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

In Depth 25 May 2020

Could Cell Therapy Target the Symptoms of Severe Covid-19?

The excessive inflammatory response seen in the most serious cases of Covid-19, along with shortages of ventilators, has caused a healthcare crisis in many countries around the world. Could cell therapy provide an answer to this dilemma? Most people who become infected with Covid-19 experience symptoms such as a dry cough and mild fever, and […]

May 25, 2020 - 5 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

News and Trends 20 May 2020

Phase II Success for Once-a-Day Eye Drops after Cataract Surgery

A nanoparticle steroid therapy developed by Swiss biotech Oculis has reduced eye pain and inflammation in a phase II trial in cataract surgery patients. This is the second positive phase II this year for the company, which closed a €31M Series B fundraising round at the beginning of 2019. In February this year, Oculis also […]

May 20, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

In Depth 18 May 2020

Will Covid-19 Change the Face of Vaccine Development?

The unprecedented scale of the current Covid-19 pandemic has led to a vaccine ‘race’ the like of which has never been seen before. This may change the face of vaccine development forever. Since the English physician Edward Jenner invented the first smallpox vaccine in 1796, vaccines have resulted in dramatic reductions in deaths from previously […]

May 18, 2020 - 13 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

News and Trends 13 May 2020

Genfit’s Phase III Drug Fails to Treat NASH, But New Players On Horizon

Patients with the chronic liver disease NASH must now wait even longer for an approved treatment, after French biotech Genfit’s phase III trial of its lead drug candidate elafibranor failed. But, newer players, such as Novo Nordisk, are edging closer to the market. This year, it is predicted that NASH — the full name of […]

May 13, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

pharma mediolanum farmaceutici menarini elsalys stemline

News and Trends 11 May 2020

Italian Pharma Getting Back to Normal With Two Biotech Acquisitions

Despite the country being hard hit with Covid-19, Italian pharma seems to be getting back to business as usual with two oncology-related biotech acquisitions in the last week. The most recent acquisition was of French immuno-oncology company ElsaLys Biotech by Mediolanum Farmaceutici, a pharmaceutical group based in Milan. The French biotech has several candidate drugs […]

May 11, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

gene therapy cardiac rare disease biomarin dinaqor

News and Trends 7 May 2020

BioMarin Partners Swiss Biotech to Develop Cardiac Gene Therapies

US biotech BioMarin has partnered Swiss startup DiNAQOR to develop gene therapies to treat rare, inherited cardiac diseases. DiNAQOR will initially receive an upfront payment from BioMarin, followed by developmental, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments and a percentage of royalties on later sales. No financial details of the collaboration were revealed by either company. “We […]

May 7, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

Expert Advice 4 May 2020

How Are Biotech VC Investments Changing with Covid-19?

Covid-19 has been dominating the news for weeks on end, but what impact is the current pandemic having on biotech VC investments? Some key figures working in the field in Europe discussed their recent experiences, as well as advice for startups navigating this new funding challenge. The coronavirus pandemic has impacted us all in ways […]

May 4, 2020 - 8 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

BioNTech Production scaled e1584385495951

News and Trends 29 Apr 2020

Update: BioNTech and Pfizer’s mRNA Vaccine for Covid-19 Tested in Humans

Update (29/04/2020): A vaccine developed by the German company BioNTech and its big pharma partner Pfizer has become the first European mRNA vaccine for Covid-19 to enter human testing in a phase I/II trial. Since dosing began last week, twelve volunteers in Germany have been given the vaccine. The first part of the trial — […]

April 29, 2020 - 5 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

pluristem cell therapy covid 19 coronavirus

News and Trends 29 Apr 2020

Pluristem Scores €50M From EIB to Develop Covid-19 Cell Therapy

Israeli cell therapy biotech Pluristem Therapeutics has secured up to €50M in non-dilutive funding from the European Investment Bank to progress its coronavirus-targeting cell therapy to phase III. The partners plan to sign the funding agreement at the end of April and Pluristem will initially receive €20M followed by two further installments totaling up to […]

April 29, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

News and Trends 17 Apr 2020

Is New Enzyme Technology Key to Solving Society’s Plastic Problem?

A new type of enzyme developed by the French company Carbios can break down more than 90% of the plastic PET, commonly used to make plastic bottles, and the byproducts can then be recycled into new PET. But how far does this go towards solving our plastic waste problem? PET, or polyethylene terephthalate, comprises around […]

April 17, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

Altheia Science gene therapy autoimmune disease

News and Trends 8 Apr 2020

Evotec Makes Move into Gene Therapy with Takeda Deal

German biotech giant Evotec has moved into gene therapy and partnered with Takeda to develop new therapies in oncology, rare diseases, neuroscience, and gastroenterology. The two companies did not reveal financial details of the collaboration, but did say that it will be a multi-year alliance that adds to Evotec’s existing deal with the big pharma […]

April 8, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

News and Trends 3 Apr 2020

Lilly Partners UK Immunometabolism Biotech in Deal Worth €811M

Eli Lilly will partner Oxford-based Sitryx to develop up to four drug candidates to treat autoimmune disease in a deal worth €811M if development milestones are met. The UK biotech will receive an upfront payment of €46M from the US big pharma, which will also buy €10M of equity in the company. Sitryx can also […]

April 3, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

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