Cellectis and Stemgent Partner to Provide Custom Genome-Engineered Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Cellectis bioresearch announced a collaboration agreement with Stemgent, Inc. to provide research services that combine mRNA reprogramming technology and genome engineering. The partnership marries Cellectis bioresearch’s leadership in genome engineering with Stemgent’s expertise in cellular reprogramming. [Cellectis bioresearch] Press Release RXi Pharmaceuticals and OPKO Health Announce Strategic Pooling of RNAi Assets RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation and OPKO Health, Inc. announced a strategic pooling of their respective assets in the field of RNA interference (RNAi). According to the terms of an asset purchase agreement jointly executed by the parties, RXi will acquire substantially all of OPKO’s RNAi-related assets, including an extensive intellectual property portfolio. [RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation] Press Release ReNeuron Wins Two Major Biomedical Catalyst Grants to Pursue Core Stem Cell Therapy Programs ReNeuron Group plc announced that it has been awarded two separate grants, totaling £1.2 million, from the UK Biomedical Catalyst to pursue further development of two of its core stem cell therapy candidates. The first award to ReNeuron of £0.4 million is a Late Stage Biomedical Catalyst grant and relates to the Company’s ReN009 stem cell therapy candidate for critical limb ischemia. The second award of £0.8 million is an Early Stage Biomedical Catalyst grant and relates to the Company’s ReN003 stem cell candidate for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa. [ReNeuron Group plc] Press Release NeoStem Reports Second Data Safety Monitoring Board Review: Continue with PreSERVE AMI Phase II Trial as Planned NeoStem, Inc. announced that it received approval to continue the PreSERVE AMI Phase II clinical trial following its second interim data and safety review by the Data Safety Monitoring Board. The PreSERVE trial of AMR-001 is a Phase II, randomized, placebo controlled, double-blind study designed to treat 160 patients and is approved by the FDA to enroll up to 180 patients. [NeoStem, Inc.] Press Release ImmunoCellular Therapeutics Announces Issuance of Key Patent for ICT-121 Cancer Vaccine ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd. announced that the US Patent and Trademark Office has issued a key patent application covering ICT-121, an immunotherapeutic vaccine targeting CD133, an important cancer stem cell marker that is commonly overexpressed on a broad range of solid tumors. The patent includes claims covering composition of matter as well as methods of use. [Business Wire] Press Release DCVax®-Direct Phase I/II Trial for All Inoperable Solid Tumors Is Expected to Produce Ongoing Results in 2013 Northwest Biotherapeutics announced that its Phase I/II DCVax-Direct clinical trial for all inoperable solid tumor cancers is planned to begin within approximately the next sixty days. [Northwest Biotherapeutics, Inc.] Press Release NW Bio Provides Guidance on Phase III Trial Enrollment Timing: Completion Expected to Be Faster or More Efficient than Relevant Comparison Trials Northwest Biotherapeutics (NW Bio) announced that it expects to complete enrollment in its 312-patient Phase III clinical trial for glioblastoma multiforme brain cancer within a period that is faster or more efficient than relevant comparison trials with immune therapies for the same brain cancer. [Northwest Biotherapeutics, Inc.] Press Release Silence Therapeutics Gets German Approval for Cancer Drug Trial Biotech research and development company Silence Therapeutics said it received approval from German authorities for trials of its pancreatic cancer drug and was reviewing financing options for an aggressive expansion. [Reuters] Press Release Minerva Biotechnologies Announces Major Breakthrough in Human Stem Cell Research Minerva Biotechnologies announced a major breakthrough in human stem cell research. Minerva scientists converted established human stem cells to the elusive “naïve” state and maintained them there indefinitely simply by culturing the cells in the dimeric form of a natural, but newly discovered human growth factor, called NM23-H1. [Business Wire] Press Release UI Researchers Developing 3D Printer, ‘Bio-Ink’ to Create Human Organs Using its facilities for engineering living tissue systems, the Biomanufacturing Laboratory at University of Iowa (UI) College of Engineering’s Center for Computer Aided Design is working to develop and refine various 3D printing processes required for organ and tissue fabrication. [The University of Iowa] Press Release |