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 -