We round up the big deals, investment and partnerships news from the past week
AMBOSS closes €240m financing round
AMBOSS, the resource for medical education and clinical decision-making in Germany and the US, has closed a €240m financing round with new long-term investors.
The round supports the exploration of additional international markets and the expansion of its offering to nurses and other healthcare professionals.
AMBOSS recently converted to a European stock corporation (SE) and completed a financing round with new primary investors KIRKBI, M&G Investments and Lightrock with participation from existing shareholders.
WHO Foundation and L’Oréal Groupe unite in global skin health partnership
The WHO Foundation and the L’Oréal Groupe, spearheaded by its Dermatological Beauty Division, are set to launch a four-year partnership to expand access to the treatment of skin conditions worldwide.
With a focus on low- and middle-income settings, the partnership will accelerate the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) efforts to support countries to address skin conditions such as those caused by neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), those exacerbated by climate change and other common conditions such as acne, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and vitiligo.
Dr Ibrahima Socé Fall is Director of the Global Neglected Tropical Diseases Programme at WHO.
He said: “Many neglected tropical diseases first show symptoms on the skin, and early detection can be vital.
“At this critical time, support and solidarity are needed to provide access to diagnosis and treatment so that people suffering from skin NTDs and other common skin diseases are not left behind.”
J&J Increases US investment to more than $55bn over the next four years
Johnson & Johnson has manufacturing, research and development, and technology investments of more than $55 billion in the United States over the next four years.
This represents a 25 per cent increase in investment compared to the previous four years and builds upon the Company’s already elevated U.S. investment levels resulting from the passage of the 2017 Tax Cuts & Jobs Act.
Joaquin Duato is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Johnson & Johnson.
Duato said: “Today’s announcements accelerate our nearly 140-year legacy as an American innovation engine tackling the world’s toughest healthcare challenges.
“Our increased US investment begins with the ground-breaking of a high-tech facility in North Carolina that will not only add US-based jobs but manufacture cutting edge medicines to treat patients in America and around the world.”
Feinstein Institutes awarded $3m NIH grant to develop devices for precision vagus nerve stimulation
The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research has been awarded $3 million from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), in collaboration with imec, to pioneer a novel approach to vagus nerve stimulation (VNS).
This research aims to develop more precise, safe and effective methods for stimulating specific fibers inside the vagus nerve, potentially transforming treatments for a range of chronic diseases.
This research will explore a cutting-edge method for stimulating nerves with greater precision.
The team will use in-depth understanding of anatomical and functional organisation of the vagus nerve, along with technology and interferential stimulation method introduced by imec.
Stavros Zanos, MD, PhD, said: “We hope to enhance the efficacy of VNS and minimise unintended consequences or side effects.
“This has the potential to revolutionise treatments for conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and heart failure, which are all linked to inflammation,.
“We are grateful for this grant, which represents a significant step forward in the field of neuromodulation and bioelectronic medicine.”
