Interview 21 Mar 2018 Do Phages Hold the Key to Modulating the Microbiome? The human microbiome is emerging as a target for treating a wide range of diseases, but it’s still a young field and there are lots of unknowns. Philip discussed with the CEO of BiomX whether phages may be the key to targeting specific bacterial strains in the microbiome. In the last decade, scientists have found […] March 21, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 20 Mar 2018 DNA Sequencing Unicorn Oxford Nanopore Raises £100M Round at £1.5Bn Valuation Undeterred by competitors, Oxford Nanopore, one of the few unicorns in the biotech space, has secured £100M (€113M) to continue growing its unique next-generation sequencing platform. Oxford Nanopore is one of the best-funded biotechs in Europe, having raised £507.3M (€578M) in total, and famous for its “DNA-reading gadget the size of a Mars bar that sells for $1,000.” The company plans to […] March 20, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 20 Mar 2018 Oxford Firm Develops Better Test for ALS Diagnosis Oxford BioDynamics has presented data from a new diagnostic test that could help not just diagnose ALS but also help patients get a personalized treatment. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a motor neuron disease whose diagnosis comes with the hard news that most patients die merely within 3 to 5 years of diagnosis. One of […] March 20, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 20 Mar 2018 Why It’s the Best Time to Be in Cell and Gene Therapy Cell and gene therapies are here, and they’re here to stay. We stopped to chat about the future of the field with Alexander Vos last week at Bio Europe Spring. The cell and gene therapy space has been given a big boost in the last couple of years. Since 2016, GSK’s gene therapy Strimvelis is available […] March 20, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 19 Mar 2018 Early Research in Bone Marrow Transplants Could Treat ALS Early stage research from Spain could lead to a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) using adult stem cells from bone marrow to stop progressive muscle paralysis. Researchers from the Neuroscience Institute at the Universidad Miguel Hernández (UMH) in Elche, Alicante, and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) aim to test a stem cell treatment for […] March 19, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
More News! 19 Mar 2018 Could the Microbiome Treat Side Effects of Stem Cell Transplants? MaaT Pharma, based in Lyon, has received authorization to launch a Phase II trial for its therapy, which targets the gut microbiota to treat complications from stem cell transplants. MaaT Pharma will launch a Phase II trial for MaaT013, a therapy for treating acute graft-versus-host disease — a major complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation […] March 19, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 19 Mar 2018 This French Device Could Repair Holes in the Heart HoliStick Medical, a Paris-based startup, is developing a novel catheter device that can repair holes in the heart without the use of sutures. HoliStick Medical, has gained the exclusive rights to develop a catheter device created by Harvard University and MIT. The catheter is designed to repair holes and tissue defects in the heart and other […] March 19, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 19 Mar 2018 How is Biotech Putting a Spring into the Step of Sportsmen and Women Around the World? Biotech has helped the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Rafael Nadal to return to fitness after injury. What else could this technology do to help athletes around the world excel? For as long as I can remember, I’ve been playing sport at every opportunity that I get. Having studied and worked in biotech, I wanted to […] March 19, 2018 - 6 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 16 Mar 2018 Lundbeck Signs Near €1Bn Acquisition of Swiss Parkinson’s Biotech Lundbeck is acquiring Prexton Therapeutics in a deal that could reach up to €905M if the Swiss company’s Parkinson’s treatment proves successful. Danish pharma Lundbeck has decided to boost its pipeline with the acquisition of Prexton Therapeutics. The deal grants Lundbeck with global rights to foliglurax, a drug to reduce the “off” time periods when Parkinson’s motor […] March 16, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Startup Scout 16 Mar 2018 This Belgian Biotech Could Speed Up Diagnoses for Neurodegenerative Diseases Today we’re in Ghent, Belgium, home to several successful biotechs, including Ablynx, to visit ADx Neurosciences. The biotech specializes in biomarker assays for the detection of neurodegenerative diseases. Mission: Founded in 2011, ADx Neurosciences focuses on the development of antibodies to detect biomarkers in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative conditions from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s to traumatic brain injury. The anitbodies […] March 16, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 15 Mar 2018 French VC Raises the Biggest Green Biotech Fund in the World Update (15/03/2018): Sofinnova Partners has closed its fund Industrial Biotech I at €125M, making it the largest fund dedicated to driving the transition towards a more sustainable fund. 03/03/2017 Sofinnova Partners has announced the first closing of a new fund, dedicated to renewable chemistry in industrial biotech, at €106 million. The largest biotech VC in […] March 15, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 15 Mar 2018 This Swedish Discovery Could Change the Way We Treat Diabetes Swedish researchers have found that insulin-producing cells alone are not enough to fine-tune blood sugar levels. This could change the way diabetes treatments are designed. While it is known that certain clusters of cells in the pancreas called pancreatic islets influence the set point for blood sugar, the exact mechanisms are still unknown. The control of […] March 15, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email