News and Trends 3 Aug 2021 Oral and Nasal Covid-19 Vaccines Hit Clinical Testing Oramed’s jab-free oral Covid-19 vaccine is one of many in the form of pills, powders, or sprays that may hit the market in the next few years, which could dramatically expand vaccine rollout and uptake. An Israeli team is preparing to start trials of what could be the first Covid-19 vaccine pill. The vaccine consists […] August 3, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Victor Kotsev Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 30 Jul 2021 British Diagnostics Biotech Becomes Social Enterprise After Acquisition UK rapid diagnostics company Mologic will convert into a social enterprise after being acquired by a group of philanthropic funds and investors, in what experts predict may become an increasingly popular trend. The British biotech Mologic will entirely reinvest any profits into widening global access to affordable medical technology after being acquired in a deal […] July 30, 2021 - 4 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 28 Jul 2021 Microbiome Medicines Could Power Up CAR-T Cell Therapies The microbiome could pave new cancer immunotherapy inroads for European biotechs, bolstered by preclinical findings that gut bacteria metabolites may help CAR-T cell therapies penetrate and kill solid tumors. A recent study conducted by researchers at Philipps-University Marburg, University Hospital Würzburg, and the Leeds-based company 4D Pharma showed that metabolites produced by the gut bacteria […] July 28, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Mark Zipkin Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 26 Jul 2021 Europe’s TCR Therapy Scene Gains Traction with €40M Series B Swedish firm Anocca’s fundraising is the first major venture capital round to go to a European TCR therapy developer this year; another sign that the technology is gaining momentum. Last year was a busy one for companies developing cell therapies for cancer based on engineering T-cell receptors (TCRs), known as TCR or TCR-T cell therapies. […] July 26, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 20 Jul 2021 Danish Dementia Startup Launches Amid Maturing Nordic Biotech Scene Muna Therapeutics debuted with the Danish biotech sector’s biggest-ever Series A round earlier this month. This showcases the rapid growth taking place in the biotech industry in the Nordic region. Muna Therapeutics’ €62M ($73M) investment was co-led by the Danish investor Novo Holdings through its early-stage arm Novo Seeds. The startup was first set up […] July 20, 2021 - 4 minutesmins - By Victor Kotsev Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 16 Jul 2021 Multi-Million UK Life Sciences Initiative Welcomed By VC Firms Biotech venture capital firms across Europe have warmly received the launch of a €235M (£200M) UK government initiative to support the growth of promising late-stage life sciences companies. The UK’s Life Sciences Investment Programme opened to applications from fund managers this month, with the aim of providing €235M in late-stage capital and attracting at least […] July 16, 2021 - 4 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 14 Jul 2021 EMA Market Approval Rate for Small Biotechs Skyrocketed Last Year The success rate for small biotechs applying for regulatory approval from the EMA has risen by over 100% since 2016, which analysts partly attribute to increased access to sophisticated technology and funding. According to a recent announcement from the EMA, the regulator greenlit a whopping 89% of applications for marketing authorization for new medicines from […] July 14, 2021 - 3 minutesmins - By Victor Kotsev Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 12 Jul 2021 Sofinnova Taps into Italian Gene Therapy with Three Seed Financings The French investor Sofinnova Partners has injected a total of €6M into three Italian gene therapy companies, cementing Italy’s reputation as a European center for cell and gene therapies. Last month, the venture capitalist Sofinnova Partners used its Telethon fund to inject cash into AAVantgarde Bio, Borea Therapeutics, and Alia Therapeutics. The three firms will […] July 12, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 8 Jul 2021 The Top European Biotech Funding Rounds in June While oncology and psychedelics dominated European biotech’s biggest funding rounds last month, startup seed financing focused more on gene therapy and drug discovery. Last month saw some momentous events for Europe’s biotech heavyweights. GSK paid an impressive €524M ($625M) upfront to co-develop an immuno-oncology candidate with iTeos Therapeutics in Belgium. Meanwhile, the German antibody drug […] July 8, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 2 Jul 2021 Poxel’s Diabetes Drug Wins Japan Nod, But Competition Remains Fierce As French biotech Poxel marks the first market approval of its oral type 2 diabetes medication in Japan, eyes turn to the future of this drug and its rivals in Europe and the US. The fortunes of the Lyon-based Poxel have been boosted by the first-ever regulatory approval of its oral type 2 diabetes medication […] July 2, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 30 Jun 2021 GSK Raises Eyebrows in Checkpoint Inhibitor Megadeal with iTeos Analysts are abuzz over GSK’s co-development deal with immuno-oncology specialist iTeos Therapeutics earlier this month, wondering if it overpaid for the Belgian company’s next-generation checkpoint inhibitor. GSK’s oncology deal with iTeos earlier this month centered on an antibody drug that blocks an immune checkpoint called TIGIT. The candidate is currently in phase I testing for […] June 30, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Victor Kotsev Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 22 Jun 2021 Huge Series A in France Strengthens European Epigenetic Oncology Mnemo Therapeutics has raised €75M in the largest-ever French Series A round, which it will use to develop CAR-T cell immunotherapies for cancer using epigenetic targets. Mnemo Therapeutics’ mammoth financing, led by Casdin Capital, returning investor Sofinnova Partners, and an undisclosed investor, will allow the startup to accelerate the development of its epigenetic targeting and […] June 22, 2021 - 4 minutesmins - By Laura Cowen Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email