News and Trends 12 Jul 2017 British Researchers “Calm Down” Macrophages to treat Inflammation Imperial College London and Ergon Pharmaceuticals have a new enzyme target to treat inflammatory disease by reducing the activity of macrophages. Researchers at Imperial College London have developed a method to reprogram macrophages and reduce their inflammatory activity. The approach, published in Nature Communications, proved to reduce by more than half inflammation in the joints […] July 12, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 12 Jul 2017 Update: France and the Netherlands deem Oxitec’s GM Mosquitoes Safe for Release Update (12/07/2017): France’s High Council for Biotechnology (HCB) has also backed the use, with caution, of genetically modified mosquitoes in France. Oxitec expects the report published by the HCB will help shape the policy to regulate the genetically engineered insects in France and eventually allow testing the technology in the French Caribbean. Originally published on 07/07/2017 A […] July 12, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 12 Jul 2017 French Biotech and Canadian University to treat Rare Disease with Red Blood Cells Erytech Pharma has entered a partnership with Queen’s University to treat the rare disease arginase-1 deficiency using engineered red blood cells. Erytech, based in Lyon, is known for its unique technology for drug delivery. Its most advanced program, in Phase IIb for metastatic pancreatic cancer, employs red blood cells engineered to produce the enzyme L-asparaginase, which depletes […] July 12, 2017 - 1 minutemin - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 12 Jul 2017 Genomic Testing in Oncology: From Single Genes to Whole Genomes Personalized medicine would be nothing without genomic testing tools. Here’s an overview of how the field has rapidly evolved in the past years. BRCA (BReast CAncer) is one of the most famous gene variants for breast cancer testing. But aside from being a game-changer from a scientific perspective, it also changed the laws of genomic testing. […] July 12, 2017 - 5 minutesmins - By Timothé Cynober Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 11 Jul 2017 The Advantage for the First Mover in NASH is Limited, says Genfit After we reviewed NASH earlier this year, Genfit’s CSO, Dean Hum, came to speak at Refresh about his company’s strategy in the space. As CSO of Genfit, Dean Hum coordinates the company’s R&D efforts to be first to market in NASH, which represent an untapped market of €37B. The company is counting on its lead […] July 11, 2017 - 4 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 11 Jul 2017 Finnish AI Biotech Raises €14M to Open the Bottleneck of Next-Generation Sequencing Blueprint Genetics has raised €14M to boost its genetic diagnostics platform, using artificial intelligence to interpret next-generation sequencing data. Based in Helsinki, Finland, Blueprint Genetics is a startup that addresses the main bottleneck of genetic testing through next-generation sequencing (NGS), the interpretation of massive volumes of data, with the aid of artificial intelligence (AI). Its […] July 11, 2017 - 1 minutemin - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 11 Jul 2017 Enterome and Nestle Launch a New Microbiome Diagnostics Company Microbiome Diagnostics Partners will develop diagnostics tests with Enterome’s microbiome platform IP and a €20M investment from Nestlé. Nestlé Health Science and Enterome have created Microbiome Diagnostics Partners (MDP) as a joint venture split 50% between both parties. Nestlé has invested €20M for its stake in the new company as well as the exclusive option to commercialize […] July 11, 2017 - 1 minutemin - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 11 Jul 2017 Novartis largely dodged deaths from its CAR-T therapy, but FDA still has safety concerns Editor’s Note: Novartis did note a death from cerebral hemorrhage in its hearing with the FDA yesterday. With the application review hearing set for tomorrow, the FDA has shared its thoughts on Novartis’ CAR-T candidate. Up front are serious safety concerns. Novartis’ CTL019, or Tisagenlecleucel, wowed the audience at ASH last fall with a stellar 82% […] July 11, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 11 Jul 2017 Regenerating the Body With Stem Cells – Hype or Hope? When the Japanese researcher Shinya Yamanaka managed to reprogram adult cells into an embryonic-like state to yield induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), this was supposed to herald a revolution in regenerative medicine. But 10 years after their discovery, a therapeutic breakthrough is still outstanding. “The overall stem cell therapy field has failed today to show […] July 11, 2017 - 9 minutesmins - By Melanie De Almeida Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 10 Jul 2017 You can buy DNA on Amazon, thanks to this Biotech Accelerator Steve O’Connell from RebelBio spoke to us about how far consumer biotech has come and synbio’s role in its democratization. Steve Jobs famously predicted that biology would one day go the way of computing and become available to the ordinary consumer. How is it progressing? “It’s already happening,” Steve O’Connell, Associate Director of RebelBio, told Philip […] July 10, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 10 Jul 2017 Swiss Biotech Starts Phase II Trial to Treat Motor Symptoms of Parkinson’s Prexton Therapeutics has launched a Phase II trial to test whether its drug foliglurax can treat the motor complications of standard levodopa therapy. The Phase II trial will enroll 165 patients across the UK, Germany, France, Austria, Spain and Italy to monitor the effects of Prexton’s foliglurax. The company is looking for patients that have been treated […] July 10, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 10 Jul 2017 Danish Diabetes Biotech Shoots for a €75M IPO in the US Nasdaq Zealand Pharma, known for its partnership with Sanofi to boost the insulin blockbuster Lantus, is aiming high in an IPO on the US Nasdaq. Zealand Pharma has announced it has already filed for an IPO at the Nasdaq Global Select Market, an exclusive listing for large cap companies. Currently listed on the Nasdaq Copenhagen, Zealand Pharma […] July 10, 2017 - 1 minutemin - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email