Anita Chakraverty, Author at Labiotech.eu

About

Anita Chakraverty is a freelance medical journalist and science communicator. Outside work, she enjoys a good movie, long walks in the local woods, and trying to get into pretzel-like yoga poses.

Articles by Anita Chakraverty

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News and Trends 31 Mar 2021

Lava Therapeutics’ IPO Shakes Cancer Niche of Gamma Delta T Cells

The Dutch biotech startup Lava Therapeutics launched onto the Nasdaq stock market last week with an €85.6M ($100.5M) IPO. This is a sign of mounting investor interest in cancer treatments based on immune cells known as gamma delta T cells. The proceeds of the IPO will be used to drive the development of the company’s […]

March 31, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty

News and Trends 18 Mar 2021

Europe Falls Behind in Efforts to Track Covid-19 Variants

As barely a third of European countries meet targets to track concerning Covid-19 variants, diagnostics and genomics companies are scrambling to help them tackle this challenge. New strains of the Covid-19 coronavirus are sweeping Europe as vaccine distribution efforts roll on. These variants often gain traction when mutations let them become more virulent or spread […]

March 18, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty

News and Trends 25 Feb 2021

Legal Fights Accompany Big Fundraises in Liquid Biopsy Scene

A recent patent fight between the liquid biopsy companies Natera and Inivata is only the latest of many spats over DNA sequencing technology that could potentially revolutionize the detection and treatment of cancer. Earlier this month, the UK-US biotech Inivata raised €29M in the second closing of a Series C round. The company will use […]

February 25, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty

News and Trends 16 Feb 2021

Cancer Research UK Cuts Two Biotech Collaborations Amid Pandemic Squeeze

The major research funder CRUK and two of the biotech companies it works with have decided to cut development ties as the financial impact of the coronavirus disease pandemic continues to bite. Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is a prolific research charity, running a multitude of collaborations with academics and biotech companies around the world. However, […]

February 16, 2021 - 4 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty

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News and Trends 4 Feb 2021

HIV Drug Approvals Lift Hopes Amid Missed UN Targets

The recent approvals of long-acting HIV injections promise to lighten the load of HIV sufferers around the world. However, a vital UN deadline for improving global HIV healthcare has slipped away. At the end of January, ViiV Healthcare’s Cabenuva became the first long-acting HIV treatment to be approved by the FDA. This decision, in addition […]

February 4, 2021 - 6 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty

News and Trends 30 Jun 2020

Kymab Wins UK Supreme Court Antibody Battle Against Regeneron

The UK Supreme Court has supported an appeal by British biotech Kymab to revoke antibody drug patents held by US giant Regeneron, a decision that could make it harder for big patent holders to clamp down on small innovators in the biotech industry. Kymab and Regeneron have been battling it out in the UK since […]

June 30, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty

News and Trends 4 Jun 2020

Update: Fifth US Antibody Patent Owned by UK Biotech Upheld in Regeneron Battle

Update (04/06/2020): After upholding four of Kymab’s patents addressing the production of antibody drugs earlier this year, the US Patent Trial and Appeal Board has rejected Regeneron’s attempt to invalidate a fifth patent regarding the same technology. So far, Regeneron has not requested a re-hearing from the Board regarding the decision to uphold Kymab’s first […]

June 4, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty

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News and Trends 22 May 2020

Phase II Fail Ends Swiss-US Drug for Rare Kidney Disease

An initially promising drug has failed to show benefits in a phase II trial for the rare kidney disease focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), prompting the US biotech ChemoCentryx and its Swiss collaborator Vifor Pharma to drop it for this indication. Topline results from the phase II trial showed that 12 weeks of treatment with the […]

May 22, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty

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News and Trends 14 May 2020

Oncopeptides’ Share Issue Bags €133M to Take Cancer Drug to Market

Swedish biotech Oncopeptides has raised €133M (SEK 1.4B) by issuing new company shares, surpassing expectations and driving the launch of its targeted chemotherapy drug in the US. In what could be one of European biotech’s largest equity boosts this year, the company exceeded initial plans to raise €111M (SEK 1.2M) through Nasdaq Stockholm following a […]

May 14, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty

News and Trends 8 May 2020

Phase III Failure Sinks Drug for Rare Neurological Disorder

The Italian biotech Newron is halting the development of the experimental drug sarizotan after it failed to meet efficacy endpoints in phase III, dashing hopes for an approved drug for Rett syndrome. Expectations had been high that the oral drug might be able to treat breathing difficulties associated with the rare genetic disorder after promising […]

May 8, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty

News and Trends 22 Apr 2020

€10M Series A Boosts Cancer Immunotherapy Hitting Tumor Sugar Coating

The French startup Phost’in Therapeutics has raised €10.3M to take its cancer immunotherapy drug against solid tumors into clinical trials within a year. Led by the US-Japanese venture capital firm Remiges Ventures, the Series A round also included contributions from Japanese investment firm ANRI and French private equity investor Irdi Soridec Gestion. The cash injection […]

April 22, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty

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News and Trends 10 Apr 2020

Coronavirus Pandemic Bites into European Cancer Research

The UK funder Cancer Research UK and Swedish oncology biotech Alligator Bioscience have independently announced cuts to payroll and research costs due to the coronavirus disease pandemic. Cancer Research UK is cutting research funding by €50M after calculating it will lose a quarter or more of its annual fundraising income — or €137m — through […]

April 10, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty

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