Researchers from the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) at the Barcelona Science Park (PCB) has developed a portable, cheap and non-invasive system to detect Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) at home, a disorder characterized by recurrent airflow cessation during sleep. Researchers propose a novel method consisting of analyzing acoustic signals recorded with a smartphone.
Hamburg will host this year, from November 11 to 13, the 25th edition of BIO-Europe, the most important partnering event for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry in Europe, organized by EBD-Group. Biocat, the organization that coordinates and promotes the healthcare and life sciences sector in Catalonia, from its headquarters in the Barcelona Science Park (PCB), will be at the fair and help raise awareness of Catalan presence internationally. The event will feature, once again, an outstanding representation of the PCB Community.
Today is the World Stroke Day, a medical condition that affects to 14.5 million people every year and it is the leading cause of death in women and the second cause in men. Health innovation contributes speeding up recovery of patients and it drastically reduces the number of visits to clinic as well as the duration of treatment in hospitals and therapy centres. It also reduces costs at the health public system. In these cases, technology can be a powerful ally, as can be seen from EIT Health Innovation Projects. EIT Health Spain, the Spanish Co-Location Center (CLC) of EIT Health, is headquartered at the Barcelona Science Park.
Scientists at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) in the Barcelona Science Park, in collaboration with the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) and Radboud University, have built a tool that detects genetic mutations that trigger the immune system, helping identify which cancer patients are more likely to benefit from immunotherapy. The algorithm also reveals which people living with hereditary diseases may benefit from drugs that already exist. The new technology’s potential is described today in Nature Genetics.
The Horizon 2020 project BERMES aimed to develop a novel therapy for malignant mesothelioma, lead by the catalan biotech company Aromics, was recognized as one of the most innovative initiatives at the Sino-Europe Innovation Week of Health Technology which was held from 12th to 16th October at two of the most technological and powerful cities in China: Nanjing and Shanghai. The biotechnology company, located at the Barcelona Science Park, participated in the event as part of a mission organized by the BioRegion of Catalonia to explore new opportunities for collaboration with Chinese companies and institutions and to learn about the experience of other European clusters in the Asian giant.
GlyCardial Diagnostics, located at the Barcelona Science Park, has announced the enrolment of the first two patients in the EDICA trial: a multicenter international clinical study for the early detection of myocardial ischaemia. The company –a spinoff of the Research Institute of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (IR-HSCSP) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), has developed innovative technology for the detection of Apo J-Glyc protein, as a novel biomarker in blood for the diagnosis and prognosis of myocardial ischemia, and expects to demonstrate the reliability of the new test in hospital laboratories.
New Born Solutions, based in the Barcelona Science Park (PCB), was one of the 10 small and medium-sized enterprises chosen to take part in the Digital Sandbox accelerator programme developed by EIT Health, the Knowledge and Innovation in Health Community, promoted by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT). The winning start-ups, chosen from around thirty applicants from all over Europe, will receive advisory services and up to €35,000 in funding to develop products and services making use of the data available on biobanks and quality registers in Europe.
The Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), based in the Barcelona Science Park, is one of the six centres in Spain to be awarded accreditation in this round of the Severo Ochoa Excellence programme. Furthermore, IBEC is the only center that receives this accreditation for the second time. The awards last for four years and bring a million euros each year to the winning centres, it also implies strengthening research capacities and boosting success rates in other competitive funding programmes.
The GAEM Foundation, headquartered in Barcelona Science Park (PCB) and engaged in promoting biomedical research to cure multiple sclerosis, has added a study conducted by Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Girona (IDIBGI) to its Project Accelerator Programme. The objective of the study, led by Dr Jordi Tomàs Roig, is to discover new markers that enable us to predict a patient’s evolution from a simple blood test, while contributing to the design of epigenetic drugs to slow down the disease’s progression.
The acquisition of Cultek and Teknovas by the Dutscher Group, the leading independent distributor of laboratory supplies in Europe, its Spanish subsidiary, DD BioLab, as the leading supplier in Spain of scientific instruments, consumables and laboratory equipment for research in biotechnology and health. Since it was established in Barcelona Science Park in 2014, DD BioLab has registered sustained 39% annual growth. In 2018, its turnover was around €5M and it expects to exceed €10M in 2022.
