The 2024 Bioshares Biotech Summit is being held in Fremantle from July 12-13
Day two’s focus is on new companies, diagnostics and those following a new direction
Trends in healthcare and biotech sector a focus as investor sentiment improves
Although Western Australia is usually known for its resources, biotech and life sciences is stealing the spotlight this week with the 18th annual Bioshares Biotech Summit in Fremantle from July 12-13.
Stockhead columnist Tim Boreham has suggested calling the summit the “Druggies & Dealers” conference, a playful reference to the famous Diggers & Dealers mining forum held annually in Kalgoorlie.
Leaders of more than 30 ASX companies, along with institutional and high net worth investors and analysts are among those attending this year’s summit in a state that has an impressive track record in biotech along with resources.
Bioshares analyst Mark Pachacz told Stockhead the Western Australian Government is very serious about broadening its reliance on the resources sector and is prioritising biotechnology as an industry of importance to the state.
“It’s the first time we’ve hosted the event in Western Australia and we’re hopeful of good commercial relationships being developed between east and west coast companies and investors,” he says.
“For a state predominately known for backing the resources sector, WA has had multiple global successes in bringing healthcare products to market including Sirtex Medical, which originated out of the University of Western Australia and was acquired in 2018 by a Chinese pharmaceutical firm for $1.8 billion.”
Read: Investors’ sneak peek at biotech’s bright future
The program is split into various segments with day two on Saturday focused on:
New Kids on the Block & Emerging private companies
Recently listed companies as well as private companies that will potentially list over the next 18 months are being featured in the segment including:
BlinkLab is transforming a regular mobile phone into a tool for neurobehavioral evaluations with its app enabling quick and remote testing for neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and ADHD.
The AI-driven smartphone app was developed in collaboration with the big brains at Princeton University, and is primed to grab a share of the market worth a massive $700bn in the US alone.
By analysing the timing and frequency of blinks and other facial responses, BB1’s tech can provide insights into potential neurodevelopmental conditions.
Diagnostics
Early disease diagnosis continues to decrease the prevalence of terminal illnesses but altering global healthcare practices remains challenging. The segment feature presentations from two companies aiming to enhance the early detection of breast cancer and colorectal cancer.
Founded in 2010, BDX has developed a blood test to detect breast cancer called BREASTEST. Poised for commercial launch in Australia in late 2024, it represents a significant advancement in screening, particularly for women with dense breast tissue where traditional imaging methods fall short.
The company has collected more than 5,000 prospective blood samples to refine its machine-learning algorithms, ensuring the test’s effectiveness and scalability.
Meanwhile, BCAL’s strategic partnerships and planned expansion into the US market in 2025 highlight its commitment to transforming breast cancer screening globally.
Diagnostiscs company RHY is also looking to replace invasive cancer diagnostic tests with a simple blood test.
The company has developed ColoSTAT, which is a simple, minimally invasive blood test for those currently unwilling or unable to use traditional screening methods for the detection of colorectal cancer.
The blood test has been approved for sale in a number of jurisdictions.
Second Pass – Time For a Re-assessment
Among companies presenting in this segment are those which have redirected their business plan, their disease focus or market application over the last decade including:
OCC is developing world-leading regenerative medicine products. The company has medical devices approved for use in bone and nerve repair with an advance pipeline in tendon and ligament replacement.
The company’s Striate+ is a collagen membrane used to support guided bone regeneration in dental implant procedures. Remplir is a collagen nerve wrap used in the repair of peripheral nerve injuries.
Founder and managing director Paul Anderson says OCC was originally focused on cellular therapy for regeneration of degenerate tendons and while this remains a strong pipeline opportunity the company is now predominately focused on their collagen medical device platform.
Three Different Therapeutic Approaches to Tackle Diseases
There has been various approaches emerging over the years to tackle common diseases, ranging from the use of small peptides and new immunotherapies such as CAR T, to the latest method of using the microbiome as a source for diagnosis and discovery potential therapeutics. Among companies presenting in this segment are:
Microba Life Sciences (ASX:MAP)
MAP has technology for measuring the gut microbiome. The company is working to discover and develop novel therapeutics for major chronic diseases and deliver gut microbiome testing services globally to researchers, clinicians, and consumers.
In June MAP announced the successful completion of its autoimmune disease therapeutic discovery program in collaboration with Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA).
Professor Trent Munro, SVP Therapeutics at MAP, emphasised on the pioneering nature of the project, which explored novel microbes sourced from the human gut microbiome.
“Microba is at the forefront of developing precision microbiome therapeutics, enabled by machine learning and artificial intelligence, that have the potential to help patients in need across a number of disease indications,” Munro says.
An investment panel will also discuss global trends in the sector and whether investment sentiment is returning with signs inflation and interest rates are starting to moderate globally.
At Stockhead, we tell it like it is. While Orthocell is a Stockhead advertiser, the company did not sponsor this article.
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