CEO Mark McKenna told BioWorld Asia that San Diego-based Prometheus Biosciences Inc. has "cracked the code" in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) – progress underscored by the firm's deal with Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., of Osaka, Japan, which brings an undisclosed up-front payment and as much as $420 million more if development, regulatory and commercial milestones are reached in three programs.

WASHINGTON – Hot on the heels of July's FDA approval of Recarbrio (imipenem, cilastatin and relebactam) in complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs), Merck & Co. Inc. rolled out pivotal phase III data at the Infectious Disease Society of America's IDWeek 2019 that could support expanding its label to another high-need group, people with hospital-acquired or ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (HABP/VABP).

The FDA has granted 510(k) clearance to the first hernia mesh featuring a nanometer-level surface texture, enabling better post-implant tissue ingrowth and reducing the incidence of adverse reactions. The Exogenesis Hernia Mesh, by Billerica, Mass.-based Exogenesis Corp., is indicated for the repair of abdominal wall hernias and deficiencies that require reinforcement to stabilize the condition and achieve a positive surgical outcome. The company expects to launch the product nationwide in 2020.

HONG KONG – South Korean biomarker-based molecular diagnostic firm Genomictree Inc. has built a U.S. unit in Pasadena, Calif., with an investment of KRW12 billion (US$10 million). The Daejeon, South Korean-based company first disclosed its plan to build the U.S. branch in March.

Lisle, Ill.-based Endotronix Inc. scooped up $70 million in an expanded series D funding round led by Life Science Partners. The funds will support the company's PROACTIVE-HF IDE clinical trial of the Cordella Pulmonary Artery Sensor System and further commercialization of the Cordella Heart Failure (HF) System.

Sterigenics US LLC, of Oak Brook, Ill., has announced it will not reopen its ethylene oxide (EtO) sterilization plant in Willowbrook, Ill., a development that could strain the capacity for sterilization of devices such as duodenoscopes. Illinois is not the only state that is taking action on EtO, however, a predicament that suggests the U.S. federal government may have to insert itself into the discussion in order to avoid a shortage of critical, life-saving devices.

Functional Neuromodulation Ltd. is looking to help those suffering from mild Alzheimer's disease. To that end, it recently disclosed that it has kicked off the global ADvance II Study (NCT03622905), a pivotal clinical trial to assess deep brain stimulation (DBS) in these patients.

The U.S. FDA's emphasis on device safety is well known. Now, the agency has published a draft guidance that aims to provide expedited reviews for device and diagnostic applications that are "reasonably expected to significantly improve" safety, which, in conjunction with the breakthrough devices program, suggests that many other applications will be in the queue for increasingly longer periods of time.

Melbourne, Australia-based regenerative medicine company Avita Medical Ltd. has received good news from the FDA. The company, which also has a presence in Valencia, Calif., said the agency gave its thumbs up to an investigational device exemption application for a pivotal trial (NCT04091672) evaluating the safety and effectiveness of the Recell autologous cell harvesting device in combination with meshed autografting for the treatment of acute full-thickness skin defects, such as degloving, crush wounds, abrasions, lacerations and surgical wounds.