PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS – MICROBIOME DRUG DISCOVERY and THE MICROBIOME INVESTMENT LANDSCAPE

11 September 2023
2.00-5.00pm

Venue: Swiss Grand Hotel Seoul

WORKSHOP – Part 1: MICROBIOME DRUG DISCOVERY: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE*

This session addresses the following points:

• Lessons learnt from the last 10 years in microbiome biotech
• The impact of recent FDA approvals on biotech and investing in the microbiome
• Current thinking on drug modality – FMT, LBP, metabolite, drugs that target the microbiome, etc
• Current “mood” of pharma to the microbiome space
• Microbiome technologies and advances on the near horizon
• Challenges ahead for the next few years
• Prospects of therapeutics vs direct-to-consumer products

Hosted by:

Prof. Mazmanian’s laboratory at Caltech studies the human gut microbiome with a focus on developing novel therapies for immunologic and neurologic disorders, including Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Parkinson’s disease. He has been a principal investigator on 13 NIH grants, and numerous foundation and industry-sponsored projects. His research accomplishments have been recognized through many awards, including a Searle Scholarship, Damon Runyon Innovation Award, Catalyst Award (UCLA), Discover Magazine’s “Best Brains in Science under 40”, a MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Award, and the DuPont-Danisco Microbiome Science Award.

WORKSHOP – Part 2: NAVIGATING THE MICROBIOME INVESTMENT LANDSCAPE*

Key points:

• Insights into the current state of venture capital investments in the microbiome sector in Asia and beyond, i.e. trends, funding opportunities, and the overall attractiveness of the microbiome market for investors.
• Market potential of the microbiome field including the diverse applications, market size, growth projections, and emerging opportunities.
• Effective investment strategies in the microbiome space and knowledge about key factors to consider when evaluating potential investments, including scientific validation, market potential, intellectual property, regulatory landscape, and competitive advantage.
• Outlook on the future of the microbiome industry, including emerging trends, technologies, and potential disruptions as well as insights into how the field is evolving and what to anticipate in terms of investment opportunities and challenges.

Hosted by

Sou Miyake
BD & Investment Director, Corundum Systems Biology

*Limited slots available