News and Trends 13 Jan 2017 RNA Spray fights Viruses and could Sidestep problems with GMOs RNA and clay could be the future of crop protection and manipulation of plants’ traits. Researchers have managed to use these ingredients to create a spray capable of “vaccinating” plants, teaching them to recognize the genetic material of viruses. RNA-based therapies may have suffered a recent blow in the clinic this week, but when it comes […] January 13, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Denise Neves Gameiro Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Inside Labiotech 13 Jan 2017 Never lazy, baby! That’s what we achieved in 2016! Bonjour to all our readers! I hope you started the new year happily and that, after all that Christmas holiday coziness, your way back into work was not too harsh! The Labiotech team is back again, too, with more optimism and vigour than ever! We took the stock of last year’s achievements and want to share with […] January 13, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Philip Hemme Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 13 Jan 2017 UPDATE: J&J and Actelion settle on a price, R&D assets will be spun out UPDATE (12/01/2017): J&J and Actelion have reportedly settled on a price: $260 (€245) per share, totaling more than $28 (€26) billion. The Swiss biotech’s R&D assets will be spun out into a new company that will remain independent. UPDATE (03/01/2017): The deal has veered towards splitting Actelion into two companies, one for its commercialized portfolio […] January 13, 2017 - 4 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 12 Jan 2017 An Antibody to reduce Hospitalizations of Children starts Phase IIb trials Ablynx has treated its first patient in a new trial targeting RSV infections, the main cause of children hospitalizations. Ablynx, one of the few European biotechs that made it into JP Morgan this year, develops nanobodies derived from llamas. The Belgian company announced yesterday that its candidate ALX-0171 has entered testing in Phase IIb as a treatment […] January 12, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
More News! 12 Jan 2017 German Microscopy Tech raises funds to take over Imaging in Biology Luxendo has raised €8M to start international sales of its unique microscopy technology aiming to take over confocal microscopes in biology research. Luxendo, a spin-out from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, has closed its Series A fundraising round led by Life Science Partners (LSP), one of the best European biotech VCs. The total €8M raised will be […] January 12, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 12 Jan 2017 Antibody Treatment for Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes enters Phase II Novartis is initiating Phase II trials with an antibody licensed from German biotech MorphoSys that tackles the obesity and diabetes epidemic. MorphoSys is a billion euro biotech that develops therapeutic antibodies for big names like Bayer, Pfizer, GSK, Boehringer Ingelheim, Roche and Janssen. The company is now adding type 2 diabetes to its long list of indications; bimagrumab will start Phase […] January 12, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 11 Jan 2017 Phase II Failure: CureVac’s CEO explains Missed Efficacy Endpoint Money doesn’t guarantee success, even if it’s heavy investment from the likes of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Ingmar Hoerr explains what it means for mRNA therapeutics. In a blow to the field of mRNA, the German billion-euro biotech CureVac has reported the Phase II failure of its lead candidate at JP Morgan. Aimed at prostate cancer, CV9104 did not […] January 11, 2017 - 4 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 11 Jan 2017 Merck expands its Oncology Pipeline beyond Checkpoint Inhibitors Merck is diversifying its oncology portfolio with four new programs licensed from Vertex Pharmaceuticals, including multiple DNA damage and repair drugs. Merck has entered a licensing agreement with Boston-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals for the worldwide rights to four oncology programs. Merck has paid €220M ($230M) upfront for two clinical-stage DNA damage and repair candidates and two additional […] January 11, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Best in Biotech 11 Jan 2017 UPDATE: The 5 Hottest European Biotechs in 2017 according to JP Morgan The world’s biggest biotech investor conference, hosted by JP Morgan, is now underway in San Francisco, and European companies are putting up a strong showing. Here are those (in chronological order) who made the cut to present at this invite-only event. We’ll update the post as companies present! While uniQure has hit a number of rough […] January 11, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 11 Jan 2017 Dutch Biotech Takes over Sustainable Coca Cola Bottles Project Avantium has acquired Liquid Light, getting hold of the last piece of technology it requires to create the next generation of sustainable Coca Cola bottles. Avantium, a spin-off from Shell located in Amsterdam, is one of Coca Cola’s choices to develop its next-generation plastic bottles made 100% from plant-based materials. The biotech is now stepping up […] January 11, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 10 Jan 2017 Stem Cells in your Teeth can be Stimulated to Naturally Repair Cavities Researchers from the UK have described a new treatment for cavities that could get rid of fillings and cements by employing an Alzheimer’s drug. Most of us have visited the dentist to fill a cavity. The usual procedure involves removing the damaged area and replacing it with mineral materials. But what if you could let […] January 10, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 10 Jan 2017 Qiagen acquires Multi Omics Company to boost its Bioinformatics services Qiagen is entering the promising field of multi-omics data analysis with the acquisition of a bioinformatics company from the US. Qiagen, an upstart looking to break into the field of next-generation sequencing (NGS), has just announced the acquisition of US-based OmicSoft for an undisclosed amount. This transaction will upgrade Qiagen’s bioinformatics services, which will now include multi-omics data analysis and software […] January 10, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email