The vaccine has saved 94 million lives – but measles is spreading again

A disease we once believed belonged to the past is now resurging in both Europe and the United States. In the shadow of growing skepticism and declining vaccination coverage, measles – which has claimed millions of lives throughout history – is making a comeback.

Swedish life science is growing – but capital is not keeping up

The number of employees and companies in Swedish life science is increasing and the sector is more equal than many other sectors. But investments in unlisted companies are weak.

A cluster contribution to European life science innovation and competitiveness?

Gene therapy restored hearing in children with congenital deafness

Eleven out of twelve children with congenital deafness showed improvements in a study testing Regeneron’s gene therapy for hereditary hearing loss. The U.S. company now plans to apply for approval of the gene therapy.

How the Nobel discovery is used in drug development

Regulatory T cells keep the immune system in check, a discovery now awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Qiang Pan Hammarström explains how this finding is being applied in today’s drug development, and what challenges remain.

AstraZeneca´s Trixeo approved in the UK using propellant with near-zero Global Warming Potential

AstraZeneca has received approval in the United Kingdom for its inhaled respiratory medicine Trixeo Aerosphere with a new propellant that is reported to reduce environmental impact by 99.9%.

Getinge and Neobiomics received Swecare's export awards

Two companies received awards during Swecare's annual conference.

Success for Genmab's antibody-drug conjugate

The Danish company Genmab has received Japanese approval for its treatment for advanced or recurrent cervical cancer.

A new scientific event in Gothenburg

Life Science Sweden is holding an event in Gothenburg for the first time.

Security flaw in Swedish breast cancer screening software – woman passed away

A lack of safeguard in Sectra's software led to a woman with breast cancer receiving an incorrect diagnosis. She later passed away. The software is used in 20 out of 21 regions in Sweden. It is also used in neighbouring Nordic countries. “Extremely serious,” says the Sectra CEO to Medtech Magazine.

Investment CEO: “The Nordics are outstanding in creating successful medtech companies”

Since the beginning of last month, Susanna Francke Rodau has been a partner and the new CEO of Segulah Medical Acceleration, which invests in medical technology. In an interview she tells about which companies the investment company prefers to invest in, which companies she believes in the most in the portfolio and why she accepted the new position.

Marie Gårdmark: “What to expect from Trump’s second term?”

One may complain about the complex multinational system in EU, but it gives us some predictability that cannot be easily overturned by different member states political agendas, writes Marie Gårdmark in a column.

The US is leaving the WHO

The newly installed US President, Donald Trump, has issued an executive order for the US to leave the World Health Organization, WHO.

Life science trends 2025 – The economy

Upcoming patent expirations are driving pharmaceutical companies to acquire in 2025. In Sweden, we may be on our way to brighter times and fewer bankruptcies. Today´s part of the series with trend insights in life science for 2025 is about the economy.

New cell therapy raises hope for curing type 1 diabetes – "Never succeeded before"

For the first time, a patient with type 1 diabetes has undergone an islet transplantation using genetically modified insulin-producing cells that do not require immunosuppressive drugs. "A major immunological breakthrough," says Professor Per-Ola Carlsson, who leads the clinical study, to Life Science Sweden.

“Research is always a lot of failures and a few successes”

Gene therapies open up fantastic possibilities, but they are also extremely expensive to produce. Genenova aims to change that and make the treatments accessible to more people. “Our overall ambition is to reduce costs a hundredfold”, says professor Johan Rockberg at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

Drug development booms in Medicon Valley

When it comes to developing new medicines, the Öresund region is one of the top performers in the EU. Companies working on commission for pharmaceutical companies are highlighted as a success factor. “Everyone has heard of Novo Nordisk, but these companies are unknown to people outside the industry despite being the golden vein of the life science sector,” says Anette Steenberg, CEO of the cluster organisation MVA.

AZ gets approval for drug targeting rare disease – it may reduce cortisone dependence

AstraZeneca’s drug Fasenra gets an expanded indication in the EU and is now approved as a treatment for the rare autoimmune disease known as Churg-Strauss syndrome.

Lilly´s Nordic manager on Mounjaro launch in Sweden: "Patients deserve respect"

Another blockbuster diabetes and obesity drug has made its way into the Swedish market – with promises of a stable supply and availability for patients. “What we see is a significant unmet need, so we are expecting to have quite a good welcoming in the market", says Daniel Lucas, Managing Director Nordic Countries at the American pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly.

A new life science cluster formed – “We are very strong in talent”

Stockholm and Uppsala’s joint life science cluster aims to be among the best in Europe. Pontus Holm, Life Science Coordinator for Region Stockholm, says the decision to create a joint profile for the two cities is strongly supported. He mentions that around 50 stakeholders were asked last winter if they were in favour of a joint cluster and that “the answer was a resounding yes”.

Her company is developing a new tablet form obesity drug

Obesity and diabetes are the primary targets of a new tablet treatment under development by Malmö-based Pila Pharma. The company’s ambition is to take on the billion-selling GLP1 analogues. ‘‘Basically, I expect all the beneficial effects that they have, but not the same side effect profile,’’ company founder Dorte X Gram said in an interview with Life Science Sweden.

An increasing number of people are falling ill with TBE – “Much more research is needed”

Tick-borne meningitis, or TBE, is an increasingly common disease in Sweden. Currently, there is a vaccine against the disease but no drugs. Researcher Anna Överby Wernstedt is studying the processes that occur in the brain during a TBE infection and hopes to contribute to developing a treatment.

Anna Törner: ”Mom, do you think you’ll ever get married again?”

”I realize I’m slowly descending into that familiar statistical rabbit hole, where life’s biggest uncertainties are reduced to point estimates and confidence intervals”, Anna Törner writes in a column.

What will be the next big hype after obesity? – An expert panel highlighted their top picks

What will be the next big trend in life science? Everything from Alzheimer’s, Crispr and Omics were highlighted when the issue was debated at this year’s major life science event in Lund.