Nutriset : Malnutrition, The Plumpy’nut® patent now accessible on-line

Rouen/Marseille, October 13, 2010 – Just before World Food Day, the French Institute of Research for Development (IRD) and Nutriset intensify their action against malnutrition in developing countries.

They announce a simple and innovative system, online, to access their patents to promote the production of ready-to-use foods of the Plumpy’nut® type.

Henceforth, in developing countries where Nutriset and the IRD have registered a patent, local companies will be able to obtain a “Patent Usage Agreement” in just a few clicks. This agreement will enable them to use the patent to develop and market their own products with humanitarian aid organizations.

This simplified mechanism is consistent with the mutual objective of Nutriset and the IRD of strengthening the nutritional autonomy of countries and populations affected by malnutrition.

The original Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), Plumpy’nut, developed in 1996, is the result of joint research conducted by Michel Lescanne, founder of Nutriset, and André Briend, a doctor and nutritionist conducting research at the IRD. “Our aim was to make the management of severe acute malnutrition easier, more efficient and accessible to a greater number of children” recalls Michel Lescanne. “We also wanted it to be possible to produce our product in developing countries with initial local production experiments conducted as early as 1997.”

Derived from this innovation, Nutriset developed a range of products for the prevention or treatment of different forms of malnutrition: Supplementary’Plumpy®, Plumpy’doz®, Plumpy’soy®, Nutributter®, QBmix®, etc. The Plumpy® range products are currently massively used by humanitarian organisations and health ministries that aid populations affected by malnutrition. Since their development, it is estimated nearly 7 million children benefitted from the Plumpy® range products... Nutriset's Press Release - communiqué de presse Nutriset -

Nutriset, an overview

25 years of experience, research and innovation for the benefit of children; an operation 100% dedicated to humanitarian and welfare initiatives in developing countries.
An ambitious mandate for the company set by its founder, Michel Lescanne:
To invent, produce and make accessible solutions for the treatment and prevention of malnutrition and so contribute to the nutritional autonomy of developing countries.
A major innovation in 1996: Plumpy’nut®, the first ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), made possible a revolution in the management of malnutrition, increasing the number of children treated and improving the recovery rate.... Nutriset, an overview - Nutriset, en bref -

ICDD : Launching of Mitosafe® at ToxEXPO

March 2010 - Launching of Mitosafe® at ToxEXPO.

• The Mitosafe® platform is focused on a mechanistic analysis of mitochondrial functions
• The Mitostream® platform is a high content and phenotypic analysis of mitochondrial behavior. It aims at a better anticipation of the clinical tolerance of drugs early in the drug development process....ICDD's news release -

About ICDD
Founded in 2007, ICDD-sas is a science-based company, established as a contract research provider and with its activities focused on predictive toxicology. ICDD-sas uses its proprietary secondary screening platforms to select the safest drugs from the most active lead molecules developed and provided by our clients.

ICDD-sas is located close to Aix-en-Provence, France, in a state of the art Euro 2 million facility, covering 1600 square metres that acts as an incubator for emerging companies developing and commercializing innovative technologies.
The scientists at ICDD-sas boast a combined experience of 40 years in drug development, biochemistry, cell biology, neuroscience and immunology, having analyzed more than 100 new chemical entities at different stages of pre-clinical & clinical development.

The Drug Development Need
Drug development costs have increased 4-fold in the last 20 years, while the new treatments reaching the market each year have declined by almost 50%. Drug failure is usually due either to unexpected human toxicity or otherwise because of a lack of efficacy. Toxicity and lack of efficacy are often discovered only late in the costly clinical development program. ICDD-sas, using its proprietary know how, effectively addresses both of these challenges thereby enhancing the development of safer, more effective medicines, whilst reducing late stage development failures, development time and costs... About ICDD -

Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA) : Research and Supply Partnership with the Institut Curie in Paris

July 1, 2010 - AAA has signed an agreement with the Institut Curie to build, install and operate a pharmaceutical laboratory for radiopharmaceuticals production at the Institut Curie's René Huguenin specialist cancer hospital in Saint-Cloud, Paris.

The cyclotron will guarantee the supply of high quality radiopharmaceuticals for the hospital's two PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scanners, which are increasingly used in the diagnosis and treatment of cancers, enabling clinicians to track the progress of treatments such as chemotherapy as well as the appearance of secondary tumors and metastases.

René Huguenin is AAA's fifth production center in France. It will allow AAA to supply other hospitals in western France. The new cyclotron is expected to be fully operational in 2013...

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...About Advanced Accelerator Applications:

Founded in 2002, Advanced Accelerator Applications is a European pharmaceutical group. It develops and commercializes innovative diagnostic and therapeutic applications and products. AAA’s main research focus is on molecular imaging and personalized medicines for the treatment of diseases where there is a clear and not met medical need, including cancer. The Company is a European leader in the production and commercialization of PET (Positron Emission Tomography) radiopharmaceuticals. PET is the most sophisticated diagnostic technique currently available and is used mainly in clinical oncology, cardiology and neurology. The Company has an interdisciplinary team of 130 employees, working in 10 production and R&D facilities in France, Italy, Switzerland, Spain and the USA. It has a particularly strong market position in France with its laboratories in Saint Genis Pouilly, also AAA’s headquarters, in Troyes and in Béthune...[PDF] Advanced Accelerator Applications' Press Release - PDF du communiqué de presse AAA -

AB Science and its partners : €10m from OSEO

Paris, 29 June 2010 - as part of the APAS‐IPK project for the development of a new generation of anti‐cancer drugs – AB Science SA (NYSE Euronext ‐ FR0010557264‐ AB), pharmaceutical company specialised in research, development and marketing of protein kinase inhibitors (PKI), Bull, specialist in information technologies and particularly high performance computing solutions, Genomic Vision SA, biotechnology company specialised in molecular diagnosis, and Skuld‐Tech, biotechnology company specialised in the discovery of biomarkers and the development of diagnostic tools and companion tests, established formed a partnership for the development of new targeted cancer treatments.

The partnership will carry‐out of the APAS‐IPK (Amélioration de la Prédictivité de l’Activité et de la Sélectivité des Inhibiteurs de Protéines Kinases en Oncologie [Improvement in Predictiveness of the Activity and Selectiveness of Protein Kinase Inhibitors in Oncology]) project, supported by OSEO’s Industrial Strategic Innovation (ISI) programme.

OSEO, through its programme supporting Industrial Strategic Innovation, will grant the project a total amount of €10m (including notably €6.2m to AB Science, €2m to Bull, €0.7m to Genomic Vision and €0.3m to Skult‐Tech) in the form of repayable advances and subsidies... [PDF] AB Science's Press Release -PDF du communiqué de presse d'AB Science -

HRA Pharma : FDA grants approval of ella® for emergency contraception

August 13, 2010 – HRA Pharma announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted approval for ella® (ulipristal acetate) as a prescription-only emergency contraceptive indicated for use within 120 hours (five days) of unprotected intercourse or a known or suspected contraceptive failure. ella is not intended for routine use as a contraceptive.
The approval is based on two Phase 3 studies that showed that ella significantly reduced the risk of pregnancy in women who used it after unprotected intercourse. A progesterone agonist/antagonist that potently inhibits follicular rupture when taken just before ovulation is to occur, ella has been shown to be consistently effective when used up to five days after intercourse. Currently-marketed emergency contraceptives based on levonorgestrel are labeled for use within 72 hours or three days of intercourse.
“As a pioneer and a leader in the field of emergency contraception, HRA Pharma is committed to providing women and their health care providers highly effective contraceptive options...

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...The product will be launched and marketed in the US by HRA Pharma’s partner Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The two companies announced their license agreement earlier this year...

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...About HRA Pharma

HRA Pharma is a privately-held European pharmaceutical company that designs products, devices and supporting services in niche areas of health and makes them available to doctors and patients worldwide. The company targets therapeutic gaps in the areas of reproductive health and endocrinology, and uses innovative marketing solutions and socially-conscious programs, such as contraception education in developing countries, to promote healthy management of drugs and diseases. A pioneer in emergency contraception, its product ulipristal acetate can be taken for up to five days after unprotected sexual intercourse and is the only product licensed in the European Union (ellaOne®) and the U.S. (ella®) for this indication. Headquartered in Paris, France...[PDF] HRA Pharma's Press Release -

BioRéalités raises 1.3 M€

June-July 2010 - BioRéalités raises 1.3 M€ - The company just finalized a new fund raising round again with private investors and Business Angels. Another PhD has been hired in february 2010... BioRéalités' News - Actualités de BioRéalités -

About BioRéalités
BioRéalités develops novel therapeutic and diagnostic tools to improve the life of colorectal cancer patients.
The company was created as an SAS in february 2007, and has been furthering the work of its founders in the field of oncology, with a particular focus on the characterization of a novel target for colorectal cancer therapy.
BioRéalités currently employs 17 staff and recently moved in their own facility, which include a 200 m2 laboratory area.
The company has been granted an exclusive international license to exploit a PCT patent lodged by INSERM, CNRS, and the University of Montpellier 1 in 2007... About BioRéalités - Société BioRéalités -

Minvasys : CE mark approval for its Amazonia Pax® Coronary Drug Eluting Stent system

Gennevilliers, January 6th 2010 - Minvasys announced that the company has received CE Mark approval for its Amazonia Pax® Polymer Free Drug Eluting stent. The Amazonia Pax® is the third generation of coronary DES; abluminal polymer free elution applied on an ultra-thin chromium cobalt platform.

This CE approval was authorized by the LNE /G-MED (French Notified Body) and AFSSAPS (French Health Competent Authority) according to the new European Union directive 2007/47/EC.


The latest ultra-thin chromium cobalt stent Amazonia Croco®, recognised for its excellent deliverability, has been designed by Minvasys to optimize arterial wall coverage, offering an outstanding support as drug carrier. Polymer free abluminal Paclitaxel coating developed for Amazonia Pax® combines the proven safety and efficacy of the Paclitaxel to a non-polymeric microdropped spray process releasing the loaded drug within 45 days...

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...About Minvasys
Minvasys created in May 2003, is an international privately held company based in the Paris area, France. Minvasys focuses on bifurcation treatment with dedicated devices. Nile Croco/Pax® for coronary bifurcations and Twin-One® for carotid bifurcations. Next products generations are in progress with the Pax program (Paclitaxel Polymer Free Coating) and an integrated embolic protection system with a self-expendable stent for carotid applications... Minvasys' Press Release -