Weekly roundup: Rising leaders and growing momentum
Drum roll… In Vivo’s 2026 Rising Leaders were announced this week and included not one, not two, but five Optimum clients.
A huge congratulations to Colleen Acosta of Freya Biosciences, Diana Čekatauskaitė of Lonza’s Synaffix, Reuben Dawkins of Link Biologics, Michelle Morrow of Nucleome Therapeutics, and Javier Nunez-Vicandi of Sofinnova Partners. This list recognises not only achievement, but momentum: the creativity, judgment, and leadership that will shape the trajectory of the sector in the years ahead.
The Anglonordic Life Science Conference is now less than a week away—we look forward to catching up with many of you there.
Read on for your roundup of what’s been happening and where to be.
STORM Therapeutics secures $56 Million Series C financing and doses first patient in Phase 2 sarcoma trial of STC‑15
STORM Therapeutics Ltd. (STORM), the clinical stage company targeting RNA modifications to reprogram cells and develop novel cancer therapies, announced a successful $56 million Series C financing, supporting the continued advancement of STC-15, its first‑in‑class, oral small-molecule inhibitor of METTL3. Proceeds from the round will fund the Company’s Phase 2 monotherapy study in selected sarcoma indications, with the first patient successfully dosed.
Freya Biosciences announces positive Phase 1 first-in-human data with FB301 for IVF-related embryo implantation failure
Freya Biosciences, a clinical-stage immunology company developing therapies to treat inflammation and immune dysregulation in women, announced positive topline results from its Phase 1 first-in-human clinical study evaluating FB301, a defined multi-strain Lactobacillus consortium developed using Freya’s Dyscover™ platform which enables in human discovery, as a potential treatment for IVF-related embryo implantation failure.
Poolbeg Pharma plc – MHRA grants Clinical Trial Authorisation for the TOPICAL trial and independent research confirms significant commercial opportunity for POLB 001
Poolbeg Pharma, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a core focus on transforming the cancer immunotherapy field, announced that the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has granted Clinical Trial Authorisation for the POLB 001 TOPICAL trial. With all required regulatory clearances now in place and site initiation visits scheduled, the trial remains on track to deliver interim data this summer.
The Company also reported positive findings from new independent US-focused payer research, which indicate multi-billion-dollar peak sales potential for POLB 001 in the United States.
New Nordic white paper reveals systemic barriers preventing women from reaching leadership roles
Women in Life Science Denmark (WiLD), the Nordic non-profit network dedicated to advancing women into senior leadership positions in life sciences, announced the publication of a new Nordic white paper, developed in collaboration with WiLD Denmark, WiLD Norway and VILDA Sweden, highlighting the loss of highly qualified female talent from senior leadership roles across the Nordic life science sector. The report outlined 17 targeted actions to address structural barriers hindering leadership progression.
MinervaX strengthens executive leadership team with two strategic appointments as it advances its maternal GBS vaccine towards pivotal trial initiation
MinervaX ApS, a privately held Danish biotechnology company developing a novel, prophylactic vaccine against Group B Streptococcus (GBS), announced the appointments of Jamila Louahed as Chief Development Officer and Hans Henrik Chrois Christensen as Chief Financial Officer. The new leadership appointments strengthen the company’s capabilities as it advances its novel GBS vaccine toward pivotal trial initiation in the maternal indication and continues to scale its operations.
Asgard Therapeutics appoints Professor Dr Wolfram Brugger as Chief Medical Officer as it advances transformative ‘personalized off-the-shelf’ immunotherapy toward clinical development
Asgard Therapeutics, a privately held biotech company pioneering in vivo direct cell reprogramming for cancer immunotherapy, announced the appointment of Prof Dr Wolfram Brugger as Chief Medical Officer. Prof Dr Brugger, who has been involved in more than 130 Phase I-III clinical oncology trials with numerous modalities across a wide variety of cancer types, including solid tumors, will strengthen Asgard’s leadership as it prepares to transition to a clinical-stage biotech.
Laigo Bio strengthens team with Chief Scientific Officer and Scientific Advisory Board appointments
Laigo Bio, a biotech company pioneering novel and highly differentiated therapies using its proprietary SureTACs™ precision membrane protein degradation platform, announced the appointment of Dr. Richard C.A. Sainson as its new Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) and the establishment of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) comprising Dr. Janine Schuurman, Professor Dr. Hans Clevers and Professor David Sansom.
Mestag Therapeutics Selected to Present Targeted LTBR Agonist MST‑0312 in Late‑Breaking Session at AACR Annual Meeting
Mestag Therapeutics, a biotech company harnessing fibroblast immunology to develop impactful treatments for patients with cancer and inflammatory disease, announced that it has been selected to present a late‑breaking poster at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, taking place April 17–22, 2026, in San Diego, California.
🏆 Industry awards
Fantastic to see Optimum clients, Colleen Acosta of Freya Biosciences, Diana Čekatauskaitė of Lonza’s Synaffix, Reuben Dawkins of Link Biologics, Michelle Morrow of Nucleome Therapeutics, and Javier Nunez-Vicandi of Sofinnova Partners all named as In Vivo Rising Leaders 2026!
To see the full list of nominees and what they are doing to shape the future of the industry, check out In Vivo’s article here.
📢 Hot topic
Companies that fail to take advantage of the shift to consuming news and information via video will struggle to get their messages across in the future, argues Stephen Adams in Optimum’s latest Hot Topic. They are missing a trick – because video content generates up to 13 times more shares than text and images combined.
Take a look at our short video or if you are not convinced by the visual media trend – read the full article here.
👥Industry events
Anglonordic Life Sciences Conference XXII – London | 23rd Apr 2026
One week to go! With over 100+ active life science investors already registered, join us on the 23rd of April in London for the unique opportunity to connect with decision makers in an intimate setting, and at a fraction of the cost of larger conferences.
See the full agenda at anglonordiclifescience.com/page/registration
Bio€quity Europe Conference – Prague | 4-6th May 2026
Returning for its 26th year, Bio€quity Europe brings together global leaders, investors and innovators to network, forge partnerships and debate the critical issues facing the biotech industry. With insightful panel discussions, company presentations and one‑to‑one partnering meetings, the event focuses on emerging science, investment trends and the forces shaping the future of biotech.
Mary Clark, CEO, and Zoe Bolt, Associate Director, will be attending and look forward to catching up with colleagues and making new connections. To schedule a meeting, please reach out via LinkedIn or at healthcare@optimumcomms.com.
LSX Nordic Congress – Copenhagen | 19-20th May 2026
🤝 Why Attend?
From formal partnering sessions to spontaneous coffee station conversations, this is where authentic, face-to-face connections happen. Whether you’re an innovator, investor, or strategic partner, the LSX Nordic Congress is your gateway to meaningful collaborations.
The partnering portal opens Tuesday 21st April.
Reach out to use Optimum’s exclusive F&F discount!
On Helix – Cambridge | 9th Jul 2026
Just 3 months until One Nucleus presents ON Helix – Disrupting Bio Innovation.
A one-day conference in Cambridge spotlighting and discussing breakthrough technologies, policies and business models that are shaping the drug discovery and development landscape.
An excellent opportunity to connect with the pioneers leading this next wave of disruptive innovation and ensure you stay ahead in a rapidly evolving space.
Optimum is a proud supporter of One Nucleus events and is happy to share an exclusive 10% F&F discount. Please get in touch if you would like to optimise this or connect with the team there!
Optimum’s 18th Annual Healthcare Investor Conference – London | 8th Oct 2026
Save the date – Thursday the 8th of October 2026!
Six months to go until Optimum’s 18th Annual Healthcare Investor Conference returns to the Kings Fund, London this October.
Join us for a day of invaluable insights from the thought leaders of the life sciences industry! As the conference is free, but invitation only, please register your interest to attend here: https://www.optimumcomms.com/irconference2026/
That’s all folks! To stay in the know – subscribe to Optimum’s weekly wrap-up today!
