp pains (2). The distal extremities are the most common area of involvement (with a distribution from ankles to mid-thighs and from wrists to midupper arms), followed by the trunk. The lesions are typically symmetrical. It is worth noting that the face and neck are virtually never involved (3)....
...Guerbet Pharmacovigilance Data
Guerbet markets meglumine gadoterate (Dotarem), a macrocyclic, ionic gadolinium chelate associated with a high thermodynamic and kinetic stability (15-19). So far more than eleven million patients have been exposed to Dotarem worldwide. With respect to NSF, Guerbet has recorded, to date, nine reports of patients who developed NSF after administration of gadolinium chelates.
There is no NSF case reported with Dotarem when it was injected alone.
These nine reports recorded by Guerbet and the Health Autorities are called “confounded cases”. The causal relationship to Dotarem is doubtful for the following reasons: linear gadolinium chelates were previously injected, the date of the onset of the disease and the chronology of injections...
... About the Group
Guerbet is the only pharmaceutical group fully dedicated to medical imaging. It has the most comprehensive range of x-ray and MRI contrast media available worldwide. These products assist medical professionals (radiologists, cardiologists, oncologists, etc.) in better diagnosing and treating their patients (cardiovascular, cancer, inflammatory and degenerative diseases)... [PDF] Guerbet's Press Release - PDF Communiqué de Presse Guerbet -

Stentys : Interim clinical results from "OPEN I" study of its bifurcated stent reported at EuroPCR 2008 international cardiovascular meeting

2008-08-28T10:53:00.000-07:00

PARIS, May 19, 2008——Medical device pioneer Stentys announced that clinical results from the ‘OPEN I’ clinical study using its bifurcated stent were presented at last week’s ‘EuroPCR 2008’ international medical meeting on cardiovascular intervention.
The data, presented by Eberhard Grube, M.D., Chief of Cardiology and Angiology at HELIOS Heart Center (Germany) and Principal Investigator of the OPEN I study, included safety results after 30 days post-implantation of the Stentys bifurcated stent in the first 13 patients.
“We were very pleased to report that there were no device-related events at 30 days follow-up of the first 13 patients in our study,” said Dr. Grube. “The Stentys bifurcation stent seems safe and represents a promising technique for optimal treatment of bifurcated lesions. The procedure is identical to known techniques and makes possible excellent reconstruction of the bifurcation.”... [PDF] Stentys' Press Release -

Oncodesign and PhenoPro : OncOptima

2008-08-12T02:39:00.000-07:00

Tue Jul 22, 2008 - ILLKIRCH, France & DIJON, France - PhenoPro (Illkirch, France) and Oncodesign (Dijon, France) announced their alliance to develop and market "OncOptima". This new joint service integrates the design, the characterization, and the validation of genetically engineered mouse models to evaluate targeted therapies in cancer. This unique partnership combines PhenoPro's broad capabilities and in-depth expertise in mouse model phenotyping, with Oncodesign leadership in preclinical services for translational research in cancer.

OncOptima will provide a comprehensive characterization, including functional, morphological and pharmacological phenotyping. The goal is to obtain validated models corresponding to the targeted therapies in development. Through expertise and technology of both platforms (including MRI, PET, cardio-echography...) it will be easier to further develop preclinical programs and determine the best drug/patient selection in early clinical phases...



...About Oncodesign
Founded in 1995 in Dijon, Oncodesign is a leader in preclinical
and translational evaluation of anti-cancer therapies. With services
ranging from rapid in vitro and in vivo proof-of-concept studies to
mechanistic and translational studies, Oncodesign has worked with over
200 biopharmaceutical companies worldwide and conducted more than 1000
studies. Its unrivalled technological platform, which includes MRI and
PET imaging facilities, together with an extensive choice of tumor
models, positions molecules into the most efficient development
programs. Its pharmacological-based "Qualifying Approach", creates a
continuum between targets, molecules, experimental cellular and animal
models, and human patients.



About PhenoPro

PhenoPro was founded in September 2007 as a spinout of the Mouse
Clinical Institute (Illkirch, France), one of the prime research
institutes in mouse genetic engineering and mouse model phenotyping
worldwide. The company, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the
Economic Interest Group European Research Center in Biology and
Medicine (Illkirch, France), offers a broad array of mouse models
phenotyping capabilities and phenogenomics expertise in biomedicine to
pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies involved in translational
biopharmaceutical and biomedical research, to understand disease
mechanisms, validate drug targets and identify potential indications
and side effects of candidate drugs.... [PDF] Oncodesign's Press Release -

Biométhodes : U.S. and European Patents on Massive Mutagenesis

2008-08-06T02:15:00.000-07:00

December 21, 2007 - Biométhodes that it has been granted U.S. Patent N° 7,202,086 and EP Patent N° EP1311670 for its Massive Mutagenesis^® technology.

Massive Mutagenesis^® technology allows the generation of a large genetic diversity from any gene, mimicking natural evolution but at an accelerated laboratory scale. Massive Mutagenesis^® allows the improvement of enzyme activity, stability and specificity. The technology is responsible for several successful Biométhodes projects and thereby a number of natural enzymes have been adapted for industrial use.

Massive Mutagenesis^® has been adapted a number of times and one adaptation was patented and published two years ago (Saboulard et al., Biotechniques 2005), thus preceding the present revolution in synthetic biology. This technology, and its application to protein engineering, were published in several articles and have also been the subject of a chapter in a reference book... Biométhodes' Press Release (company/news) -