Ten Biotech startups brace for Boston

Selected out of 60 applications, the ten nominees for the Venture Leaders program will have the chance to explore Boston and find opportunities for their international growth. The startups will present their solutions to the public on 18 August during the Meet the Venture Leaders Biotech 2022 event.

Boston is a hotspot for the biotech sector, boasting over 550 companies operating in the area. The Swiss National Team for the Venture Leaders Biotech program will travel to the region from September 11-17, 2022 to meet international investors and industry leaders, and access industry-specific expertise and networks to grow their companies.

Meet the Venture Leaders Biotech 2022

Alentis Therapeutics | Basel – uses its portfolio of unique monoclonal antibodies that are highly selective for exposed and non-junctional Claudin-1, a previously unexploited target that plays a key role in the pathology of fibrosis across organs as well as solid tumors, to develop a pipeline of novel mechanisms targeting advanced fibrosis and cancer. Alentis’s lead therapeutic candidate, ALE.F02, is in Phase 1 clinical studies for the treatment

Bionomous | Lausanne – aims at bringing to the market new solutions that combine innovative micro-engineering design and machine learning methods to automatically inspect and sort miniature biological entities, in particular the egg of zebrafish Danio rerio, which is a growing model in research and industry in genetics, developmental biology or toxicology.

Bionter AG | Basel – revolutionizes analytical testing in the biotech sector by innovating and tailoring technology to the true needs of the pharmaceutical industry. The first solution is a particle counter based on an innovative combination of light obscuration technology and smart automation

FimmCyte AG | Basel – engineered a first-in-class treatment that has shown efficacy in eliminating endometriosis tissue in the lab and animal models which we aim to bring to the clinic in the next few years and give women back control of their bodies.

Healiva SA | Lugano – uses a multi-pronged approach to address patient needs by combining enzyme technology, medical devices, and cell therapy to deliver precision solutions for chronic wounds. Our business value arises from our unique standing in offering comprehensive end-to-end solutions targeting the unmet needs of the chronic wound care spectrum.

InCephalo | Basel – makes a difference in the lives of those diagnosed with brain cancer. Focuses on developing antibodies and other biological treatments for the local treatment of CNS cancers. Its primary drug candidate received EMA ODD.

InterAx Biotech | Brugg – focuses on the design of drugs targeting G-Protein-Coupled Receptors, the largest class of human cellular receptors, and targets 40% of all marketed. Offering biopharma partners needing in-depth insight into the design of high-quality drug candidates access to its technology platform.

lino Biotech | Zurich – offers improved, label-free analytics for cell and gene therapies and drug discovery by offering access to a unique technology to optimize production processes at the highest quality level. This enables customers to measure molecular interactions more robustly and sensitively while offering unique information for bioprocess optimization or quality control in crude fermentation media or living cells.

Recolony | Zurich – focuses on developing a novel treatment for colorectal cancer consisting of selected commensal bacteria of the gut microbiota. These bacteria can provoke a potent immune reaction against cancer and can be applied as a non-invasive therapy with minimal side effects. By harnessing the potential of beneficial gut microbiota, Recolony aims to develop a new class of drugs for the treatment and prevention of cancer.

Vanarix | Lausanne – has a solution for repairing damaged articular cartilage, which is still an unmet medical need. Cartilage damage causes pain and disability and affects people with repetitive trauma, the elderly, and overweight people. And proposes a new generation of cell therapy products, allogeneic Cartibeads, which are cartilage microtissues made from donor cells. Cartibeads are the first true tissue-engineered hyaline cartilage resembling native tissue dedicated to regenerating cartilage damage.

Meet the startups
This year’s Venture Leaders Biotech will introduce themselves and their startups at a virtual pitch session on August 18th, 2022. This event will be open to the public and will showcase the 10 game-changing innovations that the 2022 Swiss National Startup Team will present in Boston. Register to attend the event.

(Press release/RAN)