Houston, TX – November 26, 2018 – DNAtrix, a leader in oncolytic virus immunotherapies for cancer, announced today the treatment of the first patient with DNX-2440, an oncolytic virus expressing OX40 ligand (OX40L). The first-in-human Phase 1 study is evaluating the safety and efficacy of DNX-2440, administered by Alcyone's Microtip Cannula at the time of biopsy, to patients with recurrent glioblastoma for whom surgery is not possible or planned. DNX-2440 is the second DNAtrix oncolytic adenovirus to advance into the clinic.
DNX-2440 is engineered from DNAtrix's highly potent oncolytic adenovirus, DNX-2401 (tasadenoturev), which has already demonstrated the ability to selectively kill tumor cells and trigger a powerful immune response directed against the tumor in several clinical studies. In addition to these mechanisms, DNX-2440 expresses OX40L, a critical costimulatory molecule known to enhance antitumor immune responses.
Extensive preclinical data have shown that DNX-2440 elicits tumor-specific immune memory and an abscopal effect (shrinking of an untreated tumor distant from the treated tumor), leading to prolonged survival in difficult-to-treat animal models of cancer, including gliomas, melanomas, and breast and lung cancers.
"Based on our observations from past studies with DNX-2401, we expect DNX-2440 to be safely administered and well tolerated, and to enhance clinical responses and prolong survival in patients with this devastating disease," said Ricardo Diez Valle, MD, Principal Investigator of the study at Clínica Universidad de Navarra, in Spain.
For more information about ongoing DNAtrix clinical studies, visit the ClinicalTrials.gov website: NCT03714334 (DNX-2440 for recurrent glioblastoma), NCT02798406 (DNX-2401 + pembrolizumab for recurrent glioblastoma), and NCT03178032 (DNX-2401 for newly diagnosed pediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, DIPG). In these ongoing studies, DNX-2401 and DNX-2440 are administered intratumorally via a proprietary microtip cannula developed by Alcyone Lifesciences.
To access the recently published paper on DNX-2440, visit the Cancer Research website http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/77/14/3894.long.
Houston, TX – November 15, 2018 – DNAtrix, a leader in oncolytic virus immunotherapies for cancer, will present interim results from the ongoing Phase 2 trial of its oncolytic virus DNX-2401 (tasadenoturev) with pembrolizumab for patients with recurrent glioblastoma at the upcoming 2018 Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) which is being held in New Orleans, Louisiana from November 15th - 18th.
"I am excited by the early results of the trial. We have had some very remarkable responses. If I had not done the case myself, I would not have believed the complete response we have seen in one of our patients," said Gelareh Zadeh, MD, Associate Professor at the Department of Surgery University of Toronto, and presenting author for the CAPTIVE / KEYNOTE-192 study.
For more information about ongoing DNAtrix clinical studies, visit the ClinicalTrials.gov website: NCT03714334 (DNX-2440 for recurrent glioblastoma), NCT02798406 (DNX-2401 + pembrolizumab for recurrent glioblastoma), and NCT03178032 (DNX-2401 for newly diagnosed pediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, DIPG).
DNAtrix is a privately held, clinical stage, biopharmaceutical company developing oncolytic virus immunotherapies for cancer. Its oncolytic adenovirus platform viruses initiate a chain reaction of tumor cell killing by selectively replicating within cancer cells (but not normal cells), triggering an immune response directed against tumors. DNAtrix has multiple virus candidates in clinical trials for cancers with urgent needs for novel approaches. For more information, please visit the company website at https://www.DNAtrix.com.
Houston, USA & Helsinki, Finland – November 13, 2018 – DNAtrix and Valo Therapeutics today announced an exclusive R&D collaboration to develop enhanced vaccines using DNAtrix's clinical stage viruses and Valo's proprietary antigenic peptide technology.
DNAtrix's clinical stage oncolytic adenovirus platform and Valo's PeptiCRAd (Peptide-coated Conditionally Replicating Adenovirus) vaccination technology will be combined to generate a novel "armed oncolytic vaccine" for cancer therapy. While oncolytic adenoviruses alone offer a promising strategy to treat cancer, in combination with PeptiCRAd, superior and durable immunological protection against most forms of solid tumors is expected. Given the ease with which this therapy can be adapted for emerging neoantigens, it has significant potential as a personalized therapeutic capable of focusing the immune system on generating cancer specific CD8+ (killer) T cells on a case by case basis.
Houston, TX – November 7, 2018 – DNAtrix, a leader in oncolytic virus immunotherapies for cancer, announced today that MD Anderson Cancer Center collaborator, Juan Fueyo, MD, will present preclinical results for DNX-2440, an armed oncolytic adenovirus that expresses OX40 ligand (OX40L) in infected tumor cells, at the upcoming 2018 Annual Meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) in Washington, DC from November 7th - 11th.
Treatment of syngeneic tumors in a B16F10 melanoma model with murine DNX-2440 (a.k.a. Delta-24-RGDOX) led to prolonged survival, inhibition of injected tumors, and an abscopal effect for untreated tumors. Surviving mice treated with DNX-2440 demonstrated immune memory when rechallenged.
DNAtrix is a privately held, clinical stage, biopharmaceutical company developing oncolytic virus immunotherapies for cancer. Its oncolytic adenovirus platform viruses initiate a chain reaction of tumor cell killing by selectively replicating within cancer cells (but not normal cells), triggering an immune response directed against tumors. DNAtrix has multiple virus candidates in clinical trials for cancers with urgent need for novel approaches. The company's investors include Morningside Ventures and Mercury Fund. For more information, please visit the company website at http://www.DNAtrix.com.
SAN ANTONIO, TX – October 27th, 2018 – Bluegrass Vascular Technologies (Bluegrass Vascular), a private medical technology company focused on innovating lifesaving devices and methods for vascular access procedures, announced today its Surfacer® Inside-Out® Access Catheter System has demonstrated positive commercial use, consistently achieving central venous access in patients with upper body occlusions. The study, presented today in a poster session at the 2018 American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Annual Meeting in San Diego, California, builds on positive results from the company's post-market international SAVE Registry announced earlier this month.
The results of the retrospective, independent study evaluating 32 cases with the Surfacer System demonstrated an impressive 97% success rate in all patients. In one patient access was not achieved due to significant scoliosis altering the anatomy. There were zero device-related complications reported, including bleeding, hematoma and catheter-related infection, and all patients displayed similar catheter function at three months.
The Surfacer System is a novel, CE-Marked device designed to reliably, safely and repeatedly gain central venous access for hemodialysis patients awaiting maturation of permanent vascular access. Failed venous access attempts may prevent permanent AV access, increasing patient morbidity and the overall cost of care.
The Surfacer System is designed to reliably, efficiently and repeatedly gain central venous access by inserting the Surfacer System through the femoral vein and navigating it up through the patient's venous system with an exit point in the right internal jugular vein, the optimal location for placing a central venous catheter. This proprietary Inside-Out approach allows for the placement and maturation of permanent arteriovenous access options that are associated with improved patient outcomes and reduced cost of care for both hospitals and hemodialysis providers. The Surfacer System is CE marked and distributed in Europe by Merit Medical, a prominent global distributor of medical devices.
New treatment combining virus and immunotherapy to be tried out on brain tumors for the first time.
The Clínica Universidad de Navarra (Spain) is the only center to start clinical trials with the new therapy designed for adult patients with recurrent glioblastoma.
The new type of genetically modified virus has been developed by DNAtrix Inc. (USA) and designed by the laboratory of doctors Juan Fueyo and Candelaria Gómez-Manzano at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston (USA).
Pamplona, Spain - 24 October 2018. For the first time a new therapy that combines a genetically modified virus with immunotherapy is to be tried out on patients. The trial shall be conducted by a team at the Clínica Universidad de Navarra, who shall apply the new treatment to the most aggressive brain tumor, the glioblastoma. The agent employed to destroy the tumor cells (oncolytic) in this case is the genetically modified virus DNX-2440, produced by the company DNAtrix, which has an added new feature: "The new virus makes a unique contribution and that is that once it has infected the tumor cell it makes the cell produce OX40L, a co-activating molecule of the immune system", says Dr. Ricardo Díez Valle, neuro-surgeon and head of the Brain Tumors Section of the Clínica Universidad de Navarra.
This pioneering clinical trial with the new immunotherapeutic molecule contains a radically new element in comparison to previous research with genetically modified viruses. In previous studies, it was shown that oncolytic viruses can induce an immune response that attacks the tumor, but this is the first virus in the world that is expressly designed to boost the response.
The Clínica shall be the only center to commence research on patient using the new therapy, geared towards adults with recurrent glioblastoma (patients already treated for the tumor, which has developed once again). The main priority of the Phase I study, which commenced this October, will be to check the safety of the therapy.
The treatment using a virus modified with the co-activating molecule of the immune system was designed by the laboratory of doctors Juan Fueyo and Candelaria Gómez-Manzano, of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, and developed by the biopharmaceutical company DNAtrix, both in Houston (Texas, USA).
Research into this treatment for glioblastoma is of special interest because it the most aggressive brain tumor known to exist. Its incidence is 3 new cases a year per 100,000 inhabitants and the age interval in which it most frequently appears is between 45 and 70 years.
A number of clinical trials have been conducted to test the efficacy and safety of treatment with viruses genetically modified to acquire oncolytic properties (destruction of tumor cells). The Clínica team, led by Dr. Díez Valle and Dr. Sonia Tejada, neuro-surgeon at the Clínica , and Dr. Marta Alonso, director of the brain tumor biological therapy laboratory of The Clínica and CIMA, participated with Dr. Fueyo's team in previous research published in February in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The therapy used then on patients with glioblastoma consisted of injections of the DNX-2401 virus, whose oncolytic actions were demonstrated.
The results of the research were promising inasmuch as long-term survivals in cases of recurrent high-grade gliomas were achieved. The study's conclusions related the efficacy of the therapy to the oncolytic effects of the virus followed by an immune response against the brain tumor. The new virus is designed to increase these responses.
The Clínica is currently maintaining a line of basic (Dr. Alonso) and clinical research with oncolytic viruses. Dr. Tejada shall continue along the same lines with another clinical trial using this virus, designed for children with diffuse pontine tumors.
The virus to be used is an adenovirus (common virus that mostly affects the respiratory tract) that has been modified to make it effective for treating glioblastoma. Three genetic modifications are carried out on the adenovirus to eliminate the tumor cells. Two were already present in the previous version: part of the genetic chain of the DNA that codifies one of the most important proteins of the virus has been eliminated. By removing the function of this protein, the virus lacks capacity to multiply in a normal healthy cell, which makes it harmless in that regard", says doctor Díez Valle.
A feature of tumor cells is their tendency to always be activated for multiplication, which enables the modified virus to replicate inside them until the cells are killed by lysis". Another feature is that a change has been made to the way it is inserted into the cells, making it easier for them to enter the cancer cells than the healthy ones.
In the new virus, the immune response is boosted thanks to the third change made to the virus DNX-2440. It induces synthesis in the infected cells of a co-activated molecule in the patient's immune system. The new therapy arose from a finding made in previous trials with oncolytic viruses. The researchers observed that when the therapies were applied there was a natural activation of the patient's immune system against the tumor cells after inoculation with the virus.
As a result, the laboratory of Drs. Fueyo and Gómez-Manzano designed the new treatment in which the action of the virus in destroying the tumor is boosted with this immune activation thanks to a new specific molecule, OX40L, which makes the boosted effect of the immune system activity take place solely in the tumor, and not in the rest of the body, which makes it more effective and less toxic.
The trial methodology commences with a biopsy of the cancerous tissue to corroborate the diagnosis of recurrence of the disease. After establishing that the glioblastoma has reappeared, the virus is injected directly into the tumor. To inoculate the virus in the brain tissue, the team has a special cannula to administer the injection to facilitate diffusion of the virus inside the tumor. The system used is a radically new one designed by the American company, Alcyone Lifesciences.
The specialists expect the tumor to progressively decrease in size over the course of several weeks, in much the same way as in previous trials. Dr. Díez Valle has commented that patients with glioblastoma who took part in other trials using therapies with genetically modified viruses have remained free of the disease years after participating in the trial.
For further information, please contact the Communication Dept. of the Clínica Universidad de Navarra by calling the following number: +34 948 296 497 (Dolors Marco, Mónica Ruiz de la Cuesta, Katrin Astiz, or María Luisa Guerrero).
SAN ANTONIO, TX – October 15, 2018 – Bluegrass Vascular Technologies (Bluegrass Vascular), a private medical technology company focused on innovating lifesaving devices and methods for vascular access procedures, announced today it has successfully completed enrollment of its prospective, multicenter, post-CE Mark, international SAVE (Surfacer® System to Facilitate Access in VEnous Occlusions) Registry. In addition, the company also announced expanded patient enrollment and study sites in the SAVE-US (Surfacer System to Facilitate Access in VEnous Occlusions – United States), a pre-market investigational device exempt (IDE) Study. Positive results and trends were respectively demonstrated in both studies with use of the Surfacer® Inside-Out® Access Catheter System, a novel device designed to facilitate reliable upper body central venous access suitable for patients with upper body venous occlusions or other conditions that preclude central venous access by conventional methods.
Of patients enrolled in the international SAVE registry, central venous catheters were placed according to labeled indications in 29 of 30 patients with a 100% success in achieving patency and access. Absence of adverse events in data reported for all treated patients with a single conversion in one patient (3%) with a significant vascular anomaly preventing access. All primary safety and performance endpoints were met in 29 of 30 patients. Patients presented with a variety of occlusion types, including 16 patients (30.2%) with bilateral internal jugular (BIJ) and subclavian (SC) occlusion, 17 patients (32.1%) with brachiocephalic (BC) occlusion, 12 patients with (22.6%) superior vena cava (SVC) occlusion above the azygos and 8 patients (15.1%) with total occlusion of the SVC.
The expanded enrollment in the U.S. IDE to six sites in its 30-patient SAVE-US pivotal trial will continue to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Surfacer System as demonstrated in the international SAVE registry.
Searcy, Ark. – October 3, 2018 – Unity Health's White County Medical Center was the first hospital in Arkansas to join the Mayo Clinic Care Network, a network of health care providers committed to better serving patients and their families through collaboration, and is the only hospital in Arkansas to receive the prestigious Governor's Quality Award twice. As evidence of its commitment to patient safety, White County Medical Center was one of the first hospitals in Arkansas to adopt Xenex LightStrike™ Germ-Zapping Robots™ for room disinfection as its environmental standard of care.
The facility is currently using three LightStrike robots to disinfect over 30 rooms per day in four targeted units as well as the Operating Rooms (after the day's procedures have been completed). Using a high intensity, pulsed xenon ultraviolet (UV) light, the robots quickly and effectively disinfect patient rooms of hard to kill pathogens such as Clostridium difficile (C. diff), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). If these microscopic pathogens are missed by manual cleaning, they can linger on surfaces in the patient environment for up to 6 months and pose a risk to patients and hospital employees.
As superbugs such as C. diff, MRSA, and VRE become more difficult to kill, hospitals are increasingly turning to pulsed xenon UV disinfection technology to help them keep their hospitals free of dangerous microorganisms. Numerous healthcare facilities throughout the U.S. have credited the LightStrike robots in peer-reviewed, published studies for helping them reduce their C.diff, MRSA and Surgical Site Infection rates 46% – 100%.
Stuart, FL – September 28, 2018 – Patient safety is a top priority at Martin Medical Center, which recently announced that it has seen a significant reduction in its Clostridium difficile (C.diff) infection rates since adopting Xenex LightStrike™ Germ-Zapping Robots™ as its environmental standard of care. Recognizing that germs and bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to cleaning chemicals, antibiotics and even some hand sanitizers, the facility invested in two LightStrike robots which quickly destroy the microorganisms that can cause healthcare associated infections (HAIs). Martin Medical Center is the flagship hospital for Martin Health System, which has also adopted the germ-zapping technology at its other two hospitals: Tradition Medical Center and Martin Hospital South. These two facilities have also reported significant reductions in their C. diff infection rates.
Although the hospital had very low infection rates prior to deploying the robots, Martin Medical Center's goal was to ensure it stayed one of the cleanest hospitals in Florida. The LightStrike robots use high intensity, pulsed xenon ultraviolet (UV) light to quickly disinfect patient rooms of harmful pathogens such as C. diff, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) that can cause HAIs.
With the rise of superbugs that are increasingly hard to kill, hospitals like Martin Medical Center are turning to LightStrike robots to help rid their facilities of dangerous pathogens. LightStrike robots have been credited in peer-reviewed, published studies by numerous healthcare facilities for helping them reduce their C.diff, MRSA and Surgical Site Infection rates 46%-100%.
At Martin Medical Center, the LightStrike robots are used in patient rooms across five high risk units and ancillary areas to ensure the cleanest rooms possible for their most vulnerable patients.
The LightStrike robotic disinfection system works by pulsing xenon, an inert gas, at a high intensity in a xenon ultraviolet flashlamp. This produces intense ultraviolet C (UVC) light which penetrates the cell walls of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, mold, fungus and spores. Their DNA is fused, rendering them unable to reproduce or mutate, effectively killing them on surfaces. Requiring no warm-up or cool-down time, the robots work quickly and add only 10-15 minutes to room turnover time.
Martin Health System is a not-for-profit, community-based health care organization that has served the region for nearly 80 years. It offers a continuum of care including preventive, primary and acute hospital care, as well as cancer and cardiac care, wellness and rehabilitation services. Its approximately 4,500 associates, 400 affiliated physicians and more than 850 volunteers provide care at 13 different locations serving Martin and St. Lucie counties on Florida's Treasure Coast. To learn more, visit martinhealth.org.
Lakeland, FL – September 26, 2018 – In its ongoing commitment to patient safety, Lakeland Surgical & Diagnostic Center, LLP (LSDC) was the first Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) in Florida to deploy a state-of-the-art LightStrike™ disinfection device. The Xenex LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robot™ quickly destroys the pathogens in Operating Rooms that can cause infections and pose a risk to patient safety. Since deploying two robots at the end of 2017, LSDC has seen a reduction in Surgical Site Infection (SSI) rates at both of its surgical locations.
The LightStrike robots harness the power of pulsed xenon to create intense, full spectrum ultraviolet (UV) light that quickly and effectively destroys hard to kill pathogens that can cause infections such as Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus, Klebsiella and Pseudomonas, which are capable of living on Operating Room (OR) surfaces from 1.5 hours to more than 30 months, even after it has been cleaned with traditional methods. LSDC is using its robots to disinfect patient rooms, treatment areas, and operating rooms after the day's procedures are complete.
Always at the forefront of patient care and cutting edge technology, the two LSDC locations are the only facilities in Lakeland currently using this innovative technology. The LightStrike robots have been credited in peer-reviewed studies by numerous healthcare facilities for helping them reduce their Clostridium difficile (C.diff), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and surgical site infection rates 46%-100%.
"Lakeland Surgical & Diagnostic Center is committed to excellence. They are continually evaluating new technologies that can enable them to provide the best care to the patients they serve, and we are honored that our disinfection robots are part of their comprehensive infection prevention program. As a result of their success in bringing down their already low SSI rates, we are recognizing them as a Visionary facility," said Irene Hahn, vice president of sales and account management at Xenex.
As a result of their commitment to patient safety and robust infection prevention program, Xenex has designated Lakeland Surgical & Diagnostic Center as a Visionary ASC. Visionary facilities are defined as those that 1. Make patient safety a top priority; 2. Seek out and implement technologies with multiple proven outcomes published in peer reviewed publications; 3. Follow manufacturer recommended best practices; 4. Publicize and share results to improve best practices for all healthcare facilities; 5. Openly share their data for their benefit and the benefit of all mankind.
enex LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robots are used for the advanced disinfection of healthcare facilities. Due to its speed and ease of use, the Xenex system has proven to integrate smoothly into healthcare cleaning operations. Xenex's mission is to save lives and reduce suffering by destroying the deadly pathogens and superbugs that cause hospital acquired infections (HAIs). The company is backed by well-known investors that include EW Healthcare Partners, Piper Jaffray Merchant Services, Malin Corporation, Battery Ventures, Tectonic Ventures, Targeted Technology Fund II and RK Ventures. For more information, Xenex.com.
Chillicothe, Ohio – September 25, 2018 — Each day, hospitals across the country have hundreds of patients and visitors enter their facilities. Most people unknowingly bring in germs and other contaminants, including microorganisms, which can cause infections. These germs are becoming more hardy and antibiotic-resistant. To help battle these germs and lower infection rates for its patients, Adena Regional Medical Center has purchased two Xenex LightStrike™ Germ-Zapping Robots™.
The equipment has been proven to quickly destroy germs and bacteria that can cause infections using intense pulsed xenon ultraviolet (UV) light. The Xenex robots destroy potentially harmful organisms before they pose a threat to patients and employees.
Currently, the two LightStrike robots are being used in the C-section rooms of Labor and Delivery, and in inpatient rooms following a discharge or transfer. The devices are also being used to clean operating rooms in the evening hours.
Hundreds of hospitals across the country are using LightStrike robots to disinfect their facilities, and several hospitals have published peer-reviewed studies showing 50%-100% reductions in Clostridium difficile (C.diff), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Surgical Site Infection rates.
The LightStrike system enhances the hospital's already thorough processes for cleaning rooms and killing the pathogens that cause infections. Adding the LightStrike system to Adena's cleaning procedures should not affect patient care in anyway.
Chambersburg Hospital is part of Summit Health, a nonprofit health system that is dedicated to building a healthier community. As Franklin County's leading healthcare provider, Summit Health operates two award-winning hospitals in Chambersburg and Waynesboro, 33 outpatient specialty and primary-care practices throughout Franklin County, lab and imaging services, a fitness center, and two walk-in care centers. Visit SummitHealth.org.
Xenex's patented Full SpectrumTM pulsed xenon UV room disinfection system is used for the advanced disinfection of healthcare facilities. Due to its speed and ease of use, the Xenex system has proven to integrate smoothly into hospital cleaning operations. Xenex's mission is to save lives and reduce suffering by destroying the deadly microorganisms that cause hospital acquired infections (HAIs). The company is backed by well-known investors that include EW Healthcare Partners, Piper Jaffray Merchant Services, Malin Corporation, Battery Ventures, Tectonic Ventures, Targeted Technology Fund II and RK Ventures. For more information, Xenex.com.
Chambersburg, PA – September 19, 2018 – Chambersburg Hospital received the Healthgrades Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence™ (2017 and 2018) while also being named one of Healthgrades America's 100 Best Hospitals™ for Coronary Intervention, Orthopedic Surgery, Pulmonary Care, and Critical Care in 2018. As evidence of its ongoing commitment to patient safety, Chambersburg Hospital invested in state-of-the-art Xenex LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robots for room disinfection and make their utilization its environmental standard of care.
LightStrike robots emit intense, pulsed xenon ultraviolet (UV) light that quickly and effectively disinfects patient rooms of hard to kill pathogens such as Clostridium difficile (C. diff), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). After a room is manually cleaned by a member of the hospital's Environmental Services team, a robot is wheeled in and run for 5 minutes on each side of the patient bed. The robot bathes the room in intense UV light, leaving any remaining pathogens nowhere to hide. The robot does not require warm-up or cool-down time, so once a disinfection cycle is finished it is immediately available for transport to the next room.
"The microorganisms that cause infections are becoming resistant to cleaning chemicals and antibiotics, so we recognized the need for new weapons to fight them. We are using the LightStrike robots on our 6 highest risk units after every discharge to provide a properly disinfected room for the next patient. So far, we have seen a 50% reduction in C. diff rates and we are very proud of the work our team is doing to get our patients home as quickly and safely as possible," says Ruth Freshman, Infection Preventionist at Chambersburg Hospital.
Chambersburg Hospital originally purchased three robots and closely monitored utilization and the robots' impact on infection rates. After seeing initial positive infection reduction results, they added three more robots to disinfect additional rooms and areas within the facility. With the rise of superbugs, hospitals are increasingly adopting LightStrike pulsed xenon UV technology as standard of care to help ensure a clean and safe environment for their patients. LightStrike robots are now in over 400 hospitals, and the robots have been credited in multiple peer-reviewed, published studies with helping hospitals decrease C.diff, MRSA and Surgical Site Infection rates by 46% – 100%.
Kankakee, IL – SEPTEMBER 17, 2018 – As hospitals around the world look for new and innovative ways to battle deadly pathogens and kill multi-drug resistant organisms that can endanger patients and hospital employees, Riverside Medical Center invested in state-of-the-art room disinfection technology that is proven to stop superbugs in their tracks. Now considered part of the hospital's environmental standard of care, the robots' work is paying off. Since deploying two Xenex LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robots, Riverside has achieved a significant reduction in its already low infection rates. Specifically, the hospital has seen 27% reductions in Clostridium difficile (C.diff), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) rates facility-wide, and a 65% reduction in infection rates in its ICU.
Riverside is known for its commitment to patient care. It is a 9-time recipient of the Watson Health Top 100 Hospital designation, meaning it has earned high performing marks in patient care, hospital operations, and financial sustainability. The hospital has also earned Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC) Magnet® Recognition Program, is a Truven 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospital, and received the Healthgrades Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence (2014-2018), Healthgrades' Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ (2017), and Healthgrades' America's 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care™ (2017 & 2018) accolades.
Riverside uses its two portable and powerful robots, named Albert and Clean Victoria by the Environmental Services team that runs them, to disinfect more than 30 rooms per day in its intensive care unit (ICU), pediatric floor, medical-surgical unit, and operating rooms (ORs). The robots emit intense pulses of xenon ultraviolet (UV) light to quickly disinfect rooms by destroying the microscopic pathogens that may have been missed during the manual cleaning process.
Xenex has designated Riverside Medical Center as a Visionary Hospital in recognition of its innovation and success in infection prevention and outstanding patient care. According to Xenex, Visionary Hospitals are defined as hospitals that 1. Make patient safety a top priority; 2. Seek out and implement technologies with multiple proven outcomes published in peer reviewed publications; 3. Follow manufacturer recommended best practices; 4. Publicize and share results to improve best practices for all hospitals; 5. Openly share their data for their benefit and the benefit of all mankind.
Riverside Healthcare is a fully integrated healthcare system serving the needs of individuals and communities throughout the counties of Kankakee, Iroquois, Will, Grundy and beyond. As part of the system, Riverside Medical Center, a 312-bed hospital, provides a full scope of inpatient and outpatient care and is a nationally recognized, award-winning Level II Trauma hospital with nationally-leading programs in heart care, cancer care, neurosurgery and orthopedics. Its reputation for nursing excellence has made Riverside the area's only Magnet® Recognized hospital. Because Riverside's clinical performance ranks them among the top 5 percent of hospitals nationwide, Healthgrades has named them a Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence Award, and Truven Health Analytics presented them with the 100 Top Hospitals® award. Riverside also operates several community, primary and specialty health centers throughout the region. Learn more about Riverside Healthcare at www.RiversideHealthcare.org.
Lowville, NY – September 13, 2018 – Lewis County General Hospital is one of the cleanest hospitals in upstate New York. Just over a year ago, they began using Hector, a 4-foot tall LightStrike™ Germ-Zapping Robot™, to disinfect patient rooms. Since adding Hector to their cleaning arsenal and making LightStrike disinfection their environmental standard of care, they have reported a 20% reduction in infection rates and $132,000 savings as a result of fewer infections.
Healthcare associated infections (HAI) have been fueled by antibiotic resistant superbugs such as Clostridium difficile (C. diff), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). These pathogens can linger in patient rooms for weeks or even months, so hospitals are turning to new technologies to ensure their rooms stay germ-free. Xenex LightStrike robots use pulsed xenon, an environmentally-friendly noble gas, to create intense, Full Spectrum™ ultraviolet (UV) light that destroys infectious germs in less than five minutes.
September 12, 2018 — (Springfield, IL) Springfield Clinic's Ambulatory Surgery and Endoscopy Center (ASC) was the first ASC in Illinois to enhance patient safety with the use of a Xenex™ LightStrike™ Germ-Zapping Robot™ to disinfect operating rooms. The ASC recently expanded its surgical services to include outpatient joint replacement procedures and has had 0 infections resulting from those complex total shoulder and total knee procedures. Springfield Clinic staff credit the LightStrike disinfection robot with a significant role in their robust infection prevention program and consider environmental disinfection as part of their outpatient surgical standard of care for patients.
Xenex's patented Full Spectrum pulsed xenon UV room disinfection system is used for the advanced disinfection of healthcare facilities. Due to its speed and ease of use, the Xenex system has proven to integrate smoothly into hospital cleaning operations. Xenex's mission is to save lives and reduce suffering by destroying the deadly microorganisms that cause hospital acquired infections (HAIs). The company is backed by well-known investors that include EW Healthcare Partners, Piper Jaffray Merchant Services, Malin Corporation, Battery Ventures, Targeted Technology Fund II and RK Ventures. For more information, visit Xenex.com.
September 10, 2018 — Xenex Disinfection Services, the manufacturer of LightStrike™ Germ-Zapping Robots™, today announced that co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer Mark Stibich, Ph.D., who serves as a Visiting Scientist at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, has been recognized as a Fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the nation's leading infectious diseases professional society.
Nearly 300 people die in the U.S. every day from an infection they acquired in a healthcare facility and the death toll can be even higher internationally. Recognizing the growing threat of antibiotic resistance and superbugs, Dr.Stibich co-founded Xenex with the mission to save lives and reduce suffering by destroying the deadly microorganisms that cause healthcare associated infections (HAIs). Xenex LightStrike robots use pulsed xenon to create intense ultraviolet (UV) light that quickly destroys infectious germs. Today, Dr. Stibich's robots are used in more than 400 healthcare facilities to disinfect rooms and most importantly, hospitals using Xenex devices have published outcome studies in peer-reviewed journals showing 50%-100% reductions in Clostridium difficile (C.diff), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Surgical Site Infection rates when those facilities used Xenex robots to disinfect rooms.
At Xenex, Dr. Stibich focuses his efforts on scientific research and development, new technology and protocol design. He is an inventor on multiple patents and has authored numerous scientific papers about the efficacy of pulsed xenon UV technology. Originally from Dayton, Ohio, Dr. Stibich is a graduate of Yale University and the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, where he earned MHS and Ph.D. degrees.
Fellowship in IDSA honors the distinguished physicians and scientists from the United States and around the world who have achieved professional excellence and provided significant service to the profession. Applicants for IDSA Fellowship must be nominated by their peers and meet specified criteria that may include continuing identification with the field of infectious diseases national or regional recognition, and publication of their scholarly work.
Xenex's patented Full Spectrum™ pulsed xenon UV room disinfection system is used for the advanced disinfection of healthcare facilities. Due to its speed and ease of use, the Xenex system has proven to integrate smoothly into hospital cleaning operations. Xenex's mission is to save lives and reduce suffering by destroying the deadly microorganisms that cause healthcare associated infections (HAIs). The company is backed by well-known investors that include EW Healthcare Partners, Piper Jaffray Merchant Services, Malin Corporation, Battery Ventures, Tectonic Ventures, Targeted Technology Fund II and RK Ventures. For more information, visit Xenex.com.
Hunterdon, New Jersey — September 10, 2018 — As germs and bacteria become increasingly resistant to cleaning chemicals and antibiotics, Hunterdon Medical Center recently deployed Xenex LightStrike™ Germ-Zapping Robots™ that use pulsed xenon ultraviolet (UV) light to enhance traditional room cleaning procedures as a key part of the hospital's infection prevention program. The hospital has seen a 76% reduction in Clostridium difficile (C.diff) infection rates since it began using the robots to disinfect rooms.
Hunterdon Medical Center implemented two Xenex LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robots as part of its ongoing efforts to reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) – infections that patients acquire while receiving treatment in a hospital. The infections are caused by microorganisms such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and C. diff. Invisible to the naked eye, some microorganisms can live on hospital bedrails, tray tables, wheel chairs and doorknobs for up to 5 months — posing a risk to patients and hospital employees. Now, when Hunterdon's Environmental Services team member has finished cleaning a room, they bring in a LightStrike robot to quickly zap away pathogens that may have been left behind.
Meridian, MS – September 6, 2018 — Patient safety is a top priority at Rush Foundation Hospital, which was the first hospital in East Mississippi and West Alabama to deploy Xenex LightStrike™ Germ-Zapping Robots™ to enhance environmental cleanliness by disinfecting and destroying hard-to-kill germs, bacteria and superbugs in hard-to-clean places. The hospital announced today that it has seen a 59% reduction in Clostridium difficile (C.diff) infection rates and a 100% reduction in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection rates since acquiring two LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robots one year ago.
The LightStrike robots have been credited in numerous peer-reviewed, published studies with helping hospitals decrease their C.diff, MRSA and Surgical Site Infection (SSI) rates from 46% – 100%, which is consistent with the results Rush Foundation Hospital is reporting. LightStrike robots are a new technology that utilize pulsed xenon to create intense flashes of germicidal ultraviolet (UV) light. The UV light penetrates the cell walls of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, mold, fungus and spores. Their DNA is fused, rendering them unable to reproduce or mutate, effectively killing them on surfaces. The portable and powerful LightStrike robot disinfects rooms in four or five-minute cycles (depending on the robot model) without warm-up or cool-down times.
(Houston, TX – July 2, 2018 – DNAtrix, a leader in oncolytic virus immunotherapies for cancer, announced today that Sonia Tejada, MD, PhD, neurosurgeon and investigator at Clínica Universidad de Navarra, will present updated clinical data from an ongoing trial of its oncolytic virus DNX-2401 (tasadenoturev) for pediatric diffuse midline gliomas. The data were selected for oral presentation at the Biennial International Symposium for Pediatric Neuro-Oncology taking place June 29 – July 3, 2018 in Denver, CO.
Xenex LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robots are used for the advanced disinfection of healthcare facilities. Due to its speed and ease of use, the Xenex system has proven to integrate smoothly into hospital cleaning operations. Xenex's mission is to save lives and reduce suffering by destroying the deadly pathogens and superbugs that cause hospital acquired infections (HAIs). The company is backed by well-known investors that include EW Healthcare Partners, Piper Jaffray Merchant Services, Malin Corporation, Battery Ventures, Tectonic Ventures, Targeted Technology Fund II and RK Ventures. For more information, Xenex.com.
"The results of this trial will be a big step toward new treatments for this incurable disease. All the children treated so far have tolerated the virus infusion perfectly well, which indicates that DNX-2401 could be a viable therapy for DIPG," said Sonia Tejada, MD, PhD.
"Effective therapies for children with DIPG are urgently needed," said Frank Tufaro, PhD, CEO of DNAtrix. "The DNAtrix virus has been shown to trigger anti-tumor immune response in adult patients with glioblastoma. We are encouraged by these early results."
UHC Enhances Surgical Patient Safety by Deploying Germ-Zapping Robots to Destroy Germs & Bacteria That Can Cause Infections.
BRIDGEPORT, W.Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--United Hospital Center (UHC) announced that with the addition of two more Xenex LightStrike™ Germ-Zapping Robots™, exclusively for the operating rooms (OR), that it is the first hospital within five bordering states to use a two-minute protocol for between OR case disinfection. Last year UHC purchased three robots, the most in the state, for the purpose of enhancing environmental cleanliness by disinfecting and destroying hard-to-kill germs, bacteria, and superbugs in hard to clean places.
The new Germ-Zapping Robots will be used exclusively for cleaning surgical suites. "Operating rooms are supposed to be sterile environments, but studies show these rooms remain contaminated with microscopic pathogens that can cause Surgical Site Infections even after these suites have been cleaned using traditional methods," said Dr. Mark Povroznik, vice president of Quality and Chief Quality Officer at UHC. "Surgical Site Infections, which are some of the most commonly occurring infections, can be devastating to patients and cost the hospital tens of thousands of dollars in additional patient care. At UHC getting a potential infection is one less thing that patients have to worry about during surgery." UHC is ranked number one in the state for the fewest complications as of the December 2017 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare results for Complications and Patient Safety.
Xenex's LightStrike pulsed xenon Full Spectrum™ ultraviolet (UV) disinfection technology has been proven to quickly destroy the germs and bacteria in Operating Rooms (OR) that cause Surgical Site Infections. Hundreds of hospitals use LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robots during the terminal cleaning process in the OR after the day's procedures are complete. Xenex recommends running the robot during the terminal clean. Multiple positions greatly reduce the impact of shadows on UV disinfection efficacy. Studies show, however, that bioburden increases in the OR during the day. A leading U.S. medical institution recently studied the effectiveness of the Xenex LightStrike robot in its ORs and found that the LightStrike robot can effectively disinfect high touch surfaces in an OR in two minutes.
"Running a quick cycle between-cases can be very effective at bringing down the vegetative bacteria bioburden in the OR," said Chris Courtney, DO, adult reconstructive joint specialist at UHC Orthopaedics. "The LightStrike robot turns on instantly with no warm-up or cool down time, so it can be brought into the OR to quickly disinfect the area around the surgical table and in between procedures." Xenex Germ-Zapping Robots have been credited for helping healthcare facilities in the U.S. decrease their Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), C.diff, and Surgical Site infection rates by more than 50, 70, and 100 percent respectively.
Uniquely designed for ease of use and portability, a hospital's environmental services staff can operate the Xenex robot without disrupting hospital operations and damaging materials or equipment in the OR. With a four- or five-minute disinfection cycle, the robot can disinfect 30-62 hospital rooms per day (according to Xenex customer reports), including patient rooms, ORs, equipment rooms, emergency rooms, intensive care units and public areas. More than 400 hospitals, Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense facilities in the U.S. are using Xenex robots, which are also in use in skilled nursing facilities, ambulatory surgery centers, and long term acute care facilities.
United Hospital Center is the result of a merger between St. Mary's and Union Protestant hospitals in 1970. This bold move provides north central West Virginia with a regional community hospital that offers a vast array of services. The new UHC opened in 2010 and is located along I-79 in Bridgeport. The 692,000 square foot structure rises eight stories. It is designed around the environment with the patient, family, staff and community in mind—which includes enhanced patient privacy, a high level of technology integration and improved access to care. The acute care facility has 292 private inpatient rooms and 24 observation rooms with a medical staff that consist of more than 140 primary care and specialty physicians. UHC employs more than 2,000 Associates and is a member of WVU Medicine (West Virginia United Health System). For more information about United Hospital Center, please visit thenewuhc.com.
WVU Medicine is West Virginia's premier provider of advanced specialty care and the state's only academic medical center. It encompasses the specialists, sub-specialists, and primary care physicians of West Virginia University; Ruby Memorial Hospital, WVU Medicine's flagship hospital on the WVU campus; the WVU Eye Institute, WVU Heart Institute, and WVU Cancer Institute in Morgantown; University Healthcare, which serves the Eastern Panhandle; Potomac Valley Hospital in Keyser; United Hospital Center in Bridgeport; St. Joseph's Hospital in Buckhannon; and Camden Clark Medical Center in Parkersburg. WVU Medicine also includes dozens of medical offices and a diverse network of affiliated organizations. To learn more, visit WVUMedicine.org.
Xenex's patented Full SpectrumTM pulsed xenon UV room disinfection system is used for the advanced disinfection of healthcare facilities. Due to its speed and ease of use, the Xenex system has proven to integrate smoothly into hospital cleaning operations. Xenex's mission is to save lives and reduce suffering by destroying the deadly microorganisms that cause hospital acquired infections (HAIs). The company is backed by well-known investors that include Malin Corporation, Battery Ventures, Targeted Technology Fund II, Tectonic Ventures and RK Ventures. For more information, visit Xenex.com.
Roughly 15 months after entering into a deal with Terumo Corp. to exclusively market its germ-zapping robots in Japan, San Antonio-based Xenex Disinfection Services is doubling down on its relationship with the Tokyo-based company.
Xenex, which is expanding distribution of its LightStrike robots and its room disinfection technology, is expanding the scope of its deal with Terumo.
Under the new deal, Terumo will now also serve as the exclusive distributor of Xenex robots in Singapore.
The robots were developed to help medical facilities reduce health care associated infections, or HAIs. Xenex's robots use pulsed xenon technology to disinfect areas, attacking deadly microorganisms before they can pose a threat to patients and health care workers.
Xenex robots are now in use in more than 400 hospitals worldwide. More than 50 government health facilities in the U.S. have invested in Xenex's technology.
That growth has attracted more attention from companies like Terumo who are looking to work with Xenex to address the HAI challenge.
"We are big enough now, we have a big enough footprint, that we are constantly getting approached by other companies," Xenex CEO Morris Miller told me.
Surfacer® System, a solution to prevent central venous occlusions, to be presented at upcoming Charing Cross (CX) International Symposium.
SAN ANTONIO, April 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Bluegrass Vascular Technologies (Bluegrass Vascular), a private medical technology company focused on innovating lifesaving devices and methods for vascular access procedures, today welcomed the publication of the first reporting standards for thoracic central vein obstruction (TCVO) in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology (JVIR). The document is also available in JVIR's April 2018 print issue.
Central venous occlusion is a significant, largely underestimated, and costly problem. An estimated 2 million people worldwide are currently either receiving treatment with dialysis or a kidney transplant, many of whom rely on central venous catheters (CVCs) to receive this lifesaving treatment.1 Despite being widely utilized, 40% of hemodialysis patients with CVCs develop a central venous obstruction, which, if left untreated, can lead to increased patient morbidity, reduced quality of life and increased provider costs.
A lack of universal reporting standards for TCVO prevents clinicians from fully recognizing its prevalence, optimal treatment options and resulting outcomes. TCVO is a complex condition, often requiring a team of specialists to identify, manage and treat. The Central Vein Work Group (CVWG), comprised of representatives from Interventional Radiology, Vascular Surgery, Nephrology, and several other related specialties, was founded with the aim of guiding best-practices and reducing incidence of thoracic central vein occlusion. The CVWG collaborated with the Society for Interventional Radiology (SIR) to establish these standards for describing TCVO patterns and resulting clinical consequences.
"These reporting standards represent a multidisciplinary interest to promote sustainable vascular access," stated Bart Dolmatch, M.D., Interventional Radiologist at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation in Mountain View, CA. "They organize manifestations of TCVO in a way that now gives clinicians access to a common language to ensure alignment and management across specialties, leading to better coordinated care."
The Society of Interventional Radiology is the lead author of the reporting standards. Other societal endorsement of the TCVO reporting standards include: the American Society of Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology (ASDIN), British Society of Interventional Radiology (BSIR), Canadian Interventional Radiology Association (CIRA), Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), Indian Society of Vascular and Interventional Radiology (ISVIR), Vascular Access Society of the Americas (VASA) and Vascular Access Society of Britain and Ireland (VASBI). No CVWG members received compensation or commercial support for their time and effort in the development of these standards.
"We are very pleased with the workgroup's establishment of these reporting standards for thoracic central vein obstruction," stated Gabriele Niederauer, Ph.D., CEO and President of Bluegrass Vascular. "Widespread endorsement of these standards is a life-changing step forward for a growing population of patients requiring vascular access for vital treatments and who currently have limited options due to obstructed upper body access."
The Surfacer System will be discussed during two sessions at the upcoming Charing Cross (CX) International Symposium in London, United Kingdom. The first session, titled "Inside-Out Access" the Surfacer – Indications and Outcomes, is part of the Failed Central Veins portion of the Vascular Access Masterclass on Wednesday, April 25th from 11:55 a.m.–12:05 p.m. BST. The session will be presented by James Gilbert, MD, Consultant Transplant and Vascular Access Surgeon at Oxford University. The second discussion, titled Inside-Out Access, will be during the Complex Access portion of the Vascular Access Workshop on Thursday, April 26th from 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. BST. This session will be presented by Gürkan Sengölge, MD, Associate Professor, Interventional Nephrologist at the University of Vienna.
The Surfacer® Inside-Out® Access Catheter System, from Bluegrass Vascular, offers a solution to prevent central venous occlusions. Designed to reliably, efficiently and repeatedly gain central venous access via its proprietary Inside-Out approach, the Surfacer System allows for the placement and maturation of permanent arteriovenous access options that are associated with improved patient outcomes and eliminate the progression of central venous occlusions.
Ebner A, Gallo S, Cetraro C, Gurley J, Minarsch L. Inside-Out Upper Body Venous Access: The first-in-human experiences with a novel approach using the Surfacer Inside-Out Access Catheter System. Endovascular Today. June 2013.
HOUSTON, April 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- DNAtrix, a leader in oncolytic virus immunotherapies for cancer, announced that DNAtrix collaborators will present results for an oncolytic virus armed with OX40 ligand (OX40L) at the 2018 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL from April 14th - 18th. The study was led by DNAtrix scientific founder, Juan Fueyo, MD, a professor at MD Anderson Cancer Center Department of Neuro-Oncology.
In mouse models of triple negative breast cancer, the OX40L-expressing oncolytic virus reversed the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, leading to increased survival and delayed tumor metastases. Effects observed within the tumor included increased cytotoxic T-cell infiltration and a reduction of regulatory T-cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells.
The results build on extensive research demonstrating that arming DNAtrix viruses with T-cell agonists trigger antitumor immune responses and immune memory in variety of cancers. Upcoming clinical studies with the OX40L-expressing virus, DNX-2440, will test the ability of this potent virus to elicit antitumor effects in patients. DNX-2401, the backbone for the OX40L-expressing virus, has been tested in over 150 patients and is currently in Phase 2 testing for recurrent glioblastoma with Merck's checkpoint inhibitor, pembrolizumab.
"Dr. Fueyo continues to extend the usefulness of this important oncolytic virus platform," saidFrank Tufaro, PhD, CEO of DNAtrix. "We expect these armed viruses to trigger effective antitumor immunity in tumors that are otherwise resistant to other immunotherapies."
Partial reversion of the tumor immunosuppressed environment by oncolytic adenoviruses armed with positive stimulators of the immune synapsis in breast cancer.
To access the recently published paper on DNX-2440, visit the Cancer Research website.
For more information about ongoing DNAtrix clinical studies, visit the ClinicalTrials.gov website:NCT02798406 (DNX-2401 + pembrolizumab for recurrent glioblastoma) and NCT03178032 (DNX-2401 for newly diagnosed pediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma).
DNAtrix is developing oncolytic viruses that feature the backbone of DNX-2401 and express immune modulatory molecules following infection of tumor cells. The first armed virus candidates, expressing members of the TNF receptor superfamily that enhance T-cell activity, have shown remarkable efficacy in animal models of cancer, including breast, melanoma, brain and lung. The lead armed virus, DNX-2440, expresses OX40 ligand and will soon enter the clinic for evaluation in a variety of solid tumors.
DNAtrix is a privately held, clinical stage, biopharmaceutical company developing oncolytic virus immunotherapies for cancer. DNAtrix's lead product, DNX-2401, is a conditionally replicative oncolytic adenovirus being evaluated in clinical trials for recurrent glioblastoma, a brain cancer for which there is neither a cure nor adequate treatment. The company is backed by Morningside Ventures and Mercury Fund and has been awarded a grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). For more information, please visit the company website at http://www.DNAtrix.com.
CytoBioscience expects to become a much stronger company with significantly more access to capital once its transformation from being privately owned to publicly traded is complete.
I reported last month that the San Antonio-based biotech had essentially acquired, through merger, a subsidiary of WestMountain Co. because its shareholders will have operational control of the new company.
CytoBioscience CEO James Garvin said the deal with WestMountain was a necessary move for the company, which moved from Rostock, Germany, to San Antonio in 2015.
After the process is complete, the company will retain current leadership and its San Antonio address. It's also expected to keep its CytoBioscience name. What will change is that CytoBioscience will cease being privately held.
"There is a process we will need to go through in becoming a public company. … Most of that will get done in the next two to three weeks," Garvin told me during an exclusive interview at the company's headquarters in Northwest San Antonio.
CytoBioscience has put itself in this position with roughly a dozen people, including Chief Scientific Officer Thomas Knott, who moved with the company from Germany to San Antonio and supports the changes.
The deal with WestMountain should open more doors to funding and talent for the company and its home city. It also gives CytoBioscience firmer footing as it pursues new opportunities for growth.
While demand for Xenex's devices — which use pulsed xenon UV technology to kill pathogens that cause health care-acquired infections and sometimes death — continues to escalate nationally and internationally, the company has found selling to local hospitals to be tougher. The company has a half-dozen Alamo City clients: two University Health System campuses, a Baptist Health System orthopedic hospital, a skilled nursing center and two government medical facilities.
More than 50 government health facilities across the U.S. have invested in Xenex's technology. A similar number of hospitals in California are using the robots, while the company has grown its client list to include such notable organizations as MD Anderson Cancer Center and the Mayo Clinic. Last year, the company added 50 clients and saw its number of robots in service increase 24 percent compared to the prior year.
Still, Miller believes the adoption rate among hospitals is too slow — especially in San Antonio.
It would be understandable if that frustration were more pronounced in San Antonio, where few hospitals have approached Xenex. But he remains optimistic the adoption rate in Xenex's home city will improve as more hospitals understand the need to seek help in eradicating infections.
Oklahoma City — Moore Public Schools got a temporary addition to their cleaning staff last week when Norman Regional Health System lent out a robot to "zap" germs.
The schools already have a robust cleaning system, with a well-trained custodial staff and their own robots that spray a chlorine mist, Superintendent Robert Romines said. But an extra layer of protection was worthwhile in buildings that have had high absence rates due to illness.
"Anything that it can contribute to killing germs at the sites we're using it is beneficial," he said.
The hospital is lending the robots as part of an outreach program, said Clyde Brawner, director of environmental services at Norman Regional. They also lent the robots to schools in the Norman and Noble districts.
The hospital decided to add the robots in 2016 at the campuses on Porter Avenue and Tecumseh Road as part of an overall plan to reduce infections. The robots are used for patient rooms where the risk of spreading infections is higher, and for high-traffic areas such as public restrooms, Brawner said.
The robot creates a 14-foot-wide "bubble" of ultraviolet C light that kills germs on any exposed surface. Staff follow standard cleaning procedures using detergent, clear out any clutter and turn the robot on, while they clean other areas, Brawner said. The robot can't move on its own, so staff reposition it to get all areas of larger rooms, he said.
The sun produces ultraviolet C light, but the Earth's atmosphere prevents it from reaching the surface, meaning bacteria and viruses haven't developed defenses against it, said Melinda Hart, spokeswoman for Xenex Disinfection Services, which makes the robots Norman Regional uses.
"The germs and microorganisms have no resistance because they've never seen anything like it," Hart said.
The ultraviolet light damages the DNA of bacteria and viruses, preventing them from reproducing and making people sick. It also can kill some cells outright.
Human cells also aren't resistant, so people who work with the robots go into a different room while disinfection is in process, Hart said. The light wouldn't cause severe damage to a person from a single exposure, but it could cause eye irritation if a person looked directly at it, she said.
Norman Regional got its initial group of robots under an arrangement where it would pay only if it saved money from reduced infections. The hospital estimated it saved about $250,000 in the first year of using the robots.
Some facilities have reported reductions in patient infections after using the robots. According to a paper in the American Journal of Infection Control, a hospital in Birmingham, Alabama, eliminated surgical infections in its orthopedic unit, saving more than $290,000. A long-term acute care facility, also in the Southeast, saved about $300,000 by halving its rate of infections with Clostridium difficile, a hardy bacterium that causes severe diarrhea.
It's worth noting, however, that both facilities used the robot as part of a broader push to reduce infections, which included new protocols for cleaning staff.
The robots cost $125,000, and most hospitals get about three years of service out of them, Hart said. Bulb replacements are included in the purchase price, to encourage hospitals to use it extensively, she said.
Staff were skeptical at first, but embraced the robots when they saw patients benefited, Brawner said.
Xenex Disinfection Services Llc, Limited Liability Company just filed form D regarding $42.00 million equity financing. The date of first sale was 2017-02-03. Xenex Disinfection Services was able to fundraise $40.00 million. That is 95.24 % of the fundraising offer. The total private financing amount was $42.00 million. The fundraising form was filed on 2018-02-20. The reason for the financing was: unspecified. The fundraising still has about $2.00 million more and is not closed yet. We have to wait more to see if the offering will be fully taken.
Xenex Disinfection Services is based in Texas. The company's business is Other Technology. The form was signed by Morris Miller CEO. The company was incorporated more than five years ago. The filler's address is: 121 Interpark, Suite 104, San Antonio, Tx, Texas, 78216. Sequel Ventures, Llc is the related person in the form and it has address: 755 E. Mulberry Ave., Suite 450, San Antonio, Tx, Texas, 78212. Link to Xenex Disinfection Services Filing:000155681418000001.
On average, firms in the Other Technology sector, sell 85.80 % of the total offering size. Xenex Disinfection Services sold 95.24 % of the offering. The fundraising is still open. Could this mean that the trust in Xenex Disinfection Services is high? The average fundraising size for companies in the Other Technology industry is $1.54 million. The total amount raised is 2,497.38 % bigger than the average for companies in the Other Technology sector. The minimum investment for this financing was set at $0. If you know more about the reasons for the fundraising, please comment below.
The Form D signed by Morris Miller might help Xenex Disinfection Services Llc's sector. First, it helps potential customers feel more safe to deal with a firm that is well financed. The odds are higher that it will stay in the business. Second, this could attract other investors such as venture-capital firms, funds and angels. Third, positive PR effects could even bring leasing firms and venture lenders.
NORMAN — The flu has hit the country hard this year, and Oklahoma is no exception. As hospital visits and deaths mount, public concern about the spread of the virus has intensified.
Norman Public Schools has managed to avoid the worst of the flu season, health services coordinator Beth Roberson said, but any facility full of elementary and middle school students isn't immune to viral infections. That's why NPS partnered with Norman Regional Health System to disinfect five schools using germ-zapping robots from Xenex.
Norman Regional and Xenex staff began running the robots through Adams, Kennedy, Washington and Roosevelt elementary and Whittier Middle School on Monday and will continue through Friday. Other robots will be used in schools in Moore and Noble.
The Norman Regional Health Foundation supports the district's school nurse program, so the disinfection program was a natural extension of that partnership, Roberson said.
Norman Regional has four Xenex robots that its environmental services team uses to disinfect the HealthPlex and Porter locations, director of environmental services and patient transportation Clyde Brawner Sr. said.
Brawner said utilizing the machines means the Norman Regional Health System has taken extra steps to minimize the likelihood of someone becoming infected while at the hospital.
The robots uses a pulsed xenon lamp to send out UV light to kill germs that cause dangerous infections, including the flu, MRSA and C. diff. Xenex, based in San Antonio, began commercially selling their robots in 2011, and now are in more than 400 health care facilities across the U.S. Xenex PR director Melinda Hart said using the machine only adds about 10 minutes of work per room to a hospital staff's cleaning time and it dramatically reduces infection rates.
Hart said as flu season rages on, Xenex employees are eager to do what they can to minimize infections.
StemBioSys CEO Bob Hutchens said as the company has begun to expand its products and technologies, it needed a new brand identity that was "more comprehensive" and would reinforce its market positioning as the "next evolution in stem cell research."
"The corporate name has a fair amount of recognition within the regenerative medicine industry," Hutchens told me. "We believe that retaining our overarching corporate identity as StemBioSys makes a lot of sense."
StemBioSys plans to further expand its product offerings. The company has additional cell lines in various stages of development that will be rolled out over the next several months, Hutchens said.
That expansion should give one of San Antonio's more promising bioscience players increased national and international industry clout.
"Having more products will give us access to a broader range of researchers and customers than we had in the past," Hutchens said. "CELLvo Matrix was developed in direct response to market demand."
"With a broader product range, we are simply more important to our distributors, their sales forces and to end customers," Hutchens said. "We have four other cell lines in development right now. I anticipate that three of these will be on the market in the next few months, and the fourth one will be on the market the second half of the year."
As CytoBioscience was making final tweaks to its new cell transport device, there was hope that its commercialization would have a profound impact on science and on the San Antonio-based biotech company's future. And with the roll out of the finished product a few weeks away, prospective clients are lining up to get their hands on the CytoPTU.
Companies on multiple continents have taken note of the novel device and the impact it could have on research.
"A group we do business with in Japan has been here, and it wants the units," CytoBioscience CEO James Garvin said.
There are also multiple companies in other parts of the world — including Europe, Puerto Rico and Australia — interested in CytoPTU.
In the U.S., CytoBioscience is in discussions with the Food and Drug Administration, which could be among the first clients to buy the new device, Garvin said.
Meanwhile, CytoBioscience is making other moves to boost its commercial activity and appeal. It's hired a new cell biologist, for example, who will enable the company to expand its cell line offerings. Also, its European operations are having more success.
The positive momentum could lead to new investment.
"There are people who are taking notice of us in the financial markets in particular as it pertains to fundraising," Garvin said.
And while CytoBioscience walked away from a merger with Minnesota-based Skyline Medical Inc. a few months ago, it has not ruled out a partnership with someone else later.
"The more you do, the more interest that is out there. We've kept the door open," Garvin said.
For now, however, it's about maintaining the momentum.
"We just have to keep juggling all the balls in the air and not drop any," he said.
Since arriving in San Antonio in 2012, Xenex Disinfection Services has continued to leverage its unique technology into a better way to squelch one of the deadliest risks in medicine — health care-associated infections. The adoption of its germ-zapping robots by an increasing number hospitals is helping reduce the rate of infections and possible deaths in the U.S. and around the world.
Xenex is battling a problem it said leads to as many fatalities in this country annually as AIDS, breast cancer and auto accidents combined. Its chief weapon is a machine that uses pulsed xenon technology to disinfect health care facilities, damaging potentially deadly bacteria and reducing infection rates.
Xenex, which was based in Austin before moving to San Antonio roughly six years ago, is finding an increased demand for its robots in the U.S. and abroad. The company added 50 clients in 2017 and saw its number of robots in service at medical facilities increase 24 percent last year, CEO Morris Miller said.
To date, about 400 hospitals have reached out to Xenex, and that number continues to increase. In September, for example, the company struck a deal with Serenus Biotherapeutics to market its devices in several African nations — including Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.
Miller began pitching a no-risk, infection rate-reduction program in 2017, and the initiative will become a far more important part of its business model moving forward. One of the first hospitals in the program saw its infection rate drop 49 percent and has since bought 16 robots.
"If we don't fix the problem, I won't send you a bill," Miller said.
Xenex could also see a spike in business from an expanded portfolio of products. In 2017, the company rolled out a LightStrike Disinfection Pod, at least partially in response to outbreaks of infections that were occurring in labor and delivery facilities and in some neonatal intensive care units.
"The hospitals have a lot of interest in that," Miller said.
Medical facilities can use the device to disinfect portable items, including computers and wheelchairs, which could have pathogens on them that are transported elsewhere.
Work has begun on prototypes for other potential products. It's part of a larger effort to further revolutionize the way health care facilities combat potentially lethal infections.
Miller said the road ahead could also include more collaboration with other companies.
"We are big enough now, we have a big enough footprint, that we are constantly getting approached by other companies," he said.
Continued growth will create a heightened need for increased funding and talent.
The financial aspect appears promising. Xenex raised $40 million in a new fundraising round in 2017. That capital is enabling the company to expand its marketing and manpower.
Miller said recruiting has not been a challenge in the Alamo City.
"It's been a great place to pull talent," he said.
San Antonio has also provided Xenex access to a growing health care and bioscience industry — and to opportunities for fruitful collaboration.
"People in San Antonio tend to know who we are and what we are doing. That makes it easier to get things done," Miller said.
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. & NICEVILLE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fort Walton Beach Medical Center and Twin Cities Hospital are the first and only two hospitals in the Tri-County Area to use the Xenex LightStrike® Germ-Zapping Robot™ to enhance environmental cleanliness by disinfecting and destroying hard-to-kill germs, bacteria and superbugs in hard-to-clean places.
"While both medical facilities are the only two hospitals in the area to receive an "A" rating for patient safety from the Leapfrog Group, we still wanted to make this capital investment to keep our hospitals equipped with the latest technology," stated Mitch Mongell, CEO of Fort Walton Beach Medical Center.
Xenex Disinfection Services' LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robots have been proven to quickly destroy the germs and bacteria in ORs that can cause infections using pulsed xenon UV light. Hundreds of hospitals use LightStrike robots to disinfect their ORs after the day's procedures are complete and two hospitals have published peer-reviewed studies showing 46%-100% reductions in their Surgical Site Infection (SSI) rates when the LightStrike robot was used to disinfect ORs after terminal cleaning. The portable Xenex system can disinfect a typical procedure room in four- or five-minute cycles without warm-up or cool-down times. Operated by the hospital cleaning staff, it can be used in any department and in any unit within a healthcare facility, including isolation rooms, operating rooms, general patient care rooms, contact precaution areas, emergency rooms, bathrooms and public spaces.
"While our hospital infection rates are enviable, we always strive for zero. Zero is the only infection rate acceptable to us so adding this new technology will make our patient care even safer than it is today," stated David Whalen, CEO of Twin Cities Hospital.
See, touch and feel the Xenex robot at both hospitals during their "Name the Robot" event. Contact the appropriate hospital marketing representative to secure time with the robot and Xenex representative.
Thursday, January 25, 2018 – Twin Cities Hospital | 2190 Highway 85 N, Niceville 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the cafeteria.
Friday, January 26, 2018 – Fort Walton Beach Medical Center | 1000 Mar Walt Drive, Fort Walton Beach 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the cafeteria.
Fort Walton Beach Medical Center is a 257-bed full-service hospital with over 200 of the most highly respected and qualified physicians in the area. It is recognized as a Top General Hospital for excellence in quality care and patient safety. It is the only acute care hospital in the Tri-County area that offers open heart surgery, an Accredited Advanced Primary Stroke Center, an Accredited Chest Pain Center, and a Cancer Care Center that is accredited by the Commission on Cancer and an Associate of the UAB Birmingham Health System Cancer Community Network. For women and children services, we have 24/7 neonatologists available and the area's only Level II NICU. Its expanded emergency services include a dedicated Pediatric ER, 24/7 Destin ER, and a full-service 24/7 Fort Walton Beach ER that includes the only Level II Trauma Center in the Tri-County area.
Twin Cities Hospital is a 65-bed facility with a medical staff of over 130 physicians. It offers all private rooms and the areas first Certified Orthopedic Joint Replacement Program and first Certified Spine Surgery Program, in addition to a state-of-the-art surgery center. Twin Cities Hospital also has 24 hour emergency services, a newly renovated and expanded critical care unit, Certified Diabetes Education Program, and a variety of inpatient and outpatient diagnostic imaging and laboratory services. Located at Highway 85 North and College Boulevard in Niceville, Twin Cities Hospital also has the area's only hospital based Wellness Center, offering numerous health related seminars throughout the year. For more information, visit TCHospital.com or call (850) 678-4131.
Xenex's patented Full Spectrum™ pulsed xenon UV room disinfection system is used for the advanced disinfection of healthcare facilities. Due to its speed and ease of use, the Xenex system has proven to integrate smoothly into hospital cleaning operations. Xenex's mission is to save lives and reduce suffering by destroying the deadly microorganisms that cause hospital acquired infections (HAIs). The company is backed by well-known investors that include EW Healthcare Partners, Piper Jaffray Merchant Services, Malin Corporation, Battery Ventures, Tectonic Ventures, Targeted Technology Fund II and RK Ventures. For more information, visit Xenex.com.
Xconomy Texas — San Antonio— Bluegrass Vascular Technologies has started to enroll patients in a U.S. clinical trial for its catheter system for regaining access to obstructed veins.
Bluegrass Vascular Technologies said it enrolled the first patients in a pivotal trial of its Surfacer "inside-out" vascular access catheter.
The Surfacer device is designed to provide access to the jugular vein to restore central venous access in hemodialysis patients with blocked neck veins; it won CE Mark approval in the European Union in August 2016; Bluegrass later inked an EU distribution deal with Merit Medical (NSDQ:MMSI) that included an equity stake.
Surfacer is designed to be threaded through the femoral vein up to and into blockages in the jugular, which acts as a stabilizer. The head of the catheter is then aligned via fluoroscopy with a target on the surface of the neck, and a needle guide is advanced through to the skin. A sheath is then inserted, the Surfacer retracted and a central venous catheter is attached to the sheath.
Today Bluegrass said it launched the Save-U.S. trial, a 30-patient investigational device exemption study to evaluate the device's safety and effectiveness ahead of the bid for FDA clearance.
"It is exciting to be on the forefront of hemodialysis care and provide life-saving solutions that improve patient outcomes while reducing costs. We look forward to treating patients in the Save-U.S. pivotal trial and supporting our ongoing commercialization efforts in Europe," president & CEO Gabriele Niederauer said in prepared remarks.
The first patients in the study were enrolled at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, Calif., and Houston Methodist Hospital, the company said.
"Central venous obstruction is a serious disease that often causes a domino effect of vascular destruction, leaving hemodialysis patients and their physicians with limited options," added St. Joseph's Dr. Mahmood Razavi. "The Surfacer system has the potential to change the standard of care by offering a new strategy that allows reliable and repeated access to the right internal jugular vein, the optimal location for catheter placement."
"Use of the Surfacer system helps preserve and restore venous territory for vascular access, supporting fistula and graft placement, and reduces catheter-related infections and costs," Houston Methodist's Dr. Eric Peden said in a press release. "I am excited to participate in the SAVE-US pivotal trial and help bring this clinically beneficial technology to patients in my practice and across the U.S."
SAN ANTONIO, Jan. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Bluegrass Vascular Technologies, a private medical technology company focused on innovating lifesaving devices and methods for vascular access, today announced the enrollment of its first patients in the SAVE-US (Surfacer® System to Facilitate Access in VEnous Occlusions – United States) pivotal trial. The SAVE-US clinical trial is a pre-market investigational device exempt (IDE) study evaluating the safety and efficacy of the Surfacer® Inside-Out® Access Catheter System to facilitate reliable upper body central venous access suitable for patients with upper body venous occlusions or other conditions that preclude central venous access by conventional methods. Thirty patients will be enrolled at up to 10 centers in the United States with additional centers in Europe.
Initial patient enrollments were performed by Interventional Radiologists Chris Loh, MD, andMahmood Razavi, MD, at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, California and by Eric Peden, MD, a Vascular Surgeon at Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas.
"Central venous obstruction is a serious disease that often causes a domino effect of vascular destruction, leaving hemodialysis patients and their physicians with limited options," said Dr. Razavi. "The Surfacer System has the potential to change the standard of care by offering a new strategy that allows reliable and repeated access to the right internal jugular vein, the optimal location for catheter placement."
"Use of the Surfacer System helps preserve and restore venous territory for vascular access, supporting fistula and graft placement, and reduces catheter-related infections and costs," stated Dr. Peden. "I am excited to participate in the SAVE-US pivotal trial and help bring this clinically beneficial technology to patients in my practice and across the U.S."
Gabriele Niederauer, Ph.D., CEO and President of Bluegrass Vascular, commented, "It is exciting to be on the forefront of hemodialysis care and provide life-saving solutions that improve patient outcomes while reducing costs. We look forward to treating patients in the SAVE-US pivotal trial and supporting our ongoing commercialization efforts in Europe."
The two Xenex robots, named Violet and Ray, use pulsed xenon ultraviolet (UV) light to quickly destroy bacteria, viruses, fungi and bacterial spores. The portable disinfection system is effective against even the most dangerous pathogens, includingClostridium difficile (C.diff), norovirus, influenza, Ebola and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, better known as MRSA.
"We are very excited to be able to add the Xenex UV disinfection system as an adjunct to our cleaning processes. All employees at Stanford Health Care-ValleyCare are actively engaged in preventing Hospital Acquired Infections, and over the past two years have achieved substantial decreases in hospital acquired Clostridium difficile infections and Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infections," said Gail Sonnenberg, Lead Infection Control Practitioner, SHC - VC.
"We continue to identify opportunities to improve processes that will enhance our ability to provide safe patient care. Xenex is one of the many tools utilized to help assure that we provide the safest possible environment for our patients," said Tracey Lewis-Taylor, COO, SHC – VC.
Three startup fundraising rounds closed during fourth quarter 2017 in San Antonio that were aggregated by venture capital tracking groups, according to reports released this week. Those reports include PricewaterhouseCoopers' Money Tree report, collected by CB Insights, and one produced in collaboration between Pitchbook and the National Venture Capital Association.
All the new capital injections are for health care industry startups that have been operating for a few years.
The largest round involved Ranger Health, a technology startup created in 2015 that sells software and access to health care from a closed network of doctors. It was co-founded by Michael Zucker, Dr. Cameron Powell and Trey Moore. The startup raised $10 million from HOLT Ventures LLC, the corporate venture capital arm of HOLT CAT, during fourth quarter 2017.
Powell and Moore are serial entrepreneurs who co-founded AirStrip Technologies, while Zucker was formerly chief strategy officer for Tenet Healthcare's South Texas region — otherwise known as Baptist Health System. By comparison, AirStrip Technologies raised about $65 million from investors from 2004 to 2014.
Dominion Aesthetic Technologies is a San Antonio-based biotechnology startup founded in 2015 and focused on commercializing new plastic and reconstructive surgery techniques. The company raised $1.6 million from MagnaSci Ventures, a Houston-based venture capital group. Dominion Aesthetic Technologies CEO Janet Campbell is the former CEO of Seno Medical Instruments, which secured more than $100 million in investment capital from 2005 to 2015 under Campbell's tenure.
Cardiovate, a biotechnology startup that develops medical devices and was spun out of the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2012, secured more venture capital for its NeoVessel technology. Cardiovate was founded by Jordan Kaufmann, now chief technology officer, and is lead by CEO Mark Standeford. The startup raised $1 million to develop technology for a vein stint that promotes the growth of a patient's own cells to repair a blood vessel after surgery from the San Antonio-based Targeted Technology Fund, undisclosed angel investors and the University of Texas Horizon Fund.
Otherwise, 2017 was a pretty quiet year for technology startup investment, records show. In January, Infocyte LLC, a local cybersecurity startup raised $3.4 million from LiveOak Venture Partners, Hollis Family Partnership and Feik Enterprises. One month later, Xenex Disinfection Services raised $38 million from EW Healthcare Partners, Tectonic Ventures, Piper Jaffray and Malin Corp. Then in July and August, respectively, BioAffinity Technology and Airrosti each raised about $4 million from undisclosed angel investors.
Some private placement deals that fell through the national reporting cracks included $2.5 million for WGVS Holdings LLC, $2 million for PhyzData, $500,000 for Ava Propulsion, $308,300 for Quantum Industrial Development Corp., $907,500 for Electrochemical Oxygen Concepts Inc., $1.5 million for BI02 Medical Inc., $33 million for Canary Analytics Holdings LLC and $3 million for Parlevel SystemsInc., according to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission records.
More than 8,000 companies across the U.S. raised $84 billion during 2017, according to the National Venture Capital Association. The total amount raised marks a high point since the dot-com bust, while there were fewer transactions and, therefore, larger deals.