Archive: Company News
Company News: Achmea and LSP Launch LSP-Health Economics Fund for Innovation in Healthcare
Dutch healthcare insurer Achmea and investment company Life Sciences Partners (LSP) have set up an investment fund for innovation in healthcare, the LSP-Health Economics Fund (LSP-HEF). On 5 September 2011, the healthcare insurer already announced its intention to make € 50 million available for this purpose. As of today, the fund is ‘open for business’ and will seek to invest in international technology companies that may contribute to increased healthcare quality and better cost control.
The fund will be managed by Life Sciences Partners (LSP) a pan-European investment firm specialized in healthcare and biotechnology investments. LSP has recruited a dedicated investment team consisting of investment and technology specialists as well as experts for health economics and healthcare processes. The team will target European and US-based companies that have products close to or on the market. The main focus are companies offering promising technologies or products targeting indications such as cardiovascular diseases, lung disease, diabetes, cancer and dementia – diseases that more and more people are afflicted with and for which society pays a high price.
New technologies and products for these indications can lead to better control of health care costs while improve the quality of patient care, for example by using better diagnostics, applying minimally invasive treatments or preventing complications. In spite of this, it is the experience of Achmea and LSP that many of these companies struggle to penetrate the market quickly due to an insufficiently developed health economics case; this is often due to the fact that the technology has not been developed together with healthcare providers, not all stakeholders have been considered, and that a sales process that requires addressing each individual physician can slow down market take-up.
Through the unique cooperation between an insurance company and an investment firm, Achmea and LSP can efficiently support such companies in bringing their technologies to the market. Achmea will provide access to its know-how, expertise and database to help build the healthcare economics cases. Moreover, Achmea will help companies to find their way in the healthcare market, and will bring new technologies to the attention of healthcare providers.
Company News: Anergis Appoints Jacques-François Martin as Chairman of the Board of Directors
Anergis, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel allergy vaccines, today announced the appointment of Jacques-François Martin, Chairman and CEO of vaccine company Mymetics, as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Anergis develops allergy vaccines based on its proprietary technology of “Contiguous Overlapping Peptides” (“COPs”). Anergis’ lead allergy vaccine, called “AllerT”, is in clinical Phase IIb development and is designed to provide ultra-fast and safe desensitization to birch pollen allergy, a widespread condition in developed countries. Anergis’ vaccines are designed to provide long-term protection against allergies with a 2-month treatment.
Jacques-François Martin is Chairman and CEO of Mymetics Corporation. Previously, he was CEO of Chiron Vaccines (now Novartis) from 1991 to 1993 and CEO of Pasteur-Mérieux (now Sanofi-Pasteur) from 1988 to 1991. In addition, he held leadership positions with not‐for‐profit organizations dedicated to the development of vaccines for debilitating and life-threatening diseases in both developed nations and third world countries. Among others, he was the first President and CEO of The Vaccine Fund (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) from 2000 to January 2005 and a member of the Board of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) from November 1997 to June 2003. He started his executive career as Chief Executive Officer of Rhône-Poulenc Pharma in Hamburg, Germany, in 1970. Mr. Martin is a member of the French Academy of Technologies and an officer in the French Order of Merit.
Company News: bubbles & beyond presents product update and outlook at nanotech 2012
bubbles & beyond, a technology company focusing on customized intelligent fluids®, today announced that the company will present its current product portfolio and business strategy for 2012 at the upcoming nanotech 2012 conference in Tokyo, Japan (Feb. 15-17).
Intelligent fluids® are customized phase fluids, which are primarily designed for cleaning, separating and protecting surfaces. They significantly outperform competitive products in terms of efficiency and eco-friendliness. The technology platform is suitable for functional cosmetics, healthcare and industrial cleaning applications (construction, microelectronics, industrial solutions, print rolls, etc.). Products and processes based on intelligent fluids® are free from risky or dangerous substances and offer completely new application areas, significantly enhanced product characteristics and considerable process optimization in industrial settings.
In 2011, bubbles & beyond has reached major milestones, including the launch of its enpurex® cleansing product line for the printing industry, an important global distribution agreement with Rolf Meyer GmbH for the enpurex® line, and a development collaboration with JNC-CHISSO to create advanced cleansing solutions for the microelectronics sector. In addition, bubbles & beyond has established an advisory board of seasoned industry experts.
Company News: Amgen to Acquire Micromet
Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) and Micromet, Inc. (NASDAQ: MITI) today announced that the companies have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Amgen will acquire Micromet, a biotechnology company founded inGermany with its research and development (R&D) center in Munich and headquarters in Rockville, Md., for $11 per share in cash. The transaction, which values Micromet at approximately $1.16 billion, was unanimously approved by both the Amgen and Micromet Boards of Directors.
The acquisition includes blinatumomab, a Bispecific T cell Engager (BiTE) antibody in Phase 2 clinical development for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Blinatumomab is also in clinical development for the treatment of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), and could have applications in other hematologic malignancies.
Read more here.