Weekly roundup: Insights, events, and industry moves
👥London Life Sciences Week 2025
The busiest week in European life sciences is approaching and Optimum and Catalyst Advisors are here to help you maximise your week.
Download our events schedule here to plan ahead, connect smart, and make every moment count!
If you have any additional events that you would like to be included, please let us know: marketing@optimumcomms.com.
👥 Top Takeaways from Optimum’s 17th Annual Healthcare Investor Conference
The final summaries from Optimum’s Healthcare Investor Conference have just been released! Check them out here:
📺Fever dream or new reality? Taking the temperature of the market and looking ahead to 2026 Featuring: Olivia Cavlan of LifeArc Ventures, Clarke Futch of HCRx, Toby Sykes of ICG, Gil Bar-Nahum of Jefferies, Victoria Darbyshire of J.P. Morgan Asset Management.
📺 Mind over matter: Ruth McKernan’s quest to outsmart dementia (and bureaucracy) Featuring: Dr Ruth McKernan of SV Health Investors and Dr Daniel Mahony of Novo Holdings.
Novo Holdings co-leads €40m fundraising to scale MATR Foods’ production of organic plant-based meat alternatives
MATR Foods (MATR), the leader in next generation fermented plant-based meat alternatives, announced the successful completion of its €40m fundraise, including €20m in Series A equity and €20m in venture debt – the largest secured by a food tech company in Denmark. The fundraising was co-led by existing investor Novo Holdings and incoming investor the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO), alongside debt from the European Investment Bank (EIB).
Astraveus further strengthens world class leadership team to advance development of Lakhesys Benchtop Cell Factory™
Astraveus, the Benchtop Cell Factory company, announced that it has further strengthened its world class leadership team with the appointments of Didier Masson as Chief Operating Officer, and Ken Kotz as Chief Technology Officer.
Biocomposites launches SYNICEM™ spacers in the U.S.
Biocomposites, an international medical devices company that engineers, manufactures and markets world leading products for use in infection management in bone and soft tissue, announced the launch of its SYNICEM™ hip, knee and shoulder preformed spacers in the United States.
Heidelberg Pharma’s lead ADC candidate HDP-101 granted fast track designation by US FDA for the treatment of Multiple Myeloma
Heidelberg Pharma, a clinical-stage biotech company developing innovative Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs), announced that HDP-101 (INN: pamlectabart tismanitin), the Company’s lead Amanitin-based ADC candidate, has been granted Fast Track Designation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
📺Optimum TV
Today, chronic skin conditions such as pruritus and atopic dermatitis – as well as a host of other auto-immune conditions – are often treated with monoclonal antibodies. These can be effective but are costly and usually require frequent re-dosing. UK-based Glen Clova Scientific is pursuing a different approach, using virus-like particles (VLPs) that are “decorated” with relevant antigens, to teach the immune system to respond to the stimuli in an appropriate manner.
Watch Dr Steven Powell outline the company’s strategy in this latest episode of Optimum TV .
👥BIO-Europe Fall
The 31st annual BIO-Europe returns to Vienna, Austria, on November 3–5, 2025, where historic coffee houses have long inspired world-changing ideas. BIO-Europe continues this tradition, gathering over 5,700 life science professionals from more than 3,000 companies across 60+ countries and facilitating more than 30,000 one-to-one meetings.
The Optimum Team will be in attendance and we would love to connect with you all there. Reach out to marketing@optimumcomms.com to schedule a meeting!
👥 Top Takeaways from Optimum’s 17th Annual Healthcare Investor Conference
If you missed the day, or just want to relive it, Optimum TV has got you covered! All session summary videos are below, so you can hear the learnings from the day straight from the panellists themselves.
📺 ‘Everything you wanted to know about how to have the best exit to pharma (but were too afraid to ask)’ Featuring: Nick Bastin of Optimum, Renee Aguiar-Lucander of Hansa Biopharma, Hakan Goker of M Ventures, Premal Pajwani of PRP Advisory, and Peter Van de Sande of Synaffix.
📺 Who’s listening? How to tailor the narrative for maximum punch Featuring: Philip Brainin of Sound Bioventures, Amanda Gett-Chaperot of Kurma Partners, Bonnie van Wilgenburg of Monograph Capital, Mary Clark of Optimum, and Raymond Barlow, SynOx Therapeutics.
📺Thriving in tough times: scaling smart and staying strong Featuring: Kristin-Anne Rutter of Cambridge University Health Partners, Nicole Mather of IBM, Nick Keher of Oxford Nanopore Technologies, and Jeremy Skillington of Poolbeg Pharma.
📺Fever dream or new reality? Taking the temperature of the market and looking ahead to 2026 Featuring: Olivia Cavlan of LifeArc Ventures, Clarke Futch of HCRx, Toby Sykes of ICG, Gil Bar-Nahum of Jefferies, Victoria Darbyshire of J.P. Morgan Asset Management.
📺 Mind over matter: Ruth McKernan’s quest to outsmart dementia (and bureaucracy) Featuring: Dr Ruth McKernan of SV Health Investors and Dr Daniel Mahony of Novo Holdings.
That’s all folks! To stay in the know – subscribe to Optimum’s weekly wrap-up today!
