About GENOMIC VISION

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

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...

...

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

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

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

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

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

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 -