In one of the largest private rounds raised by an Italian biotech, Genespire Srl has closed a €46.6 million (US$51.88 million) series B, enabling it to lay the ground for a phase I/II clinical trial of its lead program, Gene-202, and to further develop its proprietary lentiviral vectors. The vectors are designed to be applicable to a range of liver-related metabolic disorders and, as its first indication, the company intends to treat methylmalonic acidemia, a serious genetic condition that results in impaired metabolism of certain amino acids and lipids.

The med-tech sector is at a turning point with great technologies, investors and buyers coming together to create a healthier ecosystem, Luc Marengère, managing partner at TVM Capital Life Science told BioWorld. As such, the venture capital firm has its eye on a new fund as it finalizes the portfolio for the current one.

At the 2024 European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Congress, researchers have presented work that could lead to ways to boost brain development and prevent neurodegeneration in individuals with Down syndrome.

The U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence reported that mental health professionals experienced a dramatic increase in referrals for anxiety and depression over the past decade but noted that digital therapies might help manage the caseload, representing a significant opportunity for developers of these products.

Chronic pain is taking a significant toll on the mental health and wellbeing of young people across Europe, according to a survey commissioned by Boston Scientific Corp. Among 16 to 24-year-olds, over half feel anxiety multiple times a week due to their chronic pain and almost one in three said that they “feel like they can’t go on” because of their pain.

Vicebio Ltd. is funded to take two of its molecular clamp respiratory infection vaccines through phase II development, after raising $100 million in a series B.

For once, the EMA appears to have pipped the U.S. FDA to the post, with Pfizer Inc.’s hemophilia A and B therapy Hympavzi (marstacimab) recommended for approval in Europe on Sept. 20, while the U.S. PDUFA date is set for the fourth quarter of the year.

Onward Medical NV successfully implanted its Arc-BCI system, which restores direct communication from the brain to the spinal cord enabling lower limb mobility, into a third patient.

Although financing is returning to the European med-tech market, it remains difficult for CEOs to raise funds for their products.

Creo Medical Group plc entered into an agreement to sell a 51% stake in its European consumable business to Chinese medical device distributor, Micro-Tech Co. Ltd. for approximately €36.7 million (US$41 million) in cash on a cash free, debt free basis.