Kuros Biosurgery AG announced today the results of a Phase IIb clinical trial assessing the potential of KUR-111 (Viz.I-0401) in the treatment of patients with tibial plateau fractures that require fixation and grafting. The study achieved its primary efficacy endpoint, which was the demonstration of statistical non-inferiority to autograft with respect to the proportion of patients who achieved radiological fracture union at 16 weeks after grafting. This is the first large scale clinical study to demonstrate the efficacy of a product based on Kuros’ proprietary bioactive-biomaterial technologies.

BIOTRONIK SE & Co. KG, a leading manufacturer of implantable cardiac devices and pioneer of wireless remote monitoring technologies and Endosense, a Swiss medical technology company, today announced that they have entered into an exclusive distribution agreement for Endosense’s force-sensing ablation catheter, the TactiCath®. Under the terms of the agreement, BIOTRONIK will be the exclusive distributor of the TactiCath in all major markets outside of the United States, Japan and Asia.

Novexel, a speciality pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel antibiotics designed to overcome the significant global problem of microbial drug resistance, announces today that its shareholders have signed a definitive agreement whereby Novexel shall be acquired by AstraZeneca for a total cash consideration of up to $505 million, including contingent payments and the net cash position of the company at closing. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2010, subject to certain customary conditions, including the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvement Act of 1976.

Endosense, a medical technology company focused on improving the efficacy, safety and reproducibility of catheter ablation for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, has announced the appointment of health-care industry veterans Jan H. Egberts, M.D. and Michael J. Dormer, to new chairman of the board and board director, respectively. Representing several decades of senior management experience at industry-leading medical device and pharmaceutical companies, the two join Endosense as it pursues the European commercialization and U.S. Premarket Approval (PMA) clinical study of the company’s proprietary force-sensing ablation catheter, the TactiCath®.