InnovationEntrepreneurship
Picks of September: scientific advances, opportunities for startups and recognitions in the sector
With the start of the new school year, we’re looking over the most noteworthy news from September, showcasing the vibrancy and constant innovation in the BioRegion of Catalonia, from basic research to clinical applications and international business expansion.
- Let’s start with the kick off of the seventh edition of CRAASH Barcelona, the acceleration program promoted by Biocat and CIMIT (Boston), which met this September in Barcelona with the six groups selected to participate this year.
- Also, the d·HEALTH Barcelona (Part Time) fellows are in the prototyping phase after completing their clinical immersion at six benchmark Catalan hospitals.
- Turning to startup investment, digital health firm Kokuai closed a €260,000 round of funding to accelerate development and commercialization of their products and services. Plus, Allox, the biotechnology firm that identifies allosteric sites in key proteins, has received funding from CDTI Innovation and Asabys Partners. Additionally, Lumiris has opened a crowdfunding round on Capital Cell.
- Companies looking to internationalize their solutions and do some networking at 4YFN 2025 can take advantage of the call to have a spot in the ‘Catalonia Health Innovation Ecosystem Pavilion’. This space is devoted to healthcare and will give companies from the BioRegion of Catalonia the chance to meet with other organizations and forge partnerships that will have a huge impact on the sector.
- In the business arena, AbilityPharma has boosted the efficacy of chemotherapy for endometrial cancer by over 40%. This breakthrough will significantly improve prognosis for patients with this type of cancer. The company’s next goal is to license the drug so they can carry out the next phase of the clinical trial and launch to market in 2030.
- Regarding research and new scientific discoveries, a study led by IRB Barcelona has identified the five best biomarkers to predict response to immunotherapy in cancer. This advance could make treatments significantly more effective and help doctors choose the best option in each case. We’d also like to highlight Catalan participants in the 4D-Bioskin project, which include top-notch research institutions, hospitals and companies like VHIR, UB and Reig Jofre. This project is working to develop an innovative therapy to treat burns and wounds.
- Looking at hospitals, Mollet University Hospital won the 2024 IHF Award for low carbon emissions in healthcare. And Hospital Clinic Barcelona, with the University of Barcelona (UB), presented the Master’s Degree in Hospital Architecture-New Clinic Campus to lay the architectural groundwork for the new hospital.
- Also in the news, President of the Government of Catalonia Salvador Illa and Catalan Minister of Health Olga Pané announced they plan to set up a think tank to come up with work lines to uphold the system’s quality and sustainability. Manel del Castillo, CEO of Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, will lead the think tank group.
- In terms of big pharmaceutical corporations, Venair, which manufactures silicone hoses for biopharmaceutical use and designs special pieces and hoses for other industries, inaugurated a new center that will triple their production capacity, making the company more competitive on the global market. Reig Jofre opened a subsidiary in the Czech Republic, strengthening its international presence, and Ferrer kicked off a phase II clinical trial on a treatment that could slow the progression of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). This same pharma company sold off Noventure, the food supplements division, to South African corporation Austell Pharmaceuticals.
- To finish off, Mateo Valero, known as the “father of Mare Nostrum 5”, has been named Barceloní de l’Any (Barcelonaian of the Year). This award highlights his contribution to high-performance computing and his importance to biomedical research. We’re also celebrating the winners of the Trifermed awards, which recognize people and organizations who have helped improve public health. This year, the winners were Dr. Elena Carreras in the “Pioneer Leadership in Women’s Health” category, Candela Antón of Polseres Candela, artificial intelligence expert Dr. Núria Oliver, and the team led by Dr. Pere Albajar for the WHO Chagas disease control program.