Weekly round-up: Optimum’s investor conference goes from strength to strength
Optimum’s 16th Annual Healthcare Investor Conference was a roaring success on Thursday, as more than 200 investors and biotech entrepreneurs explored the theme of “back to growth”.
Held at the prestigious King’s Fund venue in central London, the event kicked off with an investor speed dating session, where entrepreneurs got the chance to meet face to face with some of the most influential biotech financiers in Europe.
The conference then got under way with a series of star-studded seminars and panels, starting with an informative session on How to have a successful IPO on Nasdaq. This included a series of presentations by Isabella Schidrich and Asaf Homossany, both Senior Managing Directors at Nasdaq Stock Exchange, Niccolò Cominacini, Director at Citi, and Lynn Lewis, Founder and CEO of Gilmartin Group, Optimum’s US partner.
They had an upbeat message about the prospects for life sciences investment in 2025, noting the recent upsurge in biotech IPOs in the U.S.
The U.S. is also outperforming Europe in terms of biotech investment and activity, according to the speakers.
Lynn Lewis had some useful advice on how biotechs should avoid overpromising in the build up to an IPO, as overly optimistic claims can erode credibility as a biotech goes public and becomes intensely scrutinised.
These were followed by a panel discussion on key IPO communications considerations, featuring Optimum’s own Mary Clark and Eva Haas, together with Lynn Lewis and Premal Pajwani of PRP Advisory.
After a networking lunch and introduction by Mary Clark, CEO at Optimum, there was a fascinating panel on how European biotechs can navigate ever-changing capital markets.
Chaired by Catherine Pickering, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at iOnctura, the panel featured Allan Marchington, Managing Director and Head of Life Sciences, ICG, Dr Gil Bar-Nahum, Managing Director of Jefferies International, Francesco De Rubertis, Co-founder & Partner, Medicxi, and Gemma Game, Head of Healthcare, Equity Strategies, Norges Bank Investment Management.
One interesting point raised, was that companies should be clear about when their value inflection points, such as clinical trial readouts, are due, to help give backers a realistic picture of when they might get a return on their investment.
Next up, was Nerida Scott, Head, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, EMEA, who was interviewed by Dr Daniel Mahony, Senior Partner, Novo Holdings, Growth Investments.
This was followed by an in-depth interview between Dr Mehmood Khan, CEO of the Hevolution Foundation, with Clive Cookson, Senior Science Writer at the Financial Times, on the creation of the revolutionary, new, Saudi-backed group and their plans to invest at scale in “healthspan”.
Dr Khan pointed out that investing in healthspan and reducing ill-health later in life would save critical resources for state-funded systems, such as the NHS. Even extending healthy life by only one year would allow the NHS to balance its books, he said.
A panel discussion on Scaling up: How to build European champions was chaired by Simon Amies, Partner, Cooley and featured Renée Aguiar-Lucander, CEO, Calliditas Therapeutics Geraldine O’Keeffe, Partner, EQT, Kieran Murphy, Chairman, Gamma Biosciences & SPT Labtech and Hakan Goker, Managing Director, M Ventures.
Finally, Hollie Vile, managing director at Optimum Strategic Communications, introduced this year’s featured charity – Muscular Dystrophy UK.
Martin Hywood, Regional Corporate New Business Officer, Muscular Dystrophy UK, gave an emotional account of his diagnosis with a form of the disease and how he is using skills and knowledge from previous careers as a mechanic and in IT to drive forward fundraising for the charity.
Adcendo Announces US FDA Clearance of IND Application for Phase I/II First-in-Human ADCElerate-01 Trial of ADCE-D01 (uPARAP Receptor Targeting ADC) Trial in Patients with Metastatic and/or Unresectable Soft Tissue Sarcoma (STS)
It’s been a busy week for Optimum’s clients too – Adcendo started the week with its announcement on Tuesday that the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has provided Investigational New Drug (IND) clearance to commence a Phase I/II study of ADCE-D01 in patients with metastatic and/or unresectable STS (the ADCElerate-01 Trial).
Curve Therapeutics continues to enhance leadership team with appointment of Rab Prinjha as Chief R&D Officer
On Wednesday Curve Therapeutics, a private biotechnology company pioneering a revolutionary intracellular screening platform addressing complex and challenging disease targets, on Wednesday announced the appointment of Rab Prinjha, PhD, as Chief Research and Development (R&D) Officer.
Antag Therapeutics Announces FDA Clearance of Investigational New Drug (IND) Application for Lead Molecule, AT-7687
Antag Therapeutics, a leading biopharmaceutical company focused on targeting the Glucose-Dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide (GIP) receptor to pioneer novel treatments for obesity, on Wednesday announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted its Investigational New Drug (IND) application for its lead molecule, AT-7687.
STORM Therapeutics to Present Phase 1 Data on its First-in-Class Lead Product STC-15 at EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium
STORM Therapeutics Ltd., the clinical stage company pioneering cellular reprogramming through RNA modifications to treat disease, on Wednesday announced that it will be presenting a poster on the ongoing Phase 1 trial with its lead METTL3 RNA methyltransferase inhibitor, STC-15, at the 36th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, held in Barcelona, Spain, from 23-25 October 2024.
Heidelberg Pharma AG: Interim Management Statement on the First Nine Months of 2024
On Thursday Heidelberg Pharma AG reported on its operational progress, alongside its Group’s financial figures for the first nine months of fiscal year 2024 (1 December 2023 – 31 August 2024). Highlights included the clinical trial of lead development program, HDP-101 in Europe and the US.
Novo Holdings Launches Portfolio Company Booster Therapeutics to Advance New Class of Small Molecule Proteasome Activator Therapeutics
Novo Holdings announced the launch of Booster Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing a new class of proteasome activator medicines aimed at treating neurodegenerative and other diseases, supported by a $15 million seed financing round led by Apollo Health Ventures and Novo Holdings.
Novo Holdings to acquire majority stake in Stingray Marine Solutions, a leading provider of aquaculture technology
In addition, Novo Holdings announced its agreement to acquire a majority stake in Stingray Marine Solutions, a market-leading aquaculture technology company that provides advanced solutions for a more sustainable fish farming industry.
Check out our latest podcast episode and Optimum TV interviews
In the latest episode, Optimum’s Richard Staines talks to Feride Sahin, Senior Director of Clinical Development at Splice Bio about the importance of World Sight Day, which took place on Thursday. Look out for further interviews with thought leaders from our conference on our Optimum TV channel in the near future.
Catch up on the latest life sciences sector moves
Check out the latest moves in the life sciences sector with our monthly round-up of new funds and the biggest job changes, including analysts, bankers, and healthcare journalists.
