Best in Biotech 30 Jun 2021 Scotland’s Top 10 Biotech Companies to Watch Out For Scotland has a thriving life sciences ecosystem with strengths in oncology, genetic engineering, and industrial biotech. Let’s pick up the bagpipes as we tour the top 10 biotech companies in Scotland. Scotland is the UK’s second-most populous country, boasting picturesque scenery, a rich history, and a strong focus on sustainability. There is a diverse range […] June 30, 2021 - 11 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 10 Jun 2021 The Top European Biotech Investment Rounds in May Last month saw huge biotech investment rounds dedicated to Covid-19 vaccines in Europe, including IPOs by Valneva and Vaccitech. However, a €227M (£195M) private round by the DNA sequencing giant Oxford Nanopore Technologies made the biggest splash. Last month was a difficult one for a number of public biotech companies. Biotech stock indices proved volatile […] June 10, 2021 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 8 Jun 2021 Farxiga’s Approval Fuels Chronic Kidney Disease Comeback Until this year, there were no effective treatments for chronic kidney disease. However, the recent approval of AstraZeneca’s Farxiga alongside clinical breakthroughs and advances in precision medicine are causing the field to resurge. The last several months have seen big pharma companies scoring wins against chronic kidney disease (CKD). This condition involves gradual, irreversible kidney […] June 8, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 25 May 2021 Delayed IPOs and Market Drops Batter Biotech Stocks Stock markets worldwide have experienced painful instability in the last few months. As a result, the European biotech market has seen stock prices falling and IPOs postponed. The Covid-19 pandemic was a major disruption for stock markets across the globe at the start of 2020. However, markets like Euronext and the tech-focused Nasdaq rallied and […] May 25, 2021 - 6 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 11 May 2021 ADC Approval Buoys Spirits in Cancer Treatment Space The FDA recently approved an antibody-drug conjugate drug from ADC Therapeutics as a treatment for blood cancer. This has given a major confidence boost to other European companies in the field as the deal mill picks up speed. Last month, ADC Therapeutics in Switzerland broke into the mainstream when its lead candidate Zynlonta received FDA […] May 11, 2021 - 7 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 27 Apr 2021 EMA Approvals for Multiple Sclerosis Highlight Treatment Shortfalls While the EU saw rapid-fire approvals in the multiple sclerosis space last month, the innovations centered mostly on improving existing approaches. Which areas of multiple sclerosis treatment need more options? At the end of March, the EMA made key decisions on three treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic neurodegenerative disease affecting 2.5 million people […] April 27, 2021 - 6 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 24 Mar 2021 Global Funding for Meat Alternative Companies Tripled in 2020 Companies developing sustainable meat and dairy alternatives smashed records with a €2.6B ($3.1B) haul last year. Why has it been such a bumper harvest? Traditional agriculture is a major polluter, especially in the case of meat production. The highest estimations place its share of global greenhouse gas emissions at up to 20%. In an effort […] March 24, 2021 - 7 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 3 Feb 2021 Detecting Gene-Edited Food: The EU’s Nightmare The EU imposed stringent controls on the commercialization of gene-edited food back in 2018. Years later, regulators are still working in the dark, with no established tests in place. The EU has some of the strictest food regulations in the world surrounding the cultivation and commercialization of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which it defines as organisms whose […] February 3, 2021 - 10 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 1 Feb 2021 Democratized DNA Synthesis: A Game-Changer Against Covid-19 DNA synthesis is one of the pillars of Covid-19 research that has suffered supply disruptions during lockdowns. Thomas Ybert, CEO of DNA Script, discusses the French company’s plans to protect research from future disruptions by giving every lab the ability to synthesize its own DNA molecules. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted more than ever the […] February 1, 2021 - 6 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 26 Jan 2021 Oxford’s Covid-19 Vaccine Blazes Trail for Oncolytic Virus Firms Since the debut of Imlygic in 2015, no other oncolytic virus cancer therapies have been approved by the FDA and EMA. However, we’re seeing the first signs that the Covid-19 pandemic may help the field get out of the rut. Earlier this month, the Oxford-based firm Theolytics raised €5.6M in a Series A round. This […] January 26, 2021 - 7 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 6 Jan 2021 The Bio-Based Economy: What’s Holding It Back? As pollution and climate change become growing problems, breaking society’s addiction to fossil fuels is a daunting task. What are the main obstacles holding European biotechs back from building a more sustainable economy and how can we resolve them? Modern society’s dependence on fossil fuels is unsustainable. Although the Covid-19 pandemic caused a 7% drop […] January 6, 2021 - 9 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Best in Biotech 28 Dec 2020 A Year to Remember: The Biggest European Biotech News in 2020 The Covid-19 pandemic caused huge disruption for European biotech in 2020, but the industry pulled through. Let’s look back at some of the top moments in the last 12 months. After the many drug approvals, startup foundations, and venture capital highs we saw in 2019, it looked like 2020 was going to be a comfortable […] December 28, 2020 - 12 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email