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

Leuven biotech of the week wikimedia Edited

Startup Scout 5 Oct 2018

This Biotech Sticks Bacterial Proteins Together to Fight Antibiotic Resistance

This week’s biotech has its base in Leuven, Belgium. The newly-founded Aelin Therapeutics hopes to combat antibiotic resistance by doing the pharmacological equivalent of boiling an egg. Mission: To develop a new type of drugs to kill bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. In the future, the drugs could also be used to kill pathogenic […]

October 5, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 4 Oct 2018

This Year’s Nobel Prizes Highlight Advances in Biotechnology

Immune system brakes, optical tweezers, and enzyme evolution. Three separate subjects that span this year’s Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine, Physics and Chemistry. Despite the differences in theory, however, the diverse discoveries have one thing in common: they have applications in the biotechnology industry, Labiotech’s favorite subject. Releasing the immune system’s brakes in cancer […]

October 4, 2018 - 5 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

Inotrem Septic Shock Blood Infection Header

News and Trends 2 Oct 2018

Septic Shock Drug Shows Promise for Personalized Medicine

Septic shock may no longer be as shocking in the future, as a Phase IIa trial brings hope for a personalized immunomodulatory treatment from the French biotech Inotrem. In sepsis, the immune system overreacts to the infection of a pathogen, causing uncontrolled inflammation throughout the body and organ failure. This can lead to septic […]

October 2, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 1 Oct 2018

Cancer-Sniffing Diagnostics Company Secures €43.1M Funding

Intoxication is not the only condition that we could diagnose with breathalyzers. The UK-US company Owlstone Medical has secured €43.1M funding to help commercialize its tech that ‘smells’ cancer in your breath. Owlstone’s breathalyzer kit diagnoses conditions by measuring volatile organic compounds in a person’s breath. Disease pathologies affect the types and amounts of these […]

October 1, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 28 Sep 2018

Roche Acquires UK Cancer Immunotherapy Biotech in Deal Worth up to €655M

Tusk Therapeutics has been acquired by Swiss pharma giant Roche, which aims to develop one of its lead immunological cancer treatments. Roche has given Tusk’s shareholders €70M upfront, with up to an additional €585M planned if Tusk achieves certain milestones. Roche seems particularly interested in one of Tusk’s lead programs, an antibody that reduces the […]

September 28, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

Startup Scout 28 Sep 2018

This Spanish Biotech Helps Personalize Post-Kidney Transplant Care

We arrive in the city of Madrid this week to showcase Biohope, which is developing a technique to combat kidney transplant rejection by tailoring immunosuppressant treatments to individual patients. Mission: Founded in 2015, Biohope is developing a commercial lab kit, called Immunobiogram, that predicts the most effective immunosuppressant drugs for kidney transplant patients. Around […]

September 28, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 26 Sep 2018

Spanish Biotech Raises €21.3M To Advance Rare Disease Pipeline

Rare genetic diseases in the central nervous system may be less of a headache in future, as Barcelona-based biotech Minoryx has raised €21.3M in series B fundraising to test its lead drug candidate against other rare neurological conditions. According to Philippe Monteyne, partner at investor Fund+, “it is the largest investment in biotech in Spain […]

September 26, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 26 Sep 2018

Fish Oils Finally Reel in Positive Results for Cardiovascular Disease

Purified fish oil can reduce patients’ risks for adverse cardiovascular events by 25%, according to US-Irish Biotech Amarin’s Phase III trial results. The treatment, called Vascepa, significantly reduced the risk of strokes, heart attacks, and death. It also had a good safety profile in the over 8,000 enrolled patients, who were already taking statins. These […]

September 26, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

aktiia blood pressure people crossing v2

More News! 25 Sep 2018

24-Hour Blood Pressure Bracelet Could Combat Hypertension

For those with blood pressure problems who hate blood pressure cuffs, hope is here. Swiss biotech aktiia has raised €3.6M to market a medical bracelet that could monitor your blood pressure 24/7. “Think of aktiia as the first medical device to measure blood pressure for long periods of time … that does not influence your […]

September 25, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 24 Sep 2018

Gene Therapy Improves Eyesight of Patients With Inherited Blindness

UK startup Nightstar Therapeutics has reported good safety and early signs of visual improvements in a Phase I/II trial with a gene therapy for a rare form of inherited blindness. One month after being treated with Nightstar’s gene therapy, five of the 18 patients enrolled in the trial have already shown improvements in their vision. […]

September 24, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 20 Sep 2018

RNA Therapy Shows Promise for Treating Liver Cancer

British biotech MiNA Therapeutics’ innovative RNA treatment may enhance liver cancer patients’ response to standard cancer therapies, suggest early results from a Phase I/IIa clinical trial. When they received the biotech’s small activating RNA (saRNA) treatment, two patients showed complete responses after being given the cancer treatment sorafenib and one showed a partial response to […]

September 20, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

More News! 19 Sep 2018

Argenx Attracts Huge €250M Investment Following Positive Phase II Trial

Belgian biotech Argenx raised over €250M in public investment on the Nasdaq Stock Market after announcing positive Phase II results for its lead autoimmune drug candidate. The company now plans to progress efgartigimod, an antibody fragment inspired by llama antibodies, to Phase III trials for treatment of the autoimmune blood disease primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). […]

September 19, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

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Jonathan Smith

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Articles by Jonathan Smith

This Biotech Sticks Bacterial Proteins Together to Fight Antibiotic Resistance

This Year’s Nobel Prizes Highlight Advances in Biotechnology

Septic Shock Drug Shows Promise for Personalized Medicine

Cancer-Sniffing Diagnostics Company Secures €43.1M Funding

Roche Acquires UK Cancer Immunotherapy Biotech in Deal Worth up to €655M

This Spanish Biotech Helps Personalize Post-Kidney Transplant Care

Spanish Biotech Raises €21.3M To Advance Rare Disease Pipeline

Fish Oils Finally Reel in Positive Results for Cardiovascular Disease

24-Hour Blood Pressure Bracelet Could Combat Hypertension

Gene Therapy Improves Eyesight of Patients With Inherited Blindness

RNA Therapy Shows Promise for Treating Liver Cancer

Argenx Attracts Huge €250M Investment Following Positive Phase II 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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Articles by Jonathan Smith

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