News and Trends 8 May 2017 The EU Approves New Treatment for a Rare Pediatric Cancer Update (08/05/2017): The European Commission has granted marketing authorization to Apeiron Biologic’s APN311 in the rare pediatric cancer neuroblastoma. Originally published on 27/03/2017 Apeiron Biologics has announced that the EMA’s CHMP has recommended the approval of APN311 for immunotherapy of high-risk neuroblastoma. Apeiron Biologics is a Vienna-based biotech company developing immunological approaches to treat cancer. […] May 8, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Melanie De Almeida Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 8 May 2017 Immunocore Boosts its Collaboration with GSK with new Lead Compound Immunocore has singled out a new lead candidate in its immuno-oncology discovery program with GSK, triggering an undisclosed milestone payment to Immunocore. Based in Oxford, Immunocore is one of the hottest biotechs in the immuno-oncology space, which was able to raise one of the largest European private funding rounds ever (€300M) and is backed by […] May 8, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Melanie De Almeida Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 3 May 2017 Immuno-oncology Pioneer Enters the Clinic with its RNA-based Therapy Rigontec has announced the start if its first-in-human Phase I/II study with its pioneering RNA-based candidate, RGT100, in solid tumors and lymphoma. Rigontec, based in Munich, is exploring RNA’s applications in immuno-oncology. Since the company was founded in 2014, it has raked in an impressive €30M in series A funding. Now, only 3 years later, the biotech is […] May 3, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Melanie De Almeida Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 3 May 2017 New Immuno-oncology Biotech Gets a €20M Series A Funding Boost Imcheck Therapeutics from Marseille has just completed a €20M Series A funding round, backed by big investors like the Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund (BIVF). The French biotech Imcheck Therapeutics was founded in 2015 as a spin-off from the Paoli-Calmettes Cancer Institute (IPC) in Marseille and is developing next-generation immunomodulatory antibodies for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. […] May 3, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Melanie De Almeida Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 3 May 2017 Unexpected Side Effects: Are we Ready for the Rise of Immunotherapies? As immunotherapies are moving from large academic centers to clinics across the world, doctors are realizing that releasing the breaks of the immune system comes with serious risks – and that research on its adverse effects is lagging behind. This week, AstraZeneca’s anti-PD-L1 antibody durvalumab received FDA approval to treat patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma, making […] May 3, 2017 - 4 minutesmins - By Melanie De Almeida Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 2 May 2017 Novartis Gains Access to Celyad’s allogenic CAR-T cell patents Belgian Celyad is giving Novartis access to its IP for the production of allogeneic CAR-T cells in a non-exclusive license agreement, worth up to €88M. Celyad is developing “off-the-shelf” therapies, based on engineering donor-derived allogeneic T cells. Despite a recent public dispute with its key rival Cellectis regarding the validity of Celyad’s US patents, Novartis has now entered a non-exclusive […] May 2, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Melanie De Almeida Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 26 Apr 2017 BRIEF: Dutch Biotech Goes for MAA in the EU with new Immunotherapy Kiadis Pharma has applied for marketing authorization from the EMA for its T cell immune therapy, which could halt graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Kiadis‘ MAA with the EMA doesn’t come as a surprise. After the EMA recently accepted the Biotech’s Pediatric Investigation Plan for its lead product ATIR101, the MAA was just a matter of time. Based in Amsterdam, […] April 26, 2017 - 1 minutemin - By Melanie De Almeida Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 20 Apr 2017 Norway Brings Another Cancer Vaccine to the Clinic Targovax has recruited its first patient in a Phase Ib trial for its new cancer vaccine TG02 targeting mutations of the RAS gene. Mutations of the RAS gene disrupt normal cell division and are a key driver of cancer progression and treatment resistance. The Norwegian biotech Targovax is developing peptide-based anti-cancer vaccines targeting these mutations found […] April 20, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Melanie De Almeida Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 20 Apr 2017 Which EU Immuno-Oncology Company are you Cheering for? Immuno-oncology represents a huge breakthrough towards the search for a cancer cure. Biotechs all around Europe are developing innovative ways of helping our own immune system fight tumors, which one do you think is doing it best? The field of immuno-oncology is overcrowded, and there’s plenty of companies pushing to make their cutting-edge technology a […] April 20, 2017 - 1 minutemin - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 19 Apr 2017 UPDATE: Novartis broadens CAR-T onslaught with FDA endorsement UPDATE (19/04/2017): CTL019 has been granted Breakthrough Designation by the FDA for relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Novartis and Kite have been in a tight race to bring the first CAR-T therapy to market: Novartis has staked out acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) while Kite has gone for DLBCL. With this “tacit endorsement,” Novartis is encroaching on […] April 19, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 17 Apr 2017 Meet One of the Most Successful German Biotech Leaders Ever Patrick Baeuerle is the German biotech leader I wanted to interview the most (besides Simon Moroney from MorphoSys, who came to our Meetup in Munich last week). Patrick has explored and succeeded in just about every area of life sciences, be it as a highly cited academic researcher, a professor at Freiburg University, head of drug […] April 17, 2017 - 6 minutesmins - By Philip Hemme Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 13 Apr 2017 French Oncolytic Virus Vaccine for Breast Cancer enters Phase II After positive results in Phase I, Transgene has started Phase II with Pexa-Vec in combination with chemotherapy to treat breast cancer and sarcoma. After years of financial instability, Transgene is stepping up its game in cancer immunotherapies. Last year, its first Phase III trial and a deal with Merck and Pfizer brought the hopes of investors […] April 13, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email