Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute and USF Health Team Up for the Groundbreaking Study of Novel Therapy for Heart Failure Patients Cardiovascular disease specialists at Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute and Dr. Kiran C. Patel Research Institute affiliated with the University of South Florida (USF) announced they have enrolled their first two patients into a clinical trial testing a novel gene therapy for the treatment of heart failure after ischemic injury. [Florida Hospital Tampa Bay Division] Press Release Stem Cell Therapeutics Announces Joint-Venture Agreement with Reneu Inc. and Nexgen Medical Systems, Inc. Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. (SCT) announced a joint-venture agreement with ReNeu Inc. (ReNeu) and NexGen Medical Systems, Inc. (NexGen). Subject to the definitive agreement, SCT and NexGen will license their respective technologies to ReNeu under world-wide, royalty-free licenses for the use of NexGen’s FDA-cleared EViTARâ„¢ line of proprietary intracranial delivery systems and SCT’s NTx-265, -428 and -488 covering the proprietary use of drugs for the regeneration of endogenous neural stem cells. [Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp.] Press Release BioMarin Licenses Factor VIII Gene Therapy Program for Hemophilia A from University College London and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. announced that it has licensed a Factor VIII gene therapy program for hemophilia A from University College London and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. [BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.] Press Release Gladstone Scientist Named Inaugural Winner of Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences Gladstone Institutes’ Senior Investigator Shinya Yamanaka, MD, PhD, is one of 11 medical researchers to win a new, high-profile $3 million award from a group of high-tech sponsors, including the founders of Facebook and Google. [Gladstone Institutes] Press Release HIV/AIDS Gene Therapy Work Continues with NIH Funds Grant D. Trobridge of Washington State University has received a $1.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue investigating the use of gene therapy for HIV and AIDS, an area where he has had success. [Washington State University] Press Release Osiris Therapeutics Receives Title of European Orphan Drug Designation for Prochymal® Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. announced that the European Medicines Agency has designated Osiris as the Orphan Drug title holder for Prochymal® (remestemcel-L). The EU Commission adopted the decision to transfer the designation of Prochymal (ex vivo cultured adult human mesenchymal stem cells) as an orphan medicinal product under Regulation (EC) No 141/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council. [Osiris Therapeutics, Inc.] Press Release Osiris Therapeutics Successfully Defends Key Stem Cell Patent Challenge Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. announced the successful conclusion of a patent challenge in Australia by an opponent whose identity under Australian law was not disclosed. The patent at issue covers the administration of mesenchymal stem cells, including Prochymal® (remestemcel-L), for the treatment of inflammatory conditions involving the gastrointestinal tract. [Osiris Therapeutics, Inc.] Press Release Pluristem Receives FDA Orphan Drug Status Designation for Treatment of Aplastic Anemia Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated Pluristem’s placental expanded cells orphan drug status for the treatment of aplastic anemia. [Pluristem Therapeutics Inc.] Press Release Bone Therapeutics Invests in Cell Therapy Manufacturing Facility Bone Therapeutics announced that it has secured its future manufacturing requirements, allowing it to produce its unique bone cell therapy products on a commercial scale. Bone Therapeutics has made an investment in Skeletal Cell Therapy Support S.A, alongside the Walloon region and private investors, to fund the €10 million construction of a new manufacturing facility based in the Gosselies Scientific Park near Brussels, Belgium. [Bone Therapeutics SA] Press Release |