KI’s freezer fiasco investigated: A chain of failures

A chain of combined technical and organisational shortcomings caused the freezer breakdown at the Karolinska Institute during the Christmas holidays, destroying more than 47,000 samples. This was the conclusion of an internal investigation.

Settlement of cancer allegations against blockbuster drug

French pharmaceutical company Sanofi has reached a principal agreement in the US on around 4,000 of the cases in which its now withdrawn blockbuster heartburn drug Zantac allegedly had caused cancer.

Venom from the deathstalker carries radiopharmaceuticals to the brain

In order to target cancerous brain tumours with radionuclides, the problematic blood-brain barrier must first be crossed. Life Science Sweden has visited a KI researcher who is trialling an unusual approach ‒ using scorpion venom.

The International Vaccine Institute’s office in Sweden is expanding

The International Vaccine Institute’s Stockholm office has been open for over a year. During the past year, training programmes and projects have been launched, says Anh Wartel, Head of the office.

Life Science Sweden heads to the Oresund region! ‒ Hello there Michael Linnell

Life Science Sweden’s The Future of Swedish Danish Life Science and New Updates in Drug Formulation & Bioavailability meetings are coming up soon. We asked Michael Linnell, project manager for Life Science Sweden’s event portfolio, a few short questions.

A new malaria vaccine offers hope but much more research is still needed

There has long been no vaccine against malaria, but there have been breakthroughs in recent years. However, it is still unclear how we become immune to the malaria parasite, and this is a vital piece of the puzzle for creating effective vaccines, says

New drug alert in the US: Rise in overdoses linked to the use of drugs for animals

A combination of the synthetic drugs fentanyl and xylazine, an animal tranquilizer, has been labelled a “growing threat” by the White House due to its role in the ongoing opioid crisis in the US.

KI’s new President: “We need to work closer together”

A closer link between research and education and a stronger “we-feeling” are aims that Annika Östman Wernerson sets out to achieve as the new President of Karolinska Institutet. She will not give up her research entirely though. “I think it’s crucial to maintain a close presence in the business,” she says.

Column: ”Cheating with pea flowers and does it matter whether you are right?”

Is it possible to forgive shortcuts or outright cheating in science - if it turns out that the researcher was ultimately right? Anna Törner discuss this topic in a column.

New study: Post-Covid symptoms are common even after mild Covid-19

According to researchers at the University of Gothenburg, loss of smell and taste, shortness of breath and chest symptoms are the most common complaints after a mild Covid infection.

The stomach medication that became the biggest blockbuster of the 1990s

The omeprazole molecule was synthesised as early as 1979, but it took many years before the then Astra had an approved pharmaceutical. Once this happened, a tablet was available that was soon to help millions of people worldwide and break all sales records.

He is zooming in on topical preparations

According to Zelmic CEO David Sagna, topical products in drug development is a growing market, and to keep pace with the development, the company is awaiting approval for its new GMP facility.

Brown Dog Affair: Djurförsöket som skakade Storbritannien

En intet ont anande terrier, två svenska djurrättsaktivister, en känd fysiolog, brittiska medicinstudenter och en staty som behövde polisskydd. Det är några av ingredienserna i "Brown Dog affair" – en konflikt om djurförsök som splittrade England i början av 1900-talet.

Sweden is heavily criticised for not ordering Covid vaccine

Valneva and the EU Commission have entered into an agreement for 1.25 million doses of the company’s Covid vaccine, but Sweden has not placed an order.

Anna Törner: To kill your darlings

Hopes were high when Anna Törner and her colleague started a study on a dietary supplement that seemed unbelievably good. “Enthusiastically, we dreamed of exciting results and perhaps a publication in a high-impact journal,” she writes in a column.

Hello Angelica Loskog!

Life Science Sweden would like to know more about Angelica Loskog and interviews her about her life as a researcher.

Paolo Macchiarini in court – “The sole intent was to cure”

Paolo Macchiarini’s surgical procedure was illegal, life-threatening and caused severe and prolonged suffering to patients the prosecution claimed when the trial against the Italian surgeon began on Wednesday last week.

Elicera develops CAR-T against solid tumours – may become the first in the world

Today, there are five EU-approved CAR-T therapies, all focused on different types of blood cancer, but no one has yet succeeded in making the method work against solid tumours. At Gothenburg-based Elicera, they are working relentlessly to succeed in that field as well. “It is the largest field, and the potential is enormous,” says the company’s CEO Jamal El-Mosleh.

Pharma Outsourcing igång på Stockholm Waterfront

Before you choose a CRO

– We are a small company and it is very important for us to maintain our core competence within development of novel nanomaterials, Tove Sivik Sonne, Head of Development at Spago Nanomedical says.

Första behandlingen mot sicklecellsjukdom godkänd

Första läkemedlet som angriper orsaken bakom sjukdomen får grönt ljus i USA – ”Har pågående diskussioner med EMA”

Hur gör krassliga flyttfåglar?

Om du ska flyga långt, hur gör du då om du blir sjuk? Biologer vid Lunds universitet har tagit reda på hur små flyttfåglar agerar när de blir sjuka på väg till varmare breddgrader på hösten.

Äldsta beviset för djurliv på jorden

Fossilerade kemiska föreningar i form av steroider visar att det fanns svampdjur i marina miljöer åtminstone 100 miljoner år före den så kallade kambriska explosionen.

Blodförtunnande kan minska demensrisken

En studie visar att patienter som tar blodförtunnande läkemedel mot förmaksflimmer kan halvera risken för demens.