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Biomedical/pharma

Biomedical/pharma

Drug Repurposing: Finding New Roles for Old Medicines 

Drug repurposing describes the process where drugs originally designed for one condition turn out to be highly effective for another. Historically, drug repurposing has often occurred by chance. However, in the era of big data and artificial intelligence, new data-driven opportunities are arising to discover new roles for old medicines and help patients in unexpected ways.

The race for biotech talent – innovate or fall behind 

Belgium has long been and remains a global leader in biotech and biopharma, for now at least. The question is: can it maintain that position? Talent and know-how have been key drivers of the country’s success, yet the system supplying both is under pressure. Job openings in the biotech and pharma sectors are growing faster than the educational system can keep up, creating a persistent talent shortage. However, it's not simply a matter of numbers. As the skills needed to support and advance local innovations evolve – AI integration being a prime example – how can we adapt our educational approach while ensuring its stability? This is a question that needs to be answered in order to stay at the forefront of innovation.

From lab to market: the life cycle of a biotech startup 

From initial discovery to market-ready product, biotech development is a complex multi-phase process, where strategic partnerships, continuous innovation and careful navigation of regulatory landscapes are crucial for long-term success. Despite this complexity (or perhaps because of it), entrepreneurs and VCs seldom take a step back to consider the full trajectory of this journey. In this article, we’ll explore the typical life cycle of a biotech startup, examining the key milestones and hurdles encountered along the way.

Chairing is caring: how endowed chairs align industry and academia to build a better future  

Like two sides of the same coin, industry and academia are each aiming to progress science. On their own, they accomplish great results, but only together can they really drive innovation. One way to reap the fruits from this partnership are endowed chairs. By exchanging resources and independence for publicity and innovative insights, both can contribute to a happier and healthier society.

New advances in the fight against sepsis 

Sepsis is a serious condition where the body responds improperly to an infection. Every 2.8 seconds, someone dies of sepsis globally, yet no direct therapies exist beyond supportive care. Many clinical trials have investigated the role of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) as a potential therapeutic target, but anti-TNF therapy has not proven to be a breakthrough in the sepsis field. Therefore, understanding how TNF triggers this devastating condition could be of help for millions of people worldwide.

4Tissue secures an additional €1.5M in funding and appoints Dr. Katleen Verleysen as independent chair of the board.

Ghent, February 26, 2025 — 4Tissue, a pioneer in biotechnology that is revolutionizing regenerative medicine, has successfully completed an additional €1.5M funding round, consisting of €1M in equity investments and additional grants. This funding will support the further development of the company’s groundbreaking bioresorbable hydrogel technology, which has the potential to significantly improve breast reconstruction and other tissue regeneration applications. This represents an important step forward in the evolution of regenerative medicine, with a particular focus on women’s health.

Belgian innovation in microfluidics: A revolution for diagnostics and cell therapy?  

Microfluidics is a technology that allows researchers to precisely manipulate and control tiny amounts of fluids within networks of channels typically smaller than a human hair. The approach is now achieving the extreme miniaturization necessary to truly enter the ‘lab-on-a-chip’ era, with profound implications for biological research and human health.

AstriVax Therapeutics shoots for the stars with impactful immunotherapies 

In line with its stellar name, AstriVax Therapeutics is a rising star in Belgian biotech. The company launched in 2022 with €30 million – the largest seed round ever raised by a KU Leuven spin-out – and rapidly became a clinical-stage company, using its plug-and-play platform to fast-track development of vaccines and immunotherapies.

ONTOFORCE and Rancho Biosciences Collaborate to Leverage High-Quality Data for Target Identification

Ghent, Belgium, 15 January 2025 – ONTOFORCE, a leader in semantic technology for life sciences, headquartered in Ghent, Belgium, and Rancho Biosciences, the leading data science services company headquartered in San Diego, California, have announced a joint collaboration. This partnership aims to transform high quality data-driven research and drug development, providing scientists with unparalleled insights that drive discovery and innovation in the life sciences.

Galapagos to Unlock Shareholder Value by Declaring its Intent to Separate into Two Publicly Traded Entities 

Galapagos intends to create a new company with approximately €2.45 billion in cash dedicated to building a pipeline of innovative medicines through transformational transactions. Galapagos will gain full global development and commercialization rights to its pipeline, focusing on accelerating cell therapies and building a global, decentralized manufacturing network. Galapagos to implement a strategic reorganization to position the Company for long-term growth and cell therapy leadership in oncology.

What a year…looking back at Benelux biotech in 2024 

As 2025 comes peeking around the corner, we invite you to look back with us at some of the most exciting science topics we covered this year. From advances in women’s health, organoids, and organ-on-a-chip models to the challenges of data science and innovations in animal science and sustainable biotech; let us walk you through the Benelux life sciences landscape of 2024 as we reflect on the vast amount of knowledge and know-how characteristic to this region.

When more screening harms – Shifting prostate cancer care to personalization 

Hot on the heels of Movember, the global movement bringing attention to specific men’s health issues like mental health, prostate, and testicular cancer, let’s take a closer look at the current state of systematic prostate cancer screening and different treatment options available.

Human-first drug discovery: how start-ups can stay ahead of the game 

Every start-up team ponders the all-important question: how to convince investors to fund their idea? Currently, the fundraising landscape is particularly challenging for most early-stage biotech ventures. A fortunate few are raising exorbitant rounds, allowing them to advance their products through preclinical development, but many others are struggling to find the funding they require. In this article, we share our investor perspective on what can help companies to stand out from the crowd, given recent advancements in drug development.

miDiagnostics Secures €30 Million Series D Funding Round Led by Thermo Fisher Scientific to Advance an Innovative Sterility Test and Other Quality Control Tests for use in the BioPharma Industry.

Leuven, Belgium – December 4th, 2024 – miDiagnostics is pleased to announce the completion of a €30 million Series D funding round, led by Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), the world leader in serving science. This investment will accelerate the development of a groundbreaking sterility test for batch release and related quality control tests for the BioPharma Industry, utilizing miDiagnostics’ proprietary qPCR technology.

European HealthTech Innovation Needs a Lifeline – Join the Conversation to Drive Change

Ghent, Belgium, 4 December 2024 – European health technology (HealthTech) is at a critical crossroad. Despite groundbreaking research, a thriving startup scene and ambitious talent, the sector struggles to translate innovation into actionable impact. Challenges such as regulatory restrictions, fragmented markets, and funding gaps are slowing progress, while the clock is ticking and other regions of the world are surging ahead.