Flot.bio x Philip Hemme

Christian Angermayer became a multimillionaire before turning 25 thanks to the merger of Alnylam with Ribopharma. We talk about his diverse investment appetite and the rise of consumer biotech and human enhancement. We talk about GLP-1s, the progress of AtaiBeckley, and why he thinks ‘going home and sleeping’ beats an all-nighter every time. ---Discover the best biotech companies in 🇪🇺 with the Fl...

After ImCheck’s inception in 2015, Pierre took the helm through clinical development and guided the startup to a $1.2B buyout by Ipsen last year. In a session at the Kadans Oncology Summit, he talks about how the exit materialised and about the oncology space, including highlights from ASCO 2026, ADCs, in vivo CAR-T and checkpoint inhibitors. He also reveals some of the most shocking lessons he le...

Founded in 2010, the Institut Pasteur spinout PathoQuest sold to top CRO Charles River for $70M this year, a product of years of collaboration and stepwise investments. Jean‑François tells us how the exit unfolded, as well as the importance of biosafety and CMC as pharma and biotech outsource heavily and cell and gene therapies mature. We also cover how animal testing is disappearing from CMC and...

When Hervé joined Incyte in 2014, the launch of lead product Jakafi in the US was a little choppy. By the time he left in 2025, he had grown their revenue from $300 million to a whopping $5 billion. We also talk about the bureaucracy of Big Pharma, rare diseases, and why a biotech M&A supercycle isn’t as likely as you might think. ---Discover the best biotech companies in 🇪🇺 with the FlotBio M...

We admire the mountains of Austria with the co-founder of Curie. Bio, a founder-friendly fund that now manages $1.25B and backs 38 portfolio companies. We discuss Curie. Bio’s track record, with its most advanced portfolio candidate Forward Therapeutics in Phase I.We also talk about major bottom-up successes including argenx, Ascendis and Genmab, and how life sciences investing differs from tech i...

Forbion celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, with a whopping €5 billion raised so far. Sander marks the occasion by discussing how Forbion plans to promote life sciences investments in Europe via the Life Sciences VC Coalition. We chat about building European biotech champions like Argenx, the thriving Chinese biotech space, and why life should be fun, not only dealflow. --- This episode is...

Antibiotic-resistant superbugs could become a greater threat than cancer. Bruno and Pedro at the startup Immunethep explain how they’re tackling the crisis with vaccines. We discuss how Immunethep could challenge Pfizer’s $7bn+ Prevnar, and how one pharma company got on board after a representative said he doesn’t believe in vaccines! --- For transparency, this episode has been sponsored by Immune...

We dive into Bial’s meteoric journey from a small pharmacy in Porto to Portugal’s biggest biopharma company, all while still being 100% family owned. We cover Bial’s pipeline, including treatments for epilepsy and Parkinson’s, and why Bial’s multigenerational leadership story is nowhere as dramatic as HBO’s “Succession.” ---Avance is where European biotech turns for trusted financial advice. Learn...

Novonesis arose from a 2023 merger of Novozymes and Chr Hansen, and is a highly profitable powerhouse. CSO Claus talks about the applications of Novonesis’ technology, its low profile among consumers, and how hard it is for biosolutions startups to scale up. ⭐️ ABOUT THE SPEAKER Claus first joined Novozymes in 1993 and led its R&D both in Denmark and the US, with six years as CSO. He has a Ma...

At the beginning of 2025, Sten R. Sörensen announced Cereno Scientific’s positive Phase 2a results in PAH for lead asset CS1. He’s now moving forward with a global Phase 2b trial starting in Q2 2026. The company also progresses its second HDACi asset, CS014, toward Phase 2. Cereno's developing pioneering treatments with disease-modification potential for rare cardiovascular and pulmonary disea...

Founded in 1991, Camurus has grown into a $4B biotech with two products in the market, a rich pipeline, and 290 employees. Fredrik explains how Camurus’ long-acting injections — part of its FluidCrystal technology — breathe new life into generic drugs, making it easier for patients to stick to their treatment regimen. This has applications in many diseases, including hormonal disorders and obesity...

Founded in 1979, Transgene has transformed itself into a leading personalized cancer vaccine player. Alessandro talks about the transformation, his history in cell therapy and how Europe’s biotech space can rival those of the US and China. --- Learn more about Transgene: https://bit.ly/tg_flotbio --- ⭐️ ABOUT THE SPEAKER Alessandro became Transgene’s CEO in 2023 after joining in 2022 as Chairman...

Pascal Touchon unpacks why the next CAR-T innovations, including allogeneic and in vivo therapies, are going to be so exciting. The cell therapy master outlines his central role in bringing two first‑in‑class cell therapies to patients: Kymriah, the first approved CAR‑T, and Ebvallo, the first approved allogeneic T‑cell therapy. We also explore his new position as an operating partner at Jeito and...

Why have early AI drug-discovery companies often overpromised but underdelivered? Biology is still complex and hard to solve, Werner told Philip in Vienna. We revisit Werner in Vienna after he left Evotec and went on a sabbatical in 2024. We talk about his new missions as FairJourney CEO and founder of WLAN Holdings, and discuss the global CDMO scene and Europe’s competitivity in biotech. And whil...

Valneva now has three commercialized vaccines, and a Lyme disease candidate in Phase 3. Philip quizzes CEO Thomas Lingelbach about everything. They also discuss the current political turbulence with vaccines, especially in the US, and how it is impacting the industry. ⭐️ ABOUT THE SPEAKER A veteran in the development of more than ten vaccines, Thomas has spent over 30 years in the vaccine space a...

When Abivax released stunning phase 3 results for ulcerative colitis, its 600% stock price surge froze Euronext for 45 minutes. Philip meets Abivax CEO Marc de Garidel in Vienna, Austria, to go behind the scenes of a remarkable biotech turnaround. Marc discusses the processes involved in executing the phase 3 trial that beat even Abivax’s own phase 2 data. He also talks about France’s biotech ecos...

As Philip travels to France, Nanobiotix CEO Laurent Lévy discusses how the company broke into Europe’s exclusive $1 billion biotech club, alongside the likes of Abivax and Medincell. They also chat about what it means to partner with giants like Johnson & Johnson, and how Laurent’s leadership style has evolved over his long tenure. ⭐️ ABOUT THE SPEAKERLaurent Lévy co-founded Nanobiotics in 20...

As Philip tours Amsterdam, he visits the biotech tools startup LUMICKS. Founded in 2014, the firm offers products analyzing the binding interactions between molecules and cells, with applications in drug development, CAR-T therapies, and manufacturing. Philip sits down with co-founder Gerrit Sitters to discuss the company’s trajectory, the cyclic biotech investment market, and lessons from spinnin...

We travel to the offices of Pharming Group in Leiden, the Netherlands, to chat with the newcomer CEO Fabrice Chouraqui. Fabrice discusses the fascinating history of Pharming, with its first commercial drug RUCONEST produced in the milk of transgenic rabbits. He also talks about the growth of Pharming from a protein therapy-focused biotech into a European multi-asset heavyweight, with a market cap...

Hot on the heels of CUTISS’ $60M Series C round, we catch up once more with CEO and co-founder Daniela Marino. We chat about the company’s mission to develop an engineered tissue therapy to reduce the need for skin grafts in patients with severe burns. She also explains the decentralization of tissue manufacturing with automation and the need for perseverance as a founder and CEO. ---This episode...

Philip meets up with Dragan Grabulovski, CEO of the startup Araris, at Lake Zurich to chat about the company’s work with antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).They talk about Araris’ huge $400M upfront buyout by Taiho Pharma of Japan, Dragan’s extensive history as a biotech entrepreneur, and Araris’ vision to replace chemotherapy with ADCs.⭐️ ABOUT THE SPEAKERDragan Grabulovski is a co-founder of the s...

On a trip to Basel, Switzerland, Philip catches up with Stefano Portolano, CEO of the European firm Azafaros. They chat about Azafaros’ massive $147M Series B round in May 2025, which is being used to develop a small molecule treatment for rare diseases known as lysosomal storage disorders. Stefano also explains how rare diseases went in and out of fashion with big pharma, the revival of small mol...

We chat about longevity with Alex Zhavoronkov, CEO and founder of the artificial intelligence (AI) specialist Insilico Medicine. Born in Latvia, Alex founded Insilico in 2014, with the company raising a huge $110M Series E round this year. Alex gives us a tour of Insilico’s sprawling pipeline, a blunt rundown of the competitive landscape in AI drug development, and explains how Insilico is navigat...

We jet off to Central London to meet Robin Carr, CEO of Myricx Bio, a startup developing antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) to treat cancer. The team’s idea – using a novel ADC payload inhibiting molecules called N-myristoyltransferases (NMTs) – helped them to bag an impressive £90M ($114M) Series A round in 2024. Robin outlines Myricx’s journey from small molecule antivirals to the booming market of...

We dive into the world of cutting-edge cancer treatments with Aino Kalervo, Chief Operating Officer of TILT Biotherapeutics and occasional tennis legend in her spare time. TILT recently closed a $25M series B round, backed by leading Finnish investors, to finance the clinical development of its oncolytic virus candidate to supercharge cancer immunotherapies. We also explore the challenging space o...