News

Oxford BioMedica extends collaboration with Novartis

Country
United Kingdom

In a major expansion of an existing gene-therapy deal, Oxford BioMedica Plc has reached an agreement with Novartis to supply it with greater quantities of lentiviral vector that can be used to gene

Magnus Life Science launched in UK

Country
United Kingdom

A new company which is investigating treatments for conditions ranging from cancer to reperfusion injury has been launched in the UK with £15.5 million in seed capital. The company, Magnus Life Science, is a collaboration with University College London (UCL). 

Seed funding for UK oncology company

Country
United Kingdom

A UK start-up which is developing a candidate molecule for multiple myeloma has received £1.85 million in seed funding from Imperial Innovations Group Plc. Kesios Therapeutics Ltd was set up to commercialise the research of Guido Franzoso of Imperial College London.

Departure of Novartis executives

Country
Switzerland

Three members of the executive committee of Novartis will be leaving the Swiss company following its decision to sell its vaccines and animal health businesses and put its over-the-counter medicines business into a new joint venture with GlaxoSmithKline Plc.

TVM Capital raises $201.6 million

Country
Germany

TVM Capital Life Science has raised $201.6 million at the final closing of its latest venture fund drawing on a diverse group of investors from the Business Development Bank of Canada to Eli Lilly and Company.

Discoveries about the brain win the Nobel Prize

Country
Norway

A scientist at University College London and two from Norway have been awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work in describing how the brain operates a positioning system enabling spatial navigation.

CAT recommends suspension of Maci

Country
United Kingdom

The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT) is recommending that the marketing authorisation for the cartilage implant Maci be suspended because the developer, Genzyme (Sanofi SA), has closed the product’s EU manufacturing site.

EMA to make clinical data public

Country
United Kingdom

From 1 January 2015, the European Medicines Agency will begin to publish clinical data used by companies to support their applications to market new drugs in the EU – a policy that is expected to have wide-ranging implications for medicines research across Europe.

Forbion and LSP raise new capital

Country
Netherlands

Forbion Capital Partners and Life Sciences Partners, both based in the Netherlands, have together raised €172 million from investors in order to support companies active in the life sciences. Both venture capital companies were supported by investors in Europe and the US.

Oxford BioTherapeutics advances ADC

Country
United Kingdom

Oxford BioTherapeutics Ltd has selected an antibody-drug conjugate for clinical development which targets a B-cell malignancy. The preclinical candidate will be investigated in non-Hodgkin’s B-cell lymphoma, in addition to solid tumours.