French and British scientists have revealed insight into how a critical immune regulatory pathway contributes to the development of multiple sclerosis (MS), potentially paving the way toward future immunotherapies for the debilitating condition. 

Dutch Uniqure BV launched a public offering of five million shares of common stock. Underwriters over-allotment will be an additional 750,000 shares.

Today, there are greater expectations among healthcare providers for engagement with life sciences companies to be digital. For life sciences companies, there is significant potential to leverage digital technologies to reach more HCPs.

A comprehensive sustainability assessment carried out by Cologne-based nova-Institute shows that first and second-generation bioethanol is feasible for the EU’s climate strategy.
The study challenges the “tank or table” credo of many EU policymakers, which claims biofuels are unsustainable because they use arable land and thus compete with food production.

Swiss cancer antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) developer ADC Therapeutics Sarl (Epalinges) has raised US$200m million through an oversubscribed private placement. Investors  include Auven Therapeutics, Redmile, the Wild Family Office and its development partner AstraZeneca.

European Biotech Week:?Highlighting the benefits biotechnology has brought to pharma development, agriculture and – last but not least – the bio­economy, industry association Europa­Bio celebrated the European Biotech Week with an exhibition, “Discovering European Biotech Innovation,” in the European Parliament in Brussels.

mRNA cancer therapeutics specialist CureVac AG has baged US$50m upfront and is eglible to receive up to US$1.7bn in development milestones plus royalties for the development of five commercial cancer vaccines arising from a new R&D deal with Eli Lilly & Co. Lilly also made an equity investment of €45m. 

Belgian Nanobody® producer Ablynx NV said it aims to raise US$175m of its ordinary shares in a global offering, comprised of a public offering of American Depositary Shares ("ADS") in the US and Canada and an offer of ordinary shares in other countries through a private placement. 

A complaint against the EMA’s handling of  a referral procedure relating to potential side effects of Sanofi/MSD’s  HPV vaccine Gardasil and GSK’s HPV jab Cervarix promoted by the Nordic Cochrane Centre and physicians has been rejected by the European Ombudsman. 

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has upgraded Roche’s Alecensa (Alectinib) from second-line to first-line treatment for patients with locally advanced of metastasing ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).