News and Trends 23 Feb 2021 European Cancer Deals Increasingly Focus on Natural Killer Cells Natural killer cells are becoming a hot topic in the booming cancer cell therapy scene, with the field’s latest big deal being a €640M licensing agreement between the French biotech Cellectis and US company Cytovia. T-cell immunotherapies like CAR T-cell therapy have revolutionized cancer treatment in recent times. However, they have a significant disadvantage. The […] February 23, 2021 - 6 minutesmins - By Kostas Vavitsas Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 22 Feb 2021 How Automation Can Augment Drug Discovery Research Robotics and artificial intelligence are rapidly changing the way we discover drugs. Martin-Immanuel Bittner, CEO and co-founder of Arctoris, discusses the benefits and challenges of introducing automation in drug discovery efforts. The Oxford-based startup Arctoris was established in 2016 with the objective of offering remote access to automated drug discovery. At a time when researchers […] February 22, 2021 - 8 minutesmins - By External Contributor Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 18 Feb 2021 Cannabinoids in Focus after GW Pharmaceuticals Snapped up for €6B This month’s €6B acquisition of the UK heavyweight GW Pharmaceuticals by Jazz Pharmaceuticals has been hailed as a major validation of the medical cannabinoid industry. The deal is the largest to date in the medical cannabinoid field. Jazz’s offer valued GW’s shares nearly 50% higher than their previous day’s close. The acquisition is expected to […] February 18, 2021 - 6 minutesmins - By Victor Kotsev Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 16 Feb 2021 Cancer Research UK Cuts Two Biotech Collaborations Amid Pandemic Squeeze The major research funder CRUK and two of the biotech companies it works with have decided to cut development ties as the financial impact of the coronavirus disease pandemic continues to bite. Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is a prolific research charity, running a multitude of collaborations with academics and biotech companies around the world. However, […] February 16, 2021 - 4 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Best in Biotech 10 Feb 2021 Top Neurotech Startups Unlocking the Brain in Russia Russia has established itself as a hub for neurotech startups, attracting scientists and business people keen to understand, treat, and repair the human brain. Here are the startups leading the charge of neurotech innovation in Russia. Neurotechnology is a field of research that aims to read and influence the brain. Turns out that neurotech is […] February 10, 2021 - 6 minutesmins - By Carlos de Rojas Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 9 Feb 2021 EMA Green Light Sends Oxford Covid-19 Vaccine Into Turbulent Market As AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford’s Covid-19 vaccine debuts in the EU market this month, supply bottlenecks, viral variants, and political squabbles demonstrate that the quest to develop and distribute Covid-19 vaccines is far from over. The list of approved Covid-19 vaccines in Europe is growing ever longer with the EMA approval of the […] February 9, 2021 - 6 minutesmins - By Kostas Vavitsas Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 8 Feb 2021 How Next-Generation Gene Therapy Tackles Complex Diseases Gene therapy has traditionally been applied to well-understood diseases where a single genetic mutation was to blame. A new generation of technology is expanding the potential of gene therapy to treat conditions that were previously unreachable. Since the first gene therapy clinical trials in the 1990s, the technology has made its way into the market […] February 8, 2021 - 8 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 4 Feb 2021 HIV Drug Approvals Lift Hopes Amid Missed UN Targets The recent approvals of long-acting HIV injections promise to lighten the load of HIV sufferers around the world. However, a vital UN deadline for improving global HIV healthcare has slipped away. At the end of January, ViiV Healthcare’s Cabenuva became the first long-acting HIV treatment to be approved by the FDA. This decision, in addition […] February 4, 2021 - 6 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty 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
In Depth 27 Jan 2021 Single-Cell Sequencing: Paving the Way for Precision Medicine Next-generation sequencing techniques to determine an individual’s unique genetic code gave rise to personalized treatments. Single-cell sequencing is the next step towards making precision medicine more accurate. Each cell in our body is unique. Even genetically identical cells can behave differently in response to a certain treatment. With next-generation sequencing, scientists can study how the […] January 27, 2021 - 7 minutesmins - By Timothé Cynober 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