A cluster contribution to European life science innovation and competitiveness?

Sarah Lidé: ”Artificial intelligence must not replace authentic interactions”

Artificial intelligence must never become a replacement for authentic, even if messy, interactions with our fellow humankind, Sarah Lifé, Deputy CEO at Medicon Village Innovation, writes in a column.

Novo Nordisk appoints Mike Doustdar as new CEO

The Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk has appointed Mike Doustdar as its new CEO. At the same time, the company announced it was lowering its forecasts – which caused the stock to drop sharply on Wednesday.

Tau-targeted Alzheimer's drug gets Fast Track designation in the USA

Biogen's Alzheimer's candidate BIIB080 has been granted Fast Track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

FDA’s Top Vaccine Official resigns – Issues sharp criticism of Kennedy

FDA’s Top Vaccine Official is leaving his post while simultaneously criticizing the country’s health secretary for allowing “misinformation and lies” to influence his views on vaccine safety.

Health politician Lina Nordquist: ”I find it hard to be idle”

She is the pharmacist and researcher who grew tired of the breakthroughs that never materialised and knowledge that never seemed to reach patients, so she decided to make a change from within. Life Science Sweden meets Lina Nordquist, Member of Parliament for the Liberals and their spokesperson on healthcare policy, to have a conversation about reality, politics, and the need for writing.

GSK acquires oncology research company

GSK acquires the American biotechnology company Idrx for up to 1.15 billion dollars.

The future of healthcare in focus: ”Together, things happen”

In march, it’s once again time for Fokus Patient, an event for the industry where the patients’ perspective takes center stage. It’s a great way to spread knowledge in Sweden and around the world, according to the initiator Penilla Gunther

FDA approves new cystic fibrosis therapy

A new treatment for cystic fibrosis has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

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.

Nocebo – the evil twin that makes you feel worse

The placebo effect is well known in healthcare, but not so its opposite: nocebo. “The effect is small, but it can have major repercussions,” says Uppsala researcher Charlotte Blease, co-author of a book on the phenomenon.

“Don’t postpone the transition to IVDR”

Operators who have not yet started to adapt to the requirements of the new EU IVDR regulation are running out of excuses. This is the opinion of Helena Dzojic, Head of Unit at the Swedish Medical Products Agency, who continues to persistently spread her message: don’t postpone the transition.

New diagnostic rules raise concerns

In a panel discussion, several voices from academia and the industry expressed concerns about the transition to the new regulatory framework for in-vitro diagnostics (IVDR). They argue that it may create significant differences between regions, and patients may be affected.

Novavax is developing a vaccine candidate against Covid-19 and seasonal flu

A combined vaccine against both Covid-19 and seasonal flu is showing promising results in studies, according to the American drug developer Novavax. The adjuvant, which forms an essential part of the vaccine, originates from Sweden.

Marie Gårdmark: Potential step change – EU regulators get to play with data

A new pilot from EMA is starting in September to assess wether the analysis of 'raw data' by regulatory authorities improves the evaluation of marketing approval for new medicines. Marie Grådmark writes in a column that she is looking forward to the outcome of the pilot to hopefully then understand if “in house” analyses actually will add value.

A growing industry in Denmark: “One new life science company a week”

The life science sector in eastern Denmark continues to grow in the number of employees, as well as the number of companies. An emerging problem is the shortage of labour, a new report reveals.

Tougher competition as the Novo Nordisk Foundation broadens its programme

Søren Nedergaard has worked with innovation at the Danish Government Offices and the University of Copenhagen. Today, he is COO of the Novo Nordisk Foundation, which has recently broadened its programme for leading innovators in medical research to apply to the entire Nordic region.

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.

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.

New diagnostic test soon ready for the market

Krönika: Collaboration across borders

Krönika: Can regulators keep up with innovation?

, exemplified by CAR-T cells, and the research pipeline is promising. In addition, the medical device field is constantly growing creating new solutions to address patient needs.

Brexit looking back and looking forward

More than 3 years have passed after the vote and there is still uncertainty around the outcome although the UK December 12 election set a clearer course towards an exit early 2020.

Opinion: Where do all the cool Swedish life science companies go?

It’s puzzling why Swedish life science companies hardly get a mention alongside Spotify, Skype, Klarna, King, iZettle, and other cool, innovative and successful ‘startups’ founded in Sweden.