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Industrial application, Technology and digital innovation

Max Planck researchers feed Proteome AI with PharmaFluidics technology

Micro-chip based µPAC™ LC columns - key component in NATURE study doubling the universe of known proteins across all kingdoms of life

PharmaFluidics awarded VLAIO research grant

Funding will support product range extension of micro-chip based µPAC™ nano, capillary and microflow LC columns, and accelerated development of manufacturing process know-how.

Onno van de Stolpe talks Belgian biotech

At this year’s Innovation for Health, we sat down for a chat with Onno van de Stolpe. Winner of the Trends Manager of the Year in 2019, van de Stolpe is the driving force behind Galapagos NV, a billion-euro blockbuster and one of the Europe’s top biotech companies.

Cell therapies: opportunities and challenges

Recent activities in the cell therapy field have prompted many investment funds to pour fresh and increasing capital into this space. In this review, we share some observations and highlight a few of the questions that arise when new modalities cross the bridge from bench to bed.

TheSocialMedwork: equal access to medicines for everyone, everywhere

We recently sat down with Sjaak Vink, the visionary entrepreneur behind TheSocialMedwork. This enterprise gives patients all over the world access to medication that has not yet been approved in their home countries. We spoke with Vink about his personal motivations for founding TheSocialMedwork and his dream for universal basic healthcare.

Biogazelle initiates large-scale testing of COVID-19 in Belgium

Ghent, Belgium, April 2, 2020 - Biogazelle NV, a CRO specialized in RNA analytics, has announced the initiation of large-scale testing of patient samples for SARS-CoV-2. Biogazelle is providing one of the multiple testing sites in a government-led consortium of pharma, biotech, IT and academia, alongside Janssen Pharmaceutica (J&J), GSK, UCB, UgenTec, MIPS and ThermoFisher.

Janssen Pharmaceutica and Filliers Distillery make disinfectant hand gel

Pharmaceutical company Janssen Pharmaceutica and gin distillery Filliers Distillery are making disinfectant hand gel from Sunday. They will distribute it among the Belgian hospitals.

Professors of Product Development from UAntwerp are looking at emergency production of mouth masks

At the University of Antwerp, twelve product developers are working day and night to develop oral masks. "Together with industrial partners, we try to set up an emergency production for protective equipment for health workers during this corona crisis".

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.

Why everyone needs to be a part of the CRISPR conversation

Hetty Helsmoortel is a science communicator who has dedicated herself to bringing research breakthroughs to a broader audience. In her recent book “De Geknipte Genen”, she tackles CRISPR: a revolutionary gene editing technology whose applications raise tricky ethical questions. We sat down with Dr. Helsmoortel to discuss her views on CRISPR’s potential and why she feels it is so important for the public to be well informed on this technical topic.

Inari: shaking things up in the agriculture business

Inari Agriculture has been awarded the 2020 Newcomer of the Year Trophy by Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT). Inari (US) opened its first foreign R&D branch in Ghent’s biotech valley just over a year ago. Since then, the Belgian team has been hard at work developing plants that can address both growing global food requirements and climate change. They’re approaching the challenge with both the latest genetic techniques and with a fresh perspective on how a business should be run.

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?

Why Are Start-Ups Such Hotbeds For Innovation?

A large proportion of new treatments and life sciences breakthroughs can often be traced back to humble beginnings in a start-up venture. Why is it that these smaller companies seem so adept at developing innovative products? What have they got that larger companies are lacking? V-Bio Ventures takes a look at some of the factors making start-ups hotbeds for innovation.

How business models shaped our current drug development trends

With the soaring cost of drugs for rare indications, many biotech and pharmaceutical companies are focusing R&D efforts on orphan diseases. Will the pendulum swing back towards more common maladies? When will the price of drugs start to fall? In this month’s VC views, V-Bio Ventures examines the current business model for rare diseases.

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.