GHP April 2017

GHP / April 2017 9 NEWS , Hypothalamic hamar- toma is a rare, be- nign (non-cancerous) brain tumor that can cause different types of seizures, cognitive problems or other symptoms. While the exact number of people with hypotha- lamic hamartomas is not known, it is estimated to occur in 1 out of 200,000 children and teenagers worldwide. The medical team at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is performing MR-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) using the Exab- late Neuro system as part of an FDA-approved feasibility study. The goal of the pilot study is to gather the preliminary safety profile of this incisionless abla- tive treatment for benign central- ly-located intracranial tumours in paediatric and young adults. The MRgFUS procedure involves applying high energy ultrasound waves guided by magnetic reso- nance imaging (MRI) to heat and ablate the target tumour, without impacting the scalp, skull or sur- rounding healthy brain tissue. The medical and research team at Nicklaus Children’s is led by Dr. John Ragheb, director of division of Neurosurgery; Dr. Travis Tier- ney, principal investigator; Dr. Ian Miller, director of epilepsy rogram; Dr. Sanjiv Bhatia, neurosurgeon; Dr. Nolan Altman, director of radi- ology; Dr. Prasanna Jayakar; and Dr. Jennifer McCafferty, director of research, Miami Children’s Re- search Institute. “This breakthrough first proce- dure sets the stage for us to provide incisionless surgery for young patients with benign cen- trally-located brain tumours. Our team is encouraged by the po- tential of focused ultrasound tech- The investment will enable the ground-up construction of two new buildings for grow- ing bioscience-based companies at the campus. The Babraham Research Cam- pus is a leading hub of bioscience research and innovation that supports early stage and grow- ing biomedical enterprises. At the centre of the Campus is the world-class Babraham Institute, which receives strategic funding from BBSRC, and BBT, its trad- ing subsidiary, through which the campus is being managed and further developed. Derek Jones, BBT Chief Execu- tive, added, “Over the years, we have had a very good relationship with BioMed Realty at Granta Park, recognising the potential synergies between the two sites. This is a natural extension of that relationship. This inward invest- ment in buildings on the site will support those growing scale-up companies who wish to be part of our campus community but are seeking larger premises than we are currently able to provide. We are excited by the opportunities this brings to continue to grow and develop the campus, and to support the world-leading life science businesses in the Cam- bridge region.” BioMed Realty, a leading provider of real estate solutions to the life science industry, owns and oper- ates an existing presence in Cam- bridge at its Granta Park campus. The company plans to invest approximately £35 million to con- struct two buildings comprising up to approximately 108,000 square feet of integrated laboratory and office facilities. The buildings will host life science companies re- quiring grow-on space and take advantage of the distinct envi- ronment and community at the campus. After construction, which is anticipated to begin by the end of 2017 and be completed in the second quarter of 2019, it is ex- pected that BBT will manage the property on behalf of BioMed Re- alty. “We are very excited about our partnership with BBSRC and the BBT to expand the Babraham Research Campus and our pres- ence in the world-renowned Cam- bridge, U.K., life science market,” said Tim Schoen, CEO and Presi- dent of BioMed Realty. “Our com- mitment to Cambridge was forged in 2012 at Granta Park, which we have since enlarged by 250,000 square feet. We pledge to assem- ble the strongest, most knowl- edgeable team in the industry to deliver exceptional, state-of-the- art research facilities to foster the ground-breaking science happen- ing at the Babraham Research Campus.” For more information, please visit: www.babraham.co.uk nology to positively impact lives,” said Prasanna Jayakar, MD, PhD, Chairman of the Brain Institute at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. “We applaud the team at Nicklaus Children’s for their commitment to treating children with various brain conditions. Their pioneering research with our MRgFUS tech- nology offers hope that significant groups of paediatric patients will be able to undergo treatment without any surgical incision, minimizing or eliminating the risk of infection or other surgical complications,” said Maurice R. Ferré MD, CEO and Chairman of INSIGHTEC. “The needs of paediatric patients emphasize some of the impor- tant advantages of focused ultra- sound. It is incisionless, avoids ionizing radiation, offers less risk of infection and disruption of ad- jacent normal tissue than surgery, and patients often return to nor- mal activities within days,” says Focused Ultrasound Founda- tion’s Chief Medical Officer, Tim Meakem, MD. “These benefits are especially important in neurosurgery, and researchers around the world are investigating other areas where this innovative care could improve outcomes for patients of all ages. The Foundation congratulates the entire team of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and INSIGHTEC for this breakthrough achievement.” Funds for the study have been provided by the Focused Ultra- sound Foundation. Regulatory sponsorship has been provided by INSIGHTEC. For more information, please visit: www.insightec.com , www. nicklauschildrens.org and www. fusfoundation.org BioMed Realty Invests in Laboratory Facilities at Babraham Research Campus Crawford Healthcare, the UK’s fastest growing advanced wound care company, has won a key government tender that will see its innovative wound dressings recommended as products of choice by Abu Dhabi’s public health body.