iStar Medical SA raises €40.1m

Glucoma transplant specialist iStar Medical SA has closed a Series C finanincing round led by LSP and Gimv.

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UniQure looking to raise US$200m

Dutch gene therapy company UniQure has launched a US$200m stock offering on Nasdaq.

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MS: Polpharma joins forces with Sandoz

Polpharma Biologics SA has partnered up with Novartis subsidiary Sandoz AG to market a natalizumab biosimilar. As part of the global commercialization agreement, Polpharma Biologics will be responsible for the development, manufacturing and supply of the collaboration biosimilar, which is currently in Phase III clinical development for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

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Pro-apoptotic protein blocks autoimmunity

A US-EU research team has found that a class of compounds that promote tumour cell death can also limit autoimmunity.

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Sequencing-ready DNA for fast Molecular Breeding results

BioEcho develops single-spin and 96-well kits for the isolation of DNA from different starting materials. Their proprietary EchoLUTION single-step technology avoids the use of inhibitory process reagents while using dedicated efficient lysis reagents for e.g. different plant tissues. In contrast to common bind-wash-elute procedures, the process does not require washing steps. The inhibitor-free DNA enables lowered time-to-result in enzyme-dependent genomic analyses such as PCR or NGS.

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Immatics and Celgene enter $1.5bn deal

Celgene will pay $75m upfront to get an option on three cancer programmes developed by Immatics Biotechnologies.

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Microbial feed company Unibio raises US$15m

Danish microbiology specialist Unibio International plc had completed a US$15m financing round led by West Hill Capital.

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GSK reaches endpoint in pivotal blood cancer study

GlaxoSmithKline plc announced belantamab mafodotin (GSK2857916) met the primary endpoint of overall response rate (ORR) in a pivotal Phase II trial in treatment-refractive multiple myeloma.

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Swiss researchers report on metastasis switch

Researchers from Paul Scherrer Institute in Villingen, Switzerland, and Hoffmann La-Roche AG report in Cell they have solved the structure of a target relevant in metastasis.

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Preclinical antibody stops rheumatoid arthritis

An antibody therapy that targets red blood cells (RBCs) unexpectedly showed anti-inflammatory effects and rapidly reversed rheumatoid arthritis and prevented lung injury in mouse models. 

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