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Amy LeBlanc

Belgium has all the ingredients to be number one for real-world data in healthcare

Belgium is home to one of the world’s strongest health clusters and has long been ranked as the best country in the EU for clinical trials. However, if Belgium is to maintain this attractive clinical trial environment – and its quality healthcare system – the country needs to improve its position regarding the reuse of health data for research. BioVox spoke with Ingrid Maes from Inovigate about an upcoming report on Belgium’s real-world data initiatives and legislation, and how the country compares with the rest of Europe.

Knowledge for Growth insights on sharing health data

Knowledge for Growth is Belgium’s largest life sciences conference, and with a mix of thought leaders from across the ecosystem, always has a finger on the pulse of current topics. This year, the event focused heavily on data science, with a range of keynote talks and sessions dedicated to the important topic. One of the afternoon panels in particular, Understanding Data, held a lot of insights from Liesbet Peeters (Prof. Biomedical Data Sciences at Hasselt University) and Bart Vannieuwenhuyse (Data Sciences Lead at Janssen Benelux Campus).

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.

A vision of the future: smart contact lenses to treat patients with iris disorders and light sensitivity

A woman opens her front door and looks to the sky to judge the weather. It’s sunny and inside her contact lenses, tiny microchips switch on layers of liquid crystals to protect her eyes from the bright light. Satisfied she won’t need a raincoat, the woman steps onto the street and goes about her day. It might sound like the start of a sci-fi novel, but this is the reality of Azalea Vision’s smart tech.

Why keeping up with data science matters for our health

Data without science is nothing; just 1s and 0s, floating around a cloud waiting for someone to make sense of them. Data science is the process of extracting value from data, using advanced analytics tools. Enormous amounts of health information are being gathered every second, and we are rapidly getting better at decoding it: turning bytes into insights that can be used to improve the lives of patients. But the pace, methods and ethics of data science adoption varies dramatically between countries and regions. Why should we care about keeping up?

Malaria vaccine candidate shows promise for African children

Belgian pharma industry among the EU’s strongest despite pandemic setbacks

How did the Belgian chemical and pharmaceutical sector fare during the first year of the pandemic? A report from essenscia gives insight into the financial downturn caused by the global crisis in 2020, but also showed strong positive trends in job creation and innovation. There were record investments in research and development, particularly in the healthcare sector, which continues to score among the best in Europe.

AgomAb’s journey of growth in regenerative medicine

Ghent-based AgomAb Therapeutics recently raised a Series B of $74 million, the largest round ever for a Belgian biotech in pre-clinical phase. Based on argenx’ technology, the company is developing HGF-mimetic antibodies for regenerative medicine. AgomAb has come a long way since it’s foundation in 2017 and has been pegged by many as one of the future stars of Belgian biotech.

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, the hands they were after were green-thumbed individuals in Flanders. The institutes have recruited gardeners to plant soybeans, in the hope of identifying microbial species in soils across Flanders that promote the growth of the vital crop. The ultimate aim is to increase sustainable soy production in the region.

Augustine Therapeutics developing new medicines for neuromuscular diseases

Augustine Therapeutics had a lot of announcements this month: the VIB spin-off just appointed Dr. Sylvain Celanire as CEO, strengthened its Board of Directors, set up a Scientific Advisory Board and received a €1.2 million VLAIO grant. All of the above is going to help the company to develop therapies for rare peripheral neuropathies and neurodegenerative disorders, starting with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Backed by some major players in the Belgian life sciences ecosystem, this start-up is accelerating fast!

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.

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 [final close at 110 million euros - Ed.]. As a VC fund with a focus on early-stage life sciences companies, V-Bio will be using Fund 2 to continue supporting European start-ups working on effective healthcare or sustainable agriculture solutions. In this interview, co-founders Christina Takke and Willem Broekaert, along with new Managing Partner Shelley Margetson, share some success stories from V-Bio’s first five years and how they plan to create value for both investors and society in the future.

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.

Prestigious prize for Belgian breakthrough in brain research

Prof. Dr. Pierre Vanderhaeghen from VIB-KU Leuven has been awarded the Generet Prize for Rare Diseases for his research on human brain development. Vanderhaegen’s team have developed an astonishing model for studying rare neurological disorders by successfully integrating human neurons into a mouse brain. The prestigious prize, managed by the King Baudouin Foundation and presented to Vanderhaeghen by HRH Princess Astrid, includes EUR 1 million in funding for further studies.