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Neurology

Biomedical/pharma, Immunology, Neurology

A novel approach to neurology could bring relief to people in pain

In August 2020, V-Bio Ventures announced their investment in Biodol Therapeutics, a French start-up looking to make a difference to people suffering from chronic pain. The company is developing a drug to treat neuropathic pain by addressing the interplay between nerves and the immune system. In a billion-dollar market dominated by ineffective and dangerous painkillers, their unique approach could reduce the suffering of millions.

Biodol Therapeutics receives EUR 4.5 million to progress its novel pain medication in a Series A led by V-Bio Ventures

V-Bio Ventures, a leading Belgian life sciences VC, invests in Biodol Therapeutics, a French biotech specialized in next-generation chronic pain treatments. Biodol Therapeutics receives EUR 4.5 million to develop novel FLT3 inhibitors for the treatment of chronic and neuropathic pain, aiming to reach the clinic by early 2023.

Augustine Therapeutics: bridging the valley of death with VIB Discovery Sciences

Augustine Therapeutics is one of VIB’s latest spinoffs, developing a first-in-class drug for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. The company recently announced a seed-funding round of €4.2 million, led by V-Bio Ventures. We spoke to several of the key persons in Augustine about how the startup is tackling the “Valley of Death”: the no-man’s-land between academia and industry where many potential therapies often fail.

V-Bio Ventures invests in Augustine Therapeutics, a VIB and KU Leuven spin-off to fight neuromuscular diseases

Ghent, Belgium, December 16 2019 – Today V-Bio Ventures announces its investment in Augustine Therapeutics, a new venture developing innovative therapeutics for patients suffering from Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. A spin-off of VIB and KU Leuven, Augustine raises a seed-round of 4.2 million euro with V-Bio Ventures, PMV, Advent France Biotechnology, Gemma Frisius Fund and VIB.

Magic mushrooms in modern medicine

More than 75 years after the initial discovery of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin and other natural psychoactive drugs, and their initial exploitation by the western pharma industry, these substances have seen a recent revival in clinical research. Although banned in the notorious “War on Drugs” initiated by US President Nixon, the potential medicinal applications of these substances are finally being explored again, particularly for treating depressive disorders and other mental diseases. This article aims to shed light on a topic we highlighted before in this series - anti-science in biotech - to illustrate the consequences of research being abandoned, as well as the opportunities and additional challenges to making these substances finally available for patients in need.

The million-dollar question: How much do you charge for a lifesaving drug?

The newest generation of ground-breaking gene therapy drugs, Zolgensma and Zynteglo, come with eye-catching price tags of more than a million dollars per treatment. Is the pharma industry recklessly overstepping a line here, or do they fall within current standards of value-based drug pricing? With more of these drugs soon to be rolling out of pharma pipelines, the stakes are rising high for patients, industry, governments, health insurance companies, as well as investors. It all warrants a deeper dive into the case.

Orphan CNS diseases receive attention with new Minoryx site in Belgium

The Spanish start-up Minoryx Therapeutics recently opened a subsidiary in Belgium to further their research on treatments for rare and orphan diseases. Co-founder and CEO Marc Martinell spoke to BioVox about his personal reasons for founding the company and why Belgium is such an attractive location to start-ups in the medical sector.

Microbiome linked to depression in a groundbreaking Benelux study

The microbiome had been at the forefront of a lot of research and news in the past few years. Now, a new study published in Nature Microbiology has linked specific microbiome changes with depression and quality of life. The largest of its kind to-date, the research was made possible by over 2000 participants from the Flemish Gut Flora Project and the Dutch LifeLines DEEP project. The results may lead to novel therapies for people suffering from this debilitating mental illness.

Rewind Therapeutics secures funding for Multiple Sclerosis research

Liesbeth Aerts in Sydney – Belgian scientist living abroad

Sylvie Janssen in Manhattan – Belgian scientist living abroad

Reversed Brexit: £250 million for Bart De Strooper’s dementia research

Stop eye-balling MRI scans

Up to 1 billion people in the world suffer from neurological disorders. Currently, many brain scans are still evaluated by visual inspection. Quantification of different biomarkers in these brain scans can improve diagnosis, patient monitoring and, eventually, patient outcome. The Leuven-based company Icometrix provides software to bring quantification of brain scans into clinical trials and clinical practice. We should stop eye-balling images of brain scans and step into the world of quantitative analysis.

Partnering for a better mental health

To address the challenges of drug development, solid strategic partnerships are needed. On the Janssen partner day, the company showcased an ongoing partnership with the University of Antwerp in mental health and how this partnership leads to better outcomes.

Alzheimer’s, ALS or a brain injury: ADx neurosciences knows how to tackle it

ADx NeuroSciences might be described best as the Intel of biomarker assays for neuro-degenerative disease. They don’t create complete kits, but their top-notch biomaterials are included in the assays detecting disorders from Alzheimer’s disease to ALS to traumatic brain injury. Over the years, ADx has created an extensive network of partners and by combining knowledge and expertise, these collaborations are leading to innovative markers and valuable new insights in neurodegenerative diseases.