Articles by Laura
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Q&A: How fruit flies aid personalized cancer treatments
Q&A: How fruit flies aid personalized cancer treatments
This was originally published on Digital Journal. London - London-based startup My Personal Therapeutics are pioneering…
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Why should you consider getting a "minimal residual disease" test if you are a cancer patient? What will you miss if you don't get one? - Early…
Why should you consider getting a "minimal residual disease" test if you are a cancer patient? What will you miss if you don't get one? - Early…
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Colorectal cancer often has a stubborn resistance to therapies, particularly when driven by MAPK pathway mutations such as KRAS and BRAF. This paper,…
Colorectal cancer often has a stubborn resistance to therapies, particularly when driven by MAPK pathway mutations such as KRAS and BRAF. This paper,…
Liked by Laura Towart
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"The Network before Christmas" Look forward to the last event of the year. It has been great to put these back on to bring the ecosystem back…
"The Network before Christmas" Look forward to the last event of the year. It has been great to put these back on to bring the ecosystem back…
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Proud to see the startup community WINNING - a true political U-turn from the Chancellor and a well-organised campaign from the Startup…
Proud to see the startup community WINNING - a true political U-turn from the Chancellor and a well-organised campaign from the Startup…
Liked by Laura Towart
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It’s an honor to join as a founding member of The Wall Street Journal Board of Directors Council. Last week’s inaugural summit brought together an…
It’s an honor to join as a founding member of The Wall Street Journal Board of Directors Council. Last week’s inaugural summit brought together an…
Liked by Laura Towart
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Join us on Wednesday, November 12th at 12:00 PM Eastern to support Mike Troy as he navigates his friend's journey with lung cancer. Every bit of help…
Join us on Wednesday, November 12th at 12:00 PM Eastern to support Mike Troy as he navigates his friend's journey with lung cancer. Every bit of help…
Liked by Laura Towart
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Adam Hargreaves
UK-based Cyted Health has raised $44M in a Series B round to accelerate their mission of transforming early cancer detection. The round was co-led by EQT Life Sciences, Advent Life Sciences, and British Business Bank, with continued support from Morningside. 💊 Cyted’s flagship product, 𝐄𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧, is a swallowable capsule device cleared by the FDA in early 2024 that enables non-invasive collection of esophageal cells. The company is also advancing a molecular diagnostic for Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal cancer, leveraging this technology. The funding will fuel: - Expansion of commercial operations in the US. - Consolidation of commercial activities in the UK. - Growth of its diagnostics portfolio. 🤝 Congrats Marcel Gehrung and the team. Keep an eye out for key hiring plans over the next quarter...! #Oncology #Diagnostics #LifeSciences
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Wei-Wu He, Ph.D. (He/him)
🚨 Men who skip prostate cancer screenings are 45% more likely to die from it. That’s not speculation — it’s science, backed by the largest prostate cancer screening study in history. The European Randomised Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) — which followed over 72,000 men across seven countries for two decades — found a stark contrast: Men who avoided screenings had a 45% higher risk of dying from prostate cancer. Those who attended had a 23% lower risk of death. Despite this, screening avoidance remains high. And that’s why innovation in prevention is more critical than ever. 🧬 Enter Human Longevity Inc. — taking a bold, almost unthinkable stance: We are pledged $1 million to any member of their Executive Health Program who develops late-stage prostate cancer (stage 4 or higher) while under their care. Their confidence isn’t hype — it’s built on 10 years of data, 5,000+ members, and just one prostate cancer death (from a pre-existing late-stage case). HLI's multi-layered detection strategy includes: ✅ Whole-genome sequencing to assess inherited risk ✅ Longitudinal PSA and other biomarkers monitoring for personalized baselines ✅ Cutting-edge imaging like restriction spectrum MRI This is more than a $1M pledge — it’s a challenge to healthcare systems everywhere: Why are we still losing men to a disease we can catch early? 📣 If skipping a screening raises your death risk by 45%, prevention isn’t optional — it’s essential. #ProstateCancerAwareness #MensHealth #EarlyDetection #PreventiveMedicine #HumanLongevity #Genomics #ERSPC #HealthcareInnovation #DigitalHealth #PrecisionMedicine
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Andrii Buvailo, Ph.D.
AI-driven drug discovery deals now routinely feature $1B+ milestone terms and span beyond small molecules to biologics, RNAs, and peptides... A June 2025 Nature Biotechnology article by Andrew Marshall details a number of observations that I think are interesting to be shared here (read the full article, it is really packed with data and insight, link in the comments): 1. Upfront payments, equity investments, and milestone terms are increasing, with many deals now including $1B+ milestone structures. 2. Partnerships feature larger upfronts, a shift beyond small molecules into biologics, oligonucleotides, peptides, and antibodies; increased demand for high-quality, niche datasets; and broader adoption by mid-sized and large biotechs. 3. AI platforms are increasingly specialized. Notable examples include Biolojic Design, Ltd. with Merck KGaA (multispecific antibodies), Creyon Bio with Eli Lilly (RNA oligonucleotides), and Generate:Biomedicines with Novartis (generative protein therapeutics). 4. Data is a core asset. Companies like Ochre Bio and Tempus AI license proprietary, disease-specific datasets that are now central to AI model development, with pharma companies paying for exclusive access. 5. There is also a notable R&D strategy shift. Early discovery work is being outsourced to AI firms, while pharma companies retain clinical and regulatory responsibilities. AI is now widely used in target ID, lead optimization, and predictive modeling. 6. Ecosystem is expanding. AI startups are collaborating with academic groups, foundations, and early-stage biotechs. These collaborations often focus on joint IP development and non-dilutive research agreements, helping validate platforms across therapeutic areas. Let me know if you noticed other trends in AI drug discovery space, not addressed in this Nature article.
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