Author: Alexandra Barnes

CancerVacs is developing intralymphnode immunotherapeutics for certain metastatic cancer patients with no therapeutic options. This includes disseminated follicular lymphoma, glioblastoma multiforme, metastatic castrate-resistant prostate carcinoma, malignant melanoma, or other metastatic solid tumor. CancerVacs utilizes a patients’ lymphatic system, especially lymphnodes, as bioreactors that retrain cancer patients’ own immune cells to specifically recognize and kill tumor cells. By directly injecting therapeutic vaccine (DNA, mRNA or Peptide encoded) antigens (including Cancer Testis Antigen epitopes), antibodies, cells and cytokines into patients’ lymph nodes, the company is able to use safe, low doses of immunotherapeutics, preventing systemic toxicities and avoiding unwanted side effects and…

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Dr. Amit Vohra is the founder & CEO of Promaxo, a company tackling prostate disease management through the development of an office-based MRI. Brett Johnson interviewed Dr. Vohra to find out in part, what distinguishes Promaxo’s technology from the conventional MRI, its benefits and future applications, and the current state of prostate diagnosis today. Brett Johnson: Can you first tell us, what does Promaxo do?   Amit Vohra: Promaxo is focusing currently on changing the paradigm of prostate disease management. Our platform technology is a cost effective, office-based, high-resolution MRI, through which we can enable targeted biopsy and potentially focal treatment.   BJ: When…

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OncoTAb, Inc. announced that the company was named as a recipient of a $300,000 grant by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to begin pre-clinical development of a targeted therapy for triple negative breast cancer. The company will use the funds to also continue its development of its patented antibody for therapeutic use in humans. The National Cancer Institute is under the larger umbrella of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The grant is part of a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I contract OncoTAb co-founder and CEO Rahul Puri said of the award, “This…

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Offshore Fund Seeks Investment in Small Micro Cap Companies Using Equity Financing Structure Investment Criteria: $1+ share price…lower stock price considered depending on liquidity, business model, management team, etc. Investment Size: generally $1 million-$20 million; will invest higher tranches based on attractive investment fundamentals & growth prospects    Market Cap: $50 million-$300 million+ also interest in outstanding nano caps (below $50 million) generating revenues with proven multi-billion market potential  Preferred Sectors: Healthcare, life sciences, medical devices, & health technology, plus other industries meeting above investment criteria For more information, contact info@onemedmarket.com

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Promaxo, a medical device startup focusing on portable MRI and other technology, is developing and commercializing an office-based, portable MRI with cellular level spatial resolution. Also in development is a real time biopsy and other treatment tools for the urology market. The company’s current focus is on prostate cancer disease management. The problem that Promaxo seeks to address is the prostate cancer management pathway, which incorporates PSA and “blinded biopsies,” which is ineffective and fails patients. Post PSA screening is now the standard of care for prostate cancer diagnosis. It is a “blinded” 2D biopsy, wherein 12 random biopsy cores…

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Anavex Life Sciences Corp. announced the signing of a material transfer agreement with Biogen, wherein Biogen will test Anavex’s lead drug candidate, ANAVEX 2-73 in an oligodendrocyte precursor cell, OPC, differentiation assay. A satisfactory result from the OPC assay study may lead to an in vivo remyelination study using a chemical demyelination model. Christopher Missling, President and CEO of Anavex, is optimistic of the agreement, explaining, “These studies will examine the therapeutic role ANAVEX 2-73 may play in permitting remyelination in the brain.” The announcement caused shares of Anavex to spike 40%, to $ to $4.46. The science behind ANAVEX 2-73 makes it one of…

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Tactical Therapeutics, Inc., an emerging growth oncology drug development company, presented results of two Phase IB trials of its lead drug Carboxyamidotriazole Orotate (CTO, PRAVITNIB) at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago. Tactical is in the process of developing its patented drug, CTO, in patients with malignant glioma and glioblastoma (GBM). Treatment options are limited for GBM, which grows rapidly and spreads to the brain, making complete surgical resection difficult. GBM is highly resistant to DNA-modifying drugs and the standard combination of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherap results in an overall survival of 12-15 months. As such, there remains…

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As Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at the New York Stem Cell Foundation, Stephen Chang is one of the leading experts in gene therapy and neurodegenerative. Dr. Chang speaks with Brett Johnson on the state of the industry, explains what we can expect from the field in the future and offers his advice for investors and entrepreneurs who are active in the space. Brett Johnson: Can you give an update as to what’s happened since we spoke last at the New York Stem Cell Foundation? Any developments? Stephen Chang: It is exciting times. We are moving into a new…

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