New clinical trial – Abraxane and carboplatin as first-line treatment for triple negative metastatic breast cancer

Duke University and Abraxis Bioscience recently started a phase II clinical trial involving Abraxane (nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel), now registered in the Clinicaltrials.gov database under reference NCT01207102. The primary objective of the trial is to statistically test whether Abraxane and carboplatin can improve progression-free survival as first-line treatment for “triple negative” (no expression for estrogen, progesterone, or HER2 receptors) metastatic breast cancer. The study is not yet open for participant recruitment.

[[[ Additional links suggested by Nanocolors :

Nanoparticles & cancer therapy : volumetry in biomedical publications since 2000

Nanoparticles in clinical trial trends : comments & focus on Abraxane ]]]

New clinical trial involving a paclitaxel nanoparticle formulation

With the collaboration of Abbott, a Wake Forest University scientist is conducting a clinical trial to study the best dose and best way to give paricalcitol and to see how well it works when given together with chemotherapy in treating patients with metastatic breast cancer. It is now registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov database under reference NCT01055288. According to this page : “Beginning on day 1, patients receive oral paricalcitol. Patients also receive paclitaxel albumin-stabilized nanoparticle formulation, docetaxel, or paclitaxel once a week or ixabepilone once every 3 weeks. Treatment continues for at least 12 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity“

NanoMission : a serious game about nanotech and its applications

NanoMission is a “serious game” developped by PlayGen and designed to educate players about basic concepts in nanoscience through real world practical applications from microelectronics to drug delivery. Four modules are available and can be freely downloaded after registration on the NanoMission website :

– NanoMedicine V1

– NanoMedicine V2

– NanoImaging

– NanoScaling

Several videos from the game are available on YouTube, among which :

Focus on nanotech companies in the biomedical sector

This post focuses on companies specifically developping/proposing nanotech-based products & applications in the biomedical sector ; for each company listed below the specific area of activity and/or a flagship product or application are also mentionned :

<> BIND Biosciences (USA) : therapeutic targeted nanoparticles

<> BioNanomatrix (USA) : nanochannel array technology for genome analysis

<> Calando Pharmaceuticals (USA) : RNAi/Oligonucleotide Nanoparticle Delivery (RONDEL) technology

<> Cerulean Pharma (USA) : Nanocell nanobiology platform for multi-compartmental nanoparticle-based therapeutics

<> Cromoz (USA) : water soluble carbon nanotubes and water soluble fluorescent carbon quantum dots for the biomedical industry (drug delivery, imaging)

<> Cytimmune (USA) : colloidal gold-based nanomedicines

<> Debiotech (Switzerland) : Insulin Nanopump

<> Ferropharm (Germany) : superparamagnetic nanoparticles as contrast agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

<> Magforce Nanotechnologies (Germany) : Nano-Cancer therapy

<> MedNanotech / Medical Nanotechnologies Inc (USA) : nanoparticle functionalization, drug delivery and targeted hyperthermic therapy

<> Minerva Biotechnologies (USA) : biochips based on affinity nanoparticles for diagnosis, therapy selection, and monitoring of drug effectiveness (example : test which identifies the MUC1* biomarker)

<> NanoBioMagnetics (USA) : organ-assisting-device (OAD) technologies employing magnetically responsive nanoparticles (MNP)

<> Nanobiotix (France) : NanoXray nanoparticles

<> NanoMedical Systems (USA) : Personalized Molecular Drug delivery System

<> NanoSpectra Biosciences (USA) : Aurolase therapy for thermal destruction of solid tumors

<> Nanosphere (USA) : advanced molecular diagnostics systems

<> NanoViricides (USA) :  targeted anti-viral therapeutics utilizing nanoscale materials and processes

<> NOD Pharmaceuticals (USA/China) : Nanoparticle Oral Delivery technology

<> Omega Genesis (USA) : focused on nano-scale materials that promote or inhibit angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels)

<> Savara Pharmaceuticals (USA) : NanoCluster dry powder aerosol drug delivery platform

<> Shrink Nanotechnologies (USA) : StemDisc platform, ShrinkChip rapid prototyping system

Comments are welcome for expanding this list !

<<< Latest post update : 23/10/2010 >>>

Nano & the top 10 big chemical companies : DuPont, BASF and Bayer are the leading trio for patents

Based on an estimation using the Espacenet database, this chart illustrates how the top 10 big chemical companies (according to the 2008 Fortune 500 ranking of chemical industries) rank in terms of number of nano-related patents.

Nano patents & the top 10 defense and aerospace companies : Honeywell International, Lockheed Martin and Boeing fly ahead

Based on an estimation using the Espacenet database, this chart illustrates how the top 10 big aerospace & defense companies (according to the 2008 Fortune 500 ranking of aerospace & defense industries) rank in terms of number of nano-related patents.

[[[ Additional links suggested by Nanocolors :

# Nano Terra Inc. and Honeywell Aerospace announce development and licensing agreement

# Lockheed Martin gives LANCER program high marks

# Boeing develops nano rhenium composite alloys for space applications ]]]

Nano & the top 10 big semiconductor suppliers : Sony and Intel far behind Samsung for patents

Based on an estimation using the Espacenet database, this chart illustrates how the top 10 big semiconductor suppliers (according to the 2008 ranking of the top semiconductor suppliers released on Electronicsweekly.com) rank in terms of number of nano-related patents. The domination of Samsung is obvious, with close to 60% of the total number of patents over these 10 companies ; Sony and Intel are respectively n°2 and n°3.

[[[ Additional link suggested by Nanocolors :

# Nano & electronics : volumetry of patents since 2000 ]]]

Nano & the top 10 big cosmetics companies : L’Oréal, Procter & Gamble and Henkel on the podium for patents

Based on an estimation using the Espacenet database, this chart illustrates how the top 10 big cosmetics companies (according to Beauty Packaging’s annual ranking of the Top Global Beauty Companies) rank in terms of number of nano-related patents.

[[[ Additional link suggested by Nanocolors :

# Nano & cosmetics patents since 2000 ]]]

Will you feel sexy wearing nanotech at the beach ?

Sun Dry Swim is a brand of swimwear that “dries itself in seconds“. According to the company, the fabric “has an invisible nanotechnology mesh around each fabric fiber, creating a permanent water repelling material without interfering with the fabric weave. This effect creates an easy to clean, breathable protected surface with water resistant properties, the material cannot soak up liquid, while the fabric still looks and performs like top quality swimsuit fabric.” (see this press release). Then the question remains : will you feel sexy wearing nanotech at the beach ?

[[[ Additional link suggested by Nanocolors :

# Nano & textiles : volumetry of patents since 2000 ]]]

Preclinical efficacy of calcium nanoparticles adjuvanted influenza vaccines including H1N1 and H5N1

According to a presentation entitled “BioVant Calcium Phosphate (CaP) Nanoparticles: An Effective Safe Adjuvant for Influenza Vaccines including H1N1 and H5N1” given by BioSante Pharmaceuticals at the Immunotherapeutics & Vaccine Summit (ImVacS) last week : “BioSante’s vaccine adjuvant, BioVant™, increased the protective effect of vaccines for multiple flu strains, including a potential new vaccine against H1N1 (swine flu), which resulted in 100 percent protection from symptoms of illness, including weight loss, and death in animal studies.” More precisely the adjuvant “effectively enhanced the natural immune response to the swine flu, using a BioVant-adjuvanted matrix protein M1 vaccine, and to H5N1 (bird flu), using a BioVant- adjuvanted H5N1 vaccine delivered via intranasal administration.” (see the company’s full press release for other details). BioSante Pharmaceuticals now seemingly plans to license BioVant to a vaccine maker (see Reuters article).  

[[[ Additional links suggested by Nanocolors :

# Nano & vaccines in patents since 2000 ]]]