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vectura asthma inhaler

News and Trends 26 Nov 2018

Smart Asthma Inhaler Fails Phase III

It is bad news for asthma sufferers, as a UK biotech has abandoned the development of its smart inhaler after finding that it was no better than placebo in a Phase III trial. Over 52 weeks of treatment, the company Vectura tested whether the inhaler reduced the worsening of asthma symptoms, such as wheezing and […]

November 26, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

Luxturna gene therapy blindness Europe

News and Trends 26 Nov 2018

First Gene Therapy for Inherited Blindness Approved in Europe

Novartis has received approval for Luxturna, a gene therapy that can restore vision in people with a specific genetic mutation that causes progressive vision loss. The therapy is indicated for people with mutations in the two copies of a gene, called RPE65, that cause retinal cells to die over time, resulting in progressive loss of […]

November 26, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández

Screenshot 2016 11 28 at 4.10.34 PM e1480345934426

News and Trends 25 Nov 2018

Would You Wear Human Leather with ‘Designer DNA’?

Artist Tina Gorjanc is working on a human leather collection that aims to highlight the shortcomings of laws that allow human biological material to be marketed without permission. Gorjanc has projected a whole fashion line, labeled ‘Pure Human’, that includes jackets and handbags made with lab-grown skin from the renowned fashion designer Alexander McQueen. Originally […]

November 25, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández

den bosch netherlands lava therapeutics cancer immunotherapy

Startup Scout 23 Nov 2018

This Biotech Arms Tumor-Busting Cells to Treat Cancer

In the medieval city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, Lava Therapeutics is developing a cancer immunotherapy that arms a rare type of immune cell called gamma delta T cells. Mission: Develop antibodies that recruit innate immune cells near tumors and activate them to kill cancer cells. T cells are immune cells that have a strong potential […]

November 23, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

sobi novimmune rare disease small

More News! 22 Nov 2018

First Drug for Rare Inflammation Syndrome Approved by FDA

The FDA has approved the first drug for the treatment of a rare condition in which the body produces too many active immune cells, developed in a Swiss-Swedish partnership. The antibody drug, emapalumab, is approved to treat primary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. This condition is a rare, often fatal syndrome in which the immune system produces too […]

November 22, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

leo pharma pellepharm skin cancer

News and Trends 21 Nov 2018

Leo Pharma Enters Partnership to Develop Topical Treatment for Rare Skin Cancer

The Danish company Leo Pharma and the US biotech PellePharm have joined forces to develop a topical treatment for rare forms of skin cancer. In the partnership, dermatology specialist Leo Pharma is paying PellePharm €61M. This is to fund a Phase III trial of PellePharm’s topical drug to treat the skin cancer Gorlin syndrome, which has no […]

November 21, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

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human microbiome challenges

In Depth 21 Nov 2018

5 Challenges to Unlocking the Real Potential of the Human Microbiome

The study of the human microbiome — the microorganisms living in our body — is a very young field of research that is making big promises to treat all sorts of human diseases. As we get close to the approval of the first treatment based on microbiome science, it’s important to be aware of the […]

November 21, 2018 - 9 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández

valneva emergent tropical zika small

More News! 20 Nov 2018

Phase I Gives Hope for First Zika Vaccine

Results from a Phase I trial showed promising safety and efficacy of a potential first vaccine against the mosquito-borne Zika virus, developed by French biotech Valneva and US biopharma Emergent BioSolutions. In the US-based Phase I trial, 67 participants were injected with either placebo or inactivated forms of the virus as a vaccine. Two months later, […]

November 20, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

Stilla Technologies DNA quantification

News and Trends 20 Nov 2018

French Firm Gets Funding to Sell More Precise DNA Quantification System

Paris-based Stilla Technologies has raised €16M in a Series A round to sell and develop a high-precision PCR system for DNA quantification with promising applications in diagnostics. The substantial round was led by Illumina Ventures, the investor arm of the gene sequencing giant Illumina. With the funds, Stilla Technologies plans to accelerate sales of its […]

November 20, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández

denmark biotech industry

Interview 20 Nov 2018

Why Denmark Is a Strong Player in Europe’s Biotech Industry

Denmark is a rapidly growing hotspot for biotech. During the BIO-Europe conference in Copenhagen, I talked to Mette Kirstine Agger, Managing Partner at the life sciences investor Lundbeckfonden Ventures, to learn more about how the industry is evolving in Europe and Denmark. The US has traditionally been the leader in biotech, but that seems to […]

November 20, 2018 - 4 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández

genentech immunocore immunotherapy pipette

News and Trends 20 Nov 2018

Genentech and Immunocore Expand Partnership to Develop Cancer Immunotherapy

Immunocore and the US biotech giant Genentech are building on their existing partnership to boost the clinical development of Immunocore’s immunotherapy for treating solid tumors. In the agreement, Genentech, a member of the Roche group, will pay UK-based Immunocore €87.3M ($100M) in an upfront payment and further undisclosed milestone payments as the immunotherapy progresses towards […]

November 20, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

silk fibroin biomaterial stroke stem cells

News and Trends 19 Nov 2018

Silk Biomaterial Could Regenerate the Brain After a Stroke

A group of researchers in Spain has developed a silk biomaterial that can increase the survival of transplanted stem cells into the brain, improving recovery after a stroke or brain injury. The nervous system has limited capacity to recover after an injury, such as those produced by a stroke or brain trauma. Stem cell transplants […]

November 19, 2018 - 4 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández

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