Marc Sluijs

Breakthrough in ALS Treatment at EAN 2024 On June 30, 2024, at the 10th Congress of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN), Prilenia Therapeutics unveiled exciting results from the Phase II Healey ALS platform trial. The trial focused on pridopidine, an oral sigma-1 receptor activator, as a potential treatment for ALS. Despite the historical challenges faced in ALS clinical trials, the emergence of 12 drugs in mid to late-stage development reflects a promising trend in the ALS pipeline. The Healey ALS platform trial aims to revolutionize the process of drug approval by concurrently testing multiple drugs, thus expediting the identification of effective therapies with a reduced participation requirement. Notably, the trial revealed significant advancements in ALS patients, particularly in the deceleration of disease progression and respiratory decline. Furthermore, a survival analysis suggests that pridopidine could potentially double the survival time for certain ALS patients. # Thank you Benedetta Rossi for your submission!

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💥7 Important Developments in Digital Therapeutics (DTx) this Month, including Major News around 5 key Companies >> 📲 Mahana Therapeutics has secured permanent reimbursement in Germany for its digital therapeutic app, Cara Care for IBS, which uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to manage IBS symptoms 📲 Akili, now a subsidiary of Virtual Therapeutics, has received FDA approval for its video game digital therapeutic EndeavorOTC for adult ADHD. This follows earlier approval of its prescription app EndeavorRx for children 📲DeepWell DTx has launched Zengence, a VR action game designed to treat mental health by gamifying breathing therapy. Players use controlled breathing and vocal exertion to power in-game actions and manage anxiety 📲 Mika Health and Cancer Support Community partner to launch a free AI-enabled app for U.S. cancer patients and caregivers, offering personalized mental health support (and as I shared yesterday also partners with AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo for "UNITE," an AI-powered digital therapeutic for women undergoing breast cancer treatment) 📲 Sidekick Health acquires PINK! to enhance its femtech offerings, integrating PINK!’s breast cancer digital therapeutic, PINK! Coach. This acquisition strengthens Sidekick's digital therapeutics portfolio, expanding its reach in women's health and oncology across the US and Europe 📲 A recent report found that virtual musculoskeletal (MSK) solutions significantly improve patient outcomes; physical therapist-guided therapies offer results comparable to in-person care and reduce net spending, while app-based exercise therapies improve pain and function but are less effective than in-person therapy 📲The Digital Therapeutics Alliance (DTA) will launch an accreditation program to evaluate the efficacy, privacy, security, and interoperability of DTx products, aiming to increase payer coverage and trust in the industry 👇Link to relevant articles in comments below #DigitalHealth #DTx

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Breaking News - Swiss Biotech Association Report 2024. Total number of Switzerland Biotech Companies at Ten (10) year High. Swiss lifescience exports up 400% in 24 years! Longevity, precision medicine, AI/Deep Learning likely to accelerate ALL further. quote "While exports from all other sectors combined grew by 81% in the twenty-five years from 1999 to 2023, the contribution of the life sciences sector grew by 400% over the same period (see Figure 1). " end-quote. https://lnkd.in/eeRbqTpX #investments, #switzerland, #pharma, #biotech, #venturecapital, #vc, #privateequity, #money, #gold, #forex, #fx, #cfa, #geneva, #zug, #zurich, #newyork, #stockmarket, #nyse, #money, #telaviv, #israel, #newyork, #capital, #alternativeinvestments, #trading, #stocks, #commodities, #healthcare, #lifescience, #innovation, #drugdevelopment, #longevity

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How is a top 20 pharma company reshaping R&D? Vertex Pharmaceuticals path to becoming a top 20 pharma company with over a $100 billion market cap has been nothing short of adventurous. 🔬 Vertex's journey, from the rise and fall of Incivek to adopting a disease-first R&D strategy under Jeffrey Leiden, M.D., Ph.D., Reshma Kewalramani, MD FASN, David Altshuler, and Stuart Arbuckle has resulted in: 💡 Approvals for four cystic fibrosis products 👩‍⚕️ Casgevy becoming the first CRISPR-based gene-editing therapy approved for patients in the U.S. in December 2023 💊 An 85% success rate in advancing to phase 3 clinical trials 🏆 Sabine Hadida, Paul Negulescu, and Fredrick Van Goor earning the 2024 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences Check out this company's journey of resilience in my most recent article in Forbes: https://lnkd.in/gReTiP8k

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Biotech Deals 9/5/24 - 9/12/24 💰 Today, Sanofi announced two licensing deals with radiopharma companies Orano Med and Radiomedix, Inc. . The joint upfront for the deals (the companies will be working together on the breakthrough therapy Alphamedix) will be $110M. The companies are currently finalizing their Phase 2 study and beginning discussion on the data with the FDA 💴 Genesis Therapeutics – an AI-biotechnology startup that designs and improves small molecule drug candidates – announced a pharma partnership with Gilead Sciences this week. The deal includes $35M in upfront payments and undisclosed milestone payments to work on 3 select GIlead assets. Genesis also announced partnerships with Genentech and Eli Lilly in 2020 and 2022 respectively. 💶 Roivant Sciences announced this week that it would be licensing the global rights to mosliciguat, an inhaled lung drug previously discovered and developed by Bayer. According to Endpoints News, the deal was agreed to in 2023 but was not announced by either side for competitive reasons as the companies fleshed out their clinical strategy for the asset. Phase 1 data for the drug will be presented at ESMO this week. 💰 Psilocybin based biotech Psyence Biomedical Ltd is paying $500K for another psilocybin based company – Clairvoyant Therapeutics – and its phase 2-stage alcohol use disorder (AUD) candidate. The program in question is currently in a Phase 2b trial of its candidate in the European Union and Canada with topline results expected in early 2025. The AUD candidate would expand Psyence’s pipeline and complement existing assets in their “nature derived psilocybin development program. The deal, which will be paid for in Psyence stock, would also potentially include two $250K stock payments based on clinical milestones. 💴 Novartis and Voyager Therapeutics, Inc. expanded their collaboration on gene therapies with the swiss pharma company making a $15 million upfront payment to Voyager to take up its option on a novel capsid for use in a rare neurological disease gene therapy program. This is an extension of the companies 2022 deal in which the companies agreed to a $1.75B biobuck deal focused on Voyagers platform developing improved adeno-associated virus capsids. The deal from this week did not disclose any specific targets. 💸 Eli Lilly and Company and AI-enabled drug discovery company Genetic Leap announced a deal worth up to $409M in combined upfront and milestone payments. The deal will have Genetic Leap to leverage RNA-targeted AI platforms to generate genetic drug candidates against selected targets for the Pharma. News of the deal comes weeks after Lilly pushed deeper into RNA research by opening a $700 million nucleic acid R&D center in the Boston Seaport For updates on biotech-related deals follow Liam Killingstad

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A key insight from the BDC's 2024 report highlights what those backing and building innovative life sciences companies have always known: "... over the time horizon [10 years], life sciences sector returns continue to outperform ECT and ICT, despite being relatively underfunded" The opportunity for the engagement of more capital, by those looking to make impactful and high performing investments, is huge and doing so will result in more value capture by Canadian investors from the development and commercialization of Canadian life sciences innovations

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November 30 2024 – 5 Notable Articles To Read 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲: Roche to Acquire Poseida Therapeutics, Inc. Therapeutics in a Deal Worth Up to $1.5B 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: The agreement enables the Swiss pharmaceutical company to integrate its current partner, focusing on advancing cell therapies in oncology, immunology, and neurology. This initiative aligns with Roche's strategy to strengthen its drug pipeline and boost sales growth in the latter part of the decade. 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲: The Wall Street Journal 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸: https://lnkd.in/d73d7eZE 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲: Venture Global LNG launches new LNG plant ahead of IPO 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: Poised to begin liquefied natural gas production at its second massive facility on the US Gulf Coast, as it gears up for one of the largest energy IPOs in the United States. 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲: Financial Times 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸: https://lnkd.in/dAnDkZQa 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲: Qatar wealth fund to take stake in AUDI AG Formula One team 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: QIA to acquire a 30% stake in the racing venture that now controls Sauber Group, reflecting growing Gulf interest in the sport. 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲: Financial Times 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸: https://lnkd.in/dhtcZYZf 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲: German Government Plans About €2B in New Chip Subsidies 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: The new funding will support chip companies in developing "modern production capacities that significantly surpass the current state of the art," according to @Annika Einhorn, a spokesperson for the German economic ministry. 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲: Bloomberg News 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸: https://lnkd.in/druRp_qp 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲: UK M&A activity sweeps market with £5.3B of deals 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: The surge in activity has highlighted the UK’s status as Europe’s most active hub for deals this year. Momentum has increased since October’s Budget, providing dealmakers with greater certainty to finalize transactions before year-end. 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲: Financial Times 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸: https://lnkd.in/dsYwYzmq #news #research #business #investment #ai

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Fitting that my first ever post is about…v@ginas?! This is sufficiently important that I felt compelled to reshare Seed Health’s launch of a truly milestone product for women’s health. There’s simply nothing like VS-01 in the world. In fact, the world’s first vaginal synbiotic clinically validated to rapidly establish an optimal vaginal microbiome. More than 2/3 of women report experiencing vaginal discomfort annually —> More than 1.75 billion women globally over the age of 20. ~90% of women lack a stable vaginal microbiome according to Jacques Ravel’s pioneering research elucidating the crucial role of the vaginal microbiome in gynecological, urogenital, and reproductive health. 1.75 billion experiencing discomfort, yet literally *zero* products clinically shown to help. UNTIL NOW. Definitionally groundbreaking. Congrats Seed Health!

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Attention All ErgoScience FCE Providers: The New and Improved Web-Based Software Is Now Available From May 27 through June 1, 2024, current FCE Providers receive a 15% savings on FCE refresher training (optional) and our new web-based software, PWPE Cloud™. ErgoScience’s Physical Performance Work Evaluation (PWPE) software offers everything you need to perform a state-of-the-art FCE: -Freedom to edit reports -Computer-generated color reports complete with graphs and charts -Automated scoring and report writing -Easy to read and interpret test results -Quick turnaround: 15 minutes or less to a finished report -Failsafe mechanisms designed to ensure correct scoring See what all is new: https://bit.ly/3R0KNPK Schedule a call with us today to discuss how the new software can help you excel even more: https://bit.ly/3UKPcH

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Finally gave birth to this baby. It took me forever to get some more insight into what's going on with DTx in France. Thanks to Mathilde Pasko and DTx France© 2024 I got many answers. 🙄 Currently, there are 64 applications in the DiGA repository in Germany. By January 2024, six applications were removed due to various issues faced by the companies. 🤔 In 2023, France introduced the PECAN framework for the approval and reimbursement of digital solutions, including telemedicine and DTx. By June 2024, four solutions completed the approval process, with one solution for telemonitoring being approved. Three were rejected for various reasons, resulting in a 75% ⛔ rejection rate, as noted by Elsa Duteil at the DTx France 2024 conference in July. 😒 In the U.S. companies stopped waiting for reimbursement codes and are focusing on value-based care and innovation in business models. Why is progress with DTx so slow? In the latest Faces Of Digital Health Podcast newsletter I disect the history of digital therapeutics and where I believe the industry is at the moment. You will also find insights from Dorothée Marie-Louise Doepfer, Jessica Shull, Marko Kuisma, Galen Growth | Insights You Can Trust and podcasts with Andy Molnar, Digital Therapeutics Alliance, Amir Lahav, and Steven Vandeput, PhD. Enjoy the read by going through: ➡ First, a history lesson. ➡ The Challenge With Innovation in Healthcare ➡ Look at Belgium! ➡ Politics is Everything ➡ The reality check in 2024 ➡ What seems to be working? ➡ Now what? https://lnkd.in/dDHBpBcR #digitaltherapeutics #dtx #innovation #healthcare #apps #mobile #mentalhealth

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At his keynote speech at BioTechX Europe, Pratap Khedkar talked about 3 hurdles to overcome to bridge the gap in between “lab to life”: - Ground breaking innovation with significant complexity (e.g, CART therapies) - Misaligned incentives (e.g, researchers by scientific impact vs clinical development by CT success vs. share growth for the commercial vs. physicians by their productivity and so on) - Trust and adoption (e.g, deep skepticism in healthcare - deeper in scientific community which is healthy at times) Is there hope? And he thinks YES And he has 3 ideas to share - - Need to think beyond the asset (e.g., Tesla’s success isn’t the car but it is the infrastructure / ecosystem build) - Pre-competitiveness in data and competitiveness in research - we need to collect and connect the data - (“One teaspoon of honey entire lifetime work of 12 bees w/ 170k flowers” - Fix the incentives by putting life / patient in the middle of everything - “it is far more important to know what person the disease has than what disease the person has” Inspiring….

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Sanofi's recent push into AI-driven drug development marks a significant shift in the #lifesciences industry. By leveraging #AI in partnership with OpenAI Formation Bio, Sanofi aims to speed up drug discovery and enhance #clinicaltrials, making the process more efficient and cost-effective. This integration of AI can lead to more precise treatments tailored to patient diversity, potentially setting new industry standards for speed and personalization in drug development. As other companies may follow suit, this could reshape the future landscape of the life sciences sector, emphasizing innovation and #patientcentric solutions. #precisionmedicine #healthcareai #openai

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🌍 Why Deciphera Pharmaceuticals chose Greater Zurich for its international HQ 🔬 Deciphera Pharmaceuticals is a pioneering biopharmaceutical company focused on developing targeted cancer therapies. Since June 2024, it has been part of ONO Pharma, further enhancing its capabilities in #oncology. 🏢 In 2021, Deciphera established its international headquarters in Zug in the #GreaterZurichArea. From here, the company manages its global operations outside of the U.S., leveraging the region's strong #biotech ecosystem and overseeing a wide range of functions such as Commercial, Medical, Finance, and more. 💡 Deciphera chose to set up its international #HQ in Greater Zurich due to the region’s outstanding biotech #talent pool, world-class infrastructure, and ease of doing business. The supportive local authorities and attractive tax structures make it an ideal location for managing global operations and expanding into Europe. 🔍 Interested? Read the full story about how Deciphera Pharmaceuticals thrives in Greater Zurich: https://okt.to/f7ZlXs. To learn more about the biotech ecosystem, go to: https://okt.to/xTNM0f. Margarida Duarte, Thomas W. Fuchs, MSc, MBA, Alberto Diaz, Economic Promotion Canton of Zug, Kanton Zug

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Nephrolytics: Transforming Kidney Disease care with Vision and Determination “The real difference between success and failure in a corporation can very often be traced to the question of how well the organization brings out the great energies and talents of its people… I believe that any organization, in order to survive and achieve success, must have a sound set of beliefs on which it premises all its policies and actions.” - Thomas Watson Jr. “A Business and Its Beliefs,” At Nephrolytics, we embrace this wisdom wholeheartedly. Our core belief is centered around transforming healthcare from a system burdened by the volume of disease to one that truly values the health of people. This mission propels every aspect of our work, from product development to strategic partnerships, echoing Watson’s conviction. Our journey is akin to that of Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis in 1847, who faced immense challenges in shifting medical practices to save lives. Despite the success of his infection control procedures, Semmelweis’s ideas were met with resistance and significant challenges. Similarly, Nephrolytics is dedicated to a path that is not easy but is undeniably crucial. We address the urgent need for systemic change—reducing physician burnout through more efficient systems and better data integration, and preparing for an impending physician shortage, particularly in nephrology. Our AI-driven platform functions as an EMR-agnostic stand-alone workflow station for providers, designed not only to enhance the quality of care but also to reduce cognitive burden & operational costs. It supports healthcare professionals in their mission to deliver exceptional care without undue strain. As we continue our journey, we seek more individuals to join us—those who resonate with our vision. We offer our advisors, investors and strategic partners not just an investment opportunity but a chance to share in a vision that transcends monetary contributions. This collaboration is about a shared mission and collective effort. Thomas Watson Jr. wisely stated that the enduring success of a corporation relies not just on its ability to adapt technologies or strategies but “fundamentally on how it cultivates and utilizes the energies and talents of its people.” He believed in the strength of an organization rooted in clear and firm beliefs, guiding all actions and decisions. This philosophy highlights the importance of fostering a unified purpose that deeply connects with everyone involved, ensuring resilience and continued relevance through changes and challenges. That is what I believe we are harnessing at Nephrolytics. Together, we are not merely participants in healthcare reform but are actively driving its evolution. Tina Gill Adam Haid Naeem Rahim Ali Nadeem Mian Ali Tyler Cady Hasan Ayub Brian Mason Matthew Brooks Yasir Lashari Kartik Sharma 🙌🏾 #Healthcare

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Join us next week at DealStreetAsia PE/VC Summit to discuss about #AI and #DigitalHealth opportunities and challenges from clinical, technical and regulatory standpoint. Looking forward to a fruitful discussion!

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Innovation flourishes through collaboration(s)! Throughout my professional journey, I've consistently emphasized the value of developing ecosystems that prioritize human involvement. Facilitating partnerships that foster innovation is not only a core focus but also a personal passion. By working together, we can achieve remarkable results. #InnovationThroughPartnership #HumanCenteredInnovation

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I vividly remember February 15, 2018, when Roche closed a Series C round, acquiring Flatiron Health for $1.9 billion and integrating it as a subsidiary while allowing it to operate as a separate legal entity. Two years prior, Roche had completed the acquisition of a 62.8% stake in Foundation Medicine Inc. -Cohomprensive Genomic Profile Test (Next Gen. Seq.) - , a company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, near Boston. These acquisitions represented different business models compared to Roche’s traditional value chain. As part of my executive MBA at POLIMI Graduate School of Management, we decided to develop a #projectwork on "revising the business model to create an end-to-end integration of clinical and #genomic data from #NGS ( Next Generation Sequencing) tests #EHRs and #RWD. We highlighted the challenges and proposed solutions to manage different asset and Innovative solutions as traditional DrugMaker Company. Today, thanks to #syntheticdata, everything is much simpler and probably Flatiron need to evaluate scaling and internationalization approaches. Reading the recent news about Roche’s desire to review its agreements with Flatiron, I feel nostalgic and hopeful that companies like Flatiron or Syapse, also in Roche’s current investment portfolio, can find integration solutions through a redesigned Go-to-Patient and Go-to-Market model. This would enhance the future portfolio and pipeline value. Thanks again to Prof. Emanuele Lettieri and Prof. Federico Frattini, who contributed to that work, which remains valuable today for the principles of revising #businessmodels in drug innovation and #InnovativeHealthSolutions support of the portfolio strategy. Special thanks to my EMBA mates that contributed to reading, inspiring, driving, writing, having fun, think, smiling, leading, ..... Stefano Allevi | Andrea Carrettoni | Davide Mazzali - EMBA | Alessandro Braga | Marco Berci | Pietro Ponti | Alessandro Sapio | Matteo Vecchio | A huge thank you goes to the #leaders and #enablers of that time - Patrizia Olivari | Adriana Dantas | Pedro Goncalves | Alessandra Bianchi | Diego Vailati Venturi | Maurizio de Cicco - who, as visionary leaders, saw the future and the tangible impact on patients lives, allowing me to work on this model.

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https://lnkd.in/gWkt5-dz The 2002 published Nature article "Leadership management needs in evolving biotech companies" by Andreas Föller outlines the crucial role of management in the success of biotechnology companies. The article emphasizes that good management is more critical to a biotech company's success than the initial idea or concept. This remains true today, as the biotech industry continues to be highly competitive and complex. Leadership qualities that are required: -Biotech-specific attributes: Ability to transition from science-oriented to commercial-oriented thinking -Mental strength and stamina to handle pressure -Excellent interpersonal skills -Combination of strategic thinking and hands-on mentality -High motivation and awareness of challenges These qualities are still crucial in today's fast-paced life sciences environment, where CEO's/ Entrepreneurs must be able to cultivate investors and raise capital, develop partnerships, and balance scientific innovation and commercial viability. CEOthreesixty

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Yesterday, we at Galen Growth | Insights You Can Trust published a new report examining process inefficiencies in Biopharma R&D and the role of Digital Health. We summarized our key highlight in our latest blog (find in the comments 😊) - There is a noticeable trend of increased investment by Pharma in AIDD. - Xiara Therapeutics (no active website yet) made a notable entrance from stealth mode with a valuation of $1 billion. (Obviously we couldn’t feature that in the report) - Ventures specializing in Oncology research are prominently engaged in partnerships with Pharma and attracting investments. Stay tuned for further insights. As a premium user of HealthTech Alpha, you’ll have complimentary access to this and all our reports. #Biopharma #DigitalHealth #Innovation

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