Investors are once again flocking to back biotechs in Europe. Belgian Life Sciences fund Fund+ has raised €125m – a quarter more than initially anticipated.
Part microbe, part machine: cyborg bacteria developed at ETH Zurich could revolutionise the biotechnological production of molecules. The bacteria have been engineered to respond to light signals.
Nordic Nanovector is expanding its foothold in cancer-fighting ADCs. The Oslo-based biotech has inked a leukaemia pact with Wilex subsidiary Heidelberg Pharma.
Trial transparency has been a hotly debated topic over the last months, but now, the EMA is turning words into action. The agency will allow public access to clinical trial reports, starting now.
New name, new outlook: blood disorder specialist Dilaforette will be known as Modus Therapeutics Holding from here on out. The Swedish company also announced an intention to float in the near future.
Spanish start-ups, take heed: One of the biggest biotech funds in Southern Europe has just been closed by Ysios Capital. The Spanish venture firm raised €126.4m to be reinvested in European biotech, medtech and diagnostics companies.
Apitope said it has regained global rights to its IL-10-bolstering vaccination ATX-MS-1467 for remitting-relapsing multiple sclerosis from Merck KGaA. A 2009 contract forsaw that Merck will take over commercialisation cost following Phase II testing. Phase II data are due to be published in Q4/2016.
The European Patent Office’s decision to speed up examination of patent applications to 12 months without any transition period is set to ruin biotech SMEs financially and may send a blocking signal to innovators.
Roche is making up lost ground in immuno-oncology. The Swiss company’s PD-L1 directed immunotherapy atezolizumab is more effective in combatting lung cancer than standard chemotherapy.
The new joint venture Synvina is positioned in the market for drop-in bioplastics with advanced product characteristics.