Vision / opinion / people
Soy in 1000 gardens: citizen science project to map soil microbes in Flanders
Good science takes many hands. In the case of a new citizen science project by VIB, UGent, ILVO, KU Leuven, […] March 31, 2021 · BioVox
Wallonia to invest in plant-based proteins as meat substitutes
The Walloon region is taking major steps towards becoming an important player in the business of plant-based proteins. In the […] March 31, 2021 · BioVoxAugustine Therapeutics strengthens Board of Directors and sets up Scientific Advisory Board
Leuven, Belgium, 19th March 2021 – Augustine Therapeutics, a biotech company focused on the development of innovative medicines for rare […] March 19, 2021 · Turnstone Communications
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 […] March 10, 2021 · Turnstone Communications
V-Bio Ventures: a fresh fund with a difference
V-Bio Ventures recently announced their second fund, with the first closing already totaling 78 million euros. As a VC fund […] February 24, 2021 · V-Bio Ventures
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 […] January 27, 2021 · BioVox
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 […] January 27, 2021 · V-Bio Ventures
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 Ventures
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 […] December 2, 2020 · Turnstone Communications
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 […] December 2, 2020 · Turnstone Communications
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 […] December 2, 2020 · Turnstone Communications
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, […] December 1, 2020 · Turnstone Communications
A life-changing discovery: CRISPR scientists awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
After several years of nominations, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna have finally been awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry […] November 4, 2020 · BioVox
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 […] October 29, 2020 · BioVox
Belgium: the number one biotech country in Europe!
For the third year in a row, Belgium has been ranked the number one country in Europe for biotech! Belgium […] September 30, 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 Pharmaceutica
Can Darwin’s theory explain why we get sick?
While physicians care for their individual patients and are interested in the factors contributing to the individual’s condition, evolutionary biologists […] September 30, 2020 · V-Bio VenturesLewis Cantley awarded Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research 2020
Johnson & Johnson Celebrates Role of Scientists In Society with 2020 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research, Part of […] August 21, 2020 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
Building bigger for Belgium’s maturing biotech scene
Biotech is booming in Belgium. To support the evolving needs of this world-class ecosystem, the Mariën family initiated and are […] July 7, 2020 · Turnstone Communications
VIB: the driving force behind a booming biotech ecosystem
Since VIB was established, the world class research institute has been led by a duo of managing directors. As Johan […] July 7, 2020 · BioVox
The opioid epidemic: solutions to a painful problem
Opioid misuse is a public health crisis that has resulted in debilitation, deaths, and significant social and economic impact. The […] July 7, 2020 · V-Bio Ventures
To prevent another pandemic, we need to improve our relationship with animals
The new coronavirus did not come as a bolt from the blue. For many years, the World Health Organization (WHO) […] June 8, 2020 · BioVox
How changing diets gave rise to the world’s deadliest diseases
This article was authored by Ward Capoen from V-Bio Ventures. In a recent article, we discussed how the most prescribed […] June 8, 2020 · V-Bio Ventures
Talking T cells with David Masopust
Immunology is a complex but vitally important branch of the life sciences. Earlier this year, we attended a Keystone Symposia […] June 8, 2020 · BioVox
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 […] May 5, 2020 · BioVox
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 […] May 5, 2020 · BioVox
Potential impact of the corona crisis on the life sciences industry
This article was authored by Christina Takke from V-Bio Ventures Over the past few months, every news headline has focused […] March 26, 2020 · V-Bio Ventures
Why everyone needs to be a part of the CRISPR conversation
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? February 26, 2020 · BioVox
Belgian initiatives boosting animal-free innovation
Animals have been used throughout history to understand human physiology and to resolve scientific questions related to health and disease. Nowadays, however, both scientists [...] February 26, 2020 · BioVox
Predictions for Belgian Biotech in 2020
With the Belgian biotech landscape blooming, BioVox reached out to some of the investors in our network to see what their predictions are for the coming year. From trends to companies to keep an eye on, here’s their take on 2020! January 22, 2020 · BioVox
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 […] January 20, 2020 · V-Bio Ventures
How business models shaped our current drug development trends
December 17, 2019 · V-Bio Ventures
Magic mushrooms in modern medicine
This article was authored by Katja Rosenkranz from V-Bio Ventures. More than 75 years after the initial discovery of lysergic acid […] November 26, 2019 · V-Bio Ventures
The 2019 Nobel Prize in Medicine: How do cells adapt to changing oxygen levels?
The 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to William G. Kaelin Jr, Sir Peter J. Ratcliffe and Gregg L. Semenza. Their discoveries have [...] October 24, 2019 · BioVoxProf. Matthias Mann joins PharmaFluidics Advisory Board
Ghent, Belgium – October 22, 2019 – PharmaFluidics NV, an innovative player in the field of proteomics with the unique high-resolution µPACTM micro-Chip chromatography products, is pleased to welcome Prof. Dr. Matthias Mann as member of its Advisory Board. October 22, 2019 · Turnstone Communications
Closing the gender gap in biotech funding: a follow-up study
This article was authored by Christina Takke from V-Bio Ventures. In this follow-up to a previous VC Views article, V-Bio […] September 24, 2019 · V-Bio Ventures
Three business strategy tips to help your company grow
Turnstone Communications, the driving force behind BioVox news, is a consultancy agency catering to life sciences companies. Lending a hand […] September 23, 2019 · BioVox
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 · BioVoxGalapagos-Gilead billion-dollar deal: beyond the numbers
Last month, Galapagos sealed a 5-billion-dollar deal with Gilead. Now that the dust has started to settle, we’re taking a […] August 27, 2019 · BioVox
Why events are important for creating connections in the life sciences
Collaboration is vital for science. Without cross-pollination of ideas and talent, progress would be excruciatingly slow in both industry and academia. [...] August 27, 2019 · BioVox
Meet the men who unraveled the mystery of protein folding
Franz-Ulrich Hartl and Arthur Horwich have been named the winners of the 2019 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research. […] August 27, 2019 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
How do we reduce the high cost of clinical trials?
Drug development is an exorbitantly expensive endeavor. A large expense factor for developing a new therapy is the high cost of conducting clinical trials. [...] July 18, 2019 · V-Bio Ventures
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
The future of healthcare is digital
This month marked the crystal anniversary of the life sciences networking event Knowledge for Growth. The event was a huge […] May 29, 2019 · Turnstone Communications
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
Science for health: a new event for creating research connections
Science for health is Belgium’s new research event, set to promote more collaborations in our stellar life sciences ecosystem. The […] May 29, 2019 · BioVox
Closing the gender gap in biotech funding
Companies with a good gender balance consistently outperform those with only men in their management teams. [...] March 19, 2019 · V-Bio Ventures
Women in STEM: fixing the leaky pipeline
Happy International Women’s Day! This year, in honor of the day, we’ve decided to highlight an important and personal topic: […] March 8, 2019 · BioVox
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 […] March 4, 2019 · BioVox
Life after a PhD: alternatives to academia
This article was authored by Rishabh Chawla from V-Bio Ventures. Having finished a PhD in life sciences can often leave […] February 19, 2019 · V-Bio Ventures
From scientist to entrepreneur: how a Belgian chromatography company came to be
Pharmafluidics is a Belgian company rethinking the fundamentals of liquid chromatography. Introducing a fundamentally new type of stationary phase in […] February 12, 2019 · Turnstone Communications
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
A Personal Translation of Microbiome Futures
Nature Biotechnology published a thought-provoking piece addressing critical questions in the development of microbiome-based solutions focused on disease interception. Co-authored […] November 28, 2018 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
Why start-ups can become mega companies in the pharma sector
In a previous BioVox article, we analyzed the steps needed for a life sciences start-up to turn into a fully […] November 20, 2018 · V-Bio Ventures
Microbiome regulations from an EU start-up's perspective
Interested in the microbiome? So are we! Here’s a sneak-peek into S-Biomedic, one of the first microbiome start-ups in Belgium. […] November 9, 2018 · Turnstone Communications
The Benefit of BioVox – why science journalism matters
This year, for the third time in a row, the BioVox team is looking forward to attending Wallonia’s largest life […] November 7, 2018 · BioVox
AI and The Black Box Dilemma
Artificial intelligence has become a regular staple in our modern lives. With increasingly complex programs allowing for scarily accurate image […] November 6, 2018 · BioVox
Are tech investments under threat by anti-science sentiments?
In biotech, company creation is usually preceded by scientific discoveries presenting solutions to existing problems. Because of this, early stage […] October 30, 2018 · V-Bio Ventures
Ghent knowledge hub growing strong
The Flemish life sciences ecosystem is stronger than ever. This expertise, in biotech and health, is plain to see in […] October 23, 2018 · Turnstone Communications
Lessons in Herding Cats: Business Development for Life Sciences Companies
Business development challenges can make or break a company in any industry. For a life sciences company, overcoming the added […] October 16, 2018 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
What’s next for CRISPR crops in the EU?
Genetically Modification Organisms (GMOs) is one of the most hotly debated topics in the news today. Resistance to GMOs has […] October 9, 2018 · BioVox
Bringing clinical trials into the home
Lowering the costs of drug development is more important than ever; with the increasing pressure on drug pricing and billions […] October 2, 2018 · V-Bio Ventures
Are the days of journal paywalls finally numbered?
Europe has taken an ambitious step forwards in the fight for open access to academic papers. On September 4th, Science […] September 25, 2018 · BioVox
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
Forever young: the science of aging well
“Is aging a disease?” For a long time, the answer to this question seemed obvious: aging is a natural thing […] August 28, 2018 · V-Bio Ventures
Uncovering the secrets of inflammasomes
Mohamed (Mo) Lamkanfi made the jump from academia to industry a mere eight months ago, to pursue a career with […] August 21, 2018 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
Biotechs and subsidies - a fraught relationship
The ambition of any CEO heading a biotech start-up is to develop a new product and to reach patients quickly. […] July 23, 2018 · V-Bio Ventures
1 billion lifeforms recorded!
The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) is an international network that provides access to a huge biodiversity database. Their total […] July 10, 2018 · BioVox
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
DNA as a storage device for big data
Sometimes science fiction seems to become real right in front of our eyes. Slowly but surely, our genes are revealing […] June 19, 2018 · BioVox
CD3 as co-creator of drugs with academia and pharma
The Center for Drug Design and Discovery (CD3), based in Leuven, bridges the gap between innovative biomedical research emerging from […] May 28, 2018 · Turnstone Communications
Acquisitions of Biotech companies: a good or a bad thing?
When on the 8th January 2018 the news travelled that Novo Nordisk made a €2.6bn bid for Belgium’s Ablynx, only […] May 14, 2018 · V-Bio Ventures
How to build a “European Amgen”
There are still very few large European biotech companies to compete with the Amgens and Gileads of the world. Only […] April 19, 2018 · V-Bio Ventures
Big data, big produce – Trends in agri-biotech
In the last few decades, with the introduction of GMOs, the agricultural industry was turned upside down. Major consolidations between […] April 16, 2018 · BioVox
From Academia to Industry: growing in new directions
What does it mean to “be a scientist”? People generally have a very academia-centric view: scientists do research, write grants […] April 12, 2018 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
A world without disease: Janssen - Flanders.bio partner day 2018
A new vision was in the spotlight at the Flanders.bio – Janssen Pharmaceutica Partner Day this year. “A world without […] March 19, 2018 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
Is innovation killing the pharmaceutical industry?
In the past few years, the speed at which new drugs have been coming to the market has accelerated significantly […] March 18, 2018 · V-Bio Ventures
Caitlin Gillis at VIB - Foreign Scientist in Belgium
Caitlin Gillis left the sunshine and warmth of Australia a few years ago to come live Europe. After a stint […] March 18, 2018 · BioVox
After Ablynx, is an acquisition of Galapagos next?
The Gent biotech company Ablynx has been acquired by pharmaceutical giant Sanofi for 3.9 billion euros. The French Sanofi beat […] February 19, 2018 · BioVox
Politicians should consider the consequences of not deploying GM technology
Genetic modification (GM) technology can offer solutions so that farmers can more efficiently grow crops with less environmental impact. Despite […] February 19, 2018 · BioVox
Artificial intelligence beyond the hype: achievements and expectations in the biotech space
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a term that pops up everywhere lately. In this article, we provide some examples of how […] January 18, 2018 · V-Bio Ventures
Olivier Gevaert in Stanford – Belgian scientist living abroad
After an Erasmus exchange in Germany during his Master’s in Industrial Engineering, Olivier Gevaert knew he would someday move abroad. […] December 18, 2017 · BioVox
Synthetic biology – revolutionary technology in search of a better name
Despite what the name might suggest, synthetic biology is not about creating artificial life. Instead, it focuses on scouring nature […] December 18, 2017 · Turnstone Communications
Interactomics: taking apart the cellular machinery
Among the booming omics disciplines, such as genomics, proteomics, or metabolomics, the field of interactomics is perhaps less known. VIB […] November 21, 2017 · BioVox
Belgium vs Germany in the Life Sciences start-up championship
Germany is one of the leading industrial nations in the world and has 8x more inhabitants than Belgium. However, when […] November 20, 2017 · V-Bio Ventures
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
How Aphea.Bio managed to gather the funds to transcend from academia to industry
Aphea.Bio is an agriculture startup, originating from the VIB and flourishing underneath the wings of V-Bio Ventures. Steven Vandenabeele (CTO […] October 16, 2017 · V-Bio Ventures
Liesbeth Aerts in Sydney - Belgian scientist living abroad
Until August 2017, Liesbeth Aerts lived in Sydney, where she worked as a dementia researcher at the University of New […] October 9, 2017 · BioVox
Personalized healthcare, a long-awaited revolution
Although it’s already 2017 and medicine has made great progress in the last decade, healthcare is often still very generic, […] September 11, 2017 · Turnstone Communications
The leap from academia to industry
The earlier in development, the greater the risk. It’s an unspoken law in biotech that makes valorizing promising academic projects […] September 11, 2017 · V-Bio Ventures
Lars Klareskog pushes rheumatology beyond symptomatic treatment
Over the years, the perception of inflammatory diseases has changed drastically. The advent of cytokine inhibitors meant great improvement to many patients, especially those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. However, these treatments remain symptomatic. Together with Janssen Pharmaceutica, world-renowned rheumatologist Lars Klareskog is ready to take the research and treatment of inflammatory joint disease to the next level.
June 12, 2017 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
Sylvie Janssen in Manhattan - Belgian scientist living abroad
Sylvie Janssens lives in Manhattan, New York, where she relocated after earning her PhD in biotechnology at Ghent University. She […] June 8, 2017 · BioVox
Strengthening communication in biotech companies
Many biotech management teams fail to reach out to investors in a clear and appealing way.
May 22, 2017 · V-Bio Ventures
Janssen R&D focus enforced with new managing director
Stef Heylen is the new Managing Director and COO of Janssen Pharmaceutica (Belgium), since November 2016. After a half year […] May 22, 2017 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
Curing all diseases in the next 20 years: the new hype amongst billionaires?
Despite the initial intent of charitable foundations to be not-for-profit, some of them tend to morph into organizations with bigger aspirations.
April 17, 2017 · V-Bio Ventures
CMAST: Bringing ideas from a risky early stage to a viable healthcare solution
CMAST knows that much more than good science is needed to create innovative healthcare solutions that will have an impact […] April 14, 2017 · Turnstone Communications
Investing in European biotech faced with many challenges
Investing in biotech companies is a capital-intensive and risky business, and it’s no secret that more money and less risk-averse investors are available in the US than in Europe. To keep innovations, companies, and their economic benefits from being transferred to regions outside Europe, many national and international European initiatives are in place. The question remains whether this is sufficient to fundamentally improve Europe’s currently underfunded biotech ecosystem. The biotech investment specialists of V-Bio Ventures take us through Europe’s biotech investment landscape.
March 16, 2017 · V-Bio Ventures