After having issued a patent on its lead cancer treatment Radspherin, Oslo-based Oncoinvent A/S has bagged the funding needed to go ahead to proof-of-concept.

Vytenis Andriukaitis, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, has awarded the EU Health Award for NGOs fighting Antimicrobial Resistance to BEUC for lobbying to reduce the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). 

Merck Serono spin-out Prexton Therapeutics has closed a Series B financing round cashing in US$31m for pushing Phase II testing of its Parkinson’s compound PXT002331.

Life Sciences stakeholders in Europe and abroad are voicing their concerns about the European Patent Offices’ initiative to shorten the time for the examination of patents from up to 56 months to 12 months. 

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.
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.

French researchers have identified a regulator which controls blood vessel permeability. Their findings open up the possibility to develop drugs preventing oedema that occur in large indications such as stroke or congestive heart failure. 

Major European stakeholders have released statements on how to fight antimicrobial resistance more effectively. Regulatory agencies such as EFSA and EMA call for locally adapted combination strategies while biotech companies advocate for more support in antibiotics R&D.

Dutch gene therapy specialist uniQure Biopharma BV will be able to rapidly develop its haemophilia B gene therapy AMT-060. Based on data of a Phase I/II safety study, the FDA granted breakthrough therapy designation for the new way to substitute the heritable lack of blood clotting factor IX. 

Belgian-headquartered IBA Molecular has completed the acquisition of British Mallinckrodt’s nuclear imaging business summing up to approximately US$690m.