News

German researchers have identified an epigenetic approach for treating the second most common form of bone cancer affecting children and adolescents and two potential biomarkers for detecting the disease.

Researchers at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) have taken stem cells from the fatty tissue of a 50-year old human and turned them into functional beta cells in a procedure that could potentially be used to treat diabetes.

The first drug to target a specific protein in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Venclexta (venetoclax) is designed to target the B-cell lymphoma 2 protein, which is overexpressed in many CLL patients.

Netherlands-based Forbion Capital Partners has closed its third life science fund at €183 million, enabling it to step up its investment into companies developing new drugs and medical technologies primarily located in Europe.

Keranova SA, a start-up company with a focus on ophthalmology, has obtained €4 million in Series A funding to develop an instrument for eye surgery that would require a minimum of manual intervention.

Japanese scientists have reported growing three-dimensional skin tissue in the laboratory and successfully transplanting it into mice where it connected with nerve and muscle tissue allowing the skin to function normally.

Gene and cell therapy executives, meeting in Stockholm in early April, spoke positively about the sector in the wake of the European Medicines Agency’s positive opinion for Strimvelis, a gene therapy for severe combined immunodeficiency due to adenosine deaminase deficiency (ADA-SCID), an ultra-rare disease.

MedDay SAS, a France-based biotech, has raised €34 million in a Series B financing round to conduct a confirmatory Phase 3 study in the US of its formulation of biotin in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS).

UK-based Heptares Therapeutics has outlicensed a portfolio of early-stage neurology compounds to Allergan Plc in order to accelerate their development for the treatment of cognitive impairment and neurobehavioural symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders.

Anergis SA of Switzerland has raised CHF 5 million (€4.6 million) from its existing investors to finance a further intermediate study of its lead vaccine against birch pollen allergy. The Phase 2b study is expected to start in the fall of 2016 and enroll 450 patients.