May 21, 2020 | Appili Therapeutics, News
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Appili Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on anti-infective drug development, today announced that Health Canada provided regulatory clearance for Appili’s Phase 2 study evaluating FUJIFILM Toyama Chemical’s (FFTC) favipiravir as a preventative measure against COVID-19 outbreaks. Dr. Allison McGeer, senior clinician scientist at Sinai Health’s Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute in Toronto, Ontario is the study’s primary investigator. Appili expects trial recruitment to begin imminently. Researchers will enroll approximately 760 subjects, both residents and staff, at 16 long-term care homes (LTCHs) in Ontario. The National Institute on Ageing has estimated that as of May 6, 2020, 82 percent of deaths related to COVID-19 in Canada were associated with long-term care facilities.[i]
“Given the severity of COVID-19 amongst the elderly, and the evidence of ongoing transmission with severe outcomes in LTCHs, it is critical to develop interventions that minimize the spread of disease in this setting. As vaccines and treatment for COVID-19 remain unavailable, we must explore all possible solutions,” said Dr. McGeer. “We look forward to working with Appili on this study, as the pandemic continues to present devastating consequences for LTCH residents and their families.”
May 19, 2020 | Densitas Inc., News
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Mo Abdolell is CEO/Founder of Densitas Inc., a company focused on the mammography enterprise that delivers machine learning solutions for personalized breast health with technologies focused on breast density, clinical image quality, tailored risk.
Mo is also Associate Professor, Diagnostic Radiology, Dalhousie University and as a consulting biostatistician has 25 years experience in study design, statistical analysis and machine learning in biomedical/clinical research.
Densitas has also launched a program to help with radiology personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic. What is the program being offered?
In these unprecedented times, the primary focus of care is necessarily devoted to critically ill patients.
An unfortunate consequence of COVID-19 is that breast cancer screening has largely been put on hold.
Yet, even in the hardest hit regions we are seeing mammography facilities already planning to ramp up, starting with diagnostic and followed by screening mammography exam bookings. As that happens, the sheer number of patients awaiting breast screening in the coming weeks and months (rescheduled and net new) will present a monumental challenge to mammography facilities and health systems, with radiology personnel stretched thin.
It will be important to ensure that clinical image quality is maintained at the highest standard despite the stress of overloaded imaging throughput. AI automation of clinical image quality assessment, integrated in a comprehensive analytics and reporting platform, will boost MQSA inspection preparedness and will free up crucial resources for patient care. AI automation of breast density and breast cancer risk scoring and reporting will increase workflow efficiency and support tailored follow-up screening protocols.
May 15, 2020 | IMV Inc., News
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IMV Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering a novel class of cancer immunotherapies and vaccines against infectious diseases, today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020 and provided an update on its clinical and operational progress.
“Despite the current pandemic, we have continued to validate our platform and advance our clinical pipeline targeting various cancers and other serious diseases, including COVID-19,” said Frederic Ors, Chief Executive Officer at IMV. “Today, we are especially pleased to announce that SPiReL, a Phase 2 study of a DPX-Survivac combination regimen in patients with r/r DLBCL, has met its primary efficacy endpoint. This represents a significant milestone for DPX-Survivac, which has so far demonstrated the ability to shrink both solid and hematological tumors with long-lasting clinical responses and a differentiated safety profile. We believe these results in r/r DLBCL, taken together with emerging data from our DeCidE1 study in advanced ovarian cancer, support our plan to accelerate development in both of these indications.”
Mr. Ors continued, “Our recent financing fortifies our corporate position, with cash to fund operations for more than 12 months and several milestones anticipated across our portfolio in the interim. We look forward to presenting translational and updated clinical response data from DeCidE1 at the ASCO20 Virtual Scientific Program, and to further updates from each of our Phase 2 studies of DPX-Survivac later this year. Additionally, we are preparing to advance a DPX-based vaccine candidate for COVID-19, which is on track to enter into clinical trials later this summer.”
May 14, 2020 | Adaptiiv, News
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Eckert Ziegler BEBIG (EZB) and Adaptiiv Medical Technologies Inc. (Adaptiiv) are pleased to announce an extension of their strategic partnership. EZB will resell Adaptiiv’s 3D printing software solution in select markets that include Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and France. The two companies previously completed compatibility testing between their respective platforms. Adaptiiv has released new features in version 3.0 of its software solution to ensure mutual customers can use the regulated solution.
EZB is a European-based group active in the production and distribution of medical products for the treatment of cancer using brachytherapy. Brachytherapy applies radioactive sources directly to or into the tumor, allowing a high dose to the tumor while sparing the surrounding healthy tissue. For the patient, this means shorter treatment periods, fewer side effects, and a faster recovery.
May 7, 2020 | IMV Inc., News
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IMV Inc. a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering a novel class of cancer immunotherapies and vaccines to fight against infectious diseases including COVID-19, today announced that it has completed its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the “Private Placement”) of 8,770,005 units of the Company (each, a “Unit”) at Cdn$2.86 per Unit for gross proceeds of approximately Cdn$25.1 million. The size of the Private Placement has increased by approximately Cdn$2.8 million following our earlier announcement on April 30, 2020.
The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Private Placement for the clinical development of its lead candidate, DPX-Survivac, currently being assessed in advanced ovarian cancer, as well as in multiple clinical studies in combination with Merck’s Keytruda®. The balance of the net proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, including funding research and development, preclinical and clinical expenses, and corporate costs.
