News and Trends 28 Feb 2017 Hopes are up: A Second Phase III Trial for Alzheimer’s Disease The Swiss biotech AC Immune announced that its partner Genentech (Roche) will start a second phase III clinical trial for its Alzheimer’s therapy crenezumab. In 2006 AC Immune partnered up with Genentech to bring its amyloid beta (Aβ)-targeting antibody crenezumab into the clinic. Although the compound did not meet its co-primary enpoints in the large phase II ABBY trial, Genentech pushed […] February 28, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Melanie De Almeida Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 28 Feb 2017 New Antibodies to Target the Respiratory Syncytial Virus The two companies Arsanis and Adimab, both specialized in the development of monoclonal antibodies, have partnered up against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Their license agreement is backed by the Gates Foundation. The clinical-stage biotech Arsanis is developing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for the treatment of serious infectious diseases. The company announced that they have gained the exclusive worldwide […] February 28, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Melanie De Almeida Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 28 Feb 2017 It’s Global Rare Disease Day! What Cures is Biotech Cooking Up? We’ve compiled a list of some of the latest advances of biotech in the field of rare disease to contribute to Rare Disease Day 2017. The European Organization for Rare Diseases (EURORDIS) is once again coordinating Rare Disease Day, which takes place on the last day of February every year. The aim is to raise awareness of […] February 28, 2017 - 5 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 25 Feb 2017 Art Made with Human DNA Explores the Future of Genetics in Birmingham Gene Craft: Art in the Biogenetic Age opened this week at Birmingham Open Media (BOM) in the UK. Aiming to explore the social, economic and emotional implications of the most recent breakthroughs in genetics, the exhibition features two living art pieces created with human DNA by bioartists Laurie Ramsell and Gina Czarnecki. After the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) […] February 25, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 24 Feb 2017 What are the Current Challenges in the Booming Field of ADCs? ADCs are overcoming the challenges of first generations and returning with a vengeance. I attended the World ADC Conference to hear about current efforts. ADCs represent an exciting new field that has seen renewed interest in the past few months, as funding has poured into NBE Therapeutics and ADC Therapeutics. Theses drugs are overcoming the challenges that held the first two generations back […] February 24, 2017 - 5 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 23 Feb 2017 In the Age of Biological Therapeutics, Chemists move to ADCs Career options for chemists are shrinking in the shift towards biological drugs. But as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) take off, so do opportunities for chemists! Since I quit graduate school in chemistry research and dove into biotech journalism, I wasn’t sure when I would next enter a discussion about organic synthesis. This week, less than a year after […] February 23, 2017 - 4 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 23 Feb 2017 Biosimilars set to take on Oncology after a new Market Authorization The European Commission has approved Truxima, the world’s first biosimilar monoclonal antibody (mAb) with an oncology indication. Based in South Korea, Celltrion Healthcare is setting foot in the European oncology market with the approval of Truxima, a biosimilar to Roche’s Mabthera (rituximab). The European Commission has approved the antibody for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis […] February 23, 2017 - 3 minutesmins - By Melanie De Almeida Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 23 Feb 2017 NGS Metagenomics Test could Curb Antibiotic-Resistant Infections PathoQuest has shown its metagenomics sequencing technology can identify more pathogens in immunocompromised patients than the standard procedures, keeping antibiotic-resistant infections at bay. PathoQuest, a spin-off from the Institut Pasteur in Paris, develops next-generation sequencing (NGS) metagenomics tests. The company just announced the publication of results from a clinical trial comparing its iDTECT Blood technology […] February 23, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 23 Feb 2017 Reach for the BioStars! Meet the Top 3 Biotech Startups from Oxford A new round of this young startup competition is underway! What is this Oxford-based competition, and who competes? We talked to previous participants. BioStars is a flagship startups booster run by a group of PhDs, MBA and post-docs, who dedicate their spare time to enabling bio-entrepreneurs to turn their scientific ideas into actual products. Brought […] February 23, 2017 - 5 minutesmins - By External Contributor Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 22 Feb 2017 UK’s Joint Venture Bridging Academia and Industry is Ready for Kick Off Apollo Therapeutics is a UK-based joint venture bridging academia and industry to drive the translation of university research. Its first four drug discovery programmes will now be launched. Apollo Therapeutics was founded in early 2016 as a collaborative effort of the three global pharmaceutical companies, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline and Johnson & Johnson Innovation, and the world-leading UK-universities, Imperial College London, UCL and the University of […] February 22, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Melanie De Almeida Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 22 Feb 2017 Roche doubles down in Fight against Antibiotic Resistance In 2014, Discuva partnered up with Roche to develop new antibiotics against multidrug-resistant bacteria. The two companies have announced an extension of their collaboration until February 2018. The Cambridge-based company Discuva wants to address the critical need for new antibiotic drugs to treat infections from multidrug-resistant bacteria. Posing a major public health threat, antibiotic resistances cause at least 25,000 deaths per year in […] February 22, 2017 - 2 minutesmins - By Melanie De Almeida Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 22 Feb 2017 Meet these 5 Awesome Biotechs from Barcelona at BIO Europe Spring 2017 As BIO Europe Spring 2017 approaches, we decided to take a closer look into biotechs from Barcelona, one of the hottest biotech hubs in Europe. Spring is coming and with it a new edition of BIO Europe Spring that will take place by the beach in Barcelona. The city has established itself as a hub for life sciences within […] February 22, 2017 - 5 minutesmins - By External Contributor Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email