Gastrointestinal Diseases

HONG KONG, Jan. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Researchers from the School of Engineering of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have successfully developed the world's smallest multifunctional biomedical robot, which is 60% smaller than current models. Capable of imaging, high-precision motion, and multifunctional operations like sampling, drug delivery, and laser ablation, the robot offers competitive imaging performance and a tenfold improvement in obstacle detection, paving the way for robotic applications in narrow and challenging channels of the human body, such as the lung's end bronchi and the oviducts. With a slim profile of just 0.95 mm—60% smaller than current endoscopic robots—this robot has accomplished an "impossible trinity" by simultaneously integrating all three significant specifications in one robot. It offers competitive imaging performance and extends obstacle detection distance up to ~9.4 mm, a tenfold improvement from theoretical limits. It also achieves remarkable motion precision (less than 30 μm) and substantially widens the imaging region by ~25 times the inherent view. Developed by Prof. SHEN Yajing, Associate Professor at the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering (ECE) and his team, the robot's tiny size is made possible with four major components. These include an optical fiber array for capturing images inside the body, a custom tool for delivering treatments precisely where needed, a hollow skeleton to hold the fibers and tools in place, and a functionalized skin that enables precise control of the robot's movements. The hollow skeleton is created by a microscale 3D printer, while the functionalized skin is produced through a magnetic spray technique, which helps keep the robot small and allows it to glide easily during surgery. It also features a gel-like outer layer that reduces friction. The team has tested this robot within in vitro bronchial models and ex-vivo porcine lungs, demonstrating smooth navigation in tight spaces while successfully capturing clear images and performing treatments on difficult areas. Prof. Shen said that this groundbreaking robot holds tremendous potential for clinical applications. "Small-scale continuum robots hold promise for interventional diagnosis and treatment, yet existing models often struggle with compactness, precise navigation, and visualized functional treatment all in one. Our study provides a significant solution for developing a surgical robot aimed at achieving early diagnosis and therapeutic goals in hard-to-reach areas of the body. With ongoing technological advancements, we believe that the fiberscopic robot will make greater contributions to human health in the foreseeable future," he said. Thanks to their ability to navigate narrow cavities while enabling quick recovery and low infection risk, small continuum robots have been employed in the treatment of several diseases, including heart disease—through the deployment of stents and electrophysiology catheters—as well as the repair of perforations in gastric and duodenal ulcers using single-port laparoscopy, among other applications. Building on this successful invention, the research team plans to further refine the robot's features to fit them into practical settings. "We aim to further optimize the design and control of the fiberscopic robot, prioritizing safety and reliability during interventional surgery. We look forward to implementing in vivo trials to demonstrate its performance in clinical scenarios," said Dr. ZHANG Tieshan, a postdoctoral fellow at HKUST. He is one of the two co-first authors of the study, along with Dr. LI Gen. Other co-authors from HKUST include Research Assistant Professor Dr. YANG Xiong and PhD student ZHAO Haoxiang, also from the ECE Department. Their findings have been recently published in Nature Communications. Download photos here: Watch the introduction video here: SOURCE The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

Sionna Therapeutics and Odyssey Therapeutics have joined Metsera and Maze in an attempt to go public via the still rocky IPO route. The biotechs, focused on cystic fibrosis and immunology respectively, filed for their initial public offerings on Friday evening. Sionna and Odyssey departed last week’s annual JP Morgan Healthcare Conference with plans for public life as $SION and $ODTX . They join the Nasdaq queue alongside obesity drug developer Metsera and kidney disease startup Maze , which has spun out other companies and formed joint ventures over the years. None of the IPO hopefuls have yet outlined the size of their planned debuts. If all four biotechs follow through with their plans, they’d create a buzzy start to 2025 compared to the relatively dry IPO market of the past few years. The new entrants Sionna and Odyssey are both well-funded, clinical-stage biotechs with experienced management teams, ticking most of the boxes that public market investors seek for drug development startups in the current IPO environment. Last year, Boston-based Sionna in-licensed three cystic fibrosis drug candidates from AbbVie, just months after disclosing a $182 million Series C that would take it through 2026, CEO Mike Cloonan told Endpoints News last July. Cloonan was a long-time Biogen executive and Sage Therapeutics operating chief before joining Sionna in spring 2021. New details on the AbbVie deal were revealed in Sionna’s S-1 paperwork, which was filed on 17 January. AbbVie got $5 million upfront and $8.6 million worth of common stock. The pharma giant could also get up to $360 million in development and commercial biobucks, plus up to $130 million in commercial and sales-based milestones, according to the S-1 filing . Sionna had $180 million in cash, equivalents and marketable securities at the end of September, according to the filing. The mid-stage biotech spent about $43 million on R&D in the first nine months of 2024, a $12 million jump over the same period the prior year, per the S-1. Sionna has raised about $330 million since its 2019 founding. RA Capital owns the largest chunk of the biotech at 29.2%. TPG Growth holds 17.4%, Atlas Venture owns 11.4% and OrbiMed maintains a 9.9% stake. OrbiMed is also one of the largest stakeholders in Odyssey. SR One is the biggest shareholder at 16.2% followed by OrbiMed (14.3%), Fidelity (6.7%) and Foresite Capital (6%), according to Odyssey’s S-1 filing . Odyssey is developing small molecule therapies for ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, atopic dermatitis, systemic sclerosis and other indications. It’s also creating protein therapeutics for vitiligo, type 1 diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus and asthma. The preclinical asthma program is part of the burgeoning TSLP arena. Gary Glick, a chemistry professor-turned-serial entrepreneur, leads Odyssey. The biotech startup formed in 2021 and quickly disclosed three successive megaround financings, most recently a $101 million Series C in December 2023. Glick is also a co-founder of Scorpion Therapeutics. During last week’s JPM, Eli Lilly said it would buy Scorpion for up to $2.5 billion . Odyssey spent $81 million on R&D in the first nine months of 2024, a $5 million decrease compared with the same period of 2023. The company had about $155 million in cash, equivalents and marketable securities at the end of September.

Between 3% and 5% of colorectal cancers exhibit the KRAS G12C mutation. Credit: SewCreamStudio/Shutterstock. Amgen’s LUMAKRAS (sotorasib) and Vectibix (panitumumab) combination has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat adults with Kirsten rat sarcoma virus gene (KRAS) glycine 12 to cysteine (G12C)-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The combination is intended for patients who have previously undergone chemotherapy based on fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin and irinotecan. The approval is anchored in the outcomes of the Phase III CodeBreaK 300 trial which showed the therapy combination as the first targeted treatment duo for chemorefractory KRAS G12C-mutated mCRC to outperform the investigated standard-of-care (SOC) in terms of progression-free survival (PFS). Amgen research and development executive vice-president Jay Bradner stated: “LUMAKRAS plus Vectibix offers a targeted, biomarker-driven combination therapy that helps delay disease progression more effectively than the investigated standard of care. “This new option validates our combination approach to improve outcomes for patients living with advanced KRAS G12C-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer.” The trial, which enrolled 160 subjects, compared two different doses of LUMAKRAS plus Vectibix against the investigator’s choice of SOC, which included trifluridine/tipiracil or regorafenib. The study met its primary endpoint by demonstrating a significant improvement in PFS, with key secondary endpoints of overall survival (OS) and overall response rate (ORR) also favouring the combination. Results indicated that the combination of LUMAKRAS at a dose of 960 mg daily with Vectibix led to a median PFS of 5.6 months versus just two months for the investigator’s choice of care-recipients. The ORR for the combination therapy was 26%. Safety profiles were consistent with the known effects of LUMAKRAS and Vectibix. Between 3% and 5% of colorectal cancers exhibit the KRAS G12C mutation, and require identification through an FDA-approved biomarker test. In May 2021, the company gained FDA approval for LUMAKRAS for treating adults with KRAS G12C-mutated locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.