Q Therapeutics’ and Invitrogen’s Symbiotic Relationship

Q Therapeutics, a cell therapy company focusing on neural applications, recently announced a $15M series B financing that included funding from multiple venture capital (VC) groups as well as biotech tools provider Invitrogen. Q’s lead product, Q-Cells™, is an allogeneic product intended to restore function to damaged neurons by providing trophic (e.g. cytokines, growth [...]

Cytori Announces Progress in Cardiac Regeneration Clinical Studies

Cytori Therapeutics announced that they have enrolled their first two patients in an acute myocardial infarction clinical trial using adipose-derived cells prepared using their Celution™ device. The Celution™ device is an automated, tissue processing unit that isolates cells from adipose tissue derived via liposuction.

Tengion Pioneers Autologous Tissue Engineered Regenerative Medicine Products

You have to hand it to Tengion, they are trying to tackle one of the largest challenges I can think of: producing tissue engineered organs and tissues from a patients own cells in unrelated indications (bladder, blood vessel, and kidney). While moving through clinical trials Tengion will surely be transforming patients lives with these [...]

Pervasis Advances Tissue Engineered Products for Vascular Health

Pervasis Therapeutics announced that they have raised $9.75M to further develop their allogenic tissue engineered endothelial cell (EC) product for vascular health indications. Their Vascugel product is comprised of ECs grown in 3D collagen sponges that are implanted externally on blood vessels to prevent them from occluding. Pervasis has proven safety in a Phase I [...]

Biomimetics Therapeutics Expands into New Markets with Innovative GEM OS Combination Device

by Susan Hsiong, PhD

Biomimetics Therapeutics, Inc. (Franklin, TN), a company which develops drug-device combination products for orthopedic applications, recently announced positive results from its Canadian clinical study evaluating its GEM OS®1 Bone Graft for the open surgical treatment of foot and ankle fusions. The GEM OS®1 is a combination product comprised of a [...]

Chinese CRO WuXi Pharmatech Acquires Apptec Laboratory Services

WuXi (pronounced Woo-See) Pharmatech, a contract research organization (CRO) based in China, announced the acquisition of MN-based Apptec Laboratory Services. WuXi acquired Apptec to gain an immediate US footprint, better access to the US market, and important biologics expertise to expand outside the world of small molecules. This biologics expertise includes Apptec’s cell [...]