News and Trends 6 Aug 2020 €112M Fund Launched to Commercialize UCL’s Gene Therapy Research The leading UK institution University College London and the firm AlbionVC have made the first closing of a €112M (£100M) fund with the aim of investing in UCL research and spinouts with a focus on gene and cell therapy. This is the second so-called UCL Technology Fund and could double the size of the first, […] August 6, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Antara Mazumdar Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 6 Aug 2020 DBV Technologies’ Peanut Allergy Patch Suffers FDA Setback A request for market approval of a skin patch developed by French biotech DBV Technologies to treat peanut allergy has been turned down by the FDA, which has requested more data and design changes. The response from the FDA is a blow for the company which had been working towards getting the patch onto the […] August 6, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 5 Aug 2020 Oxford Nanopore’s Portable Covid-19 Test Launched in UK UK biotech Oxford Nanopore has launched a portable test that can detect both Covid-19 and seasonal flu viruses in saliva or swabs in a little over an hour. The quick output of Oxford Nanopore’s test, called LamPORE, is expected to be a huge improvement on existing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, considered the gold standard […] August 5, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Victor Kotsev Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Best in Biotech 3 Aug 2020 Meet 10 European Biotech Initiatives Increasing Wildlife Biodiversity In the fight against shrinking biodiversity, biotechnology could be a lifesaver. These European biotech initiatives are making a difference for wildlife biodiversity worldwide. Human activity is having a massive impact on wildlife biodiversity. According to a global study, 75% of terrestrial ecosystems and 66% of marine ecosystems are severely altered. This threatens the extinction of […] August 3, 2020 - 6 minutesmins - By External Contributor Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Reports 30 Jul 2020 Current and Emerging Therapeutic Approaches for Autoimmune Diseases Over 4% of the world’s population suffers from one or more of over 80 autoimmune diseases identified to date. A large variety of treatment approaches has already been developed to curb the detrimental effects of autoimmune diseases, and the market continues to flourish. In fact, it is estimated to reach a staggering value of €7.06B […] July 30, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Larissa Warneck-Silvestrin Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 30 Jul 2020 Llama-Derived Nanobodies Join the Fight Against Covid-19 Newly-launched Belgian startup ExeVir Bio will develop ‘nanobodies’ that bind very precisely to key areas of the Covid-19 virus and other coronaviruses after raking in €23M in Series A. Based in Ghent, Belgium, ExeVir Bio is a spin-out of the research institute VIB established with the help of life sciences investor Fund+. Other investors include […] July 30, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Victor Kotsev Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 29 Jul 2020 Covid-19 Forces Gene Therapy Companies to Shift Strategy Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, gene therapy companies are suffering, with clinical trials delayed and investors remaining cautious in an increasingly volatile market. Yet many have set their sights on what could potentially turn into a gold mine: applying their technology to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. The UK’s Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult […] July 29, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Victor Kotsev Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 29 Jul 2020 Update: DNA Script Raises €80M to Bring Rapid DNA Synthesis to the Lab Update on 29/07/2020: DNA Script has increased the total raised in its Series B round to €80M ($89M). The additional funds will support the commercial launch of the company’s benchtop DNA printer, which is designed to allow same-day DNA synthesis directly in the lab bench. The company is planning to launch a beta testing program […] July 29, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 29 Jul 2020 Medical Cannabis: Regulatory Issues, Patient Demand, and Pricing Changes in Germany While the coronavirus pandemic has shaken many industries to their core, the European medical cannabis industry continues to flourish. A number of recent developments in Germany show that the demand for medicinal cannabis is growing. But the German medical cannabis industry is also facing a number of challenges, including an unmet patient demand and a […] July 29, 2020 - 8 minutesmins - By Larissa Warneck-Silvestrin Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 28 Jul 2020 Record Series A for Italian Biotech Funds Autoimmune Therapy Italian biotech Enthera raised €28M in Series A funding to develop its drug candidate for type 1 diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease and take it to human trials. Enthera was founded in 2016 and is the first company to ‘graduate’ from the BiovelocITA accelerator program in Milan, which is supported by French life science investor […] July 28, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 27 Jul 2020 Biological Fungicide Clears Wheat of Rust Disease in European Field Trial A fungicide derived from amoeba has proven effective at protecting wheat from rust disease and other major fungal diseases at bay. Developed by French company Amoéba, this product could provide an eco-friendly solution to a growing problem in agriculture worldwide. Every year, over 5 million tons of wheat are lost to rust disease globally, which […] July 27, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Kostas Vavitsas Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 27 Jul 2020 Biosensors: Monitoring Our Health Anywhere, Anytime Biosensors are rapidly becoming part of our everyday life. As technology advances, we may soon be able to monitor many aspects of our health at home, in real time, and without needles. Traditionally used in medical practice to monitor patient status, biosensors have recently started to be broadly marketed for wellness and fitness applications. These […] July 27, 2020 - 6 minutesmins - By Timothé Cynober Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email