[Text: Arthur D Little] The 2023 Merck Advance Biotech Grant Program – Nordics and the NLSDays Nordic Star 2023 Award went to Loma Therapeutics and NEUmiRNA Therapeutics, respectively. Led by Dr. Ditte Boilesen and Dr. Stephanie Holstein-Rønsbo, Loma Therapeutics is Danish biotech developing a novel immunotherapy against HPV. NEUmiRNA Therapeutics is developing RNA therapeutics for disease modification of neurological disorders with Dr. Janine Erler as the CEO.
Winner of the 2023 Merck Advance Biotech Grant Program – Nordics: Loma Therapeutics
How did you feel when you found out you had won the award?
We were very proud and happy to be chosen for the grant. It means a lot to us that the jury see the potential in our HPV treatment, and we definitely had not expected to be selected for the award in this field of incredible projects and pitches. So, gratitude and surprise sums up our feelings of that moment quite well.
What do you think were the distinguishing factor of Loma Therapeutics that won you the award?
There were a lot of really interesting companies and very good pitches, so it is of course hard to say exactly what made us stand out in the eyes of the jury, but we were very pleased that they mentioned a strong product market fit because this is something we have been working on a lot lately. Perhaps what also sets us apart is that we were presenting as a team on stage.
Winner of the NLSDays Nordic Star 2023 Award: NEUmiRNA Therapeutics
How did you feel when you found out you had won the award?
I felt deeply honoured to be selected as the Star of 2023, and very proud of what we have achieved so far! I felt grateful for the recognition of our outstanding science, team, and investment potential.
What do you think were the distinguishing factor of NEUmiRNA Therapeutics that won you the award?
Our outstanding data and team, the unmet medical need and our blockbuster drug potential. We have obtained unprecedented disease-modifying and disease-reversing data in an NIH-validated model of drug-resistant epilepsy. Our scientific co-founders are Henrik Klitgaard (developed first blockbuster drug for epilepsy) and Sakari Kauppinen (developed first miRNA targeted drug) – you cannot get stronger than that!