Ecosystem
Picks of April: Clinical advances and new key facilities drive the BioRegion
April confirmed we are at a turning point in the Catalan healthcare ecosystem, with advances that directly connect research to clinical impact. The launch of a CAR-T assay in breast cancer, new biomarkers and the rollout of strategic facilities are shaping an increasingly mature and internationally competitive environment, in a month that is particularly symbolic for Barcelona and Catalonia with the celebration of Sant Jordi.
- In terms of investment in the entrepreneurial fabric of the BioRegion of Catalonia, Methinks Software has raised €2.19 million to bolster the use of artificial intelligence to detect neurological conditions early in emergency settings, where time is critical.
- In the business arena, startups and scaleups continue to show strong momentum. Sequentia Biotech has obtained CE-IVD marking under the new European IVDR regulation for its MICK Clinical™ software. It offers high levels of sensitivity and specificity, facilitating integration of genomic diagnostics into clinical practice. At the same time, Aniling closed a collaboration deal with Illumina to advance multi-omics assays in oncology, reinforcing its commitment to integrated approaches in precision medicine, and INBRAIN Neuroelectronics completed recruitment for the world’s first human study on graphene-based neural interfaces for brain mapping and decoding, with a favorable perioperative safety profile. This vibrancy can also be seen in the growth of ecosystem companies, including Biorce, which moved to the former AstraZeneca headquarters after closing a record Series A round.
- To continue developing disruptive projects like the ones mentioned above, d·HEALTH Barcelona is accepting applications for its 11th edition. The latest edition of this program inspired by the Stanford biodesign methodology will kick off in September 2026, once again bringing together multidisciplinary teams to identify real clinical needs and turn them into innovative solutions.
- Regarding new competitive funding, PRECISEU has launched a call this month with €11.57 million earmarked for innovation projects in personalized medicine to promote solutions with TRL 6 to TRL 8 and accelerate their arrival to patients.
- As for specialized investment funds established in Catalonia, Ysios Capital participated in one of the sector’s biggest deals, with UCB acquiring Neurona Therapeutics in a deal valued at $1.15 billion.
- Research has once again put Catalonia on the map with high impact advances. Particularly noteworthy was the launch of a clinical trial on a new CAR-T therapy for breast cancer developed in Barcelona and to be administered at Vall d’Hebron and Hospital del Mar. This is a key step after promising results in preclinical models. Continuing with oncology, a team from Hospital del Mar and IRB Barcelona has identified the cTHrc1 biomarker, which could increase the number of colorectal cancer patients eligible for immunotherapy, opening the door to more personalized treatments. Additionally, Clinic-IDIBAPS led the largest European liver study, revealing a high prevalence of undiagnosed liver fibrosis. At the same time, Dr. Ernest Turró took part in identifying the RNU2-2 gene as the cause of the most common recessive neurodevelopmental disorder —published in Nature Genetics and representing pioneering biomedical research in the United States— highlighting the global contribution of Catalan research and its potential to drive future gene therapies.
- Catalan hospitals are also accelerating the adoption of advanced technology.The joint procurement of surgical robots by five centers (Calella, Mataró, Terrassa, Vic and Igualada) sets a precedent in efficiency and equitable access to robotic surgery, while Hospital del Mar is exploring new frontiers with AI that can make a diagnosis from video of the patient’s face, anticipating new forms of digital medicine.
- Plus, April was particularly significant in terms of facilities. Work on the new Barcelona Biomedical Park in Ciutadella has overcome its roadblocks to break ground, in a long awaited move to expand the city’s scientific capacity. This push comes on top of the expansion of DFactory Barcelona, with a new phase focused on Industry 4.0 applied to healthcare, and a new life sciences hub from EY. The big milestone, however, is the inauguration of the CaixaResearch Institute, the first center focusing on immunology in Spain. With an investment of €100 million and space for up to 500 professionals, it will significantly strengthen Barcelona’s international positioning.
- Turning to big pharmaceutical corporations, Grifols received FDA approval for its malaria blood screening test, while Almirall kicked off a collaboration with the Barcelona Supercomputing Center to accelerate research in medical dermatology. Additionally, Towa International continues advancing in sustainability with ambitious water efficiency targets.
- We’ll round out this section with recognitions and new appointments in the sector: Antoni Ribas received an international award for his career in cancer research and Miquel Pons has been appointed to take over for Manel del Castillo as manager of Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona.