FarmaKology Newsletter - Issue #38

Mar 19, 2020

Today's Startup

BellaSeno

BellaSeno is a Medical Device Startup aiming to develop, manufacture and market a new generation of breast implants. Disrupting the currently prevailing paradigm of silicone implants which permanently introduce a foreign body into the patient, our highly porous implants are biodegradable by the body and augment the growth of natural tissue.Our technology platform leverages Additive Manufacturing (AM) which allows us to manufacture a range of products from cosmetic implants for filling of smaller defects, breast implants in a standardised size and shape as well as fully patient-specific implants based on a personalized medicine approach.

News

DM Bio, GI Innovation tie up on allergy treatment candidate

DM Bio said that it has made a contract development and manufacture organization (CDMO) agreement with GI Innovation concerning GI-301, an allergy treatment candidate, which is currently being developed by the latter.Under the accord, DM Bio will be responsible for developing the process for making drug substance for GI-301, improving its productivity, developing a system to examine its stability, and producing about 2,500 liters of samples for phase 2 clinical trial,GI Innovation plans to conduct clinical trials for GI-301 in Europe in September as a treatment for allergic diseases caused by immunoglobulin E (IgE), such as chronic idiopathic urticaria, atopic dermatitis, asthma, and food allergies.

Researchers Look To Old Drugs For A Possible Coronavirus Treatment

An old malaria and autoimmune drug is showing promise as a potential treatment for COVID-19 – although health officials are urging caution until clinical trials are done.The drug, hydroxychloroquine, sold under the brand name Plaquenil, was reported March 9 in Clinical Infectious Diseases journal to be effective at killing the virus in laboratory experiments.

Elon Musk Says Tesla Willing To Make Ventilators For Coronavirus Patients Amid Flap Over California Plant

Elon Musk hasn’t said whether Tesla will comply with “shelter-in-place” steps taken in the San Francisco Bay Area to curb the spread of the coronavirus but he took to Twitter overnight to say his electric car company is willing to produce ventilators for hospitals that are running short of those critical medical devices.

Italy reports 475 coronavirus deaths in just one day

Italy is grappling with the coronavirus disease pandemic, which has ravaged the country since February. In just a month, the number of cases has reached more than 35,000. Over the past 24 hours, Italy has reported 475 additional deaths, increasing the death toll to a staggering 2,978, a few numbers away from Hubei Province’s toll, the epicenter of the pandemic where the virus originated.