BIO-Europe has established itself as the international forum connecting businesses in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors on a global scale. It is the sector’s largest annual event in Europe. Between March 20 and 22, 2023, over 1,000 businesses and 2,300 highly qualified decision makers are expected in Basel, Switzerland. This important pharmaceutical industry hub is home to the head offices of the Roche and Novartis laboratories, this year’s sponsors.
The French delegation, supported by Business France, has 45 businesses, but over 100 will attend in total.“These startups and companies have a wide range of profiles and are already well established in their fields, although they are at different stages of development, some having already signed contracts with major pharmaceutical operators,” said Suzel Wehrlin, health and lifestyle development officer at Business France Switzerland.
“With its 800 biotech companies developing 2,300 products, including 60% in pre-clinical or clinical research, France has made its presence felt as a key biotechnologies operator in Europe. In this respect, attending BIO-Europe Spring is crucial,” Suzel Wehrlin, health and lifestyle development officer at Business France Switzerland.
In oncology, for example, Diaccurate and Oregon Therapeutics will be there. Diaccurate develops treatments for incurable cancers. Its most advanced compound, DIACC3010, optimally inhibits S6K, a kinase implicated in many cancers, in particular metastatic breast cancer, glioblastoma and gastric cancer. Oregon Therapeutics designs innovative anti-cancer treatments for pancreatic and ovarian cancer, notably XCE853, a targeted “first in class” and “best in class” therapy based on the inhibition of protein disulfide isomerase.
We should also mention ILONOV, a biotech company that is working on the first curative therapy to treat diabetics, based on a natural hormone from muscle cells, Myokine X. In ENT, DIANOSIC has developed solutions to treat pathologies such as chronic sinusitis and chronic rhinitis.
Business France also supports CROs (contract research organizations) like TransCure BioServices and ETAP-Lab. The former is a service provider that carries out research using models of humanized mice for academic or private clients. The latter provides pre-clinical pharmacological and research services, as well as scientific skills, to the pharmaceutical and agri-food industries.
Although three quarters of the delegation are pure, unadulterated biotech companies, it also includes other pharmaceutical supply chain operators, such as KatalX or Creapharm Group. With its software designed to facilitate the delivery process, KatalX is an end-to-end supply chain visibility platform for life sciences and medical technologies. Creapharm Group helps pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies with their healthcare and beauty products, from development to marketing.
CDMOs (contract development manufacturing organizations) will also be involved, such as NAOBIOS, which specializes in bioprocesses and contract manufacturing services for viral vaccines and viral vectors.
Consultants will round out this comprehensive set of expertise. CapEval Pharma offers its pharmaceutical consultancy services from early pre-clinical to clinical development, in areas including safety, toxicology, pharmacology and regulatory affairs.
The organizers of BIO-Europe Spring have created an online platform that allows everyone registered for the event to schedule in BtoB meetings. “This tool offers clear added value,” says Suzel Wehrlin. “It allows businesses to improve their visibility and develop useful contacts, such as potential clients, investors or distributors, but also to establish partnerships.” The organizers are expecting more than 15,000 face-to-face meetings. A limited number of startups will also be able to pitch their solutions, both in person and virtually. Businesses that are unable to come to Switzerland will have a second chance via a digital BtoB meeting session from March 28 to 30, 2023.
International networking will also be encouraged at dedicated evenings for all registered businesses.
Between 2018 and 2022, France ranked fourth for European biopharmaceutical alliances and partnerships (France Healthtech Panorama 2022, France Biotech), behind the UK, Germany and Switzerland. “European and global operators are aware of French biotech companies’ innovation, dynamism and conscientiousness,” says Ms. Wehrlin.
The 2023 event is sponsored by two major Swiss laboratories, Roche and Novartis, and will focus primarily on the medical sector.
The last BIO-Europe Spring organized in-person was in Vienna, Austria, in 2019. Subsequent events took place online due to the pandemic.