Roche Holdings AG received CE mark approval for its Elecsys Dengue Ag test, a fully automated, high-throughput immunoassay to help diagnose acute dengue virus infections. With cases of dengue on the rise worldwide, the test, which delivers results in 18 minutes, offers high sensitivity and specificity across all four dengue virus serotypes, and will help clinicians confidently distinguish dengue from other illnesses causing acute fever.
Ena Respiratory Pty Ltd. raised an AU$34 million (US$22.4 million) series B round to advance INNA-051, its nasal spray for symptomatic viral respiratory infections, to phase II trials. New investors in the Melbourne-headquartered company include the Gates Foundation and Flu Lab. Existing investors Brandon Capital, Uniseed and Stoic Venture Capital also participated in the round.
Microbiotix Co. Ltd. has obtained IND approval from the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) for MP-101, a bacteriophage therapy for patients with acute pneumonia. A phase I study in adult patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa-induced pneumonia is expected to enroll its first patient within the year.
Scientists at Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences have disclosed hypocrellin derivatives acting as photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, bacterial infections and fungal infections.
Hamlet Biopharma AB has announced the presentation of new preclinical-stage molecules that have originated from its long-term collaboration with Lund University and Linnane Pharma AB with the aim of treating bacterial infections by targeting the disease response of the host rather than the pathogen itself.
SVF Vaccines AB, a portfolio company of Karolinska Development AB, has presented positive results from a preclinical study of its immunotherapy SVF-001 targeting chronic hepatitis B (HBV) and D viruses (HDV).
The multidrug resistance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) makes it a global threat to public health, and the current first-line treatment for MRSA, the glycopeptide vancomycin, can have toxic effects on the kidney and ear.
Ena Respiratory Pty Ltd. raised an AU$34 million (US$22.4 million) series B round to advance INNA-051, its nasal spray for symptomatic viral respiratory infections, to phase II trials. New investors in the Melbourne-headquartered company include the Gates Foundation and Flu Lab. Existing investors Brandon Capital, Uniseed and Stoic Venture Capital also participated in the round.
Moderna Inc. stopped its efforts to develop mRNA-1647 as a vaccine for preventing congenital cytomegalovirus infection, the most common infectious cause of birth defects in the U.S. The pivotal and placebo-controlled phase III CMVictory study of mRNA-1647 missed the primary efficacy endpoint, which was preventing the infection in seronegative females ages 16 to 40.
Smartbax GmbH has announced the successful first closing of its €4.7 million (US$5.4 million) pre-series A financing round to support development of its next-generation antibiotics against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. A second closing of the round remains open to investors.