News and Trends 5 Apr 2017 Heptares Takes Home €11M for its Next-Generation Checkpoint Inhibitor Heptares Therapeutics has achieved a new milestone in its immuno-oncology collaboration with AstraZeneca triggering an €11M payment from AstraZeneca. Heptares has announced the wrap-up of its preclinical programme for a new checkpoint inhibitor, AZD4635 that reverses adenosine-mediated T cell suppression and enhances anti-tumor immunity. The British company will now receive an €11M ($12M) milestone payment from AstraZeneca, who obtained exclusive global rights […] April 5, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Melanie De Almeida Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 28 Mar 2017 Swiss Antibodies Recruited by the Developer of BMS’ Cancer Blockbuster Ono Pharmaceutical is offering the Swiss Numab €241M (CHF 258M) for the development of a multi-specific antibody for immuno-oncology applications. Numab, one of the hottest biotechs in Zurich, has developed a unique technology to generate stable antibody fragments (not an easy feat!) and use them as building blocks for multi-specific antibodies that can target up […] March 28, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 27 Mar 2017 You Can Now Search Worldwide Genomic Data in a Single Platform Access to data is still the main bottleneck for genomic researchers. Repositive has created a free online platform to solve this problem once and for all. Repositive is building an online platform that makes genomic data from different sources easily searchable and accessible from a single portal. Its mission is to speed up genetic diagnostics […] March 27, 2017 - 5 minutesmins - By External Contributor Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 23 Mar 2017 Meet the CEO of this Intrepid Spanish Biotech exploring Epigenetics Located right here in Barcelona, Oryzon is one of the world’s few epigenetics biotechs. I sat down with CEO Carlos Buesa to talk about its approach. Since its foundation in 2000, Oryzon has gone on to become the leader in epigenetic medicine and focuses on oncology. Most recently, the company announced the success of its lead […] March 23, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 20 Mar 2017 Immuno-oncology is Overcrowded – Here is Where Startups Can Succeed The unprecedented competition in the field represents a daunting challenge for companies trying to break in. A BIO-Europe Panel discussed remaining niches. BIO Europe’s panel on immuno-oncology was perhaps the most popular of the day, as attendees filled the room to hear the thoughts of John Haurum, CEO of F-star; Christophe Quéva, CSO of iTeos; and […] March 20, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 16 Mar 2017 “In the Coming Decade, Off-the-Shelf Cell Therapy will Become a Reality” David Sourdive, co-founder of Cellectis, discusses his pioneering work developing off-the-shelf CAR-T for cancer and the future directions of cell therapy. Last week I had the opportunity to attend the World ADOPT Summit and hear from some of the world leaders in cell therapy. There I met David Sourdive, co-founder and EVP Technical Operations at Cellectis, […] March 16, 2017 - 4 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 6 Mar 2017 How did this Biotech seal a €1B Deal with AstraZeneca? The CEO Explains We talked to the CEO of Bicycle Therapeutics, Kevin Lee, about how his company’s technology could cure not just cancer but also a raft of other diseases. Bicycle Therapeutics made a splashy debut in 2014 with a €25M fundraising round, only to outdo it with a €1B deal with AstraZeneca last fall. What’s the fuss? […] March 6, 2017 - 7 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 2 Mar 2017 There’s a New Record in Biotech Fundraising: Should We Believe the Hype? Illumina’s cancer diagnostics baby, GRAIL, has raked in a jaw-dropping $1B in Series B. Should Europe get on America’s level? A new genome sequencing company spun out of Illumina, GRAIL, has raised over $900M in a Series B fundraising round. That’s far and away the largest round ever; further, that’s more than most companies hope to be worth, […] March 2, 2017 - 5 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 24 Feb 2017 What are the Current Challenges in the Booming Field of ADCs? ADCs are overcoming the challenges of first generations and returning with a vengeance. I attended the World ADC Conference to hear about current efforts. ADCs represent an exciting new field that has seen renewed interest in the past few months, as funding has poured into NBE Therapeutics and ADC Therapeutics. Theses drugs are overcoming the challenges that held the first two generations back […] February 24, 2017 - 5 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 23 Feb 2017 In the Age of Biological Therapeutics, Chemists move to ADCs Career options for chemists are shrinking in the shift towards biological drugs. But as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) take off, so do opportunities for chemists! Since I quit graduate school in chemistry research and dove into biotech journalism, I wasn’t sure when I would next enter a discussion about organic synthesis. This week, less than a year after […] February 23, 2017 - 4 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 23 Feb 2017 Biosimilars set to take on Oncology after a new Market Authorization The European Commission has approved Truxima, the world’s first biosimilar monoclonal antibody (mAb) with an oncology indication. Based in South Korea, Celltrion Healthcare is setting foot in the European oncology market with the approval of Truxima, a biosimilar to Roche’s Mabthera (rituximab). The European Commission has approved the antibody for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis […] February 23, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Melanie De Almeida Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 21 Feb 2017 New Immunotherapy Candidate receives FDA Fast Track Designation Cell Medica’s Orphan Drug CMD-003 has received fast track designation by the FDA to advance immunotherapy of patients with Epstein Bar Virus (EBV)-associated malignancies. The FDA’s fast track designation has been designed to facilitate and accelerate the development of drugs which fill a major unmet medical need. It has now been granted to Cell Medica’s lead EBV immunotherapy […] February 21, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Melanie De Almeida Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email