MultiCell Technologies Inc. (OTC:MCET) is working on a stent that combines two drugs aimed at reducing restenosis ’ salicylate, aspirin’s active ingredient, and sirolimus. This polymer stent will be designed to dissolve completely over the course of a year.
A coronary stent is a tube placed in the coronary arteries that supply the heart, to keep the arteries open in the treatment of coronary heart disease.
One of the drawbacks of vascular stents is the potential for restenosis via the development of a thick smooth muscle tissue inside the lumen, the so-called neointima. Development of a neointima is variable but can at times be so severe as to re-occlude the vessel lumen (restenosis), especially in the case of smaller diameter vessels, which often results in reintervention. Consequently, current research focuses on the reduction of neointima after stent placement. Considerable improvements have been made, including the use of more bio-compatible materials, anti-inflammatory drug-eluting stents, resorbable stents, and others. Restenosis can be treated with a reintervention using the same method.
Recently, Abbott Laboratories received CE Mark approval in the European Union for its Absorb bioresorbable vascular stent for treating blocked coronary arteries. The device, like other stents, works by opening up and providing support to clogged arteries. Unlike its metal counterparts, however, the device is designed to dissolve within approximately two years after implantation there by reducing Restenosis.
MultiCell Technologies, Inc. engages in the research, discovery, development, and commercialization of therapeutics using its proprietary cell-based systems and immune system modulation technologies. It involves in the research and development targeting degenerative neurological diseases, including multiple sclerosis and cancer. They are currently working on
- MCT-125, a Phase IIb clinical trial therapeutic candidate for the treatment of primary multiple sclerosis-related fatigue.
- MCT-465, a preclinical adjuvant therapeutic candidate for the treatment of TLR3+ cancers.
- MCT-475, a preclinical therapeutic candidate for the treatment of TLR3+ breast cancer.
- Research and development of Sybiol technology( synthetic bio-liver therapeutic liver assist device).
Shares of Amag Pharmaceuticals Inc. soared by 13% on Monday after the drugmaker said it reached an agreement with regulators on an updated product label for the anemia drug Feraheme.
The company said the updated label it agreed to with the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) does not include a boxed warning. But, it does include bolded warnings for problems that have been reported after the intravenous injection is administered. That includes life-threatening hypersensitivity reactions and clinically significant hypotension.
The updated product label also includes an increased observation period to 60 minutes from 30 minutes to observe patients for signs of hypersensitivity.
Amag CEO Dr. Brian J.G. Pereira said in a statement from the company they were pleased to put to put the uncertainty behind them.
A Brief History: Amag said late last month it would slash 24 percent of its work force due to declining sales and safety concerns surrounding Feraheme, its only marketed product. Sales of Feraheme fell on a quarter-to-quarter basis because of a decline in provider demand in the dialysis market. Demand also fell in the non-dialysis market because of safety concerns.
Feraheme is approved for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in adult patients with chronic kidney disease.
AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development and commercialization of therapeutic iron compounds to treat iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in the United States, Europe, and Japan. It also provides novel imaging agents to aid in the diagnosis of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. It offers Feraheme, an iron replacement therapeutic for the treatment of IDA in adult patients with chronic kidney disease; and GastroMARK used for delineating the bowel in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The company is also developing Feraheme, which is in Phase II clinical trials for use as a vascular-enhanced MRI agent for the assessment of peripheral arterial disease. AMAG Pharmaceuticals has collaborative agreements with 3SBio Inc. for the development and commercialization of Feraheme as an IV iron replacement therapeutic agent in China; Guerbet S.A; Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.; and Covidien for marketing GastroMARK in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The company was founded in 1981 and is based in Lexington, Massachusetts.