If you ask founders what determines whether they raise capital, most will give you the same answer: great science, compelling clinical data, a large market opportunity and a sensible valuation. For a long time, I would have given exactly the same answer, but I no longer do. After years of working with biotechnology companies, I have come to believe that those factors determine whether a company deserves investment, but they do not necessarily determine whether it gets the opportunity to be evaluated in the first place. Here’s why.
WhiteLab secures $26M to expand AI-designed gene delivery assets
Latest NewsFrance’s WhiteLab Genomics has raised $26 million (€23 million) in Series B financing to expand experimental validation of its AI-designed gene delivery technologies and build a portfolio of assets it can own and license.
Fundraising: Why relationships matter more than ever
Latest News, OpinionIf you ask founders what determines whether they raise capital, most will give you the same answer: great science, compelling clinical data, a large market opportunity and a sensible valuation. For a long time, I would have given exactly the same answer, but I no longer do. After years of working with biotechnology companies, I have come to believe that those factors determine whether a company deserves investment, but they do not necessarily determine whether it gets the opportunity to be evaluated in the first place. Here’s why.
CSL backs Swiss Alentis’ claudin-1 bet with up to $1.6bn deal
Latest NewsAustralian biopharma company CSL has entered an exclusive global partnership with Basel-based Alentis Therapeutics to co-develop and co-commercialize lixudebart, an investigational antibody targeting claudin-1. CSL will pay Alentis $355 million upfront and the Swiss biotech is eligible for up to another $1.2 billion in commercial milestone payments. Once the drug reaches the market, global profits will be split 55% to CSL and 45% to Alentis. What is the deal all about?
Genmab’s Phase 2 data strengthens case for $1.8B ProfoundBio bet
Latest NewsGenmab’s rinatabart sesutecan (Rina-S) delivered durable responses in a Phase 2 trial in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, providing encouraging validation for the centerpiece of its $1.8 billion acquisition of ProfoundBio.
Designing biologics for commercial success
slider, Sponsored PublicationsJustyna Adamczyk, Associate VP Integrated MS&T at Rezon Bio, discusses why integrating development and manufacturing strategies is key to improving late-stage efficiency and commercialization readiness.
The Bridge to your success
slider, Sponsored PublicationsCustomized Enzymes and Reagents from New England Biolabs. Creating the right partnership is essential when pioneering a new life science product.
Novartis bets up to $7.8B on Abogen’s mRNA autoimmune therapy
Latest NewsNovartis is paying China’s Abogen Biosciences $575 million (€512 million) upfront for global rights to ABO2203, an experimental treatment that uses mRNA to make a B-cell-depleting drug inside the patient’s body.
Pharming changes CEO, Evotec loses CSO and Nanobiotix hires CFO
Latest NewsEvery Friday, The Leadership Edit follows people taking new roles across European biotech and what their moves may tell us about the companies they join. This week: an immediate CEO change at Pharming, a scientific leadership vacancy at Evotec and a new finance chief at Nanobiotix.
Amplio’s Phase 1b data hint at better first-line arthritis treatment
Latest NewsAmsterdam-based Amplio Pharma has reported early clinical evidence that its experimental treatment NovoBioJect boosts the active form of methotrexate inside immune cells. The company is seeking about €10 million to test whether the approach improves disease control in rheumatoid arthritis.
GSK adds liver candidate from Wave RNA partnership
Latest NewsGSK has selected a liver disease drug candidate from its collaboration with Wave Life Sciences for further development, triggering a $12 million (€11 million) milestone payment to the U.S.-based biotech.