In Depth 24 May 2017 What Happens when the Immune System Attacks Life-Saving Drugs? Immunogenicity has been largely disregarded despite its huge impact on the performance of biological drugs. What is it and how can we fight it? Immunogenicity can be a huge problem. Affecting especially protein-based drugs, this process consists in the development of anti-drug antibodies (ADAs) against a molecule that, in most cases, is saving the life […] May 24, 2017 - 4 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 23 May 2017 German Biotech Tops Up its Oncolytic Virus with Immuno-Oncology Drugs Oryx has reported good clinical data on the combination of its oncolytic virus with immuno-oncology drugs, convincing the biotech to start clinical trials. Based in Munich, Oryx is developing cancer immunotherapies for a number of solid tumors consisting of oncolytic viruses and peptide vaccines. The company just announced positive clinical data for 16 patients treated under compassionate use […] May 23, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Melanie De Almeida Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 23 May 2017 Merck to Pay Ablynx €15M for Getting a Second Nanobody ready for the Clinic Ablynx is receiving its first milestone payment from a deal with Merck for the development of first-in-class treatments for osteoarthritis. Belgium-based Ablynx develops nanobodies, molecules with the same properties as antibodies but with the advantage of being much smaller. This technology has attracted top pharma partners like AbbVie, MSD, Boehringer Ingelheim and Novartis. Now, the third […] May 23, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 22 May 2017 Norwegian Biotech Goes for Combination Therapies in Melanoma BerGenBio has started a new Phase I/II trial evaluating the addition of its Axl inhibitor to standard of care treatments in advanced melanoma. In March, Norwegian BerGenBio beat a biotech record on the Norwegian stock exchange, raising a massive €43.55M. Now, the company is standing by its promises and just dosed the first patient in a […] May 22, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Melanie De Almeida Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 22 May 2017 UPDATE: Argenx’s IPO soars to over €100M to prove itself in Phase II UPDATE (22/05/2017): Argenx has gone above and beyond to secure $115M (€103M) on the NASDAQ. Underwriters claimed all of the shares offered in over allotment, bringing the IPO to 50% more than the initial goal. Rather a lot for a company whose compound has yet to prove itself in Phase II. UPDATE (24/04/2017): Pricing terms have yet to be set, but the […] May 22, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 22 May 2017 Meet the New CEO of the Dutch Biotech Making a Cure for Blood Cancer Arthur Lahr, CEO of Kiadis Pharma, explains the promising cell therapy the company is developing and discusses how the dutch biotech ecosystem has evolved. Arthur Lahr has been part of the Dutch biotech scene for over 15 years now. The former Chief Strategy Officer of Crucell, which was sold to J&J in 2011, is now […] May 22, 2017 - 7 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 20 May 2017 A Concert Played by Human Neurons on a Petri Dish Guy Ben-Ary grew his own neurons on a Petri dish and made them perform in a concert last weekend at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin. Last weekend I took my bike across Berlin to attend a truly unique event. It was, in fact, my first time going to a concert where one […] May 20, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
More News! 19 May 2017 The EMA Grants Priority to an Enzyme to Avoid Liver Transplant Rejection Hansa Medical has accessed the EMA’s priority medicines scheme to accelerate the development of a therapy that broadens the access to kidney transplants. Hansa Medical, based in Lund, Sweden, develops enzymes with immunomodulatory properties. Its lead candidate, IdeS, has now been granted access to the EMA’s priority medicines (PRIME) scheme, designed to support the development […] May 19, 2017 - 1 minutemin - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 19 May 2017 Irish Biotech developing New Antibiotics attracts €58M in Series B Round Iterum Therapeutics has raised €58M to fund Phase III and bring a new antibiotic to a market where innovation is lacking. Iterum Therapeutics is a biotech based in Dublin that develops new antibiotics with the aim of combating the superbug crisis. The company has just raised €58M ($65M) in Series B to fund Phase III […] May 19, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 19 May 2017 Shining new Light on how to control Cell Circuits Controlling genes with light is a new therapeutic avenue, and researchers from Finland are exploring how it can be used to tinker with the cell’s biochemical circuitry. Their findings could provide a better understanding of degenerative diseases and yield new cancer treatments. Researchers from the Turku Centre for Biotechnology at the University of Turku and Åbo […] May 19, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Denise Neves Gameiro Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 19 May 2017 MorphoSys’ First Lanthipeptide Completes Phase I Successfully UPDATE (19/05/2017): MorphoSys has announced the completion of the Phase I study with MOR107, which has proved safe and showed dose-dependent pharmacokinetics. The drug, an agonist of the angiotensin II receptor type 2 (AT2-R), comes from the Dutch Lanthio Pharma and is the first lanthipeptide in MorphoSys’ pipeline. Originally published 21/02/2017 Lanthio Pharma has initiated a […] May 19, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 18 May 2017 #Live# Labiotech Hangout: Join our first webcast on anti-aging therapies! As we grow as a company, our content is growing too! Hang out with us and anti-aging VC managing partner, James Peyer, online next week. Join Now! We can’t wait for an event to produce videos for our readers, and we realized we don’t have to! Next week, we’re trying out a new feature and bringing additional […] May 18, 2017 - 1 minutemin - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email