Spanish Capital Cell continues to be a pioneer in the health crowdfunding scene and launched a new self-funding fundraising round to create the first ICO marketplace for health via Blockchain.
Analysts say Roches bispecific antibody Hemlibra will rock the US$15bn haemophilia A market, given that it may circumvent therapy resistance that affects the 30% of patients who form antibodies against recombinant factor VIII products. European Biotechnology spoke with Dr. Gallia Levy, Associate Group Medical Director at Roche, who led clinical development of Hemlibra.
It was too good to be true. Following harsh criticism from industry, the European Patent Office (EPO) drafted a widely applauded proposal to allow exemptions to its Early Certainty Initiative in Examination. One month later, the EPO withdrew UDEC following a recommendation from Business Europe – the only business association sitting next to decision-makers in the EPOs Administrative Council – not to bring UDEC into force in July.
Two listed Scandinavian biotech companies are about to merge into one. Medical Prognosis Institute A/S (Nasdaq First North Stockholm) in Denmark and Oncology Venture Sweden AB (Aktie Torget) in Sweden aim to create what they call a one-stop-shop for personalised cancer treatments.
In Brussels, European Commissioners Jyrki Katainen and Carlos Moedas proposed a budget increase of 25% for the next European Research and Innovation programme Horizon Europe (2021-27) compared to Horizon 2020. Insummer, however, the ECs High LevelGroup recommended a budget of at least €120bn.
How do novel technologies affect the world’s largest enzyme producer? At the GBS, European Biotechnology asked Thomas Videbaeck, PhD, COO and Executive VP Research, Innovation and Supply.
Celonic AG has pursued an ambitious expansion strategy in mammalian cell line contract manufacturing to establish Phase III and commercial supply by mid-2019. A new GMP facility in Heidelberg was acquired, and capacity is also being expanded at the headquarters in Basel. European Biotechnology spoke with Franzpeter Bracht, COO of Celonic, about Celonics strategy.
Despite seemingly insurmountable environmental challenges ahead and the many successes flaunted by big biorefinery projects, the wider business community remains stubbornly sceptical about developing business within the bio-based paradigm. Now policymakers are pushing financiers to take a bigger stake in its success. New efforts are underway to drive private investment in bioeconomy ventures.
The rapid development of antibiotic resistance has become a major public health issue that could soon kill 10 million people annually. One promising alternative to ineffective antibiotics has been around for almost a century – bacteriophages. The microbe-killing viruses are used in medicine in Georgia, Poland and Russia, but have been neglected by western doctors. Now pressure is mounting on global health authorities to put the option back on the table.
Americans and Europeans love fast food, even though doctors are now more certain than ever that the highly processed meals that go hand-in-hand with a hectic Western lifestyle are not a smart health choice. The latest findings suggest that fa(s)t food imprint key genes in the innate immune system, possibly causing the permanent immunological hypersensivity that is at the root of diabetes, atherosclerosis and other common diseases of civilisation.