When recruiting patients for a clinical trial, it is important that researchers select the right mixture of people -- in terms of age, gender and ethnicity -- who they're seeking to treat with a new therapy or treatment intervention. This variety is critical for researchers to understand how treatments impact patients differently. Unfortunately, achieving diversity in clinical trials continues to be a challenge. While African Americans make up over 20 percent of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma cases in the United States, they represent only 8 percent of cancer clinical trial participants. When it comes to multiple myeloma, a cancer of a type of white blood cells called plasma cells, African Americans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with the disease, which makes it even more important that they are better represented in myeloma clinical trials.

Princeton-based BioNJ Member Photocure ASA announced that data from the OPTIC III study: Optimized photodynamic diagnosis for transurethral resection of the bladder tumor in German clinical practice, is now available online in the World Journal of Urology.  The results of this large 30 center study demonstrate that Blue Light Cystoscopy with Hexvix significantly improves the detection of NMIBC versus the standard procedure of white light alone in routine clinical practice in Germany.

Curing Hepatitis C is a done deal now. But New Brunswick-based BioNJ Member Johnson & Johnson is stepping through the clinic with a new combo that the pharma giant hopes will prove it can do it all faster, and presumably cheaper, than what's available now. In a new batch of data put out by J&J partner Achillion, J&J's team scored a 100% cure rate in three cohorts of patients getting a triple combination of odalasvir, AL-335 and Olysio (simeprevir). A fourth cohort that excluded simeprevir achieved a 90% cure rate at SVR12, 12 weeks after treatment. And one of the triplet cohorts achieved 100% cure for 20 patients after just 6 weeks of treatment.

Kenilworth-based BioNJ Member Merck and BioNJ Member Pfizer, with locations in Madison, rolled out positive  Phase III data for their SGLT2 diabetes drug ertugliflozin.  The data, with two doses of their drug added to Januvia and metformin slicing A1c levels by an extra 0.69 percent and 0.76 percent, will be added to their regulatory filings for this drug, now slated to land at the FDA before the end of this year with Europe and other markets to follow in 2017.

Basking Ridge-based Lexicon Pharmaceuticals , Inc. announced that the pivotal in Tandem1 Phase 3 clinical trial of sotagliflozin met its primary endpoint, showing a statistically significant reduction in A1C at 24 weeks in patients with type 1 diabetes on a background of optimized insulin. 

Drug delivery solutions company Catalent Inc. is acquiring Pharmatek Laboratories Inc., a San Diego-based specialist in drug development and clinical manufacturing.  The deal will be conducted through Catalent Pharma Solutions Inc., a subsidiary of Catalent, which is based in Somerset. 

Two new companies built on Rutgers inventions presented this week at University Startup Demo Day, an event in the U.S. Capitol Building for members of Congress and staff, as well as venture capitalists, angel investors and corporate representatives.  The two Rutgers spinouts are  Celvive Inc. , which is refining a stem-cell technology for regenerative medicine applications, such as helping patients recover from spinal cord injury, and  XPEED Turbine Technology LLC , which is developing aerodynamic technology that could reduce the cost of wind energy by improving wind turbine efficiency and increasing annual energy production.  

BioNJ Member Hackensack University Medical Center, a member of Hackensack Meridian Health, and John Theurer Cancer Center have been designated a National Pancreas Foundation Center for the treatment and care of patients with pancreatic cancer by the National Pancreas Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides hope for those suffering from pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. 

Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey is stepping down as CEO and President of the $10 billion Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Dr.  Lavizzo-Mourey, the first woman and first African-American to lead the foundation, has spent nearly 14 years at the helm of the nation's largest philanthropy devoted to health.  She will serve until a successor is in place. 

East Windsor-based BioNJ Member ARKAY Therapeutics, LLC announced the appointment of Dr. Stanley Schwartz, a renowned diabetes expert and key opinion leader, Dr. Nancy Motola, a regulatory strategies veteran and Dr. Hemant Joshi, formulations development expert to ARKAY Therapeutics' scientific advisory board. "We are delighted to have these exceptional individuals join ARKAY's team. We are confident that with these new additions to our existing scientific advisory board and the current members of the board, ARKAY has assembled the team it needs to advance its innovative pancreatic beta-cell centric combination product, RK-01 to the clinic and to the market by the year 2020" said Ravi Kumar, Ph.D., President and CEO of ARKAY Therapeutics. 

Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC announced that it has appointed Sheldon Hirt its new Senior Vice President and General Counsel. Mr.  Hirt, according to the Bridgewater-based generics pharmaceutical manufacturer, will succeed Robert Loewenstein, is retiring.

Somerset-based Catalent Pharma Solutions announced it has appointed two new executives to its leadership team.  Alessandro Maselli has been appointed Senior Vice President of Global Operations and Christine Dolan has been appointed Senior Vice President of Global Product Development.