Vytenis Andriukaitis, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, has awarded the EU Health Award for NGOs fighting Antimicrobial Resistance to BEUC for lobbying to reduce the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). 

Merck Serono spin-out Prexton Therapeutics has closed a Series B financing round cashing in US$31m for pushing Phase II testing of its Parkinson’s compound PXT002331.

Life Sciences stakeholders in Europe and abroad are voicing their concerns about the European Patent Offices’ initiative to shorten the time for the examination of patents from up to 56 months to 12 months. 

University of Warwick spin-out Medherant Ltd has appointed Ken Cunningham as its chair right in time for the company’s move into the clinical development of its novel transdermal drug delivery patch technology. Cunningham is already Chairman of Abzena as well as Non-Executive Director of Verona Pharma plc. 
British life science investor Arix Biosciences is planning an IPO at London Stock Exchange. The London-based investor aims to raise £100m (€116m) to reinvest in innovations in medical science.
In early February, at the 20th edition of the Pharmapack Europe event, outstanding products were honoured with the Pharmapack Award. Organiser UBM EMEA also introduced a new Pharmapack Start-up Hub.

Applied Photophysics, a provider of systems for the biophysical characterisation of biomolecules, has appointed Louise Madden as Chief Executive Officer. She joined Applied Photophysics in March 2014 as commercial director, before being promoted to chief operating officer in 2015.

French researchers have identified a regulator which controls blood vessel permeability. Their findings open up the possibility to develop drugs preventing oedema that occur in large indications such as stroke or congestive heart failure. 

Developer of treatments for neuromuscular and neuro-ophthalmological diseases Santhera Pharmaceuticals has hired Kristina Sjöblom Nygren as Chief Medical Officer and Head of Development.