News and Trends 8 Dec 2017 French Biotech Misfires in Phase IIb Trial for Acute Myeloid Leukemia Erytech’s candidate, Graspa, has been unable to significantly improve overall survival in patients with acute myeloid leukemia during a Phase IIb trial. Erytech, based in Lyon, France, has developed an interesting approach to delivering drugs for the treatment of cancer and orphan diseases. The company’s eryaspase technology, Graspa, encapsulates L-asparaginase, in red blood cells. Graspa was used in combination with chemotherapy […] December 8, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 7 Dec 2017 Scottish Biotech and Bluebird Bio to Develop Next Generation CAR-T Cells TC Biopharm has scored a deal with bluebird bio for the development of the next generation of CAR-T cells, a technology giving new hope to cancer patients. With the first two CAR-T therapies now in the market, the way we treat cancer is changing. This technology has shown to be effective in a high percentage of patients […] December 7, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 7 Dec 2017 Taking Aim at Lung Cancer: New Triple Combination Therapy Boosts Survival A new first-line combination therapy for advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer improved progression-free survival during a Phase III trial. Scientists based at the Lung Clinic Grosshansdorf, Hamburg, and Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, have presented the results of a Phase III study at the ESMO Immuno Oncology Congress 2017. The study was the first to investigate a combination […] December 7, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 6 Dec 2017 CRISPR Does it Again! Gene Editing Tool Identifies a New Leukemia Target Researchers from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute have reported that a new target for the treatment of leukemia has been found. A new drug target for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has been identified that could open new avenues for the development of new treatments against the deadly disease. Researchers from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute have […] December 6, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 4 Dec 2017 Dutch Bone Marrow Transplant for Blood Cancer could get rid of Donor Matching Kiadis Pharma starts Phase III trials with ATIR101, a therapy that could make half-matched donors suitable for bone marrow transplant to treat blood cancer. From its Amsterdam headquarters, Kiadis Pharma is developing a technology that could solve one of the biggest problems of bone marrow transplantation: finding a donor match. Currently, a bone marrow transplant is […] December 4, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 4 Dec 2017 Meet the CEO Leading Italy’s Charge to Become a Major Biotech Player Riccardo Palmisano is CEO of MolMed, the most important Italian biotech, which focuses on gene and cell therapies. We chatted about the company, which hopes to give the cancer therapies field a boost. You may have come across MolMed before, possibly in our recent piece on the top biotechs in Milan. The company was founded […] December 4, 2017 - 7 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 29 Nov 2017 Belgian Firm Raises €80M for Rapid Infection and Cancer Tests Biocartis is aiming to raise funds through a private placement of shares in order to support sales and further development of its rapid cancer tests. Based in Mechelen, Belgium, Biocartis focuses on developing fast, easy-to-use diagnostics. In order to boost its molecular diagnostics technology, the company launched a private equity placement of shares on Euronext […] November 29, 2017 - 1 minutemin - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 29 Nov 2017 Merck and Pfizer’s Checkpoint Inhibitor Fails to Treat Gastric Cancer Avelumab, marketed as Bavencio by Pfizer and Merck, has failed to show better efficacy than chemotherapy in a Phase III trial with gastric cancer patients. Merck (the German one) and Pfizer joined the checkpoint inhibitor club earlier this year with the approval of Bavencio (avelumab) in both the US and Europe. Looking to keep expanding the […] November 29, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 28 Nov 2017 Dutch Cancer Nanoparticles Get €2.5M from the EU to Enter Phase II The EU has awarded Cristal Therapeutics a grant from its Horizon 2020 program. This will support the development of its cancer nanoparticles through Phase II. Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation program with close to €80B already handed out to help exciting science towards the market. Cristal Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company developing targeted nanomedicines for cancer and […] November 28, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 23 Nov 2017 The EU Gives €6.3M Grant to Anti-Cancer Consortium The consortium of companies will use the EU’s money to support the development of personalized therapies for breast and rectal cancers. Horizon 2020 is the biggest ever EU Research and Innovation program with almost €80B made available to take exciting science to the market. The initiative has awarded a €6.3M grant to a group of companies brought […] November 23, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 22 Nov 2017 Welsh Scientists Use CRISPR to Engineer Cancer-Killing T cells Scientists at Cardiff University have used CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology to produce highly specific killer T cell receptors. Researchers at Cardiff University have replaced the regular receptors found on T cells with their own, which are geared up to better tracking down and killing cancer cells. The research reported in Blood explained how the group removed receptors that interact with immune cells […] November 22, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 21 Nov 2017 German Biotech Reels in €34M for its Cancer-Killing Technology Heidelberg Pharma is developing Antibody Targeted Amanitin Conjugates (ATACs), which combine antibody-drug conjugate technology with the toxin, Amanitin. Heidelberg Pharma has attracted over €34M of investment to support the development of its Antibody Targeted Amanitin Conjugates (ATACs) technology. The biotech, formerly Wilex, is developing drugs for cancer and autoimmune diseases, with the hope that the addition of Amanitin to antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology could produce […] November 21, 2017 - 1 minutemin - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email