| HCA Files For $4.6 Billion IPO HCA announced plans for an IPO that could reach $4.6 billion, as the biggest hospital operator in the U.S. looks to return to the public markets. online.wsj.com |
Parents Seek Vaccination Exemptions Some parents in Greater New York are so concerned about the safety of childhood vaccines that they are seeking to exempt their children from school immunization requirements. online.wsj.com |
Illumina, Inc. Q2 2010 Earnings Call Transcript Illumina, Inc. (ILMN)Q2 2010 Earnings Call TranscriptComplete Story » seekingalpha.com |
Alexza's Staccato: Setting Up as a New Platform for 'Inhalation Technology' Sheff Station submits:The Staccato technology and loxapine that make up AZ-004 will be on display on October 11th as Alexza (ALXA) looks for approval from the FDA. My previous article focused on how Alexza was clearing hurdles to move into a strong position with the FDA. What this article will do is discuss the history of the Staccato technology and its applicability and use in drug delivery with specific emphasis on AZ-004.Alexza and the Staccato technology was founded by Dr. Alex Zaffaroni. The company was built on the concept of the Staccato technology in use for treating acute and intermittent conditions. Alexza has developed a deep pipeline of products in a short period of time as they have put 5 products into the clinic in only 4 years. Capital constraints have caused Alexza to focus on AZ-004 in 2010. They have (pdf) 2 migraine programs, a pain program, AZ-002 Staccato alprazolane which they studied in panic, and AZ-007 which is part of their sleep program.Complete Story » seekingalpha.com |
Prolor Biotech: The Value of CTP Technology Prohost Biotech submits:PROLOR Biotech uses a novel, elegant, safe and effective approach to prolonging the half-life in circulation of therapeutic proteins molecules. The method involves adding a naturally occurring peptide, carboxyl terminal peptide (CTP), to the protein molecule. By embarking on this strategy, Prolor is in fact mimicking Mother Nature, which attached CTP to human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) hundreds of thousands of years ago to extend its life span. hCG is a hormone secreted from conception and throughout pregnancy. It induces uterine changes and is essential for maintaining pregnancy. The story of the CTP discovery began when Professor Irving Boime of Washington University in St. Louis was investigating hCG. He was intrigued by the fact that this hormone, which is responsible for the existence and expansion of humans on planet Earth, has a life span of up to two days, while the structurally similar luteinizing hormone (LH) is eliminated in only twenty minutes. He decided to unveil the secret behind this difference. Observing the presence of a carboxyl terminal peptide on hCG but absent on LH, Professor Boime suspected CTP could be inducing the prolonged duration of hCG. He added the peptide to different therapeutic proteins and waited for the results. To his pleasure, CTP caused dramatic increases in the therapeutics’ life spans, confirming his guess. The professor’s post-doctoral student, Fuad Fares, Ph.D., who worked with him on these findings, licensed the CTP technology from Washington University to a company he founded in Israel in 2001, Modigene Inc. The name was changed to Prolor Biotech in 2009. Complete Story » seekingalpha.com |