MYOSIX : Afssaps Authorization

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

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

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

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

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

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 -

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

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

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

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) -

ImmunID Technologies : Service Research Contract with Sanofi Pasteur

January 14, 2008 - ImmunID Technologies announced the signature of a Contract Research Service with Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group, and the largest worldwide company entirely devoted to human vaccines.
The innovative technology developed by ImmunID allows the assessment of Human T and B immune repertoires diversity after vaccination...


...About ImmunID
ImmunID Technologies is a young Biotechnology company located in Grenoble, its mission is to develop and commercialise immunomonitoring tests dedicated to pharmaceutical industry and personalized medicine market.
ImmunID offers testing services to monitor the immune repertoire diversity in order to measure the impact of biotherapeutic molecules and to characterize more accurately their efficacy.
ImmunID develops diagnostic products for an early detection of immune related diseases... [PDF] ImmunID Technologies' Press Release -

Idealp-Pharma : « hit-to-candidate » services

19 June 2008 - Services to accelerate programs from biological target to first-in-man use -
Idealp-Pharma is launching fully integrated drug discovery and preclinical development services combining medicinal chemistry, cheminformatics, screening, early ADMET and preclinical development capabilities to speed up partner’s and client’s small molecules programs from biological target to first-in-man use...
...About Idealp-Pharma
Idealp-Pharma’s aim is to expand partner’s drug pipeline by accelerating drug discovery process from the biological target to first-in-man use. Idealp-Pharma provides a range of flexible services: including fully integrated drug discovery and preclinical development, medicinal chemistry and cheminformatics. Idealp-Pharma’s purpose-built lab covers a total of 2000 square meters. Idealp-Pharma now employs 60 staff... [PDF] Idealp-Pharma's Press Release -

Graftys BCP : FDA Approval

08/31/03 - Graftys® BCP, synthetic bone void filler, has been FDA approved for its indications in orthopaedics.
The Graftys® BCP has had EC accreditation since January 2007.
About Graftys
Graftys is a Young Innovative Company specializing in bone tissue engineering. Graftys has strong expertise in biomaterials synthesis and works in several original directions with a view to have eventually one of the widest product offers on the market... Graftys' Press Release - Communiqué de Presse de Graftys -

Cytheris : Publication of IL-7 Oncology Data in The Journal of Experimental Medicine

Paris – June 26, 2008 – Cytheris SA, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on research and development of new therapies for immune modulation, announced the publication of data from a phase 1 dose escalation study evaluating the effects of IL-7 therapy on human lymphocytes in subjects with non-hematologic, nonlymphoid cancer refractory to standard therapy. The results of this study, performed in collaboration with U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) investigators lead by Claude Sportès, Crystal Mackall and Ronald Gress, support the potential of the IL-7 investigational product as an immunotherapy for the treatment of patients with impaired immunity due to physiologic (age), iatrogenic (chemotherapy or
transplantation) or pathologic (HIV) lymphodepletion...
... About Cytheris –
Cytheris SA is a privately held clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on research and development of new therapies for immune modulation. These drugs aim at reconstituting and enhancing the immune system of patients suffering from cancer, chronic viral or bacterial infections such as HCV and HIV, or lympho-depleting treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT).
The company operates from its headquarters and laboratories in Issy-les-Moulineaux, a suburb of Paris, and its U.S. subsidiary in Rockville, Maryland... [PDF] Cytheris' Press Release - PDF du Communiqué de Presse de Cytheris -

MEDIT first release of a pipeline pilot component collection

05/28/2008 - MEDIT first release of a pipeline pilot component collection - MEDIT has joined others software editors in the Accelrys Independent Software Vendors (ISV) partner program.
This first release consists of three modules: MED-SuMo server, MED-Hybridise Lead discovery and MED-Hybridise Lead optimization. The modules facilitate our target based ligand generation protocol: populating a binding site with 3D fragments and generating/optimizing leads... MEDIT's Press Release -

Genewave : Launch of the First Real-Time Microarray Platform: HybLive

PALAISEAU, France, May 5, 2008 -- Genewave S.A.S. announced that it will introduce HybLive™, its fully automated microarray platform, at AMT Conference in Barcelona on May the 7th and 8th. HybLive™ combines hybridization, washing, melting and real-time fluorescence imaging in a compact benchtop package.

HybLive™ is the first open microarray platform allowing real-time measurement of the on-slide hybridization and melting of target molecules to thousands of probes simultaneously. It enables a variety of applications such as rapid verification and validation of probe design, environmental sample monitoring, multiplex on-chip melting curves determination, on-chip DNA and protein interaction studies... With its high sensitivity and excellent discriminative power, HybLive™ also enables reliable genotyping studies and even SNP discrimination using unamplified genomic DNA... Genewave's Press Release -

Ariana : new KEM multi-objective data analysis and decision support software with enhanced chemical structure analysis and predictive capabilities

Paris, France. March 12th, 2008 – Paris based Ariana Pharma announced that it has released a new version of its multi-objective dat analysis and decision support software KEM®, bringing enhanced 2D visualization capabilities for identifying relations that link chemical structural features with multiple end points. In addition, the learning and prediction processes have been streamlined into a dedicated KEM Predict module for accurate prediction of end points. KEM is now also available through a command line interface, readily allowing the integration with a large variety of platforms.
The new release of KEM® fully supports visualization of SMILES descriptors. Enhanced filtering capacities include substructure searches. Complex relations identified by KEM can be easily exported to a variety of formats including PDF. Improved molecular table include new tools for easy selection of molecules...
... About Ariana Pharma
Ariana™ Pharma delivers pioneering multi objectives decision support tools to dramatically accelerate and improve the discovery, development and safety of pharmaceutical products. Its KEM® knowledge extraction and management platform comprehensively mines data, including data other systems neglect, and helps scientists take simultaneous decisions involving multiple criteria and objectives. The Company has established a rapidly growing software business through collaboration and licensing agreements with some of the largest pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Ariana was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Paris, France... [PDF] Ariana Pharma's Press Release -

Biocortech Issued Key US Patent for a Small-Molecule Antidepressant

Paris, March 10, 2008 - Biocortech announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has approved the issuance of a patent for a family of compounds, including BC-22, under development for the treatment of depression. The patent (Application No 11/581,950) was filed on Oct 13, 2006, and is titled, "Derivatives of 14,15-dihydro 20,21-dinoreburnamenin-14-ol, and applications thereof".

Clinical depression affects more than 20 million American adults each year. Although available antidepressant medications are effective for a large segment of the population with depression, symptoms may continue despite multiple treatment strategies in 10 to 30 percent of those patients. In addition, current treatment strategies also face other issues, such as delayed onset, dose-limiting side effects, and tolerance/dependence. Thus, there is a clear need for novel depression treatments...
...About Biocortech
Biocortech is a biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery and development of novel biomarkers and treatments for psychiatric disorders. Biocortech has proprietary assays and technologies to identify biomarkers and develop compounds that can safely and effectively identify and treat diseases such as depression, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia and cognitive deficits. Biocortech has a strong clinical advisory group and drug development capabilities, enabling us to move diagnostic platforms and drugs into humans quickly and efficiently. Biocortech is based in Paris, France... Biocortech's Press Release -

Cellectis : publication of a paper entitled "Computer design of obligate heterodimer meganucleases allows efficient cutting of custom DNA sequences"..

April 22nd 2008 - Cellectis SA, the rational genome engineering company specializing in the production of meganuclease recombination systems and in meganuclease engineering, announced the publication of a new paper in the high-profile Nucleic Acids Research journal (Fajardo-Sanchez et al., Computer design of obligat heterodimer meganucleases allows efficient cutting of custom DNA sequences, Nucleic Acids Res. 2008, Feb. 14th [Epub ahead of print])...
... In this study, researcher from CRG modified two engineered meganucleases from Cellectis’ collection, in order to improve their specificity. Most engineered meganucleases so far are heterodimers derived from the dimeric I-CreI protein. Heterodimer formation is obtained by coexpression of two monomers in the targeted cell, and is actually associated with the formation of two homodimers recognizing different targets. This results in a loss of specificity, which can be solved only by the suppression of homodimer formation. To address this problem, CRG researchers have modified the protein-protein interface of the two proteins in order to abolish homodimerisation. This design could in principle be applied to every and any heterodimer produced by Cellectis... [PDF] Cellectis' Press Release - PDF du Communiqué de Presse de Cellectis -

ERYtech Pharma : last patient for its Phase II GRASPALL clinical trial

May 15th 2008 - ERYtech Pharma, a French biotechnology company, announces the inclusion of its last patient in its Phase II clinical trial for relapsed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL).
The main goal of this trial is to evaluate the pharmacokinetic, the pharmacodynamic and the safety of GRASPA®, ERYtech Pharma’s new medicinal product. Twenty four patients, comprised of nine adults and nine children received at least one dose of. GRASPA® three other child, and three adult patients received the control product, the free form of native E. coli L-Asparaginase... ERYtech's Press Release -

Scient'x : FDA 510(K) Clearance for Isobar DUO Dynamic Stabilization System

May 06, 2008 - Scient'x, a privately held manufacturer of innovative spinal implant technologies, announced that it has received FDA 510(k) clearance to market its new Isobar DUO™ Dynamic Stabilization System. This system is an extension of the original Isobar Dynamic TTL-Rod® which received FDA 510(k) clearance in 1998. The Isobar Duo™ has been cleared to provide immobilization and stabilization of spinal segments in skeletally mature patients as an adjunct to fusion in the treatment of the following acute and chronic instabilities or deformities of the thoracic, lumbar, and sacral spine: degenerative spondylolisthesis with objective evidence of neurological impairment; fracture, dislocation, scoliosis, kyphosis, spinal tumor; and failed previous fusion. The development of this system originated directly from surgeon requests to utilize the Isobar Dynamic TTL-Rod® technology at multiple levels. With the Isobar Duo™, the surgeon is able to utilize a standard 5.5mm diameter rod with two unique dampener elements that provides controlled motion for use at two levels... Scient'x's Press Release -

Sanofi-aventis : Phase III Results for Eplivanserin

April 30, 20008 - ... Eplivanserin : Sanofi-aventis announced today that the GEMS Phase III study shows that the 5-HT2A antagonist eplivanserin in development for the treatment of insomnia characterized by sleep maintenance difficulties/night- time awakenings significantly reduces WASO (Wake time After Sleep Onset) and the number of night-time awakenings reported by the patient at 6 and 12 weeks of treatment, versus placebo. An improvement of the quality of sleep was also observed in the study.These results confirm those of the EPLILONG study (phase III study conducted in similar conditions), which also showed that eplivanserin significantly reduces WASO and the number of night-time awakenings reported by the patient at 6 and 12 weeks, versus placebo and improves the quality of sleep... [PDF] Sanofi-aventis' Press Release - PDF du Communiqué de Presse de Sanofi-Aventis -

NOVAGALI PHARMA : First Patient in U.S. Phase I Clinical Study with CORTIJECT for Diabetic Macular Edema

April 24th, 2008 - Novagali Pharma, an emerging ophthalmic pharmaceutical company today announced that it has successfully injected the first patient in a Phase I clinical trial using CORTIJECT®, an ophthalmic injectable emulsion based on EYEJECT® technology platform containing a corticosteroid prodrug for the treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema (DME). This trial, which will enroll a total of 15 patients, is designed to evaluate the safety and to observe the efficacy trend of CORTIJECT®. The patients will be monitored for a period of twelve months following injection... Novagali Pharma's Press Release - Communiqué de Presse Novagali -

Ondalys : involved in the DIAdvisor project (Personal Glucose Predictive Diabetes Advisor)

29-10-2007 - Ondalys is involved in the DIAdvisor project (Personal Glucose Predictive Diabetes Advisor), which has just been selected by the EU to receive 7.1 millions Euros during 4 years, in the 1^st call of the 7^th European FrameWork Program.
The DIAdvisor™ is a large scale integrating project (IP), involving 13 European partners, within the fields of physiological modeling, identification theory, control theory, medical device technology, risk management theory, sensor science and user understanding...Ondalys' Press Release -

Hybrigenics : Significant progress in cancer-related R&D programmes

Paris, 18 March 2008 – Hybrigenics, a bio-pharmaceutical company with a focus on research and development of new cancer treatments and specialised in protein-protein interactions, announces its revenues for the year ended 31 December 2007...
...Significant progress in cancer-related R&D programmes :
-Inecalcitol: very good tolerance at the daily oral dose of 80 microgrammes
The clinical development of inecalcitol, a vitamin D analogue, is progressing swiftly. The tolerance Phase II trial started with the treatment of the first patient in November 2007, and now ongoing at six centres in France: the Georges Pompidou, Saint-Joseph and Beaujon Hospitals and Institut Curie in Paris, the Cancer Centre Lacassagne in Nice and the University Hospital in Besançon. Three cohorts of patients are currently being treated, and the highest dose is 80 microgrammes per day, taken orally, for 18 weeks. No signs of hypercalcemia, which is the major side-effect of natural vitamin D, have been observed to date.
-Ubiquitin-specific protease inhibitors: selection of HBX 99200
Hybrigenics' research programme focusing on new anti-cancer molecules has been validated by results obtained by the US National Cancer Institute. After in vitro tests on 60 cell lines and vivo research in mice, HBX 99,200 has been selected for evaluation in rats that will receive grafts of prostate cancer, breast cancer and melanoma cells. HBX 99,200 is an inhibitor ubiquitin-specific proteases, which is a new class of therapeutic targets for cancer treatment... [PDF] Hybrigenics' Press Release - PDF du Communiqué de Presse Hybrigenics -

GENFIT : encouraging results in GFT505 first clinical trial of efficacy

Lille (France), Cambridge (Mass.), March 27, 2008 – GENFIT (Alternext: ALGFT; ISIN: FR0004163111) the biopharmaceutical company at the forefront of research and development of cardiovascular, inflammatory and metabolic drugs today announced encouraging clinical results for activity and tolerance of GFT505 in patients presenting mixed dyslipidemia of type 2b (Triglycerides > 200 mg/dL and LDL-C>130 mg/dL). General tolerance is excellent, and no serious adverse effect was recorded. Dyslipidemia is thought to affect between 4 and 10% inclusive of the world population... [PDF] GENFIT's Press Release - PDF du Communiqué de Presse GENFIT -

Diatos : Pre-Clinical Results in Clinical Cancer Research

Paris, France, 1 April 2008 – Diatos SA, an international biopharmaceutical company focusing on the research, development and commercialization of targeted anti-cancer drugs, announced that the peer-reviewed medical journal ‘Clinical Cancer Research’ has today published positive pre-clinical in vivo efficacy and toxicology results concerning DTS-108. The research demonstrated that DTS-108 has greater anti-tumoral efficacy and safety, compared to irinotecan, as a result of an efficient and non-hepatic mode of activation. This leads to significantly higher circulating levels of the active metabolite with reduced gastrointestinal toxicity. In addition, it is anticipated that DTS-108 will bypass the inter-patient variability which is a major limitation in the therapeutic use of irinotecan. This is due to enhanced delivery of the active metabolite by using Diatos’ linker peptide technology, Vectocell^®, which safe guards the efficacy whilst reducing the toxic side effects of the anti-cancer product... Diatos' Press Release -

BioAlliance Pharma Expands Its Loramyc Franchise

March 31, 2008 - PARIS- BioAlliance Pharma SA (Paris:BIO) announced that it has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement under which Korea-based Handok Pharmaceuticals will receive commercialization rights in Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia. BioAlliance Pharma's innovative, muco-adhesive antifungal therapy Loramyc™ (miconazole Lauriad®) is already approved in Europe and a Phase III clinical trial has just completed in the United States... [PDF] BioAlliance 's Press Release - PDF du Communiqué de Presse BioAlliance -

PerkinElmer and Cerep : Partners for Custom Drug Discovery Solutions

Apr 06, 2008 - PerkinElmer, Inc. (NYSE: PKI), a global leader in Health Sciences and Photonics, and Cerep SA (Eurolist: Cerep), a leading provider of drug candidate screening and profiling technologies, today announced the signing of a supply and co-marketing agreement to deliver custom drug discovery services. Under the terms of the agreement, PerkinElmer will exclusively market
Cerep's target screening and profiling services to its customers, and the companies will jointly promote PerkinElmer's assay technologies and Cerep services to the drug discovery market... [PDF] Cerep's Press Release - PDF du Communiqué de Presse CEREP -

bioMerieux : Collaboration with University of Sunderland in New Research Significantly Improving the Identification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

April 3, 2008 . A team of researchers from the University of Sunderland and bioMérieux, a leading company in the field of in vitro diagnostics, have achieved a new step in the fight against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium responsible for deadly healthcare-associated infections, which kills tens of thousands of people throughout the world every year .

Researchers at the University of Sunderland’s Pharmacy School, Professor Paul Groundwater and Dr. Roz Anderson, in collaboration with Prof. John Perry of Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, Prof. Arthur James of Northumbria University and Sylvain Orenga of bioMérieux have discovered a new technique for the highly specific detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which primarily infects the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis. It is also a major cause of infection among patients with immune deficiencies, such as patients with AIDS and cancer or those suffering from burns... bioMérieux's Press Release - Communiqué de Presse de BioMérieux -

GenOdyssee : Notice of Allowance from U.S. Patent Office for Improved Interferon-Alpha Aimed at Hepatitis C

Paris, France, February 14, 2008 - GenOdyssee S.A., a biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery and development of improved ‘next generation’ blockbuster protein therapeutic products, announced that it has received notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) of its Patent Application N° 10/691,653 covering its lead anti-HCV IFN-alpha product GEA007.1 for application in the treatment of hepatitis C. GEA007.1 is a naturally occurring mutant of human IFN alpha 17. In preclinical studies, GEA007.1 demonstrated improved intrinsic antigenotype 1 antiviral properties without increased toxicity at therapeutic doses used in HCV treatments, as compared to standard of care IFN-alpha 2 drugs... [PDF] GenOdyssee's Press Release -

LDR : Two-Level Cervical Disc Study Enrollment in the United States

March 24, 2008 - LDR, a privately held company with innovative spinal implants for both non-fusion and fusion applications, announced enrollment completion for the two-level IDE study on its second generation Mobi-C® cervical artificial disc. LDR began enrolling patients in the first concurrent one and two-level cervical artificial disc study in April of 2006, following nearly two years of clinical experience outside the U.S.
The product was first introduced outside the U.S. in November 2004 and has now been used to treat over 5,500 patients worldwide, including the 600 patients involved in this FDA study. The Mobi-C mobile bearing design reduces the stresses on the bone, thereby eliminating the need for invasive screws or keels. These unique features make the Mobi-C ideal for multi-level surgeries, an anticipated indication for many patients throughout the world... LDR's Press Release -

MacoPharma : THERAFLEX Methylene Blue (MB)-Plasma

07 March 2008 - MacoPharma announces that after the second Marketing Authorisation of the THERAFLEX Methylene Blue (MB)-Plasma in Germany by the Paul-Ehrlich-Institute (PEI) to the Blood Centre of the German Red Cross chapters of NSTOB/ Springe, also SwissMedic, the responsible authority for marketing approval in Switzerland and also the Austrian Drug Surveillance Institute (ARGES) have given their principal agreement to use this procedure for virus inactivation of single units of therapeutic human plasma... MacoPharma's Press Release -

genOway : Master service agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Lyon, France - March 2008 - genOway, the biotechnology company dedicated to the development of genetically modi•ed animal models reports the signing of a master service contract with Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. This agreement is a master service agreement under which genOway will provide its client with customized mouse and rat lines tailored to the researchers' needs. The agreement is a 5-year agreement... genOway 's Press Release -

ExonHit : EHT 0202 Counters Scopolamine's Detrimental Effects on Cognition in Humans

March 25, 2008 - ExonHit Therapeutics, a drug and diagnostic discovery company, announced the results of a Phase 1 study assessing the effects of its lead compound, EHT 0202, on scopolamine-induced brain impairments in humans. ExonHit's EHT 0202 is a compound, with a novel mechanism of action, which has shown preclinical benefits on memory and neuronal loss and is currently tested in a Phase 2 clinical trial on Alzheimer disease (AD) patients.

Scopolamine interferes with the transmission of nerve impulses by acetylcholine, a substance to which it is structurally similar, thus depressing nervous system activity. Cognitive impairment due to central cholinergic dysfunction, or scopolamine administration, is measurable through electroencephalography (EEG) changes under both nonstimulus and stimulus conditions. A number of studies indicate that EEG is a sensitive measure of acetylcholine's activity and of the induced alterations elicited by scopolamine. In addition, scopolamine-induced EEG changes have been considered as possible biomarkers for AD as the impairment acetylcholine's activity is one of the landmarks of this disease... ExonHit Therapeutics' Press Release -

Mauna Kea Technologies, a leader in in-vivo cellular imaging

PARIS, France – January 23, 2008 -- Mauna Kea Technologies, a leader in in-vivo cellular imaging, announced the closing of a $30 million financing round led by U.S.-based Psilos Group. Mauna Kea Technologies will use the proceeds to expand commercialization of its Cellvizio® technology in the US and Europe, as well as to advance additional clinical applications of the platform. Founded in 2000, Mauna Kea Technologies develops and markets Cellvizio, a fundamentally new imaging approach which improves patient care by eliminating the need for unnecessary biopsies and enhances the diagnosis of a broad range of diseases via in vivo cellular imaging... Mauna Kea Technologies' Press Release - version française du communiqué de presse -

IMSTAR : point mutation detection on DNA microarray

06.02.2008 - IMSTAR is co-author of an article published in the current issue of BioTechnique. This work, entitled "A highly specific microarray method for point mutation detection" has been performed in collaboration with the team of Franck Sturtz at the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics of the university of Limoges (France), the Department of Neurology at the University Hospital in Limoges, the ESPCI/INSERM in Paris and Serial Genetics company in Evry... IMSTAR 's Press Release -

Fovea Pharmaceuticals : Orphan Drug Designation from EC for RdCVF for the Treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa

Paris, France January 7, 2008 - Fovea Pharmaceuticals SA, which, last December 2007, raised $44M in a Series B financing, announced that its product, Recombinant human rod-derived cone viability factor (rh-RdCVF), has received designation as Orphan Medicinal Product from the European Commission, following the positive opinion from the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) Committee for Orphan Medicinal Product (COMP) for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic disease leading to progressive loss of vision. Fovea is currently conducting pre-clinical studies of RdCVF and has demonstrated efficacy in animal model of the disease... Fovea Pharmaceuticals' Press Release - PDF version -

Air Liquide, First anesthesia with LENOXe

13/03/2008 - LENOXe™, the first xenon-based anesthetic to be marketed in Europe, was used for the first time in France on December 18, 2007.
LENOXe™, the first xenon-based anesthetic to be marketed in Europe, was used for the first time in France on December 18, 2007 at the Nîmes University Hospital. Since that date, several other anesthesia procedures using xenon have been successfully performed at the hospital.
LENOXe™, an Air Liquide innovation, is composed of xenon, a gas present in very small quantities in the air, which offers remarkable anesthetic properties. LENOXe™ is administered in a mixture containing oxygen, thanks to the FELIX DUAL™ anesthesia workstation, another Air Liquide innovation. LENOXe™ acts on central cerebral receptors. As an inert gas, xenon is not metabolized; it is flushed, unchanged , through the lungs... Air Liquide's Press Release - Communiqué de Presse Air Liquide -