On September 2, 2021 Abbott (NYSE: ABT) reported that it has acquired Walk Vascular, LLC, a commercial-stage medical device company with a minimally invasive mechanical aspiration thrombectomy system designed to remove peripheral blood clots (Press release, Abbott, SEP 2, 2021, View Source,-LLC [SID1234587224]). Walk Vascular’s peripheral thrombectomy systems will be incorporated into Abbott’s existing endovascular product portfolio. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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"The acquisition of Walk Vascular fits well into our leading vascular device offerings and further drives Abbott’s ability to provide one-of-a-kind endovascular therapy solutions to improve patient care," said Julie Tyler, senior vice president of Abbott’s vascular business. "Walk Vascular’s technology provides physicians with tools to efficiently remove dangerous clots from blood vessels to improve patient care."

Walk Vascular’s JETi Peripheral Thrombectomy System and next-generation JETi AIO (All In One) Peripheral Thrombectomy System are unique aspiration systems for the removal of intravascular clots, known as thrombus, that can reduce blood flow and lead to serious complications for patients. The innovative JETi systems are designed to break-up and remove clots from the peripheral vascular system while reducing the risk of dislodged clots. The systems are backed by real-world clinical experiences, and Walk is currently enrolling up to 250 patients in the United States and Europe in the JETi Registry.

Both the JETi Peripheral Thrombectomy Systems have received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the aspiration and breaking up of soft emboli and thrombus from the peripheral vasculature, as well as CE Mark in Europe and approvals in other countries.

On September 2, 2021 Evotec SE (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: EVT, MDAX/TecDAX, ISIN: DE0005664809) and Secarna Pharmaceuticals GmbH & Co. KG ("Secarna"), a biopharmaceutical company focusing on the discovery and development of next-generation antisense oligonucleotide ("ASO") therapies to address challenging or previously undruggable targets via its LNAplus platform, reported that they have expanded their strategic partnership in the field of ASO-based therapeutics (Press release, Evotec, SEP 2, 2021, View Source;announcements/press-releases/p/evotec-and-secarna-pharmaceuticals-expand-strategic-partnership-in-the-field-of-antisense-drug-discovery-6094 [SID1234587222]).

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The new agreement expands the ongoing successful collaboration between Evotec and Secarna initiated in August 2020. The parties are now also working on industry partners’ discovery, research and development programmes, leveraging Secarna’s industry-leading antisense oligonucleotide expertise with Evotec’s unparalleled discovery and development capabilities.

Dr Craig Johnstone, Chief Operating Officer of Evotec, said: "We are delighted to open our strategic partnership with Secarna for third-party programmes. Secarna’s validated ASO technology provides a highly promising pathway to access targets commonly deemed ‘undruggable’. Leveraging Secarna’s LNAplus technology through the capacity and capabilities of Evotec’s multimodality drug discovery platform will unlock a vast opportunity space for a broad range of partnerships with third parties to develop disease-modifying therapies in indications with high unmet medical need."

Alexander Gebauer, MD, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Secarna Pharmaceuticals, said: "We are excited to further expand our successful alliance with Evotec. Integrating our proven expertise in the field of antisense discovery into Evotec’s well established discovery and development platform, we form a strong foundation for enabling and strengthening third-party pipelines with our LNAplus ASOs. We are looking forward to continue working with Evotec to make new therapeutic options available to industry partners and the many patients who urgently need them."

On September 2, 2021 Epigenomics AG (Frankfurt Prime Standard: ECX, OTCQX: EPGNY; the "Company") reported that a study recently published in BMC Cancer shows that blood tests, such as Epi proColon(R), can significantly increase the CRC screening rates in medically underserved populations (MUP) unwilling or unable to complete FIT or colonoscopy. For eligible participants, the rate of testing increased from 12.6% completing a FIT test the previous year to 93.5% with the blood test.

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Greg Hamilton, CEO of Epigenomics AG, commented: "CRC still is the second leading cause of cancer mortality in the U.S., despite the ability to reduce it through screening. Adherence to regular screening is key to earlier CRC detection thus reducing incidence and mortality. The findings now being published are in line with a series of previously published results that blood tests can make an important contribution to reducing the number of CRC related deaths, especially in medically underserved populations which are the most vulnerable."

In the U.S., many people are not up-to-date with CRC screening despite the available testing, with overall screening rates under 70%. This applies in particular to MUP, who share characteristics such as low income, lack of insurance or being underinsured. Although FIT has desirable characteristics for MUP, return rates are consistently low, around 10% in MUP compared to the general population. This was confirmed in the study now published. In the study, the patients were consecutively offered CRC screening by colonoscopy and FIT, according to the current guidelines for CRC screening. Only when both options were rejected, the blood test was offered. Of the 460 participants ultimately offered screening, no participant accepted the offer of colonoscopy, 30 (6.5%) chose FIT screening and 430 (93.5%) elected for mSEPT9 testing. Only two of the 30 participants who chose FIT returned the test (6.7%).

Hence, the study results show that the introduction of blood-based testing for CRC screening, when compared to FIT, has proven to be well-received by the participants, likely because of convenience and ease of testing. The result is another important contribution to the realization that FDA approved CRC screening blood tests should be incorporated into the screening paradigm, as this is a tangible solution to reduce CRC mortality.

On September 2, 2021 Almac Group reported that Khadeeja Ali Syeda, a 2021 graduate of Apex Friendship High School, has been selected as the recipient of the inaugural Almac Group Scholarship, and will receive $50,000 over the next four years (Press release, Almac, SEP 2, 2021, View Source [SID1234587217]).

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After an independent review by Triangle Community Foundation’s seasoned scholarship committee, Khadeeja was named this year’s recipient due to her impressive academic performance and involvement in the community, interest in pursuing a STEM career, and powerful personal statement. She will attend North Carolina State University and will receive, in addition to tuition assistance, mentorship opportunities and unique exposure to Almac Group’s career opportunities in the global pharmaceutical and biotech industry.

Commented Donna Christopher, Global VP of Operations, Almac Clinical Services, "Almac and the McClay Foundation support students in overcoming barriers to education across the world, and I am so pleased that we have expanded our reach to create opportunity here in the Triangle region. On behalf of Almac, we are excited to offer the inaugural Almac Group Scholarship to Khadeeja Ali Syeda, whom we had the recent pleasure of meeting at our facility in Durham prior to her first day at North Carolina State University. She is an impressive student who is well-prepared to succeed, and we look forward to continuing to forge a relationship with her as we provide support to help chart her success during her college career and beyond."

Commented Khadeeja Ali Syeda, ""I would like to thank Almac for their generosity. This scholarship will alleviate much of the financial burden I had due to the cost of my education, and will make it easier for me to pursue my goals. I am honored to have been the recipient of this award, and I am excited for the opportunities it will open up for me in the future."

The Almac Group Scholarship Fund was established in Spring2021 in partnership with Triangle Community Foundation to support a substantial, multi-year scholarship award for a selected first-year college student in the Triangle region. Triangle Community Foundation is responsible for scholarship administration and independent evaluation of scholarship candidates, and the McClay Foundation, which wholly owns the Almac Group, is the sole financier of the Fund and its subsequent awards, including this year’s award.

Commented Julia Da Silva, Scholarships Officer at Triangle Community Foundation, "We’re thrilled to be able to partner with Almac Group to support Khadeeja through her college journey and see her join our community of scholars. We can’t wait to see the positive impact she will have on her community and the amazing things she will do with the degree she has chosen to pursue."

The McClay Foundation was established by the late Sir Allen McClay, one of Northern Ireland’s most distinguished entrepreneurs and philanthropists and founder of Almac Group, with the vision to "make a meaningful improvement and advance human health," through the contributions of Almac Group’s innovative family of companies and support to a wide range of global charitable organizations.

On September 2, 2021 Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Syndax," the "Company" or "we") (Nasdaq: SNDX), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing an innovative pipeline of cancer therapies, reported that members of its management team will participate in three upcoming virtual investor conferences (Press release, Syndax, SEP 2, 2021, View Source [SID1234587213]):

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A fireside chat at the Morgan Stanley 19th Annual Global Healthcare Conference at 9:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, September 9, 2021.
A panel at the Citi 16th Annual BioPharma Virtual Conference at 9:45 a.m. ET on Friday, September 10, 2021.
A fireside chat at the Baird Global Healthcare Conference at 8:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday, September 14, 2021.
A live webcast of the Morgan Stanley presentation and Citi panel can be accessed from the Investor section of the Company’s website at www.syndax.com, where a replay of the events will also be available for a limited time.