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Cassava plantation CRISPR editing story

News and Trends 5 Sep 2018

Cassava Plants Gene Edited Using CRISPR to Produce Waxy Starch

A team of European researchers applied CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology to engineer cassava plants that produce a modified type of starch, in demand for both cooking and industrial processing. The team also managed to speed up the flowering of the plants by introduction of a gene from Arabidopsis plants, which they hope will allow more […]

September 5, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

ProQR RNA Genetic Blindness

News and Trends 5 Sep 2018

RNA Therapy Improves Vision in Patients with Rare Genetic Blindness

Dutch company ProQR has released data from a Phase I/II trial showing its RNA therapy can improve the vision of people with a rare form of hereditary blindness. The clinical trial recruited 10 people with the rare disease Leber’s congenital amaurosis 10. Caused by mutations in a gene called CEP290, this condition leads to […]

September 5, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández

Ablynx nanobody Cablivi caplacizumab

News and Trends 4 Sep 2018

The EMA Approves the First Nanobody from Ablynx

Update: The EMA has officially approved Cablivi for the treatment of adults with acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, following its earlier recommendation in June. The drug has also been accepted for priority review by the US FDA, with a decision due on 6 Feb 2019. Published 29.6.18 Just a few months after Sanofi acquired Ablynx in a multi-billion euro […]

September 4, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Editorial Team

semi artificial photosynthesis fuel

More News! 4 Sep 2018

Semi-Artificial Photosynthesis Method Produces Fuel More Efficiently Than Nature

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have developed a new photosynthesis method that combines biological and synthetic components to produce hydrogen using sunlight as the only source of energy. “Natural photosynthesis has evolved to store solar energy and to reduce the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into sugars, but this process is not very energy […]

September 4, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández

Evox Therapeutics drug delivery

News and Trends 3 Sep 2018

Oxford Biotech Raises €40M to Deliver Drugs to Hard-to-Reach Targets

Evox Therapeutics has raised £35.5M (€39.4M) in a Series B fundraising that has been backed, among others, by the venture arm of Google’s parent company. A spin-out from the University of Oxford and the Karolinska Institute, Evox Therapeutics has raised a large round that will fund the development of its drug delivery technology to […]

September 3, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández

mary kerr michael bauer cover

Interview 3 Sep 2018

Moving from Big Pharma to Biotech – Insights from Two Biotech CEOs

According to John LaMattina in Forbes last year, more and more senior scientific executives are moving from pharma to small biotechs or startup initiatives. While the jury is out on whether this observation reflects a real trend or not, we at Labiotech are keen to learn about what drives people to make such a move! […]

September 3, 2018 - 11 minutesmins - By External Contributor

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victoria shennan anthropocene microbial music

News and Trends 1 Sep 2018

A Symphony Inspired by the Microbes Living on Us

British artist Victoria Shennan has created a musical composition based on the microorganisms that form an essential part of us. We are just starting to realize the huge role that microorganisms play in our well-being and the proper functioning of our bodies. Research on the human microbiome in the last decade has linked the […]

September 1, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández

Genomics partner Vertex big genomic data

News and Trends 31 Aug 2018

Vertex Partners Oxford Genome Analysis Firm To Develop New Personalized Therapies

Genomics, a company using machine learning to analyze genetic data, is partnering with precision medicine specialists Vertex Pharmaceuticals to develop new therapies in a 3-year collaboration. The agreement marks the closing of the Oxford-based company’s €28M (£25M) series B fundraising round, as Vertex has also invested €11.7M (£10.5M) in Genomics. If the collaboration is successful […]

August 31, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

Alnylam 300 Third Street Cambridge 1

News and Trends 30 Aug 2018

First RNAi Drug Approved in Europe After 20 Years of Research

The first ever RNA interference (RNAi) drug, used to treat polyneuropathy in patients with hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis, has been given marketing approval by the European Commision. The approval follows that of the US FDA who gave the green light to US biotech Alnylam Pharmaceutical’s Onpattro (patisiran) earlier this month following positive Phase III findings in […]

August 30, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

infographics life science

Expert Advice 30 Aug 2018

7 Ingredients a Life Science Infographic Needs to Go Viral

Infographics enjoyed a hay day in the early 2010s. They were a fresh idea and a welcome change to the standard blog post format which the internet was already flooded with. They worked so well in catching the consumers’ attention, that their decline came as quickly as their rise. As with any new medium, […]

August 30, 2018 - 9 minutesmins - By James Mathison

Menopause header KaNDy

News and Trends 29 Aug 2018

Women’s Health Biotech Raises €28M to Fund Phase II Menopause Drug Trial

UK-biotech KaNDy Therapeutics closed a £25M (€28M) series C round to help finance the upcoming Phase IIb trial of its lead candidate for treating symptoms of the menopause. Unlike other therapies aimed at treating the same symptoms, KaNDy’s drug (NT-814) is not based on hormone replacement therapy, which can take a long time to be […]

August 29, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

Lymphocytes and cancer cells Affimed

News and Trends 29 Aug 2018

Affimed Collaborates with Genentech in Cancer Immunotherapy Deal Worth €4.4B

The German biotech will partner with Genentech, part of the Roche Group, to develop targeted cancer therapies that engage both innate and adaptive immune cells. Affimed will receive €82M ($96M) upfront from the US giant to develop its immunotherapy ROCK (Redirected Optimized Cell Killing) platform, which uses both natural killer cells and T-cells to target […]

August 29, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

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