Only a small fraction of carefully selected patients are allowed to enroll in randomised controlled trials involving new compounds – the gold standard of drug assessment. But trying to acquire the most significant efficacy and safety results for a new drug is one goal, treating patients every day in hospitals or practices with it is something else entirely. Discrepancies are inevitable. Now “real-world data” that’s been gathered in large observational studies is attempting to close the gap between experimental, artificial study settings and clinical realities.

French Carbios has presented a process that depolymerises one of the most common non-recycled plastics polluting the oceans. 

French immunotherapy expert Neovacs has teamed up with CDMO 3P Biopharmaceuticals for the manufacture of interferon alpha with recently licensed technology.

UK-based biopharma group Kymab has brought a new backer from China on board. With the help from ORI Healthcare Fund, Kymab secured a US$100m Series C financing.

The randomised clinical trial (RCT) is the gold standard for drug evaluation. RCTs provide the core for drug development and subsequent drug approval – often in the form of rigorously designed efficacy trials in carefully selected subjects. In fact, in- and exclusion criteria are often so restrictive that only 1–7% of patients from outpatient clinics would be eligible for trials in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Well, that was a weight off my chest, better out than in, as they say. After Brexit, at least the world will be pulled back into its axis with the election of America’s first woman president and … wait a minute, what are you saying? No, that can’t be right … he won? Really? REALLY?

Proteros has expanded its epigenetic drug discovery services for MSD. Just one year after having signed a first R&D pact, the computational chemistry firm inked a second contract in oncology.

Adidas has presented the world’s first lightweight racing shoe made by recombinantly produced silk fibers. 

Danish biotech Acesion Pharma has hired Jakob Dynnes Hansen as its Chief Financial Officer. He joins from Evolva, a Swiss biotech company, where he has been CFO since 2007.
PharmaMar is driving the expansion of its US operations. To this end, the company has appointed Pascal Besman to the newly created role of Chief Operation Officer of the marine-derived oncology drug developers US subsidiary, PharmaMar US.