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Cardiovascular

Biomedical/pharma, Cardiovascular, Clinical care, Personal/public health, Public health, Women’s health

From successful conception to a healthy family – Belgian research raises the bar for IVF

Belgium is one of the top countries in the world for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Despite the high cumulative success rates of these interventions, disproportionally little attention has been given to the health of both mother and child during and after pregnancy. With the HEART (High risk for pre-Eclampsia after Assisted Reproductive Technology) project, Belgian researchers strive to understand why some women have an increased risk for pre-eclampsia after IVF and whether biomarkers can be identified to estimate these risks early in pregnancy or even before conception. They aim to raise the standard from successful conception to improved child and maternal health.

Fund+ portfolio company Cardior Pharmaceuticals to be acquired by Novo Nordisk in potential 1-billion-euro deal

Novo Nordisk will acquire Cardior Pharmaceuticals for up to 1.025 billion euros, including upfront and additional payments if certain development and commercial milestones are achieved. Cardior is a leader in RNA-based therapies that have the potential to prevent, repair and reverse diseases of the heart. The company’s approach targets distinctive non-coding RNAs to address the root causes of cardiac dysfunctions and achieve lasting patient impact.

Hearts in space: a Belgian story of successful collaboration

AstroCardia has developed a heart-on-a-chip to study cardiovascular aging… in space! Trials will begin in 2025 aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The MEDVIA project was made possible thanks to the combined expertise of the five Belgian partners: Space Applications Services, the Belgian Nuclear Research Center (SCK CEN), QbD Group, BIO INX, and Antleron.

V-Bio Ventures portfolio company Corteria Pharmaceuticals raises EUR 65 million to advance its transformational medicines for cardiovascular diseases

Corteria: a new strategy and approach to treating heart failure

Corteria Pharmaceuticals is developing transformative therapies for heart failure subpopulations most likely to benefit from the company’s novel cardiorenal treatments. The company was founded in 2021 by Sanofi’s former head of cardiovascular research, Philip Janiak, and Marie-Laure Ozoux, former cardiovascular project leader at Sanofi.

Marfan patients team up with researchers to catch their silent killer

The world’s undiagnosed Marfan patients often go through life unaware of the hidden killer lurking in their DNA – a gene variant which may lead to sudden death at any moment via an aortic dissection. Currently, there is no therapy available to counteract this disastrous aortic event, so patient awareness of their condition is key to prevention. To learn more about Marfan syndrome and improve diagnosis, our project needs patients to enroll online in our research cohort. In this way, patients themselves can help us contribute to new therapies and avert sudden deaths.

Intressa Vascular secures EUR 18 million in financing to support the development of its multilayer Allay™ Aortic Stent for the treatment of aortic dissection

Intressa Vascular is using its proprietary stent braiding technology to develop an innovative multilayer stent for the treatment of aortic dissection, a life-threatening cardiovascular condition affecting worldwide 300,000 patients annually. The company has secured EUR 18 million in financing with the support of new investors and the Walloon Region. Funds are aimed at clinical studies and product registration purposes.

Picking up early signals: SPINOVIT to prevent cardiovascular diseases with new monitoring method

Preventing cardiovascular diseases before the first symptoms arise? That’s the ambition of SPINOVIT – a Louvain-La-Neuve company using a new biomarker and innovative technology to achieve its goal. A large clinical trial should be finished in 2023, after which the young company’s product will be launched on the market. In the long term, SPINOVIT’s solution could become part of people’s annual blood check-ups.

NeuVasQ Appoints Former UCB Ventures VP and Partner Emmanuel Lacroix as Chief Executive Officer and Expands Its Board of Directors

V-Bio Ventures participates in the EUR 12 million seed round of heart failure biotech Corteria Pharmaceuticals

Ghent, Belgium, 9 December 2021 – Corteria Pharmaceuticals, a French biotechnology company specialized in the development of interceptive therapies for heart failure subpopulations, today announced the successful completion of its Seed round, providing EUR 12 million to pursue the development of a series of programs in-licensed from Sanofi S.A. (Paris, France). The seed round was led by Kurma Partners and includes V-Bio Ventures, Omnes Capital, and InVivo Capital. As part of the financing, Thierry Laugel (Chair) and Peter Neubeck from Kurma Partners, Ward Capoen from V-Bio Ventures, Claire Poulard from Omnes Capital, and Luis Pareras from InVivo Capital Health will join the Board of Directors.

Maccabi safely unlocks a treasure trove of health data for research insights

Progress in the use of patient healthcare data is going slow for most countries, but some are racing ahead and setting the bar high. In Israel, the healthcare provider Maccabi has developed a system where researchers can access decades of medical records without compromising patient privacy. This incredible trove of medical data has given rise to groundbreaking academic and industry research, improving the lives of people around the world.

Pulsify Medical closes second round Series A funding of EUR 6.35 million for wearable ultrasound heart monitor patch

Leuven, Belgium, 4 May 2021 - Pulsify Medical is a digital medical technology company developing wearable ultrasound patches which will monitor vital organs in real-time. The new and disruptive technology will address a serious unmet need for continuous cardiac monitoring in ICUs, hospitals, and homes across the world

Drug combos: how much is 1 + 1?

Many of our current antiviral, antibacterial and anti-tumour medications are comprised of combinations of two or three active substances, selected on the basis that these combinations slow down emergence of drug resistance. We are currently witnessing a rapid expansion of disease indications for which exploratory drug combos are being tested, as well as of the rationales for combining drugs. In this article, we examine the drivers behind this trend and the inherent caveats and complexities of drug combo development.

How changing diets gave rise to the world’s deadliest diseases

In a recent article, we discussed how the most prescribed drugs are usually indicated for common noncommunicable diseases. These include chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, GERD and mental health issues. Regarding treatment innovation, these prevalent diseases are often underserved when compared to less common, but more profitable, orphan diseases. In this article, we look at some of the underlying factors causing these noncommunicable diseases and what could be done to prevent them.

Could tick saliva help save lives?

The biotech Bioxodes is using a molecule derived from tick saliva to stop blood clots. The Walloon company is focused on preventing thrombosis during procedures involving medical devices. The current gold-standard anticoagulant can cause unwanted bleeding and side effects; could a molecule derived from ticks really be safer?