Year: 2022

PHARMA DEALS in May were hot, totaling 20 Bn. Center stage was held by the Élan drama which has been a roller coaster of large deals and then the Royalty Pharma surprise play with the Élan board's reversal. This company has had such a challenging history, including the reverse merger where Athena Neuroscience senior management took all senior slots, and the period when analysts were screaming for transparency in the off-balance sheet transactions; not to mention the slew of class action suits that tanked the stock from close to 100 to below 10. Perilous days for this venerable institution. http://lnkd.in/CYtPqt View in LinkedIn

INFOGRAPHIC: data dense, but easy to digest. http://lnkd.in/V3AWky View in LinkedIn

DNA VACCINE against diabetes by the renowned Professor Lawrence Steinman of Stanford and colleagues shows promise. The start of a powerful approach that recruits both a B cell and antibody immune response in the body's memory. http://lnkd.in/nY5w4N View in LinkedIn

BIOBASH celebration at Psg Permanayer 5, Barcelona at 7 - 9 pm, to hear the incomparable Dr Montse Vendrell, of BioCat present reflections and insights on her eDesign Health initiative that opens in the autumn. Cava and tapas for €15 at the door. Please come and tell a friend. A dinner of invited guests will follow at 9-12 to discuss the initiative. View in LinkedIn

BARCELONA KEY (Barcelona Knowledge Economy Yard) had a second press release yesterday, announcing that following a call for proposals, it has accepted 11 from 20 international institutions. This initiative was driven by Dr. Mas-Colell, the Catalan Economy Minister, and Dr. Miquel Barcelo who led the successful 22@Barcelona technology initiative. This is the latest in a series of projects designed to make Barcelona a leading Knowledge economy. With a big chunk of granted land near the waterfront, this ambitious project will be modeled in part on the new Google Campus. View in LinkedIn

BARCELONA GLOBAL had a celebration last night to thank foreigners who had chosen to live and work in Barcelona and make this a cosmopolitan city. While I listened to the speeches thanking the foreigners, and the efforts to make it easier to settle here, I was struck by the thought that nowhere else I can think of would do such a thing. London or Paris thanking the foreigners for living there? Please. They distain the foreigners! Very singularly Barcelona, which wants to internationalize and be fully cosmopolitan. View in LinkedIn

BIOBASH BARCELONA July 2nd 7 pm, The Gild International. All welcome for mingling, Cava and tapas to hear Montse Vendrell on eDesign Health! View in LinkedIn

BARCELONA GLOBAL is an initiative to make entering Barcelona easy. They developed an App called Barcelona by Barcelona that lists sites frequented by locals and not the usual tourist sites. If you are coming here, check it out! View in LinkedIn

INFOGRAPHIC on valuation that is a good guide for early stage companies. http://lnkd.in/EWSXZm View in LinkedIn

BIOTECH IPOs in Q2 2013 hit record high for 13 years, with 21 VC-backed IPOs worth 2.2 Bn USD. This is welcome news indeed, and more than the earlier small cracks in the wall. http://lnkd.in/PMe72M View in LinkedIn