Epitarget

NEWS ARCHIVE DOWNLOADS		News Archive For news subscription please send 'subscribe' to Epitarget at MRgFUS 2010 17 August 2010 Mr. Esben A. Nilssen PhD CEO will represent Epitarget at the 2nd International Symposium on MR-guided Focused Ultrasound 17-20 October 2010. The symposium will take place in Chantilly near Washington, DC. For more information please visit the web pages of Focused Ultrasound Surgery Foundation and the Symposium. Henrik Lund and Praveen Sharma Join the Epitarget Board 13 August 2010 Mr. Henrik Lund MD PhD and Mr. Praveen Sharma PhD were elected new members of the board of directors at Epitarget’s Annual General Meeting, 24 June 2010. Dr. Lund is Global Vice President MC Clinical Development, AstraZeneca R&D, while Dr. Sharma is the Director of Technology and co-founder of DiaGenic ASA, a molecular diagnostics company based in Oslo, Norway. Former board members Willy Eidsaunet and Christian Clemm will continue as Epitarget advisors Epitarget Completes NOK 2.5 mill Share Issue 25 June 2010 Epitarget AS has today completed a private placement of 2,500,000 shares at a subscription price of NOK 1 per share. The share issue was directed at existing shareholders. An updated list of shareholders is published on our investor web pages. Therapy Data Presented at ISTU 2011 12 June 2010 Dr. Cyril Lafon of INSERM (Lyon, France) will today present therapy data at the 10th International Symposium on Therapeutic Ultrasound in Tokyo, Japan in a presentation titled "Combination of ultrasound and doxorubicin-loaded sonosensitive liposomes for treating tumors: proof of concept in vivo". The study will be published in an international journal later this year. Dr. Cyril Lafon Wins Award 11 June 2010 The Fred Lizzi Early Career Award was today presented to Dr. Cyril Lafon (INSERM, Lyon France) at the 10th International Symposium on Therapeutic Ultrasound in Tokyo, Japan. Dr. Lafon has the last three years been involved in the development of Epitarget’s ultrasound mediated drug delivery technology. Epitarget Granted Norwegian Patent 11 May 2010 The Norwegian Patent Office has today issued a decision to grant a patent on Epitarget’s MRI trackable drug delivery technology. Chief Scientific Officer Steps Down 7 April 2010 Ms. Sigrid Fossheim stepped down as CSO of Epitarget 1 April 2010. She has made significant contributions to the development of sonosensitive liposomes at Epitarget over the last four years and will be missed. The Board of Directors wish her all the best in her new position as R&D Director at Clavis Pharma ASA. A process to identify her successor has been initiated. Epitarget Granted Patent in Norway 2 March 2010 The Norwegian Patent Office notified today that a patent will be granted based on Epitarget’s patent application "Acoustically sensitive drug delivery particles". Drug Delivery Feature in Newspaper Adresseavisen 9 November 2009 The Norwegian newspaper Adresseavisen today features an article on ultrasound mediated drug delivery. The article may be downloaded here. Emerging Company Profile in BioCentury 26 October 2009 BioCentury’s The Bernstein Report on BioBusiness features today the Emerging Company Profile about Epitarget. Epitarget to Present at ECC Partnering in France 26 August 2009 Dr. Sigrid L. Fossheim, Chief Scientific Officer, will be presenting at the Investment Room at the European Cancer Cluster (ECC) Partnering Event to be held at the Centre des congres Pierre Baudis, Toulouse, 3 September 2009. Epitarget at CRS Conference Copenhagen 26 August 2009 Ms. Tove J. Evjen, Research Scientist, presented R&D data on Epitarget’s first generation sonosensitive liposomes at the Controlled Release Society Conference in Copenhagen, 18-22 July 2009. During the conference Ms. Evjen was awarded a poster prize from CRS Nordic Chapter. Norwegian Research Council Awards Industrial PhD Grant 26 August 2009 Epitarget has been awarded an Industrial PhD grant from the Norwegian Research Council on a project aiming to further develop sonosensitive liposomes. The Council supports the project with NOK 1.4 mill. over a period of three years. Tone Ikdahl and Tom Pike Join the Epitarget Board 26 August 2009 Ms. Tone Ikdahl MD PhD and Mr. Tom Pike were elected new members of the board at the Annual General Meeting, 22 June 2009. Ms. Ikdahl is an oncologist and Head of Department at the Cancer Clinic of Oslo University Hospital Ulleval. Mr. Pike has been Chairman and CEO of Clavis Pharma ASA, partner at venture capital group NeoMed, and has held several management positions at Hoffman-La Roche Norway and Switzerland. Epitarget to Present at Anglonordic Biotech Conference 23 April 2009 Dr. Esben A. Nilssen, Chief Executive Officer, will be presenting at the Atlas Venture’s Investment Room at the Anglonordic Biotech Conference to be held at the DBERR Conference Centre, 1 Victoria Street, London, 23 April 2009. New Offices and Laboratories 10 December 2008 Epitarget today moves to new offices and state-of-the-art laboratories at GlaxoSmithKline Innovation Centre in Forskningsveien 2A, Oslo. The Centre is well located between the National Hospital, Oslo Innovation Centre and University of Oslo. The Company’s mailing address and telephone numbers will remain unchanged. Epitarget in Business Magazine 7 November 2008 The Norwegian business magazine Kapital presents Oslo Cancer Cluster and Epitarget in an eight page article today. Board Member Purchases Warrants 31 October 2008 New board member Dr. Christian Clemm has purchased 4,000 warrants of Epitarget at a price of NOK 10 per warrant, each warrant entitling the holder to purchase one Epitarget share at a price of NOK 160 on or before 30 June 2013. The warrants may be exercised with one half after one and two years, respectively. This in accordance with the decision of the Shareholder’s Meetings 7 December 2007 and 30 June 2008. New Collaboration Aims at Fighting Pancreatic Cancer 13 October 2008 Professor Frederic Prat MD and Dr Cyril Lafon of Cochin Hospital Paris and Inserm Lyon, respectively, have been awarded a EUR 242,000 grant (NOK 2 mill) from Agence National pour la Recherche on a project addressing pancreatic cancer in collaboration with Epitarget. With a total budget of EUR 750,000 (NOK 6 mill) the project aims at demonstrating the feasibility of treating pancreatic cancer with a combination of high intensity ultrasound and drug carrying particles. Research Project Awarded Funding 13 October 2008 The Strategic program in Medical Technology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and the Norwegian Cancer Society fund two PhD students and R&D costs on the project "Transport of encapsulated drugs in cancer tissue: the impact of ultrasound" at NTNU. The project is a collaboration between Prof. Catharina Davies (Project Head, Dept of physics, NTNU), Prof. Bjørn Angelsen (Dept of Circulation and Medical Imaging, NTNU), Prof. Dag Rune Olsen (Dept. of Radiation Biology, Rikshospitalet), and Epitarget. Dr. Christian Clemm New Board Member 30 July 2008 The General Meeting 30 June 2008 elected Mr. Christian Clemm MD new member of the Board of Directors. Dr. Clemm has a medical degree and an MBA from the University of Oslo and the Norwegian School of Management, respectively. He has 16 years of experience from the pharmaceutical industry and currently serves as Medical Director at AstraZeneca Norway AS. Epitarget in the News 2 June 2008 Epitarget is mentioned in an article about Oslo Cancer Cluster in the latest edition of Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News. To read the online version, please go here. Board Members Acquire Warrants 5 May 2008 The members of the Board have acquired 14,000 warrants at a price of NOK 10 per warrant. The warrants may be exercised at NOK 160 with one half after one and two years, respectively. This in accordance with the decision of the extraordinary Shareholder’s Meeting in December 2007. Epitarget Raises NOK 4.85 mill 5 May 2008 Epitarget AS has raised NOK 4.85 mill in private capital including a private placement of 34,120 shares at a subscription price of NOK 125 per share. Lead investors were The Norwegian Radium Hospital Research Foundation, MP Pensjon, Investor Venture I KS, and Holbergfondene. The funds will financially enable the Company to complete several animal studies within the course of 2008, including the first proof-of-principle study of Epitarget’s novel drug delivery particles. The latter study is an important Company milestone and will be completed within year-end. Research Cooperation With EDAP TMS SA and INSERM 9 April 2008 Epitarget AS is pleased to announce a research cooperation with EDAP TMS SA (Nasdaq: EDAP) and INSERM, to work at improving delivery of cancer drugs using a combination of ultrasound sensitive liposomes and therapeutic ultrasound (HIFU). The project has recently been awarded a grant of NOK 2.7 mill via the French Norwegian Foundation funded by the Foundation, French Ministry of Research (DREIC) and the French Innovation Agency (OSEO). The Project has also obtained EUREKA status, which is a European quality label and a prerequisite for obtaining French public support on industrial projects. Please also see separate announcement by EDAP here. EDAP TMS SA develops and markets Ablatherm, the most advanced and clinically proven choice for high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment of localised prostate cancer. For more information on the company, please visit EDAP TMS SA and www.hifu-planet.com. INSERM is the only French public organization entirely dedicated to biological, medical and public health research and employs 6000 researchers throughout France. The participating Unit 556 in Lyon focuses on therapeutic applications of ultrasound. For more information, please visit www.inserm.fr. New Home Page 12 February 2008 CancerCure AS was renamed Epitarget AS in January. In the process new web pages and company logo were introduced providing a refreshed graphical profile. Epitarget New Company Name! 7 December 2007 CancerCure AS will be renamed Epitarget AS in January 2008. The name Epitarget alludes to the fact that we bring more to market than just drug delivery: reduced toxicity, increased intracellular uptake, and improved drug efficacy. In short, more life. New Member of the Board 7 December 2007 CancerCure is pleased to announce that Mr. Willy Eidsaunet has joined the Board of Directors. Mr. Eidsaunet has 35 years of management experience from the pharmaceutical and diagnostics industry. He is presently serving as Senior Vice President of Technology Collaboration at GE Healthcare. Epitarget to Present at Liposome Conference 30 November 2007 CancerCure will be represented by Dr. Sigrid L. Fossheim at the Annual Meeting of the International Liposome Society, London, December 8-11th 2007. Research data on sonosensitive liposomes will be given as an oral presentation. Dr. Fossheim has also been invited to give a lecture at the Nanoscience Bachelor Programme at the Institute of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen. The lecture will focus on nanomedicine with particular emphasis on sonosensitive liposomes. The lecture will be given March 3rd 2008. CancerCure at Genesis Conference 16 October 2007 CancerCure will be represented by Esben A. Nilssen and Håkon Sæterøy at the London Genesis Conference, 13 December 2007. The event will take place at Queen Elisabeth II Conference Centre. Change in leadership 13 August 2007 CancerCure AS is happy to announce that Mr. Esben A. Nilssen has been appointed Managing Director of CancerCure. Ms. Sigrid L. Fossheim will assume the position of Director - R&D. Nilssen and Fossheim joined CancerCure in 2006 and initiated the transformation of CancerCure into a pharmaceutical drug delivery company. The recent spin out of the company’s device technology (see below) will allow the new leadership to fully focus on developing CancerCure into a successful drug delivery company. CancerCure sells device technology 13 August 2007 (Updated 23 October 2007) CancerCure AS sells its medical device activities to newly established independent company CancerCure Technologies AS (CCT). CCT aims to develop monitoring systems for therapeutic ultrasound devices in collaboration with the Interventional Centre at the National Hospital. The new company will be headed by former CancerCure managing director Mr. Gunnar Myhr. Innovation Norway has awarded NOK 3.5 mill in support of the further development of CCT technology. The spin out will both facilitate the transformation of CancerCure AS into a pharmaceutical company focusing on ultrasound sensitive liposomes, as well as render the values within device development more visible. Affiliate Researcher wins Norwegian Government Scholarship 9 May 2007 Researcher Avi Schroeder of the Ben Gurion University of the Negev (Israel) has been awarded a Norwegian Government Scholarship to conduct research at the University of Tromsø in collaboration with Professor Martin Brandl and CancerCure. Mr. Schroeder currently investigates ultrasound mediated drug delivery under the supervision of Professors J. Kost (Ben Gurion University) and Y. Barenholz (Hebrew University) and has recently published his findings in scientific journal Langmuir. CancerCure at BIO 2007 Boston 6 May 2007 CancerCure exhibits at the BIO 2007 Scandinavia pavilion in Boston 6-9 May 2007. Also, a presentation of CancerCure will be given at the Post-Bio showcasing and networking event Scandinavian Core Competence In Translational Cancer Research And Innovation at Biogen Idec, Cambridge, MA on 10 May 2007. Mr Håkon Sæterøy will represent CancerCure at both events. CancerCure awarded NOK 8.74 mill. from the Research Council’s NANOMAT programme 27 April 2007 CancerCure was notified today by the Norwegian Research Council that NOK 8.74 mill will be awarded from the NANOMAT funds. The grant will be employed in a multidisciplinary 4 year research project on sonosensitive liposomes involving CancerCure, INSERM Lyon (France), Norwegian Radiumhospital, and University of Tromsø. The aim of the Council’s initiative within nanotechnology and materials technology (NANOMAT) is to enforce basic knowledge in order to pave the way for new knowledge-based and research-intensive industry, and provide a sustainable revitalisation of established Norwegian industry. US Patent and Trademark Office grants patent 8 February 2007 US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today informed CancerCure that a patent will be granted on our acoustic probe technology. The probe is designed for introduction into a natural or surgically created cavity in the patient, in close proximity to the cancer tumour to be treated. Helse Sør RHF supports research on drug delivery 4 January 2007 Helse Sør RHF grants NOK 360.400 to support a collaborative research project between the Rikshospitalet-Radiumhospitalet HF Montebello (RR HF) and CancerCure AS. The grant provides additional funds to our joint project on novel acoustically sensitive liposomes. CancerCure currently funds two researchers at the RR HF Institute for Cancer Research on this project. CancerCure raises NOK 8 mill in private placement 4 January 2007 On December 13, 2006, CancerCure AS successfully completed a private placement of 50.000 shares at a subscription price of NOK 160 per share. Gross proceeds from the placement were NOK 8 mill, of which new investors contributed half of the amount. Lead investors were Investor Venture I KS, Holbergfondene and MP Pensjon. Including 4166 shares which are not formally registered at the Brønnøysund Register Centre due to technical reasons, the total number of outstanding shares is 233.993, representing a market capitalization of the Company of NOK 37.4 mill post share issue. The funds will support basic operations and research in 2007. CancerCure in Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten 23 October 2006 Major Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten reports 19 October on the race toward more efficient cancer therapies. CancerCure’s drug delivery technology is presented as well as the company’s potential to become a significant Norwegian venture. Read the article here. Award of public funding 22 August 2006 CancerCure has today been informed that it has been allocated NOK 150.000 of the Norwegian Research Council’s Nanomat funds. The funds will be employed in a 3-month pilot study on ultrasound mediated drug release in collaboration with Professor Martin Brandl at the University of Tromsø. The scientific results will form part of a comprehensive application to the Research Council in the last quarter of 2006. Second position at Norwegian Radium Hospital filled 18 August 2006 CancerCure funds two research positions at the Norwegian Radium Hospital to perform studies related to ultrasound mediated drug release from nanoparticles. As earlier reported Dr. Petras Juzenas commenced 1 April 06. We are now pleased to make public that Ms Cecilia Leal Lauten will fill the second position from 1 October 06. Ms Lauten has a Master degree in industrial chemistry from the University of Coimbra, Portugal. She will defend her PhD Thesis on physicochemical characterisations of lipid/DNA complexes in September at the University of Lund, Sweden. CancerCure funds positions at the Norwegian Radium Hospital 29 March 2006 CancerCure funds two research positions at the Norwegian Radium Hospital to study ultrasound mediated drug release from nanoparticles. One of the positions has already been filled by Dr. Petras Juzenas. Dr. Juzenas has a degree in physics from the University of Vilnius, Lithuania, and a Ph.D. within photodynamic therapy from the University of Oslo. Research Collaboration Agreement 6 March 2006 CancerCure has signed an agreement with the Norwegian Radium Hospital Research Foundation concerning transfer of intellectual property rights (IPR) to vitamin D derivates for cancer therapy. According to the agreement CancerCure has the right to IPR within the vitamin D field originating from the Norwegian Radium Hospital and National Hospital. New Appointments 1 March 2006 Drs. Sigrid Fossheim and Esben A. Nilssen join CancerCure. Dr. Fossheim joins CancerCure from GE Healthcare where she served as a Product Stream Leader, while Dr. Nilssen has earlier served as a patent attorney at Zacco Norway AS. For more information, please consult "About CancerCure".