Jonathan Smith, Author at Labiotech.eu

About

Reporter for Labiotech. I hail from the UK. I was born in Bristol, studied Neuroscience in the University of Bristol, and trained mice in Eisai, Hertfordshire, for one year. I then tickled locusts for my Ph.D. at the University of Leicester, before eventually ending up here!
Out of the office, I travel, play video games and board games, drink beer and play the piano.

Articles by Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 14 Oct 2020

Spatial Transcriptomics Landscape Shifts With Two Major Acquisitions

The Swedish firm Cartana and US-based ReadCoor have recently been snapped up by the US giant 10x Genomics to get hold of their spatial transcriptomics technology. What impact will these acquisitions have on the burgeoning field going forward? Last week, 10x Genomics took over ReadCoor for a smooth €298M ($350M). This followed the acquisition of […]

October 14, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 5 Oct 2020

Galapagos’ Arthritis Drug Approved in EU and Japan Amid US Rejection

The recent EU and Japan approvals of the rheumatoid arthritis drug filgotinib contrast with the FDA’s rejection in August. What does this signal for Galapagos, Gilead, and other biotechs working in inflammatory disease? For Galapagos and Gilead, it’s been a rollercoaster few months. In August, the FDA decided against approving their drug filgotinib for treating […]

October 5, 2020 - 5 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 25 Sep 2020

Roche Confirms Pharma Appetite for Inflammatory Disease Treatments

Roche’s acquisition of the Irish biotech Inflazome is a vote of confidence for emerging inflammatory disease drugs. How could other companies in the field benefit from this takeover? The inflammation process is essential for our survival, as it helps the body to clear up damage after injury. However, uncontrolled inflammation can also harm us, causing […]

September 25, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 14 Sep 2020

T-Cell Therapy Firm Wins Massive €93M Series A to Treat Solid Tumors

The Dutch startup Neogene Therapeutics has become the second T-cell therapy developer to raise a spectacularly large Series A round in Europe this year. The Series A round was co-led by the VC firms EcoR1 Capital, Syncona, and Jeito Capital. Neogene Therapeutics will use part of the €93M proceeds to advance its T-cell therapy immuno-oncology […]

September 14, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 1 Sep 2020

Microbiome Therapies Threatened by Covid-19 Restrictions

Providers of microbiome therapies worldwide have been hit by pandemic restrictions on the harvest of stool samples. Though these measures are now loosening in France, key safety challenges remain for companies using fecal microbiota. Fecal microbiota transplants — procedures where healthy individuals donate their gut microbes to a patient — have changed how we treat […]

September 1, 2020 - 5 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

unity biotechnology anti aging geroscience senolytics

News and Trends 25 Aug 2020

What Does Unity’s Phase II Fail Mean for European Anti-Aging Research?

A drug developed by the US firm Unity Biotechnology — designed to slow the aging process — recently proved a dud in phase II for the treatment of osteoarthritis. How is this high-profile setback affecting European biotechs developing anti-aging treatments? Aging is a complex, multi-faceted process that makes people vulnerable to a wide range of […]

August 25, 2020 - 6 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 20 Aug 2020

Is Hepatitis D Healthcare Being Overlooked?

Despite the recent EU approval of the first hepatitis D treatment, low public awareness remains an obstacle to tackling this aggressive infection. Earlier this month, the peptide drug Hepcludex became the first drug greenlit for hepatitis D treatment in Europe. This was a conditional market authorization granted to the German company MYR Pharmaceuticals based on […]

August 20, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 18 Aug 2020

Women’s Health Gains Traction as Bayer Pays €736M for UK Firm

Bayer’s recent €736M ($875M) acquisition of KaNDy Therapeutics could herald growing investor interest in women’s health – a historically neglected field in the biotech and pharma industry. Through this deal, Bayer has snapped up KaNDy Therapeutics’ first-in-class drug for treating hot flashes and night sweats, which often occur during the menopause. In a phase IIb […]

August 18, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

cancer vaccine virus ervaxx cell therapy

News and Trends 17 Aug 2020

CureVac Continues Covid-19 Vaccine Funding Frenzy with €180M IPO

The share price of CureVac has skyrocketed almost fivefold after the Covid-19 vaccine developer priced a Nasdaq IPO at €180M ($213M). The excitement around messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines against Covid-19 could also benefit other players in mRNA therapeutics. CureVac’s IPO was priced at €14 ($16) per share, giving the German company a valuation of around […]

August 17, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 13 Aug 2020

Why are Some European Biotechs Going Public Without an IPO?

European biotech companies are flocking to the Nasdaq Stock Market in 2020, but not all are going the traditional Initial Public Offering (IPO) route. What does this mean for the dominance of the biotech IPO in Europe? In spite of the Covid-19 pandemic, biotech IPOs have continued unabated. In fact, a report from Bioworld found […]

August 13, 2020 - 7 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 29 Jun 2020

Update: Hyloris Raises €62M IPO to Create More Drug Delivery Options

Update (29/06/2020): Hyloris Pharmaceuticals’ Euronext IPO — one of only a handful of biotech and pharma IPOs on European soil in the last 18 months — has hit the midpoint of its expected pricing range with a value of €61.8M. The shares were priced at €10.75 each, which was comfortably between the minimum target of […]

June 29, 2020 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

In Depth 29 Jun 2020

Can Biotechnology Reduce Animal Testing in Medicine?

Animal testing is crucial for measuring the efficacy and safety of new treatments. It’s also a step that everyone would like to avoid as much as possible for economic, regulatory, and ethical reasons. But what are the alternatives, and can they really reduce the use of animals in drug development? Before drug developers let a […]

June 29, 2020 - 8 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

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Jonathan Smith

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Articles by Jonathan Smith

Spatial Transcriptomics Landscape Shifts With Two Major Acquisitions

Galapagos’ Arthritis Drug Approved in EU and Japan Amid US Rejection

Roche Confirms Pharma Appetite for Inflammatory Disease Treatments

T-Cell Therapy Firm Wins Massive €93M Series A to Treat Solid Tumors

Microbiome Therapies Threatened by Covid-19 Restrictions

What Does Unity’s Phase II Fail Mean for European Anti-Aging Research?

Is Hepatitis D Healthcare Being Overlooked?

Women’s Health Gains Traction as Bayer Pays €736M for UK Firm

CureVac Continues Covid-19 Vaccine Funding Frenzy with €180M IPO

Why are Some European Biotechs Going Public Without an IPO?

Update: Hyloris Raises €62M IPO to Create More Drug Delivery Options

Can Biotechnology Reduce Animal Testing in Medicine?

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Catalonia: A biotech hub going from strength to strength, with Barcelona at its core

Top biotech deals of February 2025

Grab your free report on 3D organoids and explore their future potential

These 7 biotechs are shaping the next generation of endometriosis care

Connect with decision-makers and researchers worldwide for collaborative opportunities

Subscribe to our newsletter

Advertise with us

Catalonia: A biotech hub going from strength to strength, with Barcelona at its core

Top biotech deals of February 2025

Grab your free report on 3D organoids and explore their future potential

These 7 biotechs are shaping the next generation of endometriosis care

Connect with decision-makers and researchers worldwide for collaborative opportunities

Subscribe to our newsletter

Advertise with us

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