Geron Scientists and Collaborators : Activity of Pancreatic Islet-like Cells Derived from Human Embryonic Stem Cells in Diabetes

October 28, 2008 - Geron Corporation (Nasdaq: GERN) announced the publication of data showing the successful engraftment of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived pancreatic islet-like clusters (ILCs) in diabetic mice. After transplantation, the ILCs continued to express important pancreatic islet proteins, responded to high levels of glucose in the blood, and extended the survival of recipient animals.

Pancreatic islet cells normally secrete insulin in response to high levels of glucose in the blood to maintain steady levels. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the insulin secreting islet cells are destroyed. Administering insulin is life-saving but does not truly mimic the body's natural response to blood glucose and can result in serious complications such as diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy... Geron Corporation's Press Release -

BioLife Solutions : HypoThermosol Adopted by MicroIslet for Processing Pancreatic Islet Cells to Treat Diabetes

October 24, 2008 - Preservation with BioLife’s Proprietary, Next Generation, Biopreservation Media Resulted in Increased Yield and Quality of Insulin-Producing Islet Cells – BioLife Solutions Inc. (OTCBB: BLFS), a leading developer and marketer of proprietary hypothermic storage and cryopreservation media products for cells, tissues, and organs, announced that MicroIslet Inc. (OTCBB: MIIS), a biotechnology company engaged in developing and commercializing cellular therapies for patients with diabetes, has adopted HypoThermosol for preserving, transporting, and storing pancreatic source material.

MicroIslet plans to isolate and encapsulate islet cells for the treatment of Type 1 diabetic patients under a planned investigational new drug application and subsequent clinical trial... BioLife Solutions' Press Release -

Convincing results of Solianis’ multisensor system in home-use trial

October 13, 2008: Solianis’ multisensor system for non-invasive Continuous Glucose Monitoring is currently being tested by diabetic patients in the home and work environment. 12 patients have completed a 10-day trial aimed at assessing system reliability. Results indicate that the system tracks glucose in home-use settings and is sensitive to hypoglycemic glucose excursions.
With this proof of concept Solianis can now proceed to producing the final prototype. The company expects to launch its first product in Europe in 2010 after CE approval, targeting this non-invasive device at the insulin dependent diabetes population. Later model variants will address patients with diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance... [PDF] Solianis’ Press Release -

Phenomix and Forest : Collaboration on Development and Commercialization of Dutogliptin in Diabetes

October 23, 2008 — Forest Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: FRX) and Phenomix Corporation today announced that they have entered into a definitive collaboration agreement to develop and commercialize dutogliptin (PHX1149) in North America. Dutogliptin is Phenomix’ proprietary orally administered, small molecule dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor currently undergoing Phase 3 clinical development in Type 2 diabetes mellitus... Phenomix's Press Release - Forest Laboratories' Press Release -

Amylin and Lilly : Supply Agreement for Exenatide Once Weekly

Oct 21, 2008 - Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMLN) and Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced they have entered into a product supply agreement for exenatide once weekly, a development compound that, if approved, would become the first once weekly therapy to treat type 2 diabetes. Under terms of the agreement, Lilly will make an initial cash payment of $125 million to Amylin, and Amylin will supply product for sales in the U.S. and to Lilly for sales outside of the U.S. In addition to the $125 million upfront payment, Lilly will reimburse Amylin for its share of the more than $500 million capital investment in the West Chester, Ohio facility through the cost of goods sold for exenatide once weekly.


As part of the overall supply arrangement, Lilly will make available to Amylin a $165 million line of credit that Amylin can draw upon beginning in the fourth quarter of 2009 through the second quarter of 2011. Any debt from the credit facility will be due three years from the date that the full amount has been drawn or the second quarter of 2014, whichever occurs first... Amylin Pharmaceuticals' Press Release - Eli Lilly and Company's Press Release -

Novo Nordisk Assigns Inhaled Insulin Patent Portfolio to Aradigm

Oct 08, 2008 - Aradigm Corporation (OTCBB:ARDM) ("Aradigm" or "Company"), a specialty pharmaceutical company, announced that Novo Nordisk ("Novo") transferred to Aradigm, at no charge, a portfolio of inhaled insulin related patents pursuant to a license agreement between Aradigm and Novo that was terminated in May 2008. Novo purchased a significant portion of the portfolio from Aradigm in July 2006 and supplemented the portfolio with certain of its own related patents. The portfolio includes both U.S. and foreign patents. Aradigm assumes responsibility for the maintenance of this portfolio.


In addition to the patent portfolio, Novo will transfer to Aradigm a significant preclinical safety database that was developed during the Aradigm/Novo collaboration, the rights to a miniaturized second-generation electronic insulin inhaler and data from Novo's inhaled insulin clinical program, which included nine Phase 3 trials in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes patients... Aradigm's Press Release -

Echo Therapeutics : Issuance of New Patent for Symphony™ Transdermal Continuous Glucose Monitoring System

October 16, 2008 – Echo Therapeutics (OTCBB: ECTE) announced the issuance of U.S. Patent 7,432,069 covering compositions and methods for the preparation of a polyethylene glycol (PEG)- based hydrogel as a key component of Echo’s Symphony™ Transdermal Continuous Glucose Monitoring (tCGM) System... [PDF] Echo Therapeutics' Press Release -

Hospira : EndoTool from MD Scientific

Oct. 13, 2008 – Hospira, Inc. (NYSE: HSP), a global specialty pharmaceutical and medication delivery company, announced that it has acquired the EndoTool^® business from MD Scientific, LLC. The EndoTool glucose management system, a highly sophisticated software system cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), helps establish and maintain glycemic control in acute, critical care and operating room settings by calculating the dose of intravenous (I.V.) insulin needed to effectively control blood glucose levels... Hospira's Press Release -

RXi Pharmaceuticals : Exclusive Worldwide License to Technology for the Oral Delivery of RNAi Therapeutics from the UMMS

10/14/08 - RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation (Nasdaq: RXII), a biopharmaceutical company pursuing the development and commercialization of proprietary therapeutics based on RNA interference (RNAi), today announced that it has licensed exclusive worldwide rights from the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) to certain technology for the oral delivery of RNAi therapeutics...
... "The development of technology that potentially enables oral delivery represents a truly dramatic advance for the field of RNAi therapeutics, and could open up significant market opportunities for RXi. We view this license as a major step toward our goal of developing such drugs as it allows us to potentially target a new class of cells that cannot be accessed either by traditional RNAi delivery methods, local administration or injection. In particular, we believe that UMMS' oral delivery technology, which targets certain types of inflammatory cells called macrophages, may allow us to develop orally administered rxRNA compounds for the treatment of a variety of significant inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, Crohn's disease, atherosclerosis, psoriasis and Type II diabetes. Since some of the most advanced and successful anti-inflammatory drugs currently on the market require injection, an orally administered RNAi compound could have significant competitive advantages for both patients and physicians."... RXi Pharmaceuticals' Press Release -

DIAGNOS : New CARA (Computer Aided Retinal Analysis) Application

Oct. 7, 2008 - DIAGNOS inc. ("DIAGNOS" or the "Corporation") (TSX VENTURE:ADK), a leader in the use of artificial intelligence ("AI") and advanced knowledge extraction techniques, launches CARA (Computer Aided Retinal Analysis) application bringing to market an 18 month development effort. CARA is an automated system for the identification of diabetic retinopathy and other eye related pathologies.

"I am very pleased to announce this new development based on our Artificial Intelligence platform. The software will be used for screening patients in hospitals, as well as private and public clinics and practices. The World Health Organization estimates that by year 2030, 366,000,000 people will have diabetes. DIAGNOS' goal is to provide our open platform analysis tool, to expand the diagnostic capabilities of more than 200,000 digital retinal imaging systems which currently exist worldwide... [PDF] DIAGNOS' Press Release -

Array BioPharma : Positive Preclinical Data on Its Glucokinase Activators in Type 2 Diabetes

Sept. 25, 2008 - Array BioPharma Inc. (Nasdaq: ARRY) announced the presentation of preclinical data on a novel small molecule glucokinase activator (GKA), ARRY-403, a drug for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. The data showed that ARRY-403 demonstrated potent, highly glucose-blood-level dependent, control of both fasting and non-fasting glucose concentrations. Based on these and other results, Array plans to advance ARRY-403 into human clinical studies in the first half of 2009. The data were presented at an annual metabolic diseases conference in London... Array BioPharma's Press Release -