Beyond Biotech podcast 8: Biotech Growth Trust, Deep Science Ventures, Endogena Therapeutics, eureKARE

This week’s podcast guests are Laura Fletcher, head of business development and strategic partnerships at Deep Science Ventures; Matthias Steger, CEO of Endogena Therapeutics; Rodolphe Besserve, CEO, and Georges Rawadi, chief of biotech studio development, at eureKARE; and Biotech Growth Trust portfolio manager, Geoff Hsu.

News: 02:30
Endogena Therapeutics 5:10
eureKARE 21:00
Deep Science Ventures 33:46
Biotech Growth Trust 47:44

Endogena Therapeutics Inc. has announced the first patient has been treated in a phase 1/2a clinical study of its lead product, EA-2353, a photoreceptor regeneration treatment for retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

RP is a group of inherited diseases causing slow and progressive retinal degeneration and loss of vision, for which there is currently no treatment for most patients. It is a leading cause of inherited blindness, with an estimated 1.5 million people worldwide presently affected.

eureKARE, an investment company focused on financing and building next generation biotech companies in the fields of synthetic biology, has launched its first synthetic biology studio in Belgium. 

eureKARE is developing a pan-European biotech studio network covering several areas where synthetic biology can create solutions and high market value products.

The synthetic biology studios will focus on biomedical and other thematic applications in different European innovation hotspots. The strategy is based on identifying, selecting, and nurturing high-quality European science. 

The venture builder Deep Science Ventures (DSV) has expanded an existing alliance with Cancer Research UK’s innovation-focused arm Cancer Research Horizons, with the mission to establish new oncology startups in the U.K.

Just months after Cancer Research UK (CRUK) established its industry-orientated division Cancer Research Horizons, the research charity has doubled down on a collaboration with DSV, a U.K. venture builder operating in a range of sectors including biotech, agriculture and computation. 

According to the latest agreement, the partners will co-found startups working in up to 10 areas of oncology, such as improving the number of patients that can benefit from immuno-oncology treatments.

The Biotech Growth Trust PLC, based in the UK, seeks capital appreciation through investment in the worldwide biotech industry. It invests in a diversified portfolio of shares and related securities in companies on a worldwide basis.

Its portfolio is operated by U.S.-headquartered OrbiMed Capital LLC. 

Following the strong results of the previous year, the company’s NAV (net asset value) per share total return dropped by 33.8%, compared to a 55.1% increase in 2021, and the share price total return was down 37.0%. 

However, ​​overall, since OrbiMed’s appointment in 2005, and to the year end, The Biotech Growth Trust’s NAV has increased by 861.6% or 14.3% per annum.

In its annual report, the portfolio manager stated the company remains confident that there are a number of potential catalysts that could lead to a recovery in the biotechnology sector this year and into the future, and their overall investment strategy remains unchanged.

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