A new era for the CataloniaBio association of companies and the HealthTech Cluster. Members of the two organisations unanimously passed the motion to merge under the brand CataloniaBio & HealthTech at their respective extraordinary general meetings held in Barcelona yesterday. Negotiations and the preliminary merger process have taken place throughout the year, with institutional support from ACCIÓ, the Catalan government agency that promotes clusters, and legal guidance from RCD.

CataloniaBio & HealthTech now represents more than 150 companies, as well as collaborating stakeholders such as hospitals, research centres and universities that are leaders in R&D in biomedicine. The headquarters will ...

Laboratorios Leti, a CataloniaBio member, has signed an agreement with the multinational MSD Animal Health to distribute its canine leishmaniasis vaccine LetiFend® in France, Italy, Greece and the United Kingdom. Leti will continue to manage the Spanish and Portuguese markets directly.

LetiFend® is the first recombinant vaccine available in Europe to prevent canine leishmaniasis, a global zoonosis caused by Leishmania infantum, which is potentially deadly and prevalent in more than 80 countries around the world. Moreover, there are few treatment possibilities, which highlights the importance of vaccination to strengthen the immune system before infection.

According to Laboratorios Leti President Jaime ...

The UAB Research Park and the Catalan Biotechnology Reference Network, the organisers of the 2017 Generation of Ideas programme with collaboration from CataloniaBio, have awarded the prize for best innovative project to Nanoplastics.

Created by Achille Francone, researcher at the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2); Natalia de la Oliva, of the Institut de Neurociències (INc UAB); and Ana Beatriz and Tarik Ruiz Medina, of the Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), Nanoplastics has created a single-layer biodegradable film to boost food safety and extend the shelf life of packaged fresh food.

The runner-up was RES-KIT, a diagnostic ...

Report of the last Lessons Learned 

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The biopharmaceutical industry (biopharma) is increasingly interested in acquiring medical technology (medtech) to provide innovative, effective solutions to the main global diseases. The line between these two areas has become blurred and is taking us towards a new business model. Four Catalan companies that are deeply involved in this spoke at the latest Lessons Learned session organized by CataloniaBio and Biocat with collaboration from the Health Tech Cluster, on 29 November at the Barcelona Science Park (PCB).

CataloniaBio Secretary General Melqui Calzado opened the debate looking at patient care that “requires ...

The biotechnology Leukos Biotech and the bioinformatics Mind The Byte, a CataloniaBio members, have reached an agreement to work on the development of potential treatments for the T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T- ALL), that represents a 15% of all cases of leukemia.

The project will be based on previous studies developed by the Leukemia Stem Cells Group at the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, led by Dr Ruth Risueño. Risueño is co-founder and CSO of Leukos Biotech. These studies have discovered the therapeutic effect of several molecules, but their mechanism of action remains unknown. Mind the Byte will computationally investigate ...

Genesis Biomed, a CataloniaBio member, was presented yesterday Genesis Ventures, a new investment fund located in Barcelona 

Representatives of a total of 24 biomedical research projects have taken part in the third edition of Health & Bio Team Dating, which took place in Barcelona today. It is the only speed-dating event in this industry, and offers a chance to contact potential partners who can help them attract investment and bring their science to the market. Over 160 sessions were held over a four-hour period as part of this initiative, which has been organised by Banco Sabadell’s BStartup, Biocat and the association of companies CataloniaBio, with the collaboration of 29 universities and research institutions in Catalonia.

“At BStartup ...

Representatives of a total of 24 biomedical research projects have taken part in the third edition of Health & Bio Team Dating, which took place in Barcelona today. It is the only speed-dating event in this industry, and offers a chance to contact potential partners who can help them attract investment and bring their science to the market. Over 160 sessions were held over a four-hour period as part of this initiative, which has been organised by Banco Sabadell’s BStartup, Biocat and the association of companies CataloniaBio, with the collaboration of 29 universities and research institutions in Catalonia.

The pharmaceutical company Esteve, a member of the CataloniaBio board of directors, will begin 2018 with a new Chairman of the Board, Albert Esteve, and a new Chief Executive Officer, Staffan Schüberg. These changes are part of the largest restructuring of its governing structure to date, a process the company initiated in 2016.

Albert Esteve, currently the CEO and Vice-president of the group, will replace Joan Esteve as Chairman of the Board. He commented, "This is a new challenge that I am facing with great enthusiasm. Consolidating the best practices in corporate governance initiated under the leadership of Joan Esteve ...

Vytrus Biotech, a CataloniaBio member, has raised more than €600,000 in a capital increase it closed on 29 October. This investment came through a crowdequity campaign on the Capital Cell platform.

Specifically, the biotechnology firm raised 110% of its initial goal of €550,000 and has become one of the first companies in Spain to raise over half a million euros through this type of campaign.

The investment will go towards boosting the company’s industrial growth and research lines, as well as helping prepare the company to go public next year.

Vytrus has distribution deals in more than ...

Reig Jofre, a CataloniaBio member, has collaborated on the first social-health research study in the world on the use of seawater for hygiene and to alleviate the symptoms of respiratory conditions, which obtained information from 175 medical specialists and 1,350 patients.

As a result of the study, participants have compiled the first recommendations for nasal washing with seawater, presented at the congress of the Spanish Society of Outpatient Paediatrics and Primary Care (SEPEAP) held 19 to 21 October in Santander. Of the participating specialists, 8 in 10 agreed on the suitability of using seawater instead of saline solution for ...

The European Association of Economy and Competitiveness (AEDEEC) has granted the European Medal for Merit in Work to Mimetis Biomaterials, a CataloniaBio member. This medal recognises the entrepreneurial spirit in Europe of a selection of companies, institutions and professionals from various sectors that have fostered entrepreneurship and best practices in companies.

“We strive to find solutions to the clinical challenges bone regeneration poses, working with numerous researchers and professionals from the dental and orthopaedic sectors, with support from the Administration and, above all, drive and commitment,” explained Mimetis Biomaterials CEO Dr David Pastorino in accepting the award.

More information ...

Ruti®, the therapeutic vaccine for tuberculosis (TB) from Archivel Farma, a CataloniaBio member, is one of the nine candidates whose development progress was analysed at a meeting called by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 3 and 4 October in Geneva.

Dr Pere-Joan Cardona, head of the Experimental Tuberculosis Unit at the Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP) and inventor of the Ruti® vaccine, presented the results of several preclinical trials and clinical studies carried out so far to experts from the WHO. He also shared that they are recruiting patients with MDR-TB for a phase ...

Mitelos, a CataloniaBio member, has closed a commercial deal with OC Farma for this pharmaceutical corporation to distribute Otiblock® Ear Spray in Turkey.

Otiblock® Ear Spray is a new healthcare product aimed at facilitating elimination of earwax build-up, protecting the physiology of the ear canal to prevent future infections.

With this deal, Mitelos has extended the list of countries where the product will soon be marketed, which also includes: Malaysia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Australia, New Zealand and Spain, among others.

More information is available on the Mitelos website.

Photo: Otiblock® Ear Spray, © Mitelos

Laboratoris Ferrer, a CataloniaBio member, has extended its line of analgesics with Gelocatil Plus, a combination of 500 mg paracetamol and 65 mg caffeine.

Caffeine is an alkaloid that speeds up absorption and bioavailability of the paracetamol, allowing it to reach the bloodstream faster. In this regard, it helps curb pain 31% faster than 500 mg paracetamol alone. Plus, caffeine boosts the analgesic effects of the paracetamol 89% by inhibiting adenosine receptors and blocking some pain receptors. It also acts on the central nervous system, with a stimulating effect that adds to a feeling of wellbeing.

Although the ...

The European Commission has published its comments on the 19 cities bidding to host the new headquarters of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), including Barcelona. The Catalan capital submitted its bid spearheaded by the City Council, the Government of Catalonia and the Spanish Government last June with support from 200 companies, organisations and figures from various economic sectors, including CataloniaBio.

The report assesses the bids based on six criteria, which include having an international airport, hotel capacity, international schools and housing for agency workers and their families. Barcelona stands out in terms of the facilities available, in the emblematic Torre ...

GoodGut, a CataloniaBio member, has just launched a new website (www.goodgut.eu), with the slogan Enhancing Digestive Health, on which it presents its pipeline of non-invasive and prebiotic systems for improving the diagnosis and treatment of conditions including colon cancer, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis. These products are in the clinical trial phase, with plans for them tol be put on the market in 2019.

This intuitive new website provides the user with full corporate information: the company; mission, vision and values; Management and Board of Advisers; strategic and scientific partners; social responsibility, and a page dedicated to careers ...

Catalan biomedical companies were able to attract €153.1 million in investment in 2016, a record figure for the sector. This is the main takeaway from the first Study on investment in the Biomedical industry in Catalonia 2017: Achievements and future challenges presented today by CataloniaBio and EY at the Cercle d'Economia in Barcelona before some seventy members of the association, entrepreneurs, investors and other professionals. The study, compiled with an ad-hoc methodology developed by EY, aims to paint an accurate picture of the investment landscape in Catalonia in order to measure and compare it in the coming years ...

Spiral Therapeutics, a CataloniaBio member, had reported positive feedback from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in response to Spiral's first pre-Investigational New Drug (pre-IND) package submission.

The FDA provided informative feedback on important product development questions related to manufacturing and non-clinical testing and concurred with Spiral's clinical development plans for its LPT99 program for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced hearing loss in pediatric patients. The LPT99 is a first-in-class drug candidate.

"We are pleased with the feedback received from the FDA, which is consistent with our expectations and our plans to initiate clinical trials with LPT99," said Hugo ...

Pangaea Oncology, a CataloniaBio member, will take over management of the oncology units at four hospitals in Catalonia: Institut Dexeus, Hospital General de Catalunya, Hospital Sagrat Cor and, partially, Teknon. This news stems from an agreement with the Quirónsalud Hospital Group to promote the growth of the biotechnology company in one of its core areas of business: healthcare.

In the areas of pharmaceuticals and pathology labs, Pangaea specialises in liquid biopsies. This technology can pick up traces of cancer in liquid biopsies, like blood or saliva, and has been chosen by the EU for the Elba project (European Liquid Biopsies ...