News and Trends 26 Feb 2019 Immuno-oncology Biotech Raises €31M to Progress T-Cell Boosting Therapy The Swiss biotech Anaveon closed a very respectable €31M (CHF35M) Series A fundraising round to help progress its T-cell boosting, cancer-fighting treatment to the clinic. The company’s candidate therapy mimics the action of a protein called interleukin 2, which is naturally found in the body. Interleukin 2 stimulates the immune system to produce more infection-fighting […] February 26, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 26 Feb 2019 Swiss Scientists Find ‘Silver Bullet’ Against Bacterial Infections Using the gene editing tool CRISPR-Cas9, researchers in Lausanne have uncovered antimicrobial molecules in the fruit fly that can selectively kill certain bacteria. This could lead to new therapeutics combatting antimicrobial resistance, and even preventing infections before they start. The research shows the antimicrobial molecules, or peptides, have the potential to treat infections of pathogens […] February 26, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 25 Feb 2019 Orchard Achieves Good Survival with Cell Therapy for Rare Immune Deficiency All 20 patients with a rare immunodeficiency disease survived for at least two years after receiving a cell therapy developed by Orchard Therapeutics. The patients had a genetic disease called adenosine deaminase–deficient severe combined immune deficiency (ADA-SCID) — also known as bubble boy syndrome. Caused by a mutation on a vital gene, the disease weakens […] February 25, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 25 Feb 2019 Accelerator or Incubator? What to Look for in a Biotech Startup Program Early stage biotech companies and scientists interested in commercialization need great accelerator programs, not more biotech incubators. Biotech companies and scientists who start out on the road to commercialization may need an accelerator to bring out the entrepreneurial spirit. The incubator and accelerator models are conflated all the time in biotech, much to the fury […] February 25, 2019 - 5 minutesmins - By External Contributor Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Startup Scout 22 Feb 2019 This Biotech’s Algorithm Accelerates Cell Therapy Development Mogrify is the new kid on the block for cell therapy. Based in Cambridge, UK, it boasts technology that could speed up the development of cell therapies by predicting the best chemical recipe to transform mature adult cells into other cell types. Mission: To use next-generation sequencing and gene expression data to develop more cost-effective […] February 22, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 22 Feb 2019 French Company to Open Biggest Insect Farm in the World A Series C round of €110M ($125M) — the largest ever for agriculture technology outside of the USA — will fund the construction of the world’s largest automated insect farm by the French company Ynsect. Ynsect is a company that uses insects to provide protein-rich feed for fish farming, pet food, and even the fertilizer industry. […] February 22, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 21 Feb 2019 First All-Inclusive Biotech Lab Facility Will Launch in Paris The young UK company RUNLABS plans to open the first facility where biotech companies can hire a package of lab space, lab services, offices, and even technicians. A common time sink in setting up a biotech company is the sheer amount of administration involved, such as hiring staff, getting insurance, and facilities maintenance. The company […] February 21, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 21 Feb 2019 Microbiome Biotech Will Use Series B to Bring Treatments to Clinic The Israeli biotech BiomX has raised €28M ($32M) to advance its treatments for acne and inflammatory bowel disease to the clinical stage. Investor interest is continuing in treatments based on the microbiome, which have the potential to treat a variety of conditions such as chronic inflammatory diseases, and even some forms of cancer. BiomX’s approach […] February 21, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 21 Feb 2019 Why an International, Diverse Outlook is Key for Modern Biotechs In a world that is becoming ever more connected, it is important to embrace globalization and diversity in order to get ahead. This is increasingly more important in biotech companies, according to Andreas Schmidt, CEO of Proteona, who I spoke to at our recent Labiotech Refresh event in Heidelberg. Schmidt is an expert on the […] February 21, 2019 - 6 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 21 Feb 2019 Qiagen Gets Access to Largest Genetic Database on Antibiotic Resistance Under a new licensing deal, Qiagen will gain access to a big genetics database from Vienna-based Ares Genetics, which could help tackle the global health crisis of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance is a major health concern that is growing fast. One reason for this is that people are often prescribed the wrong antibiotic for […] February 21, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 20 Feb 2019 Inflammatory Disease Treatment Backed by €20M Series A The Swiss company Calypso Biotech has raised a sizeable €20M to fund its immunotherapy for an allergy-related inflammatory disease. The Series A round will help to develop Calypso’s antibody treatment for eosinophilic esophagitis, a condition where patients have an inflamed esophagus and difficulty swallowing. This condition is often linked with allergies to food, such as […] February 20, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 19 Feb 2019 From Saving Endangered Rhinos to Enabling Lab-Grown Meat Researchers at the University of Oslo are building a biobank of animal cells, the first of its kind, to help researchers develop lab-grown meat and contribute to the conservation of endangered species. Gareth Sullivan became familiar with stem cell technology while working in the group of Ian Wilmut, the scientist behind cloning Dolly the sheep. […] February 19, 2019 - 4 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email