News and Trends 4 Mar 2020 Immunocore Raises €117M to Develop Immunotherapies for Cancer and Hepatitis B UK biotech Immunocore has raised €116.7M in Series B funding to develop drugs that harness the body’s immune cells to fight cancer, viral infections, and autoimmune diseases. This latest funding round for the company, which specializes in redirecting and activating T-cells, includes an international group of new investors led by the US private equity firm […] March 4, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By External Contributor Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 26 Feb 2020 Bicycle Therapeutics Partners Genentech in Deal Worth €1.6B UK biotech Bicycle Therapeutics will collaborate with Genentech, now part of the Roche Group, to develop novel cancer immunotherapies and take them to market. Genentech will pay €28M upfront to Bicycle, but if discovery, regulatory and commercial milestones are met then the deal could be worth up to €1.6B for the Cambridge-based company. Bicycle’s technology […] February 26, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Best in Biotech 24 Feb 2020 Meet 20 European Immuno-Oncology Companies that are Fighting Cancer With the success of CAR T-cell therapies and other innovative medicines in this area, immuno-oncology has become a buzzword in biotech, with more and more companies starting up in Europe and elsewhere. With so many players involved, it can be hard to know who is doing what. Here are 20 European companies we think stand […] February 24, 2020 - 12 minutesmins - By Larissa Warneck-Silvestrin Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 18 Feb 2020 OncoDNA Secures €19M to Progress Precision Cancer Treatment Technology Belgian biotech OncoDNA has raised €19M in Series B funding to further develop its cancer diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making software. The funding was led by Vesalius Biocapital, a Luxembourg-based VC investor, Swiss VC firm Swisscanto Invest by Zürcher Kantonalbank, and Belgian VC company SFPI-FPIM. Early investors in the company such as CPH Bank also contributed […] February 18, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 12 Feb 2020 Boosting Cancer Research by Unlocking Genomic Data More genomic data is produced today than ever before as it’s fundamental to the development of new medicines. But although there is a lot of data out there, much of it is inaccessible. With a background in computer science and bioinformatics, Fiona Nielsen, co-founder and CEO of Repositive, decided to overcome this bottleneck and open […] February 12, 2020 - 6 minutesmins - By Larissa Warneck-Silvestrin Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 6 Feb 2020 Lunaphore Raises €21.5M to Develop Automated Cancer Research Tools Swiss company Lunaphore Technologies has raised €21.5M (CHF 23M) in Series C funding to expand the automation of cancer research and tissue diagnostics in Europe and the US. The oversubscribed funding round was completed in mid-January and was led by Japan-based PHC Holdings Corporation, with further contributions from existing investors including Redalpine Venture Partners, OCCIDENT […] February 6, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By External Contributor Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 5 Feb 2020 MaaT Pharma’s Microbiome Cancer Treatment Given €18M Boost French company MaaT Pharma has raised €18M in Series B financing that will support phase Ib and II trials of its biotherapeutic drug, which aims to restore the microbiome and improve outcomes in patients with various types of blood cancer and solid tumors. The financing round included French microbiome-focused investor Symbiosis, as well as support […] February 5, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By External Contributor Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 5 Feb 2020 Harnessing Genetic Suppression to Treat Rare Disease Through quirks of genetics, some people are naturally resilient to heritable diseases. Thijn Brummelkamp, Managing Director and founder of the Dutch startup Scenic Biotech, explains how the company is using this genetic resilience to treat rare diseases and cancer. Heritable diseases result from genetic mutations that cause essential proteins in the body to malfunction. For […] February 5, 2020 - 5 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Startup Scout 31 Jan 2020 This Cancer Immunotherapy Attacks the Sugar Coat of Tumor Cells The Portuguese company CellmAbs is developing cancer immunotherapies that prevent tumor cells from evading the immune system by hitting sugar molecules on their surface. Mission: To develop drugs that bind with a type of sugar molecules only found on the surface of cancer cells called aberrant glycans. Some of these aberrant glycans are able to […] January 31, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 24 Jan 2020 €6M Seed Round to Develop First Urine Test for Kidney Cancer The Swedish biotech Elypta has raised a seed round worth €6.1M to fund a clinical trial of a urine test for signs of recurrent kidney cancer, which could improve patient follow-up after surgery. The seed round was led by the Swedish VC firm Industrifonden. Other investors in the round included the VC impact fund of […] January 24, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 23 Jan 2020 Merck Spinout Bags €15M Series A to Tackle Cancer and Fibrosis iOnctura, a spinout from Merck KGaA, has raised €15M to take its cancer and fibrosis drugs to phase I clinical trials. The Series A round was co-led by new investors INKEF Capital and VI Partners. The founding investor of iOnctura, M Ventures — the corporate venture arm of Merck — also contributed to the round, […] January 23, 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