Olivia Vizier

‘A form of a robotic microscope’: Idaho physician uses exoscope to perform surgeries on patients

By the time Paul Huling needed surgery last fall, he couldn’t use his left arm. Huling first noticed a problem a few weeks before when he woke up with what felt like a stiff, sore neck. Soon, pain and tingling progressed. It started extending from his neck into his shoulder, then spreading down the limb. […]

‘A form of a robotic microscope’: Idaho physician uses exoscope to perform surgeries on patients Read More »

A ‘shock and kill’ approach

Soon-Shiong explained that N-803 had also proven effective in a first-in-human immunotherapy clinical trial combining an IL-15 superagonist with NantKwest’s off-the-shelf, PD-L1 tumor-targeted NK cells (NCT04050709) in a patient with metastatic pancreatic cancer who had relapsed after prior standard-of-care therapy. He anticipates “broad, universal treatments across tumor types, avoiding high-dose chemotherapy and radiation.”

A ‘shock and kill’ approach Read More »

Recovered COVID-19 patients in New Orleans area donate blood to California biotech firm working on treatment

The race to find a treatment for COVID-19  is in full swing as researchers in labs across the world attempt to unravel the unique properties of this disease, and find ways to neutralize it. To aid in the effort,  recovered patients in New Orleans — a national hotspot for infections — are participating in a

Recovered COVID-19 patients in New Orleans area donate blood to California biotech firm working on treatment Read More »

Creating Consistent Value in Biotech Without Diluting Stakeholders

One of the greatest challenges for pre-commercial biotech companies is consistently generating capital necessary for operating costs and for R&D of new products that provide value to stakeholders, both for investors and patients. At OSE Immunotherapeutics we implemented a business model that allows us to be one of the rare French biotech companies without commercial

Creating Consistent Value in Biotech Without Diluting Stakeholders Read More »

Why Soon-Shiong Thinks His Triangle Offense for Cancer Can Be Applied to COVID-19

Patrick Soon-Shiong likes to talk about the “triangle offense,” the activation of a combination of macrophages, natural killer cells, and memory T-cells to battle cancer. He believes the same approach he has been working to train on cancer can be enlisted in the fight against COVID-19, the virus behind today’s global pandemic. We spoke to

Why Soon-Shiong Thinks His Triangle Offense for Cancer Can Be Applied to COVID-19 Read More »

empowered

Critical Colonoscopy Advancements Impact Results and Costs with Tim Moran Motus GI

Tim Moran, CEO, Motus GI talks about their focus on endoscopy solutions that improve clinical outcomes for patients facing a critical colonoscopy while in the hospital.  The Pure-Vu system developed by Motus GI is a disposable sleeve that fits on the top of their reusable scope to allow irrigation and suction evacuation.  This enhancement can

Critical Colonoscopy Advancements Impact Results and Costs with Tim Moran Motus GI Read More »

GigaGen Focuses Its Technology to Address COVID-19 Pandemic

GigaGen announced that it is developing a recombinant polyclonal antibody therapy for the treatment of COVID-19, the pandemic coronavirus that has been sweeping the world and for which humans have no innate immunity. Based in South San Francisco, GigaGen spent the first seven years of its existence developing its single cell technology drug discovery and

GigaGen Focuses Its Technology to Address COVID-19 Pandemic Read More »

GEN2 Pure-Vu System Receives CE Mark Approval

Motus GI is assessing potential strategic partnership opportunities for the Pure-Vu System with established medical device companies and distributors with commercial operations across the EU. The CE Mark signifies that the Pure-Vu System meets the essential requirements of all relevant European Medical Device Directives. The directives outline the safety and performance requirements for medical devices

GEN2 Pure-Vu System Receives CE Mark Approval Read More »

Work and Hiring Slowing in Biotech, But Layoffs Unlikely

The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t likely to end soon. Instead, the crisis stage may continue for weeks or even months before business regains some semblance of normality. The good news is that while biotech companies have slowed their hiring initiatives, layoffs remain unlikely at this point. Instead, biotech companies are enhancing flexibility on nearly every front.

Work and Hiring Slowing in Biotech, But Layoffs Unlikely Read More »

Is Inhaled Insulin Safe During the COVID-19 Outbreak?

We also connected with North Carolina-based Aerami Therapuetics (formerly Dance Pharmaceuticals), which is working on a next-generation inhalable insulin product. Theirs is a fine mist aerosol formulation instead of a powder, delivered by their new inhaler device called AFINA. It will have built-in Bluetooth capability to track data and integrate with apps and platforms. The company has

Is Inhaled Insulin Safe During the COVID-19 Outbreak? Read More »

Coronavirus Vaccines May Not Work for the Elderly—and This Lab Aims to Change That

Everyone agrees that a vaccine will be essential to stop the global spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. But Ofer Levy, a physician-scientist at Boston Children’s Hospital, worries that vaccines being designed today are not going to be effective enough for the people who need them most: older adults.

Coronavirus Vaccines May Not Work for the Elderly—and This Lab Aims to Change That Read More »

North Carolina company is making a coronavirus test that can deliver results in just 30 MINUTES and detect the virus within a few days of infection

A North Carolina biopharmaceutical company is developing a test for the novel coronavirus that can deliver results in just 30 minutes. Heat Biologics, based in Durham, has partnered with the University of Miami to design a test that can diagnose patients in just a fraction of the time compared to most other tests.

North Carolina company is making a coronavirus test that can deliver results in just 30 MINUTES and detect the virus within a few days of infection Read More »

What Wasn’t Included In The Print Article About Arrowhead’s Adversity Odyssey?

There are a few things from my interview with Chris Anzalone, Ph.D., CEO of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, that weren’t included in April’s printed article. But as I found them instructive and funny, I thought it a good idea to share via Life Science Leader’s online exclusive — Beyond The Printed Page.

What Wasn’t Included In The Print Article About Arrowhead’s Adversity Odyssey? Read More »

Is Hydroxychloroquine the Answer to the Coronavirus Pandemic? Inside the Race to Find A COVID-19 Cure

Long before the coronavirus began to spread beyond China, infectious disease experts around the world knew there was ample reason to fear it. Not only was the pathogen highly contagious and lethal, it was also new—scientists had written no medical papers on it, doctors had no vaccines or pills to give their patients. The most

Is Hydroxychloroquine the Answer to the Coronavirus Pandemic? Inside the Race to Find A COVID-19 Cure Read More »

Test Shows How Lung Cancer Patients Respond to Therapy

Irvine, CA-based Oncocyte inherited the DetermaIO test when it acquired Insight Genetics earlier this year. The company said it has completed Clinical Laboratory Improvements Amendments (CLIA) validation for the test. Oncocyte said it has completed Clinical Laboratory Improvements Amendments (CLIA) validation for its DetermaIO. The Irvine, CA-based company said the diagnostic, which was previously known

Test Shows How Lung Cancer Patients Respond to Therapy Read More »

RNA Biomarkers for Early Lung Cancer Diagnosis

Cancer diagnostic developer Oncocyte is pioneering early-stage detection with novel RNA-based tests for lung cancer. Limitations of Current Biomarkers Most blood-based early cancer detection diagnostics in development are based on the analysis of cell-free and tumor-circulating DNA. In order for tumor DNA to be present in the blood of a cancer patient, however, the tumor

RNA Biomarkers for Early Lung Cancer Diagnosis Read More »

In Conversation: NantKwest — Harnessing Natural Killer Cells to Treat Cancer

Effectively harnessing the immune system requires activation of natural killer, dendritic, and T cells. NantKwest is developing off-the-shelf therapies that have shown great promise in initial clinical studies. Emilie Branch, editor at Pharma’s Almanac, sat down with NantKwest’s Chairman and CEO, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, to discuss this exciting treatment option and find out why it

In Conversation: NantKwest — Harnessing Natural Killer Cells to Treat Cancer Read More »

empowered

Developing a Coronavirus Vaccine Using Allogeneic Cell Based Therapy with Jeff Wolf Heat Biologics

Jeff Wolf, CEO, Heat Biologics describes the vaccine platform Heat has developed originally for oncology and their licensing agreement with the University of Miami to use the same vaccine approach for NIH-funded studies against Zika, malaria, and HIV against the Coronavirus.

Developing a Coronavirus Vaccine Using Allogeneic Cell Based Therapy with Jeff Wolf Heat Biologics Read More »

Aligos tackles hepatitis B with combo approach, three drugs entering clinic this year

Lessons learned from development of hepatitis C therapies could be applied to the underserved hepatitis B population, potentially leading to a functional cure through a combination of optimized drugs that attack the virus from different angles. That is the mission of 2-year-old Aligos Therapeutics Inc., a South San Francisco-based startup focused on liver-related diseases.

Aligos tackles hepatitis B with combo approach, three drugs entering clinic this year Read More »