> Oryzon Genomics (BME:ORY) secured clearance to start a Phase I trial of its Alzheimer's disease candidate, ORY-2001. Having picked up the regulatory nod, Roche ($RHHBY)-partnered epigenetic specialist Oryzon is now gearing up to run the study at the clinical trial unit of a university hospital in its home city of Barcelona, Spain. "Epigenetic approaches to modify the progression of various neurodegenerative diseases focus on producing changes in patterns of gene expression in neurons and also in glia cells and are of interest for the pharmaceutical industry," Oryzon CMO Dr. César Molinero said in a statement. Release (PDF)
> AB Science (EPA:AB) took another small step in its long-running attempt to win approval for masitinib. The drug, which has been tested in more than 20 indications but only reached the market as a veterinary medicine, is set to be assessed by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as a treatment for adults with severe systemic mastocytosis. AB Science got the green light to file at a presubmission meeting with EMA, but the full assessment of the drug and the data it has generated is still to come. Release
> Life science crowdfunding platform Capital Cell raised more than €100,000 ($112,000) to advance and promote its product. At the time of writing, Capital Cell has pulled in €113,426 in fundraising on its own crowdfunding platform. The goal is to bag €125,000 at a €1 million valuation. Capital Cell will use the cash to keep its operation, which in its first year supported four crowdfunding campaigns that raised €530.000, ticking over while it works toward its longer-term financing goal. By June of this year, Capital Cell is hoping to have raised €5 million in a Series A round, setting it up to list on London's AIM in 2018. Campaign
> Imperial Innovations (AIM:IVO) proposed to raise £100 million ($146 million). The cash injection will give Imperial, which has had a hand in Circassia (LON:CIR) and other U.K. success stories, the means to place bigger bets on its portfolio companies, while also getting involved with opportunities that arise through its involvement in the recently-established UCL Technology Fund. Imperial is placing the shares at an 8% premium to the closing price the day before the news was released. Statement
> Bavarian Nordic (OMX:BAVA) teamed up with its compatriot Evaxion Biotech to develop a vaccine against MRSA. The project is underpinned by computer-based tech Evaxion has created to discover novel antigens. Having been impressed by data from preclinical models, Bavarian Nordic has now committed to work with Technical University of Denmark to move a MVA-BN-based vaccine toward the clinic. A lot of work stands between the collaborators and the start of Phase I, though, with the project pencilled in to enter the clinic in 2019. Release
> Selvita leased a new research site to support its internal R&D and contract service projects. The site in Poznan, Poland--the first Selvita has opened outside of Krakow--will house 5,500-square-feet of lab space, a 20% increase over its current footprint. The plan is to hire 50 people, mostly chemists and biologists, to work at the facility, which is due to open in the summer. By branching out beyond Krakow, Selvita thinks it can tap into the scientific talent in other parts of Poland. Release