Articles By Marcus Johnson
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New MRSA Drug Approved By FDA
6/5/2014
The FDA has announced that it has approved a new drug, Dalvance, to fight against the dangerous MRSA skin infection. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, better known as MRSA, is a skin infection that is caused by a particular strain of staph bacteria. Because the staph strain that causes MRSA is resistant to the majority of antibiotics, it is currently very difficult to treat, and is considered life threatening. MRSA can be contracted where there is close skin to skin contact with other individuals or if unsterilized medical equipment comes into contact with patients. Athletic settings and medical environments, such as hospitals, are known for having higher rates of MRSA infections.
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Complexa Raises $13 Million For Kidney Disease Trials
6/5/2014
Complexa, which is a Pittsburgh based biopharmaceutical company, has announced that it has raised $13 million in order to fund chronic kidney disease trials. The company will be using the funds to carry out clinical research on its lead compound, CXA-10 in two different formulations for human testing. One of the formulations is administered orally while the other formulation is administered intravenously. The trials will be focused on treating kidney damage caused by medical imaging dye injections.
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AMRI Set To Purchase OsoBio For $110 Million
6/5/2014
Albany Molecular Research Inc., known as AMRI, has announced that it will be acquiring Oso Biopharmaceuticals Manufacturing. The announcement was made official on Monday of this week. This move suggests that AMRI is trying to set itself up to be one of the top suppliers of custom drug development products and services, The Albany Business Review said in an article earlier this week. The deal is expected to cost AMRI $110 million.
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TiGenix Sells Dutch Manufacturing Plant To PharmaCell
6/4/2014
TiGenix NV, which is a leader in Europe’s cell therapy sector, has announced that it has come to terms with PharmaCell BV in regards to the sale of its Dutch based manufacturing plant. The sale cost PharmaCell a total of 5.75 million Euros. PharmaCell, which is a European contract manufacturing organization (CMO) that focuses primarily on cell therapy and regenerative medicines, will be receiving shares of TiGenix’s subsidiary, TiGenix BV, as it is TiGenix BV that holds the manufacturing plant.
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Stanford Engineer Creates Electroceutical Device To Fight Illness
6/4/2014
Stanford assistant professor of electrical engineering Ada Poon has developed a wireless system that can transfer energy to the rice-sized chips in various electronic medical devices, including pacemakers, nerve stimulations, sensors, and other devices which have not yet been developed. Poon has stated that her wireless system uses the same power as a cell phone, and the energy transmitted will be safe. Poon believes that her system can replace the need for large batteries and cumbersome recharging systems that stop medical devices from being more widely adapted in medical treatment. She also believes that the use of electronic devices can eventually replace some forms of drug treatment.
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Pembrolizumab Shows Promise As Skin Cancer Drug
6/4/2014
Pembrolizumab, which is a skin cancer drug produced by Merck, has already shown marked success at treating patients with melanoma, which is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. An early stage trial of the drug has medical professionals calling it a possible “paradigm shift” in cancer therapy.
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Bristol-Myers Squibb And CRO Syngene International To Continue Collaboration
6/4/2014
Bristol-Myers has announced that it will be expanding its drug discovery collaboration with Syngene International. Syngene International is the largest contract research organization in India. The two parties will enter into a five year extension of their drug discovery collaboration in the country of India.
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Eli Lilly Non-Small Lung Cancer Drug Extends Life Expectancy
6/4/2014
Researchers at Eli Lilly have announced that the company’s new non-small lung cancer drug, ramucirumab, has helped patients to live about six weeks longer—a significant amount of time considering the high rate of death among those with lung cancer. Researchers believe that ramucirumab, also known as Cyramza, can offer an improvement in life expectancy that scientists can build upon.
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AstraZeneca Eyes Early Access Schemes To Get Lung Cancer Drugs To Patients Faster
6/4/2014
AstraZeneca has stated that British lung cancer patients could potentially benefit from the company’s drugs even before testing on them is fully completed. Pascal Soriot, chief executive at AstraZeneca, told The Telegraph earlier this week that he wants to make the two lung cancer drugs being developed by the company — AZD9291 and MEDI4736—available for early use through Britain’s newly launched early access to medicines scheme, as well as through other schemes.
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Mission Pharmacal Makes Deal With Meda AB To Become Elestrin Provider
6/3/2014
San-Antonio based Mission Pharmacal has announced that it has entered into an agreement with Meda AB to become the exclusive U.S. provider of Elestrin. Elestrin is a topical hormone replacement gel used to treat women that are suffering from hot flashes as a result of menopause. Elestrin has already been approved by the FDA and currently is available as a prescription medicine in the US.