CAR-T therapies give continued hope: “Almost half of the patients have become disease-free”

When the first CAR-T therapies appeared, hopes were raised for the effective treatment for critically ill cancer patients. After a somewhat sluggish start, about 90 patients in Sweden have now been treated with this method. “Almost half of them have become disease-free, at least of those treated with Yescarta, which are the ones I know best,” says Gunilla Enblad, Chairman of the national working group for CAR-T treatment.

Björn Arvidsson: ”We need to change perspective”

If you say “life science” to a person on the street and ask them to explain what it is, you will probably get no good answer. The same question to your network will generate as many versions as the people you ask. Most likely, we will miss many opportunities with our lack of communication, writes Björn Arvidsson in a column.

Marie Gårdmark: Finally, it’s time for a revision of the EU pharma legislation

A challenge for the EU Commission is to deliver a new framework that will also take care of another “pillar” of the pharmaceutical strategy, namely, to ensure that new medicines will be available for all citizens in Europe, writes Marie Gårdmark in a column.

Lundbeck behind the first EU-approved intravenous migraine treatment

A preventive, intravenous treatment for migraines has been approved in the EU for the first time.

The route to vaccines for everyone: “We did not just sit around and wait”

The pandemic was in full swing, and no one knew when or even if a vaccine would come. At that point, the Swedish Minister of Social Affairs called with a proposal, and Richard Bergström did not hesitate. “I already had a notion that this would work,” he says in an interview with Life Science Sweden.

Anna Törner: Success requires bold decisions!

“Doing things right is fine, but doing the right things as soon as possible is even better”, writes Anna Törner in a column.

Giulia Gaudenzi: Innovation for good

"I challenge the innovator landscape to take a mental leap. Relying on innovation-solely to end inequality is not enough, therefore consciously and purposively – we need to engage bravely with the politics of poverty and scarcity. Even in life sciences", writes Giulia Gaudenzi in a column.

Första svenska fallet av omikron – upptäcktes hos resenär från Sydafrika

Sverige fick på måndagen sitt första bekräftade fall av virusvarianten omikron. Den smittade är en person i Region Skåne som nyligen varit i Sydafrika.

Ökad smittspridning i Storbritannien – oro för "delta plus"

En ny och möjligen mer smittsam mutation av deltavarianten av sars-cov-2-viruset väcker oro, inte minst i Storbritannien där smittspridningen nu ökar.

Life science blir "death science" i nya Bond

I den senaste Bondfilmen, "No time to die", har filmskaparna tagit steget in i biologi och genforskning. Life science har aldrig varit dödligare...

Sweden and Denmark – this is how they choose their strategies

Scandinavia’s two major powers in pharmaceutical research have developed strategies for growth in life science, and both countries aim to become world leaders.

Anna Törner: You won’t find this many Concorde projects anywhere else

"Suddenly Concorde projects seem reasonable in life science because it´s about life and death", writes Anna Törner in a column.

MVA:s CEO: “Our investments should improve people´s everyday lives”

Involuntary infertility and diabetes are two of the areas on the agenda of the Medicon Valley Alliance.

Han är ny vd på Brighter

Healthtechbolaget Brighter har utsett Erik Lissner till tillförordnad vd och hoppas att turbulensen kring ledarskapet är över.

Column: Why there cannot be a complete cure for cancer – but there is certainly another way!

"Is there a new way we need to be thinking about how to prevent cancer?" Lucy Robertshaw reflects upon which is the smartest way to beat cancer.

Björn Arvidsson: Let's build on the positive momentum

Progress needs narratives and heroes, and more than ever, going into the new year feels like an opportunity for a fresh start.

Column: Repurposing as a golden ticket to approval

"Hopefully, in the end, patients will be winners by receiving on-label treatments for which benefit-risk has been properly assessed." In a column Marie Gårdmark, CEO at RegSmart Life Science, reflects on drug repurposing.

Column: "Are we already living in the new normal?"

2020 felt like the year that we were building the house around us whilst moving into it at the same time.

New diagnostic test soon ready for the market

Lucy Robertshaw: There is a bio revolution happening right now

Lucy Robertshaw is both proud and excited to be taking the baton of moderating this year’s Pharma Outsourcing event.

Smart "trial and error" för snabbare innovation

För att bli och förbli konkurrenskraftiga måste dagens företag och organisationer innovera i allt snabbare takt.

Nano-antikropp från alpacka blockerade coronavirus

Ett fragment av en antikropp från en alpacka verkar kunna blockera det nya corona-viruset från att ta sig in i celler.

Ökad export för läkemedelsföretagen

Pandemin slog hårt mot kemiindustrin under våren. Men läkemedelsföretagen gick mot strömmen och hade en positiv utveckling. Stödet för den svenska hanteringen av pandemin minskar bland kemitekniska företag, enligt en ny rapport.

Negativa resultat i ny covidstudie med malariamedel

Ett malariamedel som prövas mot covid-19 gav inte effekt, enligt de första resultaten från en stor placebokontrollerad studie. Samtidigt hissar tidskriften Lancet en varningsflagga för en tidigare studie om samma läkemedel.