Entries by Uta Mommert

Sanofi, Google launch diabetes venture

13.09.2016 – Diabetes major Sanofi is joining forces with Verily – formerly Google Life Sciences – to launch Onduo. The joint venture will develop a comprehensive diabetes management platform.

Fresh French fund for healthcare

09.09.2016 – iBionext’s healthcare VC fund iBionext Growth has announced a first closing of €46m. All in all, iBionext aims to take in around €100m to reinvest in biotech and medtech companies.

Bed and board go bio-based

07.09.2016 – Furniture giant Ikea and renewables expert Neste have joined forces to deliver bio-based plastics based on Neste’s bio-based polymer. The partners urge other companies to join the initiative.

Boosting vaccines without the prick

06.09.2016 – DBV’s needle-free patch technology is being put to the test in a a proof of concept trial for a pertussis vaccine developed by BioNet-Asia. Researchers from the Geneva University Hospital are supervising the study.

Biomarker lifts a secret of old age

05.09.2016 – Why do people grow old? Italian researchers took a close look at centenarians and found that low levels of the peptide hormone Adrenomedullin may significantly contribute towards good microcirculation and thus longevity.

mAb ray of hope for Alzheimer’s

01.09.2016 – The causes of Alzheimer’s disease are still largely unknown. But now, an antibody developed by the University of Zurich has significantly reduced the brain amyloid plaques typical for Alzheimer’s Disease in a Phase Ib clinical trial.

Ferring bags slipped disk pain drug

30.08.2016 – Swiss biopharma company Ferring has acquired the exclusive development and commercialisation rights to Seikagaku’s Phase III chemonucleolytic leg pain treatment for €85m.

Phase III washout for Adocia

Adocia said it would discontinue its diabetic foot ulcer programme after its lead product BioChaperone PDGF disappointed in Phase III. The French company will turn the focus on its earlier-stage products.

AZ unloads antibiotics to Pfizer

24.08.2016 – Pharma major Pfizer is putting the cherry on top of its multi-billion-dollar takeover of Medivation with the acquisition of AstraZeneca’s antibiotics for a cool US$1.5bn. With the divestment, AZ aims to further sharpen its focus.

€87m for Cambridge Cluster fund

23.08.2016 – Cambridge University-allied investor Cambridge Innovation Capital has raised £75m (€87m) to reinvest in technology and healthcare companies. Among the backers were Woodford Investment and Winton Ventures.