Alexander Burik, Author at Labiotech.eu

About

Born in Chicago, I grew up close to Frankfurt, Germany. I hold an MSc in Neuroscience from University College London and a BA in Biochemistry from Knox College in the US.
Outside of science-related activities, I enjoy skiing and writing music.

Articles by Alexander Burik

News and Trends 21 Nov 2019

Update: Swedish Medical Device Fails to Treat Spinal Cord Injury

Update (21/11/2019): The Swedish biotech BioArctic has terminated the clinical development of a biodegradable implant that is designed to treat spinal cord injury by encouraging the regrowth of nerve cells. The decision was made when an interim analysis in BioArctic’s phase I/II trial concluded that the treatment was ineffective. BioArctic will instead focus on developing […]

November 21, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik

News and Trends 27 Sep 2018

Update: Series A Boost Pushes Belgian Microbiome Spin-Off Forward

Update (27/09/2018): New investment from Dutch venture capital fund Innovation Industries brings A-Mansia’s Series A round up to €18M. The company’s first human study of the effects of A. muciniphila in volunteers is currently underway at the University of Louvain. Published on 27/04/2018 A-Mansia Biotech has raised €13M in Series A financing led by Seventure Partners. The […]

September 27, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik

News and Trends 10 Sep 2018

Update: Non-Invasive Glucose Monitoring Device Moves Forward With Series B Funding

Update (10/09/2018): RSP Systems has raised an additional €3.85M that raises the total amount of its Series B fundraising to €10.35M. The funds will be used to run clinical trials with the company’s device, which measures blood sugar without the need for finger-pricking. Published on 11/06/2018 RSP Systems has raised €6.5M in the first closing […]

September 10, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik

News and Trends 17 Aug 2018

Novo Nordisk Buys British ‘Smart’ Insulin Diabetes Biotech in deal worth €702M

Novo Nordisk acquired the UK biotech Ziylo, which develops glucose-responsive insulin treatments for diabetes that act in response to changes in blood sugar levels. The Danish big-pharma, which is already a big player in the diabetes space, acquired the full rights to Ziylo’s technology in a deal worth up to €702M ($800M). Novo will use the […]

August 17, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik

Startup Scout 17 Aug 2018

This Italian Biotech Makes Wood-Derived Bone Implants

Today, we’re in Faenza, Italy, visiting GreenBone, a biotech developing wood-derived bone implants for patients with bone fractures. Mission: Founded in 2014, GreenBone takes bamboo and converts it to a calcium compound called hydroxyapatite. The material could be used as an alternative to bone grafts made from a deceased donor or bone taken from another […]

August 17, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik

News and Trends 16 Aug 2018

Pfizer Offers €374M for German mRNA Flu Vaccine

BioNTech, based in Mainz, Germany, has entered into a partnership with Pfizer worth up to $425M (€374M) to develop an mRNA-based flu vaccine, which could be produced much more quickly than current flu vaccines. Messenger RNA (mRNA) is one of the building blocks living organisms use to create proteins from genes. BioNTech is developing prophylactic […]

August 16, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik

News and Trends 15 Aug 2018

London Biotech Gets Positive Phase III Results for its Monthly HIV Treatment

ViiV Healthcare has shown its monthly two-drug HIV treatment works as well as a daily three-drug treatment, which could help reduce the total number of drugs taken by patients. In a Phase III trial that recruited 618 people, London biotech ViiV Healthcare aimed to see if adult HIV-positive patients who had been taking daily antiretroviral […]

August 15, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik

News and Trends 13 Aug 2018

Orchard Therapeutics Raises €132M to Develop Gene Therapies

Orchard Therapeutics raised $150M (€132M) in Series C financing to bring its gene therapies from clinical testing to regulatory approval. The British biotech will use the funding to develop its most advanced clinical programs, which aim to treat rare inherited metabolic and immune system diseases. The news follows Orchard’s acquisition of GSK’s entire gene therapy […]

August 13, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik

News and Trends 10 Aug 2018

UK Biotech Raises €73M to Target DNA Repair in Treating Cancer

Artios Pharma completed a €73M (£65M) Series B financing round to develop cancer treatments that target DNA repair mechanisms. Cancer occurs when cells in part of the body start dividing uncontrollably as a result of damaged or mutated DNA. In collaboration with Cancer Research UK, Artios Pharma is developing cancer treatments that inhibit proteins involved […]

August 10, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik

News and Trends 9 Aug 2018

Modulating the Microbiome Could Boost Vaccine Performance

Dutch scientists have found that altering a patient’s microbiome with antibiotics before a vaccination can boost the body’s resulting immune response against rotavirus infection. Rotavirus causes severe vomiting and diarrhea and largely affects children. Over 200,000 children are killed by the virus each year. The rotavirus vaccine is made of weakened strains of the rotavirus, […]

August 9, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik

News and Trends 7 Aug 2018

First 3D Placenta Model Helps Study Pregnancy Disorders

Austrian researchers have created a miniature 3D model of the human placenta, which could help us understand the causes of pregnancy complications. The human placenta plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy pregnancy, supplying the fetus with the nutrients and hormones it needs to grow and protecting it from bacterial infections. Researchers at the […]

August 7, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik

News and Trends 7 Aug 2018

Update: Seaweed-Derived Treatment for Common Cold Approved in the EU

Update (07/08/2018): Marinomed Biotech has obtained EU approval to sell a nasal spray containing a polymer derived from red seaweed that can trap most common cold viruses to stop them from infecting us. Published on 19/07/2018 Marinomed Biotech’s antiviral treatment, which is derived from seaweed, could be used to treat the cause of respiratory […]

August 7, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik

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