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Finance and Investment, Industrial application

V-Bio Ventures launches its second fund at EUR 78 million

First Closing of V-Bio Fund 2 is announced at EUR 78 million. V-Bio Fund 2 will ensure seamless continuation of investment activities in early-stage European life sciences companies. V-Bio Ventures announces expansion of executive team, with Shelley Margetson joining as Managing Partner

DoseVue obtains CE Mark for its first in-vivo dosimetry product for radiation therapy

Diepenbeek, Belgium - January 28, 2021 - DoseVue NV, a privately held medical device company developing in-vivo dosimetry solutions for radiation therapy, today announces the CE marking of its first product: the DoseWire™ Series 200.

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.

New VIB incubator gives agbiotech start-ups a chance to flourish

In mid-2021, research institute VIB will open its brand-new agbiotech incubator. The new complex will provide entrepreneurs with access to high-tech facilities to work on sustainable agricultural innovations, like solutions to make plants more resistant to drought. The incubator will be housed in the former CropDesign site of multinational BASF in Nevele, Belgium.

How to build the right team for start-up success

One of the key ingredients to start-up success is a stellar management team. Attracting (and retaining) the right kind of talent is a challenge though, especially when trying to balance the skills and personalities of different individuals. Getting this balance right is key to a well-rounded and cohesive team that will let a company grow into its full potential. Here is our advice on some important factors to bear in mind when building a life sciences management team.

Decades-old discoveries cause paradigm shifts in modern medicine

Complete paradigm shifts in medicine are rare, but there have nevertheless been several major examples in the past hundred years. Treatments and approaches that seemed set in stone one decade can easily seem silly the next, as new information about the disease or underlying biology comes to light. Hindsight grants us clarity, but sometimes the factors that lead us down a particular treatment path can be as arbitrary as a feud between colleagues. Might there be paradigm shifts looming in oncology, neurology and more, triggered by a return to previous treatments?

The rapid evolution of Chinese biotech

The world is smaller today than it has ever been. With the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen the advantages of a connected international pharma and biotech industry, which was able to rapidly mobilize to provide solutions for this global threat. The pandemic is not the only opportunity for cross-border collaborations, however. With an increasing focus on healthcare innovation, the rapid evolution of Chinese biotech is bringing benefits to companies and patients around the world.

Belgian biotechs partnering with China: deals of 2020

In 2019, a delegation of Belgian biotechs participated in an economic mission to China led by H.R.H. Princess Astrid. Co-organized with BioCentury’s annual China Healthcare Summit, the mission was a success: three of the participating companies have already signed deals with Chinese collaborators or investors. We spoke with the CEOs of these companies to find out what kind of deals they obtained, and to hear about their experiences of working with Chinese partners.

Long-term loyalty: A Belgian fund’s perspective on Chinese investors

Over the past few years, an increasing number of European biotechs have been signing deals with Chinese investors. The Chinese are increasingly interested in European, particularly Belgian, biotech. But it’s not just for money: strategic investments with potential deals seem to be at the forefront of these agreements. How do European venture capitalists feel about this trend? We spoke with Chris Buyse from Fund+ to find out.

eTheRNA and China Grand Pharma enter a strategic collaboration in the Greater China Region focussed on eTheRNA’s proprietary mRNA development products and manufacturing capabilities

Niel, Belgium, 1 December 2020 - eTheRNA immunotherapies NV (“eTheRNA”) announced it has entered into a strategic cooperation and product license agreement with China Grand Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Holdings Ltd (“China Grand Pharma”) to establish a new joint venture company, Nanjing AuroRNA Biotech Co., Ltd. (“AuroRNA Biotech”) in Mainland China to deploy eTheRNA’s proprietary mRNA technology for pharmaceutical research and development and production in the Greater China Region.

Newton Biocapital I invests in Perseus Proteomics Inc. in Japan to develop therapeutic antibodies for the treatment of blood cancers

Brussels, Belgium / Tokyo, Japan – 1 December 2020 – Newton Biocapital I (“Newton”), a life sciences investment fund active in Europe and Japan and focused on the treatment and prevention of chronic diseases, has announced its third investment in Japan. Newton invested EUR 1.2 million (JPY 148 million) in Perseus Proteomics Inc. as part of a total round of EUR 8.1 million. With this investment, Perseus Proteomics will continue its research and development of PPMX-T003 - a key growth driver antibody - and other antibodies in the pipeline.

A bridge from East to West: linking Chinese and European biotech

There are two main reasons why a European company might want to establish official links with a Chinese investor: funding, and access to the second largest healthcare market in the world. But don’t go rushing in blind!

An insightful solution to eye injections

Developing new therapies is sometimes not enough: for retinal indications, accurate delivery is key to making a drug work. Lowering the patient burden by minimizing injections is also an important factor to consider. Oxular, an Oxford-based biotech and V-Bio Ventures portfolio company, has developed a technology platform to address the unmet need for less frequent dosing and better drug delivery in retinal diseases.

Vascular dysfunction meets immune suppression

Tumors create complex microenvironments where they suppress the normal functioning of the immune system. Blood vessels and macrophages are an important part of this environment. A new VIB-KU Leuven startup called Montis Biosciences is working to enhance anti-tumor immunity by investigating interactions between perivascular macrophages and the tumor vasculature.

New initiative to promote transition to Organ-on-Chip technology

In an effort to raise awareness for alternatives to animal models, BioVox is helping to promote an Organ-on-Chip initiative by Dutch startup Bi/ond. The initiative aims to increase awareness and adoption of Organ-on-Chip technology, to improve in vitro research models and reduce animal testing.