News and Trends 5 Jun 2020 Upsized Nasdaq IPO Yields Calliditas €80M to Commercialize Kidney Drug Swedish company Calliditas Therapeutics has raised an €80M IPO on the Nasdaq Global Select Market — 20% above its initial target — to fund an ongoing phase III trial of its lead candidate treatment for an inflammatory kidney condition. Calliditas plans to use the net proceeds together with its existing cash resources to fund an […] June 5, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Laura Cowen Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 5 Jun 2020 Israeli-Dutch Biotech Raises €55M to Fight Huntington’s Disease and ALS Prilenia Therapeutics has raised €55M in Series A funding to launch late-stage clinical trials of its small molecule candidate drug in Huntington’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, incurable conditions that have very limited treatment options. Dutch life sciences VC Forbion led the round and was joined by new Chinese investor Morningside Venture Investments and the […] June 5, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 4 Jun 2020 Update: Fifth US Antibody Patent Owned by UK Biotech Upheld in Regeneron Battle Update (04/06/2020): After upholding four of Kymab’s patents addressing the production of antibody drugs earlier this year, the US Patent Trial and Appeal Board has rejected Regeneron’s attempt to invalidate a fifth patent regarding the same technology. So far, Regeneron has not requested a re-hearing from the Board regarding the decision to uphold Kymab’s first […] June 4, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Anita Chakraverty Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 3 Jun 2020 What Did European Oncology Players Offer at ASCO 2020? Despite widespread clinical trial delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic, many oncology biotechs have been able to continue their fight against cancer. With advances in CAR T-cell therapies, cancer vaccines, RNA drugs, and more, European companies held a strong presence at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) this year. The huge ASCO conference has […] June 3, 2020 - 10 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 29 May 2020 AI Drug Discovery Firm Exscientia Closes €54M Series C UK-based Exscientia has closed a Series C financing round of €54M ($60M) to develop its artificial intelligence (AI) technology to guide drug discovery. The Danish investor Novo Holdings led the round with its first investment in the company. Additional funding also came from existing investors including drug development company Evotec and Chinese VC firm GT […] May 29, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By David Kirk Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 29 May 2020 Argenx Follows up Phase III Success with Giant €785M Global Offering The Dutch biotech argenx has cashed in on recent positive phase III results by launching an enormous €784.7M ($862.5M) global share offering. Argenx’s fundraise swiftly follows the announcement of phase III trial results earlier this week, where its lead candidate antibody drug, efgartigimod, improved motor symptoms of patients with the chronic autoimmune disease myasthenia gravis. […] May 29, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 29 May 2020 Spanish Neurology Biotech Launches with €7.6M Series A Accure Therapeutics, a neurology biotech targeting central nervous system (CNS) conditions such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease, has launched in Barcelona with a Series A of €7.6M. Alta Life Sciences, a life science venture capital firm based in the same city, and the Spanish governmental institution The Centre for Technological and Industrial Development funded […] May 29, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 28 May 2020 French Startup Secures €2.3M to Advance Cancer RNA Immunotherapy Lyon-based biopharmaceutical company Tollys has closed a Series A funding round of €2.3M to bring its lead RNA immunotherapy candidate to clinical trials in people with bladder cancer. The round was closed on the basis of the company reaching preclinical proof-of-concept for the drug. It brings the total amount raised by Tollys to €6.4M since […] May 28, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Laura Cowen Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 28 May 2020 MSD Enters Covid-19 Vaccine Race by Acquiring Themis Bioscience The US-based big pharma MSD has entered the race to be the first to develop an effective vaccine for Covid-19 by acquiring Austrian biotech Themis Bioscience and its vaccine technology for an undisclosed amount. MSD has been a bit slower than some of its contemporaries to announce its plans regarding a potential treatment or vaccine […] May 28, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 27 May 2020 ‘Just Add Water’ GM Mosquitoes Suppress Wild Population by 95% Water-soluble capsules containing the eggs of genetically modified mosquitoes developed by the UK company Oxitec have reduced the mosquito population in a dengue-infected urban environment in Brazil by 95% after 13 weeks. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carry a number of infections including dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever. Dengue has increased almost 15-fold over the last […] May 27, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 26 May 2020 Argenx’s Rare Disease Treatment Strikes Gold in Phase III The Dutch biotech argenx aims to apply for FDA approval of its lead candidate efgartigimod after the first-in-class drug improved motor symptoms of the autoimmune disease myasthenia gravis in a phase III trial. The phase III trial tested the effect of efgartigimod in 167 patients with generalized myasthenia gravis. In this incurable chronic condition, the […] May 26, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 25 May 2020 Evonik and Beiersdorf Team Up to Turn CO₂ into Skin Care Products The German companies Evonik and Beiersdorf will work together on a joint research project to investigate how bacteria can be used to turn carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water into raw materials for skincare products. The process will be built on Evonik’s artificial photosynthesis technology – being developed independently of this project in collaboration with Siemens […] May 25, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Laura Cowen Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email