#54 - Moss-powered medicines & the next Moderna
The coffee break biotech roundup, by SomX.
Hello budding biotechers,
This week’s stories are well and truly blooming: moss-based medicines takes root, gene-edited mice are producing their own GLP-1, Vienna’s biotech scene is bursting with record growth, Brussels is throwing €10 billion into biotech innovation, and Intellia Therapeutics is being hailed as CRISPR’s very own Moderna.
Dig in!
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Discover 🔍
🌱 Moss medicines: the next revolution in biotech? (The Scientist): Moss, our once unassuming friend, is now at the forefront of biotech innovation thanks to plant biotechnologist Ralf Reski. His team has transformed these ancient plants into green factories – producing everything from skincare to complex human proteins such as factor H, which regulates immune responses and is implicated in a range of diseases. Cost-efficient and scalable, moss culture may be set to go mainstream!
Our take: By sidestepping the ethical pitfalls of animal-based and microbial production, moss offers an adaptable platform for synthesising everything from life-saving enzymes to designer proteins. Encouraging clinical trial results show that this is more than just a laboratory novelty, and that unconventional platforms still have room to reshape biotech.
🐭 Obesity reversed in genome edited mice that produce their own GLP-1 (GEN): Japanese researchers have turned mice livers into long-term factories for Exendin-4, a GLP-1 receptor agonist that curbs appetite and controls blood sugar. With a single dose of genome editing delivered by lipid nanoparticles, the team inserted a secretion-enabled Exendin-4 gene into the liver’s Albumin locus – achieving sustained, high-level production of the therapeutic peptide.
Our take: A GLP-1 with no regular injections!? If the approach translates to humans, it could become a one-and-done genetic intervention for chronic conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes. The method’s flexibility – potentially allowing repeat dosing and future mRNA-based improvements – hints at a future where patients’ own cells become long-term producers of powerful biologic drugs, potentially tackling a host of chronic diseases far beyond metabolism.
🇦🇹 Biotech in Vienna: a budding life science hub (LabioBiotech): Once famed for its classical music and post-imperial grandeur, Vienna has rapidly transformed into one of Europe’s hottest biotech and life sciences hubs. In 2023, the sector pulled in a record €22.7 billion, 81% from biotech and pharma. The city now boasts 754 organisations and nearly 50,000 employees in life sciences – more than half of Austria’s industry.
Our take: Vienna built its biotech empire on solid foundations – strategic investment, academic firepower, and generous public funding – but now comes the tricky bit. The city's weakness isn't talent or infrastructure, it's a lack of cold, hard cash. Without bolder local investors and a higher tolerance for risk, Vienna’s flourishing pipeline could struggle to reach full bloom.
🇪🇺 European Commission to fund Life Sciences Strategy using Cohesion Fund resources (European Biotechnology Magazine): Brussels is throwing €10 billion at its biotech ambitions, hoping to turn Europe into the global biotech leader by 2030. The funding is earmarked for food, agriculture, pharma and industrial biotech, marking Brussels’ most ambitious push yet to close the innovation gap with the US and China. Top pledges include a fast-tracked EU Biotech Act, streamlined regulations, and a new Life Sciences Coordination Group to align funding and spot emerging tech.
Our take: The new strategy is being hailed as a long-overdue reset. However, Europe’s biotech dream is hampered by deep-rooted challenges: fragmented regulations, sluggish translation of research into market-ready products, and a chronic shortage of risk capital. Unless the Commission can cut through bureaucracy and deliver real incentives for innovation, Europe risks another decade of playing catch-up.
And finally…
💡 The next Moderna? This clinical-stage biotech has breakout potential (Yahoo Finance): Industry analysts are turning their attention to Intellia Therapeutics, aCRISPR/Cas9 pioneer. With a dual-platform strategy that spans both in vivo and ex vivo approaches, the company’s lead asset NTLA-2001 (now in Phase 3 trials), is the most clinically advanced in vivo CRISPR therapy .
Our take: Ex vivo approaches are quite the faff – involving extracting, editing and reinfusing cells. By contrast, in vivo editing promises to treat genetic diseases with a single dose, delivered directly inside the patient. If Intellia’s NTLA-2001 succeeds, it could streamline manufacturing, reduce treatment costs, and expand CRISPR access beyond specialist centres – setting the pace for the entire in vivo field.
Tune in 🎧
🔙 Persica Pharmaceuticals is treating the cause of chronic lower back pain, not just the symptoms: Persica Pharma’s team explains how clearing hidden spinal infections with targeted antibiotics could finally silence chronic lower-back pain at its source.
🦀 Claire Mazumdar on a two-pronged attack against cancer: Bicara Therapeutics CEO breaks down how one bifunctional antibody can simultaneously shut off tumour signals and rouse the immune system against head-and-neck cancer.
💉 The search for better obesity treatments: Nimacimab, an experimental CB1-blocking antibody that could supercharge weight loss – and pair seamlessly with GLP-1 agonists.
🧬 DNA clues: Diagnosing the undiagnosed: Cutting-edge genetic tools are uncovering hidden links between gene variants like ZMYM3 and neurodevelopmental symptoms.
Apply ✍️
🧑🔬 Advanced Bioprocessing Scientist, Hobson Prior: Are you a dab hand at gene therapy? Here's your big chance to craft sterile gene therapy products and revolutionise biotech solutions in a GMP-compliant environment.
💰 Senior Director, Head of Global Reward, Oxfordbiomedica: Are you a HR superstar? You’ll work in partnership with the Chief People Officer to build a reward strategy that attracts, keeps, and grows top talent.
🔬 Clinical Data Reviewer - Infectious Disease and Metabolic, Medpace: Have you got a clamour for clinical data? This is a great opportunity to develop comprehensive manual reviews and craft clinical guidelines for cutting-edge therapeutic areas.
RSVP 📆
🇹🇼 23-27.07 | BIO Asia Taiwan 2025 | Tapei, Taiwan: Co-organised by BIO and Taiwan BIO, this flagship forum draws biotech leaders from 50+ countries.
🧫 29-31.07 | Designer Biology 2025 Conference | Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK: Scientists spotlight the latest in bioengineering, synthetic biology and biomaterials – from protein design to functionalised materials.
🇵🇱 29–31.07 | BioTech 2025: International Conference on Biotech Innovation | Krakow, Poland: Global experts, entrepreneurs and policymakers convene to map out the newest cross-industry biotech advances.
We’re SomX – a communications and creative agency trusted by biotech, pharma and healthtech pioneers. We craft strategy, content, PR and design that translate complex biology into compelling stories and investor‑ready excitement. Get in touch to amplify your science beyond the lab bench.