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Note: The list of speakers is subject to continuous updates and additions.
Chief Technology Officer
Adcendo
Pernille Hemmingsen has more than a decade of experience within development of pharmaceutical products within both solid and liquid dosage forms.
With a background in biophysical chemistry and chemical engineering, development of stabile products and robust manufacturing methods has had her particular interest. This interest had led to development of products within cancer targeting liposomes and antibody drug conjugates, tamper resistant tablets and enhanced diabetes formulations.
Currently, Pernille Hemmingsen holds responsibility for manufacturing and quality in the role of CTO at Adcendo. Pernille holds a Ph.D. from Department of Chemistry at the Technical University of Denmark and a Master of business administration from Copenhagen Business School.
Head of International Relations
Lif (the Trade Association for the Research-Based Pharmaceutical Industry in Sweden)
More info coming soon.
Photo: Liza Simonsson
CEO
Mavatar
Outsourcing in drug development is about more than cost. It’s about speed, reproducibility, and lowering risk. Too often, months are lost to fragmented pipelines and data cleanup.
Mavatar Discovery – a next-generation research platform – is powered by Mavatar’s proprietary Deep Integrated Network Analysis (DINA) framework. By integrating thousands of transcriptomic datasets and performing large-scale analyses a priori, it delivers ready-to-use biological networks from day one, giving researchers a powerful new starting point for discovery.
In this session, Johan Juhlin, CEO and co-founder of Mavatar, will show how an AI- and data-driven platform can accelerate biomarker discovery, de-risk collaborations, and compress timelines from months to days.
Johan Juhlin is an experienced entrepreneur and health innovator with over 25 years of experience in the medical industry. As former Commercial Director at Ventana Medical Inc., he played a key role in the global launch of the HER2 marker for breast cancer, which quickly gained traction.
Today, he is the CEO and Co-Founder of Mavatar, where he leads the work of transforming healthcare through AI and medical avatars to accelerate drug development and enable more precise treatments.
CEO & Founder
Key2brain
Treating brain disease has historically been challenging due to the complexity of the central nervous system (CNS), lack of accessibility and incomplete mechanistic understanding. Brain-targeting technologies using endogenous transport mechanisms of the blood-brain barrier have emerged as safe and efficacious means to reach the brain, representing substantial opportunities for improving outcome of and treatment options for CNS disorders.
Key2Brain develops brain-targeting pharmaceuticals using its proprietary technology. The Key2Brain team of innovative scientists develop novel therapeutic entities enabling efficacious brain delivery of cargoes such as proteins, enzymes, peptides, antibodies, and oligonucleotides. Key2Brain is heading several collaborations while advancing its internal pipeline of treatments for conditions with high unmet medical needs.
Elisabet Sjöström is the CEO and Founder of Key2Brain AB, a pioneering biotech company based in Stockholm. Elisabet holds a PhD in Neuroscience from Lund University and brings nearly 20 years of experience in studying the blood-brain barrier and brain disease.
In 2020, Elisabet founded Key2Brain, aiming to develop innovative brain therapies through its proprietary brain-targeting technology. By pairing a groundbreaking technology with cutting-edge drug discovery and development skills, the Key2Brain team is unlocking the potential for treatments that were once out of reach.
CEO and Co-founder
Life Science Invest
Over the years Kristofer Klerfalk, Managing Partner at Life Science Invest have picked up inspiring examples of pharma outsourcing. In his work with Life Science Invests 40 portfolio compaines and the Nordic ecosystem as a whole he has come across interesting and innovative examples of outsourcing that he will share in a talk.
Pharmacist Kristofer Klerfalk is a serial entrepreneur that now leads Life Science Invest (LSI). LSI:s five funds are focusing on propelling Nordic life science companies forward. Kristofer is deeply dedicated to helping entrepreneurs, promoting better health and social care, and fostering innovation within organizations.
Corporate Advisory
RedEye
For companies in life science, raising capital is often crucial to taking the next step—yet it is rarely a straightforward journey. I would like to share experiences, both successes and setbacks, and how companies can improve their chances of success. I will also talk about Redeye and their approach to combining analysis, investor networks, and advisory services to support entrepreneurs, as well as provide some insights into today’s financial climate.
Okee Williams works in corporate finance and is passionate about helping life science and healthcare entrepreneurs find the right path to funding. He has supported many companies through their most critical phases and understands the challenges of balancing investor expectations with a company’s own vision. His background spans both the financial industry and the science sector.
Professor in Physiology, Stockholm University
Biotech entrepreneur, Founder and CSO of Atrogi, Sigrid Therapeutics and TBRC
Atrogi is pioneering a muscle-centric approach to metabolic health. Our compounds directly stimulate muscle, improving strength, function, and metabolism. This positions us at the forefront of the next wave in obesity and diabetes treatment. While incretin-based therapies such as GLP-1 agonists have transformed the field, the focus is now shifting toward healthy weight loss that preserves muscle and long-term metabolic benefits. Atrogi has advanced this vision from idea to a successful Phase 1 study with our first clinical candidate, ATR-258, demonstrating safety and unique receptor signaling. In combination with incretins, our pipeline has the potential to redefine metabolic care.
Tore Bengtsson is Professor of Physiology at Stockholm University, with more than 25 years of contributions to pharmacology and physiology. His research on adrenergic signaling and its metabolic impact has opened new avenues for treating type 2 diabetes and obesity. Combining science with entrepreneurship, he founded Atrogi, which develops novel small-molecule drugs that stimulate muscle to improve metabolism, and Sigrid Therapeutics, which applies engineered silica particles to metabolic health. He also provides strategic advice through his consultancy, TBRC. His recent publication in Cell highlights the clinical potential of this work and, together with multiple patents, underscores his role in bridging academic discovery with commercial innovation to advance new treatments for metabolic disease.
PhD Physical Chemistry, CEO
Empros Pharma
When Empros was founded in 2013, there were only five obesity pipeline projects worldwide. Today, we’ve lost count—there are around 250 clinical programs. Valuations in the obesity field have increased by a similar order of magnitude. But how do you adapt to such an extremely fast-growing market?
The challenges we face include actual product performance (as measured in standard clinical trials), regulatory uncertainty (since not everything is classified as “obesity” anymore), aggressive marketing, volatile share prices, complex reimbursement landscapes, and even product copying.
So, was it nicer before the hype?
Arvid Söderhäll has served as CEO of Empros Pharma since 2014. When he joined the startup, obesity was still an indication viewed with skepticism. Nearly 12 years later, the situation has changed dramatically, and under his leadership, Empros has advanced its development toward Phase 3 trials.
MD, Chief Medical Officer & Head of R&D
Cereno Scientific
Cereno Scientific will share how a small but agile biotech can advance pioneering treatments in rare cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases by combining in-house expertise with strategic outsourcing solutions. Drawing on its HDAC inhibitor platform and global collaborations, the presentation will highlight best practices in leveraging outsourcing to accelerate innovation, enhance credibility, and efficiently move programs from concept to clinic.
Dr. Rahul Agrawal is Chief Medical Officer and Head of R&D at Cereno Scientific, a pioneering biotech developing innovative therapies for rare cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. He is an accomplished senior executive with over 20 years of experience across Big Pharma and biotech, spanning the full value chain from R&D and Medical Affairs to strategy and commercialization. Rahul has played a central role in the global launch of seven drugs and has extensive expertise in cardiovascular, renal, respiratory, and rare/orphan diseases. His career includes senior leadership positions as CMO at Cardior, VP and Global Medicines Leader at AstraZeneca, and Global Director of Medical Affairs and Clinical Development at Bayer HealthCare. Rahul holds an MD degree from the Free University of Berlin and Cornell University and is board-certified in cardiology, internal medicine, and emergency medicine. He also holds an MBA from Buckinghamshire New University, UK.
CEO
Lumito
Lumito offers a groundbreaking imaging solution, based on up-converting nanoparticles (UCNPs), to detect, quantify, and localize protein biomarkers in tissue samples with exceptional sensitivity and dynamic range. Unlike traditional imaging methods, Lumito’s technology eliminates autofluorescence, delivering clear, high-contrast images also in complex tissue environments. These unique capabilities enable precise and quantifiable analysis, bringing objectivity to tissue biomarker evaluation and supporting faster, more informed decision-making in drug development.
Sanna Wallenborg holds a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Uppsala University and brings extensive experience across the life sciences, medical technology, and diagnostics sectors. She has held leadership and executive roles in both global corporations and innovative start-ups. Since August 2024, Sanna has served as CEO of Lumito. Prior to this, she was Vice President & General Manager of the Immunoassay Business Unit at Radiometer, a Danaher company, where she also led Radiometer’s global Clinical and Medical Affairs team.
Senior Director of In Vitro Discovery Science
WuXi AppTec
Accelerating drug discovery requires more than innovation—it demands integration. This presentation highlights WuXi Biology’s latest technologies, including DELpro 2025, DELight Gen.5, DELvision, and the Direct-to-Biology Platform, designed to streamline hit finding and early-stage development. As part of WuXi AppTec’s fully integrated CRDMO model, these platforms exemplify our end-to-end capabilities, from target validation to candidate nomination. Attendees will gain insights into how strategic partnerships and seamless technology integration empower faster, smarter drug discovery across small molecules, peptides, and oligonucleotides.
Dr. Nuska Tschammer is Senior Director of In Vitro Discovery Biology at WuXi AppTec, with over 15 years of experience in pharmaceutical R&D and integrated drug discovery. She has led international teams across Europe and Asia, driving innovation in DEL screening, molecular pharmacology, and biochemistry. With a PhD in Biomolecular Sciences and a Habilitation in Medicinal Chemistry, she combines deep scientific expertise with strategic insight, making her a key contributor to outsourcing models that accelerate early-stage drug development.
CEO
Disruptive Pharma
Poor solubility and low bioavailability remain key challenges in the development of oral drugs. Formulite™, Disruptive Pharma’s proprietary amorphization technology based on mesoporous magnesium carbonate, offers a polymer-free solution that directly addresses these challenges. By stabilizing drug compounds in their amorphous form, Formulite™ enables complete release and absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, supporting a wide range of small molecules and peptides. The platform combines therapeutic advantages, including higher drug loading, smaller tablet size, and improved patient compliance, with manufacturing benefits such as excellent powder flowability, scalability, and sustainability. This presentation will highlight clinical validation data, real-world case examples, and opportunities for biotech and CDMO partners to accelerate development from lab to market using Formulite™.
Disruptive Pharma is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical development company leveraging its proprietary Formulite™ technology to unlock the full potential of oral drugs. Our team of scientists specializes in formulation and product development that enables efficacious oral absorption of peptides and small molecules. In addition to progressing its internal pipeline, Disruptive Pharma engages in strategic collaborations and offers development arrangements to partners seeking to overcome solubility and bioavailability challenges. Disruptive Pharma has offices in both Uppsala (HQ) and Stockholm.
Peter Åsberg is Chief Executive Officer of Disruptive Pharma, where he leads the development and commercialization of Formulite. With more than 20 years of executive experience in the life sciences sector, he has a proven track record in global business development, strategy, and product launches. At Disruptive Pharma, Peter has guided Formulite™ from concept to clinical validation, building strong collaborations with industry partners. His leadership emphasizes innovation, scalability, and patient benefit, driving sustainable solutions that accelerate the path from lab to market.
