Helen Albert, Author at Labiotech.eu

About

Freelance science and health journalist with lots of experience writing about all aspects of life sciences and biotech. Recovering geneticist and evolutionary biologist. I am half German and half British and spend most of my time in Berlin while not hiding out in the Norfolk countryside in the UK. When not writing or editing, I like to spend my time taking photos, knitting, reading fiction, eating and making good food and travelling (when global conditions allow!).

Articles by Helen Albert

News and Trends 3 Jan 2019

Austrian Biopharma Reaches First HIV Vaccine Milestone

Hookipa Pharma has reached its first milestone in a partnership deal with US-based CAR T pioneers Gilead Sciences to develop an HIV vaccine using the Austrian company’s arenavirus-based technology. Hookipa’s lead candidate is a prophylactic vaccine for cytomegalovirus, a common infection that can be dangerous in people with weak immune systems, such as those with […]

January 3, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

Best in Biotech 24 Dec 2018

Looking Back on 2018: Our 10 Most Popular Interviews

As 2018 draws to a close and our thoughts are torn between holiday plans and what the new year may bring, we decided to look back and revisit the people and the stories that attracted our readers the most during the year. These were well received the first time around, so we thought you might […]

December 24, 2018 - 8 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

News and Trends 6 Dec 2018

UK Project Hits 100,000 Genomes Target

In a step forward for the world of personalized medicine, the UK Government-backed 100,000 Genomes Project has reached its sequencing target. The project, which is one of the largest of its kind, was designed to collect genomic data to improve the capacity of personalized medicine, as well as learning more about the genetic basis of […]

December 6, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

News and Trends 27 Nov 2018

Berlin Biotech Raises €24M to Progress Septic Shock Candidate to Clinic

Adrenomed closed a €24M Series D round to fund further development of its antibody drug that treats septic shock by preventing excessive fluid loss and preserving the blood vessel walls. Wellington Partners and HBM Healthcare Investments, who specialize in investing in life science companies, joined existing shareholders to lead the fundraising round. Sepsis and resulting […]

November 27, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

Interview 25 Oct 2018

Mastering the Competitive World of Immuno-oncology

In recent years the oncology world has focused on using the immune system to target cancer, with CAR-T cell therapy and other success stories revolutionizing the field. Ulf Grawunder, CEO and founder of NBE Therapeutics, a company using antibody drug conjugates to target cancer, discussed how to navigate the competitive area of immuno-oncology at our […]

October 25, 2018 - 5 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

Interview 23 Oct 2018

Bridging the Academia-Industry Divide: Lessons from a Serial Biotech Entrepreneur

What does it take to be a successful biotech entrepreneur? I put this and other similar questions to Dinko Valerio, a highly experienced Dutch geneticist turned serial entrepreneur and investor. While there are many great scientists, it takes a certain something to be able to cross over into industry and build a profitable business. Dinko […]

October 23, 2018 - 8 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

Interview 10 Oct 2018

How to Make Industrial Biotech Pay

Making enough money to survive long enough to get a product to market can be tough for any biotech, but even more so for companies operating in the industrial space, where it can be less easy to predict development time and potential financial returns. At our recent Refresh event in Paris, Emmanuel Petiot, CEO of […]

October 10, 2018 - 5 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

In Depth 9 Oct 2018

How to Capitalize on Opportunities in Underserved Disease Areas

Developing treatments for underserved diseases can be surprisingly profitable for biotechs, we asked the experts to tell us more about how best to exploit these areas. We hear a lot about cancer therapies or drugs to target heart disease in the press, but overall a lot less about treatments for more underserved areas. Often successful […]

October 9, 2018 - 9 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

News and Trends 14 Sep 2018

Novozymes Releases Enzyme That Helps Chickens Better Absorb Food

Novozymes has released a new enzyme that breaks down bacterial cell debris in the gut and allows chickens to absorb more nutrients from their food. The Danish industrial biotech giant partnered with the Dutch health and nutrition company DSM to produce the bacterial muramidase enzyme solution, which is called ‘Balancius’. It has an interesting story […]

September 14, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

News and Trends 10 Sep 2018

Cambridge Biotech Targets Artificial Pancreas Market With Fast Insulin and Stable Glucagon

UK biotech Arecor has raised €6.7M to help fund development of its extra-fast insulin and stable glucagon products for people with insulin-dependent diabetes. The speed of action of insulin has been a limiting factor for development of the artificial pancreas — a combined insulin pump and glucose monitor that would allow real-time control of blood […]

September 10, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

News and Trends 6 Sep 2018

More Brexit Bad News: EMA Pulls Contracts Early From UK Regulatory Body

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has pulled all contracts with the UK’s medical regulation body ahead of the UK withdrawing from the EU next year. Until 2018, the EMA has relied on the UK Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to assess 20–30% of its drugs on a contract basis, work worth approximately €15.6M […]

September 6, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

News and Trends 5 Sep 2018

Cassava Plants Gene Edited Using CRISPR to Produce Waxy Starch

A team of European researchers applied CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology to engineer cassava plants that produce a modified type of starch, in demand for both cooking and industrial processing. The team also managed to speed up the flowering of the plants by introduction of a gene from Arabidopsis plants, which they hope will allow more […]

September 5, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

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