Within the framework of the Barcelona Deep Tech Summit, the second edition of the Joan Roget Awards for Knowledge Transfer was held, convened by the Department of Research and Universities through the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation. The Vall d'Hebron University Hospital Foundation-Institute of Research (VHIR), member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, has been awarded in the category of Impulse for Transfer, and OneChain, a spin-off from the Josep Carreras Leucemia Research Institute, also members of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, in the category of Successful Transfer Case. In addition, the PIKSEL project of the Center for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE) and the Department of Territory of the Government of Catalonia have also been recognized for their best collaborative R+D+I work. 

Peptomyc, member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech and spin-off of the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) and the Catalan Institute of Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), announces that the first patient of its Phase Ib clinical trial was successfully treated with OMO-103 – the first direct pan-Myc inhibitor to have completed Phase I clinical trial last year – in combination with the standard of care (SoC) drugs gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel. 

MiMARK Diagnostics, S.L., member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, has successfully raised €4.22 million as seed round stage. The substantial investment will drive the development of the company's groundbreaking gynaecological diagnostics solutions, with key EU participation from the EIC Accelerator (European Innovation Council) and private investors, including Clave Capital, Nara Capital, Namarel Ventures, and WA4STEAM investing in May this year, and CDTI Innvierte, Inveready (member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech too) and Canterbury Scientific, joining later on. 

Llambric Precision, member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, presented at Medica Düseldorf the launch of their patented surgical instrument holder, one of their new advancements in R&D. 

Almirall S.A. (BME:ALM), a global biopharmaceutical company focused on medical dermatology, announced today that the European Commission (EC) has approved EBGLYSS (lebrikizumab) for the treatment of adult and adolescent patients (12 years and older with a bodyweight of at least 40 kg) with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD), who are candidates for systemic therapy. Almirall will first start the commercial launch in Germany. The company will continue the rollout in further European countries throughout 2024.

Minoryx Therapeutics, a registration stage biotech company focused on the development of therapies for orphan central nervous system (CNS) disorders, announced the first patients have been enrolled in its US Phase 3 clinical trial (CALYX) of lead candidate leriglitazone, to treat adult male X-linked Adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) patients with cerebral Adrenoleukodystrophy (cALD), an orphan indication with no alternative therapeutic options.

The third edition of the conference "Digital Transformation in Healthcare Organizations. Trends in the Health and Social Sector," organized by the Salut Empordà Foundation (FSE), member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, on Thursday, November 16th at the Castell de Peralada, brought together over 200 people in person and another hundred following the presentations and roundtable discussions via streaming. The main themes of this year's program focused on data management, cybersecurity, and the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a new digital tool. 

GigaGen Inc., a biotechnology company advancing transformative antibody drugs for immune deficiencies, infectious diseases and checkpoint resistant cancers, and a subsidiary of Grifols, presented investigational new drug (IND)-enabling data and the clinical trial design for its first-in-human Phase 1 study evaluating the company’s oncology candidate, GIGA-564, at the 2023 Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Annual Meeting. GigaGen anticipates trial initiation in 2024. 

D-Sight, member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, has been selected among more than 150 applications from 18 European countries as one of the most innovative and promising projects in Europe for this year’s edition of the InnoStars Awards.  Together with another 18 participants from different European countries, the spin-off company has worked diligently on conceptualizing key aspects of its business plan and advancing the preclinical development of its drug for the treatment of early stages of diabetic retinopathy. 

The company, led by Eva García Ramos, has signed an agreement with Vision Rehab Technologies, Inc. (VRTI), which will become the exclusive distributor for the development of its technology in the United States. Thus, Wivi Vision, a member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, begins its internationalization and expects to achieve a revenue of €5 million in 2024, multiplying the current revenue by 5. 

The consultancy firm GENESIS Biomed a reference in advisory services for R&D&i projects in the biomedical sector, member of CataloniaBio &HealthTech, will close this financial year with a record turnover of €2M, 25% more than in 2022, thanks to an exclusively organic growth strategy and an ambitious national expansion plan.

El European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund i Methinks AI, empresa de salut digital especialitzada en la detecció precoç i el maneig de pacients amb ictus agut mitjançant intel·ligència artificial (IA), anuncien una important inversió de l’EIC Fund, a la qual s’hi afegeix la participació d’inversors existents i la incorporació d’un nou inversor. En total, Methinks AI, que és membre de CataloniaBio & HealthTech, ha captat 2,5 milions d’euros en préstecs convertibles amb l’objectiu de preparar la seva propera ronda d’inversió.

Oxolife, member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, announces it has appointed globally renowned fertility experts to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).  

Mitelos, member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, announced a significant milestone: the sale of 3 million units of their ear care products. This achievement highlights their unwavering dedication to delivering quality ear care solutions and underscores the trust their customers have placed in us.  

Inbiomotion SL, member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech and a company in the portfolio of Ysios Capital (member too), has announced the publication in Nature Cell Biology of key data further elucidating the biology around the MAF biomarker. 

CataloniaBio & HealthTech, as an AEI (Innovative Business Group, in Spanish) recognised by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism (Mincotur) has participated for the first time in the calls for aid that they promote. These industrial research calls are aimed at incorporating knowledge and technologies that promote the digital transformation of companies. This is the first time it has been eligible since it was accepted onto the register in the summer of 2022.

Asabys Partners, member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, along with companies such as Novator Partners, Frumtak Ventures, and Wellington Partners, are prominent investors in Sidekick Health. Asabys participated in the $55 million funding round in May 2022, which laid the foundation for the company to continue growing and innovating, generating a greater impact in the digital health and therapeutic sectors.  

Vytrus Biotech, member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, has received €575,000 in financing from the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI), affiliated with the Ministry of Science and Innovation of the Spanish Government, for the development of cutting-edge technologies in the field of dermocosmetics and health.  

Cebiotex, member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, is working on a drug that consists of a membrane made from biodegradable fibers that releases a natural molecule with a high chemotherapeutic capacity and can be implanted after tumor extraction, on the surgical bed. It can be used in the treatment of localized solid tumours. 

Reig Jofre, member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, has achieved significant success together with their partner Maruishi Pharmaceutical in Japan. They have produced in Barcelona and marketed in Japan 15 million vials of Remifentanil, a state-of-the-art intravenous anesthetic for hospital use. This product, internally developed by the company, is manufactured at Reig Jofre's sterile injectables and lyophilized plant.