Medical illustration of S. pneumoniae. © CDC

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has increased by 32% since 2007 in Europe, according to a brand new report. 

A new method developed by Swiss, Danish and British researchers allows to detect hard-to-trace tumour-derived DNA in the blood (or ctDNA). 

© Themis Bios­cience GmbH

One week after Austrian vaccine and cancer immunotherapy specialist Bioscience announced the terms of its initial public offering (IPO) and listing on Euronext Amsterdam, the company has postponed its IPO.

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Since reports that blood cancer response rates to T cells carrying chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) exceed 80%, investors have been laying bets on CAR-T cell approaches. In August, the first two therapies hit European markets in a head-to-head race to be the number one next-gen cancer therapy. So will CAR-T cell treatment really take pole position? Or will alternatives like TCR-based cell therapy or multivalent antibody-T cell engagers leave them in the dust?

The vision of the new approach is to awake T effector cells through BH4, which antagonises mediators of the immunosuppressive tumorr microenvironment, to fight cancer. © IMBA

Researchers at Austrian IMBA have identified a well-known co-factor of amino acid synthesis and monoamine neurotransmitter synthesis to play a prominent role in the development of autoimmunity and cancer.

BIO-Europe networking party in Copenhagen. © BIOCOM AG

Gene and cell therapies, pediatric drugs, and formulation were just some hot topics discussed in a record number of B2B meetings at BIO-Europe in Copenhagen. 

Oxurion NV and Beta Therapeutics Inc have inked an R&D agreement aimed to develop new heparanase inhibitors to treat dry AMD.

Schematic of the three-step targeted delivery procedure used for the slippery micropropellers.
(1) Injection of the micropropellers into the vitreous humor of the eye. (2) Magnetically driven long-range propulsion of the micropropellers in the vitreous toward the retina. (3) Observation of the micropropellers at the target region near the surface of the retina by OCT.

German researchers have developed a drug delivery nanobot that can propel through the eye.

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In March, the 9th edition of the "European Biotechnology Science & Industry Guide" will be published and distributed at BIO Europe Spring conference 2019 in Vienna. The B2B handbook presents companies and institutions in the fields of Biotech, Biopharma, BioServices and BioManufacturing an ideal medium with which new customers and investors can find you. The previous edition can be found here.

ARGX-110 mode of action. © Argenx SE
Argenx SE announced it achieved an overall response rate of 92% in patients with AML with its anti-TNFSF7 (CD70) antibody cusatuzumab.