Tagged with Biotech,

Spain Alta Life Sciences is one of Catalonia’s top venture capital investor groups in the biotech sector. Montserrat Vendrell, partner and a pivotal figure in the development of the region’s life sciences ecosystem, explains the VC’s investment strategy, their connection with US-based funds, and the challenges ahead for Catalonia’s bioregion.  …

Hong Kong Having consolidated its position as Asia’s largest biotech fundraising hub – and the world’s second largest – the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) listed a total of 34 biotech and healthcare companies in 2021. “[Last year’s listings] made us rank first by number of deals and second by the amount…

Spain VIVEbiotech is a Spanish CDMO specialised in the production of lentiviral vectors used in gene therapy. Its CEO, Dr Gurutz Linazasoro, tells the story of the company’s creation, comments on the unique properties of lentiviral vectors, and analyses the main trends shaping the future of the gene therapy industry. In…

Spain Biogen’s managing director for Spain, Sergio Teixeira, reflects on the company’s key role in transforming multiple sclerosis and spinal muscular atrophy as examples of the American biotech giant commitment to transforming neuroscience. The Portuguese executive also analyzes what he describes as a “positive” momentum for biosimilars in Spain amongst his…

Italy Sanofi’s Country Lead, President & Managing Director for Italy Marcello Cattani discusses his career track and explains the company’s broad manufacturing footprint in the country – where Sanofi has four plants. In addition, he comments on the imminent changes to the Italian healthcare system and how the organization is transforming…

UK Oxford Nanopore hogged the UK biotech headlines in 2021, raising GBP 195 million in a single venture capital round – the year’s largest – and scoring a GBP 350 million listing on the London Stock Exchange, according to new data from the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA) and Clarivate. See below…

Spain Soon after reaching its 60th anniversary, in 2015, the largest hospital in Catalonia and a group of sister institutions began working on the creation of a new type of campus. The idea was to follow the footsteps of world-leading healthcare hubs.   The idea of strengthening the cluster was an…

Italy Luca Benatti, one of Italian biotech’s most notable entrepreneurs, outlines some of the key challenges of starting a biotech company in Europe, highlights how these barriers can be overcome, and gives some of the key lessons he has learned in his entrepreneurial journey.   Benatti currently serves as CEO and…

Italy Serial bioentrepreneur Luca Benatti introduces EryDel, an Italian firm based on the concept of using a patient’s red blood cells to deliver drugs. Benatti also weighs in on the strengths and weaknesses of the Italian environment for biotech start-ups and his ambitious roadmap for EryDel’s future growth.   The major…

Spain The Spanish Society of Biotechnology (SEBiot) is a non-profit organization established by academics and researchers to promote the sector through knowledge exchange and is a Branch Office of the European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB). Its current president, Fernando Peláez, explains the main activities of this scientific society, how SEBiot is…

Spain While Spain’s scientific infrastructure has long been hailed as world-class, the southern European nation has often struggled to translate its excellent science into viable commercial companies. However, a growing cadre of clinical-stage firms are aiming to change that narrative and become the biotech success story that Spain so desperately craves.…

Asia-Pacific To cater to Japan and Asia Pacific (JAPAC)’s booming biotech industry, in May 2021 IQVIA expanded its ‘IQVIA Biotech’ brand into the region. Looking ahead to 2022, IQVIA Biotech JAPAC has identified six key trends for emerging biotechs to watch. For a full interview with Senthil Sockalingam, head of IQVIA…