Weekly roundup: Gearing up for London Life Sciences Week: fund raisings, innovation, and Optimum TV highlights

London Life Sciences Week spotlight on Optimum TV

As another week wraps up, Jefferies and London Life Sciences Week looms; the biggest week in European life sciences is almost here. Are you ready to make the most of it?

Watch the latest episode of Optimum TV, where Arnaldo De Lisio from Catalyst Advisors and our very own Mary Clark share expert insights, top tips, and insider strategies to help you maximise every moment!

👉 Download our events schedule to be in the right place at the right time to build valuable connections. If you would like to meet with the Optimum team there, please reach out to contact@optimumcomms.com.

Medicxi raises €500 Million Fund V

Medicxi, a leading London- and Geneva-based life sciences venture capital firm, has announced the close of its latest fund, Medicxi V, at €500 million – the largest in the firm’s history. The Fund will focus on Medicxi’s pioneering asset-centric investment model and will be dedicated to building and backing innovative biotechnology companies with clear product visions to transform patient care.

Leucid Bio provided an update on its Phase I/IIa AERIAL trial evaluating lateral CAR-T LEU011 for the treatment of solid tumours

Leucid Bio, a privately-held biotechnology company developing innovative CAR-T therapies using its proprietary lateral CAR platform, provided an update on the Phase I/IIa  AERIAL trial evaluating the safety and clinical activity of LEU011 in patients with relapsed/refractory solid tumours. Preliminary data established proof-of-concept for LEU011 through evidence of encouraging pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) profiles. Treatment has generally been well tolerated, and enrolment continues in dose-escalation with additional data for LEU011 anticipated during first half of 2026.

Commit Biologics achieves proof-of-concept for novel Complement Engager platform in non-human primates  

Commit Biologics announced positive results from a non-human primate (NHP) study demonstrating proof-of-concept for its proprietary Complement Engager (BiCE™) platform. The single-dose study shows rapid and sustained immune cell depletion in blood and tissues with a very favourable safety profile.

Domain Therapeutics appoints Boston-based pharma leader Jean-Marie Cuillerot, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer

Domain Therapeutics, the GPCR experts harnessing deep receptor biology to develop breakthrough treatments for patients, announced the appointment of internationally recognized clinical strategist, Jean-Marie Cuillerot, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer (CMO). The appointment comes at a pivotal moment for Domain, following the initiation of Phase I/II development of DT-7012, a Treg-depleting anti-CCR8 antibody candidate.

Blue Cell Therapeutics appoints leading cell therapy executive Miguel Forte MD, PhD, to its Board of Directors

Blue Cell Therapeutics, a biotech developing “off-the-shelf” allogeneic stem cell therapies for diseases where angiogenesis and nerve regeneration are beneficial, announces the appointment of Miguel Forte MD, PhD, to its Board of Directors. Dr Forte currently serves as President of the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy and is the CEO of Kiji Therapeutics. Dr Forte brings extensive operational and strategic experience to Blue Cell Therapeutics.

Booster Therapeutics, a Novo Holdings Seed Investments portfolio company, was awarded $5M from The Michael J. Fox Foundation to advance its novel approach for Parkinson’s Disease

Booster Therapeutics, a biotechnology company pioneering a new class of proteasome activator medicines to treat neurodegenerative and other diseases, announced it has received a research grant of USD $5 million dollars from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF). The funding will support the development of small molecule therapeutics that reactivate the cellular quality control machinery of proteasomes to combat the accumulation of deviant proteins in cells – a major driver of Parkinson’s and other complex diseases.

🎙️Optimum Perspectives Podcast

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is an increasingly wide-scale problem. Not contained by borders, and with the ability to turn minor infections into life threatening conditions, it is an issue that experts argue must be addressed in the present, not the future.

Hear from Jennifer Schneider of Centauri Therapeutics, Dr. Franz-Werner Haas of LimmaTech Biologics and Neil Murray of ReNewVax on their unique approaches to tackling the threat of AMR, in the latest episode of the Optimum Perspectives Podcast.

That’s all folks!  To stay in the know – subscribe to Optimum’s weekly wrap-up today!