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

News and Trends 17 Oct 2019

Innate Pharma Raises €62M IPO to Develop Antibody Drugs for Cancer

The French company Innate Pharma has raised a Nasdaq IPO of €62.1M ($68.8M) to fund the development of antibody immunotherapies for solid tumors and blood cancer. Innate Pharma’s lead candidate antibody monalizumab is being co-developed in phase II with AstraZeneca for the treatment of head and neck cancer and colorectal cancer. Monalizumab is a member […]

October 17, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

cancer immunotherapy gammadelta therapeutics adaptate biotherapeutics

News and Trends 16 Oct 2019

GammaDelta Therapeutics Spins Out Cancer Immunotherapy Biotech

The UK biotech GammaDelta Therapeutics has founded Adaptate Biotherapeutics to develop cancer immunotherapies based on antibodies that boost a rare type of immune cell. Adaptate Biotherapeutics is a spin-out of GammaDelta Therapeutics, a London company founded in 2016 that specializes in using a rare type of immune cells, known as gamma delta T-cells, to fight […]

October 16, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 16 Oct 2019

UK Firm Raises €51M to Repurpose Drugs for Rare Diseases Using AI

The Cambridge-based artificial intelligence company Healx has raised a Series B round of €50.8M to launch an AI tool that reduces the time it takes to develop treatments for rare diseases by five years. The Series B round was led by the UK VC firm Atomico and includes the returning investor Jonathan Milner, the founder […]

October 16, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

delft university Planet bio business incubator

News and Trends 14 Oct 2019

Dutch Incubator Launched to Scale up Industrial Biotechs

A collaboration involving the Dutch company DSM and other organizations in the Netherlands has launched Planet B.io, an incubator aimed at scaling up technology developed by industrial biotech startups such as the lab-grown meat developer Meatable. Planet B.io is based at the Biotech Campus Delft, the Netherlands, and contains a total of 3,000 m² of office […]

October 14, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

stem cell therapy deafness rinri therapeutics

Startup Scout 11 Oct 2019

This Biotech Is Developing a Stem Cell Therapy for Deafness

Sheffield is one of the UK’s historic industrial bases. It also hosts the biotech Rinri Therapeutics, which is developing a stem cell therapy to treat deaf patients who are not eligible for cochlear implants. Mission: To develop a stem cell therapy for a rare form of deafness where the neuronal wiring underlying the auditory system […]

October 11, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

More News! 9 Oct 2019

Novo Nordisk and Bluebird Bio to Treat Hemophilia with Gene Editing

The Danish big pharma Novo Nordisk has joined forces with the US gene therapy company bluebird bio to develop next-generation gene editing treatments for hemophilia. The collaboration will last for three years and has the goal of developing a gene therapy that can permanently treat hemophilia A, a genetic disease causing uncontrolled bleeding. Novo Nordisk […]

October 9, 2019 - 1 minutemin - By Jonathan Smith

acne s biomedic skinbiotherapeutics skin microbiome

News and Trends 8 Oct 2019

UK Company and Merck Team Up to Develop Vaccines Based on the Microbiome

Merck will pay the microbiome company 4D Pharma up to €316.5M to develop vaccines based on delivering live bacteria to the gut. The partners will develop vaccines against three undisclosed conditions. As well as an undisclosed upfront fee for each condition, 4D Pharma will be eligible to receive up to €316.5M ($347.5M) in developmental milestones. […]

October 8, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

Interview 8 Oct 2019

Biotech Hubs: A Tale of Two Cities

Life science investors differ widely across biotech hubs in Europe. At Labiotech’s recent Refresh event, two investors from Cambridge and Paris compared the progress of these hubs and discussed the challenges that need to be overcome in biotech investment. Funding is the lifeblood of early biotech startups, and investors are a crucial supplier. For this […]

October 8, 2019 - 6 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

aleph farms lab grown meat space mission

More News! 8 Oct 2019

Israeli Biotech 3D Prints the First Beef Steak in Space

Hungry astronauts rejoice! Aleph Farms, a company that grows beef steak from animal cells, has grown the first steaks aboard the International Space Station. The Israeli biotech’s experiment is the first proof that meat can be grown in outer space. Aleph Farms created the meat using a 3D bioprinter developed by the Russian company 3D […]

October 8, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

More News! 7 Oct 2019

UK Biotech Launches with €30M Series A to Treat Autoimmune Disease

MiroBio has spun out of the University of Oxford with a Series A round of €30M (£27M) to develop treatments for autoimmune diseases that don’t disrupt the immune system as a whole. The big Series A round accompanying MiroBio’s launch was co-led by the university’s investor partner Oxford Sciences Innovation and the US investor Samsara […]

October 7, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

umea swetree technologies genetic engineering

Startup Scout 4 Oct 2019

This Biotech Genetically Engineers Trees to Produce Biofuels

The Swedish company SweTree Technologies is developing genetically engineered trees as environmentally friendly alternative sources of fuel. Mission: To improve the yield and robustness of tree crops such as spruce and eucalyptus using selective breeding and genetic engineering. This would help to boost the production of products such as biofuels and wood from each tree. […]

October 4, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

adc therapeutics nasdaq ipo aprea therapeutics

News and Trends 4 Oct 2019

ADC Therapeutics Cancels Nasdaq IPO Amidst Market Growth Fears

The Swiss biotech ADC Therapeutics has withdrawn its application for a €182M ($200M) Nasdaq IPO, citing adverse market conditions caused by global manufacturing slowdowns. ADC Therapeutics declined to comment on the specific market situation. Its withdrawal is likely due to slumps in European and US stock markets seen earlier this week caused by drops in […]

October 4, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

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