Base to Base Biotech

This week, we have conversations with Jérôme Van Biervliet, chair of the board of Flanders life sciences body Biovia and managing director at VIB; Sylvain Sachot, partner at Asabys Partners; and Jonas Béal, head of science strategy, R&D, at Owkin.03:32 Owkin 27:42 Biovia/VIB 38:06 Asabys PartnersBiovia/VIBBiovia has emerged as a new health innovation cluster in the Belgian region of Flanders, created through the merger of flanders.bio and MEDVIA.The organisation brings together more than 450 members across biotech, medtech, and digital health, with a focus on unmet medical needs and value‑based healthcare. It positions itself as a spearhead cluster supported by Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO).In July 2025, Biovia launched its second funding call of the year, offering €8m in non‑dilutive support for consortia projects.Biovia’s broader vision is framed around “One Health,” emphasizing the interdependence of human and planetary health. This approach is intended to break down silos between sectors and align with EU priorities for sustainable healthcare innovation.VIB (Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie) is a research institute founded by the Flemish government in 1995. Its main objective is to strengthen Flemish life sciences research and to turn the results into new economic growth.Asabys PartnersAsabys Partners is a Barcelona‑based venture capital firm specialising in healthcare investments. The firm manages funds focused on biotech, medtech, and digital health, and has steadily expanded its portfolio through both direct investments and strategic partnerships.In September 2025, Asabys led a €10m extension of SafeHeal’s oversubscribed Series C financing round. The funding is intended to accelerate commercialization of Colovac, a medical device designed as an alternative to temporary stoma in colorectal cancer surgery.In early October, Asabys integrated Aliath Bioventures into its platform, boosting assets under management from €300m to more than €400m. The integration strengthens its position in European life sciences investment and sets a trajectory toward building a €1bn platform by 2030.OwkinOwkin is a French‑based biotech company focused on applying artificial intelligence to clinical research and drug development.Founded in 2016, it has built a platform that combines machine learning with multi‑modal biomedical data, aiming to accelerate discovery and improve trial efficiency. Its work spans oncology, cardiovascular disease, and immunology, with a focus on predictive modelling and biomarker identification.The company’s core product, Owkin K, functions as an AI copilot for biology. It is designed to integrate genomic, imaging, and clinical data to help researchers uncover mechanisms of disease and optimize trial design. By embedding AI into the research process, Owkin positions itself as a bridge between raw health data and actionable therapeutic insights.Owkin has established partnerships with major pharmaceutical companies including Bristol Myers Squibb, Sanofi, and Merck, as well as collaborations with European cancer centres and teaching hospitals.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have conversations with Robert Bunn, founder and president of Ultrasound AI; Laura MacNeill, CEO of the Charcot Marie Tooth Research Foundation; and Iris Örhn, investment advisor at Business Region Göteborg.03:00 Ultrasound AI 30:19 Business Region Gothenburg 39:35 CMTRFBusiness Region GothenburgBusiness Region Gothenburg (BRG) is the regional development agency for western Sweden, tasked with driving growth and innovation across key sectors, including life sciences. Its work spans business support, investment promotion, and cluster development.Gothenburg has more than 600 life science companies with around 11,000 employees, creating a strong ecosystem for biotech, medtech, and pharma. This is reinforced by BRG’s efforts to attract global investors.The recent NLS Days event, held in Gothenburg for the first time, highlighted the city’s growing influence. It featured the launch of SwedenBIO’s updated pipeline report, which tracks more than 500 active drug development projects across the country. BRG focuses on infrastructure and innovation platforms such as GoCo Health Innovation City, aiming to strengthen the city’s role in precision medicine, digital health, and advanced therapies. These efforts reflect a long-term strategy to ensure the region remains globally competitive in life sciences.Ultrasound AIUltrasound AI is a US technology company specialising in artificial intelligence solutions for ultrasound diagnostics, with a focus on improving accuracy in pregnancy-related diagnostics. Its technology is designed to predict gestational age and identify risks such as preterm birth with precision, reducing uncertainty in care for premature babies.By analysing image data alone, the platform aims to support clinicians in making faster, more reliable decisions at the point of care.Ultrasound AI recently expanded its portfolio, securing additional patents that cover predictive algorithms for obstetric and cardiovascular applications.These developments build on earlier work in gestational age estimation and preterm birth prediction, areas where AI-driven tools are gaining traction in clinical practice. The company’s technology integrates into existing ultrasound systems, making adoption practical for hospitals and clinics.As demand for point-of-care diagnostics rises, Ultrasound AI’s approach reflects a broader shift toward data-driven healthcare.Charcot-Marie-Tooth Research Foundation (CMTRF)The Charcot-Marie-Tooth Research Foundation (CMTRF) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to accelerating the development of treatments for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a group of inherited neuropathies affecting peripheral nerves.CMTRF focuses on funding research that moves promising therapies from the laboratory into clinical trials, bridging the gap between discovery and delivery.It has recently advanced several projects aimed at addressing different genetic subtypes of CMT. These include preclinical studies on gene therapy and small-molecule approaches, as well as partnerships with biotech firms to support early-stage drug development.The foundation prioritises collaboration with academic researchers and industry partners to maximise impact and shorten timelines for therapeutic breakthroughs.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have conversations with Malin Kjällström, Gothenburg Tech Week Press and partnerships lead; Eliot Forster the CEO of Levicept; and Christophe Demaison, CEO of ENA Respiratory.Gothenburg Tech WeekGothenburg Tech Week is western Sweden’s largest technology event, held annually across multiple venues in the city. The 2025 edition ran from October 14–16, with a programme that includes startup and investor matchmaking, thematic forums, and partner showcases.The event covers a wide range of topics, including AI, life sciences, and sustainable technologies. Sessions are hosted at The Yard, World of Volvo, and other partner locations, with activities designed to connect regional innovation with international networks.Gothenburg Tech Week has established itself as a meeting place for entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators in Northern Europe. The event provides a platform for new ideas, collaborations, and opportunities, reinforcing Gothenburg’s role as a hub for technology and innovation.LeviceptLevicept is a biotechnology company based in Sandwich in the UK.It is developing LEVI‑04, a therapy for osteoarthritis and the associated pain that targets the neurotrophin‑3 pathway. The programme is intended as a non‑opioid alternative for chronic pain management. The company originated from research at Pfizer’s former R&D site in Kent, where founder Simon Westbrook spun out the programme to continue development independently.In June 2025, Levicept presented new data from its large‑scale phase II trial at the European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR) in Barcelona. The study enrolled more than 500 patients with knee osteoarthritis and demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements in pain and function.Levicept is advancing preparations for late‑stage clinical trials.ENA RespiratoryENA Respiratory is a clinical‑stage pharmaceutical company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. It develops antiviral host defence enhancers for the prevention of complications from respiratory viral infections. Its lead product, INNA‑051, is a nasal spray designed for weekly self‑administration.INNA‑051 works by priming innate immune responses at the entry site of respiratory viruses in the upper airways. This mechanism accelerates viral clearance and reduces dissemination to the lungs. The product is being evaluated in clinical studies for safety and efficacy.Last month, ENA Respiratory raised $34m in a Series B funding round to support the development of INNA‑051.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

It’s World Immunization Day on Monday, so we had a chat with Geovax chairman, president and CEO David Dodd, and in our other conversation, we talked about infertility, with Igyxos Biotherapeutics’ chief medical officer Elke Bestel.Challenging infertilityIgyxos Biotherapeutics is a French biotechnology company founded in 2017 and based in Nouzilly, France. The company focuses exclusively on infertility, developing monoclonal antibody‑based therapeutics designed to enhance the activity of gonadotropins, the hormones central to reproduction.Its lead program involves a first‑in‑class antibody that potentiates follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), aiming to improve the effectiveness of fertility treatments for both men and women. Igyxos brings together a small team of scientific experts and has raised venture capital to support its research.The company’s approach is intended to overcome limitations of current infertility treatments, which often have modest success rates. By targeting hormonal pathways directly, Igyxos aims to deliver more reliable outcomes for patients.In October 2025, Igyxos announced it had secured a €5.7m grant from the French government under the France 2030 program. The non‑dilutive funding will support phase 2 clinical trials of its lead antibody, IGX12, across France and Europe.World Immunization DayWorld Immunization Day is observed annually on November 10 to raise awareness of the importance of vaccines in preventing disease and protecting public health. The day emphasizes that immunization is one of the most effective and cost‑efficient health interventions, preventing millions of deaths each year.The observance highlights both the successes of global vaccination campaigns and the challenges that remain, including plateaued coverage rates and disruptions caused by the covid‑19 pandemic. It underscores the role of vaccines in combating infectious diseases, reducing antibiotic resistance, and strengthening community health worldwide.GeoVax Labs, Inc. is a US‑based, clinical‑stage biotechnology company founded in 2001 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The company develops vaccines and immunotherapies for infectious diseases and cancers, using proprietary Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vector technology to generate virus‑like particles in vivo.GeoVax’s pipeline includes candidates for covid‑19, Mpox, Ebola, Zika, malaria, and haemorrhagic fever viruses, as well as immunotherapies for solid tumours. Its lead clinical programme, GEO‑CM04S1, is a next‑generation covid‑19 vaccine designed to provide broader and more durable protection, particularly for immunocompromised patients.In late October 2025, GeoVax highlighted phase 2 clinical data for GEO‑CM04S1, showing robust T‑cell responses and cross‑variant durability. The company linked these findings to new Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guidance emphasising the need for tailored vaccines for immunocompromised populations.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have conversations with Cosmo Feilding Mellen, CEO of Beckley Psytech; Sirli Rosenvald, CEO of Estonian company Funki, and Per von Mentzer, CEO of Swedish company PharmNovo. We spoke with Funki at Life Sciences Baltics in Vilnius, Lithuania, recently, and with von Mentzer at NLS Days in Gothenburg.Taking on painPharmNovo AB is a biotechnology company headquartered at Medicon Village in Lund, Sweden. Founded in 2008, it specialises in the development of novel treatments for neuropathic pain, a condition that affects millions of patients worldwide and remains difficult to manage.The company’s lead candidate, PN6047, is a selective delta opioid receptor agonist. Preclinical studies have indicated analgesic effects without the tolerance and dependency risks associated with traditional opioids. PN6047 has progressed into Phase II clinical trials, marking a significant step in evaluating its safety and efficacy in patients.PharmNovo conducts its clinical programme across European trial sites, with a focus on peripheral neuropathic pain indications such as diabetic neuropathy and post‑surgical nerve injury. Data from these studies will inform the design of later‑stage trials and determine the potential pathway toward regulatory approval.Funki fungiFunki is an Estonian food biotech company developing fungi‑based proteins as alternatives to meat and fish. The company combines food science with product development to create sustainable foods that replicate the taste and texture of conventional protein sources.Its work gained international recognition as a finalist in the XPrize “Feed the Next Billion” competition, where it presented a salmon analogue made from pea protein and fungi. This project highlighted both technical capability and consumer‑oriented design.Funki’s research and production efforts are part of a wider European movement to diversify protein supply chains and reduce the environmental impact of food systems.Psychedelics take a leap forwardBeckley Psytech is a UK‑based biotechnology company developing psychedelic‑derived medicines for serious mental health conditions. Its lead programme, BPL‑003, is an intranasal formulation of 5‑MeO‑DMT designed for the treatment of treatment‑resistant depression (TRD). The company is also advancing ELE‑101, an intravenous psilocin candidate, for major depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder.Clinical progress has been significant. Phase IIb trials of BPL‑003 met primary and secondary endpoints, showing rapid and durable reductions in depressive symptoms. On the back of these results, the U.S. FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy designation in October 2025, expediting the path toward phase III trials. ELE‑101 is in earlier‑stage studies, with recruitment completed for initial safety and efficacy assessments.By targeting conditions such as TRD — where existing therapies often fail — Beckley Psytech is addressing one of the most urgent gaps in psychiatry. Its strategy combines short‑acting psychedelic compounds with controlled delivery methods, aiming to make treatments both clinically effective and practical within healthcare systems.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have conversations on data integration with Lithuanian company Vugene, and we talk protein degradation with Amphista Therapeutics.Multi-omicsVugene is a Lithuanian bioinformatics company focused on multi-omics data integration. Founded in 2021 by CTO Juozas Gordevičius, the company is headquartered in Kaunas.Its core offering is a software platform designed to help researchers make sense of complex biological datasets — including transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and epigenomics — without requiring deep coding expertise.The platform is a flexible, modular tool for academic and commercial labs that need to process high-throughput data but lack in-house bioinformatics capacity. Rather than offering a fixed pipeline, Vugene provides a semi-automated interface that allows users to upload raw data, select relevant analysis modules, and receive interpretable outputs.The emphasis is on speed, reproducibility, and transparency.Their early traction has come from collaborations with research groups in Europe and North America, particularly in oncology and neurodegeneration. While still early-stage, the company is positioning itself as a pragmatic alternative to both DIY bioinformatics and expensive consultancy models.We had a conversation with Gordevičius and the company’s CEO, Gražina Mykolaitytė.Protein degradationAmphista Therapeutics, based in the UK, recently announced first data from its SMARCA2 degrader programme, marking significant progress in the targeted protein degradation field.Amphista’s Targeted Glues achieved potent, selective degradation of SMARCA2 within four hours, with CNS penetration in vivo, avoiding off-target effects on the closely related SMARCA4 protein, a key challenge in the field.Building on SMARCA2 data, Amphista also unveiled its TEAD oncology programme, introducing a novel mechanism of action via F-Box Protein 22, distinct from cereblon- or VHL-based PROTACs. This marks the company’s second new MOA this year, reinforcing its leadership in the TPD space and expanding on the BRD9 MOA announced in 2024. Amphista has made significant progress across its pipeline.Their chemistry doesn’t depend on known ligase recruitment, which opens up targets that are inaccessible to conventional TPD platforms.This week, our guest is Louise Modis, chief scientific officer of Amphista.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have one interview, covering enzymes and AI with Biomatter Designs, from our visit to Life Sciences Baltics in Vilnius, Lithuania recently. And from the trip to Dublin in Ireland we talked about technology that can be useful in neurological condition diagnosis, and much more, with Danu Sports.Enzymes and AIBiomatter Designs is a Lithuania‑based biotech working at the frontier of protein design. Since its launch in 2018, the company has concentrated on building tools that use artificial intelligence to generate new enzymes and proteins from the ground up.The idea is to move beyond tweaking what nature already provides and instead create molecules with tailor‑made properties for medicine and industry.Its Intelligent Architecture platform is designed to cut through the slow, trial‑and‑error cycles that usually dominate protein engineering. By training generative models on structural and functional data, Biomatter aims to give researchers a way to specify what they need—a catalyst, a therapeutic, a material—and have the system propose viable candidates that can be tested in the lab.We had a conversation with the company’s CEO, Laurynas Karpus.Learning through gaitFounded in 2017, Danu Sports develops wearable technology designed to help athletes train smarter and reduce injuries.The company’s flagship product is a “smart sock” system that uses embedded sensors to capture gait and movement data in real time. Coaches, physiotherapists, and athletes can use the analytics platform to monitor performance, identify risks, and support rehabilitation.Backed by venture funding and based in Dublin, Danu Sports is part of a new wave of sports‑tech companies blending biomechanics, data science, and everyday usability to make high‑level performance insights available outside the lab.In September 2025, the company announced a partnership with Hoka at the Ultra‑Trail du Mont Blanc, showcasing its smart sock technology with elite athletes, while also expanding into medical applications.Our conversation is with Oisín Lennon, CEO of DANU Sports.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have three interviews done during Life Sciences Baltics, which was held in Vilnius, Lithuania recently. While we have more still to come, this week on the podcast we have conversations with Justinas Mačiulaitis, Keli Therapeutics’ founder and CEO; Arnas Karužas, CEO of Ligence; and Emilė Radytė, CEO and co-founder of Samphire Neuroscience.LigenceLigence is a health‑tech startup using artificial intelligence to automate echocardiography.Founded in 2019 by a team of medical doctors and engineers, the company’s flagship product, Ligence Heart, applies deep learning to 2D ultrasound images, automatically recognising views and performing cardiac measurements. This reduces the manual workload for clinicians and improves diagnostic consistency in heart disease monitoring.Headquartered in Vilnius, Ligence has raised seed funding from European investors including Simpact VC and the EIC Fund, and is working to expand its AI‑driven cardiac diagnostics platform into hospitals and clinics across Europe.Samphire NeuroscienceSamphire Neuroscience is a femtech and digital health company developing non‑invasive neurotechnology to support women’s health.Founded in 2021, the company’s first product is a wearable headband, Nettle, that uses gentle electrical neuromodulation to alleviate symptoms associated with the menstrual cycle, such as pain, fatigue, and mood changes.With offices in Vilnius and London, Samphire has attracted international venture backing and accelerator support, positioning itself at the intersection of neuroscience, wearables, and women’s health innovation. Its mission is to provide accessible, science‑based tools that improve quality of life for women worldwide.Keli TherapeuticsKeli Therapeutics is advancing next‑generation cell therapies for acute and chronic inflammatory conditions.Its lead candidate, KELI‑101, is designed to prevent acute kidney injury (AKI) following cardiac bypass surgery — a complication that often progresses to chronic kidney disease. In September 2025, Keli announced a strategic manufacturing partnership with Bramble Bio to scale production of KELI‑101, pairing its activated perinatal‑origin mesenchymal stromal cells with Bramble’s cGMP expertise.Earlier this year, the company also secured a €2.5m European Innovation Council grant to launch clinical trials in AKI. With a platform up to 20 times more potent than standard MSCs, Keli is positioning itself as a leader in regenerative medicine with broad potential across inflammatory and degenerative diseases.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have two interviews again. We talk about treating high blood pressure with CEO of George Medicines, Mark Mallon, and have a conversation with Jack Hoppin, CEO of Ratio Therapeutics, and John Babich, CSO, about the field of radiotherapeutics.Blood pressureNearly half of US adults have high blood pressure and despite all the treatments already available, three in four remain uncontrolled. This is often because the traditional stepwise treatment approach stalls before reaching target blood pressure.George Medicines believes its solution could help millions of patients achieve better outcomes, faster.The company has developed the first and only triple combination pill for the initial treatment of high blood pressure. It’s available in unique low dose options, offering the power of combination therapy, with good tolerability, in a single pill — a paradigm shift in hypertension care. This drug is the first to be approved for use right at the start of treatment.The company is a spinout from the George Institute for Global Health in Australia.RadiopharmaceuticalsRadiopharmaceuticals sit at the intersection of nuclear medicine and precision therapy, offering a way to deliver radiation directly to tumours while sparing healthy tissue.The next wave of oncology innovation is changing how we think about cancer therapy, but it comes with unique challenges—from isotope supply and manufacturing logistics to regulatory navigation and the race to harness rare isotopes like actinium-225.Jack Hoppin, CEO of Ratio Therapeutics, and John Babich, CSO, are leaders in this space, and they are our guests on the podcast today. Their company is developing next-generation radiopharmaceuticals using proprietary platforms (Trillium and Macropa) designed to enhance tumour targeting and drug design.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have two interviews. We chat with Step Pharma CEO, Andy Parker, and also have a conversation with Re-Vana CEO, Michael O’Rourke.Ocular therapeuticsRe-Vana Therapeutics and Boehringer Ingelheim recently announced a $1bn+ deal to develop long-acting ophthalmic therapies.Re-Vana Therapeutics is a privately held, US and UK based developer of ocular therapeutics and innovative ocular drug delivery technologies which spun out of Queens University Belfast, Northern Ireland.Terms of the deal include up to three development programmes per year leading to a potential total deal value exceeding $1bn contingent on milestone achievements. The agreement grants Boehringer Ingelheim target exclusivity, and provide for upfront, development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments to Re-Vana.Re-Vana’s drug delivery technology is designed to release slowly over six to 12 months, aiming to drastically reduce injection frequency.Lowering the treatment burden could lead to higher treatment compliance and potentially result in better therapeutic outcomes.Re-Vana’s is developing internal assets - a six-month sustained release aflibercept and a six-month bispecific – both photo-crosslinked, bio erodible and delivered in the clinic with no surgery.Step Pharma takes on CTPS1Step Pharma is taking a smart and focused approach to tackling cancers and blood disorders by targeting an enzyme called CTPS1, which plays a key role in how cells produce the building blocks of DNA and RNA.The idea is simple but powerful: Cancer cells and certain immune cells rely heavily on CTPS1 to grow and survive. By selectively blocking this enzyme, Step’s lead candidate, dencatistat, deprives malignant cells of the raw materials they need to divide, while healthy cells are largely unaffected because they can fall back on a related enzyme called CTPS2. This selectivity is what makes the approach potentially safer and more effective than broader chemotherapy.They have been moving quickly, expanding beyond blood cancers into solid tumours and a rare condition called essential thrombocythaemia, which causes overproduction of platelets.We spoke with the company’s CEO, Andy Parker, about the work the company is doing.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have two interviews: one to mark Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, on osteosarcoma with Paul Romness from OS Therapies; and IMUNON’s CEO, Stacy Lindborg, talking about ovarian cancer, immunotherapy, covid, and more.Interview times:02:33 OS Therapies23:03 IMUNONChallenging osteosarcomaOS Therapies is a clinical stage oncology company focused on the identification, development, and commercialisation of treatments for osteosarcoma (OS) and other solid tumours. OST-HER2, the company's lead asset, is an immunotherapy leveraging the immune-stimulatory effects of Listeria bacteria to initiate a strong immune response targeting the HER2 protein.OST-HER2 has received Rare Pediatric Disease Designation (RPDD) from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and Fast-Track and Orphan Drug designations from the U.S. FDA and European Medicines Agency.The company reported positive data in its phase 2b clinical trial of OST-HER2 in recurrent, fully resected, lung metastatic osteosarcoma, demonstrating statistically significant benefit in the 12-month event free survival (EFS) primary endpoint of the study.Ovarian cancer, immunotherapy and moreIMUNON has two DNA-based technology platforms: TheraPlas and PlaCCine. They are designed to use DNA as a therapeutic to code for proteins, which the body can then use to produce medicine where needed.TheraPlas is designed to harness interleukin-12 (IL-12), a powerful cytokine and well-validated target for cancer immunotherapy, to teach the body’s immune system to fight cancer at the tumour site.PlaCCine is designed to prompt the body’s immune system to create a vaccine response against infectious diseases such as COVID-19 without needing a virus or device to deliver it.IMUNON recently announced positive phase 2 data of its IL-12 immunotherapy (IMNN-001) based on TheraPlas technology in advanced ovarian cancer and is currently initiating a phase 3 trial.Recent phase 1 data of its DNA-based vaccine (IMNN-101) leveraging PlaCCine technology in treatment of COVID-19 indicate that it may be a viable alternative to mRNA vaccines and able to target the Omicron variant as well as any emerging variants in the future, while offering advantages in terms of manufacturing and storage.We spoke with IMUNON’s CEO, Stacy Lindborg, about the work the company is doing.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have three interviews to mark Stand Up To Cancer Day. We have conversations with Simon Kerry, co-founder and CEO of Curve Therapeutics; Poolbeg Pharma CEO Jeremy Skillington; and Stefano Gulla, CSO of Kling Biotherapeutics.Interview times:03:12 Curve Therapeutics21:32 Kling Bio37:10 Poolbeg PharmaMicrocycles to address cancerCurve Therapeutics, a private biotechnology company using its gene-encoded Microcycle discovery platform to build a pipeline of innovative cyclic peptide and small molecule drugs to address high priority intracellular disease targets, with an initial focus on cancer, immunology, and inflammation.Addressing cancer treatment side effectsPoolbeg Pharma is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focussed on the development of innovative medicines to address unmet medical needs.The company's clinical programmes target large addressable markets including, cancer immunotherapy-induced cytokine release syndrome and metabolic conditions such as obesity with the development of an oral encapsulated glucagon-like peptide GLP-1R agonist.The role of B-cells in beating cancerKling Biotherapeutics is a biotech company developing antibody-based drugs for cancer and infectious diseases.Through its proprietary primary B-cell platform technologies, the company combines high-efficiency B-cell immortalization with functional, antibody-first screening to uncover novel antibody–antigen pairs.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have an in-depth conversation on molecular glue degradation, with Monte Rosa Therapeutics’ chief data and information officer John Castle.Interview time:03:52 Monte Rosa TherapeuticsMolecular glue degradationA recent cover article in Science showcased research that expands by more than 1,000 the number of therapeutic targets (including undruggables) accessible through a protein degradation approach known as molecular glue degradation.Using proprietary AI and ML approaches, researchers from Monte Rosa Therapeutics used algorithms to identify more than 1,600 human proteins predicted to be compatible with cereblon (a protein with a central role in cellular protein degradation) binding.This allowed them to fingerprint previously unrecognised surfaces capable of recruiting cereblon for targeted protein degradation. These proteins represent more than 100 different target classes and a broad range of protein domains.The techniques and know-how that enabled these discoveries will substantially expand the scope of disease-associated proteins their platform can address, including many targets historically considered undruggable. Their pipeline is proof they can address these undruggable targets, which has been the long-heralded promise of protein degradation.Molecular glue degraders (MGD) are a type of protein degrader but have additional beneficial properties and the potential to treat many diseases that other modalities, including other degraders, cannot.They are a class of small molecules that promote the degradation of specific proteins by "gluing" them to E3 ubiquitin ligases, leading to their ubiquitination and subsequent degradation by the proteasome.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we look at Herantis Pharma's work on Parkinson's disease, with the company's CEO, Antti Vuolanto, and we have an in-depth look at the recent cuts to mRNA vaccine projects, with Jean Peccoud, GenoFAB founder and professor at Colorado State University.Interview times:03:22 Herantis16:28 mRNA cutsCuts to mRNA vaccine projectsThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced a major shift in its vaccine development priorities, initiating a “co‑ordinated wind‑down” of mRNA vaccine projects under the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). The move cancels or scales back 22 contracts worth nearly $500m, affecting research partnerships with universities, biotech firms, and major pharmaceutical companies.The cuts have sparked concern among scientists and public health experts, who note that mRNA technology was pivotal in the rapid development of COVID‑19 vaccines and has potential applications far beyond the pandemic. Critics warn that ending federal support could slow innovation in areas such as pandemic preparedness, cancer immunotherapy, and treatments for emerging infectious diseases. While some late‑stage contracts will be allowed to conclude to preserve prior taxpayer investment, no new mRNA‑based projects will be initiated under BARDA. The decision marks a significant re‑alignment of US vaccine R&D strategy, with future BARDA funding expected to focus on whole‑virus vaccines and other platforms with longer safety track records.We have a wide-ranging discussion with Jean Peccoud, GenoFAB founder and professor at Colorado State University, about the effect of the cuts.Herantis takes on Parkinson’s diseaseHerantis Pharma is a Finnish clinical-stage biotech developing disease-modifying therapies to stop Parkinson’s disease.Its lead product HER-096, a first-in-class, subcutaneously administered therapy designed to stop—and potentially reverse—the progression of PD, with brain penetration already demonstrated. It is in the clinic (phase 1b) in PD patients which is also evaluating selected biomarkers to identify novel treatment response biomarkers and monitor symptoms in patients – topline data is expected in September.Herantis is among a limited group of companies worldwide that are preparing for Phase 2 clinical trials with a drug candidate designed to stop or slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease.HER-096 is a small peptide with a multi-modal MOA that targets key drivers of neurodegeneration: cell stress, protein misfolding, and inflammation, while achieving excellent brain penetration.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have a wide-ranging conversation with Anna Codina, senior director strategy and business development at SciY (part of Bruker), as we discuss artificial intelligence, and digitalisation, and the effect on labs. We also chat with Fibrobiologics’ CEO Pete O'Heeron about fibroblast spheroid technology.Interview times:03:49 FibroBiologics21:26 SciYSciY on the path to digitalisationThis week, we have a wide-ranging conversation with Anna Codina, senior director strategy and business development at SciY (part of Bruker), as we discuss artificial intelligence, and digitalisation, and the effect on labs.SciY offers a vendor-agnostic digitalisation platform and a wide range of software solutions for research, development, and manufacturing, enabling workflow integration, automation, digital transformation, and AI readiness.SciY solutions integrate scientific instruments and automation hardware with their scientific data into a digital environment. Data is ingested, standardised, reused, and preserved according to the FAIR data principles, delivering maximum value with minimal effort and disruption.FibroBiologics and fibroblast spheroid technologyBased in Houston, Texas, FibroBiologics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a pipeline of treatments and seeking potential cures for chronic diseases using fibroblast cells and fibroblast-derived materials.FibroBiologics holds more than 275 US and international patents/patents pending across various clinical pathways, including wound healing, multiple sclerosis, disc degeneration, psoriasis, orthopedics, human longevity, and cancer.The company is looking to create the next generation of medical advancement in cell therapy and tissue regeneration.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we talk about new treatments for wet dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with Judith Greciet, CEO of PulseSight Therapeutics, and there’s a conversation with Maite Agüeros, CEO and co-founder of InnoUp Farma about, among other things, peanut allergies.Interview times: 03:24 PulseSight 20:43 InnoUpTackling dry AMDPulseSight Therapeutics SAS, an ophthalmology biotech company developing non-viral vectorised therapies with minimally-invasive delivery technology, recently announced the first patient has been successfully dosed in its phase I clinical trial (PST-611-CT1) aiming to assess safety and tolerability of its lead programme, PST-611, in humans.PST-611 is a first-in-class non-viral vectorized therapy for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD)/geographic atrophy (GA), expressing human transferrin, a highly potent iron regulator, playing a central role in restoring normal iron homeostasis.AMD is the leading cause of central vision loss in the elderly, affecting 200m people worldwide. AMD's pathogenesis is complex, and the disease still represents a high unmet medical need. Dry AMD involves the dysregulation of iron homeostasis, leading to an excess of free iron causing highly toxic effects such as inflammation, oxidative stress, and ultimately retinal cell death (ferroptosis).PST-611-CT1 is a first-in-human single ascending dose study that aims to establish, in six to a maximum of 12 dry AMD/GA patients, the safety profile of the drug and validate the maximal tolerated dose in view of the following phase IIa proof-of-concept trial. Preliminary results are anticipated early 2026, subject to patient recruitment.Our conversation is with Judith Greciet, CEO of PulseSight Therapeutics.New ways to treat peanut allergiesInnoUp is a clinical stage company specialising in nanotechnology innovations and developing oral drug delivery solutions. It has developed a Nanoparticle Platform that is protected by international patents.InnoUp has two programmes currently in the clinical stage: an oral peanut allergy vaccine (INP20) and an oral Paclitaxel to treat breast cancer (INP12).We have a conversation with Maite Agüeros, CEO and co-founder of InnoUp. To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we talk about drug discovery with Shinya Yuki, co-founder and CEO of Elix Inc., and Teresa Whalen, CEO of CytoAgents, about CAR-T therapies, cytokine release syndrome, and the FDA. Interview times: 03:53 Elix 20:58 CytoAgentsElix drug discovery platformAI drug discovery company Elix, Inc. and the Life Intelligence Consortium (LINC) have announced that for the first time in the world, an AI drug discovery platform has been commercialized that incorporates multiple AI models trained using federated learning on data provided by 16 pharmaceutical companies.The key to AI drug discovery lies in high-quality and sufficiently large datasets. Diverse and abundant data are indispensable for building superior AI models; however, pharmaceutical companies are generally limited to utilizing their own proprietary data and public datasets, resulting in significant data shortages that have posed major challenges to progress.Federated learning technology provides a solution to this challenge. Elix, in partnership with the Department of Biomedical Data Intelligence, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, developed the federated learning library kMoL, enabling multiple companies to collaboratively develop a suite of AI models without disclosing their confidential data externally. Sixteen pharmaceutical companies participated in building these learning-based models, which are now implemented on Elix Discovery, Elix’s proprietary AI drug discovery platform.By introducing Elix Discovery, users can leverage these newly developed models, and several pharmaceutical companies have already adopted the platform. The initiative marks the world’s first commercialisation of an AI drug discovery platform in partnership with numerous pharmaceutical companies utilising federated learning.Our conversation is with Shinya Yuki, co-founder and CEO of Elix.CAR-T, CRS and the FDAFDA Commissioner Marty Makary marked his first 100 days with a media tour and series of “bold” announcements.One was that the FDA has eliminated the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) for six CAR T-cell (CART) immunotherapies, citing growing evidence that the treatments can be safely managed without additional regulatory oversight.While many support this decision since it has the potential to broaden the use of CART therapies, the black box warning for the risks of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurological toxicities remains. CRS continues to have a massive impact on patients and poses a threat to widespread uptake of CART therapy. CRS develops in up to 95% of cancer patients treated with CART therapies and up to 50% of those patients are at risk of developing Immune Effector Cell-Associated Neurotoxicity Syndrome (ICANS) leading to extended hospital stays, inability for systems to onboard additional patients, and significant expense to care for these patients.CytoAgents is a company focused on the development of innovative pharmaceutical products for the treatment of life-threatening symptoms associated with CRS.We have a conversation with Teresa Whalen, CEO of CytoAgents, about CAR-T therapies, cytokine release syndrome, and the FDA announcement. To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, our conversations are with Wenyan Leong, director of APAC commercial and global strategic partnerships for cell and gene therapies at Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies, and Morten Graugaard, CEO of Orbis Medicines.Interview times: 04:01 Terumo BCT 24:52 Orbis MedicinesTerumo Blood and Cell Technologies shows integrated 3-in-1 CAR-T workflow with quantum platformTerumo Blood and Cell Technologies, (Terumo BCT), a medical technology company, recently published a new protocol in a paper demonstrating expanded capabilities for its quantum system to unlock rapid CAR-T cell expansion.The protocol consolidates the processes of T cell activation, lentiviral vector transduction and expansion of CAR-T cells in a single Quantum system, simplifying procedures that have been highly variable and dependent on a skilled workforce. The protocol demonstrated enhancement in manufacturing efficiency, with a two-fold increase in transduction efficiency over manual culture and the ability to consistently produce more than 12bn CAR-T cells in 7 to 8 days.Terumo BCT’s products, software and services enable customers to collect and prepare blood and cells to help treat challenging diseases and conditions. Its customers include blood centres, hospitals, therapeutic apheresis clinics, cell collection and processing organisations, researchers and private medical practices.Orbis pushes macrocycles to the foreMorten Graugaard, formerly a partner at Novo Holdings, is now CEO of Orbis Medicines.Orbis combines big data, AI and a big vision of making a class of molecules, macrocycles, reliably designable for the first time.The company launched last year and closed a Series A for a total of €116m in funding so far to usher in a new era of macrocycle drug development.To date, discovery of macrocycles, a class of cyclic peptides, has yielded transformative drugs but the complexity and diversity of these molecules have thwarted attempts at designing them from scratch. To overcome this challenge, Orbis' technology generates and tests vast numbers of macrocycle permutations with incredible speed, generating huge data sets that are fed into AI as real-life training data.Orbis' computational tools sift the data to find needles in an infinite haystack – macrocycles of the perfect size and structure to do the job of injectable drugs – but in the form of a pill. To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week’s podcast is sponsored by Nipro.This week, our conversations are with Jesus Garcia, Nipro Product Manager Water Treatment, on Nipro ’s recently-launched product LiniXia, a reverse osmosis (RO) system that ensures safe and pure water for every dialysis session, and on the future of biologics manufacturing with cell-free protein synthesis with LenioBio CEO André Goerke.Interview times:05:16 Nipro 15:52 LenioBioNIPRONipro Medical Europe is part of Nipro Corporation Japan, a leading global healthcare company established in 1954. With over 40.000 employees worldwide, Nipro serves the Medical Device, Pharmaceutical, and Pharmaceutical Packaging industries.Nipro Medical Europe is a global market leader offering a comprehensive portfolio of medical disposables and machines across six divisions: Renal, Hospital Products, Diabetes, Cardiopulmonary, Enzymes, and In Vitro Diagnostics.With a worldwide footprint of manufacturing sites, sales offices, and distribution centres, NIPRO Medical Europe services the EMEA region. From hospitals to home care, Nipro provides products that improve the lives of patients and meet the needs of healthcare professionals and procurement managers alike.Nipro recently launched LiniXia, its new Reverse Osmosis (RO) system that reliably ensures safe and pure water for every dialysis session.With LiniXia, Nipro has added an entire range of water treatment solutions to its renal care portfolio, combining innovative RO technology with user-friendly controls, detailed logs, and remote supervision capabilities, all while ensuring up to 90% yield of high quality ultra-pure water.Visit http://www.nipro-group.com/renal-care for more information.Our conversation is with Jesus Garcia, Nipro Product Manager Water Treatment.LenioBioLenioBio GmbH is a life sciences biotech company dedicated to transforming protein production through its proprietary ALiCE technology.By eliminating the limitations and bottlenecks of traditional cell-based systems, LenioBio empowers researchers to explore new frontiers in protein expression and accelerate the development of cutting-edge therapeutics and diagnostics.ALiCE was launched earlier this year. It is the first eukaryotic cell-free expression platform specifically engineered for rapid antibody discovery and screening. By offering an end-to-end service covering DNA template generation, lead generation, purification and analysis, this new solution slashes production timelines from four weeks to as little as three days.We had a conversation on ALiCE and the future of biologics manufacturing with cell-free protein synthesis with LenioBio CEO André Goerke.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we have conversations with Eduardo Bravo, CEO of Citryll, and Dermot Tierney, COO of AMPLY Discovery.Interview times:02:53 Citryll21:56 AMPLY DiscoveryCitryllCitryll’s recent Series B financing of €85m at the end of last year is helping to advance its first-in-class therapy targeting neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs).Discovered in 2004, NETs are web-like structures released by white blood cells that are now understood to be fundamental drivers of inflammation - yet they've never been successfully targeted therapeutically.Three major strategic investors are backing this novel biological approach, suggesting potential for a new therapeutic class. Following phase 1 completion, Citryll is advancing into Phase 2a trials in both rheumatoid arthritis and hidradenitis suppurativa.We spoke with Bravo about the implications of targeting this newly understood biological pathway and the potential market impact.AMPLY DiscoveryAMPLY Discovery is an AI company finding nature's own solutions to drug-resistant infections.Dermot Tierney is COO of AMPLY Discovery, a Queen's University Belfast spinout that's taken a different approach to the AMR crisis. Instead of trying to design new antimicrobials from scratch, they're using AI to discover what evolution already perfected over millions of years.The AMPLY platform connects the digital biological biome to high volume peptide, protein and RNAi extraction technology to unlock a new frontier in drug discovery.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com