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16 nanotimes Companies Facts
Arrowhead Research Corporation (NASDAQ: ARWR), a targeted therapeutics company, announced that its hepatitis B virus (HBV) program has completed all internal preclinical requirements and has named a clinical candidate. As such, the Company has initiated the final IND-enabling steps, including GMP manufacturing, GLP toxicology, and preparation of a pre-IND data package for the US FDA and foreign counterparts. The candidate, named ARC-520, is an RNAi therapeutic actively targeted to the liver using the company’s Dynamic Polyconjugate (DPC) delivery system and includes two siRNA sequences targeting two different regions of the HBV genome.
"Chronic HBV infection is a serious global health problem with no cure, and we believe ARC-520 can potentially have a substantial impact on patient care worldwide," said Dr. Bruce Given, Arrowhead’s Chief Operating Officer and head of R&D. "We will continue to take an aggressive stance on development timelines for ARC-520. We anticipate filing an IND in Q2 of 2013 and our plan is to conduct a phase 1 clinical trial in chronic HBV carriers to provide early proof of concept." The RNA sequences used in the clinical candidate were part of a large-scale screening program initiated by Roche prior to the acquisition by Arrowhead. The RNAs target regions highly conserved across the major HBV genotypes and ARC-520 contains two distinct RNAs as a strategy to minimize the potential development of resistance in individual patients. Consistent with the company’s overarching strategy, the DPCs used in ARC-520 employ active ligand-mediated targeting specific to a receptor on hepatocytes. This approach results in high-potency knockdown of a target gene, validated in mice, rats, and non-human primates and it has demonstrated a low toxicity profile in primates enabling long term dosing.
http://www.arrowheadresearch.com
BioCision LLC offered a sneak preview of their latest product, the CoolBox™ XT, at the American Society for Microbiology Annual Meeting, being held in San Francisco (US) in June.
Expanding on innovative benchtop CoolBox technology, the CoolBox XT workstations are designed for extended ice-free cooling (up to 18 hours) and include CoolRack modules that are compatible with automation platforms. This patent-pending technology does not require power, allowing it to be used in the laboratory as an alternative to the ice bucket, eliminating ice-related issues such as sample degradation due to contamination. It can also serve as a portable sample transport device.
http://www.biocision.com/CoolBox-XT/
Braemar Energy Ventures closed its third fund, Braemar Energy Ventures III, LP, at the maximum amount of $300 million on June 19, 2012. The Fund will invest in innovative venture and expansion-stage energy technology companies.