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VIDEO: Takashi Nagao New CEO of Medicago
Medicago recently announced the start of Phase 2/3 clinical trial of its plant-derived VLP vaccine candidate for COVID-19 to evaluate its efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity, based on the positive Phase 1 results and subsequent allowance to advance to Phase 2/3 by the Canadian regulatory authorities
Medicago, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Quebec City, Canada, today announced Takashi Nagao as the company’s new President and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to becoming President and CEO, Mr. Nagao served as the Chairman of the Board of Medicago, where for the last four years, he has guided Medicago executives to get the company to where it is today. The company is known for its plant-based vaccine technology.
"Medicago, a research and development company for the last 20 years, is embarking on a transformative year, one that will see the company build on its R&D roots to become a company that also produces and commercializes vaccines and other immunotherapies," they say. "Mr. Nagao has extensive experience leading pharmaceutical companies through the pre-commercial and commercial process and is well-positioned to ensure the successful launch of Medicago’s COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, subject to regulatory approvals. Mr. Nagao will continue Medicago’s evolution towards its goal of being a fully operational commercial entity, able to respond to the needs of the global public health community and medical authorities and professionals."
“Taking on this new role with Medicago during this exciting time is a great honor for me,” said Mr. Nagao, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Medicago. “I want our employees, investors, and stakeholders such as the Government of Canada to know that I will put all my efforts into seeing our COVID-19 and influenza vaccines through to a successful launch to protect as many people as possible.”
From 2007 to 2017, Mr. Nagao oversaw the establishment of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation’s U.S. presence and led the team that successfully achieved NDA of RADICAVA®, the first FDA-approved drug in over 20 years for the patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Prior to that, Mr. Nagao was a Managing Director in investment banking at J.P. Morgan and Deutsche Bank where he was responsible for global clients and leading equity and cross-border M&A transactions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector in North America, Japan, and Europe. He has an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Mr. Nagao succeeds Dr. Bruce D. Clark, who held the position of President and CEO of Medicago since 2017 and was instrumental in the development of Medicago’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
Medicago recently announced the start of Phase 2/3 clinical trial of its plant-derived VLP vaccine candidate for COVID-19 to evaluate its efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity, based on the positive Phase 1 results and subsequent allowance to advance to Phase 2/3 by the Canadian regulatory authorities. The company is also building a new facility in Quebec to increase Canada’s domestic capacity for manufacturing vaccines, producing up to a billion doses annually.
“Medicago is at an inflection point. We are moving from a research and development focused organization to become a commercial entity supplying vaccines to Canadians and people around the world,” said Mr. Nagao.
For more information:
www.medicago.com
7 Dec 2020
Scientists Now Know How Cilantro Works Against Seizures
New research uncovers the molecular action that enables cilantro to effectively delay certain seizures common in epilepsy and other diseases
JULY 29TH, 2019 BY ANNE WARDE-UC IRVINE
(Credit: UC Irvine)
New research uncovers the molecular action that enables cilantro to effectively delay certain seizures common in epilepsy and other diseases.
Herbs, including cilantro, have a long history of use as folk medicine anticonvulsants. Until now, many of the underlying mechanisms of how the herbs worked remained unknown.
The study in FASEB Journal explains the molecular action of cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) as a highly potent KCNQ channel activator. This new understanding may lead to improvements in therapeutics and the development of more efficacious drugs.
“We discovered that cilantro, which has been used as a traditional anticonvulsant medicine, activates a class of potassium channels in the brain to reduce seizure activity,” says Geoff Abbott, professor of physiology and biophysics at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine and principal investigator on the study.
“Specifically, we found one component of cilantro, called dodecenal, binds to a specific part of the potassium channels to open them, reducing cellular excitability. This specific discovery is important as it may lead to more effective use of cilantro as an anticonvulsant, or to modifications of dodecenal to develop safer and more effective anticonvulsant drugs.”
Researchers screened cilantro leaf metabolites, revealing that one—the long-chain fatty aldehyde (E)-2-dodecenal—activates multiple potassium channels including the predominant neuronal isoform and the predominant cardiac isoform, which are responsible for regulating electrical activity in the brain and heart. This metabolite was also found to recapitulate the anticonvulsant action of cilantro, delaying certain chemically-induced seizures. The results provide a molecular basis for the therapeutic actions of cilantro and indicate that this ubiquitous culinary herb is surprisingly influential upon clinically important potassium channels.
Documented use of botanical folk medicines stretches back as far as recorded human history. There is DNA evidence, dating back 48,000 years, that suggests the consumption of plants for medicinal use by Homo neanderthalensis. Archaeological evidence, dating back 800,000 years, suggests a non-food use of plants by Homo erectus or similar species. Today, evidence of the efficacy of botanical folk medicines ranges from anecdotal to clinical trials. In many cases, people consume these “medicines,” often on a large scale, as foodstuffs or food flavoring.
Cilantro, called coriander in the UK, is one example. Humans have consumed cilantro for at least 8,000 years. It was found in the tomb of Tutankhamen and is thought to have been cultivated by the ancient Egyptians.
“In addition to the anticonvulsant properties, cilantro also has reported anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antibacterial, cardioprotective, gastric health, and analgesic effects,” says Abbott. “And, the best part is it tastes good!”
The National Institutes of Health, National Institute of General Medicine Sciences, and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke supported the work.
Source: UC Irvine
Original Study DOI: 10.1096/fj.201900485R
Nichia Turns Vegetables Into Medicinal Plants With LED Lighting
Nichia Turns Vegetables Into Medicinal Plants With LED Lighting
LED applications have opened an explosive market in horticulture lighting. Nichia, the Japanese LED giant, set up a laboratorial plant factory in Shanghai to test how different LED light sources can alter the ingredients of plants to create medicinal effects.
By combining blue LED with various phosphors, Nichia managed to generate artificial LED light with sunlight spectrum to upgrade the quality of light, which not only enhances eye comfort for people but also improves vegetable growth. In Nichia’s plant factory in Shanghai, Chun Chia Tai, Chairman and President of Nichia’s Shanghai and Taiwan Offices, established an indoor farm to conduct experiments on plants with several LEDs.
(Image: Nichia; Chairman and President of Nichia’s Shanghai and Taiwan Offices)
According to Tai, Nichia aims to grow vegetables with intensified medicinal effects. The ingredients of vegetables could be modified by changing the spectrum of LEDs. For example, Nichia has bred vegetables containing lower sugar which would be beneficial for diabetic patients. With its unique technology of mixing phosphors with LEDs, the company is bringing horticulture lighting to a new level.
Nichia has connected with local supermarkets to sell its vegetables in Shanghai and shipped some products to the Netherlands. The wide range applications of LED have built up a bridge between cutting-edge technologies and farming, bringing more healthy options for people.
- Keywords: Nichia Horticulture lighting Plant factory