News and Trends 21 Dec 2021 Argenx’s Potential Blockbuster Gets FDA Nod for Autoimmune Disease US regulators have approved the first-in-class drug efgartigimod for the treatment of the rare muscle disease generalized myasthenia gravis, opening up its developer argenx to billion-dollar revenues. Efgartigimod, to be marketed as Vyvgart, is an antibody fragment drug for use in adults with generalized myasthenia gravis. The FDA’s decision represents the first successful drug approval […] December 21, 2021 - 4 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 30 Jun 2021 GSK Raises Eyebrows in Checkpoint Inhibitor Megadeal with iTeos Analysts are abuzz over GSK’s co-development deal with immuno-oncology specialist iTeos Therapeutics earlier this month, wondering if it overpaid for the Belgian company’s next-generation checkpoint inhibitor. GSK’s oncology deal with iTeos earlier this month centered on an antibody drug that blocks an immune checkpoint called TIGIT. The candidate is currently in phase I testing for […] June 30, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Victor Kotsev 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
News and Trends 30 Jul 2020 Llama-Derived Nanobodies Join the Fight Against Covid-19 Newly-launched Belgian startup ExeVir Bio will develop ‘nanobodies’ that bind very precisely to key areas of the Covid-19 virus and other coronaviruses after raking in €23M in Series A. Based in Ghent, Belgium, ExeVir Bio is a spin-out of the research institute VIB established with the help of life sciences investor Fund+. Other investors include […] July 30, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Victor Kotsev Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Startup Scout 1 May 2020 Belgian Company Harnesses Lab-on-a-Chip Technology to Diagnose Disease The Belgian startup miDiagnostics is developing technology to diagnose diseases quickly, accurately, and at the point-of-care using a silicon lab-on-a-chip and nanoscale-precision microfluidics. Having good diagnostics in place can save lives. This principle is especially true in times of crisis, such as the current coronavirus pandemic. However, producing good diagnostics isn’t a simple task. In […] May 1, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 2 Apr 2020 iTeos Therapeutics’ Cancer Immunotherapy Boosted with €114M Funding An oversubscribed Series B2 round has seen the biopharmaceutical company iTeos Therapeutics raise €114M, which will be used to advance the clinical development of its two lead cancer immunotherapies. The funds follow on from €65M raised by iTeos in Series B financing in 2018. Since then, the Belgian company has completed a phase I trial […] April 2, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Laura Cowen Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Startup Scout 13 Mar 2020 This Startup Hits Hidden Proteins to Make Cancer Immunotherapies With one foot in Belgium and another in the US, Orionis Biosciences combines US and European talent to develop cancer immunotherapies targeting difficult protein targets. Mission: To fight cancer with two technologies. The first is modifying immune proteins called cytokines to trigger the body to produce specific immune cells against a tumor. The second is […] March 13, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 19 Feb 2020 Belgian Biotech Raises €50M to Make Gene Therapy Manufacturing Cheaper An equity investment worth up to €50M will push to market Univercells’ manufacturing technology, which is designed to reduce the costs of viral vector production for gene therapies. The investment comes from Gamma Biosciences, an investment platform supported by the US investor KKR. Gamma Biosciences aims to acquire and invest in businesses developing gene and […] February 19, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 22 Jan 2020 Off-The-Shelf Lung Cancer Vaccine Clinical Trial Gets €20M Boost The French-Belgian company PDC*Line Pharma has raised a €20M Series B round to fund an ongoing phase I/II trial of its off-the-shelf therapeutic vaccine for lung cancer. The total €20M consists of €13.9M in equity investments and €6.1M in loans and subsidies from the Walloon Region of Belgium. PDC*Line’s current investors took part in the […] January 22, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 17 Dec 2019 Update: Cell Therapy Biotech Raises €47M to Fund NASH Clinical Trial Update (17/12/2019): Promethera has increased the total raised in its Series D round to €47.2M with the addition of new investors, including Innovation Growth Ventures and Pegasus Tech Ventures among others. The round will fund two ongoing clinical trials and the start of at least two new trials outside Europe. Published on 07/05/2019 The Belgian […] December 17, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 28 Aug 2019 Type 1 Diabetes Immunotherapy Shows Promise in Phase I An immunotherapy designed by the Belgian biotech Imcyse to prevent type 1 diabetes has shown signs of clinical benefits and no major safety issues in a phase I trial. The phase I trial recruited 41 patients newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Imcyse injected the patients with different doses of its treatment and monitored the […] August 28, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 30 Jul 2019 Belgian Biotech Raises €35M to Develop Eco-Friendly Pesticides The Belgium-based company AgroSavfe has raised a Series C round of €35M to develop an environmentally friendly crop pesticide inspired by llama antibodies. AgroSavfe will use the funds to develop and manufacture its lead protein fungicide on a commercial scale. The company aims to get approval from the US Environmental Protection Agency and launch the […] July 30, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email