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 11 Feb 2020 French Biotech Raises €20M to Make Precision Molecular Diagnostics Stilla Technologies has raised a €20M Series C round to fund its mission to produce next-generation microchips that make molecular diagnostics more precise and user-friendly than currently available lab technology. Contributors to the round included Stilla’s existing investors, such as Illumina Ventures, Kurma Partners and Idinvest Partners. Stilla also added the Chinese company TUS-Holdings to […] February 11, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 28 Jan 2020 A Future Gene Therapy Could Be Delivered in Tiny ‘Nanocontainers’ A Swiss research group has developed tiny plastic particles that could carry gene therapies to the center of the cell with less risk of getting attacked by the immune system than conventional gene therapies. The majority of gene therapies in use today are delivered to the DNA of target cells using viral vectors. While efficient […] January 28, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 18 Jan 2020 DNA Data Storage Project Receives €20.7M from US Intelligence Agency A DNA data storage project, involving French biotech DNA Script, has been awarded a contract worth up to €20.7M from the US Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity agency to develop a prototype instrument able to store and retrieve 1 terabyte of information in 24 hours. The Molecular Encoding Consortium, led by Robert Nicol at the Broad […] January 18, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By External Contributor Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 14 Jan 2020 Bluebird Bio Launches First Gene Therapy for Beta Thalassemia in Germany The US company bluebird bio has launched the first gene therapy for the blood disorder transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia in the EU, with a hospital in Germany becoming its first qualified treatment center. Bluebird bio’s gene therapy, branded as Zynteglo, was given conditional market approval by the EU in June 2019. It was the first gene […] January 14, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 10 Jan 2020 Eyevensys’ Gene Therapy for Blindness Boosted with €27M Series B The French company Eyevensys has raised €27M to fund the launch of a phase II trial for its lead candidate, a non-viral gene therapy for an eye condition called uveitis that can lead to blindness. The Series B round was led by the Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund. New investors to Eyevensys in this round included […] January 10, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Best in Biotech 30 Dec 2019 European Biotech’s Top News in 2019 With the year coming to a close, it’s time to review the most important biotech news events that took place in the European biotech industry in 2019. It has been a solid year for the European biotech industry. In 2019, venture capital funding in Europe continued to be high after a very good year in […] December 30, 2019 - 10 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 20 Dec 2019 Freeline’s Rare Disease Gene Therapies Get €72M Series C Boost The UK gene therapy biotech Freeline Therapeutics is to receive an investment worth €72M (£61.1M) from the UK VC firm Syncona in a Series C round to fund the clinical development of gene therapies for the blood disorder hemophilia B, Fabry disease, and other rare conditions. Of the €72M commitment, Syncona has already wired €36M […] December 20, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 9 Dec 2019 Scientists Use DNA Data Storage to Hide Information in Everyday Objects Scientists have developed a method for storing DNA data in 3D-printed objects, which could one day allow machines to replicate themselves. The group, based at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, as well as in Israel and the US, began by synthesizing DNA molecules that encode blueprints of the Stanford bunny, a rabbit-shaped object commonly used in testing […] December 9, 2019 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
More News! 28 Nov 2019 German Biotech to Develop Next-Generation Gene Therapy for Blindness The German biotech ViGeneron has raised an undisclosed sum in a Series A round to fund the development of an ophthalmic gene therapy that could deliver bigger DNA sequences into a wider range of cells than current technology. The round was led by two Chinese investors, the VC firm Sequoia Capital China and the pharma […] November 28, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 5 Nov 2019 EU Regulations Are Holding Back Gene and Cell Therapy Clinical Trials European regulations might be responsible for lower numbers of advanced therapy clinical trials running in the region when compared to the US and Asia. Europe has historically been a pioneer in advanced therapies, such as cell and gene therapy. Europe was the first region to approve a gene therapy, and it boasts the highest number […] November 5, 2019 - 4 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 30 Oct 2019 Trial Testing Spinal Application of Zolgensma Put on Hold by FDA The FDA has placed a partial hold on clinical trials testing a new application method for Zolgensma, Novartis’ gene therapy for the genetic disease spinal muscular atrophy, after it showed the potential to cause serious side effects in animal models. Spinal muscular atrophy is a life-threatening condition that usually arises when the patient is between […] October 30, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email