Anacor Pharmaceuticals Partnership Advances Novel Drug Candidate to Combat Sleeping Sickness

June 28, 2011 - PLoS Journal article highlights initial research success of a boron-based compound, ready to enter into clinical development, resulting from collaboration between Anacor Pharmaceuticals, DNDi, and SCYNEXIS - Anacor Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ANAC), the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), and SCYNEXIS Inc. announced the successful completion of pre-clinical studies for the first new oral drug candidate discovered specifically to combat human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness. An article released in the open-access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, reveals the initial successful results of pre-clinical studies of the new compound, which will soon advance to Phase I human clinical trials.

Sleeping sickness, which threatens millions in 36 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, is fatal if left untreated. The disease is caused by parasites transmitted by the bite of a tsetse fly and is often asymptomatic for years until the infection reaches "stage 2" where it crosses into the central nervous system and brain. Without effective treatment, sleeping sickness is fatal. Currently available treatments are limited to drugs developed decades ago that are either highly toxic, difficult to administer in resource-limited settings, or are only effective in one stage of the disease. In addition, prior to being treated, the stage of the disease must be determined using a diagnostic spinal tap to extract cerebrospinal fluid from the patient.


Two-thirds of all reported sleeping sickness cases are found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where healthcare is often inaccessible to large parts of the population due to violent conflict, great distances patients must travel to health facilities, and extreme poverty. Dr. Miaka Mia Bilenge, special advisor to the National Control Program for Human African Trypanosomiasis in the DRC, explained that if the new drug candidate proves to be successful, it could become a major weapon to control sleeping sickness.
"People in the DRC and many countries in Africa have hoped for a safe, easy-to-use, and effective treatment against sleeping sickness for generations," Dr. Miaka Mia Bilenge said. "We very much look forward to the start of human trials, and we hope that at long last this will give us a tool for sustainable elimination of this dreaded disease."

In pre-clinical studies, the new drug candidate, SCYX-7158, also registered as AN5568, demonstrated safety and the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier making it efficacious against stage 1 and stage 2 of the disease. In addition, its oral formulation, short duration of therapy and excellent pre-clinical safety profile imply that SCYX-7158 (AN5568) could change the way sleeping sickness is treated, reduce its incidence in humans, and contribute to elimination of the disease... Anacor Pharmaceuticals' Press Release - SCYNEXIS' Press Release -

SeptRx begins CE Mark trial of the SeptRx® Intrapocket PFO Occluder (IPO)

June 16, 2011—SeptRx, an emerging medical device company that is developing the SeptRx® Intrapocket PFO Occluder (IPO)—a platform for the percutaneous transcatheter closure of a heart defect known as patent foramen ovale (PFO)—announced that the first implants have been completed in the InterSEPT™ clinical trial at the CardioVascular Center at Sankt Katharinen Hospital, Frankfurt, under principal investigator Horst E. Sievert, M.D.
InterSEPT™ (In-tunnel SeptRx European PFO Trial) is a prospective, multi-center, single-arm safety and efficacy trial of the SeptRx® IPO. Data from InterSEPT™ will be used to apply for CE marking. The SeptRx® Intrapocket PFO Occluder has already completed a successful 11-patient first-in-human (FIH) clinical trial. SeptRx’s FIH trial was the first and only PFO device trial to demonstrate 100% closure and 100% safety (out to 3 years)...

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...PFO is a tunnel-like defect connecting the right atrium with the left atrium. A remnant of fetal circulation, it usually seals itself within a few months after birth. Unfortunately, in about 25% of the population the PFO does not fully close and may allow blood (and emboli) to pass directly between the right and left atria. The presence of a PFO has been identified as a contributing factor in cryptogenic stroke, chronic migraine, decompression sickness, and obstructive sleep apnea. A PFO contributes to these conditions by providing a pathway for emboli (blood clots, air bubbles) in the venous system to reach the arterial system by passing directly from the right atrium to the left... [PDF] SeptRx' s Press Release -

DynaFlex : FDA Clearance for Sleep Aid Devices

MARCH 9, 2011 - DynaFlex, a manufacturer specializing in orthodontic appliances, has obtained FDA 510(k) clearance (K103076) from the US Food and Drug Administration for its DynaFlex® Anti-Snoring & Sleep Apnea Devices line of sleep aid products. Designed to treat snoring and sleep apnea, the DynaFlex products function by repositioning patients’ lower jaws to improve breathing ability during sleep. The devices are available in four model types, and are custom-fitted for each patient based on jaw measurements taken by prescribing health care providers.

The company undertook its FDA 510(k) clearance process in early 2010 with the assistance of Emergo Group, a medical device regulatory and quality assurance consultancy. Emergo Group provided an initial analysis of DynaFlex® Anti-Snoring & Sleep Apnea Devices to determine the most cost-effective and accurate method for submitting DynaFlex’s 510(k) documents, followed by preparation and submission of the 510(k) application to the FDA for review and clearance. Emergo Group also assisted DynaFlex in assuring compliance with the FDA Quality System Regulation, 21 CFR Part 820... DynaFlex's Press Release -

Somaxon and Paladin : Silenor® EX-US Collaboration

June 8, 2011 - Somaxon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:SOMX) and Paladin Labs Inc. (TSX:PLB) announced that they have entered into an exclusive collaboration under which Paladin will commercialize Silenor® (doxepin) for the treatment of insomnia characterized by difficulty with sleep maintenance in Canada, South America and Africa. According to IMS Canada, the value of the Canadian insomnia market, mainly comprised of zopiclone, exceeded $79 million in 2010 alone and has been growing at a 5 year CAGR of 10%.


Under the terms of the agreements, Somaxon will receive an up-front payment of US$500,000, and Paladin will purchase 2,184,769 shares of Somaxon's common stock for a purchase price of US$5 million. Once Silenor is commercialized in the licensed territories, Somaxon will also be eligible to receive sales-based milestone payments of up to US$128.5 million as well as a tiered double-digit percentage of net sales in the licensed territories. Paladin will be responsible for regulatory submissions for Silenor in the licensed territories and will have the exclusive right to commercialize Silenor in the licensed territories. Governance of the collaboration will occur through a joint committee structure... Somaxon's Press Release - Paladin Labs' Press Release -