Jonathan Smith, Author at Labiotech.eu

About

Reporter for Labiotech. I hail from the UK. I was born in Bristol, studied Neuroscience in the University of Bristol, and trained mice in Eisai, Hertfordshire, for one year. I then tickled locusts for my Ph.D. at the University of Leicester, before eventually ending up here!
Out of the office, I travel, play video games and board games, drink beer and play the piano.

Articles by Jonathan Smith

colorectal cancer mologen cancer immunotherapy

News and Trends 6 Dec 2019

Update: Cancer Immunotherapy Biotech Files for Insolvency

Update (06/12/2019): Following the phase III failure of its immunotherapy drug for colorectal cancer in the summer, the German company Mologen has filed for insolvency. Published 06/08/2019 A DNA immunotherapy drug developed by the German company Mologen has failed to improve the survival of patients with colorectal cancer in a phase III trial. The phase […]

December 6, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

acute heart failure 4teen4 pharmaceuticals

More News! 5 Dec 2019

German Biotech Raises €7M Series A to Treat Acute Heart Failure

4TEEN4 Pharmaceuticals has raised a Series A round of €6.9M to fuel the development of a first-in-class antibody drug that could reduce mortality in acute heart failure. The round was led by Brandenburg Kapital, a subsidiary of the German investment bank Investitionsbank des Landes Brandenburg. Other investors in the round, including business angels and private […]

December 5, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 4 Dec 2019

€48M Series B Fuels Immunotherapies for Cancer and Autoimmune Diseases

ImCheck Therapeutics has raised a Series B round worth €48M to fund the development of first-in-class immunotherapies that treat cancer and autoimmune diseases by targeting a rare type of immune cells called a gamma delta T-cell. ImCheck Therapeutics’ Series B round was led by Pfizer Ventures — the venture capital arm of the big pharma […]

December 4, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

More News! 3 Dec 2019

Sensorion’s Vertigo Drug Abandoned in Phase II

A small molecule drug developed by the French company Sensorion has proven ineffective in a phase IIb trial for the treatment of a rare vertigo condition, leading the company to close down the development of the drug. The phase IIb trial tested Sensorion’s lead drug in 105 patients with the rare condition acute unilateral vestibulopathy, […]

December 3, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

diabeloop artificial pancreas type 1 diabetes

News and Trends 2 Dec 2019

€31M Series B Funds Rollout of Artificial Pancreas in Type 1 Diabetes

The French biotech Diabeloop has raised €31M to launch an artificial pancreas device designed to automatically control the blood glucose levels of type 1 diabetes patients. According to Diabeloop, this is the biggest Series B round raised by a European company developing therapies that use artificial intelligence. The round was led by the French family […]

December 2, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

contraception medincell bill and melinda gates foundation

More News! 29 Nov 2019

MedinCell Granted €17M to Develop Cheap Long-Acting Contraception

The French company MedinCell has received a €17.3M ($19M) grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to advance its long-acting contraceptive implant to human trials. The grant is a follow-on to a €3.2M endowment from the Gates Foundation in 2017 to fuel early preclinical development of the implant. The additional funds will help MedinCell […]

November 29, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

vigeneron germany gene therapy adenoviral vector

More News! 28 Nov 2019

German Biotech to Develop Next-Generation Gene Therapy for Blindness

The German biotech ViGeneron has raised an undisclosed sum in a Series A round to fund the development of an ophthalmic gene therapy that could deliver bigger DNA sequences into a wider range of cells than current technology. The round was led by two Chinese investors, the VC firm Sequoia Capital China and the pharma […]

November 28, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

fragrance coniferol renewable plant waste

News and Trends 27 Nov 2019

Scientists Turn Crop Waste into Fragrances with Microbes

A team of researchers in Brazil and the UK has developed a fermentation technique to turn plant waste, such as wheat straw, into a valuable chemical used in the fragrance industry. In a study published in the journal Green Chemistry, the scientists used engineered Escherichia coli bacteria to break down sugar cane and wheat straw, […]

November 27, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

lupus autoimmune disease neutrophil citryll

More News! 26 Nov 2019

Rare Inflammatory Disease Drug Beats Immunosuppressants in Phase III

A small molecule drug developed by the US company ChemoCentryx and its Swiss partner Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma (VFMCRP) was more effective at treating a rare inflammatory vascular disease than current treatments in a phase III trial. The drug avacopan was trialed in 331 patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis. This life-threatening condition […]

November 26, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 25 Nov 2019

Novartis Enters RNA Therapeutics with Medicines Company Merger

Novartis is to acquire The Medicines Company and its late-stage RNA interference drug designed to protect against cardiovascular disease in twice-yearly shots. Novartis will pay €8.8B ($9.7B) to acquire The Medicines Company, which is based in the US and focuses on developing the RNA drug inclisiran for the treatment of cardiovascular disease and renal impairment. […]

November 25, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 22 Nov 2019

ViiV Healthcare Licenses Long-Acting Antibody to Attack Hidden HIV

The UK company ViiV Healthcare will begin a phase IIa trial of an antibody licensed from the National Institutes of Health in the US that could block HIV transmission for longer than current antiretroviral therapies. The antibody is currently in an ongoing phase I trial run by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, […]

November 22, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

More News! 20 Nov 2019

Spanish Researchers Produce Straws Made of Bacterial Bioplastic

An industry-academia collaboration in Spain has developed drinking straws based on a bioplastic produced by bacteria that are expected to enter the market in the next few months. The collaboration includes the company Ocenic Resins and the academic institutions Jaume I University and the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, all based in Spain. The […]

November 20, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

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