Oncology
IBA and SCK CEN partnership to produce rare radioisotope for cancer treatments
The radioisotope Actinium-225 shows clear promise in the battle against cancer, but to fulfil its potential we will need to […] April 20, 2022 · BioVox
Drug development trends: from common to orphan indications… and back again?
Over the past few decades, pharma has gradually shifted its target patient focus for newly launched drugs from large to […] April 20, 2022 · V-Bio Ventures
Abscint labels antibodies with radioactive material to spot harmful cells
Abscint is one of several Belgian biotech companies using single-domain antibodies. But unlike the others, Abscint is using these antibodies […] March 16, 2022 · BioVoxV-Bio Ventures’ Portfolio Company Precirix raises EUR 80 million in Series B to advance its pipeline of precision radiopharmaceuticals
Ghent, Belgium, 16 March 2022 – V-Bio Ventures today announced the completion of a EUR 80 million Series B round […] March 16, 2022 · V-Bio VenturesElmediX raises nearly 12 million euros to develop innovative heat technology to fight cancer
Mechelen, Belgium, January 25, 2022 – Belgian company ElmediX is developing intensive and controlled heat treatments for the treatment of […] January 25, 2022 · Turnstone CommunicationsNew start-up Trince raises EUR 4 million for innovative technology to produce personalized cancer therapies safer, cheaper, and faster
Ghent, Belgium, 6 December 2021 – Trince, a spin-off of Ghent University (UGent), is developing innovative and efficient technology to insert […] December 6, 2021 · Turnstone Communications
The dark matter of the genome: Flamingo Therapeutics taps potential of mysterious RNA for cancer therapies
Things are moving fast for Flamingo Therapeutics, a Leuven-based biotech company developing innovative RNA-targeted cancer therapies. The start-up is a […] October 20, 2021 · BioVoxEsoBiotec ready to transform cell therapy cancer treatments
– EsoBiotec, a recently founded biotech company, announces a EUR 6 million pre-series A round comprised of non-dilutive funding from […] September 30, 2021 · Turnstone CommunicationsNewton Biocapital invests in PRISM BioLab to support development of a unique peptide mimetic technology platform to discover new drugs for intractable diseases
Brussels, Belgium / Tokyo, Japan – 9 September 2021 – Newton Biocapital (“Newton”), a life sciences investment fund active in […] September 9, 2021 · Turnstone Communications
Cancer diagnosis and therapy in one: Precirix tackles tumors with camelid antibodies
A new drug that can identify tumors, trace metastases, and treat cancer – all in one? Belgian start-up Precirix is […] August 18, 2021 · V-Bio VenturesMontis Biosciences Awarded VLAIO Grant to Expand its Pipeline of Novel Immune-Oncology Therapeutics
Leuven, Belgium, 14 June 2021 – Montis Biosciences, a Belgium-based biotech company focused on the development of novel immuno-oncology therapeutics targeting the […] June 14, 2021 · Turnstone CommunicationsMontis Biosciences appoints René Hoet as Chief Scientific Officer
Leuven, Belgium, 31 March 2021 – MONTIS BIOSCIENCES, a discovery stage biotech company focused on the development of novel immuno-oncology therapeutics […] March 31, 2021 · Turnstone Communications
Saving man’s best friend: Volition blood test allows cheap and easy cancer screenings for dogs
A Belgian invention is revolutionizing cancer diagnostics for dogs by making it possible to screen for two common canine cancers […] March 10, 2021 · BioVoxNewton Biocapital invests in Flemish start-up DeuterOncology
Brussels, Belgium, 24 February 2021 – Newton Biocapital I (“Newton Biocapital”), a life sciences investment fund active in Europe and […] February 24, 2021 · Turnstone CommunicationsOnco-immunology Company Pan Cancer T Launched as Spin-off from Erasmus Medical Center
– Dutch biotech company developing first-in-class T-cell Receptor (TCR) T-cell therapies – Seed investment by Swanbridge Capital and Van Herk […] February 8, 2021 · Turnstone Communications
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. […] December 16, 2020 · V-Bio VentureseTheRNA 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 […] December 2, 2020 · Turnstone CommunicationsNewton 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 […] December 1, 2020 · Turnstone Communications
Vascular dysfunction meets immune suppression
November 4, 2020 · BioVox
Get to know Lewis Cantley: winner of the 2020 Dr. Paul Janssen Award
Every year, the Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research is granted to a scientist who embodies the eponymous man’s […] September 30, 2020 · Janssen PharmaceuticaMontis Biosciences appoints Karen Zinkewich-Péotti as Chief Executive Officer
Leuven, Belgium, 29 September 2020 – Montis Biosciences, a discovery stage biotech company focused on novel immuno-oncology therapeutics targeting the […] September 29, 2020 · Turnstone CommunicationsNewton Biocapital I invests in J-Pharma Co., Ltd. in Japan focusing on drug development targeting L-type Amino Acid Transporter 1 (LAT1) for cancer and autoimmune diseases
Brussels, Belgium / Tokyo, Japan – 27 August 2020 – Newton Biocapital I (“Newton”), an investment company in life sciences, […] August 27, 2020 · Turnstone Communications
Colorectal cancer discovery raises hope for microbiome treatment
A new mechanism causing colorectal cancer has been discovered by researchers from VIB and Ghent University. A specific protein was […] July 7, 2020 · BioVoxMontis Biosciences launched with €8.4 million seed financing and a novel approach to immuno-oncology
Montis Biosciences announces its launch with €8,4 million in seed financing from an international investor syndicate to investigate interactions between perivascular macrophages [...] February 20, 2020 · Turnstone Communications
Fresh insights into the future of cell therapy
The first edition of Science for health was held in the heart of Brussels on September 11 with a focus […] September 23, 2019 · BioVox
Living on the edge: the challenge of doing things differently in cell therapy
Belgian company Celyad is a trailblazer in oncology: its T cell therapies based on NK receptors are cutting edge even […] July 17, 2019 · BioVox
Betting big on blood screens for early cancer detection
This article was authored by Ward Capoen from V-Bio Ventures. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) just held their […] June 27, 2019 · V-Bio Ventures
Miracle microchips improving cell therapy manufacturing
A microchip engineer might seem like an odd fit for a keynote speaker at an event focused on cell therapy, but at Science for health Peter Peumans will [...] June 14, 2019 · BioVox
OCTIMET Oncology tackling cancer with a new captain at the helm
In this article, V-Bio Ventures introduces one of their portfolio companies, OCTIMET. This Belgian oncology startup just added a new […] May 29, 2019 · V-Bio Ventures
Are we spending too much money on cancer drugs?
This article was authored by Ward Capoen from V-Bio Ventures. November is classically the month where immunotherapy takes center stage, […] January 22, 2019 · V-Bio Ventures
argenx signs billion-dollar deal with Janssen
Another Belgian biotech on the up and up: argenx just closed a billion-dollar deal with Janssen Pharmaceutica for their antibody […] December 4, 2018 · Turnstone Communications
Saving lives through fundamental research: James Allison wins Dr. Paul Janssen Award 2018
Dr. James Allison has dedicated his career to improving our fundamental understanding of how the adaptive immune system works. Much […] September 18, 2018 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
Damya Laoui at the forefront of cancer immunotherapy
Photo copyright: VUB / Thierry Geenen Last year, Damya Laoui received the prestigious American MIT-prize for young innovators under 35 […] July 3, 2018 · BioVox
Two genes work together to trigger childhood leukemia
Two known cancer-causing genes, HOXA9 and JAK3/STAT5, are cooperating to trigger acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a common form of childhood cancer. […] April 17, 2018 · BioVox
The controversy around sugar and cancer
In a recent article published in Nature Communications (1) by a group of scientists led by Belgian professor Johan Thevelein […] January 18, 2018 · BioVox
Celyad: CAR-T cells with natural killer skills fight cancer
Celyad, based in Mont-Saint-Guibert (Belgium), was originally established in 2004 as a company active in regenerative cell therapy. However, two […] January 9, 2018 · Turnstone Communications
Vaccinating against cancer with dendritic cells
Founded as a spin-off from the French Blood Bank, PDC*line Pharma is focused on developing immunotherapeutic vaccines. These vaccines contain [...] November 12, 2017 · Turnstone Communications
Diagnosed with lung cancer
A patient diagnosed with lung cancer should brace for the worst. Prognosis is often very disappointing. While in many cancers […] October 16, 2017 · Turnstone Communications
Tackling untreatable cancers in children
Bram De Wilde is a pediatric hemato-oncologist at the University Hospital in Ghent. He is one of the keynote speakers […] October 16, 2017 · Turnstone Communications
Very promising cancer treatment: RNAi immunotherapy
RXi Pharmaceuticals was co-founded by Craig Mello, PhD, the co-recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Medicine for the discovery […] October 10, 2017 · BioVox
ImmunXperts: your partner for in vitro assays in cancer immunotherapy
Although immunotherapy in cancer is booming, it isn’t by any measure an easy field to navigate. Many oncology ventures willing to explore this new terrain [...] October 9, 2017 · Turnstone Communications
Walloon radio-isotope technology in the fight against cancer
Wallonia can pride itself on harbouring some of the key players in the radiopharmaceutical sector. IRE/IRE-Elit, Trasis and ANMI – […] September 11, 2017 · Turnstone Communications
Dendritic cells boosted with mRNA form promising cancer immunotherapy
With its expertise in mRNA production and knowledge of the biology of dendritic cells, eTheRNA has developed TriMix, a new […] September 11, 2017 · Turnstone Communications
IDO 1: a promising new target for immunotherapy
iTeos Therapeutics started in 2012 as a spin-off from the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR), one of the top […] June 12, 2017 · Turnstone Communications
Immunotherapy: a paradigm shift in cancer treatment
An excerpt from the BioVox White paper on Cancer Immunotherapy.
June 12, 2017 · BioVox
Grail: A billion-dollar gamble?
Grail has vowed to change the field of cancer diagnostics via simple blood tests and ctDNA analysis. Their Big Data approach, in which the company will build an atlas of DNA found in the blood, convinced major investors, such as Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, of the technology’s potential. A whopping $1 billion was gathered in the company’s series B financing round. Yet, do Grail and its technology deserve this huge ticket?
March 15, 2017 · V-Bio Ventures
Multiplicom: a strong focus on DNA analysis
Multiplicom o ffers molecular diagnostics products, focused on human genetics, oncology and prenatal testing. The company was built on a technology […] November 16, 2016 · Turnstone Communications
Second and third lives for known cancer drugs
While development of new cancer treatments is ongoing, innovators are also trying to further optimize the use of known cancer […] November 15, 2016 · Turnstone Communications
Arming cells with a cancer vaccine
In immunotherapy, the patient’s own immune system is activated to fight cancer cells. Such strategies have been pursued for a […] October 14, 2016 · Turnstone Communications
Huge steps forward in VIB skin cancer research
When it comes to finding a cure for melanoma skin cancer, major strides are being taken as we speak. One of […] August 29, 2016 · Turnstone Communications
CAR-T: The T-cell training program to fight cancer
Immunotherapy is by far the hottest topic in the cancer research world. One immune approach in particular has created high […] July 14, 2016 · BioVox
All in on cancer immunotherapy
Founded in 2011, iTeos Therapeutics began its activities at the end of 2012. Active in the field of cancer immunotherapy, […] June 13, 2016 · Turnstone Communications
Precision oncology: shaping a patient-centric approach
OncoDNA was founded only three years ago in Gosselies. Its focus: help the oncologist follow the evolution of a patient’s […] April 19, 2016 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
Anti-cancer vaccine around the corner
Researchers in the group of Prof. Dr. Peter Vandenabeele (VIB/UGent) show that killed tumour cells can serve as a potent […] April 5, 2016 · BioVox
Sammson gene causes melanoma
In collaboration with big N2N researchers from UGent, VIB scientists from KU Leuven have revealed a remarkable link between malignant […] March 24, 2016 · Turnstone Communications
Skin on skin: Melanoma research at VIB
Melanoma is a particularly nasty type of skin cancer. It progresses and spreads very quickly, and in many cases it […] February 16, 2016 · BioVox
Preventing cervical cancer: vaccinating or freezing?
The group of human papillomaviruses has over 100 types, of which at least thirteen can cause cancer. The virus is […] November 9, 2015 · BioVox
The Fournier-Majoie Foundation: guiding cancer research to clinical application
At 77 years of age, Bernard Majoie is as active as ever. As founder of the Fournier-Majoie Foundation, he dedicates […] November 5, 2015 · BioVox
A perspective of the future - Towards a cure for cancer and much more
‘Within 10 years we will be able to cure cancer’. A bold statement? Paul Stoffels (CSO J&J) doesn’t think so. […] August 24, 2015 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
A look across the border at cancer research and drug discovery
Jan Hoflack is chief scientific officer at the Dijon-based Oncodesign, a drug discovery company and oncology service provider. Hoflack joined […] July 20, 2015 · Turnstone Communications
Nuclear technology saves lives, especially in Belgium!
Nuclear energy has become a part of our every day lives, but not solely for electricity production. Over the last […] June 22, 2015 · BioVoxEngineered immune cells to fight cancer
Our own immune T-cells can be one of the best defense lines against cancer. Walloon biopharmaceutical company Celyad is using […] June 18, 2015 · Turnstone Communications
A user experience of Idylla™, the mini-lab
Idylla™, Biocartis’ fully automated molecular diagnostics system was launched in September 2014. Since then, over 100 units have been sold. […] June 17, 2015 · Turnstone Communications
Leave your comfort zone if you aim for success
Peter Carmeliet is the director of the VIB’s Vesalius Research Center (VRC) and a leading Belgian scientist who pushes the […] June 10, 2015 · Turnstone Communications
Starving cancer with a fat free diet
During the development of cancer, our metabolism is hijacked, and new blood vessels are formed to provide nutrients to the […] May 26, 2015 · Turnstone Communications
VolitionRx detects colon cancer with a drop of blood
Belgian Volition – a subsidiary of Volition Rx – is a life sciences company located in Namur (Belgium) focused on […] May 19, 2015 · Turnstone Communications
New in Belgium: a state-of-the-art integrated care cancer center
The University Hospital Center in Liège is expanding. The new comprehensive cancer center will be ready in 2018. The center focuses on high quality integrated care, and a large part of the building will be dedicated to outpatients in consultation and day-care without overnight hospitalization. The center will offer multidisciplinary care, focused on the overall wellbeing of the patient.
April 30, 2015 · Turnstone Communications
Stem Cell Therapy is big in Wallonia
What do Bone Therapeutics, Cardio3 Biosciences and Imcyse all have in common? They focus on stem cell therapy and are all linked to the Laboratory of Cell and Gene Therapy (LTCG) [...] April 30, 2015 · Turnstone Communications
Frederic de Sauvage in San Francisco – Belgian scientist living abroad
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and work for Genentech, the first biotechnology company ever started (in 1976). […] April 28, 2015 · Turnstone Communications