© Ablynx NV

Belgian nanobody producer Ablynx closes an initial public offering of American Depositary Shares at Nasdaq totalling US$200m plus a fully exercised greenshoe option amounting aggregate gross proceeds to US$230.

Reception at the Polpharma stand at CPHI 2017 in Frankfurt (24-26.10.2017). © BIOCOM/Oliver Schnell

The world’s largest event for pharma professionals, CPHI worldwide, will see an expansion to the rapidly-growing field of biologics next year in Madrid

© IDA Ireland

US biotech company Regeneron Pharmaceuticals revealed plans to create some 300 new jobs in Ireland’s Limerick County. The jobs form part of a US$100m (€85m) expansion plan for the company’s campus there.

© Adbar/Wikimedia Commons

Portuguese biotech company Immunethep has convinced the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to hand out a grant to test its antibody against the bacterial extracellular virulence factor GAPDH.

3D rendering of a  T lymphocyte. © Blausen.com staff (2014).

French and British scientists have revealed insight into how a critical immune regulatory pathway contributes to the development of multiple sclerosis (MS), potentially paving the way toward future immunotherapies for the debilitating condition. 

© Uniqure

Dutch Uniqure BV launched a public offering of five million shares of common stock. Underwriters over-allotment will be an additional 750,000 shares.

Overview of study results: Green - high erformance/low risk; yellow - medium performance/medium risk; red - low performance/high risk. (© nova-institute, Cologne)

A comprehensive sustainability assessment carried out by Cologne-based nova-Institute shows that first and second-generation bioethanol is feasible for the EU’s climate strategy.
The study challenges the tank or table credo of many EU policymakers, which claims biofuels are unsustainable because they use arable land and thus compete with food production.

Simple schematic of an ADC. © ADC Therapeutics Sarl

Swiss cancer antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) developer ADC Therapeutics Sarl (Epalinges) has raised US$200m million through an oversubscribed private placement. Investors  include Auven Therapeutics, Redmile, the Wild Family Office and its development partner AstraZeneca.

John Brennan, Boris Mannhardt and MEP Frank Bogovi? in Brussels. Picture © BIOCOM

European Biotech Week:?Highlighting the benefits biotechnology has brought to pharma development, agriculture and – last but not least – the bio­economy, industry association Europa­Bio celebrated the European Biotech Week with an exhibition, Discovering European Biotech Innovation, in the European Parliament in Brussels.

© CureVac AG

mRNA cancer therapeutics specialist CureVac AG has baged US$50m upfront and is eglible to receive up to US$1.7bn in development milestones plus royalties for the development of five commercial cancer vaccines arising from a new R&D deal with Eli Lilly & Co. Lilly also made an equity investment of €45m.