Felicity Thomas is Associate Editorial Director of Pharmaceutical Technology, Pharmaceutical Technology Europe, BioPharm International.

Felicity Thomas

Barcelona is a renowned hub where culture and history blend with the vibrant locale. Situated in the Catalonia region of Spain, the city offers a plethora of options to tourists to tantalize all the senses. Below is a brief list of some of the biggest hotspots to try while visiting:

—this is probably the most iconic and well recognized landmark from Barcelona, the Antoni Gaudi designed church. Construction, although started in 1882, is still ongoing but do not expect a building site when visiting. The grand facades are beautifully ornate and awe inspiring, and if you feel brave enough you can even gain an elevated view of the city scape by venturing upwards in the church spires.


—more of Gaudi’s intriguing designs can be enjoyed at this public park. Located at the top of a hill, visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the Barcelona cityscape while sitting on mosaic imbued benches.


 Between September and March, daily from 8.30 am

—Picasso lived in Barcelona for around a decade of his life and within this dedicated museum you will find thousands of his original works. Set out in a chronological order, the pieces of art demonstrate the evolution of Picasso’s style right up to the iconic cubist paintings for which he became most famous.


—if football/soccer is more your style, then a visit to the city’s ‘super club’ stadium is a must. The 100,000-capacity venue can be enjoyed on match days, when the atmosphere will be palpable, or it can be toured when there are no matches happening, with even the possibility of a look at the trophy room.


—the 1.2 km stretch of pedestrianized street is a hive of activity and sensory delights. Numerous restaurants, cafés, and shops line the boulevard with artists and performers dotted long the way, allowing for regular entertainment pit stops. Be careful while enjoying the various distractions this tourist hot spot can offer however, as it is notorious for pickpocketing.

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Here is a small selection of some of the inspiring places to visit while in Barcelona, Spain.

Bright Lights, Big City: Touring Barcelona

A collaboration between global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), Rentschler Biopharma, and pre-clinical-phase gene therapy company, Ikarovec, has been unveiled in a June 1, 2023 press release. The partnership aims to accelerate the development of novel gene therapies for the treatment of ophthalmic disease.

Under the agreement, Rentschler Biopharma will support the bioprocess development of adeno-associated virus (AAV) material in its advanced therapy medicinal product (ATMP) site in Stevenage, UK. This AAV material will then be used for pre-clinical testing of Ikarovec’s novel gene therapy, developed for the treatment of geographic atrophy—an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration.

“We are delighted to collaborate with Rentschler Biopharma on our lead program. As we look to find new and better ways to treat ophthalmic diseases, we want to get it right and ensure that our product candidates can be scaled up appropriately for each development stage and, ultimately, for commercialization,” said Katie Binley, chief scientific officer of Ikarovec, in the press release. “Thus, it is critical to work with a team that has strong AAV experience in our field and that will be a true partner every step of the way.”

“We are excited to have the opportunity to collaborate with Ikarovec, which is developing truly innovative treatments for major ophthalmic indications. With our client-focused, highly tailored approach, our seasoned team will work closely with Ikarovec scientists to enable them to move forward into pre-clinical testing as rapidly as possible,” added Robert Panting, general manager of Rentschler’s ATMP business, in the press release. “By laying the foundation with process development and scale-up work, we aim to ultimately improve development timelines and increase the chances of success for our clients, who are working tirelessly to advance potentially groundbreaking treatments.”

A partnership between Rentschler Biopharma and Ikarovec will support the accelerated development of novel gene therapies for the treatment of eye diseases.

Rentschler Biopharma, Ikarovec Collaboration Set to Speed Up Ophthalmic Therapy Development 

Global biotech, Alvotech, and UK pharma company, Advanz Pharma, have signed a strategic partnership agreement for the supply and commercialization of five biosimilar candidates in Europe, it was announced in a May 24, 2023 press release.

Under the terms of the agreement, Advanz Pharma will gain the exclusive rights for commercialization of five biosimilars, including a biosimilar to Simponi (golimumab) and Entyvio (vedolizumab), from Alvotech. Advanz Pharma will be responsible for the registration and commercialization of the biosimilars within the European market and Alvotech will be responsible for the development and commercial supply of the biosimilars.

“We are very excited to extend our existing partnership with Advanz Pharma into additional therapeutic areas,” said Robert Wessman, chairman and CEO of Alvotech, in the press release. “The growth of our collaboration is based on a common vision and commitment to provide better patient access to more affordable biologics.”

“This partnership positions Advanz Pharma as a key future player in European biosimilars,” added Steffen Wagner, CEO of Advanz Pharma, in the press release. “It is also an important next step in Advanz’s ambition to be a partner of choice for the commercialization of specialty, hospital, and rare disease medicines in Europe.”

Alvotech and Advanz Pharma have signed a strategic partnership agreement for the supply and commercialization of five biosimilar candidates in Europe.

Partnership Forms to Commercialize Five Biosimilars in Europe

The United Kingdom’s government has announced a significant cash injection, worth £39 million (US$48 million), will be made to support antimicrobial resistance (AMR) research through the Global AMR Innovation Fund (GAMRIF).

Part of the funding, worth up to £24 million (US$30 million), will be awarded over the course of a four-year period to support the continuation of early development of novel antibiotics, vaccines, rapid diagnostics, and other products to treat drug-resistant infections. This investment will reinforce the UK’s relationship with the Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) partnership.

Additionally, GAMRIF will invest a total of £5 million (US$6 million) into the Global Antibiotic R&D Partnership over a period of two years. This money will be used for the development of novel antibiotic treatments against major global health priorities as well as assuring global access to these treatments.

This financial announcement has been made as the UK’s health minister, Will Quince, alongside the development minister, Andrew Mitchell, launched the country’s Global Health Framework for 2023 to 2025 during the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland.

“Antimicrobial resistance is a major threat to global health and has led to millions of tragic deaths per year, but the Global AMR Innovation Fund is supporting cutting-edge research and developing vital new treatments to prevent death and disease across the world,” said Quince at WHA. “This funding will provide a much-needed boost to protect people from diseases such as drug-resistant gonorrhoea, life-threatening sepsis in newborn babies, and serious bacterial infections.”

In response to the announcement of the cash injection, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) issued a statement in support of the action.

“This is a positive step for research into finding long-term solutions for AMR. Beyond research there is an essential need for collaboration, on a global scale, that allows research efforts to be developed into effective antibiotics available for all,” said Claire Machin, ABPI executive director of International Policy and UK Competitiveness, in a May 22, 2023 press release. “Alongside [this] announcement, England has also been leading the way as the first country to implement a pilot scheme for incentivising the development of new treatments using an innovative payment arrangement, but the UK acting on its own cannot combat AMR. Multiple global solutions which bring together governments, healthcare systems, and the pharmaceutical industry are needed at scale if we are to stand a chance against AMR. We look forward to [National Health Service] plans for taking forward the learnings from the pilot, and the development of a more permanent solution for the development of new treatments against AMR.”

UK government supports AMR research with significant cash injection, provided through the Global AMR Innovation Fund (GAMRIF).

UK Government Boosts AMR Research with Cash Injection

ILC Therapeutics, a UK-based biotech that is focused on the discovery and development of hybrid interferon drugs, has signed a R&D partnership agreement with Dechra Pharmaceuticals, which specializes in veterinary pharmaceuticals and related products.According to a May 23, 2023 press release, the aim of the partnership will be the development of ILC’s Caniferon product as a treatment for atopic dermatitis in dogs.

“While ILC’s main focus to date has been around human health, the partnership with Dechra is a validation of our technology and the potential to develop products in the animal health market,” said Alan Walker, CEO of ILC Therapeutics, in the press release. “The industry as a whole has experienced a pandemic-driven increase in pet ownership and pet care, and we see considerable growth prospects for the product.”

“We are pleased to enter into this research agreement in a therapeutic sector of the market which is a key area of focus for Dechra,” added Ian Page, Dechra’s CEO, in the press release. “Although at a relatively early stage of research, we see real possibilities for the technology to lead to a full development program to add to our exciting pipeline.”

ILC Therapeutics has entered into a strategic partnership with Dechra Pharmaceuticals to develop an atopic dermatitis treatment for dogs.

Scottish Biotech Forms R&D Partnership with Veterinary Medicine Group

In this brief podcast interview, Felicity Thomas, European/Senior editor for the Pharmaceutical Technology Group, sits down with Andy Dumelow, Head of Technical Sales at I Holland, to find out more about the importance of tablet tooling maintenance in ensuring tableting productivity is maintained.

An article based on this podcast can also be viewed in the latest 

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Felicity Thomas, European/Senior Editor, Pharm Tech Group, and Andy Dumelow, Head of Technical Sales, I Holland, chat about tablet tooling maintenance in this brief podcast.