Marc Sluijs

Supporting early and innovative start-ups and venture ideas is still a challenge but will eventually follow the upswing in later stage biotechnology, if we 🧬 successfully incubate and accelerate innovation 🧬 focus on market needs 🧬 build strong alliances 🧬 leverage venture investments through anchor funds through insurance firms (read box 2) Biotechnology with all its associated technologies (digital, AI, HPC etc) will be a driver for a societal future!

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I had the great pleasure to meet today at the European Parliament with Pr Laurent Castillo, European Deputy, in charge of health topics 🇪🇺 🇪🇺 🇪🇺 A great opportunity to share my views on the challenges faced by a small healthtech company like dianosic: 1️⃣ Medical Device Regulation Too expensive ❌ Too lengthy ❌ Too much variability between NBs (cost, timelines, interpretation of the Law) ❌ In pharma: fees exemptions apply to Small & Medium size Enterprises (SMEs) ✅ What are NBs saying about this? Solution: a European Agency such as the European Medicines Agency taking care of BOTH #medtech and pharma products (like in the US with the FDA)? A lot of resistance can be anticipated but it's not a reason to favor this unacceptable status quo💡 2️⃣ Financial support to R&D activities The R&D tax credit (CIR) in France is a lifeline for many #startups and MUST endure and be further developed accross Europe ✅ 3️⃣ Innovation funding support / HTA Coverage with Evidence Development tools are too cumbersome for startups ❌ European HTA initiatives such as EUnetHTA - European Network for Health Technology Assessment should be deployed faster WITHOUT subsequent duplication of efforts at the national level 💡 4️⃣ Selling to hospitals Way too long to reach end users / patients after product approval ❌ Many roadblocks with purchasers (focusing on price mainly) ❌ Promote / facilitate access to Made in Europe products (Note: assembled in Europe is different from Made in Europe....) 💡 Offer financial incentives to hospitals when they purchase SME products... 💡 CONCLUSION: Overall, a positive discrimination in favor of startups should prevail for the aforementioned items. A lot remains to be done in order to make European startups tomorrow's international champions and reduce the risk for them to end up in the Medtech and biotech startups cemetery...for bad reasons ☠️ On a side note, this meeting was an opportunity to remember great memories regarding discussions about the Nice ironman 😉 Thanks a lot to Lucas Grandjean for facilitating this meeting. DISCLAIMER: during this meeting, I only shared my opinions which shouldn't be considered as any sort of official point of view from the various Medtech or Biotech Associations. It goes without saying, but it's even better when it is said clearly...

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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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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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#Medtech 𝐕𝐂 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐐1 2024: 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐲: Total deal value hit $3.3 billion, the highest since Q4 2022, despite historically low deal counts. 𝐌𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬: Freenome led with a $254M round, supported by Roche Venture Fund and Bain Capital Life Sciences. Notable smaller deals included Impulse Dynamics, Mainstay Medical, Alamar Biosciences, and Medical Microinstruments. 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲: Gilde Healthcare and Arboretum Ventures led with three deals each, while Khosla Ventures was among several investors with two investments. 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: #Cardiovascular: Over $1.5 billion invested, with Impulse Dynamics' $136M Series E standing out. #Cancer Diagnostics: $395.3 million #Neurostimulation: $242.8 million #PersonalizedCare & #RemoteMonitoring: $226.5 million 𝐕𝐂 𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐭𝐬: Few exits noted, with exceptions like Attune Medical's $160M acquisition by Haemonetics. 𝐈𝐏𝐎 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲: Sparse, with Autonomix raising $11.1 million in its public listing. 𝐏𝐄 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲: Declined with five PE growth deals and 14 buyouts. Interest noted in Healthium Medtech and Baxter’s Vantive kidney care unit. 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤: Despite a strong start, cautious optimism prevails due to lower deal values compared to 2021 highs and uncertain interest rate expectations. Read more at the link below PitchBook #Medtech #VCFunding #InvestmentTrends #HealthcareInnovation #MedicalDevices

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Happy to share portfolio update of our Innovation fund OMX Europe! MRM Health Reports Safety and Positive Efficacy Data in Pouchitis in Phase 2a Clinical Study with MH002 MRM Health is a clinical-stage microbiome platform developing innovative therapeutics for inflammatory, CNS and metabolic diseases, based in Ghent (Belgium). MRM Health leverages its proprietary disruptive CORAL® technology platform to rationally design microbiome therapeutics, based on disease-focused specific combinations of 5 to 10 live gut bacteria, and to optimize them for faster onset-of-action and increased potency and robustness. The multi-center, open-label clinical trial in 14 acute Pouchitis patients met its objectives: ✅Excellent Safety ✅Excellent Tolerability ✅Effective Outcomes, including a 46% clinical remission rate and a 42% reduction in symptom scores at week 8. These new clinical results further enhance the positive clinical data previously reported with MH002 in the treatment of Ulcerative Colitis (UC). Based on the combined results from both clinical trials and recent positive feedback from regulatory authorities, the Company is in the position to initiate Phase 2/3 clinical trial in Ulcerative Colitis, to be combined with further trial in Pouchitis. 🚀 We congrat the MRM Health team for this achievement! Mérieux Equity Partners, through its fund OMX Europe with the support of Korys, has been a committed investor to the company since 2020. #MérieuxEquityPartners #MRMHealth #Innovation #Healthcare #ClinicalTrials #Pouchitis

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Yesterday was a stimulating day dedicated to orchestrating the expansion of the HITLAB Breakthrough Alliance Europe, aimed at propelling the growth of European digital health startups in the US and vice versa. Commencing with the outline of our ambitious 2024 strategy and transitioning into enriching dialogues with field experts from both sides of the Atlantic, the boundless prospects within the digital health domain became apparent. It was delightful to champion HITLAB's breakthrough alliance expansion in Europe, seizing a distinct opportunity to engage with pivotal collaborators and trailblazers from the US and European healthcare sectors. Collectively, we forge connections, dismantle obstacles, and sculpt the future of healthcare. #digitalhealth #certiscan #NYCHIW2024

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EFPIA - European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations's recent publication, "Biopharma SMEs need clear incentives and stable legislation for Europe to remain competitive," underscores the urgent need for dedicated strategies to support emerging healthcare companies. At Capital for Cures, we are committed to addressing these challenges. As we transition into a dedicated legal entity, we are raising $300k and seeking both monetary and non-monetary support to empower biotech pioneers in developing the next generation of therapeutics. Our goal is to mobilize capital into healthcare innovation—beyond the pharmaceutical industry—while empowering founders and the next wave of angel investors. By generating more exit opportunities for founders, we aim to cultivate the next wave of angel investors and set positive examples for future innovators. Our key objectives include engaging new investors, such as pension funds and insurance companies, to allocate more venture capital into healthcare advancements. Together with my co-founder, Andras Fehervary, we are leveraging our combined expertise to reverse the current trend of smaller companies leaving Europe for more supportive ecosystems in the US and Asia. We invite stakeholders, investors, and partners to join us in this mission to create a more competitive and innovative healthcare landscape in Europe. #CapitalForCures #BiotechInvestment #Investment

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Singapore’s Ministry of Health has announced a bold investment of SG$200 million (USD $150 million) to scale AI adoption across its national healthcare system, targeting efficiency and enhanced patient outcomes. Key Initiatives: 👉 Generative AI in Documentation: By 2025, generative AI tools will automate record updates, reducing the time healthcare professionals spend on documentation, allowing them to focus more on patient care. 👉 AI-Enhanced Medical Imaging: The MOH aims to introduce AI-powered breast cancer detection as part of a national subsidized screening program, leveraging the tech to assist radiologists in early and accurate diagnoses. 👉 National Health AI Platforms: The investment will support platforms like AimSG, a national radiology AI system allowing hospitals to integrate advanced imaging AI into everyday workflows, streamlining radiology processes across public hospitals.   Why This Matters: Singapore’s investment highlights the transformative role AI can play in public health by improving operational efficiency, early detection, and treatment outcomes. As healthcare systems globally face mounting pressures, Singapore’s approach could serve as a model for integrating AI responsibly and at scale, setting new standards for digital health innovation. #AI #AIHealth #TechForGood

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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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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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The Swiss #biotech ecosystem shows significant recovery after a tough economic year. In 2023, the life sciences sector, including pharmaceuticals, vitamins, and diagnostics, became #Switzerland’s largest #export industry, with revenues reaching CHF 7.3bn ($8.06bn), according to the #SwissBiotechAssociation. #pharmaindustry

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Fresh off witnessing Team #USA top the medal tally at the 2024 Paris #Olympics, Team Galen Growth | Insights You Can Trust is now turning its attention to another arena of success—the US #DigitalHealth ecosystem. The funding landscape is showing signs of improvement, with #DigitalHealth ventures in #NorthAmerica beginning to receive more positive investor signals. #Venturecapital deployment in H1 2024 has risen above the levels seen in H1 2023, a promising indicator of renewed #confidence. #Fundingstress, which has been a significant concern, is gradually easing. Over the past 18 months, the share of #GrowthStage ventures securing #funding has increased quarter-on-quarter for the past three quarters, now reaching 42%. This #momentum is encouraging, yet it’s important to remember that while half of all #LateStage ventures have secured funding in this period, the remaining half may still need to raise #capital in the coming months of #2024. This presents a compelling opportunity for #investors looking to #capitalise on the growing Digital Health sector. This analysis, powered by #HealthTechAlpha — the leading resource for Digital Health data, intelligence, and insights—highlights the evolving opportunities within the US Digital Health ecosystem as it continues to gain momentum. Stay informed. Stay ahead. Together, let's shape the future of healthcare. 🌟

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After $400M of capital invested and 30 portfolio companies in health and pharma tech, we are excited to publish our SignalFire health and pharma tech sector thesis, 2024 edition and beyond! 👊 Here are 5 major trends that we're focused on 📈 If you are a founder building in any of these categories below, we'd love to hear from you! 1) Explosion of healthcare data creates both opportunities & risks in the GPT-4 era 2) PharmaTech is accelerating R&D, manufacturing & distribution to tackle inefficiencies 3) The labor shortage crisis and the need for AI to improve productivity 4) Aging population and the shift to hybrid, value-based care models in patients’ homes  5) Scaling access to lifesaving therapeutic breakthroughs: GLP-1s & CGTs Grateful to work closely with an incredible team focused on this sector including our legendary Eric Larsen, and partners in crime Sooah Cho, Tony Pezzullo, Sahir Raoof, Adele English 🙏 What gets me up every morning is our incredible portfolio, each of which making their own dent in our healthcare system for the better — Grow Therapy, Color, Ro, CodaMetrix, Health Gorilla, Verse, Wellth, PayZen, Recora, all.health, Bicycle Health, Form Health, Health Note, Osso VR, Praia Health, Freshpaint, Auxilius, Ovation, OrthoFX, Moxie and many others coming out of stealth soon 🚀 #healthtech #pharmatech #sectorthesis #innovation https://lnkd.in/gDE3nQqK

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#japan Biotech IPO rules of the game and the imperative of #biopharma strategic alliance. Over the past decade, just 46 Biotech companies (drug discovery and non-discovery combined) made the cut for the listing on #tokyostockexchange. What has our analysis revealed about the competitive landscape? Find out more below. #botechnology #pharmaceuticalindustry #pharma #strategy #entrepreneurship #disruptiveinnovation #Japan #IPO #exit

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Here is the video recording of my talk at #LSIEurope24 about our pioneering work at lifespin GmbH in metabolomics and AI to revolutionize #personalizedmedicine. 🚀 Lifespin’s unique approach, powered by our vast database of over 240,000 human health profiles, is making precision healthcare more accessible and affordable. Our scalable AI-driven platform brings actionable health insights in under 30 minutes from just a simple blood sample. The potential impact? Lifesaving health information at a fraction of current costs, addressing a global market valued at $400 billion. 🌍 It’s an exciting time as we continue to build partnerships that will help us expand our digital health solutions globally. Stay tuned for more from lifespin as we aim to transform healthcare and create a healthier future for all. Thank you LSI for hosting such a fantastic event and giving us the platform to share our vision for democratizing health. Let’s continue driving innovation together! 💡 #HealthTech #PrecisionMedicine #DeepHealth #AI #Metabolomics #DigitalTransformation #LSIEurope24

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"Med-Gemini has transformed Gemini’s underlying technology to make it more medicine-specific (shown below). The model has been specialised with additional training on clinical-specific integrations...Multimodal data is well understood by Med-Gemini. Initially, the user in the example below asks Med-Gemini-M 1.5 about itchy lumps present on their legs and arms..." https://lnkd.in/g4rJgTwr

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🎤KELES: Driving Growth in Europe’s Digital Health Sector David Buller and Laurent van Lerberghe founded KELES to focus on growth-stage investments in European digital health companies. Their goal: to scale proven digital health technologies across Europe and beyond. 🩺KELES targets innovative digital health solutions across drug research and development (R&D), diagnostics, and patient care. The fund seeks to back AI technologies that accelerate drug discovery, optimize healthcare efficiencies, and transform diagnostics. KELES aims to address the funding gap in Europe for companies ready to scale globally, with investment tickets ranging from €8M-€30M. 🇪🇺The fund focuses on regions like France, the UK, Benelux, Germany, and the Nordics. These areas boast strong innovation but lack the capital to scale impactful solutions. KELES looks for companies nearing a scale-up point, with proven profitability and the ability to expand internationally. KELES differentiates itself with a focus on data-backed investments and leveraging the founders’ deep expertise in healthcare and venture capital. They provide access to a vast network of global advisors to help startups with market access, product-market fit, scalability, and successful exits. Advice to Founders KELES encourages founders to seek collaboration opportunities early. Building relationships with academic institutions, research organizations, and healthcare providers is key to scaling impactful innovations. With plans to close their first fund in 2025, KELES is positioned to fill a significant funding gap and propel Europe's digital health companies into the global market.

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I’m a huge fan of scribe solutions like Nabla or Abridge. The promise of keeping doctors off keyboards and closer to patients is compelling—especially for general practitioners, where consultations often center around listening and direct patient interaction. No wonder Doctolib developed its own. But what about medical specialists? That’s where I'm more skeptical. Specialist consultations are different: patients arrive with referrals, a slew of exams, and detailed records. In radiotherapy, for instance, consultations focus on reassurance—helping the patient understand the journey ahead, rather than providing content for a medical report. Patients also frequently describe symptoms in ways that don’t align with clinical terminology, which can lead to misinterpretations. For example, when a patient says, “I have gastroenteritis because I ate too much 🍫,” they may not have gastroenteritis in the clinical sense—just nausea and vomiting. That’s why Arkhn Assistant is designed to be different. It complements traditional scribes by exploiting all available patient data, offering something uniquely valuable for specialists.

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