#32 - UK biotech surge, Europe’s new hub & green gains

The coffee break biotech roundup, by SomX.

Greetings, friends.

The January blues are now over for another year, and February kicks off with a flurry of cash-fuelled gambits. Akribion has €8M for cell-zapping tech, Forbion has €164.5M for their green machine, meanwhile, the EU's new biotech hub aims to cut red tape, the UK defies Brexit blues, and OSE Immunotherapeutics emerges as a potential golden goose in the high-stakes world of cancer vaccines.

Happy reading comrades!

Dodo

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Discover 🔍

🦠BioTech startup Akribion Therapeutics raises €8 million to develop programmable cell depletion (EU Startups): It’s been a handsome payday for Akribion Therapeutics as it steps out of stealth, backed by CARMA FUND, RV Invest, and others, to advance its proprietary new class of oncology therapeutics: G-dase® E nucleases. The focus is on establishing in vivo proof of concept, starting with HPV-induced oropharyngeal head and neck cancer. But with its nifty cell programming tech, the German biotech believes that it could have wider applications…

Our take: The "inside-out" cell death works by using RNA to guide a nuclease that targets and shreds specific DNA and RNA, leaving healthy cells alone. In theory, any condition with a distinct RNA "fingerprint" – including autoimmune and fibrotic diseases – could be tackled by swapping out the guide RNA. This versatile, off-the-shelf alternative could speed up market entry, rivalling complex cell and gene therapies like CAR-T.

🇪🇺European Commission launches new Biotech and Biomanufacturing Hub (Pharmafile): The Brussels bureaucrats have launched a new hub to help start-ups and SMEs navigate the regulatory hurdles of the EU market. This multilingual digital platform aims to provide a "one-stop shop" for funding, R&D support, and regulatory compliance for our continental cousins. The latest announcement forms part of a broader strategy to give the EU's biotech sector a kick up the backside, to bring innovative ideas to market more rapidly...

Our take: This is a welcome and long-overdue initiative. The EU’s biotech ambitions have long been hampered by fragmented R&D, regulatory patchwork, and opaque funding – especially for startups without deep pockets. More than just a digital resource, the Hub aims to unify and strengthen a nascent ecosystem. However, will it drive real innovation or just make the existing red tape easier to navigate?

💰Green Biotech fund surges past €150M target (European Biotechnology): Dutch VC firm Forbion has scored big with its BioEconomy Fund I, raking in €164.5M in just over a year – well on its way to its €200M hard cap. Backed by heavyweights like KfW Capital, Novo Holdings, and Rentenbank, the fund is targeting scalable B2B alternatives to unsustainable products. A tidy sum for a greener future.

Our take: Forbion's formidable success is a bellwether indicator for the environmental sector, spurred by rising demand for cost-effective, low-impact alternatives across industries like energy, agriculture and manufacturing. Clearly, the bioeconomy is no longer a fringe concept and is increasingly becoming a mainstream investment opportunity after historically being overshadowed by pharma and healthcare R&D.

🇬🇧U.K. biotech defies the odds, raising £3.5B in 2024 (Labiotech): In a major bounce back for British biotech, the sector pulled in £3.5B in 2024 – a hefty 94% jump on last year. According to the BIA, North American investors backed 38% of Series B rounds, while seed funding remained largely homegrown for our up-and-coming biotechs. The U.K. also led Europe’s life sciences VC scene, securing 37% of total investment – well ahead of Switzerland at 19%.

Our take: As the UK navigates its post-Brexit identity, the biotech scene has proven surprisingly robust in a year fraught with macroeconomic uncertainty. However, the later-stage interest from North American investment in UK biotech is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it validates the quality and potential of British biotech on the global stage, but poses a a potential hiccup in the long-term retention of homegrown talent and intellectual property.

And finally…

📈 Want to make money in biotech stocks? Check out OSE Immunotherapeutics (Forbes): This French biotech is having a jolly good run, with its Paris-traded stock reporting a 66% increase over the past year (that’s nearly triple the S&P 500’s gains). The company is making headlines with its cancer vaccine Tedopi, now entering into global Phase 3 trials with $9.3M in public backing. Add to that partnerships with AbbVie and Boehringer Ingelheim, OSE is playing in the big leagues.

Our take: OSE Immunotherapeutics has navigated its way into late-stage trials with Tedopi, a point where many biotechs falter. By targeting diseases that straddle inflammation and cancer, it’s aligning with the growing shift toward “dual-disease” strategies. But late-stage trials bring a different kind of scrutiny – efficacy signals must hold up across broader populations, and regulatory hurdles can be just as formidable as scientific ones.

⚠️ Disclaimer: This is absolutely, definitely not investment advice. But we did leave that headline to get your attention, and if you’ve read this far, it worked. Carry on.

Tune in

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💊 Reinventing the paradigm of conventional drug development

President and CIO Mayukh Sukhatme of Roivant Sciences discusses the company’s approach to innovation in drug development which has seen 10 positive Phase 3 studies and 6 FDA approvals.

🤑 Rethinking Biotech Startup Funding

Biotech finance veteran Parag Shah, with over 25 years of experience and $2 billion in investments under his belt, shares insider insights on navigating the complex world of life sciences funding as CEO of K2 HealthVenture.

Apply ✍️

🔬Senior Bioinformatician, Quantori: Can you wrestle data into submission? Craft smart algorithms, decode complex bioinformatics, and turn raw numbers into real valuable data-based insights.

🧑‍🔬Biomedical Engineer, Amotio: Got a bone to pick with outdated imaging? Harness the power of medical imaging and 3D visualisation technologies to improve patient outcomes in the field of orthopaedic care.

🧪Director, Global MSAT, Commercial & Analytics, OXB: Ready to turn test tubes into treatments? Lead global MSAT analytics, optimise manufacturing, and get cell and gene therapies where they belong—saving lives.

RSVP 📆

🇻🇮10-11.02 | BIO CEO & Investor Conference | New York: The conference brings together biotech's top executives and investors to explore emerging innovations, form new commercial partnerships, and chart the industry's next strategic moves.

👀 12-13.02 | 37th Pharmacovigilance UK & EU 2025 | London, UK: Learn about the future of pharma and biotech at this event in the heart of the capital, where industry leaders,

📺 20.02 | IBIC webinar series | Online: Join this 'Lunch and Learn' webinar on leveraging AI and robotics to transform enzyme development across biotechnology, and learn what it takes to build a successful TechBio company.

🇨🇭26-27.02 | 18TH Annual Life Science CEO Forum | Switzerland: Biotech's biggest brains converge at the 18th Annual European Life Sciences CEO Forum, where industry leaders will forge the future of innovation through thought-provoking discussions on AI, diagnostics, and investment strategies.

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