Review excerpts from news articles and press releases about
Trendlines and about our clients.
July 2008
Perrigo expands Michigan HQ
Perrigo CEO Joseph C. Papa: We see many new opportunities to further reduce consumer healthcare costs.
Sharon Baider, Globes[online] (16 July 2008) Perrigo Company (Nasdaq: PRGO; TASE:PRGO) will invest
$10.5 million to expand its facilities at its world headquarters in Allegan, Michigan. The expansion will add 400 jobs during the next five years, provide operations and training space and set the stage for the company's future growth.
•
Keep the plaque on the wall
PlaqMed wants to be the first to develop a treatment for a deadly cardiac condition.
Gali Weinreb, Globes[online] (9 July 2008)
[PlaqMed] Company founder and CEO David Baruch
explains that PlaqMed's product is similar
to a stent, but at the same time different,
so it is suitable for use in treating 70% of the
blockages caused by vulnerable plaque. Like the stent,
this is also a product in the form of a net which expands
across the area of the artery where the risk-prone tissue
is, but it soft and elastic and not a spring with a robust
mechanism. The purpose of the net is to hold the risk-prone
tissue in place and prevent it from blocking the artery,
even if it is eruptive, and also to stop risk-prone lumps
of plaque from breaking loose, becoming embolisms and then
blocking narrower blood vessels. •
OTI wins $2m contract in Africa
The company will upgrade a voter registry in an African
country.
Shira Horesh, Globes[online] (3 July 2008)
Smart card solutions company OTI
- On Track Innovations (Nasdaq: OTIV; XETRA: OT5) has
signed a contract with the electoral commission of an African
country to implement the upgrade of the country's permanent
voter registry, including new biometric-based voter cards.
The value of the initial contract is over $2 million, with
more than $1 million expected to be realized in 2008. The
project's objectives are to verify the voter identity, detect
and avoid double registration attempts, and issue a new
voter ID card bearing advanced security features, which
will be used in the next elections.
•
June 2008
Medical device co KarmelSonix in multiple distribution deals
The company will market its asthma diagnostic device in Australia, Benelux, China and Taiwan.
Gali Weinreb, Globes[online] (29 June 2008) KarmelSonix Ltd. (ASX: KSX) has signed its
several distribution agreements for the company's PulmoTrack asthma
diagnostic device and “wheeze rate paradigm”. One agreement is with
Accuramed covering the Benelux countries and a second agreement is
with the Progressive Group Inc. covering China and Taiwan.
Both distributors will purchase the product for resale to end users.
•
Helping paraplegics stand up for themselves
Start-up Walk-Care has developed a wheelchair that can give paraplegics the exercise they need.
Gali Weinreb, Globes[online] (25 June 2008)
The story of medical device start-up Walk-Care Ltd.
began with the visit to Israel by the late Christopher Reeve.
He was already towards the end of his life and paralyzed from
the neck down when he came here. Adi Wolfenfeld was an avionics
graduate with no connection at all at the time to the medical field.
He followed the visit and heard that Reeve had donated a device to the Sheba
Medical Center at Tel Hashomer which was supposed to enable paraplegics to
practice walking with their paralyzed legs to stay healthy. "The device was
very expensive and enormous; they had to drive a hole through the ceiling
to bring it in," he recalls. "I looked at it, and I said, there must be way of making something better."
•
The smallest needle in the universe to zap spider veins
by Karin Kloosterman, Israel21c (10 June 2008) Microvascular
Eye Technology, based in Ramat Gan, was originally founded in 2005 to treat eye problems. The company created a thin needle, "the tiniest needle in the universe," says the company chairman David Solomon, to directly deliver therapeutic agents to retinal blood vessels.
Called the MicroCan, the needle is now being put to use in new applications. The company, which is one of five subsidiaries of Micromedic Technologies, a publicly traded company on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, has its sights set on treating spider and varicose veins via the new "SpiderCan," and a process known in the industry as sclerotherapy.
•
Kamada reports interim emphysema treatment
results
The support further clinical development of the drug.
Yossi Nissan, Globes[online] (3 June 08) Kamada
Ltd. (TASE: KMDA) today reported that interim
results of the Phase II clinical trial of the aerosolized
version of its Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT) protein for
the treatment of emphysema support further clinical
development of the drug. The distribution of the active
ingredient was in accordance with the target areas in
the patients' lungs in the lung deposition test. •
May 2008
RFID co BOS wins Latin America aviation deal
BOS unit Summit Aviation Supplys has already begun to receive orders.
Shiri Habib-Valdhorn, Globes[online] (28 May 08)
Mobile and RFID solutions developer
BOS Better Online
Solutions Ltd. (Nasdaq: BOSC; TASE: BOSC) today announced
that it has finalized a $25 million contract for
the sale of components to a strategic Latin American
customer in the aircraft industry and expects to sign it
shortly. The contract is through subsidiary
Summit Aviation Supply Company. The contract
is for an initial five years, until 2012, and may be
extended for additional five-year terms.
•
Israel's
Birmont aims to make childbirth safer Karin
Kloosterman, Israel 21c (22 May 2008)
Despite advances
in modern medicine, and sometimes even because of them,
preventable disabilities such as cerebral palsy, a medical
condition brought on by brain injury before, during, or
shortly after birth, are still afflicting American newborns.
Costing nearly $1 million to manage over a person's lifetime,
about two in every 1,000 American babies are born with
the problem which results in loss of motor control and
abnormal body movement -- with the diagnosis sometimes
only coming much later, when it's too late to prove malpractice.
Now,
there may be a way to help prevent doctors and nurses from
making mistakes, giving relief to both medical practitioners
and new mothers. Israel's Birmont Medical has created a
device for the continuous real-time monitoring of labor
progression. About the width of an adult's
fingernail and inserted like a tampon, Birmont's device
comes fitted with two unique cameras to record and monitor
the mother and baby's vital signs during the course of labor,
up to the time when the baby's head crowns.
•
Hy Biopharma cancer treatment heads to Phase III trial
The company developed a cancer drug based on a substance found in St. John's Wort.
Gali Weinreb, Globes[online] (27 May 08)
US-Israeli start-up Hy
Biopharma Inc., which has been almost anonymous in
the local market until now, announced that it plans to
shortly begin Phase III clinical trials of its cancer drug.
The company's product, HBP-347, is based on patents held
by the Weizmann Institute of Science and New York University
(NYU) and based on hypericin. Hy Biopharma science advisory
board director Dr. Gad Lavie, who invented the company's
technology, said that the company had kept a low profile
because the product was brought through to the Phase II
clinical trial by a US company, Vimerex, which no longer
exists. • Hy Biopharma is a MarketReach America
Life Sciences & Medical
Devices 2007 company.
Smart card co OTI widens Warsaw contract
The contract is the latest stage in an order OTI won to provide its contact-free e-tickets.
Globes correspondent (5 May 08)
Smart card technology company OTI - On Track
Innovations (Nasdaq: OTIV; XETRA: OT5)
has won a follow-on contract to supply the Transport Department of the City of Warsaw
with public transportation and street parking contact-free e-tickets. The contract,
which will be executed by the company's Polish subsidiary, ASEC S.A, will be completed this year.
ASEC also has provided additional services and products for the project including
terminals with integrated contact-free readers that enable card loading and perform sale transactions,
as well as automated ticket vending machines and software for data gathering and sales monitoring.•
April 2008
Four wheels and an electronic brain: Meet IDF's newest soldier Ha'aretz/The Associated Press (28 April 2008)
Israel's newest soldier can see at night, never nods off
on sentry duty and can carry 300 kilograms (660 pounds)
without complaining.
The Guardium, an unmanned ground vehicle commissioned by
the Israel Defense Forces is essentially a robotic soldier,
among the first in the world to be operational. It can
replace human soldiers in dangerous roles, cutting casualty
rates.
Like the pilot-less drones that have become a mainstay of
air forces in Israel, the U.S. and elsewhere, the four-wheeled
Guardium is operated from a command room that can be far
from the front line. It can be mounted with cameras, night-vision
equipment and sensors, as well as more lethal tools like
machine guns.
Following pre-programmed routes, it can navigate alone through
cities - the vehicle knows how to deal with intersections,
traffic and road markings. It can patrol borders, its cameras
scanning 360 degrees at all times, and alert operators if
it spots anything suspicious. • Guardium participated in the MarketReach
America ICET 2004 program.
Green dad with Bagir's suit of recycled
bottles
Karin Kloosterman, Israel 21c (28 April 2008)
An Israeli company Bagir has devised a new way to
help fathers everywhere go green, without Dad ever
having to realize it. Bagir and Sears have joined
forces and starting this Father's Day are selling
the world's first suit made from recycled plastic
bottles.
The "EcoGIR" suit to be sold under the
Covington private-label, will be available come June
in Sears stores across the United States. Made from
wool and recycled PET plastic bottles collected in
Japan, Bagir's suits will also be the first in the
world to carry a carbon footprint label.
•
Perrigo wins FDA approval for generic nicotine gum
The market for nicotine gum and lozenge products is estimated at approximately $750 million.
Globes correspondent (27 April 2008)
Over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceuticals company Perrigo
Co.
(Agis Industries) (Nasdaq:PRGO; TASE:PRGO) has received
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to begin
marketing a generic version of Nicotine Polacrilex Gum
for smoking cessation. The company said the overall market
for OTC nicotine gum and lozenge products is estimated
at $750 million. Perrigo's product is a generic version
of the GlaxoSmithKline plc (NYSE: GSK; LSE: GSK.L) branded
product, Nicorette. Perrigo's share was up almost 4% in
morning trading on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE). •
In other news from Perrigo ... Perrigo seeks first FDA nod for generic Monistat
The branded version of the product had $50 million sales over the past twelve months.
Michal Yoshai, Globes[online] (22 April 2008)
Other-the-counter pharmaceuticals company Perrigo Co.
(Agis Industries) (Nasdaq:PRGO; TASE:PRGO) has filed an
Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) with the US Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) for a generic version of
vaginal yeast infection treatment Monistat 1. Perrigo's
application was filed for a generic version of the Monistat
1 combination pack -- an antifungal cream and suppository.
Perrigo is apparently the first company to challenge the
patent held by McNeil PPC Inc. Perrigo said the cream had
sales of approximately $50 million for the 12 months ended
March 2008. •
Perrigo wins FDA approval for allergy medication
The drug had $80 million sales in 2007.
Shiri Habib-Valdhorn, Globes[online] (15 April 2008)
Over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceuticals company Perrigo
Co. (Agis Industries) (Nasdaq:PRGO; TASE:PRGO) has won
final US Food and Drug Administration approval to manufacture
and market an over the counter version of a treatment for
hives and allergies in children. ... The generic drug is
comparable to Zyrtec ... . Perrigo was not, however, granted
exclusivity for its generic version of Zyrtec. •
Text-into-speech among new incubator ventures
Incubators fund four new ventures.
Yaniv Magal, Globes[online] (17 April 2008)
The Office of the Chief Scientist Incubator committee,
headed by Chief Scientist Dr. Eli Opper, has approved
NIS 8.5 million in funding for four new incubator projects.
The projects approved ... a text-to-speech conversion program currently being
developed under the auspices of the
Mofet B'Yehuda Innovation Accelerator incubator. The Mofet B'Yehuda Innovation Accelerator is a member
of The Trendlines Group. •
European life sciences co invests in Kamada
BioVille was one of the investors in a private placement which raised $4 million.
Gali Weinreb, Globes[online] (17 April 2008)
European life sciences company Bioville Corporation Ltd.
will invest $1 million in
Kamada
Ltd.
(TASE: KMDA), in a $4 million private placement first announced
in March. Bioville will join Shavit Capital Fund, which
is owned by GlenRock Israel; and Globis Capital Partners
LP., a Wall Street private equity fund managed by Paul Packer
and Leibler Investments Ltd, managed by Jonathan Leibler.
The private placement was held before the results of Kamada's
Phase III trials of its AAT (Alpha-1 Antitrypsin) product,
but Bioville will be able to invest under the same terms. •
In other news from Kamada ... Kamada protein may be effective against type 1 diabetes A BBC report cited the results of a Harvard study.
Shira Horesh, Globes[online] (7 April 2008)
A recent BBC report claims that diabetic mice treated with
a dug cocktail that includes alpha 1 anti-trypsin (AAT)
started producing their own insulin. AAT is the flagship
drug under development by Kamada
Ltd. (TASE: KMDA). The company is developing two forms
of the drug: one for intravenous delivery for the treatment
of congenital emphysema (caused by the lack of AAT); and
an aerosolized version, for the treatment of bronchiectasis,
a disease that causes localized, irreversible dilatation
of part of the bronchial tree.
Kamada wins patent The biopharmaceutical firm moves ahead with pulmonary
disease research.
Globes (6 April 2008)
Biopharmaceutical company Kamada Ltd. (TASE: KMDA) has been
granted a patent by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA)
for its flagship product, Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT), for
the treatment of cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis.
Kamada shares jump on clinical trial results The biotech firm received a $4 million VC investment
in early March.
Yael Gruntman, Globes[online] (2 April 2008)
Kamada Ltd. (TASE: KMDA) shares rose 13.6% by early afternoon
today after announcing successful interim results from the
Phase III clinical trial in the US for Alpha-1 Antitrypsin
(AAT) treatment of congenital emphysema. The company's warrants
rose 69%. In February, Kamada and PARI Pharma GmbH of Germany
signed two new agreements to expand and deepen their collaboration
on an aerosolized version of AAT, using an eFlow electronic
nebulizer made by PARI for the treatment of cystic fibrosis
and bronchiectasis.•
Tower to begin production of 3D sensor chips
California-based Canesta looks to use the chips in automotive and entertainment applications.
Globes[online] (15 April 2008)
Independent chip foundry Tower
Semiconductor Ltd. (Nasdaq: TSEM; TASE: TSEM)
and California-based Canesta Inc.,
developer of electronic perception technology, announced
today that Canesta’s revolutionary 3D image sensors are
ramping to broad production at Tower. CanestaVision sensors,
now in final qualification stages for the automotive industry,
are being manufactured at Tower’s advanced Fab2 facility,
using its state-of-the-art, CMOS Image Sensor (CIS) 0.18-micron
technology process. •
Rabintex wins IDF helmet deal
The four-year contract is worth NIS 60 million and could double.
Globes[online] (13 April 08)
Ballistic and personal armor manufacturer Rabintex
Industries Ltd.
(TASE: RABN) has won a tender to supply helmets to the IDF.
The four-year contract is worth NIS 60 million, with an
option to expand the order up to NIS 120 million. Rabintex
rose 0.4% in morning trading to Nis 20.27, giving a market
cap of NIS 238 million. •
Yissum 2007 revenue rises 27%
The company
ended the year with a profit but will not disclose how
much.
Gali Weinreb, Globes[online] (6 April 08) Yissum
Technology Transfer Company of the Hebrew University
of Jerusalem ended 2007 with $51 million revenue, 27% more than in
2006. Yissum is not a publicly-traded company, but in
recent years it has publicly disclosed its revenue and
other aspects of its activity. According to Yissum president & CEO
Nava Swersky-Sofer, $36.5 million of the company's
revenue resulted from commercialization agreements with
various companies, from start-ups to international companies.
$10 million was generated by university R&D services
to companies, and $4 million was generated by the sale
of Yissum's holdings in subsidiaries. •
March 2008
Tower begins production for N-trig touch-screen
technology
Israeli start-up N-trig is set to become one
of Tower's eight largest accounts.
Globes (27 March 2008) Tower
Semiconductor Ltd. (Nasdaq: TSEM;
TASE: TSEM), an independent specialty wafer foundry,
and Israeli touch-screen technology developer N-trig,
today announced the ramp-up of production of N-trig’s
newest digitizer chipset called A-trig and D-trig -
to be integrated in OEMs' computer systems. N-trig's
DuoSense digitizers are implemented using Tower’s Fab2
0.18-micron advanced process. Tower is the leading provider
of the A-trig and D-trig products’ silicon wafers. Sources
inform "Globes" that Tower's sales to N-trig run at
$10 million per year, and that N-trig is set to become
one of Tower's eight largest accounts. •
OTI products
get Alliance Data nod
NYSE-traded Alliance Data’s brands include AIR
MILES and Epsilon.
Globes (24 March 2008)
Contactless smart card solution developer OTI
- On Track Innovations Ltd. (Nasdaq: OTIV; DAX: OT5) today announced
that its Saturn 5000 and Saturn 6000 contactless readers
have received certification from Alliance Data (NYSE:
ADS). The readers can support global contactless EMV
applications published by MasterCard and Visa, Mifare
technology, and non-EMV contactless payment programs
from other major financial institutions, including ExpressPay
from American Express and Discover. •
Growth company
Gali Weinreb, Globes[online] (12 March 2008)
Medical device start-up Orthogon was looking for way to unite bone
fractures without rods or rings,
but discovered that the same method could also be used to lengthen limbs. Medical
device start-up Orthogon Technologies
Ltd. has developed
a method for lengthening limbs. It is neither cheap, nor
simple, nor painless, and at present it is designed primarily
for those people who really need it - chiefly those who
are exceptionally short. But like most aesthetic treatments
invented for the more unfortunate, this treatment also has
a chance of being adapted for those interested in an "improvement." •
Perrigo shares jump on FDA approval
The dermatosis drug maker Connetics Corp. has filed an injunction against the company.
Globes (12 March 2008) Perrigo Company (Nasdaq:PRGO; TASE:PRGO) has
obtained US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the
company's Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Clobetasol
Propionate Foam, 0.05% for the treatment of moderate to severe
dermatosis of the scalp. The company will have a 180-day
sales exclusivity period. Perrigo will market a generic version of
Connetics Corporation's Olux Foam.
In other news from Perrigo ... Teva and Perrigo to market allergy drug
Teva
obtained FDA approval for the over-the-counter drug.
Globes (9 March 2008)
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries
Ltd. (Nasdaq: TEVA; TASE: TEVA) and Perrigo Company
(Nasdaq:PRGO; TASE:PRGO) have jointly obtained
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to
sell an over-the-counter version of the allergy treatment
Zyrtec-D. Teva will manufacture the drug and Perrigo
will market it. Perrigo will market its generic
version under store brand labels, and plans to begin
shipments in the next 90 days.
Perrigo begins deliveries of generic Prilosec
Perrigo chairman and CEO Joseph Papa: This is the
largest launch in our 120 year history.
Yael Gruntman, Globes[online] (5 March 2008) Perrigo
Company (Nasdaq:PRGO; TASE:PRGO) has begun shipping
20 mg Omeprazole delayed released tablets, a generic
version of over-the-counter Prilosec, a treatment for
heartburn. Perrigo is the exclusive marketer and distributor
for the store brand over-the-counter market in the US
for Omeprazol, made by Or Akiva-based Dexcel Pharma
Technologies Ltd. Prilosec has annual sales of $750
million. •
February 2008
Kamada and PARI extend treatment trials to cystic fibrosis
The firm also ensures a long-term supply of the German company's eFlow inhaler.
Shira Horesh, Globes[online] (24 February 2008) Kamada
Ltd. (TASE: KMDA) and PARI Pharma GmbH of Germany
have signed two new agreements to expand and deepen their
collaboration on an aerosolized version of Kamada's flagship
product, Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT), using an eFlow electronic
nebulizer made by PARI for the treatment of cystic fibrosis
and bronchiectasis. The second agreement is designed to
ensure long-term supply of e-Flow devices for aerosolized
AAT, subject to the drug obtaining regulatory approval.
•
OTI to install electronic passport
system The
company's technology will upgrade existing passports
to ePassports.
Globes (20 February 2008)
Smart card technology company OTI-On Track Innovations (Nasdaq: OTIV; XETRA: OT5)
has won a contract worth several million dollars over the next few years to
install its end-to-end ePassport and border control system at an unnamed European country.
Rosh Pina-based OTI will provide eStickers, which enable the upgrade of existing
passports to ePassports, and an advanced infrastructure for ePassport issuing and border
control passenger inspection and verification. The system, which is based on the company's Magna
signature verification platform, meets the latest standards for electronic passports set by the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the EU.
•
Trapped in an inferno? Take the elevator to the sky Olive
Engineering
founder Nehemia Cohen combined a helicopter with an
elevator to create a new type of rescue vehicle.
Gali Weinreb, Globes[online] (20 February 2008)
The September 2001 terror attack on the Twin Towers
in New York produced a slew of inventions for emergency
rescue and recovery services. The thought that people could
be trapped in a skyscraper on the verge of collapse, without
any means of rescuing them, seemed absurd -- they would
almost certainly be rescued either by helicopter, an aerial
ladder from an aircraft flying overhead, a safety crane
elevated from the ground or a bridge extended from an adjacent
building. Sadly, nothing like this happened. •
Perrigo gets FDA approval for heartburn treatment
The pharmaceutical firm expects marketing exclusivity.
Globes (13 February 08) Perrigo Company (Nasdaq:PRGO; TASE:PRGO) has obtained US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for over-the-counter Famotidine tablets, a generic version of Johnson & Johnson - Merck Consumer Pharmaceutical's Pepcid Complete, an antacid for the treatment of heartburn.
In other news from Perrigo ... Perrigo increases fiscal year guidance
The firm attributes higher sales as a result of "ongoing quality issues" at a competitor.
Globes (5 February 08)
Perrigo Company (Nasdaq: PRGO; TASE:PRGO) today announced
results for its fiscal second quarter of 2008, which ended
December 31, 2007. Revenue for the second quarter of fiscal
2008 reached a record $435.5 million, an increase of $64.9
million, or 17%, compared with $370.6 million in the corresponding
quarter of the previous fiscal year. Net profit was $34.3
million, or $0.36 per share, compared with $21.1 million,
or $0.23 per share in the corresponding quarter of the previous
year, which included expense for a product recall of $3.2
million after-tax, or $0.03 per share, and a restructuring
charge of $417,000 after-tax, or less than $0.01 per share. •
January 2008
RFID co BOS buys Dimex Dimex
Systems makes automatic identification and data collection
solutions.
Globes' correspondent (30 January 08)
RFID solutions developer
BOS
Better Online Solutions Ltd. (Nasdaq: BOSC; TASE:BOSC)
has acquired automatic identification and data collection
solutions developer Dimex Systems Ltd. for NIS 17.6 million,
plus NIS 27 million for the company's inventory. BOS is
financing the takeover in cash and 500,000 BOS shares,
amounting to 4.4% of its share capital, as well as with
a bank loan. BOS will take on Dimex's senior management
and most of its workforce of 55.
•
Sol-Gel Signs $24.7 Million Deal for Dermatology Drug Delivery Sol-Gel Technologies has
entered into a development and licensing agreement with a leading U.S. pharmaceutical
company for the development and commercialization of a major dermatologic
product. Under the terms of the agreement, Sol-Gel Technologies will receive
$24.7m, comprised of an initial non-refundable payment as well as additional
payments upon the successful completion of various milestones. The U.S.
partner will fund the product’s
development.
In other news from Sol-Gel ... Sol-Gel sells sunscreen activity to Merck
The activity was sold for more than $10 million, plus royalties on product sales.
Gali Weinreb, Globes (24 January 2008)
Sol-Gel Technologies Ltd. has sold its sunscreen activity to Merck Serono International
SA, in order to focus on its pharmaceutical business. •
Dmatek revenue up 60%
The electronic monitoring technologies company had revenue of over $44 million in 2007,
thanks to the acquisition of Pro Tech Monitoring Inc.
Globes (15 January 2008)
Electronic monitoring technologies company Dmatek (LSE:
DTK.L) Ltd. (LSE: DTK.L) has
announced total revenue for 2007 of more than $44 million, compared with $26.8
million last
year and $20 million for the first half of 2007.
The company said that revenue growth was driven by the acquisition of Pro Tech
Monitoring,
Inc., now an integral part of Dmatek’s US law enforcement business, as well as
organic
expansion of existing accounts in Europe and elsewhere. It said significant growth
was also
recorded in HomeFree sales into the eldercare market. •
Kamada completes Phase I
trial for lung disease treatment
The company has obtained orphan drug status
for aerosolized ATT for congenital
emphysema and cystic fibrosis.
Gali Weinreb, Globes[online] (15 January 2008)
Biopharmaceutical development company Kamada
Ltd.(TASE: KMDA) has successfully
concluded Phase I clinical studies to test the safety and tolerability of the
aerosolized
version of its flagship product, Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT), using an optimized
eFlow
electronic nebulizer made by PARI Pharma GmbH, to treat various lung diseases.
The
European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has already approved the company’s clinical
plans for
Phases II and Phase III trials for AAT. •
Ultrasound device start-up Helix raises $2m
The company can request a further $1 million from Canadian fund SMI if it obtains
FDA approval.
Gali Weinreb, Globes[online] (13 January 2008)
Helix Medical Systems Ltd. a Meytav
Technological Enterprises Innovation Center Ltd. incubator company, has
raised $2 million from Canadian life sciences investment fund SMI. SMI has
an option to invest a further $2 million, and Helix can request a further $1
million from the fund if it obtains US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval
for its device within the next eighteen months or reaches an agreement with
a strategic partner. SMI also has an option to invest a further $1 million
in Helix at a value of $15 million, whenever it chooses. •
Perrigo buys UK over-the-counter drug supplier
Perrigo paid $86 million cash for Barnsley-based Galpharm Healthcare Ltd.
Globes
(10 January 2008) Perrigo Co. (Agis
Industries) (Nasdaq:PRGO; TASE:PRGO) has announced the acquisition of UK
company Galpharm Healthcare Ltd. for $86 million in cash. Galpharm is based
in Barnsley, Yorkshire. The company supplies over-the-counter (OTC) store
brand pharmaceutical products sold by supermarkets, shops, and pharmacies
in the UK. Perrigo said the acquisition was expected to add more than $55
million in sales annually and to be accretive to earnings in the first
year. •
Yissum & Eucalyptus Develop a Small Molecule for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases (8 January 2008)
Yissum has
licensed an orally–available small molecule for
several biological
indications including the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases to Dublin,
Ireland’s Eucalyptus, Ltd. The molecule is an
antioxidant that overcomes the blood-brain barrier. This invention is
a breakthrough in the treatment of oxidative stress, which plays a major
role in CNS disorders. Under the terms of the agreement, Eucalyptus has
acquired worldwide exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the
molecule. • Yissum is the technology transfer organization of Hebrew University of Jerusalem. EER to set up plasma recycling plant in Romania
The method can also handle medical and radioactive waste.
Dalia Tal, Globes[online] (6 January 2008) Environmental Energy
Resources Ltd. will set up Romania's first plasma
waste treatment facility under a 25-year BOT (build, operate, transfer)
project.
The system was developed by Israeli and Russian scientists at the Technion
Israel Institute of Technology. Unsorted municipal and solid waste
is placed in a reactor. Metal particles are separated by magnets and
the remaining waste is sent containers where it is broken down by high
heat. •
