News and Trends 6 Feb 2018 Spring Cleaning: AstraZeneca Ditches Underperforming Asthma and Cancer Candidates AstraZeneca has given up on the development of its PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor drug, which was the headline act when its subsidiary MedImmune acquired Amplimmune in 2013. There was no sentiment as pharma giant AstraZeneca cut a number of drugs from its pipeline after they did not perform as expected during clinical trials. The biggest name to get […] February 6, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 5 Feb 2018 New Antiviral for RSV Lung Infections Shows Promise in Phase IIa ReViral’s candidate RV521 showed its potential for the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections by reducing viral load and mucus levels. London-based biotech ReViral discovers and develops antiviral drugs, focusing particularly on the treatment of diseases caused by the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The biotech’s candidate, RV521, has undergone a Phase IIa clinical trial during […] February 5, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
More News! 5 Feb 2018 A DNA-Based Diagnostic Company Rakes in £1.8M to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance A new molecular diagnostics company, LIG Biowise, has just closed a £1.8M Series A fundraising round in its effort to combat antimicrobial resistance. Based in Manchester, LIG Biowise, is working on a DNA-based diagnostic to catch antibiotic resistant infections early. The company has now closed a Series A of £1.8M (€2.0M), led by Hong Kong-based Phoenix Bridge, to fund […] February 5, 2018 - 1 minutemin - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 31 Jan 2018 Your Pee Could Be Used to Build an Artificial Adrenal Gland Scientists have started generating artificial glands using cells derived from urine, which will allow the study of adrenal disorders that affect growth, development, and metabolism. Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have used cells in urine to begin generating an artificial adrenal gland that could be used to treat adrenal gland disorders. The study, published in Cell Reports, […] January 31, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 31 Jan 2018 Gene Synthesizing Biotech Gets $12M to Boost the Synbio Field Evonetix has closed a Series A fundraising round to support the development of its gene synthesis platform, an important tool in the emerging synbio field. Evonetix, based in Cambridge, UK, is developing a scalable, high fidelity gene synthesis approach that could be a key tool in the growing synbio field. The biotech has closed a […] January 31, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 30 Jan 2018 Update: Pocket Device makes its Debut in Whole Human Genome Sequencing Update (30/01/2018): Oxford Nanopore has published a study in Nature Biotechnology outlining the first use of its pocket MinION device to sequence a human genome. The device was able to read sequences of DNA that are “hundreds of times larger than usual,” helping scientists better reconstruct the whole genome sequence. MinION costs less than $1,000 and […] January 30, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 29 Jan 2018 London Tops Europe for Life Sciences Investment in 2017 Investment in London’s life sciences companies reached almost £1B in 2017, beating the likes of Berlin and Paris to top spot. A new study has found that London’s life sciences industry received the most investment out of any city in Europe in 2017. Over the last 5 years, companies in the capital have raised £2.8Bn (€3.2Bn), with £909M […] January 29, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 26 Jan 2018 New British Spinout May Get Snapped Up by Allergan for $400M KaNDy Therapeutics, a women’s health spinout helmed by Mary Kerr, is rumored to be in acquisition talks that value the company at $400M (€322M). Details are sparse, but according to a report from Bloomberg, Stevenage-based KaNDy Therapeutics is supposedly in the late stages of a discussion with Allergan about a possible buyout. KaNDy, a recent spinout […] January 26, 2018 - 1 minutemin - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 25 Jan 2018 Yet More Good News for GW Pharma’s Cannabinoid Drug Against Epilepsy New data in The Lancet provides further support for GW Pharma’s drug, Epidiolex, for the treatment of a rare form of epilepsy. GW Pharmaceuticals has achieved encouraging Phase III results for Epidiolex, which have been published in leading scientific journal, The Lancet. The company’s lead candidate is being developed for the treatment of epilepsy – a […] January 25, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 25 Jan 2018 British Biotech Treats First Phase III Patient in its Critical Limb Ischemia Trial Rexgenero has treated the first patient in a Phase III trial investigating REX-001, the biotech’s cell therapy for critical limb ischemia. Rexgenero is a biotech working on regenerative medicine techniques to treat critical limb ischemia (CLI). The condition is characterized by blocked arteries in the lower limbs that can force doctors to amputate. The company has […] January 25, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 25 Jan 2018 Researchers Take Aim at Pancreatic Cancer with a Modified Flu Virus In an early study at Queen Mary University in London, a modified flu virus has been able to block the growth of pancreatic cancer. For the first time, researchers at Queen Mary University, London, have shown that pancreatic cancer can be targeted using a modified flu virus. During a study, published in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, […] January 25, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 22 Jan 2018 No More Mosquito Bites? Targeting These Genes Could Prevent Future Outbreaks! Researchers may have found a way to stop the female mosquitoes from biting you, which could help to prevent the spread of diseases like malaria. Scientists at the University of Birmingham in the UK and the University of Notre Dame in Paris, along with collaborators in the US, have identified 902 genes specific to blood-feeding mosquitoes […] January 22, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email