In Depth 6 Oct 2023 Will the U.S. Cancer Moonshot program land its target to halve cancer death rates? It was predicted that more than 600,000 people would die from cancer last year in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society. But what if those figures could be halved over the next couple of decades? Although no small feat, that’s precisely what the Cancer Moonshot program aims to do. The White House initiative, […] October 6, 2023 - 10 minutesmins - By Roohi Mariam Peter Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Podcast 6 Oct 2023Beyond Biotech podcast 66 – treating rare diseases with tRNA Compared to the smallest mRNA molecule, which is 300 nucleotides long, the largest transfer RNAs (tRNA) is less than a third of the size at 76 nucleotides. Scientists at Alltrna are harnessing the unique biology of tRNAs to engineer a single tRNA medicine that could treat thousands of rare diseases that share the same genetic […] October 6, 2023 Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 5 Oct 2023 Saving lives with xenotransplantation: how biotechs are solving the transplant shortage crisis On January 7, 2022, a surgery was performed on David Bennett to give him a new heart. But this was no ordinary transplant surgery. Instead of receiving a heart from a human donor, the 57-year-old, who did not qualify for a traditional transplant, received a pig heart. This surgery marked a historic breakthrough, becoming the […] October 5, 2023 - 11 minutesmins - By Willow Shah-Neville Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 4 Oct 2023 CAR-NK: Can natural killer cell therapy pick up from where CAR-T left off? Riding on the success of CAR-T cell therapy, a breakthrough in the treatment of blood cancers, CAR-NK therapies are an emerging field in therapeutic research that aim to boost an even stronger immune response against cancer. What is CAR-NK cell therapy? Natural killer (NK) cells, like T cells, are white blood cells that are a […] October 4, 2023 - 7 minutesmins - By Roohi Mariam Peter Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Best in Biotech 3 Oct 2023 Five impactful biotech companies to know in New York New York – the place where people of all backgrounds come with hopes and dreams of making a better life for themselves – is just recently becoming a life sciences powerhouse, attracting many biotech companies, after a $1 billion public investment in the industry from the City of New York. This initiative, called LifeSci NYC, […] October 3, 2023 - 8 minutesmins - By Willow Shah-Neville Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 2 Oct 2023 PIPEs in biotech fundraising: is this growing trend fueled by economic uncertainty here to stay? This past year has not been very sympathetic to fundraisers in the biotech industry. As the economic downturn grinds on, many companies are in need of funds to stay afloat. A recent trend in the way biotechs have secured funding, might be telling of how these companies are determined to pull through. A private investment […] October 2, 2023 - 7 minutesmins - By Roohi Mariam Peter Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 29 Sep 2023 Illumina: DNA giant in troubled waters A botched acquisition deal and unrest among company investors amid plummeting stocks have plagued Illumina, which was once part of the biotech big leagues that dominated the field of gene sequencing. Now, in fear of losing its ground to other players in the space, it has received a European Commission order to divest Grail, and […] September 29, 2023 - 8 minutesmins - By Roohi Mariam Peter Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Podcast 29 Sep 2023Beyond Biotech podcast 65 – Disease X and pandemic preparedness Disease X, a concept shrouded in mystery, represents the unknown pathogens that could unleash future epidemics or pandemics. In the wake of recent global health crises, our understanding of the profound impact of those pandemics has deepened. On this week’s podcast, we have a conversation with Hamilton Bennett, who led Moderna’s mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine development […] September 29, 2023 Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 28 Sep 2023 Obesity drug success sparks biotech buying spree The last few months have seen the obesity drug market soar, after new weight loss and diabetes drugs like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Ozempic took the world by storm with their incredible efficacy at inducing weight loss. These new drugs belong to a class of medications called GLP-1 analogs (or incretin-based therapies), which work by […] September 28, 2023 - 7 minutesmins - By Willow Shah-Neville Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Opinion 27 Sep 2023 Tackling the skilled labor shortage in biopharma manufacturing By Brandy Bullen, founder & CEO of Sequoia Consulting Group The biopharma manufacturing sector stands at a critical juncture as it grapples with an increasingly pronounced skilled labor shortage. In an era marked by rapid advancements in biotechnology and the growing demand for innovative therapies, the industry finds itself facing a pressing challenge – the […] September 27, 2023 - 6 minutesmins - By External Contributor Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 25 Sep 2023 Base editing hits the clinic in the U.S. Over the past couple of years, base editing, a recent offshoot of the heralded CRISPR/Cas 9 technology, has been doing its rounds in the biotech space. Now, base editing has finally set foot into clinical trials for the first time in the U.S.. American precision medicine company Beam Therapeutics treated its first patient with its […] September 25, 2023 - 7 minutesmins - By Roohi Mariam Peter Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 22 Sep 2023 U.S. approval for psychedelic drug MDMA nears after success in clinic The psychedelic drug MDMA edges closer towards FDA approval for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the U.S., after promising results of a trial were published. This comes after Australia became the first country to allow doctors to prescribe the drug to those struggling with mental health disorders like PTSD and depression. Recognizing […] September 22, 2023 - 7 minutesmins - By Roohi Mariam Peter Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email