Barça Innovation Hub (BIHUB) joins the ownership of Made of Genes, member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, in a pioneering agreement to develop new biomedical intelligence solutions for optimizing sports performance, preventing injuries, and managing health with a gender perspective for elite athletes. 

The technological center Eurecat, member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, presented this week at the Mobile World Congress an assistive robot that helps people at home with daily tasks. The robot can engage in conversation and providing personalized assistance to users based on monitoring their health or mood offering, for example, guidance related to an exercise routine. 

You have a product that represents, or has the potential to represent, significant improvements for the health system and for the population. In many cases, the challenge will not be to have reached this level of development, but rather to bring this product to market. Successful commercialisation is a complex challenge that requires resources and a meticulous strategy; whether for start-ups, SMEs or large companies, it is important to consider how to tackle crucial issues such as which market to target, how to connect with strategic partners, or how to collaborate with the public administration.

One of the issues of concern and interest in our community is the improvement of taxation in the field of entrepreneurship. For this reason, in a session prior to the ordinary General Assembly of members of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, a Taxation Forum was held to debate the impact that tax measures could have on investors, entrepreneurs, researchers and R&D generated in the sector.

The technology of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is opening new opportunities in various fields, improving the daily lives of many people. A clear example of this advancement is the application of AI in the field of vision, which is the focus of the company Wivi Vision, member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech and a project led by Eva García Ramos and Juan Carlos Ondategui-Parra.  

CataloniaBio & HealthTech held its general assembly on 14 February at the Ateneu Barcelonès, where the members of the board, the executive team and around a hundred members met to discuss and approve the management report and accounts for the 2023 financial year, as well as the action plan for 2024. It also approved the admission of 36 new members, who had the opportunity to present themselves before the attendees.

SANNO, member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, has been selected for a groundbreaking program with EIT Health, Takeda, and KU Leuven, focusing on the early detection and better management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This initiative focuses on advancing and validating innovative technologies designed to predict IBD flares. 

Palobiofarma has closed a seven-million-euro investment round led by Inveready, both members of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, through the Inveready Biotech IV fund, the public company Sodena and the company’s founders.  

In 2023, Parc Taulí Hospital in Sabadell launched the Advanced Resolution Assistance Unit (ARA). In this unit, patients visiting the emergency room with low-complexity conditions are triaged by nursing staff with the support of Mediktor, an artificial intelligence software. The professionals involved have voiced their support for the project. 

CONNECTA Therapeutics and the Parc Taulí Research and Innovation Institute (I3PT), members of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, together with the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) and the Hospital del Mar Research Institute have secured 2.7 million euros in funding from the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities of Spain and the European Union, through the Next Generation EU program, to initiate Phase IIa clinical trials of the drug CTH120 for the treatment of fragile X syndrome (FXS). 

The results of the first clinical trial in humans of Omomyc (OMO-103), a specific inhibitor of the oncogene MYC developed by Peptomyc, member company of CataloniaBio & HealthTech and a spin-off of the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), demonstrate that the new drug is safe and shows promising antitumor activity. The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, includes the results of this phase I trial as well as a deep molecular study of Omomyc, and the identification of potential biomarkers for the drug's activity.  

Grifols, member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, announced that Raimon Grifols and Víctor Grifols Deu decided to conclude their executive roles and will step down from their positions as Chief Corporate Officer (CCO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) respectively. Both will remain on the board of directors as non-executive directors. Thomas Glanzmann will continue as Executive Chairman, and Nacho Abia will be appointed as the company's new CEO. 

Ysios Capital, member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, has announced today its participation in the funding round of Neurona Therapeutics, for a total amount of $120 million. Ysios Capital has joined a prominent investor syndicate led by Viking Global Investors and Cormorant Asset Management with the participation of new and existing investors. 

LAINCO, member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, is preparing to celebrate its 90th anniversary this year. Since its foundation in 1934, the company has been synonymous with innovation, quality, and a commitment to excellence. 

The Ship2B Foundation, member of CataloniaBio & Healthtech, announces that its CEO and co-founder Clara Navarro will step aside for a new stage in her career, handing over the reins of the executive leadership to Guillermo Ricarte, who brings extensive experience in leading organizations. 

Inbiomotion, an Ysios Capital portfolio company, both members of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, and Source BioScience, have signed an exclusive agreement to start offering the MAF Test® as a service in United Kingdom and Ireland. The MAF Test® predicts the prognosis of breast cancer patients and helps oncologists to identify those patients who may be able to prevent recurrence and benefit from adjuvant treatment with bisphosphonates, which are commonly used to treat osteoporosis. The test also identifies those patients whose prognosis would worsen if treated with bisphosphonates.  

The Association of Science and Technology Parks of Spain (APTE) has compiled a list of the 100 best startups of 2023 located in its 51 science and technology parks in 15 Spanish autonomous communities. 

Almirall, member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, announced a strategic partnership with Microsoft to drive innovation and digital transformation, advance the research of medical solutions for dermatological diseases, and accelerate the digital transformation of the company. During this three-year collaboration, Almirall and Microsoft Industry Solutions, in collaboration with some Microsoft partners, will create a joint Digital Office to build on Almirall's unified data platform, and drive digital innovation in drug discovery and development by harnessing generative artificial intelligence and advanced analytics technologies. 

CataloniaBio & HealthTech brought together representatives of all these actors in a Lessons Learned session on 1 February to address aspects, guidelines, and recommendations, based on the experience of real cases, aimed at making it easier for contracting bodies to incorporate innovation into tendering processes.

OneChain Immunotherapeutics (OCI), member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, announced Stefanos Theoharis, Ph.D., as the company's new Chief Executive Officer. He succeeds Jorge Alemany, Ph.D., who has served as CEO since the creation of the company in June 2020 and will now retire.