Press

MTBVAC moves toward its final stage: the vaccine candidate that could mark a turning point in the fight against tuberculosis

24/03/2026

Healthcare · Innovative drugs

• According to WHO and ECDC data, 161,569 cases were reported in 2024 across 51 of the 53 countries in the European region, equivalent to 17.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
• One of the main challenges is the diagnosis gap: it is estimated that nearly one in five tuberculosis cases in Europe goes undetected.
• In this context, MTBVAC, a tuberculosis vaccine candidate under development, is in an advanced stage of clinical development, and its potential approval could represent a significant breakthrough in the fight against tuberculosis.
  
   

AseBio

Diana Morant, Minister for Science, Innovation and Universities: “Biotechnology is a strategic sector for protecting citizens”

10/03/2026

Healthcare · Agrifood · Industrial biotechnology · Financing

• The Spanish Bioindustry Association (AseBio) has organized a conference at the Ministry of Science that brought together leading institutional, political, and industry stakeholders to present a manifesto with 10 key measures to boost Spain’s biotechnology sector.
• “After a year of dialogue with the sector and institutional representatives, today we present a call to action: the time has come to join forces and position Spain as a leader in biotechnology in Europe and the world,” said AseBio’s president, Cristina Nadal.
• “Spain can position itself as a key pillar for European biotechnology investments,” stated Olivér Várhelyi, European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare.

AseBio

More than 60% of biotech R&D staff are women, who represent 29% of management teams

08/03/2026

Services · Talento

• Although the biotech sector is at the forefront, we still face persistent structural barriers that hinder women’s retention, promotion, and leadership in science and technology.
• Globally, fewer than 30% of researchers are women, indicating that female talent is still not fully integrated into research and innovation.
• AseBio and PBio celebrate the fourth edition of “A Day with a Woman in Biotech,” an initiative that brings students closer to the biotechnology business environment and its career opportunities while fostering entrepreneurship.

AseBio

The new European Regulation on unsold products highlights the role of biotechnology in driving the circular economy across the entire value chain

25/02/2026

Industrial biotechnology · Bioeconomy · Circular economy

• The regulation requires companies to transparently report unsold or discarded products, including quantities, causes, treatment, and prevention measures.
• For the biotechnology sector, it represents both a challenge and an opportunity, as it requires improved information management and the adoption of circular practices that promote more sustainable products.
• The Spanish Bioindustry Association underscores that biotechnology is key to reducing waste, valorising resources, and advancing towards a sustainable, innovative and circular production system, reinforcing its transformative role in the European economy.

AseBio

Childhood Cancer Needs Greater Awareness and Stable Funding to Accelerate Innovative Therapies into Clinical Practice

15/02/2026

Healthcare · Innovative drugs · Personalized medicine · Advanced therapies

• In Spain, around 1,500 cases of childhood cancer are diagnosed each year (1% of the total), making research more challenging and requiring cooperation among multiple centers, including internationally, to access sufficient samples and data.
• Advances in translational research and pediatric clinical trials are focused on developing less toxic treatments that can increase survival and minimize long-term side effects.
• Marina Salmón, Head of Project Evaluation at the Scientific Foundation of the Spanish Association Against Cancer, a partner of AseBio, analyzes the situation on International Childhood Cancer Day.

AseBio

More Women in Science: Biotechnology as a Driving Force to Close the Gender Gap

11/02/2026

Services

• Women remain underrepresented in key sectors of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, accounting for only 22% of professionals in artificial intelligence, 28% in engineering, and 40% in computer science and computing.
• In Spain, although women represent 57% of the university student population and the country ranks fourth in gender equality in Europe, their presence in STEAM degrees and in technological research areas remains low: only 13% choose these fields, they account for 42.1% of R&D personnel, and 25.5% of patent applicants. These figures show that significant gender gaps persist.
• In this context, AseBio and the Biotech Platform are launching the fourth edition of “A Day with a Biotech Woman”, enabling young women—the emerging talent of today—to experience and closely follow the work of a professional in our industry throughout an entire working day.

AseBio

Biotechnology in the fight against cancer: from smart vectors to protein disorder as a therapeutic opportunity

04/02/2026

Healthcare · Innovative drugs · Personalized medicine · Advanced therapies

• Biotechnology makes it possible to identify specific biomarkers and translate this knowledge into more effective and safer targeted therapies, improving clinical outcomes and quality of life, accelerating the integration of innovation into healthcare systems, and opening up new opportunities to treat cancer earlier and more precisely.
• Ohmline, developed by Lifesome Therapeutics, is a smart vector that enhances drug efficacy, reduces toxicity, and reaches hard-to-treat tumors, offering new options for aggressive or resistant cancers.
• Nuage Therapeutics turns protein disorder into a therapeutic opportunity by designing compounds that act on hard-to-drug proteins. Its ASCL1 and KLF5 programs aim to deliver precision therapies for aggressive cancers with limited treatment options. This technology opens a new paradigm in drug discovery.

AseBio

Biotechnological innovation: key to healthier soils and resilient agricultural production

28/01/2026

Climate change · Agrifood · Food & feed · Agriculture

• The EU has approved Directive (EU) 2025/2360 and the report EU Agricultural Outlook 2025–2035, establishing key soil health indicators and promoting more sustainable and efficient agricultural models with reduced use of chemicals, aligned with the European Green Deal.
• Although the texts do not explicitly mention biotechnology, more than 250 solutions are currently being developed in Spain focused on identifying and adopting new forms of production and consumption directly linked to the challenges identified in these documents.
• On the World Day of Action Against Global Warming, we highlight the strategic role of biotechnology in promoting more sustainable and resilient agricultural systems aligned with the EU’s climate neutrality objectives.

AseBio

The 4th AseBio – TERAV – CIBER Forum examines how to boost value chains in advanced therapies

14/01/2026

Healthcare · Innovative drugs · Advanced therapies

• Advanced therapies offer new therapeutic options for complex diseases and also represent a strategic asset due to their contribution to knowledge, employment, and technological innovation.
• Their development is complex, costly, and highly regulated, and many scientific projects do not reach patients due to the lack of an appropriate environment. Public–private collaboration between academia, industry, and public administrations is key to closing this gap.
• Spain has top-tier scientific and biotechnological capabilities, and the challenge lies in turning them into accessible treatments.
   

AseBio