News and Trends 25 Sep 2019 Danish Smallpox Vaccine Gets FDA Approval to Fight Bioterrorism A vaccine developed by the Danish company Bavarian Nordic has received FDA approval to prevent infections by monkeypox, as well as protect against the threat of a smallpox bioterror attack. This approval makes Bavarian Nordic’s vaccine the only approved vaccine in the world for preventing monkeypox, a rare viral infection that is similar to smallpox […] September 25, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 25 Sep 2019 German Biotech Will Develop Carbohydrate-Targeting Cancer Treatments The German startup Tacalyx has raised €7M in a seed round to fund the preclinical development of first-in-class carbohydrate-targeting antibody drugs for the treatment of cancer. The round was co-led by the Germany-based Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund and the French VC firm Kurma Partners. Tacalyx will use the money to generate a lead candidate antibody […] September 25, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 24 Sep 2019 Rare Metal Could Turbocharge Cancer Light Therapies A team of European and Chinese researchers has developed a light-activated cancer therapy containing the rare metal iridium that could potentially activate the immune system against cancer. In a study published in Nature Chemistry, the drug killed multiple types of cancer cells in a dish when activated by red light. The study also revealed that […] September 24, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 24 Sep 2019 Lab-Grown Skin as Good as Skin Grafts for Burns at Phase III Mallinckrodt’s treatment made of artificial skin tissue called Stratagraft closed over 80% of second-degree burn wounds in a phase III trial, matching the effectiveness of skin grafts. Mallinckrodt recruited 71 patients with second-degree burns who were eligible for skin grafts into the trial. Each patient received the artificial skin graft on some areas of burned […] September 24, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
More News! 23 Sep 2019 AC Immune Gets €28M from Eli Lilly as Alzheimer’s Drug Hits Phase I AC Immune will receive €27.6M (CHF 30M) from big pharma Eli Lilly as it begins a phase I trial of its first-in-class Alzheimer’s disease drug. This is the first milestone payment in a deal worth up to €1.6B (CHF 1.7B), which Eli Lilly and AC Immune signed to develop drugs for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative […] September 23, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 23 Sep 2019 FDA Greenlights First Oral Version of Novo Nordisk’s Type 2 Diabetes Drug The first oral drug for type 2 diabetes belonging to the class of GLP-1 agonists, developed by Novo Nordisk, has got the go-ahead from the FDA. The Danish company is known for its blockbuster injectable drug in the same class — liraglutide — that is now one of the most highly prescribed drugs in the […] September 23, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Startup Scout 20 Sep 2019 This Biotech Targets Mitochondria to Treat Inherited Diseases As we come to the end of the global Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Week, it’s time to visit Khondrion. This Dutch company is developing drugs to treat rare diseases such as MELAS syndrome by targeting defective mitochondria. Mission: To develop small molecule drugs able to treat Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathy, Lactic Acidosis, and Stroke-like episodes (MELAS) syndrome. This […] September 20, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 19 Sep 2019 Dutch ‘Electronic Nose’ Predicts Cancer Immunotherapy Success A diagnostic device measuring chemicals in the breath, developed by the Dutch company Breathomix, was able to identify lung cancer patients that wouldn’t respond to cancer immunotherapy with unprecedented accuracy. Researchers at the University of Amsterdam tested the device on 143 lung cancer patients, who were going to receive immunotherapy in the form of the […] September 19, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 18 Sep 2019 UK Cancer Biotech Raises €11M Series A to Break Up Brain Tumors The Cambridge-based company Divide and Conquer has raised €11.3M (£10M) to develop a treatment that breaks up glioblastoma tumors, exposing them to attack by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. With this Series A round, funded by the UK VC firm Medicxi, Divide and Conquer has exited stealth mode a year after its foundation. The company will use […] September 18, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 18 Sep 2019 Why Communication is Key for Getting Ahead in Biotech Many biotech founders and executives look to VC investors for advice and inspiration, but the attraction can go both ways. After more than a decade of investing in life science companies, Renee Aguiar-Lucander, now CEO of Calliditas Therapeutics, decided it was time to try sitting on the other side of the table. Prior to moving […] September 18, 2019 - 11 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 18 Sep 2019 Themis Raises €40M for First Phase III Trial of a Chikungunya Vaccine Vienna-based Themis Biosciences has raised €40M in a Series D round to fund a phase III trial that could lead to the approval of the world’s first vaccine for chikungunya infection. The round, one of the largest seen in Austrian biotech so far, was co-led by two new investors, Farallon Capital and Hadean Ventures. […] September 18, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
More News! 18 Sep 2019 €15M to Take Swiss Biotech’s Liver Cirrhosis Treatment to Phase II Versantis has raised a Series B of €14.6M (CHF 16M) to advance its treatment for late-stage liver cirrhosis to a phase IIa trial. The money will finance the completion of an ongoing phase I trial of Versantis’ lead candidate for the condition decompensated liver cirrhosis. Following this, the company will use the funds to launch […] September 18, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email