SOM Biotech and Vall d’Hebron successfully complete a clinical trial in patients with TTR amyloidosis Blog Post

SOM Biotech and the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) have successfully completed a Phase IIa proof-of-concept clinical trial in humans to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an innovative oral therapy for transthyretin amyloidosis (TTA), a rare disease that affects the peripheral nervous system and heart. To carry out this trial, the hospital and the Catalan biotech, with headquarters at the Barcelona Science Park (PCB), signed an risk-sharing agreement under (RSA) which they jointly assumed the risks and economic returns of the project.

 

IBEC success in Human Brain Project funding call Blog Post

A study involving IBEC group leader and ICREA research professor Pau Gorostiza has been chosen for funding under a Call for Expressions of Interest (CEol) on Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience by the Human Brain Project (HBP) FET Flagship. Thanks to their success in this Call, the project partners – including IBEC – will be integrated in the broader HBP Consortium. 

 

Spain and France join the European Consortium Elixir for managing and analysing biological data Blog Post

At their meeting today in Hinxton (UK), the Board unanimously accepted Spain and France as full members of Elixir, the largest infrastructure of life science data in Europe. The National Bioinformatics Institute (INB), which acts as the Spanish scientific node, will coordinate the Spanish scientific partner institutions. These comprise top-level institutions such as CNAG-CRG and IRB Barcelona, located at PCB. The National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCII) will coordinate the Spanish scientific partner institutions.

 

Artax is granted 10 million dollars to foster clinical trials with an innovative drug in patients who suffer from autoimmune disorders Blog Post

The start-up Artax Biopharma –focusing on the development of first-in-class drugs to treat autoimmune diseases- has closed a Series B series investment funding round totaling $10 Million to boost clinical trials of its most advanced compound, drug AX- 024. This biotech- based in Cambridge (Massachusetts) and founded by Damià Tormo, a scientist and entrepreneur from Valencia– leads a team in Spain that manages a large part of the project in Europe from its offices located in Valencia and at Barcelona Science Park (PCB). 

 

Researchers at IBEC and UAB have found a mycobacterium that is more effective in treating superficial bladder cancer Blog Post

Researchers from Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), at Barcelona Science Park (PCB), with the Mycobacteria Research Group of the Department of Genetics and Microbiology, at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), have found a mycobacterium that is more effective in treating superficial bladder cancer and does not cause infections, unlike those used up to now. 

 

IBUB has participated in a international study to identify a novel gene implicated in osteoporosis Blog Post

Un uncommon variant of the gene EN1 contributes to bone mineral density and osteoporotic fractures, according to a study recently published in the journal Nature. Daniel Grinberg, expert in the Department of Genetics of the University of Barcelona (UB) and member of the Institute of Biomedicine of the UB (IBUB) at Barcelona Science Park (PCB) has participated in the study, wich is part of the international project Genetic Factors for Osteoporosis Consortium (GEFOS), funded by the European Union.  

 

Registration starts for the 2015-2016 ‘Recerca en Societat’ program at the Barcelona Science Parc Blog Post

This upcoming 8 October, the Barcelona Science Park (PCB) opens the enrollment period to participate in the experimental workshops ‘Fes recerca!’ (Do Research!) and ‘Descobreix la recerca!’ (Discover Research!), which gives the start to the 15th edition of ‘Recerca in Societat’ (Research in Society). This proposal of PCB to bring science to the public and encourage vocations among young people includes over 80 activities, involving annually about 5,000 people, including the ‘Fira Recerca en directe’ (Live Research Fair), which will take place during the month April at CosmoCaixa Barcelona.

 

Leitat leads GLAM, a European project to improve cancer diagnosis Blog Post

A European consortium led by Centre Tecnològic Leitat –through its Biomed Divisionlocated at the Barcelona Science Park (PCB)– has started the Glass-Laser Multiplexed Biosensor (GLAM) project, the aim of which is to develop a photonic-based point-of-care device for a non-invasive diagnosis of Genitourinary Cancer (GU). The GLAM project which will expand for 4 years will involve the participation of 10 European organizations with resources and capabilities from the academia and scientific and business field, among them the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), located at PCB. 

 

Positive outcome of the Tandem Program to foster educational success in the classroom Blog Post

The Barcelona Science Park (PCB) concludes with a positive balance its participation in the Tandem School (2011-2015) project, a singular and innovative educational program, promoted by the Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera, with the support of the Departament of Education. PCB has colaborated in this joint initiative with the ‘Aids Research Institute IrsiCaixa and the  Apel·les Mestres School of Hospitalet de Llobregat with the aim of helping promote the spirit of research among students and other scientific careers and to form critical citizens in a society increasingly based on knowledge.