SAN DIEGO, April 4, 2023 (Newswire.com) - AnaBios Corporation today announced the acquisition of Cell Systems, a human primary cell and cell culture media company located in Kirkland, Washington. The purchase of Cell Systems will further enhance AnaBios' unique human tissue and cells portfolio and help scientists expedite drug discovery and further their understanding of cell biology through access to an expansive array of biologically relevant tools.

Cell Systems offers a wide variety of human primary cells, including endothelial cells from the brain, liver, kidney, eye and lung that have been instrumental in the ongoing assessment of COVID-19. Their liver sinusoidal endothelial cells were recently used in a pivotal study of a novel liver-chip model that rigorously validated the use of the primary cells for this microfluidics application, according to the industry standards set by the International Consortium for Innovation and Quality in Pharmaceutical Development.

AnaBios, a pre-clinical contract research organization focused on translational studies, leverages its advanced technologies to provide human tissue samples, cells and services for the pharmaceutical industry and academic laboratories globally. Human primary cells and tissues provide clinically relevant data to increase the success rate of drug development.

"Cell Systems has decades of experience supplying our highly-cited human primary cells to pharma/biotech companies and universities around the world that enable translational research using 2D and 3D models, microfluidic devices and in organ-chip technology. Our primary cells have been instrumental in research of the blood-brain-barrier, liver biology, kidney function, respiratory biology and much more," said Jesse Damm, CEO of Cell Systems. "AnaBios is the world leader in providing human-focused tissue samples, primary cells and services, so it makes perfect sense for our customers for Cell Systems and AnaBios to join forces."

"AnaBios is extremely excited to provide Cell Systems' primary cells to researchers globally and further enhance the landscape of translational research," said Dr. Andre Ghetti, CEO of AnaBios. "By maximizing the synergies between our offerings and expertise and Cell System's human primary cells and media, we will provide enhanced translational tools and reagents to academic, pharmaceutical and biotech researchers and optimize their research programs through enhanced human insights."

Financing for this transaction was provided by AnaBios' existing investors, including Ampersand Capital Partners. Financial details regarding the acquisition have not been disclosed. For more information and ordering of Cell System human primary endothelial cells, please refer to http://cell-systems.com/pages/primary-human-cells or contact [email protected].

About AnaBios

Located in San Diego, California, AnaBios aims to establish the safety and efficacy of novel compounds through its advanced, human-focused translational technologies. AnaBios primarily focuses on areas of high, unmet medical need, including cardiac disease, lung disease, CNS disorders, pain and itch. As a preclinical CRO, AnaBios has the most extensive network of hospitals and transplant centers for obtaining human tissue samples from ethically consented donors for ex vivo analysis. For more information about AnaBios, visit http://www.anabios.com.

About Cell Systems

Located in Kirkland, Washington, Cell Systems is laser-focused on providing the highest quality cell biology tools to researchers around the globe. With our expansive inventory of primary human cells and optimized media kits, Cell Systems is an ideal partner to support consistency and reproducibility in research programs while enhancing the biological relevance of the insights. Cell Systems ships next day in the US and priority delivery around the world. For more information about Cell Systems, please visit http://www.cell-systems.com.

About Ampersand Capital Partners

Founded in 1988, Ampersand is a middle-market private equity firm with $3 billion of assets under management dedicated to growth-oriented investments in the healthcare sector. With offices in Boston and Amsterdam, Ampersand leverages its unique blend of private equity and operating experience to build value and drive long-term performance alongside its portfolio company management teams. Ampersand has helped build numerous market-leading companies across each of the firm's core healthcare sectors. For additional information, visit http://www.ampersandcapital.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

SpendMend
SpendMend

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., April 4, 2023 (Newswire.com) - SpendMend, the leading provider of tech-enabled, cost-saving solutions in the healthcare industry, today announced its attainment of HITRUST certification. The successful completion of the multi-year certification process is a testament to the company's unwavering commitment to ensuring the highest level of security and privacy for sensitive information, including patient data, in the healthcare industry.

The HITRUST framework is a comprehensive set of standards and best practices that are designed to safeguard sensitive information in the healthcare industry. SpendMend's achievement of this certification demonstrates its adherence to the highest standards in information security and privacy. This accomplishment is especially critical in today's landscape, where the healthcare industry faces a growing number of cybersecurity threats.

"Protecting sensitive information is of utmost importance," said Jeremy Toth, CTO of SpendMend. "As a company that partners with healthcare networks to uncover and reverse hidden costs, we take the protection of sensitive information very seriously. Our attainment of HITRUST i1 certification reinforces our commitment to providing our clients with secure, reliable solutions and peace of mind."

SpendMend's technology-enabled cost-saving solutions help healthcare networks uncover and reduce hidden costs by combining data, proprietary technology, and analytics with healthcare expertise. With HITRUST certification, SpendMend's clients can feel confident that their sensitive information is being handled securely and in accordance with the highest standards in the industry. This milestone is a major step forward for SpendMend and solidifies the company's position as a leader in the healthcare industry.

About SpendMend

SpendMend is the leading provider of tech-enabled, cost-saving solutions in the healthcare industry. By combining data, proprietary technology, and analytics with healthcare expertise, SpendMend partners with healthcare networks to expose and improve hidden costs in meaningful ways. The company's mission is to help its clients improve patient care through innovative cost-saving solutions.

Paula Doyle AMWA 2023 Healthcare Innovation Challenge Winner

CHICAGO, April 4, 2023 (Newswire.com) - Paula Jaye Doyle, MD, the docpreneur founder of EndoGlow, won the inaugural American Medical Women's Association (AMWA) Healthcare Innovation Challenge for her pitch to develop the GreenEgg, a fluorescent wand that enhances tissue visualization during minimally invasive surgeries. AMWA's first Healthcare Innovation Challenge was held in Philadelphia on March 25, during AMWA's 108^th Annual Meeting.

"Dr. Doyle was recognized as having the strongest pitch and most commercially viable medical innovation among the five finalists, according to an expert panel of five judges," says Dima Elissa, MBA, a healthcare technology entrepreneur, who was the driving vision behind this event. As the winning innovator, Dr. Doyle received a $10,000 check, as well as a one-year membership in MATTER.health start-up incubator and an AMWAxCEL Fellowship.

"As surgeries have become more complicated, passive surgical instruments and the use of fluorescent dyes are no longer sufficient to meet the challenges faced during most minimally invasive surgical procedures," according to Dr. Doyle, associate professor in obstetrics and gynecology and urology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine. "One compelling example of the usefulness of this medical device has been in assessing the level of endometriosis in a woman. When the GreenEgg was used, the invasiveness of the endometrial tissue was lit up clear through to the rectum, which would not have been visible to the naked eye."

EndoGlow is a woman physician-founded medical device company that is designing surgical devices that fluoresce under near infrared (NIR) imaging. Initially, Dr. Doyle developed a fluorescent polymer in order to transilluminate tissue and improve surgical visualization to address the frustration she recognized as a common limitation in achieving beneficial surgical outcomes. 

After she patented the Tissue Reveal Technology (TRT), she began to collaborate with three other MedTech entrepreneurs to apply the technology for use as an enhanced surgical manipulator, the GreenEgg. By joining forces, they finalized the TRT methodology, produced a sample device, and have proceeded to conduct product testing of the GreenEgg to amass the data needed to seek FDA approval.

The GreenEgg is a non-powered, handheld pelvic manipulator that was fashioned from a commonly used but inflexible, static surgical stick. The GreenEgg is different in two ways: 

• This medical device is an active manipulator 
• It transilluminates tissue, producing many surgical benefits, such as visualization of subsurface pathology, enhanced surgical planes, and better operating room communication. 

The benefits were first unveiled at the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons (SGS) in 2017 and again in 2022. In addition, EndoGlow received the Minimally Invasive Medical Device Recognition Award by MedTech Magazine in 2020 and the Innovation Surgical Device Company Award in 2021.

EndoGlow is in the final testing stage on the GreenEgg in preparation for seeking Food and Drug Administration approval. All members of the EndoGlow team are company investors.

American Medical Women's Association is a multispecialty organization of women physicians committed to advancing women in medicine, advocating for equity, and ensuring excellence in healthcare. Learn more at www.amwa-doc.org

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., April 4, 2023 (Newswire.com) - CE Broker, a leader in healthcare compliance and continuing education ("CE") management software, has announced the acquisition of Immuware, a provider of occupational and employee health and safety technology for required organizational compliance.

The acquisition integrates SaaS-based capabilities and expands the company's ability to accelerate product innovation and address a comprehensive range of employee and contractor compliance requirements, ultimately benefiting customers. With the addition of Immuware, CE Broker will be able to advance its mission to power total professional management through smarter compliance.

"We are honored to welcome Immuware to the CE Broker team," said Julie Walker, CEO of CE Broker. "The combined companies will modernize how our professionals, employers, regulators, agencies, and associations work together to streamline and automate compliance-driven operations to produce better outcomes."

Immuware will be added to the current suite of compliance solutions, which consists of CE Broker, EverCheck, and a Marketplace offering. The CE Broker solution is currently a full-lifecycle CE compliance platform for thousands of state and national licensure boards, agencies, associations, and millions of licensed professionals. The EverCheck solution monitors healthcare compliance and provides access to accredited learning courses for over 400 hospital networks nationally. The acquisition of Immuware will supplement these capabilities with employee and occupational health compliance tracking and provide real-time status of immunizations, screenings, workplace medical surveillance testing, exposures, training, injuries, illnesses, licensure/certifications, and more.

"Immuware's customers will benefit from CE Broker's talent and operational resources," said Brittany Carminati, Founder and CEO of Immuware. "We will be able to expand our compliance capabilities through deeper domain knowledge and expanded technical expertise."

"CE Broker and Immuware are two highly complementary leaders in the healthcare compliance space, and we believe that the combination represents a strong strategic fit that will enable the joint teams to continue building and delivering innovative solutions to customers," said Nathan Pingelton, a managing director at Marlin Equity Partners and member of CE Broker's Board of Directors. "We look forward to helping the combined company reach its full potential and further accelerate its growth."

About Us

CE Broker is modernizing how professionals, their employers, regulators, and associations work better together. For over 20 years, CE Broker has propelled the progress of millions of licensed, certified, and registered professionals through our full-lifecycle continuing education management. In partnership with regulatory agencies and powered by industry-leading technology, EverCheck, a CE Broker product, delivers the most trusted and comprehensive technology solutions that simplify total professional compliance for both employers and employees.

We power professionals. Learn more at cebroker.com and evercheck.com.

About Immuware

Immuware is a software company and consulting firm that provides businesses in the healthcare, energy, education, and government sectors with secure and easy-to-use health tracking solutions. Immuware applications include innovative vaccination management and illness tracking software, plus streamlined compliance status dashboards that increase accountability and take the guesswork out of identifying compliance gaps.

Learn more at immuware.com.

About Marlin Equity Partners

Marlin Equity Partners is a global investment firm with over $8.5 billion of capital under management. The firm is focused on providing corporate parents, shareholders and other stakeholders with tailored solutions that meet their business and liquidity needs. Marlin invests in businesses across multiple industries where its capital base, industry relationships and extensive network of operational resources significantly strengthen a company's outlook and enhance value. Since its inception, Marlin, through its group of funds and related companies, has successfully completed over 200 acquisitions. The firm is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with an additional office in London.

For more information, please visit www.marlinequity.com.

BioMed X Institute Logo

HEIDELBERG, Germany, April 4, 2023 (Newswire.com) - BioMed X, an independent biomedical research institute, announces the start of its new research project - "New Strategies to Enhance the Immunogenicity of Tumors" - in collaboration with Merck. The focus of this new research group will be to develop novel approaches for enhancing tumor immunogenicity to broaden the population of patients who could benefit from cancer immunotherapy. 

"What if we could overcome the immunosuppressive microenvironment of solid tumors with a novel targeted approach?" asks Dr. Christian Tidona, Founder and Managing Director of the BioMed X Institute. "This call for application is inviting original research proposals that explore new ways to enhance the immunogenicity of tumors and thus boost the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors," explains Dr. Tidona.

A high mutational burden, as well as aberrant mRNA splicing, are sources of neoantigens: unique antigens presented by tumor cells capable of eliciting an effective anti-tumor immune response. The most recently completed BioMed X project was also a Merck collaboration investigating RNA splicing patterns in cancer. "Using a new bioinformatic approach, we were able to query splicing variants that are unique to certain cancers," said Dr. Alexandra Duarte, former group leader at the BioMed X Institute. "Such splicing abnormalities can shape the complex pathophysiology of cancer cells, including through the expression of immunogenic neoantigens," added Dr. Duarte, now a Senior Scientist in the Department of mRNA Cancer Immunotherapies of Prof. Dr. Ugur Sahin at HI-TRON in Mainz, Germany. 

The new project launched today, marking the tenth joint research group between the two partners, expands this line of research by targeting tumor-specific DNA Damage Repair (DDR) mechanisms or exploiting tumor-intrinsic DDR defects to increase the tumor mutational burden and immunogenicity. Researchers who are interested in becoming part of this new BioMed X research team in Heidelberg are invited to respond to this international call for application by submitting a project proposal via the BioMed X Career Space at https://career.bio.mx/call/2023-BMX-C01 before May 28, 2023. 

About BioMed X

BioMed X is an independent research institute located on the campus of the University of Heidelberg in Germany, with a worldwide network of partner locations. Together with our partners, we identify big biomedical research challenges and provide creative solutions by combining global crowdsourcing with local incubation of the world's brightest early-career research talents. Each of the highly diverse research teams at BioMed X has access to state-of-the-art research infrastructure and is continuously guided by experienced mentors from academia and industry. At BioMed X, we combine the best of two worlds - academia and industry - and enable breakthrough innovation by making biomedical research more efficient, more agile, and more fun.

BioMed X Institute Logo