BUSINESS INSIGHTS, PHARMACY MARKET
Caris Life Sciences and Xencor | January 06, 2023
Caris Life Sciences®, a molecular science and technology company, and Xencor, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, have announced that they will work more closely together to research, develop, and sell new bispecific and multispecific XmAb® antibodies.
This expanded relationship will boost the number of targets and cancer types that Caris will investigate with Caris Discovery, a proprietary multi-omics discovery engine platform. The foundation for drug candidate development on Xencor's XmAb platform will be novel targets and their accompanying validation packages.
Under the terms of the new contract, Xencor will receive worldwide commercial rights to study, develop, and market products aimed at up to three targets discovered through collaboration. In addition, Caris will get an upfront payment and may receive up to $187 million in commercial milestone payments and development. The company will also be eligible for royalties on the net sales of products commercialized as a result of the agreement, as well as future rights for molecular profiling and companion diagnostics.
Caris Discovery leverages the collective force of its unmatched platform by combining the data generated from the primary patient tissues' molecular interrogation using ADAPT™, which integrates the company's extensive catalog of molecular and clinical data.
About Caris Life Sciences
Caris Life Sciences® is a Texas-based molecular science firm revolutionizing healthcare. Its market-leading molecular profiling products analyze DNA, RNA, and proteins to produce a molecular blueprint. This plan shows how patients, doctors, and researchers can use the information to improve outcomes and save lives. The company also uses cutting-edge algorithms for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to improve precision medicine.
About Xencor
Xencor develops modified antibodies and cytokines for cancer and autoimmune illnesses. More than 20 XmAb® candidates are in clinical development while three are sold by partners. The company’s XmAb technology modifies protein structures to create new therapeutic pathways.
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BUSINESS INSIGHTS, PHARMACY MARKET
VERO Biotech | February 03, 2023
On February 2, 2023, VERO Biotech Inc., a commercial-stage biotechnology company focused on neonatal intensive care and the acute care hospital community, announced that FDA has approved its innovative second-generation GENOSYL® Inhaled Nitric Oxide (iNO) delivery system for use in the operating room with rebreathing anesthesia. The second generation GENOSYL® DS is now the first and only iNO delivery device approved for use in both rebreathing and non-rebreathing anesthesia procedures, enhancing patient care, saving money for the hospital, and minimizing waste anesthetic gas pollution.
GENOSYL® DS is the first tankless inhaled nitric oxide delivery system. Nitric oxide, when inhaled, dilates the pulmonary blood vessels and can improve oxygenation in neonates suffering from hypoxic respiratory failure and pulmonary hypertension. GENOSYL® DS, unlike tank-based systems, generates and delivers iNO at the bedside via a small disposable cassette. This helps eliminate the need for hospitals to manage large, cumbersome tanks while also aiding in the simplification of clinical workflow.
The following are the expected advantages of the second generation GENOSYL® DS
Ability to employ rebreathing anesthesia: Rebreathing allows reduced gas flows, resulting in less usage of expensive anesthetic drugs, thereby reducing hospital costs; enhanced patient comfort (by preserving patient body temperature and moisture).
Smoother care process: seamless iNO delivery from the ICU to surgery and post-operative care leads to process and workflow enhancements for the healthcare organization, thus lowering the hospital's overall cost.
Set and forget: It allows anesthesiologists to continue using rebreathing anesthesia, thereby preventing potentially dangerous, time-consuming and cumbersome workarounds.
Reduced ecological consequences of anesthesia delivery: less anesthetic is released into the environment.
It is important to note that FDA has only approved the second generation GENOSYL® DS for use with rebreathing anesthesia in the surgical suite. The third generation GENOSYL® DS, which was recently approved, has not been tested with rebreathing anesthesia. VERO Biotech is currently conducting similar validations and expects to have data available in the first quarter of 2023.
About VERO Biotech
Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, VERO Biotech is an emerging biotechnology firm that focuses on designing, developing, and commercializing next-generation inhaled nitric oxide (NO) delivery systems to tackle unmet medical needs in patients with cardiopulmonary conditions. The company's mission is to improve patients' lives by pioneering innovative technologies for inhaled NO delivery in acute care hospitals and beyond, wherever nitric oxide treatment is required. By focusing on the science, development, and commercialization of its innovations, it aims to exceed customer expectations regarding safety, efficacy, and growth.
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BUSINESS INSIGHTS, PHARMA TECH
Koneksa | January 18, 2023
On January 17, 2023, Koneksa, a healthcare technology company that develops evidence-based validated digital biomarkers, announced the beginning of a clinical study that will compare the treatment effect of at-home mobile spirometry using digital biomarkers versus in-clinic spirometry in patients who have moderate asthma and are receiving long-acting beta-agonist (LABA) treatment.
The LEARN study is a single-arm interventional trial that compares the identification of treatment effects in people with moderate asthma using at-home mobile spirometry by utilizing an ultrasonic spirometer and a smartphone compared to in-clinic spirometry. Up to 60 people with mild, uncontrolled asthma who already use inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) will take part in the study. Besides, it will also cover those who need to take LABA medication for a six-week treatment period.
In-clinic spirometry can be performed at home with the same or higher accuracy compared to in-clinic and potentially less strain on the patient. The study will analyze the LABA treatment impact in clinic and mobile spirometry along with assessing the association between different readouts of mobile spirometry, in addition to evaluating asthma control as determined by the ACQ-6, a patient-reported outcome questionnaire. Other goals include assessing patient and site-specific satisfaction with mobile spirometry technology.
Chris Benko, CEO & Founder, Koneksa, stated, “This study builds on Koneksa's prior work demonstrating that mobile spirometry has the potential to detect clinically meaningful changes in very small cohorts of asthma patients on standard of care.” He further added, “The LEARN study will evaluate whether at-home mobile spirometry can detect treatment effects of a known positive control (LABA) in a significantly smaller population than would traditionally be assumed for an in-clinic proof-of-concept study.”
(Source – Business Wire)
About Koneksa
Based out of New York, Koneksa is a patient-centric digital biomarker firm that develops end-to-end solutions for remotely obtained clinical data to expedite clinical research and guide decision-making in drug development and market strategy for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. It seeks to revolutionize effect detection in clinical research by providing integrated solutions for efficient trial designs that yield more meaningful data. Its evidence-based biomarker solutions allow for more efficient clinical trial designs, allowing novel medicines to reach patients sooner.
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