Nordic Life Science 1
TOP STORIES BUSINESS Erik Gatenholm, CEO, BICO Sa
rah Fredriksson, CEO, Aqilion is a selective JAK1 inBICO, formerly known as CELLINK, has quickly grown from being one company focused on bioinks and bioprinters, to a global cohesive group of thirteen companies with an extensive range of bio convergence products and solutions enabling Health 4.0. BICO focuses on four core industrial eco systems; tissue engineering, diagnostics, multiomics and cell line development. “BICO has contributed to the good repute of the Swedish life science industry internationally and shown what can be achieved with a bold approach to market expansion. By presenting them with the SwedenBIO Award, we hope that BICO can inspire Swedish companies as they strive to take market shares in their respective areas,” says Mårten Steen, Managing Partner, HealthCap. In a previous interview with NLS, Erik Gatenholm, co-founder and CEO of BICO, said that one of the challenges for new companies in Sweden and other Nordic countries is they are not as comfortable marketing products as businesses elsewhere, particularly the U.S. He also advised other entrepreneurs to publicize their names and ideas as much as possible, as soon as possible. “It’s important to stand out. Use advertising and marketing to stand out and always think about sales opportunities,” he said. “By the time your product is approved, you will have laid the groundwork for a successful business.” hibitor previously developed as LEO 142397, now AQ280. Aqilion will initially investigate AQ280 as a potential therapy for eosinophilic esophagitis and plans to begin clinical development in 2022. The company will make an upfront payment that is a combination of cash and equity and LEO Pharma will become a shareholder of Aqilion. Furthermore, Aqilion will make additional payments from either product sales or out-licensing revenues. The company has also decided to expand the Alnitak program by investing resources in a project focused specifically on compounds with the potential to treat inflammatory conditions of the central nervous system. Aqilion will simultaneously close the Alhena oncology project and focus exclusively on drug targets with great potential in inflammatory diseases. 12 NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG