News for April 2020

News Archive

Touchlight appoints Dr. Helen Horton as Chief Research Officer Touchlight appoints Dr. Helen Horton as Chief Research Officer

Former J&J Senior Scientific Director and immunology expert joins at a pivotal time. Touchlight driving its dbDNA technology towards clinical development in therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines

New data shows varied state of haemophilia treatment around the world New data shows varied state of haemophilia treatment around the world

To mark the 30th Anniversary of World Haemophilia Day, Sobi have released the 2020 Haemophilia Index which examines the quality of life for people with haemophilia in Europe, including the UK and the reach of humanitarian aid across the globe.

Volition Files Patent for Nu.QTM COVID-19 Triage Test and Commences Proof of Concept Studies Volition Files Patent for Nu.QTM COVID-19 Triage Test and Commences Proof of Concept Studies

AUSTIN, Texas, April 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- VolitionRx Limited (NYSE AMERICAN: VNRX) ("Volition") today announced that it is actively developing a COVID-19 triage test aiming to predict the likelihood that an individual who is COVID-19 positive will develop complications and severe disease, using its propriety Nu.QTM platform. The goal of the test is to provide early insight into which patients may require higher levels of monitoring including hospitalization and critical care resources, versus those who will not develop serious symptoms. Preliminary studies of patients with COVID-19 infection are now underway in hospitals in Belgium and Germany with results expected this quarter.

Lynparza demonstrated overall survival benefit in Phase III PROfound trial for BRCA1/2 or ATM-mutated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer Lynparza demonstrated overall survival benefit in Phase III PROfound trial for BRCA1/2 or ATM-mutated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

Only PARP inhibitor to improve overall survival vs. new hormonal agent treatments for this advanced prostate cancer population with high unmet needs

Frame Therapeutics and eTheRNA immunotherapies NV open a new research collaboration to develop mRNA cancer vaccines against immunogenic neoantigens Frame Therapeutics and eTheRNA immunotherapies NV open a new research collaboration to develop mRNA cancer vaccines against immunogenic neoantigens

Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and Niel (Belgium) April 22, 2020 Frame Therapeutics, a new biotechnology company focused on the development of neoantigen-based cancer vaccines, today announced that they have forged a research collaboration with eTheRNA immunotherapies NV, a clinical-stage company developing vaccines and immunotherapies from its proprietary mRNA TriMix platform.

Goodfellow’s ‘Mr. Material’ app tests scientific knowledge during lockdown Goodfellow’s ‘Mr. Material’ app tests scientific knowledge during lockdown

Looking for new ways to test your knowledge during the lockdown? Leading global supplier of research materials, Goodfellow, has recently updated its Mr. Material game, a free educational app which tests the extent of your periodic table knowledge.

Mogrify and Sangamo announce collaboration and exclusive license agreement for Mogrify’s iPSC- and ESC-derived regulatory T cells Mogrify and Sangamo announce collaboration and exclusive license agreement for Mogrify’s iPSC- and ESC-derived regulatory T cells

Cambridge, UK, and Brisbane, CA, 21 April 2020 Mogrify Ltd (Mogrify®), a UK company aiming to transform the development of cell therapies by the systematic discovery of novel cell conversions, and Sangamo Therapeutics (Sangamo) (Nasdaq: SGMO), a genomic medicine company, today announced that they have executed a collaboration and exclusive license agreement for Sangamo to develop allogeneic cell therapies from Mogrify’s proprietary induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and Sangamo’s zinc finger protein (ZFP) gene-engineered chimeric antigen receptor regulatory T cell (CAR-Treg) technology.

Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre Fast Tracked as Works Progress at Harwell Campus Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre Fast Tracked as Works Progress at Harwell Campus

Construction of the UK’s New Vaccines Centre by Glencar Construction Starts Well Ahead of Schedule as Timelines are Fast Tracked Due to Covid-19

XenoGesis wins prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in recognition of export growth XenoGesis wins prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in recognition of export growth

Nottingham-based leading independent DMPK provider, XenoGesis, has been awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise, International Trade, in recognition of its outstanding year-on-year export growth.

Independent SMO Panthera Biopartners continues to expand its network of clinical trial sites Independent SMO Panthera Biopartners continues to expand its network of clinical trial sites

Panthera’s second clinical trial site in the UK, in North Manchester is open for business.As a standalone site ideal for existing or new trials with much lower contamination risk during COVID-19

StemBioSys launches CELLvo™ Human Articular Chondrocytes, low passage cells for highly relevant cartilage research StemBioSys launches CELLvo™ Human Articular Chondrocytes, low passage cells for highly relevant cartilage research

Freshly isolated human chondrocytes exhibit a natural, biologically relevant phenotype during in vitro expansion

Medicines Discovery Catapult, at Alderley Park, in partnership with industry and academia, advancing COVID-19 testing capacity Medicines Discovery Catapult, at Alderley Park, in partnership with industry and academia, advancing COVID-19 testing capacity

Last week the Government announced the establishment of large scale national COVID-19 hub laboratories across the UK. The initial laboratories have been established in Cheshire, Milton Keynes and Glasgow.

Catapult Ventures appoints Vijay Curthan as Investment Director; promotes Emma Johnson to Associate Catapult Ventures appoints Vijay Curthan as Investment Director; promotes Emma Johnson to Associate

6th April 2020, Alderley Park: Catapult Ventures has announced the appointment of Vijay Curthan as Investment Director in its GM & Cheshire Life Sciences Fund. Vijay joins Catapult with a background in healthcare private equity, investment banking and pharma industry corporate strategy

COVID-19 heat map highlights areas where more work is needed to encourage people who aren’t key workers to stay at home. COVID-19 heat map highlights areas where more work is needed to encourage people who aren’t key workers to stay at home.

Behavioural data of 26,700 health app users generates heat map of staying home/going-out population across all local authorities

Horizon Discovery expands cell-based CRISPR screening services Horizon Discovery expands cell-based CRISPR screening services

New arrayed B cell CRISPR knockout screening service strengthens support for development of therapeutics for diseases involving the immune system. First in the market, this unique service complements the Company’s T cell screening service

Cobra Biologics and the Karolinska Institutet collaborate to develop COVID-19 vaccine Cobra Biologics and the Karolinska Institutet collaborate to develop COVID-19 vaccine

OPENCORONA consortium awarded €3 million funding by Horizon 2020 to support emergency research and development against the COVID-19 outbreak