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Glenveigh Medical is a science and technology-based company focused on advancing the practice of obstetrics, with aspirations to rapidly become the leader in the field. Glenveigh Pharmaceuticals was formed in 2004 as the platform for this vision and to fulfill almost 10 years of prior research by the founder, C. David Adair, MD, a maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialist. Dr. Adair’s early work with a GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) drug, Digibind®, led to the initiation of a Phase IIb clinical trial in pregnant women (the DEEP Study) to test the efficacy for severe preeclampsia. This study has been completed with positive results, and plans for the next trial are being formulated. In addition to Glenveigh Pharmaceuticals, the Glenveigh Medical group of companies now includes Glenveigh Surgical (instruments and devices) and Glenveigh Research.
The accomplishments that make up Glenveigh’s success date back to 1996 when Dr. Adair received approval from the Food and Drug Administration to conduct a clinical study with Digibind® (digoxin immune FAB ovine) in post-partum women. In 2002, Glenveigh entered into a research collaboration with GSK to begin the DEEP Study. By late 2004, Rick Proctor, who had responsibility for Digibind® at GSK, was successfully recruited to become CEO, and Glenveigh began building its valuable Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) and adding other industry veterans to the team. In early 2007, Glenveigh Pharmaceuticals licensed its Digibind® intellectual property to Protherics PLC, now BTG PLC. BTG is a leading antibody company who manufactures Digifab®, a similar and competing product to Digibind®.
Growing visibility in the maternal-fetal medicine community has made Glenveigh an attractive partner for physicians with innovative ideas. Most are weary of big corporations and prefer to work with a Company founded by a MFM who can relate to the special needs and challenges of this practice area. As a result, Glenveigh gets a steady flow of opportunities to review, and selects the most attractive prospects for license and development. Many are devices and surgical instruments that can qualify for 510(k) notification and thus move from concept to market quickly. Glenveigh Surgical has already acquired the rights to 3 new devices, and initiated development with a project team whose collective experience in the industry exceeds 100 years. Two of these products will be ready for launch in late 2009 or early 2010. Glenveigh Pharmaceuticals is conducting due diligence on a number of existing therapeutic products that could be developed for the obstetrical market.
Glenveigh Research is funding investigations by SAB members at a number of leading institutions. Work at Brigham Young University, led by Dr. Steven Graves, and LSU Shreveport, under the direction of Dr Yuping Wang, is exploring the etiology of preeclampsia that could lead to diagnostic and theranostic tests. Additional research with digoxin immune FAB ovine shows promise for its use in disease of inflammation and led to the filing of patents in 2006.
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