Weekly Quick Hits (Research Triangle Park) – Week of June 12, 2023
By Alex Keown
June 16, 2023
Funding, Awards and Collaborations
N.C. Showcases Strength of Life Sciences Ecosystem at BIO
NCBiotech and multiple life sciences companies from North Carolina attended the annual BIO conference and showcased the strengths of the Tar Heel state. NCBiotech and sponsors hosted the North Carolina reception on June 6, which the organization called “a great opportunity” for potential partners to mingle with the state’s life sciences community. NCBiotech’s staff and sponsors engaged with biotech leaders and companies interested in learning more about North Carolina’s thriving life sciences community and growing, highly skilled workforce.
Labcorp Announces Pricing of Fortrea $570 Million Notes Offering
Labcorp announced that Fortrea Holdings Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Labcorp priced an offering of $570 million of senior secured notes due 2030, in connection with the planned spinoff of Fortrea into a separate publicly traded company. The notes will bear interest at an annual rate of 7.5%. Fortrea intends to use the proceeds fund a portion of an expected approximately $1.605 billion cash distribution to Labcorp as partial consideration for the assets that will be contributed to the company in connection with the spinoff.
In the Clinic
Satsuma Pharmaceuticals, SNBL Announce Three Abstracts on STS101
Satsuma Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which is seeking regulatory approval from tfor STS101, a novel investigational therapeutic product candidate for the acute treatment of migraine, and its corporate parent, Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories, announced that three abstracts describing efficacy and safety results from the STS101 Phase III efficacy trial were selected for presentation at the American Headache Society’s (AHS) 65th Annual Scientific Meeting.
New Products
Tobra Medical Announces Launch of Tobra FeatherFlow
Tobra Medical, a specialty medical device company focused on micro surgery, announced the product launch of Tobra FeatherFlow. This bolsters Tobra Medical’s portfolio beyond its popular autograft collector, Tobra Bone Basket. Tobra Featherflow is a soft and lightweight suction tubing system with a built-in adjustable airflow regulator. This design improves tactile feedback while reducing surgeon fatigue and distractions.
Improving Patient Care by Making AI Tools Available to All Cardiologists
Core Sound Imaging, Inc., creators of the Studycast system and other cloud-based software solutions for medical imaging and reporting, announced it will preview the Studycast Integration Program at ASE 2023. The first of its kind, this integration program allows a cardiologist to choose from a menu of AI vendors and selectively utilize these AI tools on one or all exams. Additionally, the Studycast system allows the cardiologist to compare results from different AI vendors. This puts the ability to evaluate and build confidence in AI technologies in the hands of the cardiologist. The seamless user interface means that AI evaluation of cardiac images can be a frictionless solution that enhances the cardiology imaging workflow.
New Patents
Marius Pharmaceuticals Announces Two Key Kyzatrex Patents in FDA Orange Book
Marius Pharmaceuticals, a company focused on therapies designed for hypogonadism or testosterone deficiency, announced U.S. patents related to Kyzatrex (testosterone undecanoate), No. 11590146B2 and No. 11617758B2, are now listed in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) publication, “Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations,” commonly known as the “Orange Book.” These patents represent significant milestones for Marius Pharmaceuticals as they underpin the broad coverage of Kyzatrex’s delivery system. This unique system has played a pivotal role in driving and generating robust safety and efficacy outcomes during the drug’s Phase III clinical trials.
Research Roundup
CRISPR/Cas9-Based Gene Drive Could Suppress Agricultural Pests
Researchers at N.C. State University developed a “homing gene drive system” based on CRISPR/Cas9 that could be used to suppress populations of Drosophila suzukii vinegar flies, the university announced. These flies devastate soft-skinned fruit in North America, Europe and parts of South America. The N.C. State researchers developed dual CRISPR gene drive systems that “targeted a specific D. suzukii gene called doublesex, which is important for sexual development in the flies.” Targeting the doublesex gene resulted in female sterility in numerous experiments as females were unable to lay eggs, the research team said.
Study: Preoperative Stereotactic Radiosurgery Benefits Brain Cancer Patients
A study from Wake Forest University, published in JAMA Oncology highlights improved outcomes for patients with metastatic brain tumors who treated with preoperative surgery and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). The study saw improvements in rates of tumor recurrence, adverse radiation effects and spread of tumor cells to the fluid outside of the brain, also known as meningeal disease.
Penile HIV infection is Effectively Prevented by Antiretroviral Treatment, Study Says
Using a mouse model, researchers at the UNC School of Medicine developed a new approach for the detailed evaluation of HIV infection within the penis. The study addressed three issues of HIV transmission: How is HIV acquired via the penis; where is HIV produced in the MGT; and can penile HIV acquisition be prevented? A novel in vivo model provided a first-time analysis of HIV infection throughout the entire male genital tract. Using this mouse model, the team showed that productive HIV infection occurs in all the organs that comprise the male genital tract, resulting in a dramatic reduction in human CD4 T cells, key components of the immune system present in these organs.
People on the Move
Labcorp Awarded Forrester Research 2023 Customer Obsession Leadership Award
Labcorp announced its executive vice president and chief marketing officer, Amy Summy, has been awarded the inaugural Forrester Customer Obsession Leadership Award, recognizing senior executives who put customers at the center of everything they do to accelerate business growth, retain customers and enable greater employee engagement.
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Alex Keown is a freelance journalist who writes about a variety of subjects including the pharma, biotech, and life science industries. Prior to freelancing, Alex has served as a staff writer and editor for several publications.
