A team of US scientists has reported interim results from a Phase 1 study of an autologous cardiac stem cell therapy which showed a substantial improvement in left ventricular systolic function in patients with heart disease. The findings appear in The Lancet.
Scientists working for Addex Pharmaceuticals Ltd of Switzerland have reported discovering an apparently novel interaction between two members of the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) family which may have implications for the treatment of diabetes.
The US Food and Drug Administration has issued new draft guidance to help manufacturers develop and seek approval for artificial pancreas device systems for type 1 diabetes. To date, no such device has been approved for marketing in the US.
CircuLite Inc, which is preparing to launch in Europe what is said to be the world’s smallest blood pump, has raised $30 million in a Series D financing from a syndicate of venture capitalists led by Forbion Capital Partners and new investor Ronald O. Perelman.
ArGEN-X BV of the Netherlands, which is developing monoclonal antibodies against human disease, has raised €27.5 million in a Series B round to support the development of its preclinical portfolio of products which are based on natural antibodies from the llama.
AstraZeneca Plc has announced the allocation of an additional $100 million to its venture capital arm, MedImmune Ventures, increasing the total capital under management to $400 million. The fund invests in private life science companies.
Sapiens Steering Brain Stimulation GmbH of Munich, Germany and Eindhoven, the Netherlands has raised €10 million in additional funding to support development of its brain stimulation technology for Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders.
Ipsen SA, the French specialist pharmaceutical company, has purchased a newly issued, $25 million convertible bond issue of Inspiration Biopharmaceuticals Inc of California to fulfill a milestone payment under a partnership agreement with the privately held US company.
Guido Rasi, the new executive director of the European Medicines Agency, said the agency needs to take a fresh look at how patients gain access to the medicines that it regulates. This means further strengthening the network of European drug regulators and taking account of the role that government payers play in making it possible for patients to gain access to new drugs.
Galapagos NV has become the latest company to report positive clinical data for an oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor in rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that is estimated to affect about 1% of the world’s population. Current treatments include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; methotrexate, and biologic medicines.