Financial pressure on Big Pharma and biotechs increases the need for drug developers to outsource their development and manufacturing capabilities. The CDMO and CRO sector, which is further consolidating through M&A, looks well set for continued growth. As developers have to balance the need to reduce their development risk with time to market or – for biotechs – time to next financing, contract manufacturing and contract research companies clearly favour offering fully integrated services.
Researchers at IRB Barcelona report that tumours may become more aggressive following treatment with drugs that inhibit epigenetic factors.
In February, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS opened its first European open innovation incubator, JLABs @ BE, at the heart of the Beerse Janssen R&D Campus in Belgium. European Biotechnology spoke with Günter Huhle, Head of Johnson & Johnson Innovation JLABS EMEA, about Johnson & Johnsons approach to open innovation and its tremendous global innovation network, currently comprising ten incubators and over 420 companies that have collectively raised over US$10bn in growth capital.
Inflammosome inhibitor specialist Inflazome Ltd has raised €40m in a Series B financing led by Forbion with co-investors Longitude Capital, Novartis Venture Fund and Fountain Healthcare Partners.
The EU Commission’s Chief Scientific Advisors urge the Commission to revise the EU’s GMO Directive in order to harness gene editing.
The flexible BioFlo 120 bioreactor/fermentor control station is capable of microbial fermentation as well as mammalian cell culture applications.
Boehringer Ingelheim and Epizyme, Inc. will collaborate in the field of small molecule cancer drugs that target unaddressed epigenetic targets within the helicase and histone acetyltransferase families.
Researchers at University of Göttingen, Germany, have identified nerve excitability of motor nerve cells trigger restless legs syndrome.
Hox Therapeutics has announced the appointment of Dr Karl Keegan as Chief Executive Officer.
AstraZeneca plc has sold US rights to its off-patent blockbuster drug Synagis (palivizumab) and a 50% share on future earnings of its Phase II RSV-prophylactic follow-on antibody MEDI8897 to Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB.