[Nasdaq] These Are Some of the Best Ideas from the Bio-Europe Spring Conference
The Bio-Europe Spring Conference hosted by EBD Group in Switzerland is in the books, having featured presentations and exhibits from some of the most promising names in biotechnology. Investors interested in investing in the latest innovations in biotech or pharmaceuticals learned much at the conference.
Details on the Bio-Europe Spring Conference
In some ways, the three-day event was a who's who in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, especially those with a significant presence in Europe.
The Bio-Europe Spring Conference enabled companies in the space to connect with each other and with venture capitalists and other investors interested in the space. Featured speakers include executives and other leaders from well-known names in biotech and pharmaceuticals, including Novartis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer, and Roche.
The Bio-Europe Spring conference was held March 20-22 in Basel, Switzerland, but investors who missed out on attending in person will have another opportunity to learn more about the participating companies online.
For those who missed the in-person event, here are some of the most promising and interesting companies, several of which are listed on the Nasdaq. Of course, investing in small-cap companies presents more risk, but it also bears the potential for greater rewards.
BiondVax Pharmaceuticals
This Nasdaq-listed company is collaborating with the Max Plank Society and University Medical Center Gottingen, Germany on a pipeline for nanosized antibodies (nanoAbs), starting with COVID-19. BiondVax touts nanoAbs as offering significant advantages over monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and oral therapies.
According to the company, nanoAbs have longer shelf lives and are easier to store and distribute. Additionally, BiondVax states that they offer multiple, easier routes of administration and benefit from faster discovery, development, and production.
Further, the company claims that nanoAbs can be more effective than other treatments at lower doses, have an adaptable half-life, fewer contraindications, and may be safer. BiondVax also states that nanoAbs offer a more favorable path to market versus the risks associated with traditional drug development.
While the company's initial focus is on COVID-19, a market estimated to be worth over $8 billion, it plans to work on treatments for asthma, macular degeneration, psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis in the future. According to BiondVax, all four treatment areas are validated targets of existing monoclonal antibodies and offer large markets growing at attractive rates of compound annual growth.
The company touts its COVID-19 nanoAb candidate as having a strong competitive edge, claiming that it neutralizes the omicron variant, while other treatments do not. The treatment is delivered directly to the lungs via inhalation, and BiondVax reported that a preclinical study showed its candidate "virtually prevented" COVID-19 infection in hamsters infected hours later with the virus. The company also said its nanoAb candidate "eliminated viral load in the lungs."
[Complete article originally published at https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/these-are-some-of-the-best-ideas-from-the-bio-europe-spring-conference]