Many pharmaceutical and biotech companies devote themselves to the discovery and development of novel drugs for unmet medical needs. However, with R&D costs and regulatory hurdles multiplying, and much of the low-hanging therapeutic fruit already picked, a growing number of firms are taking a different, pragmatic approach. They are looking in a new light at existing compounds that may have been dropped in development for reasons that are no longer insuperable, or even withdrawn from the market. One such firm is Lumavita, whose CEO Nicholas Benedict spoke to Scrip's companies editor Eleanor Malone.

A new biopharmaceutical company Lumavita has been formed in Basle, Switzerland, out of Shogoo Pharmaceuticals to focus on anti-infectives in women's health. Shogoo KK, a Japanese biopharmaceutical company, is currently in the process of winding down its operations, but its Swiss pharmaceutical subsidiary has been reformed into Lumavita, which is set to continue the operations of the now defunct Shogoo.

Each month, Start-Up presents a comprehensive review of young, private life science companies that have recieved venture funding during the month, including companies in the pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostic and research instrumentation & reagent sectors.