Nordic Life Science 1
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BOR ATIONS CONGRATUL AT IONS 5 X AWARDS 1 2 4 ABBVIE SCANDINAVIAN GOLDEN TICKET This program supports early-stage companies in advancing and commercializing drug candidates within AbbVie's core areas. The winner was Serendo Therapeutics, which develops therapies targeting underlying disease mechanisms, with a focus on more precise treatments for autoimmune diseases such as RA. MEDTECH4HEALTH INNOVATION AWARD This award recognizes companies that have developed and implemented solutions leading to better patient outcomes and more efficient healthcare. The winner was Suturion, awarded for its surgical innovation SutureTOOL. Nil Medical was also awarded the Patient’s Prize for its invention Nil Medical Vestpack. FUNDING SEK 1.6 billion allocated to life sciences focused on clinical research The Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation is allocating additional funds to patient-oriented, clinical research. 3 CANCER RESEARCHER OF THE YEAR Elicera Therapeutics’ CSO Magnus Essand has been named Cancer Researcher of the Year 2026 by the Swedish Cancer Society. The award is given in recognition of his groundbreaking and world-unique research in immunotherapy, where he is developing the next generation of cancer treatments. AMONG OTHER THINGS, the initiative will strengthen research at the four Wallenberg Centres for Molecular Medicine located in Gothenburg, Lund, Linköping, and Umeå, as well as at Karolinska Institutet and Uppsala University. This initiative includes support for around 80 Clinical Fellows – physicians who will have the opportunity to work clinically and conduct research. “There have been signs that fewer physicians are conducting research, which is why we are very pleased that, together with the universities and regions, we can now enable more people to engage in research,” says Peter Wallenberg Jr, Chair, the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. Nearly half of the total investHEALTHTECH AWARD This award was given during Vitalis 2026 for a health technology solution that has proven to provide real benefits in healthcare. This year’s winner was Mirno, an Icelandic company that develops AI-powered virtual patients for medical education. 5 ment is targeted at collaborative projects between early-career clinicians and preclinical researchers, as well as so-called NEST (Novelty, Excellence, Synergy, and Team) projects between researchers in clinical medicine and researchers in AI and molecular technologies. NLS BIOTECH STARS AWARDS The awards by Finnish Bioindustries recognized outstanding achievement in four categories. Winner of Life Science Founder/CEO was Heidi Haikala/Solid IO and the winner of The Life Science Researcher Award was Professor Seppo Ylä-Herttuala. NLS NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG | 9 PHOTO MARTIN STENMARK PHOTO NATALIE GREPPI PHOTO ABBVIE