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

tumor cancer immunotherapy alderaan biotech

News and Trends 9 Jan 2020

French Biotech Raises €19M to Hit Phase I with Cancer Immunotherapy

Alderaan Biotechnology has raised an €18.5M Series A round to push its lead cancer immunotherapy drug to phase I. The UK VC firm Medicxi and the returning French VC investor Advent France Biotechnology contributed to the round. Alderaan, whose name was inspired by a fictional planet in the Star Wars movies, will use part of […]

January 9, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

nash northsea therapeutics, liver disease, disease modeling

News and Trends 8 Jan 2020

NorthSea Therapeutics Raises €36M to Complete NASH Phase II Trial

The Dutch biotech NorthSea Therapeutics has raised a €36M ($40M) Series B round to fund the end of a phase IIb trial of its lead fatty acid drug to treat the liver condition NASH, as well as advancing two other drugs to clinical trials. There were two newcomers to the round: the US investor venBio […]

January 8, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 7 Jan 2020

Update: Chinese Pharma Enlists Synaffix’s ADC Technology for Second Drug

Update (07/01/2020): Shanghai Miracogen has expanded its pre-existing license agreement with the Dutch biotech Synaffix. Under the terms of the new agreement, the Chinese pharma will use Synaffix’s antibody-drug conjugate technology to develop a second drug for the treatment of cancer. No financial details were disclosed. Published 10/04/2019: Shanghai Miracogen will pay up to €111M […]

January 7, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 7 Jan 2020

AstraZeneca Recruits RNA Biotech to Develop Metabolic Disease Therapies

The UK biotech MiNA Therapeutics has launched a collaboration with AstraZeneca to develop small activating RNA drugs, which could treat metabolic diseases using targets unreachable by current medications. According to the agreement, the two partners will carry out preclinical research with the aim of generating candidate drugs based on small activating RNA, or saRNA — […]

January 7, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 6 Jan 2020

BioNTech’s RNA-Boosted CAR T-Cell Therapy Shrinks Tumors in Mice

A CAR T-cell therapy amplified by RNA technology, developed by BioNTech, has shown preclinical potential for tackling solid tumors, which are hard to treat with current CAR T-cell therapies. In a study published in Science, the CAR T-cell and RNA combination therapy suppressed tumors in mice implanted with human ovarian cancer for longer than regular […]

January 6, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

mutabilis novo holdings antibiotic resistance

News and Trends 6 Jan 2020

€5M Investment to Fund French Biotech’s Resistance-Busting Antibiotic

Mutabilis has received a €5M investment from the Danish VC Novo Holdings’ REPAIR Impact Fund to fuel the development of a new class of antibiotics that could kill drug-resistant strains of gram-negative bacteria. The French company will use the money to advance one of its preclinical drugs, a wide-spectrum intravenous antibiotic, to clinical trials. The […]

January 6, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

Best in Biotech 30 Dec 2019

European Biotech’s Top News in 2019

With the year coming to a close, it’s time to review the most important biotech news events that took place in the European biotech industry in 2019. It has been a solid year for the European biotech industry. In 2019, venture capital funding in Europe continued to be high after a very good year in […]

December 30, 2019 - 10 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 20 Dec 2019

CureVac and Genmab Team up to Make Antibody Cancer Drugs out of RNA

The German biotech CureVac has signed a deal potentially worth over €1B with Danish antibody developer Genmab to develop messenger RNA drugs that carry the instructions for therapeutic antibodies to be produced inside cancer patients. “We believe that the collaboration with Genmab represents the first antibody deal in the field of mRNA,” stated Daniel Menichella, […]

December 20, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 20 Dec 2019

Update: First Ever Ebola Vaccine Gets US and EU Approval

Update (20/12/2019): After getting conditional approval in Europe in November, Merck has received FDA approval for its Ebola vaccine, the first to be approved in both regions. Published on 13/11/2019 The big pharma company Merck has won a conditional marketing authorization from the European Commission for the Ebola vaccine Ervebo, the first to be approved. […]

December 20, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 20 Dec 2019

Freeline’s Rare Disease Gene Therapies Get €72M Series C Boost

The UK gene therapy biotech Freeline Therapeutics is to receive an investment worth €72M (£61.1M) from the UK VC firm Syncona in a Series C round to fund the clinical development of gene therapies for the blood disorder hemophilia B, Fabry disease, and other rare conditions. Of the €72M commitment, Syncona has already wired €36M […]

December 20, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

More News! 18 Dec 2019

Truffle Capital Raises €250M Fund to Launch Life Science Startups

The French VC firm Truffle Capital has closed a fund worth €250M with a mission to nurture companies specializing in medical devices and robotics. The fund, named BioMedTech, will be used to create around 12 companies, with a focus on French startups. The majority of the fund, around 60%, came from French investors and the […]

December 18, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 17 Dec 2019

Update: Cell Therapy Biotech Raises €47M to Fund NASH Clinical Trial

Update (17/12/2019): Promethera has increased the total raised in its Series D round to €47.2M with the addition of new investors, including Innovation Growth Ventures and Pegasus Tech Ventures among others. The round will fund two ongoing clinical trials and the start of at least two new trials outside Europe. Published on 07/05/2019 The Belgian […]

December 17, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

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Jonathan Smith

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Articles by Jonathan Smith

French Biotech Raises €19M to Hit Phase I with Cancer Immunotherapy

NorthSea Therapeutics Raises €36M to Complete NASH Phase II Trial

Update: Chinese Pharma Enlists Synaffix’s ADC Technology for Second Drug

AstraZeneca Recruits RNA Biotech to Develop Metabolic Disease Therapies

BioNTech’s RNA-Boosted CAR T-Cell Therapy Shrinks Tumors in Mice

€5M Investment to Fund French Biotech’s Resistance-Busting Antibiotic

European Biotech’s Top News in 2019

CureVac and Genmab Team up to Make Antibody Cancer Drugs out of RNA

Update: First Ever Ebola Vaccine Gets US and EU Approval

Freeline’s Rare Disease Gene Therapies Get €72M Series C Boost

Truffle Capital Raises €250M Fund to Launch Life Science Startups

Update: Cell Therapy Biotech Raises €47M to Fund NASH Clinical Trial

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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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