Brian Foard Named Head of Specialty Care Global Business Unit at Sanofi
Industry vet Brian Foard is the new Head of Sanofi’s Specialty Care Global Business Unit (GBU).
With this appointment, which is effective immediately, Mr. Foard becomes a member of Sanofi’s Executive Committee.
Mr. Foard has been interim Head of the GBU since September 2023 while also serving as Head of Specialty Care North America and U.S. Country Lead. He has been at the helm of the launch of Dupixent in more than 50 countries across multiple indications and age groups prior to his current role.
Mr. Foard joined Sanofi in March 2017 as the Global Head of Dermatology and Respiratory, and held roles of increasing responsibility, including as Head of Global Immunology for Sanofi. He began his career with Galderma.
Meet miraDry’s New CEO
Industry vet Rob Catlin is the new CEO at miraDry.
Amber Edwards continues on the Board of Directors in her new capacity as Chair.
Arash Khazei will step down as Chief Executive Officer, continuing in the near term as a strategic advisor to the company.
“As a respected leader in the industry, Rob will help miraDry enter a new phase as we accelerate provider adoption and reach more patients to provide the relief they are seeking,” says Ms. Edwards in a news release.
“I look forward to taking miraDry to the next level, building on the incredible progress that has been made since 1315 Capital acquired the company. There is tremendous market opportunity to accelerate awareness and adoption both in the US and globally, as validated by miraDry’s 82% growth in China in 2023,” adds Mr. Catlin.
DermTech Discontinues TERT Assay
DermTech, Inc. is discontinuing the optional TERT promoter mutation add-on assay for its DermTech Melanoma Test (DMT), effective March 1, 2024.
Multiple studies, including the Company’s recently completed Trust 2 Study, demonstrated the DMT’s negative predictive value (NPV) to be 99% or higher.
The TERT promoter mutation assay was offered as an optional add-on to the foundational gene expression assay for LINC00518 and PRAME based on initial validation data suggesting it conferred a modest increase in NPV. However, in the clinical setting, less than one-third of patient samples contain sufficient genomic material for TERT analysis. In the Trust 2 Study, the addition of TERT analysis decreased specificity slightly without providing a statistically significant increase in NPV.
“These findings establish in a large real-world cohort that the DMT’s high NPV is not enhanced by the addition of TERT mutation testing,” says Laura K. Ferris, MD, PhD, Professor of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and a participant in the study, in a news release.
ELEVAI Acquires Worldwide License Agreement for Proprietary Stem Cell Manufacturing Technology
Elevai Labs, Inc. has signed an exclusive, worldwide manufacturing and processing technology licensing agreement with INmune Bio, Inc.
The licensing agreement grants Elevai a license to use INmune Bio’s proprietary “EMx” technology to manufacture current Good Manufacturing Practice (“cGMP”) grade, human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hucMSCs) at a lower cost to Elevai than purchasing hucMSCs outright.
Manufactured hucMSCs can be incorporated into certain licensed topical cosmetic products sold in the medical aesthetics skincare market.
Cynosure Partners with LaserAway to Offer Potenza RF Microneedling
LaserAway will now offer Cynosure’s Potenza RF Microneedling system at all their locations nationwide.
“The expansion of this partnership with LaserAway signifies a leap forward in redefining accessible, anti-aging aesthetic treatments,” says Nadav Tomer, CEO of Cynosure, in a news release.
