DARA BioSciences, Inc. reported that SurgiVision, Inc., a privately held company, and Brainlab AG, announced on April 11 a collaboration aimed at integrating SurgiVision's ClearPoint product line with Brainlab's iMRI product line, with particular focus on local delivery of drugs and other therapeutic agents to precision targets in the brain under Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) guidance. DARA presently owns over 500,000 shares and warrants of SurgiVision.

Last June, SurgiVision received 510(k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market their ClearPoint system in the United States for general neurological interventional procedures.

Brainlab and SurgiVision stated that they believe the integration of their technologies will allow patient-specific treatment planning, simplified clinical workflows and optimal delivery of drugs to the brain. Under the terms of the agreement, Brainlab received the right to sell SurgiVision's ClearPoint product line, including the right to exclusively sell ClearPoint products in the neurological drug delivery field, and Brainlab made an investment in SurgiVision. SurgiVision will continue to sell its ClearPoint product line directly for all applications outside the neurological drug delivery field.

DARA BioSciences, Inc. is a clinical biopharmaceutical development company that acquires promising therapeutic candidates and develops them through proof of concept (pre-phase III) in humans for subsequent sale or out-licensing to larger pharmaceutical companies.