Licencing Agreement to Further Preclinical Disease Modelling


Danish life sciences business Bioneer A/S, has been granted access to ERS Genomics’ CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology intellectual property, to generate a range of human cell based disease models.


The licensing agreement, will enable Hørsholm-based Bioneer to generate and commercialise CRISPR-edited cell based models, broadening its core capabilities and expanding on Bioneer’s expertise in biomedical research support.


Eric Rhodes, CEO of ERS Genomics, said: “Bioneer has proven expertise in a broad array of biomedical fi elds. Adding CRISPR/Cas9 to their toolbox ensures they remain on the leading edge of technology. We are very pleased that Bioneer chose to expand on its service offering by licensing CRISPR/Cas9 technology through ERS Genomics.”


“This cutting-edge technology will complement Bioneer’s competences in advanced preclinical disease modelling.” stated Lars H. Pedersen, CEO of Bioneer. Company CSO Christian Clausen added “Bioneer is working with both industry and academia to solve complex disease relevant questions by using advanced disease modelling. The CRISPR/Cas9 tools will enable clients and collaborators to precisely tailor their preclinical modelling strategies to their specifi c needs for predictive in vitro models.”


Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed. 49490pr@reply-direct.com


Finance Partners Appoint Industry Specialist


well-regarded companies in the sector, including Essen Bioscience, Filtec, Spectro Scientifi c, Metter Toledo and Waters Corporation. SFW is investing out of Fund II with approximately $350 million of equity commitments and is actively seeking platform investments in profi table companies with $20 million to $250 million in revenue.


“We are excited to partner with Terry,” said Ahmad Sheikh, a Partner at SFW. “He has an exceptional track record in the sector, including his leadership of TA Instruments, where he transformed the business through growth-oriented investments and acquisitions that enabled the business to triple in revenue. We have worked with and known Terry over the last 15 years and have admired his leadership style, strategic vision and approach to business building, making him an ideal partner for us.”


Terry Kelly


Terry Kelly, formerly President of TA Instruments, has joined private equity fi rm SFW Capital Partners as an Operating Partner. Mr Kelly will support SFW’s strategy to build leading Industrial and Healthcare Technology companies with a particular emphasis on providers of instrumentation, life sciences tools, sensors and measurement devices, laboratory equipment and consumables. SFW’s principals have supported the growth and development of some of the most


During Terry’s leadership, TA Instruments, a Waters Corporation subsidiary, grew from $100 million to $280 million in revenue, completing 13 strategic acquisitions in the US and Europe and expanding its presence into new and adjacent end-markets and applications.


“I am excited to team up with SFW in the pursuit and support of new investments,” said Mr Kelly. “Their patient approach to business building, deep sector-focused resources, and long history of success make them ideal partners for founders, owners and management teams of businesses in our sector.”


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Subsidiary to Develop Research and Business Opportunities


Test of Key Linker Element in Drug Conjugate Advanced


In an acceleration of its drug development programme, Avacta Group has announced plans to submit an IND/CTA (Investigational New Drug/ Clinical Trial Authorisation) application early in 2020 to test a TMAC™ linker in a phase I study in patients with selected solid tumours.


Co-invented with Tufts University Medical School, the tumour


microenvironment activated drug conjugates (TMAC’s) are a form of cancer immunotherapy, that combine Avacter’s Affi rmer biotherapeutics with chemotherapies in a single drug, using a linker that is designed to only release the chemotherapy in the tumour microenvironment.


Company CEO Dr Alastair Smith said: “What is so attractive about Avacta’s Affi mer TMAC programme is that it offers a way to combine


chemotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors without exposing the whole body to the same level of the chemo-toxin. Whilst immunotherapies offer great promise for cancer patients, it is well established that only a relatively small sub-group of patients see durable responses to single immune checkpoint therapies. Avacta is directly addressing this urgent clinical need with its novel Affi mer TMAC and bispecifi c programmes.


“It is a hugely exciting period for Avacta and I look forward to keeping the market updated on our progress.”


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Labfolder Acquires Cubuslab and becomes Labforward


Dr Pierre-Emmanuel Gerard


French immune-therapeutics developers Biomunex Pharmaceuticals has established a US subsidiary which will initially focus on facilitating research & development partnerships and business development activities.


“Following our recent licensing agreement with Sanofi for the generation and optimisation of bi- and multi-specifi c antibody therapeutics, we are excited about ramping up our R&D and partnering activities in the United States with the establishment of Biomunex Inc,” said Dr Pierre-Emmanuel Gerard, CEO of the Paris- based parent company. “We are delighted to open our US subsidiary in Cambridge, MA, which probably represents the largest biotech cluster in the world, especially in the therapeutic antibody fi eld. Biomunex’ ambition is to develop its product pipeline globally and this fi rst step paves the way for US developments.”


“The establishment of the US subsidiary will contribute to our global R&D objectives by increasing discovery and development partnerships based on the BiXAb® technology with major US academic and industrial teams. Biomunex Inc will also accelerate the preclinical and clinical development of our proprietary BiXAb® antibodies,” added CSO Dr Eugene Zhukovsky,


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Labfolder GmbH, a leading electronic lab notebook provider, and cubuslab GmbH, a laboratory execution system software, announced their merger. The joint company will operate under the name Labforward GmbH.


The cubuslab products and the competences of the cubuslab team together with the strengths of labfolder pave the way for an important strategic development. “A laboratory process has three basic steps: planning, execution and documentation,” explained Dr Simon Bungers, CEO and co-founder of labfolder. “With labfolder, we are established in the documentation stage, where all data comes together; with the cubuslab platform and the data from laboratory devices, we simplify and increase the number of data inputs. The cubuslab founders remain in the joint company. Dr Bungers continued: “We are enormously impressed by what the cubuslab team has achieved. We have known and appreciated each other for several years, so we are looking forward to working together in the future in addition to expanding our expertise.”


In contrast to many proprietary solutions, the cubuslab platform can be used to integrate, monitor and control laboratory equipment across different instrument manufacturers. “Labforward therefore also stands for openness and interoperability”, said Dr Dominic Lütjohan, cubuslab CEO and co-founder: “We do not believe that closed systems will be a long-term success on the market. This means that the cubuslab box and software can also talk to other LIMS (Laboratory Information Management Systems) and ELNs and labfolder also interacts with other device platforms. What is important


is that we have the expertise in both areas - in the laboratory, where the data is generated, and where the data is stored and processed.”


The idea of combining the competencies of both companies was born at the end of 2017: “As alumni of the Merck Accelerator Program, we gave a joint lecture at a conference organised by Merck in Dubai,” said Julian Lübke, Head of cubuslab Product and co- founder of cubuslab. “We were already joking after our presentation that we should join forces. In the following year, we worked together on so many projects that the tremendous advantages of the cooperation for both parties became obvious, and the initial joke became a serious opportunity.”


cubuslab and labfolder will present the fi rst co-developed innovation at this year’s Labvolution in Hannover, Germany: An innovative Lab Execution System (LES) that allows laboratory devices from all manufacturers to be intelligently linked into smart workfl ows. “This makes laboratory work more effi cient and precise,” said Dr Florian Hauer, CPO and co-founder of labfolder. “The automatic data collection and transfer to the labfolder ELN also reduces the documentation effort enormously.


Labforward is currently working with leading companies in Germany, Europe, the USA and Asia to roll out these innovations internationally. The next highlight this autumn is the Beijing Conference and Exhibition on Instrumental Analysis (BCEIA) in Beijing.


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