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SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE

Cytovia Therapeutics Inc.

Cytovia Therapeutics aims to accelerate patient access to transformational cell therapies and immunotherapies, addressing several of the most challenging unmet medical needs in cancer. Cytovia focuses on harnessing the innate immune system by developing complementary and disruptive NK-cell and NK-engager antibody platforms. It is developing three types of iPSC-derived (or iNK) cells: unedited iNK cells, TALEN® gene-edited iNK cells with improved function and persistence, and TALEN® gene-edited iNK cells with chimeric antigen receptors (CAR-iNKs) to improve tumor-specific targeting. The second complementary cornerstone technology is a quadrivalent multifunctional antibody platform designed to engage natural killer cells by targeting NKp46 using its proprietary Flex-NK™ technology.

These two technology platforms are being used to develop treatment of patients with solid tumors such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and glioblastoma as well as hematological malignancies such as refractory multiple myeloma.

Cytovia’s research and development laboratories in Natick, MA and GMP cell manufacturing facility in Puerto Rico are augmented by scientific partnerships with Cellectis, CytoImmune, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, INSERM, the New York Stem Cell Foundation, and the University of California San Francisco (UCSF).

Cytovia Therapeutics has recently formed CytoLynx Therapeutics, a joint-venture entity focused on research and development, manufacturing, and commercialization activities in Greater China and beyond.​

www.cytoviatx.com

invIOs GmbH

invIOs stands for innovative immuno-oncology and is a privately held biotech company based in Vienna, Austria, focused on the discovery and development of innovative cancer immunotherapies. invIOs is a fully owned subsidiary of Apeiron Biologics AG.

We have three projects in early stages. One project is in Phase 1, treating patients with our autologous and transient cell therapy to silence the checkpoint inhibitor Cbl-b and activate the innate and adaptive immune system. Other projects are in pre-clinical (using the same platform involving TILs) and a tumor-specific novel small molecule for immune activation upon oral application.​

www.invios.com/

LifeSci Consulting

LifeSci Consulting is a leading life sciences strategy consulting and transaction advisory firm. The firm leverages deep scientific acumen to assess commercial potential and positioning as well as to inform commercial strategy and market access. The firm’s transaction advisory practice focuses on securing non-dilutive capital and assets for clients through buy-side and sell-side strategic partnering transactions.

www.lifesciconsulting.com

Marker Therapeutics, Inc.
​[NASDAQ: MRKR]

Marker Therapeutics (Marker) is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company specializing in the development and commercialization of novel T cell-based immunotherapies and innovative peptide-based vaccines for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumor indications. Marker developed lead product candidates from MultiTAA-specific T cell technology, which is based on the selective expansion of non-engineered, tumor-specific T cells that recognize tumor associated antigens, or TAAs, which are tumor targets, and then kill tumor cells expressing those targets.
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https://www.markertherapeutics.com/

Radiopharm Theranostics Ltd.
[ASX: RAD]​

Radiopharm Theranostics is a clinical stage radiotherapeutics company developing a world-class platform of innovative radiopharmaceutical products for diagnostic and therapeutic applications in areas of high unmet medical need.  Radiopharm is listed on ASX (ticker: RAD) since November 2021. The company has a pipeline of four distinct and highly differentiated platform technologies spanning peptides, small molecules and monoclonal antibodies for use in cancer, in pre-clinical and clinical stages of development from some of the world’s leading universities and institutes. The pipeline has been built based on the potential to be First to Market or Best in Class. The clinical program includes five Phase 2 and two Phase 1 trials in a variety of solid tumor cancers including breast, kidney and brain, with a total of 156 patients dosed to date.  To realise this potential, Radiopharm has formed a world class management team recruited from some of the most prestigious radiopharmaceutical companies and universities globally.  The CEO Riccardo Canevari, was until recently, the Chief Commercial Officer at Novartis’ Advanced Accelerator Applications one of the world’s leading radiopharmaceutical companies and the Chief Medical Officer, Professor David Mozley, was until recently, Professor of Nuclear Medicine at the prestigious Cornell University in New York.  The board comprises experienced and seasoned life science-focused Directors with prior radiopharmaceutical and biotech experience.

www.radiopharmtheranostics.com

STALICLA SA

STALICLA is a Swiss clinical stage biotech company deploying and applying a first in class discovery platform to bring precision medicine to patients with Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDDs), with a first application in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

STALICLA has assembled a world-class team of 26 seasoned drug developers, clinicians, data scientists and computational biologists.

DEPI, the company's NDD precision medicine platform leveraging on ML and transcriptomics technology, has reached proof of concept for its capacity to characterize biologically similar subgroups of patients within highly variable populations of patients with neurodevelopmental disorders, and to further identify tailored treatment candidates.
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To further advance its drug discovery platform and pipeline, STALICLA has established strong networks within top tier research and clinical centers in the United States and Europe.

STALICLA currently has one precision medicine candidate in the clinic and plans to bring two assets into Phase 2 in 2022.

The company is also advancing collaborative alliances with strategic third party pipelines.

STALICLA has raised USD 27M to date and is rapidly scaling its platform and clinical development activity. For more information, please visit company's website.

​https://stalicla.com

20-minute showcases

ABVC BioPharma, INC.

ABVC has targeted its business to the stage of drug development that moves promising drugs from the laboratory to the market, the translational phase. Drugs considered by ABVC are usually derived from plants, address significant illnesses, and have successfully completed pre-clinical, disease animal model and Phase I safety studies at world-class research institutions.

After examination of the data associated with a new drug candidate, ABVC enters into a licensing agreement with the research institutions, submits an application to the health authorities such as U.S. FDA, Australia TGA and Taiwan TFDA to begin Phase II trials, and seeks to engage a prestigious principal investigator in the United States, Australia and/or Taiwan to conduct the clinical trials.

Upon successful completion of the Phase II trial, ABVC seeks a partner – usually a large pharmaceutical company – to complete a Phase III study, submit the New Drug Application (NDA), and commercialize the drug upon approval by the FDA.

abvcpharma.com/

Addex Therapeutics Ltd.
[SIX: ADXN] | [NASDAQ: ADXN]

Addex Therapeutics is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of an emerging class of novel orally available small molecule drugs known as allosteric modulators for neurological disorders. Allosteric modulators offer several potential advantages over conventional non-allosteric molecules and may offer an improved therapeutic approach to conventional "orthosteric" small molecule or biological drugs.​

www.addextherapeutics.com/en/

Amniotics AB
[STO: AMNI]​

Amniotics is a biopharma company focusing on research, development, and manufacturing of tissue specific and neonatal quality stem cell therapies targeting disease areas with high unmet need. Amniotics has a project portfolio where the same technology and methodology can be applied for the various indications. We have developed methods for sorting out cells for the treatment of pulmonary indications (PulmoStem™), CNS indications (CogniStem™), dermatological indications (CutiStem™) and kidney-specific indications (NephroStem™). We have a GMP approved manufacturing facility for aseptic production of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) serving our own production needs as well as acting as CDMO for Universities, Hospitals, and the Biopharmaceutical industry. Amniotic’s lung-specific product PulmoStem™ is ready to be evaluated in a phase I/II trial in patient populations suffering from ARDS due to COVID-19 and the first patient is expected to be enrolled in 1H 2022. Amniotic’s other cell-specific products are at an earlier stage and will in the coming years continue to be developed and taken into the pre-clinical phase. The company’s iPS technology (“programmed stem cells”) is an opportunity with the potential to form a completely new platform with new indications within hematology/oncology. At the SACHS conference Amniotics wish to meet with potential investors and collaborators with the aim of maturing the portfolio of stem cell products compounds to the benefit of patients suffering from serious and life-threatening disease that are currently not treated well.

http://www.amniotics.com/

ATRIVA Therapeutics GmbH

Atriva Therapeutics, founded in 2015 in Germany, is a biopharmaceutical company that is pioneering the development of host-targeting antiviral therapies. The company develops a therapy platform to treat severe respiratory and systemic diseases induced by RNA viruses with a high unmet medical need, such as influenza, COVID-19, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and dengue fever. The Atriva lead product zapnometinib (ATR-002) is a first-in-class, host-targeting agent that aims to inhibit viral replication and to favorably modulate the body’s immune response in RNA viruses. Zapnometinib has successfully completed a Phase I trial to demonstrate safety and tolerability in healthy subjects. The Company is actively enrolling patients in a Phase II study to evaluate efficacy in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Top-line results are expected by the end of Q2 2022. A Phase II study in influenza is currently in preparation, as are further Phase II and III studies in COVID-19. The company received an FDA-Orphan-Drug Designation for the treatment of Hantavirus Infections. A pipeline of follow-on compounds is actively pursued in early preclinical development. The Company owns 11 patent families with broad international coverage related to the use of MEK inhibitors and other kinase inhibitors for antiviral therapies. The patent life runs through 2041.

Atriva is looking for a larger series B financing to support the development program of the lead asset, the platform and to realize a number of inflection points within the next two years.

www.atriva-therapeutics.com/

Bone Therapeutics SA
[EBR: BOTHE]​

Bone Therapeutics is a leading biotech company focused on the development of innovative products to address high unmet needs in orthopedics and other diseases. The Company has a diversified portfolio of cell therapies at different stages ranging from pre-clinical programs in immunomodulation to mid stage clinical development for orthopedic conditions, targeting markets with large unmet medical needs and limited innovation.
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Bone Therapeutics’ core technology is based on its cutting-edge allogeneic cell and gene therapy platform with differentiated bone marrow sourced Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs) which can be stored at the point of use in the hospital. Currently in pre-clinical development, BT-20, the most recent product candidate from this technology, targets inflammatory conditions, while the leading investigational medicinal product, ALLOB, represents a unique, proprietary approach to bone regeneration, which turns undifferentiated stromal cells from healthy donors into bone-forming cells. These cells are produced via the Bone Therapeutics’ scalable manufacturing process. Following the CTA approval by regulatory authorities in Europe, the Company has initiated patient recruitment for the Phase IIb clinical trial with ALLOB in patients with difficult tibial fractures, using its optimized production process. ALLOB continues to be evaluated for other orthopedic indications including spinal fusion, osteotomy, maxillofacial and dental.

Bone Therapeutics’ cell therapy products are manufactured to the highest GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) standards and are protected by a broad IP (Intellectual Property) portfolio covering ten patent families as well as knowhow. The Company is based in the BioPark in Gosselies, Belgium.

​http://www.bonetherapeutics.com/en

Context Therapeutics Inc.
​[NASDAQ: CNTX]

Context Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: CNTX), is a women’s oncology company developing small molecule and immunotherapy treatments to transform care for breast and gynecological cancers. The Company’s robust clinical program for lead candidate onapristone extended release (ONA-XR) comprises three Phase 2 clinical trials and one Phase 1b/2 clinical trial in hormone-driven breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancer, as well as two Phase 0 biomarker pharmacodynamic trials in breast cancer. ONA-XR is a novel, first-in-class small molecule under development as a potent and specific antagonist of the progesterone receptor, a key unchecked mechanism in hormone-driven women’s cancers. Context is headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. For more information, visit company's website.​

www.contexttherapeutics.com

eTheRNA immunotherapies NV

eTheRNA immunotherapies NV is developing immunotherapy and vaccine products for the treatment of cancer and infectious disease from its multiple RNA, formulation and manufacturing technology platforms.

​The private company is headquartered in Belgium and was established in 2013. eTheRNA also has offices in New York and Hong Kong. To date, the Company has raised €63 million in venture capital.

www.etherna.be/

Macomics Ltd.​

Macomics is developing precision medicines to modulate macrophages for the treatment of cancer. Our vision is to develop new approaches to target the immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment, that exploits disease specific macrophage biology to harness the power of the immune system. 

We have a portfolio of antibody programs progressing towards clinic and continue to identify new therapeutic targets through it's proprietary target identification approach. By combining analysis of human disease tissue, in silico data mining, and functional data from  state-of-the-art cellular models we continue to identify and validate new drug targets in diseases where macrophages play a central role.

The company was co-founded in 2020 by Prof Jeffrey Pollard and Dr Luca Cassetta, University of Edinburgh, internationally recognised leaders in macrophage biology.
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https://macomics.com/​

Microbiotica Ltd.

Initially built out of 10 years investment in the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Microbiotica has unrivalled capabilities in microbiome analysis linked to patient phenotype. It is a global leader in gut bacterial culturing, and has a world-leading microbiome Culture Collection, proprietary Reference Genome Database and advanced microbiome analytics. These capabilities enable the transition to precision medicine in the microbiome, whereby microbial signatures linked to phenotype enable both product design and patent stratification, thus accelerating and de-risking the development process.

Microbiotica has a pipeline of highly differentiated clinically-derived products including Live Bacterial Therapeutics and Biomarkers in IBD, Immuno-oncology and Gut Epithelial Barrier Repair.

It has collaborations with Cancer Research UK and Cambridge University Hospitals in Immuno-oncology, Genentech/Roche in IBD, and University of Adelaide in Ulcerative Colitis.​

https://microbiotica.com/

NOXXON Pharma NV
[EPA: ALNOX]​

NOXXON’s oncology-focused pipeline breaks the tumor protection barrier and blocks tumor repair by neutralizing chemokines in the tumor micro-environment (TME). NOXXON’s approach works in combination with other forms of treatment to weaken tumor defenses against the immune system and enable greater therapeutic impact.

After NOXXON’s lead program NOX-A12 delivered final top-line data with encouraging overall survival and safety profile from a combination trial with an anti-PD-1 immuno-oncology checkpoint inhibitor in metastatic colorectal and pancreatic cancer patients in September 2020, the company announced in July 2021 its upcoming Phase 2 study to further evaluate safety and efficacy of NOX-A12 in combination with anti-PD-1 and two different chemotherapy regimens as second-line therapy in patients with  pancreatic cancer.

The combination of NOX-A12 and radiotherapy has been granted orphan drug status in the US and EU for the treatment of certain brain cancers. An ongoing trial of NOX-A12 in combination with radiotherapy in newly diagnosed brain cancer patients who will not benefit from standard chemotherapy has delivered interim data from the low- and mid-dose cohorts showing consistent tumor reductions. The read-out from the third high-dose cohort is expected in early 2022.

The company’s second clinical-stage asset, NOX-E36 is a TME asset targeting the innate immune system and is planned to go back into the clinic and NOXXON plans to develop NOX-E36 in patients with solid tumors.​

www.noxxon.com/

TAUC3 BIOLOGICS LIMITED

TauC3 Biologics Limited (TC3B) is an emerging, privately held, British biotechnology company that is developing what we believe will be the first scientifically validated, safe and effective disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer’s disease (AD).  The company’s scientific strategy is to target a so far underappreciated critical contributor to disease progression. Based on previously published work from Professor Bradley Hyman at Harvard University and the company’s internal R&D activities, TauC3 Biologics hypothesizes that soluble oligomers composed of tauC3, a C-terminally truncated form of tau, play a dominant role in the spreading of tau pathology, whereas other tau species are largely inert.  Accordingly, the company is developing a tauC3-specific monoclonal antibody (TBL-100) as a treatment for AD.  TBL-100 binds tauC3 with 1000-fold specificity compared to full length tau, which offers a major advantage compared to antibodies lacking this specificity. This is because tauC3 accounts for less than 1% of total tau, so more than 99% of an antibody targeting other forms of tau in addition to tauC3 is effectively wasted. The value of such specificity is magnified since only about 0.2% of an antibody dose administered crosses the blood brain barrier.  The potential benefit of TC3B’s strategy is underscored by the clinical trial failures of the several antibodies tested to date that bind mainly non-pathogenic tau.  The company has a robust intellectual property portfolio, including several issued patents in the US and internationally, covering both methods of treatment and composition of matter.  TC3B is led by an experienced management team with deep knowledge of Alzheimer’s disease and experience in the development of therapeutics for it.

www.tauc3bio.com

10-minute showcases

20Med Therapeutics B.V.

20Med Therapeutics is a pre-clinical stage biotechnology company focused on the development of novel RNA and DNA vaccines and therapeutics based on our proprietary bioresponsive polymer nanoparticle delivery technology. The non-viral, non-lipid delivery technology is compatible with a wide range of oligonucleotide based payloads. The loaded nanoparticles can be freeze dried and stored and shipped at room temperature.

20medtx.com/

Acthera Therapeutics AG​

Acthera Therapeutics is a Swiss biotech company, developing a unique and innovative type of liposomes, for the targeted and controlled delivery of drugs. Based on a patented synthetic lipid, we produce Hard-Shelled Liposomes (HSL) that have a dodecahedric shape, with faces and edges, a unique characteristic among liposomes. This gives the HSL a strong differentiator: they are mechanosensitive. When submitted to appropriate pressure, HSL release their payload, and this unique ability allows the controlled and targeted delivery of drugs. This is the ideal way to maximize the therapeutic potential of multiple drugs, increasing efficacy by better targeting the drug to its target and reducing unwanted systemic effects.  

The combination of HSL with various payloads and specific release triggers opens a large field of therapeutic opportunities in many clinical indications. Multiple payloads can be encapsulated, from small molecules, to RNA and peptides. The encapsulation of the therapeutic agents is a protection against metabolism or excretion, until the drug is locally released to its cellular or tissular/organ target, optimizing the PK/PD parameters.

Various mechanical triggers can activate the release of the HSL's payload. High shear stress associated with a pathological vascular occlusion is an internal trigger that can be used to deliver active drugs at the site of an acute thrombosis, in acute myocardial infarction or acute ischemic stroke. External triggers, such as ultrasound or laser light, applied to target specific body locations or organs can have the same effect, and can be associated.

The HSL-payload-trigger combination is a unique way to deliver drugs WHERE and WHEN they are needed, from cardiovascular to oncologic diseases. It is a very powerful instrument to increase the therapeutic effectiveness of many drugs, whose use is still limited by their unfavorable efficacy:safety profile. For the benefit of patients!
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https://acthera-therapeutics.com/​

Actinogen Medical Ltd.
​[ASX: ACW]

Actinogen Medical (ACW) is an ASX-listed, biotechnology company developing a novel therapy for neurological diseases associated with dysregulated brain cortisol. There is a strong association between cortisol and detrimental changes in the brain, affecting cognitive function, harm to brain cells and long-term cognitive health.

We are currently developing our lead compound, Xanamem®, as a promising new therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), Depression and other neurological diseases where reducing cortisol inside brain cells could have a positive impact. The cognitive dysfunction, behavioural abnormalities, and neuropsychological burden associated with these conditions is debilitating for patients, and there is a substantial unmet medical need for new and improved treatments.

Actinogen is proactively engaging with prospective biopharmaceutical partners globally that may be interested to collaborate with further development and commercialisation of Xanamem.

Actinogen is planning a series of Phase 2 studies to investigate the treatment with Xanamem in mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s Disease, various symptoms associated with Fragile X Syndrome and Major Depressive Disorder. A Phase 1b dose-ranging trial of cognition is due to complete in CY2022 2Q and other trials will commence in 2022.

The Actinogen leadership team and clinical and scientific advisory boards have outstanding world class expertise with clinical and drug development experience, including world-renowned AD and dementia clinicians and researchers, global thought leaders in clinical trials for Fragile X Syndrome, Major Depressive Disorder and industry specialists in drug development, clinical trial management, biotechnology investment and business development.

Actinogen is pursuing a revolutionary therapy to help make a material difference to the quality of life for people and their families living with serious neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s Disease, Fragile X Syndrome and Depression.​

actinogen.com.au/

AlgoTherapeutix SAS

AlgoTherapeutix develops innovative solutions for complex pain. AlgoTx's lead program is ATX01, a topical treatment for the pain of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).
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Following successful Phase I completion, AlgoTx is raising a Series B to fund the pivotal Phase II trial in CIPN.

www.algotx.com

BAYOOmED AG

We implement software projects for the pharmaceutical industry and the medical technology sector.

Our focus is on the development of medical and healthcare apps as well as medical software and digital health applications (DiGA). According to all valid standards for medical devices we plan, develop and document for national and international customers for more than 10 years.

We support you in all product lifecycle phases, taking into account the regulations and requirements of your target market. Whether this is in the EU (MDR), the USA (FDA), Brazil (ANVISA) or other countries – we know the legal regulations and develop according to these specifications.

www.bayoomed.com/

BioHarvest Sciences Inc.​
[CNSX: BHSC]

BioHarvest Sciences Inc. (CSE: BHSC) is a fast-growing Biotech firm listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange. BioHarvest has developed a patented bio-cell growth platform technology capable of growing the active and beneficial ingredients in fruit and plants, at industrial scale, without the need to grow the plant itself. This technology is economical, ensures consistency, and avoids the negative environmental impacts associated with traditional agriculture. BioHarvest is currently focused on nutraceuticals and the medicinal cannabis markets, and plans to announce its third product vertical in early 2022.

The company has released revenue guidance for 2022, where it expects to scale the US expansion of its VINIA market share, which generated over $2M in 2021 global revenue, and with the first sales of its cannabis products.

https://bioharvest.com/

brevel ltd.

By providing truly affordable, consistent and scalable production of microalgae-based alternative protein and functional ingredients, Brevel is opening the doors to microalgae as the future of our food system. Brevel’s proprietary technology reduces costs by more than 90% which is a complete paradigm shift in the industry where cost and quality were the main barriers until today.

Brevel is working with global partners from the food and other industries towards making the world a better place.

brevel.co.il/

Delta 4 GmbH

Delta4, a Vienna-based biotech startup driving the forefront of digital drug discovery and development.

​delta4.ai/

Immunetune BV

Immunetune is an IND-stage biotech aiming to become best-in-class in neoantigen cancer vaccines. In specific, our cell-free, enzymatic DNA production platform based on synthetic biology enables the fastest turnaround time and lowest resources in industry, while our novel adjuvant exploiting pyroptosis induces strong T cell responses to the pure DNA through needle-free intradermal injection.

Our lead program NeoVAC, a neoantigen cancer vaccine, has achieve preclinical Proof of Concept with checkpoint inhibitors in several tumor models, and recently completed GLP toxicity studies, with the aim to initiate clinical studies during 2022. Immunetune’s pipeline further consists of infectious disease vaccines, including a pan-corona DNA vaccine, targeting antigens conserved across multiple strains of coronaviruses for global pandemic readiness, currently in preclinical testing.

We are now pursuing Series A financing with an international syndicate for €25-40 M, to deliver us beyond Phase I/II inflection and establish leadership on manufacturing with our own facilities to demonstrate best-in-class positioning in neoantigen cancer vaccines.

www.immunetune.com/

Inotrem S.A.​

Inotrem S.A. is a biotechnology company specialized in immunotherapy for acute and chronic inflammatory syndromes. The company has developed a new concept of immunomodulation that targets the TREM-1 pathway to control unbalanced inflammatory responses. Inotrem’s lead asset, Nangibotide, is currently evaluated in two clinical trials : a phase 2b in septic shock patients, with results expected in Q3 2022, and a phase 2/3 in patients with severe forms of COVID-19.

Inotrem has a personalized healthcare approach with a mechanism-based biomarker (soluble TREM-1) being developed in collaboration with Roche Diagnostics as a companion diagnostic tool to select the patients more likely to benefit from a treatment by Nangibotide.

www.inotrem.com

Invizius ltd.

Invizius is a late pre-clinical biotech company developing treatments to suppress diseases driven by dysregulated innate immune responses. Its first product is an anti-inflammatory treatment targeting ~20% of patients on haemodialysis that have a highly elevated immune response to the procedure.

The H-Guard® Priming Solution comprises a novel protein that coats the inside of the dialysis filter (during the existing priming procedure) and helps dialysis to take place undetected by the body’s immune system. This suppresses the blood’s foreign body response, thereby preventing a repetitive, hostile inflammatory reaction that increases the risk of cardiovascular complications, from which around half of dialysis patients die.

The company's proprietary technology is a highly efficient complement inhibitor which can also be used to shield other devices or treatments such as CRRT, ECMO, cardiopulmonary bypass, organ preservation, nanoparticles and cell & gene therapies.

The company is expanding its development pipeline towards therapeutics for treating renal and other disease areas driven by dysregulation of the innate immune / complement system.

www.invizius.com/

Mestag Therapeutics Ltd.​

Mestag was founded in 2020 to develop impactful therapies for patients by targeting activated fibroblast populations and their role in influencing the immune system in disease.

The Mestag team is progressing a pipeline of first in class therapeutics to interrupt fibroblast-mediated effects on immune cells in inflammatory disease and immuno-oncology. In partnership with Janssen Biotech, the company is also driving new target discovery through its 1021 Platform.

Mestag is supported by leading global investors SV Health Investors, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc., Forbion, GV (formerly Google Ventures) and Northpond Ventures. We were delighted to be recognized by Fierce Biotech on the 2021 Fierce 15 list of innovative start-up companies.

The company is headquartered in Cambridge, UK. For more information, please visit company's website.

mestagtherapeutics.com/

Nordic Nanovector ASA
[OSE: NANOV​]

At Nordic Nanovector we develop innovative targeted therapies using our proprietary CD37 platform that are designed to advance the treatment of patients with haematological cancers and immunological diseases, starting with Betalutin®.

www.nordicnanovector.com

OMass Therapeutics

At OMass Therapeutics, we are identifying new medicines against highly validated but inadequately drugged targets using novel biochemistry techniques, native mass spectrometry and custom chemistry. We distil biology to its essential elements – physical interactions within a native ecosystem – to deliver cell-system fidelity and cell-free precision; interrogating not just the target but how it interacts with other elements of the ecosystem. We are advancing a pipeline of small molecule therapeutics in orphan diseases and immunological conditions, targeting solute carriers, inflammasome complexes and GPCRs.​

www.omass.com/

Omixon Biocomputing Kft.​

Omixon is a molecular diagnostics company that markets transplant diagnostic solutions to clinical and research laboratories.
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Omixon uses its multidisciplinary competence ranging from bioinformatics, through software engineering to molecular diagnostics to design its products.

Our goal is to enable histocompatibility labs to turn innovative technologies into better transplant outcomes.

www.omixon.com/

Orion Biotechnology Canada Ltd.

Orion Biotechnology is a leading GPCR discovery company with a novel approach to overcome the challenges of large ligand GPCRs. The company is advancing a high-value pipeline of new therapeutics with preclinical and clinical demonstration of best-in-class drug candidates.

Orion’s discovery process is supported by the company’s purpose-built platform, providing one of the fastest drug discovery solutions in the industry to precision-engineer ligand analogs with enhanced potency, increased safety and tailored signaling activity.

This new approach uniquely positions Orion to unlock large ligand GPCRs which have not been successfully drugged by standard drug modalities (SM, mAbs).​

orionbiotechnology.com/

PDC*LINE PHARMA SA

PDC*line Pharma is a clinical-stage spin-off of the French Blood Bank that develops a new class of potent and off-the-shelf therapeutic cancer vaccines based on a proprietary cell line of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells (PDC*line). Based on a robust preclinical package and a first-in-human phase Ib in melanoma, PDC*line Pharma has initiated a clinical development in lung cancer with a new candidate (PDC*lung) and neoantigens (PDC*neo).

PDC*line is the only cell line of ready-to-use Dendritic Cells for therapeutic use. It is loaded with synthetic peptides derived from tumor antigens, irradiated, and can be stored frozen for years. After thawing, it is injected to activate in vivo a potent cytotoxic anti-tumor CD8+ T-cell response. The product comes in the form of 3 candidates:

• PDC*mel: our first candidate for melanoma completed a first-in-human phase Ib trial in 2017, demonstrating the safety of the product, the ab-sence of allogeneic rejection and its biological activity. The results of the trial have been pub-lished in the Oncoimmunology journal in 2020.
• PDC*lung: our leading candidate for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) targets widely ex-pressed shared antigens (including cancer/testis antigens). A phase Ib/II trial on 64 patients evalu-ating its safety, biological activity, and preliminary clinical activity, with and without anti-PD1, is cur-rently on-going.
• PDC*neo: is currently being developed at the preclinical stage.

PDC*line Pharma comprises a team of 27 persons based in Belgium and France. The company has raised nearly €52M. The last rounds have been led by the Asian leading VC Korean Investment Partners.
In March 2019, PDC*line Pharma granted an exclusive license in South Korea and exclusive option in other Asian countries to LG Chem Life Sciences Company, for the development and commercializa-tion of PDC*lung cancer vaccine for lung cancer. The total deal value is €108M (123M$) plus royalties on net sales in Asia.

www.pdc-line-pharma.com/

Tollys SAS

Tollys is a biopharmaceutical company focused on cutting-edge cancer immunotherapy and on the biology and modulation of the TLR3 receptor. In 2021, Tollys lead-candidate TL-532 was named the ‘best-in-class innovation of the year’ by the international board of MATWIN, a European oncology innovation acceleration program (www.matwin.fr). 

www.tollys.fr

Rising Stars SessioN

adoram

Adoram is a pre-seed UNIGE spin-out project to discover negative allosteric modulators (NAMs) that target the adenosine 2A receptor (A2AR). The small molecule drugs are intended for use as part of combination immunotherapy in cancer patients with solid tumors. The benefits of allosteric drugs are their continued potency in immunosuppressive (adenosine-rich) tumor microenvironments and expected improved clinical safety profile. Our multidisciplinary R&D team has identified allosteric drug hits and improved their potency via a medicinal chemistry campaign. Using in vitro translational assays, the lead candidate drugs show equal or enhanced potency compared to the competitor drugs in human clinical trials. In vitro and in vivo DMPK data show that the lead candidate is orally bioavailable. We are now working towards filing a patent, the PoC for the allosteric mechanism of action in vivo, incorporating our company, recruiting KOLs, and securing financing to advance into clinical development.

adoram.ch

Healiva SA

healiva® SA is a patient centric Biotech company delivering precision medicine to improve chronic wound patients’ quality of life. Using a multi-pronged approach combining enzyme technology, medical devices, and cell therapy, we are the first to address unmet patient needs in providing intuitive, end-to-end solutions that can be personalized whilst remaining affordable.

healiva® has a focused, defined and strong business model to become the end-to-end solution provider for wound management. Attracting partners and investors through our unique approach will accelerate our innovation, enabling rapid market entry to make a real difference for our patients.

www.healiva.com/

InnoSurge AC

InnoSurge AC offers AI-powered medical software for automated surgical planning. This is used, for example, in facial reconstructions, but is also essential for many other surgical procedures. We enable surgeons worldwide to plan complex surgeries autonomously and independently of service providers. In the segmentation of image data - an important precondition for this solution - we are among the global frontrunners with our proprietary AI solution.

www.linkedin.com/company/76103162

Klavant GmbH

With our advanced digital intraoperative quality control system we will give patients and surgeons a better understanding of the outcome after remodelling procedures of the aortic valves in case of aortic valve insufficency.

Our vision is: first-time intraoperative state of the art support of the heart surgeon performance, longtime durabillity of the natural aortic valve geometry and freedom of re-operation plus: increasing of remodelling procedures for a better quality of live world wide.

klavant.de/

Laevoroc Oncology AG

Laevoroc is a privately owned group of oncology drug development companies based in Zug, Switzerland. The first company, Laevoroc Oncology, was founded in 2019 by two oncology drug development visionaries with the purpose of bringing game-changing medicines to patients living with cancer. Our vision is to develop and grow a diversified portfolio of next-generation and game changing cancer immunotherapies.

www.laevoroc.com

Ramino Bio

Ramino-Bio is developing a drug to treat cardio-metabolic and rare Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD) diseases characterized by chronic elevated branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs; Valine, leucine, and Isoleucine), which lead to toxic metabolites. Our unique technology enables to lower the high levels of circulating BCAAs by increasing their breakdown. Ramino is in pre-clinical stages with novel pharmaceutical compounds.

Currently, there is no treatment for MSUD patients who live on BCAA-restricted and monitored diet for their entire lives. MSUD is characterized by poor feeding, lack of energy (lethargy), abnormal movements, and neurological damage. If untreated, MSUD can lead to seizures, coma, and death. There are around 4000 MSUD patients in Europe and 2000 in the US. The estimated cost for a pharmaceutical drug is $100-200K for annual treatment per patient, which may be consumed for their entire life. The natural history of the patients is known, and the biomarkers in the blood are well defined and non-invasive. The patient will be able to consume BCAAs without life-threatening episodes.

The technology mechanism of action is considered a disease-modifying treatment, targeting one of the regulators in the BCAAs catabolic pathway. A selective oral drug for enhanced BCAAs catabolism will reduce BCAA levels in blood and tissues in MSUD patients, in which BCAAs levels are chronically elevated.  

Ramino- Bio is holding proprietary expertise and knowledge in Medicinal Chemistry and BCAAs-related methods. During the last 2.5 years, we discovered novel chemical entities, showing good in-vitro ADME and in-vivo PK druggability properties. Efficacy using human MSUD patients’ cells and in-vivo Proof-of concept were was demonstrated.

If mechanistically confirmed in MSUD patients, lowering BCAAs levels via enhanced BCAAs catabolism can be applied to metabolic syndromes insulin resistance / T2D / HF patients. This mechanism can improve cardiac muscle contraction, adipose tissue redox homeostasis, mitochondrial function, and glycemia.

www.futurx.co.il/portfolio/ramino-bio/

Testasy (by GobiX GmbH)

Testasy couples med and tech to provide accessible, reliable and secure remote diagnostic solutions from home. Having launched our flagship product – Testasy antigen and PCR kits – in several European countries including Switzerland, we moved on to offer a range of solutions including testing for infectious diseases and measuring antibody levels, all of which can be done from home and by connecting to a member of our medical team. Testasy works exclusively with medical professionals to guarantee customer safety, reliability of results and compliance with Swiss and EU regulations.

www.testasy.me

Ymmunobio AG

Ymmunobio AG is a preclinical stage oncology biotech company focused on targeting cancer by developing a proprietary class of CEACAM antibodies. Ymmunobio targets CEACAM1, a cell-cell communication molecule that plays a major role in the immune response and cancer cell evolution. The company’s platform is based on the leading research of Dr. Bernhard B. Singer, University Essen/Duisburg, Germany into the role of CEACAM in the immune system.

The lead antibody, YB-200, is addressing a fundamental limitation of check point inhibitors, which is primary and secondary resistance. YB-200 has shown in multiple preclinical experiments to directly co-stimulate T-, B- and dendritic cells and thus potentially turning “cold” tumors into “hot” tumors. Proof of Concept with checkpoint inhibitors in tumor models with preliminary in-vivo data in a PD-1 resistance tumor model support the further development of YB-200 in oncology with the aim to initiate the first in human study early 2024.

Ymmunobio’s pipeline to date consists of several generations of monoclonal antibodies targeting CEACAM1, of which two are currently in preclinical development.

Ymmunobio was founded by Dr. Katrin Rupalla, an expert with more than 25 years experience in oncology drug development. The company is a currently self-funded, operating start-up that is actively pursuing capital investment to move from pre-clinical proof of concept to initial CMC development and safety studies. Contact info@ymmuno.bio for more information.

The Ymmunobio team is supported by a renowned team of scientific leaders in the field of CEACAM research and drug development. Along with Dr. Bernhard B. Singer, Ymmunobio advisors include Prof. Dr. Iris Helfrich, Dr. Kenneth Skubitz and Dr. Bruno Osterwalder.

www.ymmuno.bio