A Medical Device Daily

Nanobiotix (Paris), an emerging nanomedicine company focused on cancer therapy, said the European Patent Office has issued patent No. 1744789 to the company, related to its "novel activable particles that can be used in the health sector."

The patent protects "composite particles that can generate free radicals or heat when excited by X-rays, and to the uses thereof in health, particularly human. The inventive particles comprise an inorganic-based, and optionally organic-based, nucleus and can be activated in vivo, in order to label or alter cells, tissues or organs. [The patent protection] also relates to methods for the production of said particles, and to pharmaceutical or diagnostic compositions containing same."

"We are ... pleased that our platform technology, nanoXray, is now patent-protected throughout the European Union. We are hopeful that we will soon receive similar patent protection in the U.S. as well," said Laurent Levy, president/CEO of Nanobiotix and co-president of the French Technology Platform on Nanomedicine.

He added, "NanoXray is designed to allow the precise destruction of cancer cells via the controlled application of an outside-the-body energy source a standard X-ray. Of course, protecting this intellectual property is key to long-term commercial success."

"The nanoXray platform allows for the controlled generation of physical reactions in targeted cells when triggered by the application of an external energy source — a standard X-ray. This may have significant ramifications for cancer therapy in the not-too-distant future," added Paras Prasad, PhD, a global authority on nanotechnology who is a co-founder of Nanobiotix and executive director of the Institute for Lasers, Photonics and Biophotonics at State University of New York at Buffalo.

Nanobiotix is an emerging nanomedicine company combining dramatic advances in nanotechnology and molecular biology to develop nanoXray, a technology platform that is expected to be turned "on" and "off" outside the body to selectively treat a variety of cancers noninvasively.

The company said use of nanoXray is intended to resolve radiation therapy's biggest drawback: the destruction of healthy tissue and its subsequent deleterious side effects when a high dose of X-ray is necessary.

It said the core of a nanoXray nanoparticle is an inactive and inert substance — not a drug — that can be activated to locally (intratumor) increase the dose of X-ray, which is then expected to lead to higher efficiency.

After nanoXray nanoparticles accumulate in the target tissues, a standard X-ray is applied that is intended to generate a local therapeutic effect, designed to destroy only the targeted tumor cells.

Distribution accord for Pioneer Surgical

Pioneer Surgical Technology's (Marquette, Michigan) European subsidiary has reported a distribution agreement with Swedish Medical Imaging Devices (Swemacimaging; Täby, Sweden).

Under terms of the agreement, Pioneer Surgical Technology (Driebergen, the Netherlands) will distribute Swemacimaging's Biplanar 500e, in Germany, the UK, Italy, Benelux, Switzerland, and Turkey. Formerly a division within the Saab-Scania group, Swemacimaging is now part of the Scanflex Healthcare Group, a developer of medical radiology products.

Pioneer described the Biplanar 500e as "the only mobile biplane digital fluoroscopy system."

"This implication of this partnership is very exciting," said Lex Giltaij, MD, VP Europe & business development. "We can now meet the growing need of our customers for biplanar imaging in the spinal and orthopedic market. The Biplanar 500e allows our customers to work faster, more accurate, safer, and with less radiation exposure."

Lars Johnson, chairman/CEO of Swemacimaging, said, "The Biplanar 500e meets today's highest clinical demands in the surgical environment, is easy to use, yet allows full access to the operating area, with total control at each step of the procedure." He added, "The cooperation with Pioneer Surgical will ...position our company's product in select markets, delivering a highly advanced solution for intra-operative bi-planar imaging."

The Biplanar 500e is a fully mobile system, which Pioneer said is "ideal for a variety of applications where positioning accuracy and ease of use is essential."

Swemacimaging has more than 30 years of experience within the X-ray/orthopedic field and is developing and marketing mobile X-ray TV-systems. The company originally was a division within the Saab-Scania group, and now is part of the Scanflex Healthcare Group, a leading company in the medical radiology field.

Pioneer Surgical Technology's European subsidiary was established in the Netherlands in August 2006 following the introduction of the NuBac disc arthroplasty system in Europe. Pioneer BV carries a full range of Pioneer's spine products and works with distributors in several countries in Europe, including Italy, the UK, Switzerland and the Benelux countries. Pioneer is establishing its own sales team in Germany.

Essilor acquires Satisloh Holding

Following fulfillment of all the requisite conditions, Essilor International (Charenton-Le-Pont, France) said it has completed the acquisition of all outstanding shares of Satisloh Holding (Barr, Switzerland), which it called "the world leader in prescription optical equipment," in a deal valued at €338.5 million.

Satisloh, which was owned by Schweiter Technologies, designs and markets antireflective coating units and surfacing machines, as well as consumables, for prescription eyewear laboratories. It reported €161 million in revenue in 2007 and has more than 400 employees.

Essilor International is the world leader in ophthalmic optical products, offering a wide range of lenses under the flagship Varilux, Crizal, Essilor and Definity brands to correct myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia and astigmatism.

Essilor operates worldwide through 15 production sites, 270 lens finishing laboratories and local distribution networks.