Immunologists headed by Eicke Latz (Univ. of Bonn, Germany) have found out that calorie-rich, fatty Western diet reprogrammes the innate immune system to become hyperreactive to inflammatory triggers. This could have huge medical impact as inflammation is a hallmark of most diseases of civilisation such as diabetes, cardiovascular and autoimmune disorders.
So far, there is no cure to stop fibrosis, the pathogenic proliferation of connective tissue of the skin and in organs, in autoimmune diseases such as systemic sclerosis (scleroderma). An US-Italian research team has now identified the immune cells that trigger connective tissue disease.
French venture capitalist Truffle Capital announced the first closing of its BioMedTech venture fund aimed at investments into North American and European medical devices and biotechnology start-ups.
Nanobody developer Ablynx NV has stated that the take-over cash price of €28 per share + optional €2.50 per share as Contingent Value Right (CVR) offered by Novo Nordisk A/S at the end of December is too low. The bid valued Ablynx at €2.3bn.
Global theranostics major Roche expands its digitalised medicine portfolio. The next agreed project is a digital diagnostics platform to improve oncology and critical care treatment.
A new method to test the likelihood of a drug turning into a potentially harmful version of itself when it enters the body has been developed by researchers at Cardiff University.
Japanese Pharma major Takeda had announced its intention to take over Belgian adipose stem cell therapy specialist Tigenix, which has already exclusively licenced its lead product darvadstrocel (Cx601) to treat Crohns disease. In December darvadstrocel received a recommendation from the European Medicines Agency to market the product in Europe in patients with complex perianal fistulas, one of the most disabling manifestations of Crohn’s disease.
German human and veterinay medicines major Boehringer Ingelheim has more than doubled the amount in funding of its Venture Fund (BIVF) to €250m. Additionally, the investment focus has been extended to include infectious diseases and digital health.
Swiss allosteric modulation specialist Addex Therapeutics has licenced its GABA modulator ADX71441 to US addiction therapeutics expert Indivior plc.
A triple receptor agonist developed for diabetes could be used to treat Alzheimer’s after scientists found it "significantly reversed memory loss" in mice through a triple mode of action.