Alert from the Swedish Medicines Agency: Many complications with gastric balloons

According to the Swedish Medicines Agency, an increasing number of serious complications are being reported in procedures with gastric balloons as a method for weight loss. The authority fears significant shortcomings in the information to patients both before and after the procedure.

“We need to build flexible operating theatres”

Flexible operating theatres, micro-sensors on surgeons to monitor their well-being and 3D images projected onto organs to be operated on. These are a few ideas that three specialist surgeons are suggesting for the operating theatre of the future.

Biosimilars bring price pressure, but are they sufficiently used?

When biosimilars were introduced just over 16 years ago, hopes were raised that they would give many more patients access to effective but otherwise extremely expensive treatments with biological drugs. So, how well has Swedish healthcare used biosimilars? The answer partly depends on whom you ask.

Bought a tablet factory – and built his own empire

In 1995, Thomas Eldered was CEO of one of Pharmacia’s factories in the Stockholm area when the Swedish pharmaceutical giant, after a takeover, decided to move its production abroad. 34-year-old Thomas was facing an imminent risk of losing his job. However, instead, it actually turned out to be the starting point for one of the biggest success stories in Swedish life science.

Anna Törner: Kalashnikovs in a new guise

Thanks to resisting European regulatory authorities, Europe has been spared the opioid epidemic. In the 1960s, the situation was the opposite as the American pharmaceutical authority, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), refused to approve thalidomide

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.

We will now publish more news in English – and offer yet another newsletter

Starting next week, Life Science Sweden will begin offering a newsletter entirely in English.

When carelessness, forgetfulness and coincidence become the researcher’s best friend

Forgetfulness, coincidence and a stroke of luck hardly make up a fruitful method of serious research. Or do they? Actually, a number of important medical advances have come about thanks to completely random incidents and the open-mindedness of scientists who were ready to think outside the box.

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.

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.

The Oresund region aims at becoming Europe’s microbiome Mecca

The Medicon Valley Alliance’s ambition: Skåne and the Copenhagen region will become world leaders in microbiome research.

Samlar krafterna kring mikrobiomforskning

Ett projekt i Skåne och Köpenhamnsregionen syftar till att göra området till världsledande inom mikrobiomforskning.

Samuel Lagercrantz: Collaboration and joint efforts are the key to success

Although many questions about Covid-19 remain unanswered, the development of drugs and vaccines has been incredibly rapid, writes Samuel Lagercrantz, Life Science Sweden´s Editor-in-Chief, in an editorial.

Marie Gårdmark: Do EMA and FDA talk to each other?

Of course they do! The collaboration started already in 2003, writes Marie Gårdmark in a column.

Krönika: Collaboration across borders

Peab-grundarens stiftelse ger 22 miljoner till life science

Nya behandlingmetoder av cancer, blodbrist och herpesvirus, nya tekniker för kartläggning av gener och upptäckt av sårinfektioner och ett växtbaserat järntillskott - detta är exempel på de 7 forskningsprojekt som under 2019 får anslag från Mats Paulssonstiftelserna.

Pharma-on-Demand

Make or buy? That is the question that the pharma world has been asking more and more in the last couple of decades. Pernille Hemmingsen is moderator at Pharma Outsourcing Dec 10th i Stockholm. This is her thoughts about outsourcing.

Han tar över på Karo

Christoffer Lorenzen blir ny vd på Karo Pharma när Peter Blom avgår.

Havrefabrik konserveras – anställda varslas

Den finska koncernen Paulig meddelar idag att öppningen av en fabrik för en havreprodukt i Mölnlycke skjuts på framtiden.

Över 60 läkemedel hittade i spindlar

Den ökande användningen av läkemedel sätter allt tydligare spår i naturen.

Över 60 läkemedel hittade i spindlar

Den ökande användningen av läkemedel sätter allt tydligare spår i naturen visar en ny internationell studie med forskare från bl a Umeå universitet och SLU.

Ska stärka läkemedelssäkerhet

Karolinska institutet leder ett internationellt samarbetsprojekt för läkemedelssäkerhet i fyra länder i östra Afrika.

Färre USA-resor med nytt samarbete

FDA och Läkemedelsverket ska framöver erkänna varandras inspektioner. – Nu kommer våra resor till USA att minska, säger Lena Björk direktör på Läkemedelsverket.

Ny nod för life science och livsmedel

Ett nytt partnerskap mellan tre inkubatorer och GU Ventures ska underlätta innovationer i gränslandet mellan life science och livsmedel.