4SC, F. Hoffmann-La Roche and Bayern Kapital presented a new oral immunotherapy and trends in the VC and pharmaceutical branch.

Over 100 multipliers from the biotech, pharmaceutical and venture capital industry met on October 17, 2019 at the 12th Biotech Press Lounge at the Innovation and Start-up Center for Biotechnology (IZB). In the Faculty Club G2B (Gateway to Biotech), the guests heard three exciting keynote speeches and discussed new research findings and innovative strategies. Dr. Peter Hanns Zobel, Managing Director of the IZB, opened the event: “We are always happy to welcome new speakers and guests to the Biotech Press Lounge at the IZB. This is why the network at the IZB is constantly expanding and still bearing fruit.” Jo Schilling, editor of the specialist magazine Technology Review, moderated the event and introduced the speakers: Andreas Huber from Bayern Kapital, Jason Loveridge of 4SC AG and Michael Crowley from F. Hoffmann-La Roche.

The first speaker, Andreas Huber, Scientific Director Life Science and Senior Investment Manager at Bayern Kapital GmbH, reported on new developments relating to investments in life sciences. He emphasized the improved environment for VC investments in the EU and also Germany; an indication for this is the successful fundraising of many big VC funds. Corporations and business angels also show a higher activity level. At the same time, new investors from abroad—many from China—are looking for interesting investment targets in Europe and Germany. “But there is still a huge gap compared to the VC ecosystem in the US,” Huber pointed out. “Bayern Kapital is part of the solution to help fill this gap.”

In his speech, Jason Loveridge, CEO of 4SC AG, presented an inhibitor from the 4SC portfolio, which can boost immunotherapy in cancer. “Domatinostat is an oral best-in-class small molecule Class I selective HDACi with a uniquely favorable tolerability profile,” Loveridge explained. “It has been investigated in a Phase I study in patients with advanced hematologic cancers, exhibiting positive signs of anti-tumor efficacy.”

4SC, a biopharmaceutical company focused on oncology, is evaluating Domatinostat as a combination partner for immuno-oncology therapies. A second Phase Ib/II study of Domatinostat in combination with the anti-PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor avelumab will be conducted in patients with microsatellite-stable gastrointestinal ­cancer (EMERGE).

Michael Crowley, Head Business Development for Pharma Research and Early Development at Roche Pharma Partnering, spoke about how Roche is collectively driving innovation through partnerships. “Roche is deeply committed to bringing the most ground breaking treatments science has to offer to patients with difficult-to-treat diseases,” outlined Michael Crowley. “But we know that we cannot accomplish this on our own. Only by partnering with the brightest minds in sciences and healthcare we will be able to serve the needs of patients now and in the future,” according to Crowley.