MitoRx Therapeutics Ltdf has raised £5.5m in a seed financing to advance Myo‑004, a small molecule mitochondrial-targeted obesity therapy enabling fat loss while preserving lean muscle mass.

Sofinnova Partners has closed its new investment fund, Capital XI, at €650m, far exceeding its original target. The early-stage biotech and medtech-focused fund will invest mostly in Series A, but also seed financings of companies, including oncology, inflammation and immunology, CNS, and cardio-metabolic diseases.

VC specialist Medicxi has closed its oversubscribed €500m Fund V to support existing biopharmaceutical developers, and creating new companies across all development stages.

Swiss biotech Virometix has raised US$15m in fresh funding to accelerate development of its lead pneumococcal vaccine candidate and advance its next-generation synthetic vaccine platform.

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) hinge on the antibody, not merely the payload or linker. Antibody precision defines efficacy, safety and therapeutic window. Emerging antibody formats – bispecifics, conditional designs and TCR-mimics – expand target space, demanding rigorous engineering to realise next-generation ADC potential.

Oxford-based techbio startup Scripta Therapeutics has emerged from stealth with a biology-first platform targeting the master regulators of disease.

AstraZeneca’s baxdrostat cuts 24-hour systolic BP by 14mmHg in resistant hypertension, offering a novel mechanism and major market potential.

AstraZeneca plc acquires SixPeaks Bio Inc to target muscle‑preserving obesity therapies, boosting its pipeline in a US$30 bn fast-growing weight-loss market.

Earlier guidelines such as ICH Q2(R1) and USP <1224>, <1225>, and <1226> viewed analytical method validation as a discrete activity focused primarily on chromatographic procedures. With ICH Q14, ICH Q2(R2), and USP <1220>, a life-cycle approach now ­considers variability and improves reliability, supported by tools like DoE, multivariate ­statistics, and digital technologies enabling Quality by Design and risk-based systems.

Efficiency and flexibility are key factors to stay competitive in the bioprocess field. With this aim in mind, the SciVario twin is a controller for small and bench-scale bioreactors, designed to save time and costs during process development and optimization.