Among the possible candidates to acquire Omrix is German giant Bayer.
Sources inform that a European company is interested in acquiring Israeli biosurgical and immunotherapy products maker Omrix Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. , and that it is offering a substantial premium on the company's $320 million market cap. The company is reportedly conducting due diligence.
Among the possible candidates to acquire Omrix is German pharmaceuticals giant Bayer AG (XETRA; BAY; LSE: BYR). Bayer markets products of Omrix competitor ZymoGenetics Inc. (Nasdaq: ZGEN) and is a partner of Omri, a company owned by Omrix CEO Robert Taub, who owns 15.7% of Omrix.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
ProFibrix names new COO
ProFibrix, a Dutch biotech company focused on products to stop bleeding and initiate tissue repair, has appointed Jan Ohrstrom as its COO.
Dr Ohrstrom was previously part of the senior management team that took ZymoGenetics public, and played a key role in bringing recombinant human thrombin to the US market. Dr Ohrstrom will be based in Seattle, Washington, where ProFibrix has established a wholly owned subsidiary.
According to ProFibrix, its subsidiary ProFibrix Inc will facilitate the preparations of a global pivotal Phase II/III trial for the lead product Fibrocaps, to be conducted in 2009/2010. Additionally, it is expected to expand the company's reach to additional drug development expertise and at the same time provide easy access to US investors for the follow-up financing of ProFibrix.
Jaap Koopman, founder and CEO of ProFibrix, said: "We are delighted with the decision of Dr Ohrstrom to join ProFibrix. His extensive expertise in the management of drug development and business operations will be a tremendous asset to ProFibrix as we continue to move our products through clinical development towards commercialization and prepare for the next financing round early next year."
Dr Ohrstrom was previously part of the senior management team that took ZymoGenetics public, and played a key role in bringing recombinant human thrombin to the US market. Dr Ohrstrom will be based in Seattle, Washington, where ProFibrix has established a wholly owned subsidiary.
According to ProFibrix, its subsidiary ProFibrix Inc will facilitate the preparations of a global pivotal Phase II/III trial for the lead product Fibrocaps, to be conducted in 2009/2010. Additionally, it is expected to expand the company's reach to additional drug development expertise and at the same time provide easy access to US investors for the follow-up financing of ProFibrix.
Jaap Koopman, founder and CEO of ProFibrix, said: "We are delighted with the decision of Dr Ohrstrom to join ProFibrix. His extensive expertise in the management of drug development and business operations will be a tremendous asset to ProFibrix as we continue to move our products through clinical development towards commercialization and prepare for the next financing round early next year."
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Beaumont Doctor Invents Device to Improve Blood Clot Treatment Outcomes
ROYAL OAK, Mich., Sept 23, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The Beaumont Commercialization Center, a medical device development company within Beaumont Hospitals, has a new surgical instrument available for licensing.
Paul J. Arpasi, M.D., a Beaumont radiologist, developed a device that will help reduce the risk for excessive bleeding and infection by allowing multiple catheters or other devices to be connected to a patient from a single puncture site.
When treating a patient, there is often a need to use more than one type of drug or medical device. This creates a need for more than one access site. Any time an access site is used, there is increased risk for excessive bleeding and infection, so it is ideal to keep the number of access sites to a minimum.
This new device has multiple access ports that allow thrombolytic catheters or other devices, such as wires, snares, and low-profile angioplasty balloons to be simultaneously connected to a patient through a single puncture site.
"The need to insert multiple devices or deliver more than one type of drug to a patient is very common and this invention helps to make that faster, easier, and less invasive," said Dr. Arpasi. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to improve this procedure and to help in reducing patient's risk of complications."
For licensing information, contact Mike Tanner, Director of Technology Development, at (248) 551-0567 or email him at michael.tanner@beaumonthospitals.com. For additional information on this and other licensing opportunities from the Beaumont Commercialization Center, please visit www.BeaumontCommercializationCenter.com
Paul J. Arpasi, M.D., a Beaumont radiologist, developed a device that will help reduce the risk for excessive bleeding and infection by allowing multiple catheters or other devices to be connected to a patient from a single puncture site.
When treating a patient, there is often a need to use more than one type of drug or medical device. This creates a need for more than one access site. Any time an access site is used, there is increased risk for excessive bleeding and infection, so it is ideal to keep the number of access sites to a minimum.
This new device has multiple access ports that allow thrombolytic catheters or other devices, such as wires, snares, and low-profile angioplasty balloons to be simultaneously connected to a patient through a single puncture site.
"The need to insert multiple devices or deliver more than one type of drug to a patient is very common and this invention helps to make that faster, easier, and less invasive," said Dr. Arpasi. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to improve this procedure and to help in reducing patient's risk of complications."
For licensing information, contact Mike Tanner, Director of Technology Development, at (248) 551-0567 or email him at michael.tanner@beaumonthospitals.com. For additional information on this and other licensing opportunities from the Beaumont Commercialization Center, please visit www.BeaumontCommercializationCenter.com
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Hemostase MPH in Canada
Monday, CryoLife, Inc. a medical appliances and equipment provider, announced that it has begun distribution of Hemostase MPH in Canada, through Sorin Group Canada, Inc. Unique hemostatic powder is used to control bleeding in general, cardiac and vascular surgery, and is available in ready-to-use applicator.The Kennesaw, Georgia-based CryoLife stated that it began distributing Hemostase MPH in the U. S., the U.K., and Germany in the second quarter of 2008. Distribution will continue to expand to additional markets later in 2008 and in 2009, the company added.
Delivery of certain drugs in a fibrin sealant
ZURICH, Switzerland & WOBURN, Mass., Sep 23, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Kuros Biosurgery AG and Aeris Therapeutics, Inc., both privately held biotech companies, announced today that Kuros has granted Aeris an exclusive license in the field of lung volume reduction to certain patent rights Kuros exclusively licensed from the American Red Cross that cover the delivery of certain drugs in a fibrin sealant. In return for the license, Kuros will receive upfronts, milestones and royalties on the sale of Aeris' lead product, the AeriSeal(TM) Biologic Lung Volume Reduction (BLVR) System, a novel investigational emphysema treatment. Aeris is currently preparing for the initiation of Phase 3 clinical trials for the AeriSeal BLVR system.
Commenting on the license, Dr. David Dove, CEO of Aeris, said: "The licensing of this IP from Kuros is an important step in the continued development of our unique Biologic Lung Volume Reduction System. We believe that BLVR has the potential to offer patients suffering from emphysema a treatment option that can alleviate their symptoms of shortness of breath and improve quality of life."
The AeriSeal Biologic Lung Volume Reduction System is a non-surgical treatment in which a bronchoscope is used to deliver a proprietary mixture of drugs and biologics that form a bio-absorbable gel to diseased areas of the lungs. The gel is composed of a mixture of a fibrin sealant as a drug delivery system, an antibiotic to prevent infection and drugs designed to cause a reaction in targeted areas of the lungs. A unique element of the BLVR System is its use of the body's natural scar formation response to permanently collapse diseased areas of the lungs. This reduction in lung volume allows the less diseased parts of the lungs to function more effectively and thereby improves the breathing of patients with emphysema.
Commenting on the license, Dr. David Dove, CEO of Aeris, said: "The licensing of this IP from Kuros is an important step in the continued development of our unique Biologic Lung Volume Reduction System. We believe that BLVR has the potential to offer patients suffering from emphysema a treatment option that can alleviate their symptoms of shortness of breath and improve quality of life."
The AeriSeal Biologic Lung Volume Reduction System is a non-surgical treatment in which a bronchoscope is used to deliver a proprietary mixture of drugs and biologics that form a bio-absorbable gel to diseased areas of the lungs. The gel is composed of a mixture of a fibrin sealant as a drug delivery system, an antibiotic to prevent infection and drugs designed to cause a reaction in targeted areas of the lungs. A unique element of the BLVR System is its use of the body's natural scar formation response to permanently collapse diseased areas of the lungs. This reduction in lung volume allows the less diseased parts of the lungs to function more effectively and thereby improves the breathing of patients with emphysema.
Omrix Biopharmaceuticals Completes Enrollment of Initial 90 Patients Needed to Conduct Interim Analysis in Fibrin Pad U.S.
Omrix Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Omrix") (NASDAQ: OMRI), a fully-integrated biopharmaceutical company that develops and markets biosurgical and immunotherapy products, announced today that it has completed enrollment of the first 90 patients in its Phase II clinical trial for the Fibrin Pad in mild to moderate bleeding. The Company expects to release 90 patient interim efficacy analysis by the end of October 2008.
The Fibrin Pad is a breakthrough convergence product being developed by Omrix in collaboration with ETHICON, INC., a Johnson & Johnson company. The Phase II clinical trial is a randomized, controlled clinical study in soft tissue to evaluate the superiority of the Fibrin Pad when compared to SURGICEL. The primary endpoint will measure time to hemostasis at four minutes after randomization and if any re-bleeding occurs during a subsequent six minute observation period. The first 90 patients were randomized 2 to 1 so that 60 patients have been treated with the Fibrin Pad and 30 patients have been treated with SURGICEL.
The interim efficacy analysis is being conducted to assess the superiority of the Fibrin Pad when compared to SURGICEL. If the interim analysis demonstrates superiority, the study will continue as an open label study and will enroll an additional 40 patients. Of the 130 total patients enrolled in the study, 100 will be treated with the Fibrin Pad as required by the study protocol. All 130 patients are expected to be enrolled by the end of 2008 or early 2009.
About the Fibrin Pad
The Fibrin Pad is being developed in collaboration with ETHICON, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company, and builds on the Company's aprotinin-free fibrin sealant technology incorporated into EVICEL* Fibrin Sealant (Human). The Fibrin Pad is designed for the management and rapid control of mild, moderate and severe bleeding. This next generation, fully absorbable biosurgical product candidate combines medical device and proprietary biological components which form an instant clot when they come in contact with blood.
The Fibrin Pad is a breakthrough convergence product being developed by Omrix in collaboration with ETHICON, INC., a Johnson & Johnson company. The Phase II clinical trial is a randomized, controlled clinical study in soft tissue to evaluate the superiority of the Fibrin Pad when compared to SURGICEL. The primary endpoint will measure time to hemostasis at four minutes after randomization and if any re-bleeding occurs during a subsequent six minute observation period. The first 90 patients were randomized 2 to 1 so that 60 patients have been treated with the Fibrin Pad and 30 patients have been treated with SURGICEL.
The interim efficacy analysis is being conducted to assess the superiority of the Fibrin Pad when compared to SURGICEL. If the interim analysis demonstrates superiority, the study will continue as an open label study and will enroll an additional 40 patients. Of the 130 total patients enrolled in the study, 100 will be treated with the Fibrin Pad as required by the study protocol. All 130 patients are expected to be enrolled by the end of 2008 or early 2009.
About the Fibrin Pad
The Fibrin Pad is being developed in collaboration with ETHICON, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company, and builds on the Company's aprotinin-free fibrin sealant technology incorporated into EVICEL* Fibrin Sealant (Human). The Fibrin Pad is designed for the management and rapid control of mild, moderate and severe bleeding. This next generation, fully absorbable biosurgical product candidate combines medical device and proprietary biological components which form an instant clot when they come in contact with blood.
TraumaCure Receives CE Mark Clearance to Sell WoundStat in Europe
TraumaCure Inc. announced today that its ground-breaking hemostatic agent, WoundStat™, has received CE Mark approval, clearing the way for sales in the European Union and all countries recognizing the CE Mark. CE Mark approval from the European Union certifies WoundStat has met health, safety and environmental requirements for consumer safety.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Neose selling out to Novo Nordisk, BioGenerix
Neose Technologies Inc. reached agreements Thursday to sell its assets to two foreign drug company collaboration partners for about $43 million.
The struggling Horsham, Pa., biopharmaceutical company stock was trading at 23 cents a share when the deals with Novo Nordisk of Denmark and BioGenerix of Germany were signed.
The asset sales are the initial step in a contemplated liquidation of Neose.
Neose (NASDAQ:NTEC), which specializies in using its enzyme pegylation technology to remodel molecules and develop next-generation therapeutic proteins, has been working with BioGenerix on a treatment for chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (which causes a drop in infection-fighting white blood cells), and with Novo Nordisk on an improved hemostasis compound to inhibit bleeding.
Under the terms of the deal, Neose is retaining certain intellectual property rights, including those related to producing glycolipids, for “future disposition.”
The struggling Horsham, Pa., biopharmaceutical company stock was trading at 23 cents a share when the deals with Novo Nordisk of Denmark and BioGenerix of Germany were signed.
The asset sales are the initial step in a contemplated liquidation of Neose.
Neose (NASDAQ:NTEC), which specializies in using its enzyme pegylation technology to remodel molecules and develop next-generation therapeutic proteins, has been working with BioGenerix on a treatment for chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (which causes a drop in infection-fighting white blood cells), and with Novo Nordisk on an improved hemostasis compound to inhibit bleeding.
Under the terms of the deal, Neose is retaining certain intellectual property rights, including those related to producing glycolipids, for “future disposition.”
ProFibrix Expands Management Team and Opens US Subsidiary
ProFibrix B.V., a Dutch biotech company focused on products to stop bleeding and initiate tissue repair, today announced that it has added Jan Ohrstrom, MD as COO to its Executive Management team. Dr. Ohrstrom was previously part of the Senior Management team that took ZymoGenetics Inc public, and played a key role in bringing Recombinant Human Thrombin to the US market. Dr. Ohrstrom will be based in Seattle, WA, where ProFibrix has established a wholly owned subsidiary. ProFibrix Inc. will facilitate the preparations of a global pivotal Phase II/III trial for the lead product FibrocapsTM, to be conducted in 2009/2010. Additionally, the subsidiary will allow ProFibrix significantly greater access to US pool of investors.
Dr. Jaap Koopman, Founder and CEO of ProFibrix said: "We are delighted with the decision of Dr. Ohrstrom to join ProFibrix. His extensive expertise in the management of drug development and business operations will be a tremendous asset to ProFibrix as we continue to move our products through clinical development towards commercialization and prepare for the next financing round early next year."
Dr. Jan Ohrstrom commented: "Joining the team at ProFibrix was a logical step, I have known the company for a number of years, assessed the FibrocapsTM technology and found it an excellent platform with several product opportunities. Within the field of haemostasis recombinant Fibrinogen could become the next big breakthrough, and ProFibrix is well positioned to bring this novel therapeutic protein successfully to patients. Our office in Seattle will expand the company's reach into additional drug development expertise and at the same time provide easy access to US investors for the follow-up financing of ProFibrix.
It's an exciting time for us to open ProFibrix Inc."
Dr. Jaap Koopman, Founder and CEO of ProFibrix said: "We are delighted with the decision of Dr. Ohrstrom to join ProFibrix. His extensive expertise in the management of drug development and business operations will be a tremendous asset to ProFibrix as we continue to move our products through clinical development towards commercialization and prepare for the next financing round early next year."
Dr. Jan Ohrstrom commented: "Joining the team at ProFibrix was a logical step, I have known the company for a number of years, assessed the FibrocapsTM technology and found it an excellent platform with several product opportunities. Within the field of haemostasis recombinant Fibrinogen could become the next big breakthrough, and ProFibrix is well positioned to bring this novel therapeutic protein successfully to patients. Our office in Seattle will expand the company's reach into additional drug development expertise and at the same time provide easy access to US investors for the follow-up financing of ProFibrix.
It's an exciting time for us to open ProFibrix Inc."
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
KGI Professor Ian Phillips Awarded Defense Grants for Medical Combat Research
CLAREMONT, Calif., Sept 17, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) today announced that Ian Phillips, PhD, KGI's Norris Professor of Applied Life Sciences, has received two grants from the US Department of Defense (DoD) in support of his medical research to reduce battlefield fatalities among American military personnel.
"With battlefield injuries, soldiers can bleed to death before medics are able to reach them," said Phillips. "We are working to produce an automatic anti-hemorrhaging system that would allow a wounded soldier's own body to produce a blood-clotting protein, thus giving him or her potentially life-saving minutes until their injuries can be treated."
The anti-hemorrhaging system, known as the Automatic Hemostat Vector, would be given as an injection to soldiers before going into battle. Phillips research is focusing on a molecule that "switches on" a gene to produce a blood clotting protein, Factor VII.
When a blood vessel is broken, the bleeding reduces oxygen. Low oxygen would activate the Hemostat causing Factor VII to be made in the injured tissue. Factor VII seals broken blood vessels, and as oxygen levels are restored, the Hemostat would turn off automatically in the body.
In addition to helping soldiers, the Hemostat has potential for use in civilian surgery and cases of hemophilia and hemorrhagic stroke. Phillips is also working on ways to add a stem cell homing factor gene to the Hemostat system that would cause stem cells to be drawn to the injury from bone marrow and begin healing the wound even while the injured soldier is on the battlefield.
Phillips' research is funded by a sub-grant from the DoD's Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the US Army's Telemedicine and Advanced Technologies Research Center to the University of South Florida. To date, Phillips has received $323,000 from the Defense Department in support of his research.
The Hemostat system will be developed at KGI and tested at the University of South Florida and the US Army Surgical Institute in San Antonio.
Phillips holds a MERIT Award from the National Institutes of Health, the 2002 Christopher Columbus Award for science and technology and the Lucian Award for research on circulatory disease.
"With battlefield injuries, soldiers can bleed to death before medics are able to reach them," said Phillips. "We are working to produce an automatic anti-hemorrhaging system that would allow a wounded soldier's own body to produce a blood-clotting protein, thus giving him or her potentially life-saving minutes until their injuries can be treated."
The anti-hemorrhaging system, known as the Automatic Hemostat Vector, would be given as an injection to soldiers before going into battle. Phillips research is focusing on a molecule that "switches on" a gene to produce a blood clotting protein, Factor VII.
When a blood vessel is broken, the bleeding reduces oxygen. Low oxygen would activate the Hemostat causing Factor VII to be made in the injured tissue. Factor VII seals broken blood vessels, and as oxygen levels are restored, the Hemostat would turn off automatically in the body.
In addition to helping soldiers, the Hemostat has potential for use in civilian surgery and cases of hemophilia and hemorrhagic stroke. Phillips is also working on ways to add a stem cell homing factor gene to the Hemostat system that would cause stem cells to be drawn to the injury from bone marrow and begin healing the wound even while the injured soldier is on the battlefield.
Phillips' research is funded by a sub-grant from the DoD's Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the US Army's Telemedicine and Advanced Technologies Research Center to the University of South Florida. To date, Phillips has received $323,000 from the Defense Department in support of his research.
The Hemostat system will be developed at KGI and tested at the University of South Florida and the US Army Surgical Institute in San Antonio.
Phillips holds a MERIT Award from the National Institutes of Health, the 2002 Christopher Columbus Award for science and technology and the Lucian Award for research on circulatory disease.
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