News and Trends 4 Oct 2017 Amgen Joins €50M German Fundraising for T-Cell Receptor Cancer Immunotherapy Immatics has completed a $58M (€50M) round with the participation of Amgen, not long after both companies signed a billion-dollar partnership. Immatics, a company based in Tübingen specialized in cancer immunotherapy, has announced that its Series E round has reached $58M (€50M). Existing investors including dievini Hopp Biotech, Wellington Partners, and AT Impf took part in the fundraising, which […] October 4, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 4 Oct 2017 4th-Generation ADCs: Meet the Swiss Startup Perfecting the Technology ADC development has progressed to the fourth generation. Serial entrepreneur Ulf Grawunder told me what NBE is doing differently from its predecessors. Ever since the first antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) was approved in 2001, there has been a lot of excitement about the technology. “Some people even referred to ADCs as a ‘magic bullet,’” recalls Ulf […] October 4, 2017 - 5 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 13 Sep 2017 A Swedish-Spanish Team Takes on a New Immuno-Oncology Target Alligator Bioscience will collaborate with the University of Navarra, Spain, to study the potential of CD137 as a target for new cancer immunotherapies. Alligator Bioscience, based in Lund, Sweden, has teamed up with Prof. Ignacio Melero at the Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) at the University of Navarra to study the biological effects of activating […] September 13, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 8 Sep 2017 GSK wants in on Adaptimmune’s Adaptable T cell Cancer Treatment GSK has backed Adaptimmune in the development of their adaptable NY-ESO SPEAR T cell cancer therapy, causing an 11% jump in their premarket value. Adaptimmune has received support from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for the development of their NY-ESO SPEAR T cell, which will hopefully treat a range of different cancers. The British pharma giant will pay milestones of up to £48M (€52M) […] September 8, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 6 Sep 2017 MSD Offers €464M to Buy German Biotech Fighting Cancer with RNA MSD is back in the RNA field with the acquisition of Rigontec, a German biotech harnessing RNA interference to make the immune system attack cancer cells. After selling selling Sirna Therapeutics three years ago for almost a tenth of the acquisition price, it seemed like MSD was out of the RNA field. However, the big […] September 6, 2017 - 1 minutemin - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 31 Aug 2017 The FDA Approves the First CAR-T Cell Therapy for Cancer The FDA has approved Novartis’ CAR-T therapy Kymriah, opening the way for a new generation of cell therapy treatments against cancer. Novartis’ Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel), formerly known as CTL019, has become the first gene-modified cell therapy approved in the US. The FDA has approved the therapy for relapsing B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children and young […] August 31, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 28 Aug 2017 Austrian Biotech Gets €25M of EU Funding to Fight Rare Childhood Cancer Apeiron Biologics has been granted financing of €25M from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to support the development of new treatments for cancer. Apeiron Biologics is a biotech based in Vienna focused on developing immuno-oncology treatments designed to make the immune system attack cancer cells. The EIB has decided to support the company’s research of a […] August 28, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 24 Aug 2017 Merck Ventures Joins Series A of Brisith Biotech Using Macrophages to Fight Cancer Merck Ventures has joined the team of investors behind Macrophage Pharma, a biotech in Windsor, UK, using macrophages against cancer. Macrophage Pharma is a young biotech working on a new approach to boost the immune system’s ability to attack tumor cells. Its technology attracted £9M (€9.8M) in Series A earlier this year from the CRT Pioneer […] August 24, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 21 Aug 2017 German Biotech Starts Trials with a Personalized Cell Therapy for Multiple Cancers Immatics will start a first clinical trial to test IMA101, a personalized cell therapy with the potential to treat multiple types of solid tumors. Based in Tübingen, Germany, Immatics has announced today the start of its first clinical trial testing its cell therapy technology aimed at providing personalized treatments for multiple types of solid tumors. The […] August 21, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 11 Jul 2017 Novartis largely dodged deaths from its CAR-T therapy, but FDA still has safety concerns Editor’s Note: Novartis did note a death from cerebral hemorrhage in its hearing with the FDA yesterday. With the application review hearing set for tomorrow, the FDA has shared its thoughts on Novartis’ CAR-T candidate. Up front are serious safety concerns. Novartis’ CTL019, or Tisagenlecleucel, wowed the audience at ASH last fall with a stellar 82% […] July 11, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 3 Jul 2017 These Norwegian Biotech Execs are Bringing Back Cancer Vaccines & Oncolytic Viruses We talked to CEO Øystein Soug and CMO Magnus Jäderberg of Targovax about why the company’s technologies may succeed where others have failed. In 2010, Targovax rose from the ashes of Norsk Hydro Pharma, the discontinued therapeutic development arm of the conglomerate. The Oslo-based biotech is taking a stand against tough-to-treat cancers like that of […] July 3, 2017 - 8 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 30 Jun 2017 Belgian Biotech Starts Phase Ib with an off-the-shelf mRNA Therapy for Melanoma eTheRNA has started a Phase Ib trial in patients with melanoma to test a cancer immunotherapy based on off-the-shelf mRNA technology. eTheRNA is one of the few companies working in mRNA therapies that are running clinical trials. The Belgian biotech has announced the start of a Phase Ib trial with its candidate TriMix-MEL, also called ECI-006, in patients […] June 30, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email