Tech Innovations: April 2022

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(John M Lund Photography Inc/iStock via Getty Images Plus) (Getty Images)

The latest news on expansions, innovations, awards, and more includes items from Eversana, DHL Supply Chain, X-Chem, Medidata, and other notable companies.

The latest news on expansions, innovations, awards, and more includes items from Eversana, DHL Supply Chain, X-Chem, Medidata, and other notable companies.

Tech Innovations: April 2022
Tech Innovations: April 2022 (John M Lund Photography Inc/Getty Images)

The latest news on expansions, innovations, awards, and more includes items from Eversana, DHL Supply Chain, X-Chem, Medidata, and other notable companies.

Themo Fisher Scientific: NanoDrop Lite Plus spectrophotometer
Themo Fisher Scientific: NanoDrop Lite Plus spectrophotometer

Thermo Fisher Scientific has expanded its line of NanoDrop microvolume UV-Vis spectrophotometer with the NanoDrop Lite Plus. The product is designed to offer an entry-level system that enables users to assess sample concentration and purity ratios quickly and easily.

The NanoDropLite Plus is designed for routine measurements of nucleic acid and protein samples using only 1-2 μL. According to the manufacturer, this spectrophotometer delivers a high degree of accuracy and reproducibility in a compact, affordable package. 

Pharmapack Europe 2022: hybrid event
Pharmapack Europe 2022: hybrid event

Pharmapack Europe has announced its 2022 iteration will be a “smart event,” with a hybrid format consisting of online programming from May 9 to 27, and in-person offerings in Paris May 18 and 19. The agenda includes more than 50 sessions, more than 300 industry exhibitors, and live sessions covering design and development, sustainability, and combination products/biologics in three tracks.

Other show features include the educational Learning Labs, and new innovations at the Start-up Hub and Innovation Gallery. The Pharmapack Awards will take place online on May 17, honoring notable achievements in the industry.

Eversana: Actics named Artificial Intelligence Award winner
Eversana: Actics named Artificial Intelligence Award winner (Andrii Panchyk/Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Eversana has announced its Actics platform has been named a 2022 Artificial Intelligence Award winner by the Business Intelligence Group. The awards are intended to recognize companies, products, and people that use AI to solve real-life problems.

It’s an honor for our data and analytics team to be recognized as a leader in the artificial intelligence space for their work building a world-class solution like Actics,” said Jim Lang, CEO at EVERSANA. “The platform is the foundation of everything we do for clients, as it allows our team to provide actionable insights that can positively impact therapies in markets helps create better experiences for patients.”

DHL Supply Chain: $400m expansion investment
DHL Supply Chain: $400m expansion investment

Logistics specialist DHL Supply Chain has announced its Life Sciences and Healthcare sector plans to invest more than $400m USD to expand its pharmaceutical and medical device distribution network this year. The move reportedly will increase the network footprint by 27% and add nearly 3m square feet of capacity.

This latest investment in our Life Sciences and Healthcare sector is testament to our track record and pedigree for delivering unrivalled supply chain expertise to our partners,” said Jim Saponaro president of life sciences and healthcare for DHL Supply Chain North America. “This substantial expansion will only further deepen the connections between our customers and the patients they serve by providing best-in-class end-to-end supply chain solutions.”

Almac Pharma Services: ultra-low temperature solutions
Almac Pharma Services: ultra-low temperature solutions

Almac Pharma Services has expanded its ultra-low temperature commercial packaging, labelling, and distribution solutions. The move reportedly is intended to support the launch of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) from its European Centre of Excellence.

Robert Smith, consultant QP to Almac Pharma Services, noted, “As a result of the nature of these therapies, QP release of ATMPs requires an advanced level of knowledge, training and certification to ensure they understand the biological processes and the variability this brings. It is imperative, therefore, to partner with an experienced CDMO – like Almac - to facilitate and expedite this crucial stage and have confidence that product will be delivered to the patient as quickly as possible.” 

X-Chem: XD3 drug discovery solution
X-Chem: XD3 drug discovery solution (AliseFox/Getty Images/iStockphoto)

X-Chem has released its XD3 drug discovery technology. The solution reportedly combines data generated by DNA-encoded library (DEL) screening, the company’s ArtemisAI artificial intelligence platform, and chemistry experience.

“The generation of large datasets and artificial intelligence are transforming drug discovery,” said X-Chem CEO Matt Clark. “We believe our XD3 Dynamic Drug Discovery ecosystem will maximally leverage our state-of-the-art technology in the pursuit of innovative drugs for novel and difficult disease targets. We want to transform the drug discovery process to bring drug hunters from target-to-clinical candidate at unparalleled speed.”

Medidata: Citeline Awards
Medidata: Citeline Awards (grivina/Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Medidata, a Dassault Systèmes company, has been recognized with two Citeline Awards for its contributions to the life sciences. Its Best Patient-Facing Technology Initiative award was given for its  myMedidata patient engagement portal, and its Best Sponsor-Facing Technology Initiative honor was given for its Digital Oversight Solution.

Sastry Chilukuri, co-CEO of Medidata, said, “The patient’s interest is at the core of what we do, which is why we have worked hard to pioneer products that make clinical trials more accessible and engaging. As the first company to leverage digital health technologies for DCTs, we are proud to have received the Citeline Awards for myMedidata and Medidata’s Digital Oversight Solution."

Romaco Macofar: Oftalmica asceptic filling system
Romaco Macofar: Oftalmica asceptic filling system

Romaco Macofar has released its Oftalmica system, developed for aseptic filling of sterile eye drops, nasal sprays, and injectables. According to the manufacturer, the system meets GMP requirements for processing highly viscous, oily, and foaming liquids, offering fast format changes and short cleaning times.

The Oftalmica processes a range of plastic and glass bottles with a filling volume of between 1 ml and 30 ml. It can be used to apply any standard closure, and (depending on the type of closure) can be configured with up to three closing stations. 

Nucleai: $33m AI tech expansion funding
Nucleai: $33m AI tech expansion funding (Khanchit Khirisutchalual/Getty Images/iStockphoto)

AI-powered spatial biology company Nucleai reportedly has closed a $33m USD Series B funding round, led by Sanofi Ventures and Section 32. The funding reportedly will be used to further develop the company’s platform and expand its commercial footprint.

“Nucleai’s vision is to bring spatial biology to the forefront of precision medicine and to embed the use of our platform in every clinical trial involving tissue over the next few years,” said Avi Veidman, CEO of Nucleai. “We are pleased to bring world-class investors who share our passion and vision to transform drug development and clinical treatment decisions by combining artificial intelligence, big data, spatial biology, and a comprehensive software platform.”

Celerion: expansion of ADME services
Celerion: expansion of ADME services (PCH-Vector/Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Contract development and manufacturing organization Celerion has announced plans to invest in expanding its absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) suite of services. The expansion investment will include increasing laboratory space, additional capabilities, and dedicated customer service team.

With over 100 radiolabeled studies and 800 participants dosed, our experience in ADME studies ensures clients’ studies run efficiently and effectively from initial planning through to the final report,” said Phil Bach, Celerion’s vice president of global clinical research. “Additionally, our clinical and bioanalytical services are located within the same facility, enabling faster access to quality data and savings in time and cost.”