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IBM says it has developed a new lab-on-a-chip technology that can separate biological particles at the nanoscale down to 20 nanometers in diameter that allow scientists access to particles such as DNA, viruses and exosomes. According to the current issue of the journal Nature Nanotechnology, upon separation, these particles may be analyzed by physicians to possibly reveal signs of disease even before patients experience any physical symptoms. IBM says it is collaborating with a team from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai to continue development of this lab-on-a-chip technology and plans to test it on prostate .
Orexigen Therapeutics has successfully completed an acquisition of the U.S. rights to Contrave (naltrexone HCl/bupropion HCl extended release) and relaunched Contrave with its own sales organization. Contrave was approved by FDA 9/2014 for use as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management in adults with an initial body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or greater (obese), or 27 kg/m2 or greater (overweight) in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbid condition (e.g., hypertension, Type 2 diabetes mellitus or dyslipidemia). The company says that outside of the U.S. it will commercialize Contrave and Mysimba (its name in Europe) through partnerships.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals and Pfenex have signed an agreement under which Pfenex granted Jazz Pharmaceuticals worldwide rights to develop and commercialize multiple early stage hematology product candidates. The companies say this includes an option for Jazz to negotiate a license for a recombinant pegaspargase product candidate with Pfenex. Under the agreement, Pfenex will receive upfront and option payments totaling $15 million and may be eligible to receive additional payments of up to $166 million.
Alzheon says it is moving its Alzheimer’s disease drug candidate (ALZ-801) into a pivotal Phase 3 program after reporting positive results from two Phase 1b studies. ALZ-801 is an optimized prodrug of tramiprosate, according to the company. The Phase 1b study results demonstrated “favorable gastrointestinal tolerability, consistent and sustained plasma levels, and allowed selection of an ALZ-801 clinical dose that is bioequivalent to the tramiprosate dose that showed promising efficacy in prior Phase 3 trials,” Alzheon says. “Our body of ALZ-801 data and analyses suggest a well-differentiated and potentially transformative Alzheimer’s medicine: an oral tablet that targets the underlying amyloid pathology in Alzheimer’s, with compelling clinical efficacy in patients who are apolipoprotein E4 carriers,” it says.
Mast Therapeutics has begun a multi-center Phase 2 clinical study of AIR001 in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. The study is sponsored by Duke Clinical Research Institute as the Coordinating Center for the Heart Failure Clinical Research Network (HFN) and is being conducted at premier clinical centers that are part of the HFN. According to the company, AIR001 is a sodium nitrite solution administered via inhalation.
AbbVie has begun a Phase 3 safety and efficacy study of venetoclax in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who are considered sensitive or naïve to proteasome inhibitors and have received one to three prior lines of therapy. According to the company, the combination of venetoclax, bortezomib (a proteasome inhibitor) and dexamethasone (corticosteroid) will be compared to treatment with bortezomib, dexamethasone and placebo.