15 January 2019
Institut Marquès, a CataloniaBio & HealthTech member, has launched a programme of scientific studies on semen quality in various countries, as nearly 17% of couples have sterility issues and the male partner is involved in more than 50% of these cases.
The first study was conducted in Spain in 2004 and others have begun recently in Italy and Ireland.
After analysing semen samples from one thousand Spanish men, scientists saw that the factors commonly attributed to poor semen quality (stress, alcohol, etc.) are a myth and that the origin of the problem is chemical toxins. These substances, which take ...
15 January 2019
The Genesis Ventures fund, managed by Genesis Biomed, has invested a total of €325,000 in five start-ups, spin-offs and projects in the biomedical field during its first year of existence.
As Josep Lluís Falcó, founder and CEO of Genesis Biomed, explains “we have shown our commitment to projects in early phases, providing our investment and know-how in order to add value to these projects”.
During 2019, Genesis Ventures aims to invest in 10 more projects or companies to complete its €1.2 million investment fund. The tickets vary between €50,000 to €100,000 per investment.
Genesis Biomed is ...
8 January 2019
AstraZeneca has announced organisational changes to support continued scientific innovation and commercial success in the main therapy areas as the company enters a new phase in its strategic development.
Included in the changes will be the arrival of the world-renowned oncology scientist, Josep Baselga. He was most recently Physician-in-Chief at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Prior to this, he was Associate Director at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Founding Director of the Vall d‘Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) in Barcelona.
Currently, AstraZeneca is focused in three therapy areas: oncology; cardiovascular; renal, metabolism and respiratory. In Barcelona, the biopharmaceutical ...
8 January 2019
The Barcelona Science Park (PCB) closed the activities to celebrate its 20th anniversary with an institutional event chaired by the rector of the University of Barcelona, Joan Elias, on December 21.
The event was attended by more than one hundred people from the worlds of academia, science, business and government. "The PCB is an absolutely exceptional concentration of talent that contributes to creating value in our city and in our country" said Elias.
The PCB is one of Europe's leading scientific, technological and business innovation ecosystems. Currently it has a surface area of 100,000 square metres and a community ...
8 January 2019
Devicare and nine leading Spanish hospitals in urology have successfully completed the clinical trial which demonstrates the efficacy of the combined use of a medical device (Lit-Control® pH Meter) and a nutraceutical (Lit-Control® pH Down) to prevent the encrustation of double J catheters by monitoring urinary pH and supplying phytates (crystallisation inhibitors).
The results of this pioneering study at the international level will be presented in the Meeting of the Spanish Association of Urology in January in Palma de Mallorca and in the European Association of Urology Congress in March in Barcelona in front of more than 10,000 urologists ...
8 January 2019
GlyCardial Diagnostics have received €1.9 million of the SME Instrument phase II funding, in the framework of H2020 programme, to advance in the development of its novel test for the early detection of cardiac ischemia.
"So amazing to have it approved in our first trial. It is highly motivating to see that the EU trusts in our project as much as we do" says Dr Judit Cubedo, CEO at Glycardial.
Founded in 2017 by Prof Lina Badimon, Dr Judit Cubedo, Dr Teresa Padró and Dr Gemma Vilahur, Glycardial is a spin-off of the Research Institute of the Hospital ...
23 December 2018
The EU-funded consortium GAPVAC, with members that include BCN Peptides and Barcelona's Vall d'Hebron Hospital, has conducted a clinical trial showing the positive effect of personalised vaccines for brain cancer (glioblastoma). The study was published in the journal Nature.
BCN Peptides' role in this consortium has been to manufacture the GMP peptides library to produce the vaccine used in the trial.
BCN Peptides believes personalised medicine is a strategic field. "We've been working intensely to come up with solutions to the challenges of manufacturing the active ingredients and the ad-hoc formulation for each patient," explained Dr Jordi Piró, sales ...
23 December 2018
Spiral Therapeutics, CataloniaBio & HealthTech member, secured $3.7 million as part of a Series A financing round co-led by Savoir Capital and Camden Partners to continue to advance its pipeline.
Specifically, the clinical stage pharmaceutical company will initiate the Phase I clinical trial of LPT99, its lead investigational drug candidate targeting prevention and treatment of hearing loss.
Spiral was launched in early 2016 by Hugo Peris and is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area. Its R&D lab is located in Barcelona. Peris is a board member of Salvat.
Photo: Hugo Peris, founder and CEO of Spiral ...
11 December 2018
RheoDx, a CataloniaBio & HealthTech member, has opened a round of investment to raise €350,000 on the Capital Cell crowdfunding platform. The funds will go to finish technical development of a portable medical device that improves monitoring of patients with haematological diseases (anaemia, liquid cancer, clotting disorders, etc.).
This medical device can detect anomalies in blood cells immediately and affordably, from just one drop of blood. It is a patented technology that came out of research led by professor Aurora Hernández-Machado with Centre de Recerca Matemàtica.
RheoDx was created in 2018 by Oliver Balcells, CEO; Samantha López ...
11 December 2018
Ability Pharma has raised €1,230,000 in crowdfunding through Capital Cell. This is the largest round the platform has raised so far. The campaign opened in early September.
This round is bridge funding towards a round to raise between €3 million and €5 million in venture capital to complete phase II clinical trials on the drug ABTL0812 for lung and endometrial cancer in Spain and France.
ABTL0812 is administered in combination with chemotherapy as a first-line therapy and maintenance therapy.
Both Ability Pharma and Capital Cell are members of CataloniaBio & HealthTech.
Photo: Carles Domènech, CEO of ...
10 December 2018
Innovamed, CataloniaBio & HealthTech member, has expanded the production centre in Barberà del Vallès (Barcelona).
Created in 2004 by the founders of Grupo Gema, and currently managed by José Ortíz, Innovamed is focused on providing services cleanroom for medical and pharmaceutical sector: injection and microinjection of plastic parts or components, coupling and packaging services, and contract manufacturing.
10 December 2018
Avinent, CataloniaBio & HealthTech member, will invest €8 million to expand its facilities by 7.000 square metres in Santpedor (Barcelona). The construction of the building, designed by the architect Manuel Guerrero, will finish in 2022.
The company’s new building is a reflection of the ambition, modernity and technological spirit of the firm. Last year Avinent has made a commitment to 3D printing, apart from its dental implant solutions. In this sense, new areas will be created for 3D printing in metal and polymers, laboratories of new technologies of 3D printing and bio-printing, a space for innovation and R & ...
9 December 2018
On 5 December in Barcelona, Biocat presented the 2017 Biocat Report, the benchmark study that analyses the life sciences and healthcare sector in Catalonia. More than 300 professionals attended the event chaired by President of the Catalan Government, Quim Torra.
The life sciences and healthcare sector accounts for 7.2% of the country's GDP. On average, a new start-up company opens every week in the medical and life sciences sector. In 2017, the sector had 1,060 companies, nearly 58,000 employees and a joint turnover of some €17.8 billion, with an average annual growth of 2.4% between ...
5 December 2018
More than 60 executives from companies and stakeholders that are members of CataloniaBio & HealthTech participated in the first UnConference, held on 29 November at the Sant Pere de Clarà Farmhouse in Argentona (Barcelona), to debate the future of therapeutic solutions for healthcare in Catalonia and the world. The sector currently makes up 7.2% of the Catalan GDP and companies are raising more than €100 million in investment each year.
The welcome session was hosted by Jaume Amat, president of CataloniaBio & HealthTech and CEO of Specipig, and Albert Barberà, director general for Research and Innovation in ...
4 December 2018
Accompanied by the director general of research, Joan Gómez, the president of the Government of Catalonia, Quim Torra, visited on 30th November the company Rob Surgical in El Prat de Llobregat (Barcelona). The company designs and develops new robotic systems for minimally invasive surgery.
During the visit, the president and the director general of research attended a simulation of the Bitrack System carrying out a nephrectomy with Dr Lluís Peri of Barcelona's Hospital Clínic.
"It is encouraging to see innovative companies such as Rob Surgical that are international right from the start. We hope to bring this technology to ...
4 December 2018
Lamentem comunicar-vos la defunció sobtada de l'Àlex Casta, membre de la nostra associació i bon amic de molts de nosaltres. En nom de la junta volem expressar el més sentit condol a la seva família i amics per aquesta trista pèrdua. L'Àlex ha estat l'ànima d'UPF Ventures, un projecte empresarial en el qual tenia dipositada una gran il·lusió i estava realitzant un excel·lent treball. Anteriorment va ocupar càrrecs de responsabilitat a Caixa Capital Risc, Biocat i la Fundació Bosch i Gimpera, a més de fundar l'start-up RadisMed.
La vetlla es farà el dimarts 11 de desembre de 16 h ...
3 December 2018
The co-founder and CEO of GoodGut, Mariona Serra, was honoured with the Fidem 2018 award for innovation at a gala held on 29 November in CaixaFòrum Barcelona. Serra received the award from the Catalan Minister of the Presidency, Elsa Artadi, who took part in the event alongside the Minister of Enterprise and Knowledge, Àngels Chacón.
For the last 21 years, the International Foundation for Women Entrepreneurs (Fidem) has through this award recognised successes and initiatives by women who, through good management of their businesses, contribute to economic and social development.
3 December 2018
The biotechnology company Iproteos and the Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), CataloniaBio & HealthTech members, and the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) are set to develop an innovative treatment to slow down, stop and even reverse the growth of solid tumors, which represent more than 90% of cancer cases.
The project, which received €935,000 from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, through of the call 2017 Retos, will focus in its first phase on two of the most common solid tumors in children and adolescents, rhabdomyosarcoma and neuroblastoma, as well as in lung and colon ...
21 November 2018
Kymos Pharma Services, a Contract Research Organisation that provides quality control and R&D services for the biopharmaceutical industry and a CataloniaBio & HealthTech member, has added Dr Montserrat Barceló to its Board of Directors as an independent external advisor. The company has therefore completed the process of gradually filling its executive bodies with professionals in order to tackle new challenges associated with international expansion.
Barceló has a degree in medicine from the University of Barcelona and a master from the ESADE Executive Programme for Women in Upper Management. She is currently director of operations at TFS and a founding partner ...
16 November 2018
Kymos Pharma Services, una Contract Laboratory Organization que ofereix serveis d'R+D i control de qualitat per a la indústria biofarmacèutica associada a CataloniaBio & HealthTech, ha incorporat la Dra. Montserrat Barceló al consell d'administració com a consellera externa independent. La companyia culmina així un procés gradual de professionalització dels seus òrgans de direcció per abordar nous reptes d'expansió internacional.
Barceló és llicenciada en Medicina per la Universitat de Barcelona i màster de Programa Executiu de Dones en l'Alta Direcció d'ESADE. Actualment és directora d'operacions de TFS i sòcia fundadora de l'Associació Espanyola de Executives i Conselleres (EJE & ...