The U.K. is launching a coordinated national program of research into the unprecedented outbreak of monkeypox that has spread across Europe and North America – regions where the disease is not endemic – over the past six months. Taking a lead from the SARS-CoV-2 playbook, there will be work to sequence the viral genome and to study how it is evolving, linking this to changes in the transmission and pathology of the virus.

Domain Therapeutics SA has received clinical trial application (CTA) clearances in France and Belgium for its immuno-oncology program DT-9081, allowing the initiation of a phase I trial for solid tumors.

Cascination AG reported the first thermal ablation of liver tumors to be performed in France using its CT-guided stereotactic planning and navigation system, CAS-One IR. The technology was used at Dijon Bourgogne University Hospital, where a dozen procedures have been carried out in the Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radiology.

A vaccine for dengue fever, an advanced therapy for a complication after transplants, and a potential first-in-class drug for a form of psoriasis were among medicines recommended for approval by European regulators on Oct. 14. 

Researchers from the Structural Biology Center at Montpellier University in France have devised a DNA-based nano robot capable of exploring cells in the human body. This 50-nanometer robot has been designed to study up close the mechanical forces applied at microscopic levels on cells, which trigger biological signals involved in the development of pathologies such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders.

Lattice Medical SAS reported the first successful breast reconstruction using Mattisse technology, a totally resorbable, 3D-printed implant which naturally regenerates fatty tissue. The procedure was performed at the Institute of Clinical Oncology in Tbilisi, Georgia. It was the work of cancer specialist Gia Nemsadze and his team. This was an immediate breast reconstruction for a 62-year-old patient with breast cancer. The surgical procedure lasted one and a half hours, allowing the mastectomy to be completed, immediately followed by the breast reconstruction.

A number of devices, imaging systems and in vitro diagnostics have become available for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening over the years, several of which are of very recent origin, a marker of sustained interest and investment in these products. The problem for industry is that a new randomized trial conducted in Europe suggests that the impact of CRC screening on all-cause mortality is zero compared to no screening, a finding that could prompt policymakers to revisit their stances on screening to the detriment of sales of these devices and diagnostics.

A new ultrasound-based technique has been developed to overcome the shortcomings of conventional X-ray mammography in screening younger women whose breast density is high.

Equity investment in European biotechnology firms engaged in therapeutic discovery and development continued its downward slide during the third quarter. The total for the period, $1.106 billion, is down 39% on the second quarter of this year and down 41% on Q3 2021. The ongoing weakness of the public markets is the main driver of the trend. In Q3, listed firms raised little more than half of what they managed in Q1 of this year, while the IPO window remains firmly closed. At present, the sector is bumping along at investment levels last seen about five years ago.