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Business Upturn
27-05-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
Strüngmann Award Committee Announces 2025 Finalists Recognizing Outstanding Life Science Entrepreneurs in the DACH Region
The selected finalists have demonstrated entrepreneurial execution and translational potential for a range of scientific approaches The winner(s) will be officially announced on July 3, 2025, and will receive an EUR 100,000 cash prize Munich, Germany, May 27, 2025 – The Strüngmann Award selection committee today announced this year's award finalists. The three companies and their founders highlight the exceptional and internationally successful leaders emerging from the DACH region's thriving life science ecosystem. Now in its second year, the award aims to recognize founders who are not only advancing breakthrough science, but who have also demonstrated the drive and resilience required to translate innovation into therapeutic impact. Advertisement The award was established to honor its namesakes, Andreas Strüngmann, M.D., and Thomas Strüngmann, Ph.D. As the founders of Hexal they achieved extraordinary entrepreneurial success, subsequently they expanded on these achievements in their roles as visionary investors. The award celebrates the next generation of leaders advancing a great idea into reality. 'We are convinced of the exceptionally talented leaders in the DACH life science ecosystem and are committed to recognizing and promoting both innovative ideas and execution through this award. This year's finalists underscore the depth of scientific and entrepreneurial excellence in the DACH region. They represent a remarkable diversity of scientific fields: from targeted cancer therapies to regenerative neuroscience and drug resistance. It's inspiring to see how different paths can lead to meaningful innovation that improves patients' lives,' said Andreas und Thomas Strüngmann. The following visionary entrepreneurs have been selected by the award committee for their innovative mindset and talent for execution in translating biomedical research into therapeutic approaches: Dragan Grabulovski | Philipp Spycher | Isabella Attinger-Toller – Araris Biotech The founding team of Araris Biotech, Dragan Grabulovski, Ph.D., CEO, Philipp Spycher, Ph.D., CSO, and Isabella Attinger-Toller, Ph.D., CTO, has built one of Switzerland's most successful biotech ventures in recent years. Spun out of the Paul Scherrer Institute (part of ETH domain), the team developed a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) linker-payload technology (AraLinQTM) that enables one-step payload attachment to off-the-shelf antibodies, without the need of prior antibody engineering. Their collaborative leadership and scientific excellence led Araris to raise over CHF 40 million, form a strategic partnership with Chugai (Roche) and Johnson & Johnson, and achieve a landmark acquisition by Taiho Pharmaceutical in March 2025 for up to USD 1.14 billion. Araris Biotech is advancing a new class of ADCs aiming to redefine the entire paradigm of targeted cancer therapy and beyond. Martin E. Schwab | Stefan Moese – NovaGo Therapeutics Prof. Martin E. Schwab, Ph.D., CSO and co-founder of NovaGo Therapeutics, is a world-renowned neuroscientist whose pioneering work on nerve growth inhibition fundamentally changed the field of neuroregeneration. He discovered the protein Nogo-A, a key blocker of nerve repair in the central nervous system and translated this breakthrough into the development of regenerative antibody therapies. Building on decades of research at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, he founded NovaGo in 2015 to advance clinical candidates for patients with spinal cord injury and related indications. Since joining as CEO in 2023, Stefan Moese, Ph.D., has brought deep expertise in biologics and translational drug development. Together, he and Martin E. Schwab are driving the company's efforts to translate cutting-edge science into regenerative therapies, where the first candidate has entered clinical trials in acute spinal cord injured patients in 2024. NovaGo Therapeutics is a Swiss biotech company developing antibody-based therapies to promote nerve and blood vessel regeneration, with a lead program targeting acute spinal cord injury. Stefanie Flückiger-Mangual – TOLREMO therapeutics Stefanie Flückiger-Mangual, Ph.D., founder and CEO of TOLREMO therapeutics, has built a company that is redefining the way drug resistance is approached in the treatment of cancer. Drawing from her academic research at ETH Zurich, she uncovered that resistance is often driven by transcriptional changes — sometimes long before oncogenic mutations arise. This insight led to the development of a proprietary screening platform which resulted in the identification of CBP/p300 as an epigenetic master regulator of non-oncogene resistance. Under Stefanie's leadership, the company has raised over CHF 34 million and advanced its lead program TT125-802, a novel, highly selective CBP/p300 inhibitor, into the clinic. In this ongoing clinical trial, TT125-802 has shown a best-in-class safety profile and unprecedented monotherapy activity in solid tumors. TOLREMO therapeutics is pioneering a comprehensive new approach to tackle cancer drug resistance by blocking transcriptional resistance pathways that operate parallel to the primary oncogene signaling axis. This represents a differentiated strategy to address a major challenge in cancer treatment, with significant therapeutic potential both as a monotherapy as well as in combination with targeted therapies. As a next step in the selection process, an expert jury consisting of leading entrepreneurial personalities and biotechnology investors will select the winner(s). The winner will be officially announced on July 3, 2025, and will receive a EUR 100,000 cash prize. To learn more about the award and stay up to date on the latest news visit our website: About the Strüngmann Award The award was established in 2024 to recognize outstanding entrepreneurs realizing revolutionary ideas in the DACH life science sector. The goal is to reward exceptional achievements with a prestigious prize and to further the development of the next generation of leaders in this space. The award was named to honor twin brothers Andreas Strüngmann, M.D., and Thomas Strüngmann, Ph.D., who are among the important entrepreneurs, visionaries and investors in the life science sector. As the founders of Hexal, they achieved extraordinary entrepreneurial success and as investors, they have continued to repeat that success for more than 20 years by building and developing leading companies across the industry, including Mainz-based BioNTech. Learn more at Media Contact Trophic Communications Stephanie May, Ph.D. and Anja Heuer Phone: +49 (0) 171 185 56 82 Email: [email protected] Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists develop next-generation technology that could revolutionize electric car batteries: 'This is a clear sign'
Battery researchers in Switzerland intend to give lithium-ion packs a volt jolt that could improve electric vehicle performance as well as safely utilize a harmful gas generated during plastic production. It's thanks to a team from the Paul Scherrer Institute, or PSI, that's developing a cathode coating geared to increase battery cell voltage from 4.3 to 4.8 with great capacity retention. It's a technique the experts also expect to improve energy density, or the amount of electricity that can be stored per pound, all according to a lab summary. "If the voltage increases, the energy density also increases," PSI researcher Mario El Kazzi said in the report. Often, cell degradation happens at higher voltages, particularly where the cathode transitions to the electrolyte. When batteries cycle, ions move between the anode and cathode through the electrolyte, according to PSI and a description from the U.S. Energy Department. PSI reported that oxygen releases and transition metal disintegration inside the cells contribute to the problem, limiting most EV battery cells to 4.3 volts. Lithium-ion packs include expensive metals, with anodes typically made from graphite. Nickel, cobalt, manganese, and lithium are common cathode metals, per the researchers. By coating the cathode metal with a thin, protective layer, the researchers think they have solved some of the higher-voltage decay problems. The solution arrived after a detour to plastic manufacturing, often a dirty process that includes traditional dirty energy. More than 496 million tons of plastics are made each year, according to the Center for Biological Diversity and Our World in Data. PSI's solution uses a byproduct from certain plastics' production, called trifluoromethane. The team created a reaction between the gas and a thin lithium-carbonate cathode coating at 572 degrees Fahrenheit, creating lithium fluoride. Researchers described the results as "gratifying." The protective coating remained stable at high voltages while ions continued to cycle through the cell effectively. Ion resistance was 30% lower than uncoated cathodes. The treated cells also showed a greater than 94% capacity retention, all after a 100-cycle test. The results all bested standard performance, per the summary. If you were going to purchase an EV, which of these factors would be most important to you? Cost Battery range Power and speed The way it looks Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "This is a clear sign that our protective layer minimizes the increase in resistance caused by the interfacial reactions that would otherwise occur," El Kazzi said in the PSI report. By converting trifluoromethane into a benign battery component, the PSI researchers said they are removing a potent planet-warming fume that's "10,000 times more harmful to the climate than carbon dioxide." That's important, as our world's overheating is linked by NASA to an increased risk of severe weather events, including wildfires. Capturing and safely storing air pollution is a concept taking multiple forms. In England, researchers are working on a molecular jail for dirty pollutants. A U.S. government-backed project is in the works to vacuum harmful gases from the air and store them underground. As consumers, we can help by making some smart choices regarding everyday products. Buying less throwaway plastics can cut trash while providing you with a better experience. Supporting brands with plastic-free packaging is another way to contribute to the solution. If the PSI battery findings can be scaled, the results could be a boon for our energy system, as well as our air. "We can assume that our lithium fluoride protective coating is universal and can be used with most cathode materials," El Kazzi said in the summary. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
