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Oct 04
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Frost & Sullivan has announced Cellnovo the winner of its 2011 European Technology Innovation Award in Diabetes Care

By Cellnovo, Press Release
Press Release.

 

LONDON, UK – October 4, 2011 – Frost & Sullivan has announced Cellnovo
the winner of its 2011 European Technology Innovation Award in Diabetes Care. Cellnovo, a UK-based company, is pioneering the use of mobile technology for easier, more effective diabetes management.

The Cellnovo diabetes management system integrates an insulin patch pump with a mobile touch screen handset that monitors blood glucose and activity levels. This information is then wirelessly transmitted to a secure site that performs analysis for patients and caregivers to use.

“We are extremely proud to win this prestigious award,”

says William McKeon, Chief Executive Officer of Cellnovo.

“It not only acknowledges our visionary use of technology, but,more importantly, the value it delivers to people with diabetes, clinicians and payers.”

“The Cellnovo solution can help patients control their diabetes more effectively,”

says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Arjunvasan Ambigapathy.

“Physicians can access in-depth data on each patient, reviewing data trends for valuable insights on aberrant readings. Such tools offer the flexibility of managing increasing patient loads in a shorter time span and at lower costs.”

“The Frost & Sullivan award recognizes Cellnovo’s position as a leading medical technology innovator at the forefront of the convergence of medical devices, IT and mobile connectivity,”

says John E. Milad, Investment Manager at NBGI Ventures.

“The award reflects the exciting potential of the Cellnovo system to provide a paradigm shift in the management of diabetes,thereby empowering patients, their families and clinicians.”

Cellnovo has harnessed the power of technology to make insulin therapy more convenient and accurate than ever before. Continuous mobile connectivity provides as much or as little data as the physician or caregiver needs. For example, it is expected that parents of children with newly diagnosed diabetes will initially use the web and text-based system extensively as they learn to manage the disease. Once parents’ confidence and knowledge increases, they will most likely transition to more casual monitoring.

Unlike traditional devices, the Cellnovo system is future-proofed by the ability to install new apps and system updates through an SD card integrated with the handset. This approach means that patients with the Cellnovo system will have the ability to keep their system updated with the latest innovations.

About the Frost & Sullivan European Technology Innovation Award
The Frost & Sullivan European Technology Innovation Award is presented to the company that has excelled in the following criteria: uniqueness of technology, impact on new products/applications, impact on customer value, and relevance of innovation to industry.

About Cellnovo
Cellnovo, an innovative UK-based mobile health company, is committed to bringing greater freedom and ease-of-use to people living with diabetes. The company has developed the industry’s first mobile diabetes management system, which includes a patch pump, a mobile handset with a built-in blood glucose monitor, and an extendable applications set. For more
information, please visit www.cellnovo.com.
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Sep 19
Love0

Cellnovo Receives CE Mark Approval for World’s First Mobile Diabetes Management System

By Cellnovo, Press Release
Press Release.

 

LONDON, UK – September 19, 2011 – Cellnovo today announced that it has received CE Mark approval for the world’s first mobile diabetes management system, a significant milestone for the company and for people living with diabetes.

“This is Cellnovo’s first step in a journey to bring this mobile diabetes management system to the world,”

says William McKeon, Chief Executive Officer of Cellnovo.

Cellnovo is a complete diabetes management system built around the principles of mobile, wireless technology. The system includes an insulin patch pump, a wireless, touch screen handset with a built-in blood glucose monitor, and an extendable applications set.

“Cellnovo has created the first insulin pump that brings innovation and combines form with function, essential qualities in a device that patients have to interact with 24/7,”

says Dr.Pratik Choudhary, Clinical Lecturer in Diabetes at King’s College London.

Cellnovo’s groundbreaking technology means that diabetes therapies can now be managed more easily, accurately and intuitively. The patch pump is the smallest and most precise everdeveloped, and the touch screen, wireless handset is instantly familiar to those who have used other mobile devices such as Apple’s iPhone.

“Cellnovo has combined advanced mobile and medical technology which may create a
paradigm shift in diabetes care,” says Irl B. Hirsch, Professor of Medicine, University of
Washington, Seattle, USA. “For the multitude of patients who could benefit from pump therapy, Cellnovo could be a game-changer.”

The most exciting feature of the Cellnovo handset is that it wirelessly receives and transmits real-time data to a portal for patients and caregivers to use. This means that patients nolonger have the burden of keeping meticulous journals, and that the data collected isincredibly accurate and consistent, ensuring optimal monitoring and treatment of the disease.

“The ability to see real-time data of patients who may be hundreds of miles away provides the opportunity to redefine our care model,”

says Dr. Mark Evans, Lecturer and Honorary Consultant at the Institute of Metabolic Science at the University of Cambridge.

About Cellnovo
Cellnovo, an innovative UK-based mobile health company, is committed to bringing greater freedom and ease-of-use to people living with diabetes. The company has developed the industry’s first mobile diabetes management system, which includes a patch pump, a mobile handset with a built-in blood glucose monitor, and an extendable applications set. For more information, please visit www.cellnovo.com.
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Sep 13
Love0

Cellnovo forms worldwide technology alliance with LifeScan

By Cellnovo, Press Release
Press Release.

 

LONDON, UK – September 13, 2011 – Cellnovo, developer of the first mobile diabetes management system, today announced a technology alliance with LifeScan, Inc. that will bring new portability and control to diabetes patients worldwide.

Under the global agreement, Cellnovo will integrate LifeScan’s blood glucose monitoring technologies into the handset of its mobile diabetes management system. The Cellnovo system, the first of its kind, consists of an insulin patch pump and a touch screen handset that wirelessly transmits real-time data to a secure portal for patients and healthcare providers to use.

“We wanted superb blood glucose monitoring technology inside our mobile handset and LifeScan is a market leader,”

said William McKeon, Chief Executive Officer of Cellnovo.

“Through our partnership with LifeScan, our combined technologies will advance care through connectivity.”

With Cellnovo, diabetes therapies can now be managed with a system that is mobile,
compact, highly accurate and intuitive. In addition, a real-time data tracking and reporting feature means that patients no longer have the burden of keeping meticulous journals – the process is entirely automated for them.

“Cellnovo has the potential to break new ground in bringing the first mobile diabetes management system to market,”

said Dr. David Kerr, Consultant Physician and Diabetologist at the Bournemouth Diabetes and Endocrine Centre.

“It is clear that new technologies for diabetes care, such as Cellnovo’s mobile health solution, are going to forever change the way we practice medicine and more effectively manage diabetes long into the future.”

 

About Cellnovo
Cellnovo, an innovative UK-based mobile health company, is committed to bringing greater freedom and ease-of-use to people living with diabetes. The company has developed the industry’s first mobile diabetes management system, which includes a patch pump, a mobile handset with a built-in blood glucose monitor, and an extendable applications set.

Sep 01
Love0

Biocartis named as a Technology Pioneer 2012 by the World Economic Forum

By Biocartis, Press Release
Press Release.

 

Mechelen, Belgium. 1st September, 2011 – Biocartis today announces that it has been selected as a Technology Pioneer 2012 by the World Economic Forum. Technology Pioneers comprise 25 of the most innovative young companies from around the world, companies poised to have a critical impact on how business and society work.

The Technology Pioneers 2012 will be recognized for their work at the Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Dalian, People’s Republic of China, from 14 to 16 September 2011.

“The Technology Pioneers program recognizes companies whose cutting-edge technologies are transforming business and society and we are very proud to have been selected by the judging panel. At Biocartis our vision is for people to have quick access to personalized medicine anywhere and anytime. We want to enhance the quality of life through better diagnosis and better treatments with modern diagnostics available in the widest possible variety of healthcare settings,”

said Rudi Pauwels, Biocartis’ CEO.

Olivier Schwab, Director, Head of Technology Pioneers, World Economic Forum, said,

“One particular aspect to highlight this year is the large number of companies that are focusing on having a social impact, such as providing health or financial services to underserved populations, while revolutionizing the business paradigms in their industries. This year’s companies showcase the diversity in which innovative technology can be deployed.”

The identification of the Technology Pioneer companies is the result of a rigorous selection process, for which the Forum received hundreds of applications from around the world, and that were evaluated by over 50 global technology experts. The selection committee includes leading academics, journalists, technologists and venture capitalists.

About Biocartis
Biocartis is a company that focuses on the development and commercialization of versatile and compact molecular diagnostic solutions that will make molecular diagnostic testing easier to perform in a wider range of healthcare settings. The Company was founded in 2007 by Dr. Rudi Pauwels (Co-founder of Tibotec, Virco and Galapagos Genomics), Prof. Philippe Renaud (Prof. at EPFL), and Nader Donzel (Co-founder of Scitec laboratory Automation).

At this moment the Company is developing two innovative systems that share a common user interface and design philosophy:

  • A system for molecular diagnostics of nucleic acids (DNA/RNA) that is composed of an instrument, communication console and single use, disposable cartridges. This system can detect and quantify multiple DNA- or RNA-based biomarkers in a wide variety of patient sample types with truly minimal user intervention.
  • A system built around disposable, microfluidic cartridges with digitally encoded micro carriers for the rapid and sensitive detection of a broad range and number of biomarkers. The first product from this technology will focus on protein-based biomarkers.

The ultimate goal is to carry out diagnostic tests rapidly and cost-effectively when and where key clinical decisions need to be made.

Biocartis SA is based at the EPFL’s Innovation Square in Lausanne, Switzerland; its Belgian fully owned subsidiary in Mechelen and the Dutch subsidiary at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven.

About the Technology Pioneers Program
Since 2000, the World Economic Forum has recognized the work of young companies who hold the promise of significantly transforming the way business and society operate. More than 400 innovative companies from five continents have been selected as Technology Pioneers. Among them, approximately 60% are still independent and 20% have been acquired by industry leaders. Previous Technology Pioneers include Monitise (2006), Mozilla Corporation (2007), Nanosolar (2007), Gridpoint (2008), Mint.com (2009), BloomEnergy (2010), Takadu (2011) and NetQin (2011).

Technology Pioneers are selected on a yearly basis. Candidate companies are nominated by Members, constituents and collaborators of the World Economic Forum, as well as by the larger public. A selection committee, comprised of top technology and innovation experts from around the world, reviews all candidate companies and makes a recommendation to the World Economic Forum, which then takes the final decision.

 

About the World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

Incorporated as a not-for-profit foundation in 1971 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Forum is tied to no political, partisan or national interests (www.weforum.org).

Rudi Pauwels, CEO
Tel: +41 21 694 04 30
pr@biocartis.com
www.biocartis.com

Jun 08
Love0

Avila Therapeutics agreement with NIAID

By Avila, Press Release
Press Release.

 

WALTHAM, MA – June 8, 2011 –Avila Therapeutics, Inc. a biotechnology company developing targeted covalent drugs that treat diseases through protein silencing, announced that it has entered into a Non‐Clinical Evaluation Agreement to access the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ (NIAID’s) preclinical services program to further evaluate AVL‐192, Avila’s targeted, irreversible covalent inhibitor of the HCV protease (NS3). Under the agreement, NIAID‐funded contractors are conducting preclinical studies of AVL‐192 to help enable its future clinical development, and Avila retains exclusive rights to this compound.

“We thank NIAID for their foresight in supporting this innovative program,”

said Dr. Juswinder Singh, Chief Scientific Officer of Avila.

“NS3 protease is now recognized as a key target of therapeutic intervention in HCV infection, and the ability of AVL‐192 to strike at known drug‐resistant mutations will be a critical feature of next generation protease inhibitors.”

AVL‐192 is a novel, orally‐available compound that rapidly and completely silences the HCV protease through highly selective, irreversible covalent bonding to the target protein. Preclinical data generated by Avila demonstrate that it is highly potent, selective, and effectively inhibits drug‐resistant mutations of HCV protease. AVL‐192 forms an irreversible bond with Cys159, a non‐catalytic amino acid that is present in all variants of HCV protease, thus creating the potential for inhibition across all known HCV genotypes. In addition, AVL‐192 has shown unusually high potency by demonstrating the ability to clear replicon cells as a monotherapy in vitro.

NIAID conducts and supports basic and applied research to better understand, treat, and ultimately prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases. For more than 60 years, NIAID research has led to new therapies, vaccines, diagnostic tests, and other technologies that have improved the health of millions of people in the United States and around the world.

 

About Avila Therapeutics™, Inc.

Avila Therapeutics is a clinical‐stage biotechnology company focused on the design and development of targeted covalent drugs to achieve best‐in class outcomes. This approach, called “protein silencing”, cannot be achieved through traditional chemistry techniques. The company’s product pipeline has been built using its proprietary Avilomics™ platform and is currently focused on cancer, viral infection and autoimmune disease. Avila’s most advanced product candidate, AVL‐292, a potential treatment for cancer and autoimmune diseases, is currently in Phase 1 clinical testing. Avila is funded by leading venture capital firms: Abingworth, Advent Venture Partners, Atlas Venture, Novartis Option Fund, and Polaris Venture Partners. For additional information, please visit http://www.avilatx.com.

Jun 06
Love0

Positive Outcome for Algeta in Pivotal Alpharadin Study

By Algeta, Press Release
Press Release.

 

Positive Outcome of Interim Analysis of pivotal Alpharadin study: Primary endpoint met in Phase III ALSYMPCA study.

Alpharadin is in development for treating bone metastases in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer.

 

Oslo, Norway, 6 June 2011 – Algeta ASA (OSE: ALGETA) today announced that an independent expert committee has recommended stopping its phase III,pivotal, ALSYMPCA study of Alpharadin (radium-223 chloride) for the treatment of bone metastases in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) on the basis of statistically significant efficacy.

Based on a recommendation from the ALSYMPCA Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC), following a pre-planned interim analysis, the study will be stopped and patients on the placebo arm will be offered treatment with Alpharadin. The overall survival result was statistically significant (two-sided p-value = 0.0022, HR = 0.699, the median overall survival was 14.0 months for Alpharadin and 11.2 months for placebo). The complete results from the study will be presented at an upcoming scientific meeting and submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

The safety and tolerability of Alpharadin were consistent with previous Phase I and Phase II trial outcomes and did not show any new or unexpected changes in the safety profile of Alpharadin.

Alpharadin is being developed by Algeta and Bayer Schering Pharma AG (“Bayer”). Under the terms of the collaboration Bayer will be responsible for the global filing. Bayer plans to discuss with the regulatory authorities in the near future regarding the filing strategy for Alpharadin, based on the IDMC’s positive recommendation to unblind this study and will offer patients in the placebo arm treatment with Alpharadin when the trial is unblinded.

The ALSYMPCA study (ALpharadin in SYMptomatic Prostate CAncer patients) is an international, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase III clinical trial evaluating the potential of Alpharadin plus best standard of care versus placebo plus best standard of care to treat symptomatic bone metastases in CRPC patients. The trial began in June 2008, enrollment in the trial was completed in January 2011 and 922 patients were randomized.

Dr Chris Parker, from the Royal Marsden Hospital, and Principal Investigator of ALSYMPCA, said:

”Around 90% of men with advanced prostate cancer have bone metastases, which are the main cause of disability and death in this disease. Advanced prostate cancer has a poor prognosis, and treatment options are limited. Based on the observed survival benefit and its safety profile, Alpharadin may become an important treatment for patients with bone metastases from advanced prostate cancer”

Andrew Kay, Algeta’s President and CEO, said:

“The positive outcome of the ALSYMPCA interim analysis is a tremendous result for Algeta, its shareholders and most importantly for the patients with CRPC who have bone metastases, which is an area of high medical need where there are few treatment options. Alpharadin, potentially the first alphapharmaceutical, demonstrated a survival benefit in this trial for patients with bone metastases and this is an exciting time for the company. We would like to thank all the investigators and patients who contributed to this clinical trial.”

Alpharadin is an investigational agent and is not approved for marketing by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or any other health authorities.

For further information, please contact
Andrew Kay, CEO
Gillies O’Bryan-Tear, CMO
Øystein Soug, CFO
+47 2300 7990 / +47 4840 1360 (mob)
+47 2300 7990 / +47 4840 1411 (mob)
+47 2300 7990 / +47 9065 6525 (mob)
post@algeta.com

International media enquiries:
Mark Swallow/David Dible/Sita Shah
Citigate Dewe Rogerson
+44 207 638 9571
mark.swallow@citigatedr.co.uk

US investor enquiries:
Jessica Lloyd
The Trout Group
+1 646 378 2928
jlloyd@troutgroup.com

About Algeta
Algeta is a company focused on developing novel targeted therapies for patients with cancer based on its alpha-pharmaceutical platform.

Alpharadin is being developed under a development and commercialization agreement with Bayer Schering Pharma AG, and is in a global phase III clinical trial (ALSYMPCA) to treat bone metastases resulting from castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Alpharadin is also under investigation in phase IIa clinical trials as a potential new treatment for bone metastases in endocrine-refractory breast cancer patients, and in a phase I/IIa trial in combination with docetaxel chemotherapy for bone metastases in CRPC patients.

Algeta’s lead product Alpharadin (based on radium-223 chloride) is a first-in-class, highly targeted alpha-pharmaceutical under clinical evaluation to improve survival in patients with bone metastases from advanced cancer. Its localized action helps preserve the surrounding healthy tissue thereby limiting side-effects.

The development of bone metastases represents a serious development for cancer patients as they are associated with a dramatic decline in patient health and quality of life, ultimately leading to death. Bone metastases represent a major unmet medical need, occurring frequently in certain late-stage cancers, e.g. prostate (in approximately 75-90% patients), breast (up to 75 %) and lung (up to 40%). Algeta is also exploring the potential of Targeted Thorium Conjugates (TTCs), which are based on conjugating the alpha-emitter thorium-227 to targeting molecules, as a basis of a future pipeline of tumor-targeting alpha-pharmaceutical candidates.

The Company is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, and was founded in 1997. Algeta listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange in March 2007 (Ticker: ALGETA).

Alpharadin and Algeta are registered trademarks.

Forward-looking Statement
This news release contains forward-looking statements and forecasts based on
uncertainty, since they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future and which, by their nature, will have an impact on results of operations and the financial condition of Algeta. There are a number of factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These factors include, among other things, risks associated with technological development, the risk that research & development will not yield new products that achieve commercial success, the impact of competition, the ability to close viable and profitable business deals, the risk of non-approval of patents not yet granted and difficulties of obtaining relevant governmental approvals for new products.

Mar 31
Love0

Conatus CTS-1027

By Conatus Pharmaceuticals, Press Release
Press Release.

 

SAN DIEGO, March 31, 2011 — Conatus Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced today 24-week interim results from a clinical trial with CTS-1027 in combination with Peginterferon Alpha-2a (Pegasys®) and ribavirin (Copegus®) in a treatment experienced, hepatitis C virus (HCV) null-responder patient population. Null-responder patients are the most difficult to treat patient population and are clinically defined as those patients failing to achieve an early virologic response (EVR) when undergoing treatment with the current standard of care (SOC; pegylated interferon and ribavirin). EVR is defined as at least a 2 log decline in HCV-RNA by week 12 of SOC treatment. The CTS-1027-04 clinical trial enrolled 67 HCV genotype 1 null-responder patients. The clinical trial is a single arm and open label design with sustained viral response (SVR; no detectable virus 24 weeks after the end of treatment) as its primary end point. At week 12, 51% (31/61) of patients receiving 15 mg twice a day of CTS-1027 in addition to standard doses of Pegasys® and Copegus® achieved an EVR on a per protocol (PP) basis. HCV-RNA was below quantifiable limit (BQL) in 5 patients (8.2%, PP) at week 12 and increased to 17 patients (34%, 17/50, PP) at week 24. This clinical trial is ongoing and final SVR results are expected in 2011.

Data from the CTS-1027-04 clinical trial were presented at the 46th annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) held in Berlin, Germany, as Abstract 468.

Consistent with expectations, the majority of patients tested for genetic analysis of IL-28B (95%, 58/61) carried the CT or TT allelic variant. Patients possessing these genetic variants are predicted to be less responsive to the antiviral actions of interferon.

“Most other approaches to treat HCV infection are direct-acting anti-viral drugs whose activity is directed against virus proteins or enzymes with the objective of reducing the production of virus in infected cells. CTS-1027, by comparison, is distinctly different in that its activity is hypothesized to facilitate the immune clearance of virus-infected cells and decrease the frequency of new infections, both of which are of key importance in curing HCV infections.” said Alfred P. Spada, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of R & D of Conatus.”

“Clearance of infected cells is a slow but essential process to achieving a sustained viral response. It is intriguing to observe this significant improvement in viral load reduction at such a low dose of CTS-1027. A recently initiated Phase 2b clinical trial (CTS-1027-05) will test CTS-1027 at higher doses in combination with Pegasys® and Copegus® in the null-responder patient population.”

said Steven J. Mento, Ph.D, President and CEO of Conatus.

Conatus Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a privately-held biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of innovative human therapeutics to treat liver disease and oncology. Conatus’ lead drug candidate, CTS-1027 is in multiple Phase 2 clinical trials for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV). Conatus was founded by the executive management team of Idun Pharmaceuticals in July 2005 following the sale of Idun to Pfizer. For additional information, please visit

Feb 16
Love0

Versartis Completes $21 Million Series B Financing

By Press Release
Press Release.

 

Mountain View, CA – February 16, 2011 – Versartis, Inc., an emerging biotechnology company developing novel therapeutics for patients with endocrine disorders, today announced completion of a $21 million Series B financing.  The funding was lead by New Leaf Venture Partners and Advent Venture Partners’ Advent Life Sciences fund also joined the round along with existing investors Index Ventures and Amunix.  Versartis plans to use the proceeds primarily to conduct clinical trials of its lead product, VRS-317, for growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in both adult and pediatric patients.  VRS-317 is a once monthly form of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH).

Effective with the close of the financing, Versartis announced the expansion of its Board of Directors to five members: Srini Akkaraju, M.D., Ph.D., Managing Director, New Leaf Venture Partners; Kevin Johnson, Ph.D., Partner, Index Ventures; Shahzad Malik, General Partner, Advent Venture Partners; Willem “Pim” Stemmer, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Amunix; and Jeffrey  L. Cleland, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Versartis, Inc.

Commenting on New Leaf Venture Partners’ new investment, Srini Akkaraju, M.D., Ph.D., said,

“Based on the track record of Versartis management along with the encouraging preclinical data seen to date, we are optimistic that the potential of VRS-317 and its once-monthly dosing regimen address key unmet needs in the treatment of patients with growth hormone deficiency.”

“This is an exciting time to invest in Versartis,”

added Shahzad Malik, General Partner, Advent Venture Partners.

“Its focus on applying the proprietary XTEN technology to recombinant human growth hormone provides a significant opportunity to expand the current market for rhGH products.”

Preclinical data previously presented have demonstrated that VRS-317 provides comparable biological activity and safety to daily rhGH with a lower total monthly dose of rhGH.  Versartis currently plans to begin enrollment in a multi-center Phase 1 study in adult GHD patients in the first quarter of 2011.

 

About Versartis
Versartis, Inc. is a biotechnology company developing therapeutics for the treatment of endocrine disorders.  The company’s lead product candidate is VRS-317, a once monthly form of human growth hormone.  Versartis is pursuing the development of new therapeutic proteins utilizing the Amunix novel half-life extension XTEN technology.   XTEN is a novel hydrophilic sequence of natural amino acids and is expressed as a fusion protein with a therapeutically active peptide or protein.  New compounds developed by Versartis using the XTEN technology are expected to provide improved therapeutic outcomes such as enhanced efficacy/compliance, fewer side effects, prolonged half-life (up to monthly dosing), as well as low-cost production and enhanced stability.  Further information on Versartis can be found at www.versartis.com.

About NLV Partners
New Leaf Venture Partners is a leader in healthcare technology venture investing.  Our investment professionals bring a unique blend of technological, clinical, and operational experience to our investments.  We work closely with our entrepreneurs to help build successful portfolio companies.  We focus primarily on later stage biopharmaceutical products, early stage medical devices, and laboratory infrastructure technologies.

New Leaf currently manages $1.1 billion in assets.  This includes our newest fund, New Leaf Ventures II, L.P., which closed with commitments of $450 million in October 2007, New Leaf Ventures I, L.P. and the healthcare technology portfolio of the Sprout Group, one of the oldest U.S. venture capital fund groups.  For more information please visit www.nlvpartners.com.

About Advent Venture Partners
Advent Venture Partners is one of Europe’s most established growth and venture capital firms, investing in technology and life sciences businesses run by great teams that want a pragmatic and well-connected partner by their side.

The Advent life sciences team is a leader in European life sciences venture capital.  Its investments  include: PowderMed, a therapeutic DNA vaccine company sold to Pfizer; Thiakis, an obesity treatment company acquired by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals; Respivert, a drug discovery company focused on respiratory diseases that was acquired by Johnson & Johnson; Cellnovo, a biomedical device company developing a revolutionary mobile insulin pump system; EUSA Pharma, a rapidly growing transatlantic speciality pharmaceutical company focused on late-stage oncology, pain control and critical care products; and, Algeta (ALGETA.OL), an oncology company developing treatments for bone metastases and disseminated tumour types.

In November 2010, Advent announced the final close of the first life sciences-focused fund raised by the firm, Advent Life Sciences.

Feb 04
Love0

Cellnovo secures £30 million in Series B financing to advance new mobile diabetes management system

By Cellnovo, Press Release
Press Release.

 

LONDON, UK – February 4, 2011 – Cellnovo, developer of the first mobile diabetes management system, announced today that it raised £30 million ($48.4 million) in a Series B financing round led by Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners (EdRIP), with Forbion Capital Partners; Auriga Partners; NBGI Ventures and Credit Agricole Private Equity joining Series A investors Advent Venture Partners, HealthCare Ventures and NESTA in the round.

Based in London, Cellnovo will use the funds to commercialize its system and expand to markets around the world. The Cellnovo system, developed in-house, is unique in several ways including: the accuracy and size of the pump’s technology, as well as the touch-screen, mobile-connected device that provides healthcare professionals and families immediate access to a myriad of information.

“Cellnovo is revolutionizing the way diabetes patients manage their disease,”

said Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners, Partner, Raphael Wisniewski.

“We look forward to working with this exceptional management team in this first investment of EdRIP in a UK company.”

“We thoroughly examined the diabetes field and believe that Cellnovo’s approach to disease management is disruptive and will enable the company to soon leverage their tremendous market opportunit”

said Bart Bergstein, Managing Partner, Forbion Capital Partners.

The Cellnovo system’s advanced micropump technology enables people with diabetes to more efficiently manage their life-saving therapies while benefiting from greater personalization and portability.  This mobile-connected, disease management approach to diabetes removes the burden of keeping journals and pushes information to healthcare professionals so they always have a real-time view of this information.

“We are honored that this extraordinary team of investors has demonstrated tremendous confidence in our system and our efforts,”

said Bill McKeon, Chief Executive Officer of Cellnovo. “This partnership will allow Cellnovo to advance diabetes management and improve the lives of diabetics around the world.”

 

Press enquires

Bill McKeon,
Chief Executive Officer,
Cellnovo Ltd.
Phone: +44(0) 203 058 1250
Email: press@cellnovo.com

About Cellnovo
A UK-based medical device company, Cellnovo develops and manufactures an innovative mobile diabetes management system. Comprised of a mobile connected micropump, mobile touchscreen controller, blood glucose meter and applications, the Cellnovo system provides intuitive operation, wireless Internet connectivity and real-time activity tracking – all industry firsts. Cellnovo’s management team offers extensive experience gained at the world’s premier medical device and wireless companies, including Medtronic, DuPont, Novo Nordisk, Abbott, AT&T Lucent, and other industry leaders. For further information, please visit www.cellnovo.com.

About Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners
Paris-based Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners is dedicated to minority investments into privately-owned companies. It has currently €800 million under management which is being invested primarily as life sciences venture capital and growth capital. Its Life Sciences Team of six professionals brings together over 30 years of experience in the Life Science industry and more than 50 years of private equity and venture capital experience. The team has approximately €300 million under management after having recently raised € 150 million through BioDiscovery 3. Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners is an independently managed affiliate of La Compagnie Financière Edmond de Rothschild Banque.

About Forbion Capital Partners
Forbion Capital Partners is a dedicated Life Sciences venture capital firm with offices in Naarden, The Netherlands, and Munich, Germany. Forbion invests in life sciences companies in drug discovery & development as well as medical device companies addressing substantial unmet medical needs. Forbion’s investment team of nine investment professionals has built an impressive performance track record since the late nineties with successful investments in Rhein Biotech, Crucell, Neutec, Glycart, Borean, Impella, Alantos, Acorda, Fovea, PanGenetics, Argenta and Biovex. Current assets under management exceed $500M, split between three active funds and comprising some 27 promising portfolio companies. Forbion Capital Partners Fund II is supported by the European Investment Fund through its ERP and LfA facilities and comanages BioGeneration Ventures, an early stage fund focused on (academic) spin-outs and seed investments in the Netherlands.

About Auriga Partners
Auriga Partners is an independent venture capital firm. Based in Paris, it invests in information technologies and life sciences, in innovative high potential ventures, in seed or early development stages, in Europe, North America and Israel. Auriga Partners manages three funds for a total of around Euros 300 millions. Along with investing the necessary capital, Auriga Partners brings also its savoir-faire in developing and solidifying executive teams, organizing companies, broadening their networks and forming strategic and corporate partnerships.

About NBGI Ventures

NBGI Ventures, established in 2001, is the only European venture capital fund investing exclusively in medical device companies. With over €100 million in total commitments under management, NBGI Ventures is based in London and considers investments across Europe and the U.S. Companies it has supported to date include Advanced Cardiac Therapeutics (USA), BoneSupport (Sweden), EOS imaging (France), Estech (USA), Forth Photonics (UK), Quanta Fluid Solutions (UK), Reverse Medical (USA), SuperSonic Imagine (France), Symetis (Switzerland), Technolas/2010 Perfect Vision (Germany) and Upfront Chromatography (Denmark). NBGI Ventures is a division of NBGI Private Equity Limited, which is authorized and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

About Advent Venture Partners

Advent Venture Partners is one of Europe’s most established growth and venture capital firms, investing in technology and life sciences businesses run by great teams that want a pragmatic and well-connected partner by their side. The Advent life sciences team is a leader in European life sciences venture capital. Its investments include: PowderMed, a therapeutic DNA vaccine company sold to Pfizer; Thiakis, an obesity treatment company acquired by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals; Respivert, a drug discovery company focused on respiratory diseases that was acquired by Johnson & Johnson; Cellnovo, a biomedical device company developing a revolutionary mobile insulin pump system; EUSA Pharma, a rapidly growing transatlantic speciality pharmaceutical company focused on late-stage oncology, pain control and critical care products; and, Algeta (ALGETA.OL), an oncology company developing treatments for bone metastases and disseminated tumour types.

About HealthCare Ventures

HealthCare Ventures is a leading life science venture capital firm investing in preclinical or early clinical stage, focused companies with the potential to transform patient care. Since its founding in 1985, HealthCare Ventures has raised $1.6 billion across nine funds and has invested in 99 companies, 63 as startup ventures.

About Crédit Agricole Private Equity

Crédit Agricole Private Equity is an AMF-accredited asset-management subsidiary of Crédit Agricole, specialising in direct private-equity investment in non-listed companies. A multi-specialist player, Crédit Agricole Private Equity’s team of 100 professionals manages €3.3 billion with specific expertise in LBO & Expansion, Venture Capital, Mezzanine, Co-Investment, Renewable Energy and PPP Infrastructure. The 12-strong venture capital team manages €470 million through FCPIs invested in young companies with high growth potential in 2 sectors: information technology and life sciences. Crédit Agricole Private Equity has signed up to the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).

About NESTA

NESTA is the UK’s foremost independent expert on how innovation can solve some of the country’s major economic and social challenges. NESTA is a world leader in its field and carries out its work through a blend of experimental programmes, analytical research and investment in early-stage companies. Its £50m evergreen venture fund invests in UK based technology businesses that have the potential to deliver high growth UK successes.