David Dorward; Ph.D.; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)Amid chronic under-investments in new antibacterial weapons, Basilea Pharmaceutica has secured an additional US$6 million from CARB‑X to fund the first‑in‑human Phase I trial of a novel Gram‑negative antibiotic now entering early clinical development. The compound BAL2420 targets LptA, part of the lipopolysaccharide transport bridge that Gram negative bacteria rely on to build their outer membrane.
Pic by Immo Wegmann via UnsplashJeito Capital has closed its second dedicated biopharma fund, Jeito II, on a record US$1.2 billion (€1 billion), making it the largest fund ever raised by a fully independent European biopharma-focused private equity firm. The move firmly places Jeito among the leading global backers of clinical stage innovation.
Tubulis GmbHFor Tubulis, the time for an exit has arrived: US based pharma group Gilead is set to pay up to US$5bn for the biotech’s ADC expertise.
VanessaSpencer - stock.adobe.comFor years, Portugal sat just outside Europe’s main biotech conversation: scientifically credible, strong in research, but too small, too fragmented and too thinly financed to compete with the established hubs in Switzerland, the UK, France, Germany or the Nordics. That view is becoming harder to defend. Portugal still does not have the scale of Europe’s top biotech markets, but it is building something more durable than a collection of isolated startups.
EyEM, Freepik.comThe Copenhagen-based cancer immunotherapy company IO Biotech has come to an abrupt end, marking one of the more sobering recent failures in Europe’s mid-cap biotech segment. Founded in 2019, the company had sought to position itself at the forefront of therapeutic cancer vaccines, but a decisive clinical and regulatory setback ultimately proved insurmountable.
GenerareFrench Generare, founded in 2023, is positioning itself at the intersection of synthetic biology and artificial intelligence by tackling what many in the sector now see as a fundamental bottleneck: the lack of genuinely novel molecular data.
Eli Lilly has agreed to acquire UK-based Centessa Pharmaceuticals in a deal worth up to $7.8 billion, giving the pharma giant a high-profile entry into one of biotech’s most closely watched neuroscience fields: orexin biology. The companies announced a definitive agreement on March 31, 2026.
Novartis GroupNovartis is back on the acquisition trail, agreeing to buy California-based Excellergy for up to $2bn. The antibody Exl-111 is intended to strengthen its allergy pipeline and go beyond the current standard of care. The deal is part of a broader string of acquisitions aimed at systematically expanding the group’s innovation base.
Ethris GmbHThe COVID 19 pandemic demonstrated that Europe can move fast, take risk, and deliver world class vaccines when political will, science and capital are aligned. Treating vaccines as strategic assets, backed by sustained political and financial support, will be key to maintaining Europe’s long-term investment in public health and innovation.
Kelli McClintock auf UnsplashTen young European biotechs are heading into 2026 with the kind of momentum that can quickly turn promising science into defining data: first clinical entries, platform-to-pipeline transitions, and funding rounds large enough to accelerate execution. Some are pushing new modalities into hard disease areas, while others are compressing discovery timelines and expanding what’s druggable. What they all share is a clear momentum that makes them especially worth following this year.