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

den bosch netherlands lava therapeutics cancer immunotherapy

Startup Scout 23 Nov 2018

This Biotech Arms Tumor-Busting Cells to Treat Cancer

In the medieval city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, Lava Therapeutics is developing a cancer immunotherapy that arms a rare type of immune cell called gamma delta T cells. Mission: Develop antibodies that recruit innate immune cells near tumors and activate them to kill cancer cells. T cells are immune cells that have a strong potential […]

November 23, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

More News! 22 Nov 2018

First Drug for Rare Inflammation Syndrome Approved by FDA

The FDA has approved the first drug for the treatment of a rare condition in which the body produces too many active immune cells, developed in a Swiss-Swedish partnership. The antibody drug, emapalumab, is approved to treat primary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. This condition is a rare, often fatal syndrome in which the immune system produces too […]

November 22, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 21 Nov 2018

Leo Pharma Enters Partnership to Develop Topical Treatment for Rare Skin Cancer

The Danish company Leo Pharma and the US biotech PellePharm have joined forces to develop a topical treatment for rare forms of skin cancer. In the partnership, dermatology specialist Leo Pharma is paying PellePharm €61M. This is to fund a Phase III trial of PellePharm’s topical drug to treat the skin cancer Gorlin syndrome, which has no […]

November 21, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

More News! 20 Nov 2018

Phase I Gives Hope for First Zika Vaccine

Results from a Phase I trial showed promising safety and efficacy of a potential first vaccine against the mosquito-borne Zika virus, developed by French biotech Valneva and US biopharma Emergent BioSolutions. In the US-based Phase I trial, 67 participants were injected with either placebo or inactivated forms of the virus as a vaccine. Two months later, […]

November 20, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

genentech immunocore immunotherapy pipette

News and Trends 20 Nov 2018

Genentech and Immunocore Expand Partnership to Develop Cancer Immunotherapy

Immunocore and the US biotech giant Genentech are building on their existing partnership to boost the clinical development of Immunocore’s immunotherapy for treating solid tumors. In the agreement, Genentech, a member of the Roche group, will pay UK-based Immunocore €87.3M ($100M) in an upfront payment and further undisclosed milestone payments as the immunotherapy progresses towards […]

November 20, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

Inflazome Forbion inflammatory disease macrophage

More News! 19 Nov 2018

Anti-Inflammatory Treatments Get €40M Boost in Series B

A Series B funding round has whipped up €40M for the Irish company Inflazome. This money will help to fund clinical trials for anti-inflammatory treatments targeting conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. “We are extremely excited about this opportunity, which is such a large funding round in a European company,” Marco Boorsma, General Partner […]

November 19, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

mission therapeutics abbvie parkinsons disease

More News! 16 Nov 2018

AbbVie Enters Industry Collaboration to Fight Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease

The UK biotech Mission Therapeutics has teamed up with AbbVie to develop new drugs to treat the neurodegenerative conditions Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. The new collaboration aims to fund the preclinical development of drugs that inhibit proteins called deubiquitinating enzymes. Deubiquitinating enzymes modify proteins in the cell, controlling essential functions such as what the […]

November 16, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

optofluid technologies kidney dialysis talinn

Startup Scout 16 Nov 2018

This Biotech Measures How Well Kidney Dialysis Machines Filter Your Blood

We take a hop, skip and a jump into Tallinn, Estonia this week. Optofluid Technologies is developing sensors that measure blood toxin levels to see how well dialysis procedures are working in kidney failure patients. Mission: To improve the effectiveness of dialysis in kidney failure patients. Optofluid’s experimental optical sensor could give physicians detailed real-time […]

November 16, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

More News! 15 Nov 2018

Soldier Bug Could Help Combat Antibiotic Resistance

A garden insect makes a molecule that attacks the cell wall of bacteria, providing a new potential weapon in the fight against antibiotic resistance. Thanatin is a peptide molecule produced by the spined soldier bug Podisus maculiventris to control the types of bacteria that live in its gut. A research group from the University of Zurich […]

November 15, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

united neuroscience parkinsons disease cover

News and Trends 14 Nov 2018

Parkinson’s Disease Vaccine Shows Preclinical Promise

The biotech company United Neuroscience has developed a candidate Parkinson’s disease vaccine that targets a protein linked to the condition. The vaccine teaches the immune system to attack aggregations of alpha-synuclein. When this protein aggregates in neurons, it can lead to several neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson’s. In United Neuroscience’s preclinical study, the vaccine was able to prevent the […]

November 14, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 14 Nov 2018

CAR-T Promise for Patients with Solid Tumors

A new CAR-T cancer therapy from the Belgian company Celyad has shown early positive results against solid tumors in two Phase I trials, including one trial that did not include add-on chemotherapy. In one ongoing Phase I trial, Celyad’s CAR-T therapy, combined with chemotherapy, successfully shrank tumors in three enrolled patients with aggressive colorectal cancer. One […]

November 14, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

More News! 13 Nov 2018

French Company’s Drug Lowers Blood Pressure by Targeting Brain Proteins

The French company Quantum Genomics is developing a first-in-class drug that targets proteins in the brain to lower blood pressure. A Phase IIb trial, run by Quantum Genomics, found that eight weeks of taking its drug significantly lowered blood pressure in patients who were overweight or obese and with high blood pressure. This reduction also […]

November 13, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

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Jonathan Smith

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Articles by Jonathan Smith

This Biotech Arms Tumor-Busting Cells to Treat Cancer

First Drug for Rare Inflammation Syndrome Approved by FDA

Leo Pharma Enters Partnership to Develop Topical Treatment for Rare Skin Cancer

Phase I Gives Hope for First Zika Vaccine

Genentech and Immunocore Expand Partnership to Develop Cancer Immunotherapy

Anti-Inflammatory Treatments Get €40M Boost in Series B

AbbVie Enters Industry Collaboration to Fight Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease

This Biotech Measures How Well Kidney Dialysis Machines Filter Your Blood

Soldier Bug Could Help Combat Antibiotic Resistance

Parkinson’s Disease Vaccine Shows Preclinical Promise

CAR-T Promise for Patients with Solid Tumors

French Company’s Drug Lowers Blood Pressure by Targeting Brain Proteins

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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

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Advertise with us

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Articles by Jonathan Smith

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