ALS – When the body has given up, but the brain persists

The nerve disease ALS gradually deprives the patient of control over the muscles and, eventually, also of speech. The eyes continue to function, though, and with the help of, among other things, a Swedish-developed invention, communication with the outside world can continue. “It’s their window to the world,” says ALS researcher Caroline Ingre.

She creates pharmaceuticals on a 3D printer

The correct dosage for each individual, regardless of whether the pharmaceutical is for a seriously ill child or a frail elderly person, is the mission of a well-advanced project with 3D-printed drugs at Uppsala University. “It will soon be available in clinics”, says Christel Bergström, who is heading the project.

Karolinska rekryterar tidigare regiondirektör

Neanderthal genes and Nobel Prize in a popular lecture at Bioscience

An inherited gene variant from our ”evolutionary cousins” – the extinct Neanderthals – may affect how our bodies break down certain drugs. “It’s only a matter of time before we actively start screening for it,” said KI researcher Hugo Zeberg when describing the study at Bioscience 2022.

EU:s inköp av covidvaccin utreds av åklagare

Europeiska åklagarmyndigheten, Eppo, har inlett en utredning om misstänkta oegentligheter i samband med affärer med covid-19-vaccin inom EU. Flera internationella medier kopplar uppgifterna till ifrågasatta kontakter mellan Pfizers ledning och EU-toppen Ursula von der Leyen.

Cytel Inc acquires the SDS Group

The multinational statistical software developer and contract research organization Cytel Inc, headquartered in Massachusetts, USA, acquires the Swedish consulting company SDS Life Science.

“We aim to be a start-up company with an academic spirit”

Chronic pain and Alzheimer’s are two diseases that plague many people worldwide and seem impossible to cure. However, Huddinge-based company Alzecure is working on developing drugs for both conditions.

Ny vd hos Index Pharmaceuticals

I januari 2023 får Index Pharmaceuticals en ny vd. Jenny Sundqvist efterträder Johan Giléus som varit tillförordnad vd sedan april i år.

“We need to keep investing in research and innovation”

Jenni Nordborg has worked for just over four years to highlight life science in Sweden. Her mandate as national coordinator ends in December 2022. ““Life sciences has been a long-term priority of governments since many years and I have no doubt that the ambitions will be strong going forward”, says Jenni Nordborg.

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.

Business Sweden’s new team is rolling out the blue-yellow carpet

According to Business Sweden’s life science team, the combination of substantial medical know-how and an ever-flourishing tech sector is a success factor for Sweden. “It’s a perfect storm, a beneficent, perfect storm,” says Programme Manager Britta Stenson.

Allvarliga komplikationer utelämnades i känd svensk studie om armprotes

I en internationellt uppmärksammad fallstudie rapporterade forskare vid Chalmers och Göteborgs universitet lysande resultat för tre patienter som testat en tankestyrd armprotes. Men vad de inte berättade är att en fjärde försöksdeltagare drabbades av allvarliga komplikationer, skriver Forskning & Framsteg.

Leo Groenewegen ny vd för Ilya Pharmas dotterbolag

Ilya Pharma förvärvade tidigare i år Nordic Bioanalysis. Nu har Leo Groenewegen utsetts till vd för dotterbolaget.

FOKUS Patient turns international

FOKUS Patient is arranging conferences over 3 days in October, and this year, the focus will be on international collaborations.

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.

Swedish-Danish meeting at Medicon Village: “One of the most important life science congresses”

For the eleventh year, The Future of Swedish and Danish Life Science was held on Wednesday, and the event continues to function as a connecting link between the life science sectors of both countries. This year’s event attracted nearly 450 visitors.

Anders Blanck about his 17 years at Lif: “The industry is enjoying greater public trust now"

The announcement came as a surprise to those around him, but according to the protagonist himself, the timing was excellent. Anders Blanck is now leaving Lif – a decision that has been growing for some time. “I have been pretty much married to my mission. However, I will turn 56 this autumn, and if I’m going to do something else in my professional life, now is the time,” he says.

Lucy Robertshaw: Did you know Stockholm wants to be in top 5 in the world for Life Sciences?

Karolinska Institutet Solna Campus has certainly become the next “Kendall Square”, writes Lucy Robertshaw in a column.

Han blir ny rektor för KTH

Regeringen har idag, torsdag, beslutat att Anders Söderholm kommer att tillträda som KTH:s rektor den 1 december i år.

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.

Stark kritik mot Sverige för utebliven beställning av covidvaccin

Valneva och EU-kommissionen har ingått avtal om 1,25 miljoner doser av bolagets covidvaccin, men Sverige har inte lagt någon beställning.

Björn Arvidsson: “We need robust and recognized ecosystems for continued competitiveness”

“We have idea carriers and excellent innovation opportunities, and now we must invest in creating ecosystems that provide them with even better growth opportunities,” Björn Arvidsson writes in a column.

Marie Gårdmark: New incentives for orphan products on its way

"Let’s hope that the learnings from development of new therapies for rare diseases will spill over to more common conditions, orphan products paving the wave for drug development in a broader context", writes Marie Gårdmark in a column.

Vaccinavtal eller inte – orolig tid för Valneva i Solna

Förhandlingarna mellan Valneva och EU om leveranser av covidvaccin pågår in i det sista, och på vaccinföretagets anläggning i Solna är läget ovisst. – Vi har inte landat i ett avtal än och tiden börjar rinna ut, säger bolagets Sverigechef Janet Hoogstraate till Life Science Sweden.