Lyda Hill Philanthropies’ Post

Happy #InternationalWomensDay to the women leading the Intelligent Bioscience revolution! As a women-founded and women-led firm, we are especially proud to celebrate the female founders who lead the Breakout Ventures portfolio companies: (𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘰𝘸) Etosha Cave, PhD is the CSO, and Kendra Kuhl, PhD is the CTO at Twelve, a DeepTech company on a mission to build a fossil-free future through the science of carbon transformation. Ivana Muncie-Vasic, PhD is the CEO at Vitra Labs, a biotech startup developing cell-based therapies that to make IVF safer and more accessible to all patients struggling with infertility. Jennifer Power is the CEO of TFC Therapeutics, a biotech startup blending early-stage research with innovative platform design to develop next-generation treatments to eliminate the most resilient cancers. (𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘰𝘸)  Jennifer Schneider, MD, is the President of Surf Bio, a preclinical biopharmaceutical company leveraging surfactants to develop therapeutic solutions for diabetes, oncology, infectious diseases, and gene therapy. Juliana L. Hilliard is the CSO of Parallel Bio, which is building a platform that replicates the human immune system in a dish across populations to discover cures at a pace never seen before. Wendye Robbins, MD is the CEO of Incendia Therapeutics, a precision oncology biotech company dedicated to reprogramming the tumor microenvironment. Women's leadership and insights are crucial to shaping the world's bio-based transformation. Integrating diverse perspectives fuels our mission of reaching a healthier, more sustainable future. 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐳𝐞𝐫𝐬! #IWD2024 #InternationalWomensDay2024 #WomenInScience #WomenFounders #WomenInLeadership #WomenInBiotech

🔬Switzerland has a long-standing reputation for innovation in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. A recent article by Labiotech.eu highlights 18 outstanding Swiss biotech companies in areas like gene and cell therapy, cancer treatments and therapies addressing conditions that come with age. We're thrilled to see two of our Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area - Main Campus residents featured among them: ✨Alentis Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing innovative therapies targeting claudin-1 positive tumors - a significant unmet medical need. ✨Engimmune Therapeutics is a preclinical company developing next-generation T cell therapies for cancer patients. 👉Read the whole list over here:  https://lnkd.in/gnPbAhQ These are just two examples of the groundbreaking biotech companies that call Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area their home. Our modern facilities and supportive community provide the perfect platform for companies to develop and thrive. 💡Are you a biotech entrepreneur looking to embark on your own success story? Reach out to us and discover our available workspaces. Roberto Iacone | Rodrigo Vazquez-Lombardi | Lars Nieba | Karin Crisanto | Basel Area Business & Innovation #innovation #biotech #healthcare #pharma #startups

🗞 If you were looking for some positive news, Flagship delivered! Here's the latest headlines from the past week across Biotech... ▶ Flagship Pioneering unveil plans to set up 25 new companies with $3.6B funding round ▶ $277M Series D funding secured for Element Biosciences as they move towards commercialization ▶ Clinical trial data revealed from IQVIA - 60% increase in trials conducted in China coupled by a reduction in Europe ▶ Illumina follows up release of GRAIL with acquisition of Fluent BioSciences Inc. to expand on multiomics research ▶ Misery for HilleVax as Phase 2 trial flop sends stock plummeting ~ 80% ▶ SoCal layoffs as Novartis announces plans to reduce R & D in San Diego ▶ Massachusetts Eye and Ear show promising signs of reducing deafness in mouse models through CRISPR Gene Therapy What else is new in biotech?? Comment below ⤵ ⤵ ⤵

🚀 Major Funding Boost for Neurodegenerative Disease Research! 🧠 Forbion-backed Vectory Therapeutics has successfully raised $138 million to advance research into ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases. This significant funding will accelerate the development of innovative therapies, bringing hope to patients and families affected by these challenging conditions. Key Points: Funding Amount: $138 million Focus Areas: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases Backed By: Forbion, a leading life sciences venture capital firm Impact: This funding will enable Vectory Therapeutics to accelerate the development of groundbreaking treatments and potentially transform the landscape of neurodegenerative disease research. Read more about this exciting development here: https://lnkd.in/gTuTZraD #Biotech #ALSResearch #NeurodegenerativeDiseases #Funding #HealthcareInnovation #VectoryTherapeutics #Forbion #MedicalResearch

The Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) is providing a total of $8.75 million to three Ottawa-based life sciences companies. The funding includes $1.5 million investment to Virica Biotech Inc., to support and scale new advanced manufacturing of its viral sensitizers at its expanded facility at Carleton University. Virica Biotech pioneered a new viral sensitizer that boosts the efficacy of using viruses to help treat cancer, removing the barriers to manufacturing effective viral medicines at scale. FedDev Ontario also is providing $1.75 million to Genvira Biosciences Inc., which builds innovative biotherapeutics, examining how human cells change and mutate to help create vaccines, supporting advancements in gene therapy and cancer immunotherapy. The funding will help the company enhance its biomaterials manufacturing capabilities, to better serve clinicians as they undertake clinical trials. FedDev Ontario’s third investment is $5.5 million in Capital Bioventures, a not-for-profit wet-lab accelerator that provides Canadian biotech companies with early-stage funding and access to dedicated drug and corporate development biotech professionals, and access to high-quality equipment and lab space. The organization is addressing the critical need for wet lab space in the region, by establishing and launching an Ottawa-based wet-lab accelerator program that will allow SMEs to utilize wet lab space in locations across the city. #FedDevOntario #LifeSciencesFunding #OttawaBiotech #ViricaBiotech #CancerTreatment #AdvancedManufacturing #GenviraBiosciences #GeneTherapy #CancerImmunotherapy #CapitalBioventures #WetLabAccelerator #BiotechInnovation #EconomicDevelopment #HealthcareResearch #BiotechFunding

🇪🇺 How AI startups working on clinical trials for ⚕ cancer could find a breakthrough before big pharma. ✴ 🇨🇭 The Swiss Debiopharm Innovation Fund supports AI companies with a clinical focus globally, potentially revolutionizing cancer treatment methods. Clinical trials for cancer therapies are notoriously challenging, with a staggering 97% failure rate, leaving scientists perplexed as to why only a subset of patients respond positively to treatments. However, there is hope that AI could provide a solution. In an effort to uncover the underlying causes behind the varying treatment responses among different patient populations, the industry has turned to AI. By utilizing AI technology, researchers aim to identify novel biomarkers that could shed light on the biology and mechanism of action of cancer drugs. Carolina Haefliger, the head of translational medicine at Swiss pharmaceutical company Debiopharm, emphasizes the importance of biomarker discovery in truly understanding the efficacy of drugs. Debiopharm has invested in two promising startups, Genialis and Nucleai, through its venture capital arm, Debiopharm Innovation Fund. These investments are part of the fund's broader portfolio of AI companies focused on clinical applications. To gain insights into the work being done by these startups and the impact of the strategic investments from Debiopharm, Adam Green of Sifted interviewed both the startups and their investors. Through this collaboration, they aim to catalyze transformative advancements in oncology drug development. 📖 Read this inspiring article here 👇 https://lnkd.in/eeyxRX9G #AI #Cancer #research #innovation #future #medtech #healthtech #oncology #SMEs #entrepreneur #startup #founder #VCs #investor #technologist #tech #researcher #innovator #investors #investment #scientists #success #European #Switzerland #funding

🧬 Weekly Investment News in Biotech & Health 🎯 💰 Neurogene Inc. raises $200M in PIPE financing led by RTW Investments, LP, EcoR1 Capital, LLC, and Samsara BioCapital to advance gene therapy for Rett syndrome, with interim data expected soon. 💊 CrossBridge Bio closes a $10M seed round led by TMC Venture Fund and CE Ventures (CEIIF) to develop dual-payload ADC therapeutics for challenging cancer cases. 🧪 Aignostics garners $34M in Series B led by Athos Partners, Mayo Clinic, and Wellington Partners to expand its AI-powered digital pathology solutions in the U.S. and develop biomarker profiling tools. ⚙️ Inquis Medical, Inc. secures $40M in Series B funding led by Marshall Wace to commercialize its thrombectomy system with tissue-sensing technology for pulmonary embolism treatment. 🌍 BioFactura, Inc. receives $7.8M in Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) contract options for its smallpox biodefense therapeutic, advancing preparations for Phase 1 clinical trials. 🔬 Parallel Fluidics raises $7M led by J2 Ventures and 8VC to enhance microfluidic technology used in IVF and other life sciences applications. 🔗 Aligned Bio secures €1.6M from SmiLe Inject Capital to scale its nanowire technology for diagnostic biosensors, especially in cancer diagnostics. 🌡️ Persperity Health, Inc raises $1M in pre-seed funding from Freeflow Ventures and Caltech to develop a sweat-sensing health platform for women’s hormonal and fertility monitoring. ⚡iFAST Diagnostics secures €5.9M from KHP Ventures and EInk to advance antimicrobial resistance diagnostics, with a rapid testing platform that could transform patient care. 💡 Bionomics Ltd receives AUS$1M milestone payment from Carina Biotech as part of a licensing agreement for its antibody targeting cancer stem cell antigen LGR5, supporting CAR-T therapies. 📷 NexOptic Technology Corp. announces plans to raise $1M to enhance its AI imaging technologies, focusing on cost-saving and energy-efficient solutions in data compression and medical imaging. 👶 VIRAA Care raises $108K in pre-seed funding to expand its infant nutrition and pediatric health platform. #Startups #Biotech #Medtech #LifeSciences #Investments #VentureCapital

Gene&Cell Therapy >> Exclusive: Engineered B cell therapy startup Walking Fish shuts down: Walking Fish Therapeutics, a biotech startup that attempted to create engineered B cell therapies, has shuttered, founder Rusty Williams confirmed to Endpoints News. The South San Francisco biotech emerged in 2021 on the idea that scientists could turn B cells, which function like a factory that produces large amounts of proteins and antibodies, into therapeutics. It had 35 employees at its peak. The company’s closure takes place at a time when biotech startups continue to weather a tough financing environment, which has led to other companies shutting down, layoffs and pipeline pruning. For companies raising capital for costly cell therapy trials, it’s especially difficult. “The early trials in cell therapy are inefficient and expensive on per-patient cost,” Williams said. Rusty Williams Walking Fish was within two months of requesting FDA approval to start its first clinical trial testing a B cell therapy in Fabry disease, a rare, genetic lysosomal storage disorder, Williams said. A small group of biotechs have wondered if they could engineer B cells to treat a range of diseases, but it’s been a long road for developers in the space. Immusoft, founded more than a decade ago, was the first to test engineered B cells in humans. Be Biopharma, which has raised more than $180 million from ARCH Venture Partners and others, is also looking to get its engineered B cell medicines into clinical trials, starting in hemophilia B. Walking Fish hoped to be the next to enter the clinic. It was working on raising a Series B to help fund the Phase 1 proof-of-concept study, Williams said, after having completed a $73 million Series A in early 2022. For its Series B, the startup wanted 40% of the financing to come from new investors. The biotech had secured about 90% of that goal before an undisclosed internal investor backed out, citing real estate debt for a multiyear lease, and another followed suit at a “fateful board meeting in March,” according to Williams. “It was very surprising that one of our key internal investors for the insider commitment at the last minute abruptly withdrew their commitment,” he said. “It was too late to replace them. They recommended that we close the company.” Williams said it was a “shock” to him, the management team, the investors who didn’t have a seat on the board and the startup’s partners, and he thinks it could’ve been avoided. He and his team had tried finding ways to stay afloat, including a recapitalization (that didn’t receive board approval) and two rounds of layoffs. “This is the best group of employees I’ve ever worked with,” said Williams, who founded Five Prime Therapeutics, which went public in 2013 and was bought by Amgen for $1.9 billion in 2021. The company’s assets could now… #lucidquest #genetherapy #celltherapy