PARIS – Quantum Surgical SAS said it has achieved a world first at the Montpellier University Hospitals by successfully using its medical robot to perform surgery on three patients with liver cancer. “This surgery, performed as part of a clinical trial on humans, will facilitate access to these minimally invasive procedures in hospitals,” Bertin Nahum, CEO and co-founder of Quantum Surgical told BioWorld.

Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: 4D, Adverum, Avrobio, Anavex, Bellus, Celixir, CSL, Deciphera, Gensight, Gilead, Idorsia, Immunomedics, Inventiva, Merck, Myovant, Obseva, Oryzon, Sunovion, Regeneron, Sanofi.

Just shy of four years ago, MEI Pharma Inc. and Helsinn Group hashed out a $464 million deal to develop and commercialize pracinostat. Now an interim futility analysis has persuaded them to halt their phase III study in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) while, pending further evaluation, patients enrolled in other pracinostat studies continue their treatment.

Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: 4D, Abivax, Apellis, Biocardia, Menarini, Moleculin, Pfizer, Vaccibody.

Researchers working as part of the Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers Alliance (QIBA) have recently validated an open-source algorithm that can be used to measure blood flow using existing 3D ultrasound technology from major manufacturers. They published their results in the June 30, 2020, issue of Radiology.

Strongly positive histological data from Akero Therapeutics Inc. is being seen as setting a potentially new high bar in treating nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), but 89bio Inc.’s NASH treatment, on a similar development timeline, is sharing in the success.

Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Akero, Anavex, Biondvax, Biontech, Context, Corcept, Daiichi, Durect, Eyenovia, Ipsen, Matinas, Oncolys, Pfizer, Polypid, Revance, Timber, Vasopharm.

BEIJING – China this week approved both the country’s first mRNA vaccine candidate and its first recombinant protein subunit vaccine to begin clinical trials to fight COVID-19. China National Biotec Group (CNBG)’s vaccine is also entering phase III trials in Beijing, Wuhan and Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

PERTH, Australia – Melbourne-based regenerative medicine company Cynata Therapeutics Ltd. is gearing up to take its Cymerus mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) product candidate, CYP-004, into a phase III trial in osteoarthritis.