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Public health

Biomedical/pharma, Immunology, Personal/public health, Public health, Women’s health

From pattern to patient: microbiome research needs to bridge the gap to the clinic

The microbiome has been a trending scientific topic in recent years. Researchers have uncovered correlations between the human microbiome and a wide range of diseases and health states, ranging from digestive issues to mental wellbeing. But no matter how fascinating these academic findings may be, translating them into concrete clinical applications remains a challenge. How can we enable more efficient clinical valorization of microbiome insights, and pave the way from pattern to patient?

Bacterial biofilms: cooperative bugs cling to food surfaces even after cleaning

Current cleaning and disinfection practices in food industries are insufficient to destroy unwanted bacteria lurking on surfaces, according to recent Belgian research. Cooperation between diverse types of bacteria makes them stronger and more resilient, causing huge damage in terms of food spoilage, recalls, and health issues. Understanding the development of these microbial communities and their underlying cooperation is vital for assuring food safety, and may lead to developing better forms of biocontrol.

Obesity weighs heavy on healthcare and human lives

Being overweight is not only bad for one’s health – it also costs society a lot of money. Every year, the Belgian government loses at least 4.5 billion euros due to the direct and indirect costs linked to excessive weight and obesity. As with COVID-19, this issue needs to be tackled as a public health concern: the responsibility of both individuals and policymakers.

Long COVID: what it means for the life sciences industry and other chronic conditions

Long COVID is a less talked-about aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic, yet its impact on society is already profound. Although this problem is still largely flying under the radar of the life sciences industry, a couple of first movers have already initiated clinical programs to address the condition. If more companies move into this space, long COVID may prove a catalyst for R&D in other related and underserved indications, like chronic fatigue syndrome.

Rejuvenate Biomed: Expanding peoples’ health spans by boosting cell resilience

Aging will affect each and every one of us at some point; it is part of the covenant of life. However, just as we have learned to treat and prevent various forms of cancers and cardiovascular diseases, there are numerous ways which we can improve peoples’ health spans. Rejuvenate Biomed is a young Belgian company in this field, leveraging safe prescription drugs to improve cell resilience and help us stay well for longer.

Successes and setbacks for women’s health specialist Mithra

It has been a year with ups and downs for Mithra – the Liège-based specialist in women’s health. The company experienced huge success with its pioneering contraceptive pill Estelle, which became available in regions all over the world. But the company also discontinued the research program of another product, PeriNesta, developed to battle symptoms arising during menopause. Overall the company is doing good work though, developing innovations in a field that has historically been neglected.

Rejuvenate Biomed raises a EUR 15.7 million Series B to accelerate clinical development of its sarcopenia treatment for healthy aging

Heusden-Zolder, Belgium, Schlieren, Zürich, Switzerland, and Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, 12 October 2021 – Rejuvenate Biomed NV (‘Rejuvenate’), a biomedical company developing novel combination drugs for age-related diseases, today announces a EUR 15.7 million Series B round. The funding is being used to accelerate the clinical development of Rejuvenate’s lead candidate RJx-01 in both acute and chronic sarcopenia (disuse-induced and age-related muscle failure).

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.

Betting on the best egg: Aurora test doubles pregnancy chances in assisted conception

Assisted conception techniques have matured in the last few decades, with Belgian scientists playing a big part in the progress. The Aurora test, developed by the Belgian start-up Fertiga, now further improves the odds for couples wanting to be parents: the test doubles the chances of becoming pregnant after just one fertility treatment.

Malaria vaccine candidate shows promise for African children

Lessons learned from COVID-19: how do we prepare for the next pandemic?

Although the crisis has not yet passed, COVID-19 has already taught us many valuable lessons. This past year has tested us all, but governments and companies across the world have come together to tackle this global health challenge. In February, industry leaders from Flanders and Canada joined in a webinar, organized by Flanders Investment and Trade (FIT) and The Embassy of Canada to Belgium and Luxembourg, to discuss how we can already start applying our newfound knowledge to help prepare for the next pandemic.

Record-breaking pollen levels linked to increased risk of COVID-19

Increased pollen concentrations are correlated with higher rates of COVID-19. Hot on the heels of record-breaking European pollen counts, this comes as bad news for a continent struggling with the ongoing health crisis. The large-scale study, conducted by an international team headed by researchers in Germany, suggested people protect themselves by keeping an eye on pollen forecasts and wearing particle filtering masks this spring.

Preventive saliva test for detecting the COVID-19 virus is now available to companies and organizations

Ghent, Belgium, 23 February 2021 - The Ghent company Biogazelle and the medical laboratory Labo Nuytinck (Ghent, Evergem), together with several Flemish companies, have developed a PCR platform with which thousands of saliva samples can be tested daily for the COVID-19 virus. The saliva test costs a third of a classic test.

One year of COVID-19: a look back at 2020 and where we are now

One year on from the emergence of SARS-COV-2 in Wuhan, China, this novel coronavirus continues to devastate the world. Since then, COVID-19 has reached every continent and touched all of our lives. In this article, we take the chance to assess the situation going into 2021 and look back on the first year of the pandemic.

UAntwerp researchers find cause for mysterious nodding syndrome

For decades, researchers have been trying to uncover the cause of nodding syndrome, a mysterious and deadly form of epilepsy that only affects children on the African continent. In a collaboration between Belgian and African scientists, researchers from the University of Antwerp have now discovered the root cause of the disease. In a cascade of events, nodding syndrome is triggered by another disease called river blindness, which in turn is caused by parasitic worms spread by blackfly bites. As complicated as it sounds, this is great news for the children, as it means that nodding syndrome can easily be controlled by administering the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin and exterminating blackflies.