Former Head of Novartis’ Pharmaceuticals Division to help guide future of company focused on groundbreaking therapy for CNS-related edema

November 30, 2016 09:30 AM Eastern Standard TimeNEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Remedy Pharmaceuticals, a privately-held phase 3-ready pharmaceutical company focused on bringing a life-saving hospital-based treatment to people affected by central nervous system (CNS) related edema, today announced that David Epstein has joined as special advisor to the Company’s board of directors.

Until earlier this year, Mr. Epstein spent two-and-a-half decades at Swiss-based Novartis, most recently as Division Head and CEO of the Pharmaceuticals business. Previously, Mr. Epstein started and led Novartis' Oncology and Molecular Diagnostics units. Under his leadership the Oncology business grew to number two in the world. He has more than 20 years of extensive drug development, deal making, commercialization and people leadership experience on a global scale. Over the course of his career he lead the development and commercialization of over 30 new molecular entities including major breakthroughs such as Glivec, Tasigna, Gilenya, Cosentyx and Entresto. Early in his career, Mr. Epstein was an Associate in the Strategy Practice of the consulting firm Booz, Allen and Hamilton. He was recently named by Fierce Biotech to be among "The 25 most influential in biopharma."

Read More: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005127/en/David-Epstein-Joins-Special-Advisor-Remedy-Pharmaceuticals 

Partial Responses and Stable Disease Achieved with Bispecific as a Single-Agent
Safety and Target Engagement Established for Anti-RSPO3

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Nov. 29, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OncoMed Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:OMED) presented initial first-in-human data from its ongoing Phase 1 clinical trials of anti-DLL4/VEGF bispecific (OMP-305B83) and anti-RSPO3 (OMP-131R10) antibodies in two posters at the 28th EORTC-NCI-AACR Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics Symposium being held in Munich, Germany.

"In these first-in-human Phase 1 trials of our anti-DLL4/VEGF bispecific and anti-RSPO3 antibodies we have accomplished the primary goal of defining the safety profiles and establishing the single-agent doses for these agents.  We have also observed initial evidence of anti-tumor activity in patients treated to date," said Jakob Dupont, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of OncoMed.  "Dual blockade of DLL4 and VEGF has shown synergies preclinically, and in the clinic we are seeing evidence of single-agent activity with partial responses in ovarian and uterine cancers and stable disease in about one-third of the Phase 1 patients treated.  We look forward to completing these trials and, in the near future, initiating Phase 1b studies with the anti-DLL4/VEGF bispecific in combination with standard of care in ovarian and colorectal cancers."

Read More: http://investor.shareholder.com/oncomed/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=1001265

To most, it’s Silicon Valley: the region that produced silicon chip innovators and manufacturers, globally influential high-tech corporations and thousands upon thousands of startup companies.

One local surgeon, however, likes to refer to the area as “Vascular Valley,” acknowledging the prolific development of minimally invasive medical device technology. And who would know better than a man who created a new and innovative way to treat patients at risk for stroke?

​For Dr. David Chang, a vascular surgeon from Cupertino whose office is in Los Gatos, innovation is a way of life. With more than 10 patents to his name over the course of 16 years of professional practice experience, Chang’s biggest achievement to date is the development of a minimally invasive technique to treat blockages in the carotid artery at risk of causing a stroke. The procedure, called “transcarotid artery revascularization,” or TCAR, has the potential to be used as an alternative to the traditional open surgical technique of carotid endarterectomy (CEA). CEA is a more invasive surgical technique requiring a larger incision and can be at a higher risk for nerve injury and typical complications from open surgery like infection and bleeding.

Read More: http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/11/03/los-gatos-surgeon-comes-up-with-a-new-approach-to-treat-stroke-patients/