Immunologists headed by Eicke Latz (Univ. of Bonn, Germany) have found out that calorie-rich, fatty Western diet reprogrammes the innate immune system to become hyperreactive to inflammatory triggers. This could have huge medical impact as inflammation is a hallmark of most diseases of civilisation such as diabetes, cardiovascular and autoimmune disorders.

So far, there is no cure to stop fibrosis, the pathogenic proliferation of connective tissue of the skin and in organs, in autoimmune diseases such as systemic sclerosis (scleroderma). An US-Italian research team has now identified the immune cells that trigger connective tissue disease.

French venture capitalist Truffle Capital announced the first closing of its BioMedTech venture fund aimed at investments into North American and European medical devices and biotechnology start-ups.

Nanobody developer Ablynx NV has stated that the take-over cash price of €28 per share + optional €2.50 per share as Contingent Value Right (CVR) offered by Novo Nordisk A/S at the end of December is too low. The bid valued Ablynx at €2.3bn.

As Big Data analytics begin to inspire medical decisionmaking, companies and scientists have gone to war over access to data derived from patient biopsies. Cancer profiling is a seminal situation. While some companies are seeking to profit from approaches to advanced mutation analysis, researchers are vociferous in demanding open access to proprietary data­bases behind company firewalls.

sterna biologicals GmbH & Co. KG announced today that the Company has appointed Christian M. Pangratz as Chief Executive Officer.

Global theranostics major Roche expands its digitalised medicine portfolio. The next agreed project is a digital diagnostics platform to improve oncology and critical care treatment.

Laboratoris Sanifit S.L., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on treatments for calcification disorders, today announced the appointment of Cris Calsada as Chief Financial Officer.

Targovax ASA (OSE: TRVX) announces that Michael Bogenstaetter has been appointed as the Company’s Chief Business Officer (CBO). He will take up this role in January 2018.

A new method to test the likelihood of a drug turning into a potentially harmful version of itself when it enters the body has been developed by researchers at Cardiff University.