News and Trends 26 Oct 2021 Valneva’s Inactivated Covid-19 Vaccine Aces Phase III Trial Last week, the French vaccine maker Valneva announced promising phase III trial results of its inactivated Covid-19 vaccine: a well-established technology that could confer broader immunity to the virus than shots currently on the market. Valneva’s vaccine candidate consists of a killed or ‘inactivated’ version of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19. The vaccine was […] October 26, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Victor Kotsev Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 17 Aug 2021 Sanofi’s Translate Bio Buyout Shows Growing Hunger for mRNA Technology Sanofi’s acquisition of its partner Translate Bio is a clear sign that pharmaceutical companies are interested in messenger RNA technologies beyond Covid-19. Based in Boston, US, Translate Bio develops mRNA therapies for a range of conditions, including respiratory, liver, and infectious diseases. The company’s €2.7B ($3.2B) buyout, announced by Sanofi earlier this month, seems a […] August 17, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Mark Zipkin Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 3 Aug 2021 Oral and Nasal Covid-19 Vaccines Hit Clinical Testing Oramed’s jab-free oral Covid-19 vaccine is one of many in the form of pills, powders, or sprays that may hit the market in the next few years, which could dramatically expand vaccine rollout and uptake. An Israeli team is preparing to start trials of what could be the first Covid-19 vaccine pill. The vaccine consists […] August 3, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Victor Kotsev Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 28 Jul 2021 Tracking Covid-19 Cases with Wastewater Testing Researchers have been using DNA testing technology to detect traces of the SARS-CoV-2 virus behind Covid-19 in wastewater streams in order to predict and prevent outbreaks locally. Wastewater testing can be a useful method to study the behavior of people living in a specific region. For example, a European study conducted back in 2014 looked […] July 28, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Sachin Rawat Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Best in Biotech 30 Jun 2021 Scotland’s Top 10 Biotech Companies to Watch Out For Scotland has a thriving life sciences ecosystem with strengths in oncology, genetic engineering, and industrial biotech. Let’s pick up the bagpipes as we tour the top 10 biotech companies in Scotland. Scotland is the UK’s second-most populous country, boasting picturesque scenery, a rich history, and a strong focus on sustainability. There is a diverse range […] June 30, 2021 - 11 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 15 Jun 2021 Patent Waiver on Covid-19 Vaccines Splits Opinions in Biotech Industry Attempts to increase global Covid-19 vaccine coverage with a temporary patent waiver have been met with hostility from many big pharma and biotech companies, but some smaller players welcome the idea. With the Covid-19 pandemic still rampaging through many countries and new viral variants popping up with alarming regularity, scuffles over who holds intellectual property […] June 15, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 1 Jun 2021 Next-Generation mRNA Vaccine Technology Unveiled in Series A Round Messenger RNA vaccines have been at the forefront of the global struggle against the Covid-19 pandemic over the past year. Now scientists are working to upgrade the technology: enter the stage of saRNA, or self-amplifying RNA vaccines. Among the frontrunners to introduce saRNA technology is the Belgian startup Ziphius Vaccines, which recently raised €29.3M to […] June 1, 2021 - 4 minutesmins - By Victor Kotsev Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 31 May 2021 What’s Ahead for European Biotech Startups After Covid? With a tumultuous year behind us, 2021 is set out to spell change for many startups in the European biotech ecosystem. Following the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit, the European biotech startup landscape has seen some big changes over the course of the past year. Jason Mellad and Dan Rooke, CEO and COO of the Cambridge-based […] May 31, 2021 - 8 minutesmins - By Larissa Warneck-Silvestrin Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 10 May 2021 The Rollercoaster of Repurposing an Arthritis Drug for Covid-19 The Covid-19 pandemic created an opportunity for many biotech companies to repurpose their existing programs into vaccines and treatments for the novel coronavirus. Cyxone’s CEO Tara Heitner and COO Malin Berthold discuss how they approached this shift at their company. Cyxone was founded in 2015 to develop drugs for rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Based […] May 10, 2021 - 8 minutesmins - By Larissa Warneck-Silvestrin Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 21 Apr 2021 Changing Attitudes on Vaccine and Public Health Investment The Covid-19 pandemic has pushed investment and research into vaccines and public health, but will such interest continue in the long term? Glenn Rockman, founder and Managing Partner of Adjuvant Capital, a VC firm investing in the infectious disease area, believes it will. Rockman did not plan to get into life science investment. With a […] April 21, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 20 Apr 2021 Pandemic Boosts Diagnostics Field with High Revenues and Acquisitions The US medtech firm Hologic has bought the Finnish-French biotech Mobidiag for around €668M in the latest of a series of mergers, acquisitions, and stock market launches taking over the diagnostics market. Hologic’s move is the latest in a flurry of activity from the women’s health specialist, which has snapped up Diagenode in Belgium, Biotheranostics […] April 20, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 25 Mar 2021 Covid-19 Vaccine Approvals Bring Hope and Challenges for Adenoviral Technology The rise of adenoviral Covid-19 vaccines highlights the potential of companies using similar technology in other fields like cancer or gene therapy. However, complex challenges remain, such as circumventing immunity to adenoviral treatments. Earlier this month, Johnson & Johnson’s candidate became the first single-shot Covid-19 vaccine to get the EMA green light. The vaccine is […] March 25, 2021 - 6 minutesmins - By Victor Kotsev Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email