News and Trends 30 Jun 2017 €40M in Series C for a British Biotech Treating Blindness with Gene Therapy NightstaRx has raised €39.5M that will go towards three clinical programs testing gene therapies for rare diseases that cause blindness. NightstaRx is developing gene therapies for genetic retinal diseases that cause blindness, with technology from the University of Oxford. Now getting closer to the market, the company has closed a Series C round with $45M (€39.5M) […] June 30, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 29 Jun 2017 Servier Recruits Viral Vector Expert to Step Up its CAR-T Technology Transgene will help Servier develop new methods based on viral vectors to improve the precision of genetic modifications and the production of CAR-T cells. The French pharma Servier decided to enter the promising CAR-T field in 2015, when it acquired the rights to UCART19 from Cellectis. The therapy, currently in Phase I, has already saved two babies […] June 29, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 29 Jun 2017 This French Biotech is Starting Two New Trials to Treat Kidney and Liver Fibrosis Genkyotex has announced a new Phase II trial in diabetic kidney disease and patient enrolment in another Phase II study for PBC. Genkyotex is not giving up after its lead candidate, GKT831, failed to meet the primary endpoint in a Phase II trial in patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease. The French biotech has […] June 29, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 29 Jun 2017 New Drug for Neuropathic Pain Is Forging its Way through the Clinic Pharmaleads has scored positive results in a first Phase I trial for its DENKI peptide PL265 to treat chronic neuropathic pain. The treatment of neuropathic pain commonly involves the prescription of opioids, anti-depressants or anti-convulsants, despite limited efficacy and marked side-effects of these drugs. Paris-based Pharmaleads is exploring new pathways to treat pain based on so-called DENKI peptides […] June 29, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Melanie De Almeida Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 28 Jun 2017 Swiss Scientists Have Designed New Proteins to Treat Muscular Dystrophy Researchers at the University of Basel have designed two proteins that can reverse congenital muscular dystrophy and increase the lifespan of mice. Congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD) englobes several genetic diseases that cause muscle weakness from birth. As patients age, the disease becomes more severe and affects breathing, often leading to death before adulthood. Unfortunately, there […] June 28, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 28 Jun 2017 A Peek into the Icelandic Company using Fish Skin to Heal Wounds Kerecis exploits the natural properties of fish skin to manufacture wound dressings that help tissues repair much faster than before. From a small town in northern Iceland, Kerecis is revolutionizing the treatment of wounds with a local product, fish. The company has developed a method to turn their skin into wound dressings that promote cell growth […] June 28, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 28 Jun 2017 Danish Biotech Reports Positive Phase II data for a Common Cold Vaccine Bavarian Nordic has announced positive Phase II results for its universal vaccine against the common cold virus, RSV, which can be deadly for the elderly. The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the perpetrators behind the common cold. For most, the virus just leads to a few uncomfortable days or weeks. But for children […] June 28, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 28 Jun 2017 UPDATE: The First Off-the-Shelf CAR-T Cancer Therapy has Entered the Clinic Update (28/06/2017): Cellectis has announced the first administration of UCART123 in its Phase I trial in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Update (07/02/2017): the FDA has granted Cellectis IND approval to start clinical trials with UCART123. Original publication 04/01/2017 Cellectis is preparing to start the first clinical trial ever using an allogeneic CAR-T therapy that could reduce […] June 28, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 27 Jun 2017 A Spanish Vaccine to fight Alzheimer’s Before Symptoms Appear enters Phase II Araclon Biotech will advance to Phase II with an Alzheimer’s vaccine that could succeed where many others have failed before. Araclon Biotech, in Zaragoza, Spain, has announced today the approval from the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices to start a Phase II trial testing its Alzheimer’s vaccine in 120 patients in 22 centers across Europe. The […] June 27, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 26 Jun 2017 Videos: Who won the Refresh Early-Stage Startup Battle? The Bonsai goes to… As you might have read in our recap, we had not one but two startup battles for the last edition of Refresh. Watch the companies’ pitches below! Up first was Cambridge Cancer Genomics, which uses AI to design personalised DNA-based tests to help clinicians to better track their patients’ responses to cancer drugs in order to make […] June 26, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 26 Jun 2017 New Belgian Biotech will use Microorganisms to Replace Pesticides and Fertilizers Aphea.Bio has gathered a total of €9M in funding to start working on a new technology to produce biopesticides and biostimulants for European agriculture. Belgium has a new biotech that will be dedicated to developing sustainable, microorganism-based biopesticides and biostimulants. Aphea.Bio has raised €7.7M in a Series A round led by the Belgian life sciences investor V-Bio Ventures in addition to a €1.3M grant […] June 26, 2017 - 1 minutemin - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 23 Jun 2017 Diabetic Patients that Still Produce Insulin might be the Key to a New Therapy A study from Uppsala University has identified higher levels of interleukin-35 in type 1 diabetics that still produce insulin years after their diagnosis. Researchers at Uppsala University have published the first study in humans that shows the potential of interleukin-35 (IL-35) as a promising new target to treat type 1 diabetes. The results, published in […] June 23, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email