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 13 May 2019

‘Guided Missile’ Cancer Immunotherapy Boosted by €62M Funding

The Swiss-Italian biotech company Philogen has raised a private round of €62M to fund the phase III development of cancer immunotherapies that deliver immune cell-stimulating molecules directly to the tumor site. The money will push Philogen’s two lead cancer programs, currently in phase III, to the market. The funds will also help to expand the […]

May 13, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

treefrog therapeutics cell therapy parkinsons disease

News and Trends 13 May 2019

Cell Encapsulation Biotech Raises €7M to Target Cell Therapy Bottlenecks

The French company Treefrog Therapeutics has raised over €7M in Series A investment to develop its encapsulation technology to improve the production of stem cells for cell therapies. Part of the Series A money will help Treefrog to automate its stem cell production process by 2021. The round will also fund the development of a […]

May 13, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

pneumonia lungs polyphor antibiotic resistance

News and Trends 10 May 2019

Swiss Biotech Halts Pneumonia Antibiotic Trial After Patient Safety Scare

Polyphor has temporarily halted two phase III trials of an antibiotic treating pneumonia, after an unexpectedly high number of patients reported kidney problems in one of the trials. The phase III trial was testing the antibiotic murepavadin in 150 enrolled patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia, and who required mechanical breathing. The patients in the treatment group […]

May 10, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

Startup Scout 10 May 2019

This Biotech Destroys Cancer Proteins by Introducing Them to ‘Executioner’ Proteins

Nestled in the biotech hub of Cambridge, UK, is Polyprox. Less than a year old, this company is developing a new class of protein-based drugs that could treat cancer by degrading key proteins in the cancer cell. Mission: Develop drugs that destroy proteins in cancer cells by recruiting executioner proteins, called ligases. Polyprox develops protein […]

May 10, 2019 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

achondroplasia pfizer therachon acquisition

More News! 9 May 2019

Pfizer Pays up to €700M to Acquire Swiss Biotech Restoring Bone Growth in Achondroplasia

Pharma giant Pfizer is acquiring the Swiss biotech Therachon, which is developing a protein drug to boost bone growth in the genetic condition achondroplasia. Pfizer will pay €303M ($340M) upfront, and up to €420M ($470M) dependent on Therachon reaching milestones in the development of its drug improving bone growth in achondroplasia. This genetic condition inhibits […]

May 9, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 8 May 2019

Schizophrenia Treatments Could be Tested and Personalized Using Patients’ Blood

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have developed a way to screen treatments for schizophrenia on single cells from a patient’s blood sample, which could speed up drug discovery and help to personalize treatments for people with the condition. Around 21 million people worldwide suffer from schizophrenia, and this is likely to get worse with […]

May 8, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

bees dying university of Cambridge vaccine virus

News and Trends 6 May 2019

Molecules in Bee Jelly Could Protect Whole Nests Against Viruses for Generations

A research team has discovered that honeybees pass molecules of RNA to each other by sharing it in edible jelly, which could lead to vaccines that can stop generations of bees from dying from viral infections. Honeybees don’t just give us honey. As the dominant pollinators of lots of food crops, around a third of […]

May 6, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

Interview 6 May 2019

2019 Will Be a “Year of Realism” for Biotech Investments

Biotech investors regularly jump on new crazes, including the microbiome and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. At BIO-Europe Spring 2019, Regina Hodits, Managing Partner at German VC firm Wellington Partners Life Sciences, spoke to us about the firm’s realistic approach to biotech investment. Biotechnology is an industry with high risks and high rewards. Before a medical biotech […]

May 6, 2019 - 6 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

combioxin antibiotic resistance pneumonia

News and Trends 3 May 2019

Drug Mopping Up Bacterial Toxins Shows Potential to Tackle Antibiotic Resistance in Phase I

An antibiotic-enhancing drug developed by the Swiss biotech Combioxin to tackle antibiotic resistance showed promising effects in a phase I trial. Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem around the world, causing common infections such as pneumonia to become harder to treat. As standard antibiotics become less and less effective, we urgently need to find new […]

May 3, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

green basilisk self healing concrete delft

Startup Scout 3 May 2019

This Biotech Makes Self-Healing Concrete Using Bacteria

Imagine walls and buildings that heal themselves just like your skin does. The Dutch biotech Green Basilisk is making this idea a reality by embedding special limestone-producing bacteria into concrete. Mission: To make concrete that can heal cracks and other kinds of damage using bacteria. This self-healing power cuts the maintenance the material requires, and […]

May 3, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 2 May 2019

Drug for Autoimmune Liver Disease Yields Mixed Results in Hard-to-Treat Patients

Developed by the French biotech Genkyotex, a first-in-class treatment for the liver disease primary biliary cholangitis failed to reduce a key disease biomarker in a phase II trial, but showed potential for reducing liver scarring. Primary biliary cholangitis is an autoimmune disease that damages the liver and can lead to liver scarring (fibrosis) or the […]

May 2, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 30 Apr 2019

Orchard’s Gene Therapy Shows Potential in Treating Patients with Beta Thalassemia

Patients with the life-threatening blood disorder beta-thalassemia required fewer blood transfusions after receiving a gene therapy developed by the UK company Orchard Therapeutics, with four out of nine no longer depending on transfusions. Beta thalassemia is a genetic disorder that affects hemoglobin, a protein that blood cells use to carry oxygen. In the most severe […]

April 30, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

Knowledge hub

Categories

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

Top biotech deals of February 2025

Approaches

Therapeutic areas

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

These 7 biotechs are shaping the next generation of endometriosis care

R&D

BD

World biotech leaders

Connect with decision-makers and researchers worldwide for collaborative opportunities

Company

Join Us

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

Jonathan Smith

About

Articles by Jonathan Smith

‘Guided Missile’ Cancer Immunotherapy Boosted by €62M Funding

Cell Encapsulation Biotech Raises €7M to Target Cell Therapy Bottlenecks

Swiss Biotech Halts Pneumonia Antibiotic Trial After Patient Safety Scare

This Biotech Destroys Cancer Proteins by Introducing Them to ‘Executioner’ Proteins

Pfizer Pays up to €700M to Acquire Swiss Biotech Restoring Bone Growth in Achondroplasia

Schizophrenia Treatments Could be Tested and Personalized Using Patients’ Blood

Molecules in Bee Jelly Could Protect Whole Nests Against Viruses for Generations

2019 Will Be a “Year of Realism” for Biotech Investments

Drug Mopping Up Bacterial Toxins Shows Potential to Tackle Antibiotic Resistance in Phase I

This Biotech Makes Self-Healing Concrete Using Bacteria

Drug for Autoimmune Liver Disease Yields Mixed Results in Hard-to-Treat Patients

Orchard’s Gene Therapy Shows Potential in Treating Patients with Beta Thalassemia

Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest biotech news!

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

About

Articles by Jonathan Smith

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get the latest biotech news directly to your inbox!

Newsletter Signup - Footer

Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest biotech news!