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Note: Speaker recruitment is currently ongoing. 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.
CMO
Medivir
Small and mid sized biotechnology companies increasingly depend on external partners, including contract research organizations, contract manufacturers, imaging vendors, and independent safety boards, to execute global clinical development programs. Large pharmaceutical organizations traditionally also run their clinical studies through CROs but have all other required functions in house. This talk examines the operational architecture required to preserve scientific rigor, regulatory integrity, and strategic control when execution is substantially externalized. Drawing on experience leading the clinical development of fostroxacitabine bralpamide at Medivir, the presentation delineates which functions, namely medical and scientific strategy, regulatory decision making, data oversight, and go or no go decision, must remain internal, and how governance structures such as joint oversight committees, independent Data Safety Monitoring Boards, and defined escalation pathways enable disciplined external collaboration without compromising accountability.
Pia Baumann MD PhD, is Chief Medical Officer at Medivir AB, where she leads the clinical development of fostroxacitabine bralpamide (fostrox) in hepatocellular carcinoma and MIV-711 in rare bone disease as Osteogenesis imperfecta and Legg-Calves-Perthes disease. She brings over two decades of oncology drug development spanning academic medicine and global pharmaceutical leadership. Dr Baumann worked as a medical and radiation oncologist at Karolinska University Hospital from 1999 to 2010 during at what time she completed a PhD in stereotactic body radiotherapy in lung cancer at Karolinska Institute. She subsequently held global medical affairs and clinical development leadership roles at Bristol Myers Squibb, ARIAD, Incyte, Takeda, and AstraZeneca, directing clinical strategy and launch execution for therapies including ponatinib, brigatinib, mobocertinib, epacadostat, and osimertinib across lung cancer, hematologic malignancy, and solid tumor indications.
CEO
AlzeCure Pharma
In 2026, Swedish biotech AlzeCure Pharma entered into two licensing and collaboration agreements in the CNS and Alzheimer’s disease space, with Eli Lilly and QuantumCell. While the two partnering processes differed significantly in both journey and pace, they generated valuable insights into what it takes to prepare a drug development programme for a successful partnership. Drawing on both cases, AlzeCure will share practical lessons on partner readiness, strategic development decisions, the role of external development partners, and what the company will take forward into future licensing discussions.
Martin Jönsson holds an M.Sc. in business administration from the University of Lund, and has also studied at the University of Freiburg, Germany and the University of Ottawa, Canada. Martin Jönsson has more than 25 years of experience in the global pharmaceutical industry and has held several executive positions, with experience in business development, marketing, sales, alliance management and medical affairs. Previous employers include Roche and Ferring Pharmaceuticals. Martin has worked internationally, including several years in the USA.
CEO
Alzinova
More information coming soon.
Independent Consultant
OT Pharma
This talk looks at drug development as a trinity: the investor, the biotech and the CRO/CDMO, each carrying a different definition of risk and a different clock. Drawing on twenty-five years on all three sides — large pharma, CDMO, biotech CEO and venture investor — I will discuss where the three views collide, which outsourcing decisions actually move valuation, and what each party can do to make the other two succeed.
Fredrik Lehmann, PhD, MBA, is an independent consultant at OT Pharma and has spent more than 25 years in drug development — on every side of the table. A chemist by training (MSc Uppsala, PhD Gothenburg) with an MBA from the Stockholm School of Economics, he has worked in large pharma (Pharmacia, Biovitrum), founded and built companies (OnTarget Chemistry, Synartro, Renity), and served as General Manager at Recipharm, Head of Research and CMC at Oncopeptides, and CEO of EpiEndo. On the investor side he has been Venture Partner at Industrifonden, Entrepreneur in Residence at Sound Bioventures and Senior Advisor to Flerie. He also sits on several biotech boards.
CEO
Isofol Medical
People often assume that biotech companies develop drugs. In reality, they develop relationships. The drug is the outcome of a complex network working effectively together.
Clinical-stage biotechnology companies are accountable for every aspect of development, from clinical strategy and regulatory interactions to manufacturing and financing. Yet much of the actual execution is carried out by a network of CROs, CDMOs, academic collaborators, consultants, investigators and strategic partners. This presentation explores how small biotech companies can build, align and lead these networks to create value, accelerate development and compete with organizations many times their size.
Petter Segelman Lindqvist has a MSc in Business and Economics from the Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden, and EM Lyon, France. He has experiences from leading positions in the pharmaceutical industry, including within GlaxoSmithKline, AbbVie and Sobi (Swedish Orphan Biovitrum), as well as from board work in smaller biotech companies. He joined Isofol as CEO in 2024 and contributes with knowledge of strategic business development and partnerships, global commercialization, and product development. He has led several product launches and has taken drug candidates through clinical development and regulatory processes to market introduction.
PhD, MBA, Director Global Business Development
Sanyou Bio
Sanyou Bio is a global biopharmaceutical R&D partner providing integrated solutions to support the development of innovative biologics from early-stage molecules through preclinical development and process optimization. Our capabilities span molecule generation and engineering, developability assessment, cell line development, upstream and downstream process development, analytical characterization, formulation, and scale-up.
By integrating advanced technology platforms with comprehensive wet-lab and bioprocessing capabilities, Sanyou supports the development of diverse biologic modalities, including monoclonal and multispecific antibodies, single-domain antibodies, ADCs, fusion proteins, and other next-generation biologics.
With experience across 1,200+ projects, 2,000+ collaborative clients, 170+ patents, and 10+ CPO projects approved for IND, Sanyou provides flexible R&D solutions for biotechnology and pharmaceutical partners, helping advance promising biologic candidates toward robust, scalable development and manufacturing readiness.
Mei Ling Lim is Director of Global Business Development at Sanyou Bio, where she works with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies worldwide to establish and develop strategic R&D collaborations. She focuses on connecting partners with Sanyou Bio’s integrated capabilities across antibody and molecule discovery, biologics development, and preclinical R&D, supporting innovative drug programs from early discovery toward IND. Her role centers on understanding partners’ R&D needs and identifying suitable external solutions and collaboration models to help advance the translation and development of innovative biologics.
Vice President of Integrated Drug Discovery
Pharmaron UK
The approach to drug discovery is precedented with DMTA cycles having been optimised for efficiency and speed without compromising quality. However, the industry continues to expect more innovation, faster and cheaper. Furthermore, regulatory authorities are expecting New Approach Modalities to impact on how in vivo studies are used in the design of drugs and the predicting of human response. In a wide ranging talk and using case studies, this presentation will describe how Pharmaron’s Integrated Drug Discovery group has transformed our approach to drug design and the DMTA cycle through adoption of the Dalton Tx AI Drug Discovery platform. Also described will be our use of modelling and simulation to intelligently design drugs whilst minimising in vivo studies.
Simon Taylor is VP, Head of Integrated Drug Discovery at Pharmaron, UK. Simon is a DMPK and drug discovery scientist and leader with over 27 years industry experience across discovery, preclinical and early clinical drug development. Simon joined Pharmaron UK in 2018 from GSK initially leading the DMPK function responsible for DMPK/ADME and PKPD strategy, including human extrapolation and PBPK modelling and simulation. From 2025 he now leads Integrated Drug Discovery responsible for medicinal chemistry, CADD, DMPK and biology functions delivering projects for biotech and pharma partners from hit finding through to IND submission across a variety of modalities. At GSK, Simon was Director and Head Quantitative Pharmacology within the immuno-inflammation therapy area responsible for preclinical and early clinical development projects. He has worked across respiratory, inflammation, CNS, oncology and cardiovascular therapy areas with drugs of varying routes of administration. Simon holds B.Sc. Pharmacology from University of Leeds, UK and M.Sc. model-based drug development from University of Manchester, UK and has co-authored over 35 scientific peer-reviewed publications.
Director International Affairs
Lif (the Swedish Pharma Industry)
The research-based pharmaceutical industry in Europe is under severe pressure, and the consequences could be extensive for patients, the life science ecosystem, and for the competitiveness of Sweden and the EU. To ensure a continued strong and innovative pharmaceutical industry in our part of the world, concrete measures and reforms are needed.
Sara Lowemark is the Director International Affairs at the Swedish Pharma Industry (Lif), where she leads the organization’s European engagement and strengthens Sweden’s voice in international health and life science policy. Throughout her career, Sara has worked at the intersection of international trade, EU affairs, and life science policy, combining a strategic mindset with a strong drive to foster collaboration and competitiveness.
Photo: Liza Simonsson
Chief Research and Development Officer
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, Danuta Gawel, Chief Research and Development Officer at Mavatar, will show how an AI- and data-driven platform can accelerate biomarker discovery, de-risk collaborations, and compress timelines from months to days.
Danuta Gawel, is a scientist with a PhD in Medical Science from the Centre for Personalized Medicine at Linköping University. Trained in biotechnology and bioinformatics, she has dedicated her career to exploring human diseases and translating molecular insights into clinical applications. As co-founder and Chief Research and Development Officer at Mavatar, she leads the development of AI- and machine learning–driven technologies advancing personalized medicine, drug development, and tissue- and context-specific biological insights.
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.
Chief Scientific Officer
CTC Clinical Trial Consultants
Early clinical development demands translation of preclinical data to humans, including prediction of pharmacokinetics, safety, and pharmacological effects. At CTC, we provide integrated in-house support across all critical areas of early development, including DMPK, clinical pharmacology, toxicology, regulatory guidance, CMC, bioanalysis and clinical trial conduct.
Flexible First-in-Human (FIH) protocols allow real time adaptation based on emerging data manage risk and facilitate informed study progression. Professional research clinics with personnel dedicated to clinical research provide a decisive advantage: close oversight of recruitment and study execution, and direct communication lines between operational staff and clinical teams. These capabilities ensure that our early-phase studies uphold high scientific standards, operational flexibility, and efficient timelines. Private actors with dedicated resources for clinical studies can complement healthcare and support the development of new therapies, contributing to more clinical trials in Sweden.
Sandra is the Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) at CTC Clinical Trial Consultants. In her role, Sandra acts as a Scientific Advisor for early-phase clinical development and is also a Senior Medical Writer. She holds a PhD in Molecular Biology and an Executive MBA. With over 15 years of hands-on experience in early clinical development, Sandra has been involved in all aspects of a clinical trial including study design, planning, execution and reporting.
Director DMPK and Clinical Pharmacology
CTC Clinical Trial Consultants
Early clinical development demands translation of preclinical data to humans, including prediction of pharmacokinetics, safety, and pharmacological effects. At CTC, we provide integrated in-house support across all critical areas of early development, including DMPK, clinical pharmacology, toxicology, regulatory guidance, CMC, bioanalysis and clinical trial conduct.
Flexible First-in-Human (FIH) protocols allow real time adaptation based on emerging data manage risk and facilitate informed study progression. Professional research clinics with personnel dedicated to clinical research provide a decisive advantage: close oversight of recruitment and study execution, and direct communication lines between operational staff and clinical teams. These capabilities ensure that our early-phase studies uphold high scientific standards, operational flexibility, and efficient timelines. Private actors with dedicated resources for clinical studies can complement healthcare and support the development of new therapies, contributing to more clinical trials in Sweden.
Johan is the Director of DMPK and Clinical Pharmacology at CTC Clinical Trial Consultants. In this role, he serves as a Scientific Advisor for both preclinical and clinical pharmacokinetics. Johan is a licensed pharmacist, holds a PhD in Pharmacology, and is an Associate Professor at Uppsala University. He has more than 20 years of industry experience in drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics.