How Collaboration Can Sustain Healthcare Innovation in a Fragmenting World
In an era where the foundations of biotech innovation are being fundamentally reshaped - driven by China’s meteoric rise, rapidly evolving U.S. policy dynamics, and tightening capitalmarkets for emerging players - the stakes for dealmaking have never been higher. Add to this the looming patent cliffs for cornerstone therapies, and the message is clear: sustained growth demands strategic reinvention.
Collaboration is no longer an option; it is the lifeline for resilience and global competitiveness.
Unlock Resilience, Acquire Growth Join us in Montreux for the flagship event that equips you to navigate this fractured global landscape. Across three dynamic verticals - focused on the US, Europe, and Asia - we move beyond abstract challenges to deliver concrete solutions.
This conference is your opportunity to:
Acquire Cutting-Edge Expertise: Dive into advanced negotiation strategies, master innovative deal structures, and learn how to manage the complex governance of multinational alliances.
Bridge Strategic Divides: Gain crucial, actionable intelligence on how different regional dynamics (from FDA policy shifts to China domestic innovation models) impact your licensing and M&A pipeline.
Invest in Your Network: Connect with 200+ senior BD leaders, M&A executives, and Venture Capital experts. The Swiss HLG provides the unique environment needed to forge the trusted relationships that underpin billion-dollar deals.
Don’t just adapt to the new world order - thrive in it. Register now to discover why partnership is the definitive strategy for sustaining healthcare innovation.
Join us for 2,5 days of thought-provoking discussions, valuable insights, and exceptional networking opportunities with industry leaders and peers. The conference will provide a unique platform to exchange ideas, foster collaborations, and shape the future of healthcare and life sciences together.
The new Age of CNS – latest trends and deals in Brain Health
Anna Exenberger, PhD
Anna is an Associate Principal in the Integrated Digital Health CoE embedded in IQVIA’s Commercial Strategy Consulting team, with a strong scientific background and proven track record of driving innovation in healthcare and life sciences. Anna focuses on opportunity identification and evaluation of innovative tools and technologies, with a particular interest in CNS. Prior to joining IQVIA, Anna completed a PhD in speech neuroscience, examining speech processing in the brain and changes associated with hearing impairment.
Nathanaëlle Cellier-Fontanges
Nathanaëlle Cellier-Fontanges has 18 years of life sciences consulting and industry experience, spearheads next-generation patient engagement offerings while contributing to neuroscience-driven initiatives. Brings expertise in translating advances in neurobiology and cognitive science into strategic solutions for pharmaceutical and biotech organizations.
Neuroscience Experience: Advises on strategies for neurological and neuropsychiatric portfolios, leveraging insights from brain health research, biomarkers, and emerging digital neurotechnologies to inform clinical development and market access.
Brain Mind Institute
Brian McCabe
Brian McCabe is the current Director of the EPFL Brain Mind Institute and the Principal Investigator of the Laboratory of Neural Genetics and Disease at EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland. Prior to joining EPFL, he received a PhD from the University of Cambridge, England, completed postdoctoral research at the University of California Berkeley, USA, and was a faculty member at Columbia University Medical School, USA. His laboratory investigates motor system function, aging, and neurodegenerative disorders. Brian is also co-founder of biotech companies Avrion Therapeutics and Juvion Health Sciences.
Paving the way towards new treatment paradigms in Alzheimer's and beyond - Breakthroughs in Diagnosis and Brain Delivery
Elisabeth Aloy
Elisabeth Aloy, PhD, is the Head of Strategy at Roche Diagnostics. She has a dual background as a neuroscientist and a business leader in strategy, accelerating portfolio development and maximizing commercial value. She also has nearly two decades of strategy consulting experience, serving as a strategy consulting partner at Monitor Deloitte and leading the CNS and Rare Disease EMEA consulting practice at IQVIA.
Roberto Villasenor
Roberto Villaseñor is a Principal Scientist in pRED, where he leads the Brain Delivery group within the Neuroscience discovery and translational area. Roberto obtained his PhD from the Max Planck Institute for Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden, with a background in Cell Biology. In 2014, he joined Roche to work on the Brainshuttle™ platform where he pioneered the study of the cellular mechanisms for transport across the blood-brain barrier. He has since taken on roles of increasing responsibility in the areas of blood-brain barrier biology, ADME of biologics, human in vitro model systems, and Neuroscience drug discovery. Currently, he leads the cross-functional preclinical Brainshuttle platform in Neuroscience and champions the development of novel therapeutic agents to treat Alzheimer's disease.
Panel on Neuroscience Partnering
Beppe Cangelosi
Beppe Cangelosi is Head of New Products & Portfolio Strategy in Neuroscience at Takeda, where Beppe leads global strategy and portfolio development, including assessing business development and partnering opportunities across several disease area strategies. With a unique blend of experience spanning Takeda, Shire, and Amgen in senior commercial and strategic roles, and a foundation in management consulting at McKinsey, Beppe brings a broad, cross-functional perspective to partnering and innovation in neuroscience.
Celine Bouquet
Celine Bouquet is the BD Head of Neuroscience, Ophthalmology and Rare Diseases, Basel at Roche. Celine oversees the partnering transactions in these therapeutic areas and works closely with Roche’s internal research and development organization to identify opportunities that shape the Roche portfolio. She brings knowledge and experience from having led deals herself in various therapeutic areas while in Roche Pharma Partnering as well as her prior role, where she was overseeing portfolio prioritization, strategy setting and external alliances in the R&D organization from early discovery to Ph2. Celine joined Roche in 2012 and was heading the “Institut Roche”, dedicated to developing collaborative projects with academic partners to accelerate the transfer of basic research discoveries into innovative therapies in France. Prior to joining Roche, Celine gained experience and network across biotech, academia and tech transfer.An Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon fellow, Celine holds a PhD in neuroscience from University Paris 6 and did her postdoctoral training in neuro-ophthalmology at UCSF.
Delphine Charvin
Delphine Charvin is CEO and co-founder of Elkedonia. A neuroscientist by training, she has held several CSO positions in start-ups, scale-ups, and pharma companies. She co-founded Prexton Therapeutics, later acquired by Lundbeck in a landmark $1 billion deal. Before founding Elkedonia, she was Operating Partner at Argobio, a start-up studio, where she identified the innovative project that became Argobio’s first spin-out. Under her leadership, Elkedonia successfully raised €11+ million in May this year.
Richard Porter
Richard Porter is the Chief Business and Scientific Officer of uniQure, a Nasdaq listed AAV gene therapy company . He oversees research as well as non-clinical and vector development, and is responsible for business development and product planning. Dr. Porter joined uniQure as General Manager of the Corlieve subsidiary following the acquisition of Corlieve Therapeutics in July 2021. He was the founder and CEO of Corlieve developing a miRNA based therapy for refractory temporal lobe epilepsy.
He brings more than 25 years of R&D experience to uniQure, having previously served as the COO of Therachon until its acquisition by Pfizer. Previously he was at Roche in positions of increasing responsibility, most recently as the Global Head of Scientific Business Strategy and Operations for Neuroscience Ophthalmology and Rare Diseases directing the strategic and operational activities of the department. He has also served as a Product General Manager of the Emerging Business Unit at Shire Pharmaceuticals and has held scientific leadership positions at Vernalis and ASTRA.
Richard earned his Ph.D. in neuropharmacology from Southampton University (UK) and conducted his postdoctoral training at the Strong Memorial Hospital, University of Rochester, NY (USA) and the University of Oxford (UK).
Yves Wyckmans
Yves Wyckmans is the Head of International Business Development and External Innovation at Biogen, based in Baar, Switzerland. Biogen is a global pharmaceutical company active in a variety of neuro and immuno (rare) disease areas.Yves is responsible for all global, ex-US international business deals and Biogen’s connections into the European VC network, together with the newly created venture team at Biogen in US.He joined Biogen this year after a long career with Johnson & Johnson (Tibotec, Janssen, Actelion) in which he lived and worked for extended periods in US and multiple countries across Europe. Before becoming active in BD, he worked in pharmaceutical development where he led 2 global development programs in infectious diseases through the clinical development stages & submissions into successfully obtaining marketing approvals worldwide. The last 10+ years he has been active in business development, in various therapeutic areas and he completed a wide array of BD transactions since.
Registration Open - Swiss HLG Basel Networking Event!
Join us for our Swiss HLG Basel Networking event hosted by Roche! Discover the latest science in Brain Health and explore how the CNS partnering landscape is evolving. Few areas have seen as much innovation in recent years as Brain Health — don’t miss this opportunity to stay ahead.
This year’s Digital Health Day brings an unmissable mix of insights, innovation, and networking. 300 participants will gather to explore the future of healthcare - and you should be there!
Date and time: Wednesday, October 29th, 09:15-17:00 Location: blue Cinema Abaton | Heinrichstrasse 269, 8005 Zürich Highlights:
NVIDIA on AI in healthcare
Dagsmejan on science-backed sleepwear
A top talent from AVA Women on startup scaling
Direct investor access and exclusive meetups
Moderation by comedian & doctor Fabian Unteregger
60-second live startup pitches on stage
Tickets: CHF 89,-- for startups and CHF 399,-- for regular tickets
Before the event kicks off, 30 DHD ticket holders can enjoy a free morning session at KEEN Wellbeing, Zurich’s premier destination for recovery and wellbeing, featuring ? Breathwork, Ice bath, and Sauna (October 29, 7:30–8:15 AM). Email katharina@swisshealthcarestartups.com to claim your spot!
And one more cool thing: build your own “Meet me at Digital Health Day” badge with your photo – a great way to show you’re part of it and to connect with others before the event.
Swiss HLG is excited to announce our inaugural Zug networking event "Navigating Pharma Growth and Capital in Zug” on October 23rd!
In collaboration with BU Bregal Unternehmerkapital and Helvion Pharma AG, we’re bringing together professionals from across the life sciences and investment sectors for an evening of connection and insight.
Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with peers and leaders in the life sciences and investment community.
Free for Swiss HLG members
Successful Romandie Networking Event
ADCs in the Spotlight at Swiss HLG’s Romandie Networking Event On the 25th September, we had the pleasure of hosting our annual Romandie networking event in partnership with Debiopharm, who welcomed us to their Lausanne headquarters.
The evening focused on the exciting world of antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) — a modality that’s rapidly transforming targeted therapies. Our speakers delivered powerful insights: Bjoern M Hock presented Tubulis’ cutting-edge ADC technologies and portfolio. Sophie Brachet & Ilona Kotala showcased Debiopharm’s innovative linker technologies and strategic pipeline development. Filippo Mulinacci shared the inspiring journey of Araris, from academic roots to a >$1B preclinical-stage exit. Peters Solange offered a deep dive into the lung cancer treatment landscape and the promise of ADCs in oncology.
The evening concluded with a relaxed happy hour, sparking great conversations and new connections.
Key takeaway: With advances in antibody engineering, multi-specific design, payload innovation, and linker technologies, ADCs are not just a trend — they’re here to stay.
Thank you to all who joined us and made the event a success!
Swiss HLG invites you to join us for our popular annual afterwork networking event in Suisse Romande, hosted in collaboration with Debiopharm, at their headquarters in Lausanne on Thursday, September 25th, start at 5.00 pm.
There will be talks on the topic Precision Meets Opportunity: Advancing ADC Innovation Through Strategic Partnerships. The event will spotlight Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs), the role they play in reshaping anticancer treatments and how strategic partnerships and business development can unlock value for cancer patients, with speakers: Bjoern M Hock, Chief Development Officer at Tubulis Sophie Brachet, MBA, Head of Early Commercial and Access at Debiopharm Ilona Kotala, Business Development of Technologies Manager at Debiopharm Filippo Mulinacci, Chief Business Officer at Araris Biotech, a subsidiary of Taiho Pharmaceutical Peters Solange, Chair of Medical Oncology at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne and Full Professor at Lausanne University
Following the talks, enjoy a relaxed networking apéro with fellow professionals.
Agenda:
17:00 – Doors open 17:30 – Program begins 19:30 – Networking apéro
Switzerland’s leading healthcare innovation event is back! Digital Health Day 2025 brings together the brightest minds in healthtech—startups, entrepreneurs, corporates, and investors—to shape the future of healthcare. Our vibrant ecosystem of 700+ startups and over 55 corporate and network partners will meet once more to showcase groundbreaking ideas, share exclusive behind-the-scenes insights, and foster game-changing collaborations.
With over 300 participants from across the healthcare sector, this is your chance to gain a holistic view of the latest developments and connect with key players driving innovation.
Join us for a day of inspiration, learning, and high-impact networking. The future of healthcare starts here!
Highlights 2025 include:
Speakers from NVIDIA, Dagsmejan and a #1 employee from AVA Women
Direct access to investor meetups
Expert moderation by comedian & doctor Fabian Unteregger
For startups: Only 3 Pitch + Startup Corner combo slots remain - a rare opportunity to showcase on stage and connect directly with investors. Read more
Early Bird tickets: 20% off with code JOINDHD2025 – valid until August 31st
Basel, June 6th, 2025. The Swiss Healthcare Licensing Group (Swiss HLG), a non-profit association of Business Development and Licensing professionals, hosted its annual flagship conference in the stunning locale of Montreux.
Over two and a half days, 110 delegates from all over the world gathered in a beautiful lakeside setting to explore and discuss the theme "Shaping your future...Act now!"
The conference began with a keynote speech by David Veitch, CEO of Basilea, who highlighted the critical role of dealmaking in any portfolio strategy. He addressed potential barriers to successful partnerships and shared strategies for fostering mutually beneficial relationships. Dealmaking has been instrumental to Basilea's success and remains central to its operations.
The second keynote was delivered by Konstantina (Tina) Katcheves, SVP Global Business Development for Innovative Medicines at Teva Pharmaceuticals. She detailed how Teva has pivoted its business development focus to emerging therapeutic areas, positioning the organization for future growth. Drawing on her extensive experience, Tina emphasized the importance of authentic relationships, transparent communication, and mutual value creation in successful pharmaceutical partnerships.
Over the next two days, leading healthcare industry experts presented on three main themes, offering valuable insights for the future.
The first session examined the external drivers of portfolio strategy, featuring four inspiring presentations. From Monday keynote speaker Jeff Berkowitz, CEO at Real Endpoints, attendees learned about the critical role of payers, their significant influence on access and product pricing, and the uncertainties created by a dynamic policy environment. Key strategies for biopharma companies to succeed were also discussed. Melanie Senior highlighted how change presents opportunities for innovation, requiring new assumptions about the meaning of "innovation" today. Companies and leaders must stay focused on delivering added value for patients and payers. Subsequent sessions addressed navigating EU pharmaceutical legislative changes, recent developments and emerging challenges, and the importance of joint clinical assessments in BD thinking with the new pan-EU HTA process.
The focus then shifted to managing a sustainable portfolio through dealmaking. Speakers shared various perspectives on innovative dealmaking, including managing a portfolio of minority stakes, building a product portfolio, exploring creative deal structures, and strategic divestments/acquisitions to optimize portfolio growth.
In the final session, delegates learned how to adapt their portfolio strategy. Genmab shared their journey from a Danish start-up to a commercial biotech. Molecular Partners discussed their pioneering work with DARPin therapeutics, which has helped them navigate uncertainty and leverage opportunities. Siegfried showcased how a CDMO must adapt and anticipate the changing environment to achieve success.
The conference concluded with two insightful keynote speeches. Murray Aitken from IQVIA discussed the evolving US landscape for life sciences and its implications for dealmaking. Isabel Afonso, CEO of Arcera Life Sciences, shared the journey of Arcera and how business development has been instrumental in building strategic and resilient portfolios.
In addition to the informative presentations, participants had ample opportunities to network in the beautiful location.
The Swiss HLG Board extends its gratitude to all presenters and participants for the lively discussions and interactions.
We also thank our supporters for their crucial and valued support
