Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund

Leveraging personal data for custom-fit diagnosis and treatment

Precision Medicine

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 Rgenta Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing small-molecule drugs targeting ribonucleic acid (RNA) to treat oncology and neurological disorders. The company&rsquo;s proprietary drug discovery platform analyzes large genomic data to identify small molecule glues that target RNAs to regulate or alter protein production and functions.&nbsp;&nbsp;
 
 
 The company was formed with experts in small molecule drugs in the fields of genomics and RNA biology.&nbsp;
 
 
 Key Customers and Partnerships
 
 
 In August 2021, the company partnered with brain disease-focused pharma H. Lundbeck A/ to grant Lundbeck the option to exclusively license the development and commercialization of the RNA-targeting small molecule discovery using Rgenta&rsquo;s platform. The company has the potential to earn up to USD 100 million in milestone payments.&nbsp;
 
 
 Funding and Financials
 
 
 The company raised USD 52 million in November 2022 via a 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/14968">
 Series A 
 </a>
 funding round led by AZ-CICC Healthcare Investment Fund. The new funds were to be allocated toward advancing its lead programs and pipeline of RNA programs, enhancing its target discovery, and expanding its platform capabilities. 
 
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Brainomix is a UK-based biotechnology company specializing in the development of AI-powered imaging biomarkers to enhance precision medicine. Established as a spin-out from the University of Oxford, the company is known for its Brainomix 360 platform, particularly the e-Stroke suite.&nbsp;This comprehensive stroke imaging solution includes tools like e-ASPECTS, which uses AI to interpret brain scans in real time, aiding in crucial treatment decisions.&nbsp;In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/29586">May 2024</a>, the company received FDA approval for its Brainomix 360 e-Lung. This lung imaging product is an AI-powered software designed to support the diagnosis and management of lung diseases, particularly idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Key customers and partnershipsIn February 2023, Brainomix partnered with Pixyl to integrate solutions for multiple sclerosis, expanding its reach into new therapeutic areas.&nbsp;Brainomix’s solutions are distributed in over 30 countries and have been validated in more than 60 scientific publications. Notable partnerships include collaborations with healthcare systems and hospitals worldwide, enhancing healthcare by integrating AI tools into clinical workflows.

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 Glox Therapeutics develops precision antibiotics using engineered protein bacteriocins. These novel antimicrobials are claimed to selectively target gram-negative pathogens that have already developed antimicrobial resistance, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae that cause serious infections associated with high levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and mortality. The company aims to advance the field of antimicrobial therapy by overcoming resistance to traditional antibiotics by focusing on selectively eradicating target pathogens while preserving the patient&rsquo;s microbiomes.
 
 
 
 
 Glox Therapeutics works on developing highly effective antibiotics that specifically target harmful bacteria without disrupting the beneficial microbes in the host's microbiome. The company uses advanced bacteriocin technology based on research from the Kleanthous laboratory at the University of Oxford and the Walker laboratory at the University of Glasgow as the foundation for Glox Therapeutics. It claims that this innovative platform can be adapted to combat a wide range of Gram-negative pathogens. Initially, Glox will focus on addressing the pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae, followed by Escherichia coli and Acinetobacter baumannii, which are listed as critical drug-resistant threats by the World Health Organization (WHO).
 
 
 
 
 The primary medical condition Glox Therapeutics will target is ventilator-associated pneumonia, which will be treated through intravenous delivery of bacteriocin constructs. Additionally, they plan to address other acute pneumonias, bacteraemia, sepsis, and chronic lung infections in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
 
 
 
 
 Glox Therapeutics&rsquo;s product pipeline as of January 2024 consisted of Glox001: targeting P. aeruginosa in ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and Glox002: targeting K. pneumoniae in VAP.
 
 
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 
 
 In November 2023, Glox Therapeutics raised GBP 4.3 million (~USD 5.3 million) in a seed funding round led by Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund and Scottish Enterprise. The company expected to use the funds to develop effective targeted therapeutics against antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, set up laboratories in Oxford and Glasgow, and expand its team to expedite its bacteriocin development program.
 
 
 
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Targeting complex diseases with complex molecules

Large-molecule Therapeutics

NBE-Therapeutics AG was a privately-owned Swiss biotech company based in Basel, founded in 2012. The company focused on developing next-generation immune-stimulatory antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for cancer treatment. Its proprietary iADC platform created highly potent and safe immune-stimulatory ADCs with an anthracycline payload, inducing a long-lasting immunological anti-tumor effect. This platform demonstrated unprecedented preclinical efficacy and safety across multiple pipeline programs.
NBE's lead asset, NBE-002, targeted the ROR1 receptor and successfully completed GLP toxicology studies, supporting the initiation of a first-in-human study. In 2020, NBE-002 entered phase 1 clinical trials for triple-negative breast cancer, lung cancer, and other solid tumors and lymphomas. The company leveraged proprietary technologies for antibody discovery (Transpo-mAb Display), site-specific payload conjugation (SMAC-Technology), and a novel anthracycline-based toxin platform.
In December 2020, Boehringer Ingelheim acquired NBE-Therapeutics for EUR 1.18 billion, including contingent milestones. The acquisition provided Boehringer Ingelheim access to NBE's innovative iADC platform and expanded its cancer immunology portfolio with the goal of developing powerful combination therapies.

Cardior Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biotech company pioneering the discovery and development of RNA-based therapeutics designed to prevent, repair, and reverse cardiovascular diseases. The company's approach targets distinctive non-coding RNAs as a platform to address the root causes of cardiac dysfunctions, aiming for lasting patient impact.
Cardior's lead compound, CDR132L, is an oligonucleotide-based microRNA-132 (miR-132) inhibitor currently in Phase 2 clinical development for treating heart failure. By selectively blocking abnormal levels of miR-132, CDR132L has the potential to halt and partially reverse cellular pathology, leading to improved heart function. In a Phase 1 billion trial published in the European Heart Journal, CDR132L demonstrated safety, tolerability, and suggested cardiac functional improvements compared to placebo. As of July 2022, CDR132L is being evaluated in the Phase 2 HF-REVERT trial involving 280 patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction after myocardial infarction.
In March 2024, Novo Nordisk agreed to acquire Cardior for up to EUR 1.025 billion, including an upfront payment and additional milestone payments. The acquisition reflects Novo Nordisk's strategy to establish a presence in cardiovascular disease and the transformative potential of CDR132L as a disease-modifying therapy for heart failure. The transaction was completed in May 2024, with Cardior becoming a fully-owned subsidiary of Novo Nordisk.

AgomAb Therapeutics is a Belgian biotech company pioneering and developing novel treatments that aim to resolve fibrosis, repair tissue structure, and restore organ function. The company's pipeline comprises growth factor-targeting antibodies and small molecule compounds, including its lead candidate AGMB-129, a gastrointestinal tract restricted ALK5 inhibitor. In February 2023, AgomAb announced positive Phase 1 results showing that single- and multiple-dose oral AGMB-129 was safe and well-tolerated for the treatment of Fibrostenosing Crohn's Disease (FSCD). It has recently initiated a Phase 2a clinical trial (STENOVA) evaluating AGMB-129 in patients with symptomatic FSCD and received US FDA Fast Track Designation for the drug candidate in October 2023.
AgomAb's second TGF-β targeting pipeline candidate is AGMB-447, a Phase 1-ready lung-restricted ALK5 inhibitor for the treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, which received Orphan Drug Designation from the FDA in June 2024. AGMB-101 is an HGF-mimetic cMET receptor agonist in IND-enabling development for treating fibrotic disorders. In October 2023, AgomAb closed a USD 100 million (EUR 94.9 million) Series C financing led by Fidelity Management & Research Company to advance its pipeline.

A concentration of wealth and a willingness to adopt age-in-place technologies present new opportunities.

Age Tech

Canada-based Optina offers an eye test, which is a retinal imaging and diagnostics solution to detect Alzheimer's disease. Optina’s Retinal Deep Phenotyping platform uses a hyperspectral camera (Optina-4C) together with AI-powered technology (awAIr) to gather insights for patients, eye specialists, and physicians. Optina’s platform received the FDA breakthrough device designation status in 2019, and its hyperspectral camera (Optina-4C) received FDA clearance in 2020.Key customers and partnershipsOptina Diagnostics primarily serves healthcare providers and institutions focused on diagnosing and treating neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's. The company has forged key partnerships with several healthcare organizations to enhance the accuracy and accessibility of its diagnostic tools.

Pushing the envelope in MedTech with emerging technologies

Next-gen Medical Devices

Bodyport is a digital therapeutics company that has developed the Bodyport Cardiac Scale, an FDA-cleared non-invasive biomarker platform designed to monitor heart function and fluid status in patients with fluid management conditions like heart failure and kidney disease. The company was founded by Corey Centen and Sarah Smith, biomedical engineers who previously founded and sold Atreo Medical to Medtronic.
The Bodyport Cardiac Scale is an innovative solution that allows individuals to assess key hemodynamic biomarkers by simply stepping on the device, which looks like a standard bathroom scale. It leverages advanced sensors and proprietary algorithms to capture signals through the user's feet and transmit the data to clinical care teams over a cellular network in seconds. This enables remote monitoring of heart health, providing care teams with a window into the patient's condition to facilitate efficient and effective care.
The Cardiac Scale integrates seamlessly into patients' daily routines by utilizing the familiar form factor of a weight scale and the existing habit of daily self-weighing. It is designed to improve the standard of care for remote management of cardiorenal conditions by providing a longitudinal view of fluid status, enabling care teams to optimize lifestyle and medication adjustments for better patient management.
In August 2022, the Cardiac Scale received FDA 510(k) clearance, marking an important milestone for Bodyport in expanding access to its solution.

Redefining hospital care with the comfort of home

Hospital-at-Home

Wellth is a company that leverages behavioral economics principles to help individuals form healthier habits, particularly those with chronic conditions or facing income insecurity. The company's approach is grounded in the understanding that people often make irrational decisions, even when provided with the right information. Wellth's solution is designed to address this irrationality by applying concepts such as loss aversion, present bias, the intent-behavior gap, and the endowment effect to encourage better health outcomes.
The company's methodology is based on decades of research by leaders in behavioral economics, including Richard Thaler and Daniel Kahneman. Wellth's founders have adapted these principles to create a new approach to habit formation for healthier living. Their focus is specifically on individuals who struggle the most with maintaining healthy behaviors, recognizing that traditional methods may not be effective for these populations. By tailoring their solution to account for predictable irrational behaviors, Wellth aims to provide a more effective way to support lasting health improvements.

Shengbao Bio is committed to the development of novel live bacterial medications, leveraging gene circuits and precise regulation of gene and payload expression.

HepaRegeniX is developing drugs for treating acute and chronic liver diseases that effectively restore the regenerative capacity of hepatocytes. The therapeutic concept is founded on research by Professor Lars Zender’s group at the University Hospital Tübingen, which identified mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase 4 (MKK4) as a key regulator of liver regeneration. Work by Professor Zender’s team showed that using small RNA molecules to suppress MKK4 gene expression restored the regenerative capacity of hepatocytes, even in severely diseased livers. Founded in 2015, HepaRegeniX is developing small-molecule MKK4 inhibitors to treat liver disorders, potentially including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Asgard Therapeutics is a private biotech company exploring the application of direct cell reprogramming technologies for cancer immunotherapies. Formed as a spin-off from Lund University, the Company is pioneering a gene therapy approach based on its proprietary TrojanDC technology, designed to set in motion immune responses based on the biological properties of professional antigen-presenting cells.

Glox Therapeutics is a company that is pioneering the development of precision antibiotic therapies based on naturally occurring bacteriocins.

Actym Therapeutics, based in Berkeley, CA, is a privately-held biotechnology company focused on discovery and development of novel immuno-oncology therapies to treat cancer. The company has developed an attenuated, microbial-based, immunotherapeutic technology platform called STACT (S. Typhimurium-Attenuated Cancer Therapy). In preclinical studies, STACT specifically enriches in many types of solid tumors and not in healthy tissue. Once there, STACT delivers multiplexed immuno-modulatory payloads directly to tumor-resident immune cells. Many of these payload targets are of significant interest to the biopharmaceutical community but are intractable using conventional approaches due to systemic toxicities after intravenous dosing. Furthermore, STACT has been engineered to deliver payload combinations, which facilitates engagement of multiple biological pathways from a single therapy. In April of 2020, Actym raised $34 million in a Series A financing, co-led by Boehringer-Ingelheim Venture Fund and Panacea Venture Healthcare, with participation from Illumina Ventures, Korea Investment Partners, and JLO Ventures.

smartbax develop novel multi-targeted, antibacterial compounds with extraordinary potency against multi-drug resistant bacteria and difficult-to-treat biofilms.

DiogenX is a preclinical stage biotech company, specializing in the development of pancreatic beta-cell modulators for the treatment of Type 1 (T1D) and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). The company, which also has research labs in Nice, France, aims to discover and develop a candidate molecule that regenerates pancreatic insulin-producing cells in patients with diabetes, offering benefits in terms of quality of life and survival. It was discovered in the laboratory of Dr. Patrick Collombat (Inserm, CNRS, Nice University) in France, DiogenX is developing an innovative therapy with the potential to be the first beta-cell regeneration drug for diabetes.

Rewind Therapeutics is a developer of novel therapeutics intended to facilitate the treatment for neurological diseases.The company's first-in-class remyelinating therapeutics block inhibitory signals that prevent the expansion and migration of oligodendrocyte stem cells in order to promote effective remyelination, enabling medical practitioners to treat patients suffering from multiple sclerosis and other myelin-related diseases with efficacy.

Rgenta Therapeutics develops a pipeline of oral, small-molecule RNA-targeting medicines with an initial focus on oncology. Its proprietary platform mines the massive genomics data to identify targetable RNA processing events and design small-molecule glue to modulate the interactions among the spliceosome, regulatory proteins, and RNAs. Its lead programs and unique approach are unlocking the therapeutic potential of historically undruggable targets in human diseases. It was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Aignostics is an AI-powered precision diagnostics focused on pathology to assist with drug development and clinical research. Its “explainable” AI overcomes the “black-box” limitations of conventional AI. Based on their patented technology for reverse-engineering the black box, they render diagnostic results explainable in the form of precise heatmaps and image overlays. These heatmaps allow pathologists to quickly verify the results of the AI, which is crucial, as the pathologist is ultimately responsible for the diagnosis. The company was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Berlin, Germany.

C-mo is the solution providing a complete assessment of cough, adressing key use-cases across the patient management lifecycle.

ImCheck Therapeutics is a developer of immuno-modulatory antibodies designed for the treatment of cancer and other immune-related diseases. The company's services are engaged in the discovery and development of immunomodulators for treating breast cancer, gastric, ovarian cancer cells and other solid solid tumours.

ArrePath is an anti-infective drug discovery company addressing the global health challenge of drug resistant infections.

Centauri Therapeutics is a UK-based biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of novel molecules targeting life threatening diseases.   The Alphamer technology is based on ''programmable immunity'' in which chemically synthesised molecules redirect naturally occurring antibodies to selected pathogens to fight the infection. The molecules have two distinct parts: one end binds a cell-surface target on the pathogen using an aptamer whereas the other end presents specific epitopes that attach to the circulating antibodies. It has been demonstrated that Alphamers have the potential to redirect pre-existing antibodies to bacteria in a specific manner and trigger an immediate antibacterial immune response, so clearing the infection.   Centauri Therapeutics’ strategy is to redirect naturally occurring antibodies to target disease. Centauri Therapeutics' unique Chemistry Platform provides a flexible scaffold to enable the synthesis of specific Alphamers. These are bifunctional molecules which present a selective cell binding moiety as well as an epitope that recruits pre-existing antibodies, resulting in cell killing.   Centauri Therapeutics believes their technology is widely applicable in the treatment of life threatening infectious diseases. Companies with an interest in accessing Centauri’s Alphamer technology or with an interest in one of their current projects, are warmly encouraged to contact them to discuss partnering opportunities.   In order to drive success in the important area of immuno-oncology, Centauri Therapeutics has established a joint venture, Avvinity Therapeutics, with Horizon Discovery in March 2016. Avvinity combines Centauri’s Alphamer Technology with the gene editing and oncology expertise of Horizon.   In addition to Centauri Therapeutics' immuno-oncology joint venture, Centauri maintains a strong network of collaborators in the areas of aptamer selection, drug discovery, chemistry and immunology.

Since launching as a spin-out from the University of Oxford in 2010,  Brainomix has developed award-winning, AI-powered imaging biomarkers, assisting physicians across the world to make better life-saving decisions. Brainomix seminal product, e-Stroke is a collection of tools that use state-of-the-art AI algorithms to support doctors by providing real-time interpretation of brain scans to help guide treatment and transfer decisions for stroke patients, allowing more patients to get the right treatment, in the right place, at the right time.

OncoMyx Therapeutics develops oncolytic immunotherapies called myxoma (MYXV) to assist in creating an immune response and treat cancer. Its myxoma virus (MYXV) platform targets hematologic and solid tumors with a unique oncolytic virus called myxoma and a novel patented systemic delivery approach which can be carried systemically by human leukocytes where it can then infect tumor cells. The company was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.

Viron is a biopharmaceutical company that uses breakthrough discovery and novel technologies to identify and develop patent-pending high-value therapies for currently unarguable porosome protein and lipid targets in cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes, neurological, digestive, and immune disorders. Breakthroughs in genomics and gene editing technologies, stem cell biology, patient-derived organoids, cryo-electron microscopy, synthetic biology, small molecule screening, and image analysis using AI machine learning and high-throughput screening have transformed the drug discovery landscape.

Optina Diagnostics is a diagnostics company that uses innovative retinal imaging and artificial intelligence to provide non-invasive diagnostic test results for under-diagnosed diseases. Optina Diagnostics identifies patient retinal features that assist physicians in assessing patients' health status and disease risk in order to provide timely and appropriate care. Optina Diagnostics reimagines brain health assessment and provides critical information early in disease progression.

The company intends to use the funds to advance its arenavirus-based lead candidates towards clinical testing. They will develop the initial product candidates using its proprietary Fast Evolution platform, which will generate virus strains with optimized anti-tumoral properties. These candidates will be selected based on their ability to re-program the immune system to specifically and efficiently eliminate the malignant tumor tissue.

Topas Therapeutics GmbH is a private Hamburg, Germany-based biotechnology company focused on developing products to address areas of major unmet need, including autoimmune diseases, allergies and anti-drug antibodies. The Topas Particle Conjugates technology platform induces antigen-specific immune tolerance by harnessing the liver’s natural immunology capabilities. The Company has several proprietary programs; lead product candidate TPM203 has recently entered clinical testing for pemphigus vulgaris, an orphan disease. Other programs are in anti-drug antibodies, celiac disease, Type 1 diabetes, as well as a multiple sclerosis program that is available for partnering. Topas has a research and option agreement with Eli Lilly and Company focused on antigen-specific tolerance induction and a multi-year agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim to collaborate in the field of anti-drug antibodies. Topas’ investors include: Epidarex Capital, Gimv, EMBL Ventures, Evotec and Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund.

Dopavision is a therapeutic company developing a digital therapeutic for myopia. Myopia, or shortsightedness, is a condition where the visual image is focused in front of the retina, instead of on the retina itself, as it should. People with myopia have good near sight vision but poor distance vision. Dopavision is developing a digital therapeutic for myopia which can be seamlessly and invisibly integrated with the use of a smartphone. Myopia is a visual condition that affects on average every third person globally, a share that has increased rapidly during the last two decades.  The goal of the Berlin-based startup is to develop a clinically validated therapy for myopia progression in children and adolescents. The technology delivers light stimulation to specific photosensitive cells on the retina which in turn modulate dopamine, a neurotransmitter that is important for the regulation of eye growth. Founded in 2017, Dopavision GmbH is supported by the German government via the “Industrie-in-Klinik” program of the BMBF (Federal Ministry of Education and Research) with the amount of € 1.4 million over three years.

The convergence of genomics, precision medicine, and AI have created an unprecedented moment in the world of oncology. But the drug-centric way in which treatments are developed and the haphazard way in which knowledge about those treatments is captured and delivered to the point of care does not serve patients well. xCures is changing that, with an AI-based precision oncology platform that tightly integrates cancer research and care. The xCures platform runs a perpetual trial that captures Real World Evidence (RWE) to continuously learn from all patients, on all treatments, all the time. It coordinates treatment recommendations across all patients and institutions to match patients with the treatments that work. And it packages RWE for use by stakeholders across oncology, slashing the time and cost of drug development and saving lives.

Nuevocor is a preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing gene therapy‑based treatments that have the potential to restore cardiac function in diseased hearts.

Rinri Therapeutics is a provider of private biotechnology services intended to develop advanced regenerative stem cell-based therapies for the treatment of hearing loss. The company's stem cell technology replaces damaged or dead sensory cells of the inner ear, enabling doctors to restore hearing of patients.

Delonix Bioworks Ltd. is a synthetic Biology inspired Medicines, they esign and engineer microbial strains rationally to manufacture or as medicines for infectious diseases, cancer and beyond.

AgomAb is developing molecular therapies for the regeneration of damaged tissues. Their unique agonistic monoclonal antibody molecules (“agomAbs”) stimulate molecular and cellular repair mechanisms that have the potential to restore organ function in patients with fibrotic, inflammatory, autoimmune and degenerative diseases.

Perfood is a digital therapeutic startup that identifies what actions need to take on a personalized level, to prevent or fight diseases. Using sensors, lab results, and holistic analyses, they derive therapeutic angles and deliver them in a slick, easy-to-use way, making them accessible for all patients. They call this approach digital therapeutics. A digital solution that is just as effective as a drug. But without side effects.

Ruipeng Pet Hospital is a Shenzhen-based pet medical and beauty care hospital operator, which covers pet healthcare, foster care, bathing, SPA, beauty, food, entertainment and leisure services.

Libra Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing novel disease-modifying therapeutics that can restore the cellular balance disrupted in neurodegenerative diseases.

T-knife is a developer of T cell receptors intended for T cell therapy of cancer.The company uses a humanized TCR mice platform to carry human TCRαβ gene loci and recombine a broad repertoire of human TCRs, enabling the efficient generation and virtual selection of cell receptors for any human tumor antigen.

The vision of T3 Pharmaceuticals is to improve the lives of cancer patients with highly innovative treatments. Despite significant advances of classical therapies, there remains a high need for novel and innovative medicines to treat cancer. T3 Pharmaceuticals is dedicated to fill this gap by developing highly specific and efficient treatments using live bacteria.

etherna’s mission is to be a technology leader in the development of nucleic acid-based medicines which enables our partners to create new drugs and improve patients’ lives.

Our healthcare system assumes we make decisions based on what is best for us. But it’s not that simple. Everyday stressors often cloud our judgement as to what’s best in the long run. For people with chronic conditions, this can make healthy habit formation difficult.  Wellth is a venture-backed digital health company that improves adherence in chronic disease populations. Using the science of behavioral economics—combined with an appreciation for human nature—we uncover and address the unique obstacles that prevent people with chronic conditions from improving patient outcomes. Our program goes beyond current efforts to boost adherence with technology, reminders, and coaching solutions using contingency management and loss aversion to create motivation, behavior change and improve population health at scale. In addition to our RCT-proven outcomes, our easy-to-use mobile platform experience has been proven by health plans, providers, and other organizations to empower members with the incentives and support system they need to establish new healthy habits. Key outcomes for members include improved med and care plan adherence, reduction in readmissions, hospitalizations, and ED utilization, improved PDC, and more.  Learn more at www.wellthapp.com.

Eyevensys is a address critical unmet needs in ophthalmology by providing a much better way of delivering ophthalmic drugs that overcomes the limitations of current options, such as intravitreal injections, surgery, intravitreal implants and biodegradable formulations. All of these current options have their drawbacks, given they are invasive procedures. Eyevensys’ goal is not only to improve short and long term therapeutic outcomes, but also to enhance compliance, improve ocular bioavailability and tolerability. They plan to build a high value product pipeline by enabling sustained production of therapeutic proteins in the eye that will deliver improved clinical outcomes while reducing the burden of frequent intravitreal or systemic injections and other invasive procedures.

Metabomed designs drugs designed treats cancer. Its drugs target the reprogrammed cancer cell's metabolism to halt their growth, enabling patients to begin their treatment more quickly and result in a higher likelihood of a successful treatment.

Tacalyx, a spin-off from Max-Planck-Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam/Germany (MPICI), focuses on Tumor-Associated Carbohydrate Antigens (TACAs) as novel target class for cancer treatment. The highly tumor-specific expression of TACAs results from aberrant glycosylation and promotes metastasis, angiogenesis and suppression of the immune system. Tacalyx uses the sophisticated technology of carbohydrate synthesis to synthesize highly pure TACA structures for the generation and identification of antibodies that will be developed into novel therapeutics for the treatment of cancer.

Amal Therapeutics SA is a privately held Swiss/German biotech start-up company and spin-off from the University of Geneva. Amal Therapeutics was incorporated in September 2012. Amal uses its proprietary cell penetrating peptide platform to develop and progress therapeutic vaccines in oncology.

NBE-Therapeutics is a privately owned Swiss, Basel-based biotech company that was founded in 2012. It is dedicated to developing cancer therapies to increase survival and improve the quality of life for cancer patients worldwide. The company’s immune-stimulatory therapies are based on a proprietary, highly differentiated Antibody-Drug Conjugate platform. Its ADC platform creates potent and safe immune-stimulatory ADCs with an anthracycline payload, not only directly targeting tumor cells but also inducing a long-lasting immunological anti-tumor effect.

Acousia Therapeutics GmbH is a privately held biotech company based in Tübingen, Germany. Acousia has experience and expertise in identifying and developing small molecule drug candidates for the treatment of hearing loss. Sensory hair cells are the key cells for hearing in the inner ear. Acousia`s approach will help to replace lost hair cells by cellular regeneration originating from supporting cells. ASpherecousia is developing drugs for local application, which will restore hearing in patients who have lost their hearing ability induced by various reasons, e.g. noise trauma, treatment with ototoxic drugs or sudden deafness. In addition, these therapies will have the potential to treat the age-related decrease in hearing capacity.

Aelin Therapeutics, a privately held Belgian biotherapeutics company.Aelin Therapeutics is founded by VIB and its partner universities KU Leuven, VUB and UGent, based on the groundbreaking work of renowned structural biologists Prof Joost Schymkowitz and Prof Frederic Rousseau. The company is based on a very comprehensive preclinical Proof of Concept data package illustrating different applications of the technology such as in bacteria and cancer cells, but also in fungi, viruses and plant cells, with publications in high impact journals including Science. The Pept-in technology allows for the rational design of novel biotherapeutics and differentiates itself from any other therapeutic modality through its unique mode of action, its designability and intracellular target space out of reach for typical small molecule or antibody approaches.

Hookipa Biotech is a clinical stage company developing next-generation immunotherapies for infectious diseases and cancer using novel proprietary arenavirus vector platforms.  Hookipa´s TheraT® and Vaxwave® platforms have shown promising abilities to elicit high neutralizing antibody responses, but also necessary levels of T cell responses, currently missing in most vaccine and therapeutic approaches. Hookipa’s vectors are not impeded by vector-neutralizing antibodies and can be administered repeatedly, providing even greater immune protection. Levels of specific T cells generated by TheraT® are unprecedented in the field and have the potential to transform active immune-therapy in cancers. Hookipa has completed the active phase of a Phase 1 trial of a Vaxwave®-based vaccine against cytomegalovirus (CMV) and is finalizing clinical development plans for TheraT® in Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)- related head and neck cancers.

Cardior Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company that engages in the development of non-coding RNA based therapeutics for the treatment and prevention of heart disease. It focuses on developing CDR-132X, an oligonucleotide-based inhibitor of a molecular master switch (microRNA) controlling pathological alterations of the heart following stress or injury. Cardior Pharmaceuticals is a planned academic spin-off developing new therapeutics for the treatment and prevention of heart disease - the number one cause of death in the western world.

Sentien Biotechnologies is a privately-owned, clinical-stage company developing novel cell therapies that restore balance to the immune system and transform treatment options for patients with systemic inflammatory diseases. The company's innovative blood conditioning approach has been proven to significantly enhance exposure and extend therapeutic activity of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs). By immobilizing MSCs in an extracorporeal device, their flagship SBI-101 product enables sustained, controlled dosage of secreted anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties that are unattainable by direct injection or intravenous infusion. Sentien Biotechnologies was established in 2008 and is headquartered in Lexington, Massachusetts, United States.

PrometheraÂ® Biosciences is a biopharmaceutical company, spin-off of the UniversitÃ© Catholique de Louvain, that develops innovative treatments based on allogeneic adult stem cell technology.  PrometheraÂ® Biosciences' mission is to discover, develop and commercialize cell therapy products to treat liver diseases in an innovative way using allogenic progenitor cells from healthy human livers.  PrometheraÂ® Biosciences develops two products based on a newly discovered and patented progenitor cell type: the human Adult Liver-Derived Mesenchymal Progenitor Cell (hALDMSC):

Rigontec is the leader in RIG-I targeting RNA therapeutics developing novel immuno-oncology treatment options.

STAT-Diagnostica focuses in the development of near-patient testing products for healthcare professionals, mainly for short turnaround time applications and critical care.

ViraTherapeutics develops highly potent anti-cancer therapeutics based on oncolytic (cancer-destroying) viruses. Our proprietary oncolytic virus, VSV-GP, efficiently destroys cancer cells, while leaving normal tissues unharmed. ViraTherapeutics currently performs preclinical safety and efficacy studies for VSV-GP and aims to conduct first clinical trials in cancer patients.

Sentieon develops and commercializes cloud-based bio-informatics solutions for the life sciences and clinical market. They develop and supply a suite of bioinformatics secondary analysis tools that process genomics data with high computing efficiency, fast turnaround time, accuracy, and consistency. Some of the released products include Sentieon DNAseq, a germline DNA pipeline; and Sentieon TNseq, for tumor-normal somatic variant detection. The company’s tools are scalable, deployable, upgradable, and software-only solutions.  The Sentieon tools achieve their efficiency and consistency through optimized computing algorithm design and enterprise-strength software implementation. The company was founded by Jun Ye in 2014 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

ArmaGen is a developer of therapies designed to address neurological complications. The company's pipeline of innovative therapies penetrate the blood-brain barrier to treat neurological complications of many diseases, including lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs), Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, enabling patients suffering from neurodegenerative disorders to get improved treatment.

Okairos AG, a bio-pharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery and development of genetic T-cell vaccines, including hepatitis C virus. The company also provides health and allied services. It has operations in Rome and Naples, Italy.   The company is based in Basel, Switzerland. Okairos AG was former subsidiary of Istituto Di Ricerche Di Biologia Molecolare P. Angeletti Spa.

Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund GmbH (BIVF) invests in groundbreaking therapeutics-focused biotechnology companies to drive innovation in biomedical research. BIVF is searching for significant enhancements in patient care through pioneering science and its clinical translation by building long-term relationships with scientists and entrepreneurs. BIVF’s focus is to target unprecedented therapeutic concepts addressing high medical needs in immuno-oncology, regenerative medicine, infectious diseases and digital health. These may include novel platform technologies to address so far undruggable targets, new generation vaccines and/or new biological entities, such as oncolytic virotherapy.

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