Emergent BioSolutions | October 09, 2020
NIAID has initiated a Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of hyperimmune globulin products, including Emergent’s COVID-19 Human Immune Globulin (COVID-HIG), as a potential treatment in adult patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Emergent is planning additional clinical trials to evaluate COVID-HIG for potential use in other patient populations or individuals at high risk of exposure. Emergent BioSolutions, Inc. Inc. (NYSE:EBS) today announced the initiation of the Phase 3 clinical trial that will evaluate plasma-derived therapy COVID-HIG as a potential treatment for hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The INSIGHT-013 clinical study called “Inpatient Treatment with Anti-Coronavirus Immunoglobulin (ITAC),” is sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The study will evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of hyperimmune globulin products derived from plasma of individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 and have developed neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The randomized controlled clinical trial assigns participants to receive infusions of either a placebo or one of four hyperimmune globulin products, which includes Emergent’s COVID-HIG, with a background therapy of remdesivir in all groups.
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miniPCR bio | September 09, 2020
miniPCR bio, a manufacturer of scientific tools for educators and researchers, today announced the launch of the GELATO™, an integrated DNA analysis system. GELATO™ combines gel electrophoresis with transillumination technology, allowing for simultaneous nucleic acid separation and visualization in a single, compact system. As a maker of innovative biotechnology for demanding settings, miniPCR bio has pioneered the development of tools that combine analytical power with the durability and affordability its broad range of users demand. "Our users were asking for a tool that integrates the capabilities of professional lab instruments with the ease of use and compact size of our educational tools," said Dr. Ezequiel Alvarez Saavedra, co-founder of miniPCR bio. "GELATO™ answers that call." Despite a small footprint, GELATO™'s range of casting options allows users to process up to 50 nucleic acid samples at a time. Its variable voltage built-in power supply allows for fast separation of DNA, and its integrated blue-light transilluminator makes it safe for use in all settings. GELATO™ includes a cell-phone compatible documentation hood and features a built-in cutting tray for direct gel excision.
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CELL AND GENE THERAPY
Sphere Fluidics | October 29, 2021
Sphere Fluidics, a company that has developed and is commercialising single cell analysis systems underpinned by its proprietary picodroplet technology, announced today that it has closed a $40 million investment round. The round was led by Sofinnova Partner and Redmile Group investing on equal terms.
Sphere Fluidics will use the funding to enable the expansion of the Company’s international sales activities in key markets and improving its support for customers. Furthermore, it will expand its product research and development programs, including novel applications for its proprietary Cyto-Mine® Single Cell Analysis System.
The Cyto-Mine is an automated cost-effective platform which integrates single cell screening, sorting, dispensing, imaging, and clone verification and has been purchased by an international customer base including global pharmaceutical companies, biotech, CDMOs, and leading research institutions. The platform can process millions of samples per day, assessing and isolating rare or valuable cell variants or biological products, to simplify and improve throughput across antibody discovery, cell line development and single cell diagnostics. The funds raised will support ongoing commercialization, broadening the technology’s adoption into new, innovative research areas such as cell therapy, synthetic biology and genome editing, in addition to ongoing enhancements of the platform’s capabilities and performance. In conjunction with the financing, Sofinnova’s Tom Burt and Redmile Group’s Rob Faulkner will join the Board.
“This is a transformational investment from two of the most respected specialist investment funds in the industry and a recognition of the untapped potential of the pioneering product and market development carried out by the Company to date.
Andrew Mackintosh, Chairman of Sphere Fluidics
Frank Craig, CEO, Sphere Fluidics, commented: “This funding round is not only testament to the potential of Sphere Fluidics’ single cell analysis technology, but also to the expertise of our team. The investment will underpin our growth strategy, enabling us to expand both our product range and our support to new and existing customers, globally.
Tom Burt, Partner, Sofinnova Partners, commented: “We remain impressed by Cyto-Mine’s high-throughput, ease-of-use and accessible cost. In the growing markets of monoclonal antibody discovery, cell line development and cell therapy, we see a significant need for such an affordable and reliable single cell analysis system as Cyto-Mine, capable of performing multiple assays on tens of millions of individual cells per run.”
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