For over three decades, attempts among drug developers to target the inflammatory pathways and symptoms of sepsis have been fruitless. New rapid diagnostics, rigourous patient stratification and drugs with novel modes of action are now on the horizon for treating the most costly cause of death in the industrialised world. Biotechs are pushing new ideas towards clinical testing, but there just isn’t enough funding available in the EU. Will US investors again pick up European innovation on the cheap?

Although most people still view carbon dioxide (CO2) as a climate killer, industry is beginning to realise that CO2 could actually provide an abundant, low-cost feedstock for carbon-based processes. A number of Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) schemes are evaluating the many different pathways that could play a role in the field in the future.

German immuno-oncology play BioNTech has entered into a collaboration with Roche’s Genentech to develop novel mRNA-based, individualised cancer vaccines. The deal will net BioNTech €278m.

Prexton Therapeutics is taking aim at Phase II: The Swiss company happily presented results for its Phase I trial of its mGluR4 positive allosteric modulator in Parkinson’s Disease, saying the first-in-class compound proved to be safe and well tolerated.

Six months ago, Andrew Witty, long-time CEO of Britains largest drug maker GlaxoSmithKline, announced he would retire in 2017. Now, GSK has named Emma Walmsley from inside the company as his successor.

German molecular diagnostics specialist GNA Biosolutions GmbH has appointed Frank Krieg-Schneider as its Managing Director and CEO. Krieg-Schneider holds a PhD in molecular genetics from Mainz University and has spent his working life at Qiagen.

Swedish Gyros Protein Technologies AB, which was formed in spring by merging nanoliter-scale immunoassay expert Gyros AB and peptide synthesis instrumentation and reagent provider Protein Technologies Inc., has a new chair. Frank Witney took over as Chairman of the Board of Directors in June.

Denmark’s Novozymes has acquired microbial research company Organobalance GmbH. The German company owns a large collection of microbial strains, some of which date back to the 1920s, and has strong capabilities in microbial screening and assay technology.

14.09.2016 – The summer slump on the stock markets is over: AC Immune has confidently priced its long-awaited Nasdaq IPO. The Swiss Alzheimer’s specialist is expecting to raise up to US$68m (€60.5m) overseas.

Galvani Bioelectronics, the developer of bioelectronic medicines launched by GlaxoSmithKline and Alphabet’s life science play Verily (formerly Google Life Sciences) in early August, will have a bio­electronic visionary on board. Moncef Slaoui, who expedited GSK investments in the field of bioelectronics, will be the chairman of the new company’s Board of Directors.