News
Company News: Curetis Presents New Unyvero Pneumonia Data at Major Clinical Microbiology Meetings
– Presentation of clinical data from a pneumonia study on multi-pathogen infections at ICAAC 2014 and DGHM 2014
– Rapid Multiplex PCR assays confirmed as valuable addition to conventional testing methods
Curetis AG, a developer of next-level molecular diagnostic solutions, today announced new data on the clinical performance of its Unyvero P50 pneumonia cartridge in multi-pathogen infections.
A study conducted by researchers from private laboratory medicine firm MVZ Dr. Eberhard & Partner (Dortmund, Germany) analyzed pneumonia patient samples with both Curetis’ Unyvero P50 pneumonia cartridge and with classical microbiology culture. The investigator-initiated study determined >80% sensitivity at >95% specificity for pathogen identification with Unyvero P50. Of note, 54% of all cases had polymicrobial infections, many of them involving between 3 and 6 different pathogens. In the trial, Unyvero P50 found additional polymicrobial infections and detected 17 pathogens, all of which were not identified by microbiology culture. In contrast, in 6 cases classical culture identified a total of 8 pathogens not detected by Unyvero P50.
The data have been presented at the recent Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) in Washington D.C. (U.S.) and will also be presented at the upcoming conference Microbiology and Infection 2014 in Dresden (Germany), a joint event of the Association for General and Applied Microbiology (VAAM) and the Society of Hygiene and Microbiology (DGHM).
During Microbiology and Infection 2014, Curetis will host a symposium on the “Clinical Relevance of Rapid Infectious Disease Diagnostics”. It will take place on Monday, October 6, from 12:15pm – 1:15 pm CET (Room: Konferenz 1 / International Congress Center Dresden). The symposium will be chaired by Prof. Dr. Helmut Fickenscher (Kiel University). Presentations will be held by Dr. Reno Frei (University of Basel) and Prof. Dr. Maria Déja (Charité – Universitaetsmedizin Berlin).
Company News: Patent Position of Merus’ MeMo® Mouse Strengthened by Ruling of European Patent Office
– Freedom to operate confirmed
– Successful opposition against Regeneron’s patent EP 1 360 287 B1 for transgenic mice producing therapeutic human antibodies
Merus B.V., a biopharmaceutical company focusing on innovative human antibody therapeutics, announced today that it has successfully retained full freedom to operate for its proprietary transgenic MeMo® mouse. In opposition proceedings at the European Patent Office, the opposition division ruled on September 17 that European patent EP 1 360 287 B1, owned by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., was revoked in its entirety.
In 2012, Regeneron was granted a European patent entitled “Methods of Modifying Eukaryotic Cells”. The patent is part of Regeneron’s IP portfolio around its VelocImmune® mouse for therapeutic human antibodies. Merus filed an opposition against this patent in June 2013, thereby requesting revocation of the patent.
Company News: Anergis Reports Positive Long-Term Clinical Efficacy of Lead Compound AllerT
– Field-based trial with 196 patients shows significant reductions in seasonal allergy symptoms
– Efficacy of AllerT in both dose groups maintained during the second birch pollen season
Anergis, a company developing proprietary ultra-fast allergy vaccines, today reported positive long-term efficacy results with its lead compound AllerT, a novel birch pollen allergy vaccine.
A total of 196 patients were enrolled in the Phase IIb follow-up, double-blind, placebo-controlled, field-based clinical trial. The trial objective was to evaluate the long-term efficacy of AllerT in patients who had participated last year in the field-based Phase IIb trial with AllerT. Patients evaluated this year either received a placebo, AllerT 50 µg or AllerT 100 µg 18 months before the second birch pollen season. No further investigational treatment was given after the initial randomization.
Subjects who had received AllerT showed persistent, statistically significant (p<0.05) and clinically meaningful (>20% difference from placebo) reductions in the primary (combined symptom and medication score) and main secondary endpoints (quality of life score and nighttime nasal symptoms). The results were remarkably consistent across all clinical endpoints and did not show meaningful differences between Year 1 and Year 2 clinical responses. In addition, the clinical effects of both doses were very similar.
Full results of the trial will be presented at an upcoming scientific conference.
In 2013, Anergis had already shown that patients from the AllerT Phase IIa trial had a long-lasting elevation in allergen-specific antibodies (IgG4) until at least the fourth post-treatment season.
Company News: ISA Pharmaceuticals Appoints Hendrik-Jan Laseur as Member of the Supervisory Board
ISA Pharmaceuticals B.V., a clinical-stage immunotherapy company focusing on rationally designed immunotherapeutics against cancer and persistent viral infections, today announced the appointment of Hendrik-Jan Laseur to its Supervisory Board.
Hendrik-Jan Laseur has an outstanding track record in advising foundations, non-governmental organizations and financial institutions. Among others, he currently serves as a Board member of the Center for Public Integrity (Washington, DC, USA), as a member of the Advisory Board of SustainAbility (London, UK) and as a Board member of the Adessium Foundation (Rotterdam, The Netherlands).
Hendrik-Jan Laseur is the founder of Laseur – Lead the Change, an Amsterdam-based strategy advisory firm focused on supporting leaders in achieving lasting social impact of investments and business propositions. Clients include non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, philanthropic foundations, financial institutions, and the United Nations.
Prior to founding Laseur in 2010, he was Principal Advisor of the Executive Director at UNICEF, where he worked on resource allocation, strategy, finance and funding issues.
From 1992 to 2007, Hendrik-Jan Laseur worked at ABN Amro Bank in a variety of leadership and advisory positions in Tokyo, Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam and Zurich, including roles as personal secretary to the Chairman of the bank, and as a member of the Executive Committee of ABN AMRO Switzerland.
Hendrik-Jan Laseur studied economics in Groningen and Rotterdam and holds an MBA from INSEAD.