Dr. Carl Kilander, Partner, Healthcapabout NLSDays’ Vaccine Crosslinks: From Cancer to COVID super session

Text: Chelsea Ranger, Senior advisor, SwedenBIO

Can you speak to the biggest challenges and opportunities in this space, and how vaccine development aligns with HealthCap’s strategy?
Translating vaccine development beyond infectious diseases is a tremendous challenge, yet an exciting and ongoing endeavor for many labs, biotechs, and pharmaceutical companies. I believe that a deeper understanding of the immune response to specific antigens—and how to harness that biology—will be the foundation for major breakthroughs in using vaccines to treat a broad range of diseases.
For HealthCap specifically, we focus on precision medicine, and vaccines fit well within that perspective. A key factor is identifying the right antigen or combination of antigens that will provide therapeutic efficacy. This is especially crucial in oncology, where a single antigen may not be sufficient, unlike in infectious disease. Having a solid biological thesis is therefore essential when evaluating potential investments in this field.

The term “intelligent capital” is often used in this industry. How do you think the financial community can best leverage its experience and resources to ensure better pandemic preparedness, as well as continued growth in immunology, infectious disease, and oncology?
To me, “intelligent capital” means more than just financial resources—it’s about having the network, expertise, and ability to integrate ideas, science, and talent across different disciplines. This requires bandwidth and effort, but I believe a collaborative mindset is crucial for advancing medical innovation.
Additionally, investors bring invaluable experience in company creation, scaling, and strategic positioning, which is key to building sustainable companies that can deliver on their scientific promises. With so many emerging technologies in the life sciences, intelligent capital plays a critical role in ensuring that innovation translates into real, impactful solutions.

Who do you hope to meet at Nordic Life Science Days this year?
I’m looking forward to engaging with the broader life science community—scientists, entrepreneurs, investors, and pharmaceutical representatives—to discuss potential collaborations. I especially encourage early-stage companies to connect and to be prepared to answer the key question: “How is your technology novel and differentiated?” I hope to discover the next great company to invest in.