Entries by Uta Mommert

Preventing congestion in acute heart failure patients

German Adrenomed AG has decided to start clinical Phase II tests of the very first personalised treatment for the six million patients with acute congestive heart failure. Large trials suggest that the company can stratify patients resistant to diuretics standard therapy by a proprietary companion diagnostics blood test. Adrenomed will assess whether its first-in-class antibody adrecizumab can reverse the congestion that that manifests as pulmonary edema.

Longevity: Healthy ageing

Italian, Swedish, and German researchers have started recruitment for a systematic investigation into the factors affecting longevity. 

Blood cancer: Boosting chemotherapy effects

German and Swedish researchers have presented a strategy to predict and improve chemotherapy outcomes in patients with acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML). Currently, the five-year overall survival rate of AML patients treated with cytarabine (ara-C) standard chemotherapy ranges from 20-70%. 

Microfluidics: Mapping DNA-binders

Scientists at EPFL in Lausanne have developed a semi-automated technology that may be a game-changer by making the characterisation of the 2,000 DNA-binding proteins much faster, more accurate, and efficient. 

Biotech investor plans IPO in London

British life science investor Arix Biosciences is planning an IPO at London Stock Exchange. The London-based investor aims to raise £100m (€116m) to reinvest in innovations in medical science.

Prize awarded to innovative products

In early February, at the 20th edition of the Pharmapack Europe event, outstanding products were honoured with the Pharmapack Award. Organiser UBM EMEA also introduced a new Pharmapack Start-up Hub.

Bioprinting: Screening drugs in multiple dimensions

90% of all preclinical drug candidates fail to make the grade. Now novel methods that employ miniaturised organs could help overcome this healthcare hurdle. Researchers and CROs are testing a range of models – whether grown from stem cells or spit out by 3D bioprinters – to identify toxicities, simulate cancer development and identify responders to expensive therapies. The field of 3D microtissue-based screening is just a decade old, but it clearly is soon going to play a key role when it comes to improving productivity in drug development.

Best of 2016: Our most wanted news

Which European Biotechnology news stories topped the charts this year? The European Biotechnology team delved into archives and analysed the click statistics. And here they are: the most wanted news stories of 2016!