Day 1Monday, 3 November 2025

Location: Presentation Theatre 1

This interactive workshop is for delegates new to partnering. What can you expect from partnering, and what do others expect from you? Principles around timing, human nature, and partnering etiquette will be applied to the partneringONE process. This session will give you a clear understanding of tactics to generate the best ROI from partnering, at this and future events. There will be plenty of opportunities to ask our partneringONE expert any questions you may have. This session is limited to 40 people. Please reserve your seat by adding the session to your personal agenda. If you can’t attend a session, drop by the partnering help desk with any questions.

Location: Presentation Theatre 1

This interactive workshop is for delegates new to partnering. What can you expect from partnering, and what do others expect from you? Principles around timing, human nature, and partnering etiquette will be applied to the partneringONE process. This session will give you a clear understanding of tactics to generate the best ROI from partnering, at this and future events. There will be plenty of opportunities to ask our partneringONE expert any questions you may have. This session is limited to 40 people. Please reserve your seat by adding the session to your personal agenda. If you can’t attend a session, drop by the partnering help desk with any questions.

Location: Room 1

Join us for a dynamic and insightful discussion on the complexities of today’s biopharma investment landscape. Hear from leading investors, venture capitalists, and industry executives and explore the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping biotech and pharmaceutical funding in 2025. From the highs of venture capital to the realities of IPOs and M&A activity, the panelists will provide actionable insights on what it takes to secure funding in a competitive and evolving market. Understand the impact of global economic shifts on biopharma investments, what investors are looking for companies and innovative funding models and strategies to stand out amongst the crowd.

Location: Room 2

The publication of Abivax’ s groundbreaking results from its Phase 3 trails investigating obefazimod marks a significant milestone in the treatment of ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory disease affecting millions worldwide. It highlights the power of strategic execution and investor backup, demonstrating the innovative strength of today’s European biotech industry. Join this session as Abivax and its strategic investor, Sofinnova Partners, take to the stage and share insights into the clinical significance of the results, the challenges overcome during the trial, the lessons learned, and the importance of strategic partnerships which make such achievements possible.

Location: Room 2

The biotech industry has faced significant hurdles in recent years and gene therapy has been no exception. Yet, SpliceBio’s successful $135M series B financing marks a turning point for the field, reigniting confidence in the transformative potential of AAV gene therapies. Join this session, featuring a distinguished panel of investors who played a key role in the pivotal financing, as they share insights into the strategic vision behind the Series B round, the advancements that inspired renewed investor confidence in gene therapy, and the opportunities this funding unlocks for innovation and growth. The discussion will also address the challenges that remain in the field and the path forward for overcoming them.

Discover how SpliceBio is leveraging this investment to advance its gene therapy pipeline in ophthalmology and neurology and expand their proprietary Protein Splicing platform to enable new programs. This session offers a unique opportunity to gain insider perspectives on the evolving landscape of gene therapy and the innovations driving its resurgence.

Location: Room 1

In an era of rapid scientific breakthroughs, evolving regulatory landscapes, and shifting economic pressures, the biopharma industry’s dealmaking and M&A environment is pulsating with opportunity and complexity. This session unravels the forces shaping the future of biopharma partnerships. Dive into real-world case studies—spanning transformative M&As, innovative licensing agreements, and cross-border collaborations that highlight strategies for navigating valuation challenges, harnessing AI-driven innovation, and addressing unmet medical needs. The panelist, comprising of pharmaceutical executives, legal advisors, and investors, will debunk myths surrounding strategic collaborations, such as overreliance on traditional deal structures or underestimating cultural alignment in partnerships. From leveraging venture debt to bridge funding gaps to optimizing alliance management for long-term success, this session equips pharmaceutical executives, investors, and innovators with actionable insights to thrive in what is left of 2025 and beyond. Join us to explore how to orchestrate synergies, mitigate risks, and drive transformative healthcare solutions in a dynamic global ecosystem.

Location: Room 1

Vienna is known for its elegant waltzes—graceful, coordinated, yet filled with unspoken rules. Early-stage deals are much the same. This session, led by the Young VC community, explores the invisible dynamics that shape term sheet negotiations and deal outcomes—pride, power plays, and the subtle missteps that send partners spinning apart. Through candid reflections from emerging investors, industry KOL's we’ll examine what’s often left unsaid: the red flags founders raise, the blind spots investors carry, and the deals that didn’t make it to closing. This session will not just spotlight the anatomy of failure—but reframe it as a rite of passage, a learning dance for the next generation of builders and backers. Whether you're drafting your first term sheet or dusting off a post-mortem, come ready to move beyond the deal terms—and into the deeper human dynamics that define the startup-investor relationship.

Location: Exhibit Hall Stage

Join this session to watch an exclusive recording of the Flot.bio Show, in collaboration with EBD. Host Philip Hemme chats with Thomas Lingelbach, CEO at Valneva. They dive into the world of vaccine innovation, how Valneva remains competitive in the biotech landscape, the company’s recent achievements and strategy for addressing emerging infectious diseases. On a personal note, Thomas will delve into leadership and strategy, industry trends that excite him, including AI in vaccine development, reflect on his journey in biotechnology and look ahead to Valneva’s future initiatives and its commitment to advancing global health equity.

Location: Room 2

In this scene-setting session, ZS will present a data-driven snapshot of the current therapeutic area landscape, highlighting key trends in modality evolution and pipeline focus across biopharma. A dynamic panel of leaders from biotech, pharma, and venture capital will then explore how Europe is shaping the next movement in therapeutic innovation. From platforms to partnership strategies, discover how emerging modalities are accelerating breakthroughs and redefining the commercial roadmap. Join the conversation to navigate the currents of collaboration, clinical advancement, and commercialization across Europe’s biotech ecosystem.

Location: Room 2

Through their EMEA Advance Biotech Grant Program, Merck recognize standout emerging biotech companies and helps them navigate their path to commercialization. Delivered as a dynamic competition, five selected biotech companies will have the opportunity to pitch their breakthroughs to Merck's Grant representatives and the overall BIO-Europe audience.

Location: Exhibit Hall Stage

As biotech companies mature and look to expand into new markets, there are critical considerations to ensure they can keep future options open. This panel brings together seasoned executives who’ve successfully navigated international expansion and go-to-market strategy. You'll gain an inside look at how industry leaders balance speed and flexibility, convert regional risks into growth opportunities, and harness the right partnerships to unlock commercial value worldwide.

Panelists will share insights, actionable guidance, and hard-won lessons from the field - especially how they've adjusted commercialization blueprints in real-time to overcome regulatory shifts, manufacturing pitfalls and market volatility.

Key topics will include:

• Strategic Adaptability: How late-stage companies can preserve go-to-market optionality while managing regulatory and manufacturing disruptions

• Regional Considerations: The unique priorities and risks associated with expanding into different regions, such as from Europe to the US or Asia-Pacific

• Partnerships and Collaboration: Ways strategic partnerships can enhance commercialization efforts and mitigate risks

• Executional Excellence: Practical steps and decision-making processes to overcome unfavourable outcomes on the path to expansion

Location: Exhibit Hall Stage

This session explores the strategic value of early evidence generation in biotech development and commercialisation. Delaying the design and execution of an evidence strategy can lead to irreversible consequences for market access, pricing, and HTA outcomes. The discussion will focus on what data is needed, when and why it matters, and how emerging companies can build a fit-for-purpose evidence plan that supports both partnership and reimbursement goals. Drawing from real-world examples and market trends, this conversation will help attendees understand the commercial risks of poor planning and the competitive advantages of early, integrated data strategies. Key takeaways:

What constitutes “fit-for-purpose” evidence for different stages of development

How evidence generation ties directly into BD, pricing, and HTA success

Why delayed planning can erode product value and how to avoid it

Location: Exhibit Hall Stage

In 2025, looking at our current pipeline of opportunities, OPIS is seeing the clinical development landscape shift. Early-stage biotech companies are increasingly seeking harmonized strategies across both the US and EU and are now considering the EU as a viable option to start their drug development journey. This session will examine the factors driving this trend, including regulatory considerations, access to patients and trial efficiency. Mr. Robin Biggs will present insights into how OPIS leverages its operational expertise across EMEA to support single or dual-region trial execution, enabling sponsors to best choose the countries required for their clinical trials.