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

atelerix cell therapy newcastle freeze encapsulation

News and Trends 21 Jun 2019

This Biotech Transports Cell Therapies Without Needing a Freezer

The biotech Atelerix, based in Newcastle, UK, can transport cell therapies between different locations with less cost and risk than current methods by encapsulating the cells in a specialized gel. Mission: To eliminate the need for costly cold storage in the cell transport process by preserving cells in a gel. This could save further costs […]

June 21, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 20 Jun 2019

Spider Silk Could Improve Organoids for Drug Development

The Stockholm-based organoids company BioLamina has teamed up with the recombinant spider silk Stockholm startup Spiber Technologies to develop organoids that are more accurate tissue models than those used currently. Organoids are gaining popularity as a drug testing tool due to their capacity for modeling human tissue in 3D, which is more representative than 2D […]

June 20, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 19 Jun 2019

Scientists Grow Head and Neck Cancer Organoids to Personalize Chemotherapy

A team of Dutch researchers has developed the first 3D organoids from patients’ head and neck cancer cells that can be kept alive for a long time, giving physicians a model to test which cancer treatments are the most effective for each patient. Head and neck cancer is an aggressive disease that often requires harsh […]

June 19, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

ovarian cancer astrazeneca merck lynparza dna repair

News and Trends 19 Jun 2019

EU Gives Lynparza Green Light as First-Line Ovarian Cancer Treatment

The DNA damage repair drug olaparib (Lynparza), developed by AstraZeneca and Merck, has been approved by the EU as a first-line treatment preventing the return of ovarian cancer after initial chemotherapy. The drug has already been approved by the EU and the FDA as a maintenance treatment for relapsed ovarian cancer, and as a therapy […]

June 19, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 18 Jun 2019

Belgian Biotech’s €35M Series B to Fund Potential Type 1 Diabetes Cure

The Belgian company Imcyse has raised €35M in a Series B round to develop a potential cure for chronic autoimmune conditions including type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis. Imcyse will use the money to fund phase II trials of a peptide-based treatment for type 1 diabetes. The funds will also help the company to launch […]

June 18, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 18 Jun 2019

Dutch Biotech Boosts Hepatitis B Vaccine Effectiveness

Phase II results from Dutch biotech CyTuVax show its enhanced hepatitis B vaccine reduces non-responders by 13%. Around 15% of people receiving vaccines for hepatitis B fail to produce antibodies that protect them against the infection. These non-responders are often given more injections of the vaccine in an attempt to trigger the immune system, but […]

June 18, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 17 Jun 2019

Swiss Anti-Aging Treatment Gives the Elderly Healthier Muscles

An anti-aging dietary supplement developed by the Swiss biotech Amazentis to combat age-related muscle weakening has improved the health of muscle cells in a first-in-human study. Mitochondria are parts of the cell that generate energy, and are important for muscle movement. As we age, damaged mitochondria begin to build up in muscle cells, possibly contributing […]

June 17, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 14 Jun 2019

First Gene Therapy for Beta Thalassemia Will Cost Over €1.5M

Zynteglo, a gene therapy developed by the US company bluebird bio for the treatment of beta-thalassemia, will cost European healthcare systems more than €1.5M per patient. Following the approval of the treatment earlier this month, bluebird bio has now released the pricing plan of Zynteglo. Healthcare systems in Europe will need to pay €315,000 upfront, […]

June 14, 2019 - 1 minutemin - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 14 Jun 2019

French Biotech Raises €20M to Prevent Hearing Loss

The hearing loss biotech Sensorion has issued bonds to raise €20M, which it will use to fund the phase II development for first-in-class drugs treating hearing loss and severe vertigo. The money will pay for phase II trials of Sensorion’s two most advanced treatments, which are small molecule drugs to treat sudden deafness and acute […]

June 14, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

Startup Scout 14 Jun 2019

This Biotech Reduces Drug Side Effects Using Silica Gel Implants

DelSiTech is a Finnish company developing injectable silica gel implants that release drugs slowly over time, causing fewer side effects and helping patients stick to their treatment regimen. Mission: To develop silica gels that slowly release drugs over time to treat conditions including HIV, hepatitis B, retinal disease and cancer. One big problem in chronic […]

June 14, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

Interview 12 Jun 2019

How Vaccines Could One Day Beat HIV

Vaccines are humanity’s biggest achievement against infectious diseases. But could they defeat HIV, a particularly crafty virus? José Luis Cabero, CEO of Spanish biotech AELIX Therapeutics shared his experience developing an HIV vaccine at Labiotech Refresh in Barcelona. The concept of a vaccine is simple — priming the immune system against a pathogen so that […]

June 12, 2019 - 5 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

evotec tuberculosis treatment gates foundation

More News! 12 Jun 2019

Evotec to Reduce the Burden of Tuberculosis Treatment with €21M Grant

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has granted the German biotech Evotec €21M ($23.8M) to discover drug combinations that can reduce the duration of tuberculosis treatment, which normally takes over six months. Evotec will use the money to test different drug combinations for tuberculosis in the preclinical stage. The partnership will last for five years, […]

June 12, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

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Jonathan Smith

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Articles by Jonathan Smith

This Biotech Transports Cell Therapies Without Needing a Freezer

Spider Silk Could Improve Organoids for Drug Development

Scientists Grow Head and Neck Cancer Organoids to Personalize Chemotherapy

EU Gives Lynparza Green Light as First-Line Ovarian Cancer Treatment

Belgian Biotech’s €35M Series B to Fund Potential Type 1 Diabetes Cure

Dutch Biotech Boosts Hepatitis B Vaccine Effectiveness

Swiss Anti-Aging Treatment Gives the Elderly Healthier Muscles

First Gene Therapy for Beta Thalassemia Will Cost Over €1.5M

French Biotech Raises €20M to Prevent Hearing Loss

This Biotech Reduces Drug Side Effects Using Silica Gel Implants

How Vaccines Could One Day Beat HIV

Evotec to Reduce the Burden of Tuberculosis Treatment with €21M Grant

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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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Articles by Jonathan Smith

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