Neurotech Insights
July 31, 2007
Inside This Issue: Traumatic Brain Injury
Top News Alerts: Product Updates, Deals & Financings
Featured Topic: Causes and Treatments for Brain Injury
Featured Company: Xytis, Inc.
Subscribe now to access hundreds of articles covering developments in drugs, devices and diagnostics for the brain and nervous system.
Recognition of Traumatic Brain Injury Rises, But Treatments are Lacking
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the most common neurological condition causing death and disability in patients under age 50. In the U.S. alone, there are over 1 million cases of TBI each year. Almost 1/3 of those are moderate to severe cases, and 1 in 20 victims die as a result of their injury. Nearly 1 in 10 of the survivors goes on to live with a significant disability while 1 in 20 will develop epilepsy. These numbers are only modestly affected by treatment...
Market Highlights: Summer Doldrums Interrupted by RNAi Investment Frenzy
In addition to a $331 million deal with Roche, Alnylam (ALNY) renewed an agreement with Medtronic (MDT) to continue developing RNAi - device combinations for CNS disorders, starting with Huntington’s disease. Nastech (NSTK), profiled in the April issue of Neurotech Insights, was boosted by the Alnylam deal even though the company’s RNAi efforts are in early stages. Targacept (TRGT), featured in the November issue of Neurotech Insights, announced a megadeal worth $1.5 billion with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) focused on pain and other areas (see story, page 10). Investors in Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology Systems (CYKN.OB) finally saw some long anticipated upward movement. Cyberkinetics’ Andara Oscillating Field Stimulator Therapy, which promotes nerve growth after spinal cord injury, has been under review for market approval by the FDA under a Humanitarian Device Exemption since February 2007...
Xytis: Leading the Way to a TBI Treatment
Xytis Inc. is a small, privately held, venture-backed biotechnology company based in the U.S. and Europe. It came about in early 2006 through the merger of two other companies, Xytis Pharmaceuticals Ltd, founded in Switzerland and headquartered in London, UK, and Remergent, Inc. based in Irvine, CA. While Remergent was focused on developing pre-clinical molecules developed at UC Irvine, Xytis Ltd. emphasized in-licensing of existing drugs from big pharma partners. We spoke with Vincent Simmon, PhD., who became CEO of the newly formed company in November of 2006...
Companies Covered In This Issue Include: Cortex, Cyberonics, Cyberkinetics, Tranzyme, Schwarz, UCB Pharma, Competitive Technologies, Medtronic, Neurochem, Affris, Icagen, Pfizer, AxoGen, Orexigen, Axon Systems, Theragenics, Avanir, ToBBB, Edison Pharmaceuticals, Noven, JDS Pharmaceuticals, Transition Therapeutics, Tikvah Therapeutics, Teijin, neurotronics, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, VitreoRetinal, Satiety, AllTranz, Nuon, Neuroderm, Amorfix, Biogen Idec, Ev3, Fox Hollow Technologies, CogState, AstraZeneca, Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, Corcept, Xceleron, Hydra Biosciences, Targacept, Eisai, Sepracor, Alnylam, Alkermes, Novartis, Collegium, Nanogen, Xytis, KeyNeurotek, Sound Pharmaceuticals, Remegenix, NeuroHealing, Cognosci, Novo Nordisk, Neuren
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