This week, we’re talking about eye treatments with Oculis CEO, Riad Sharif, we have a conversation about mitochondria, with the CEO of Vandria, Klaus Dugi, and there’s also a short discussion about GoCo Health Innovation City in Gothenburg, Sweden, with Moa Dicksdotter, Partnership and Ecosystem.

Times:

02:35 Vandria

20:03 GoCo Health Innovation City

25:54 Oculis

Looking to the eyes

Oculis is a Swiss ophthalmology company developing topical and biologic treatments for retinal disease and neuro‑ophthalmic conditions. Its pipeline spans diabetic macular oedema, dry eye disease, and optic neuropathies, with a focus on non‑invasive delivery formats that can replace or reduce the need for injections. The company’s lead asset, OCS‑01, is in late‑stage development as a topical alternative for diabetic macular oedema.

In December, the U.S. FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to Oculis’ neuroprotective candidate, Privosegtor (OCS‑05), for optic neuritis. The decision followed phase 2 data showing clinically meaningful improvements in low‑contrast visual acuity. The designation allows for closer FDA interaction as the programme moves toward registrational studies.

Oculis is now preparing for multiple clinical milestones across 2026, including pivotal readouts for OCS‑01. The company continues to position itself around differentiated delivery technologies in ophthalmology, with programmes spanning both front‑ and back‑of‑the‑eye disorders.

Mitochondrial therapeutics

Vandria is a Lausanne‑based biotech developing small‑molecule mitophagy activators aimed at restoring mitochondrial quality control in age‑related and chronic diseases. Its approach centres on orally available compounds designed to improve cellular resilience in neurological and muscular disorders. The company’s lead programme, VNA‑318, is being advanced for neurodegenerative indications.

In November 2025, Vandria released phase 1 results for VNA‑318, reporting that the study met its safety and pharmacokinetic objectives and showed biomarker evidence of target engagement. The data support progression into phase 2 development for Alzheimer’s disease, with trial planning now under way.

The company is also preparing for its next financing round to support clinical expansion and further development of its mitochondrial therapeutics platform.

GoCo Health Innovation City

GoCo Health Innovation City is a life‑science district in Mölndal, south of Gothenburg, Sweden, designed as a mixed ecosystem for research, industry, and healthcare organisations. The campus brings together established companies, scale‑ups, and academic groups across health, biotech, and medtech, with a focus on co‑located labs, offices, and community‑driven programmes.

Recently, the site marked a major milestone with the opening of Mölnlycke Health Care’s new global headquarters on the campus. The inauguration brought renewed attention to GoCo’s role as a strategic hub for Swedish life‑science activity and its ability to attract multinational tenants.

The district is continuing to expand its research infrastructure. Thermo Fisher Scientific is establishing a new bioanalytical laboratory on the campus, scheduled to open in late 2025. The facility will support pharmaceutical and biotech clients with GLP‑compliant services and is expected to add significant analytical capacity to the region.

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This week, we’re talking about skin and wounds, with Ned Swanson, president and chief medical officer at PolarityBio, and Nikolai Sopko, chief operating officer, chief scientific officer and director at PolarityBio; and we discuss anchored immunotherapy with Howard Kaufman, CEO of Ankyra Therapeutics.

04:03 Ankyra Therapeutics

34:31 PolarityBio

Anchored immunotherapies

Ankyra Therapeutics, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, develops anchored immunotherapies that tether cytokines at the injection site to stimulate local immune responses while limiting systemic toxicity. The company’s technology is designed to unlock cytokines that have historically been limited by safety concerns.

Its lead programme, ANK‑101 (tolododekin alfa), is an anchored IL‑12 construct. Early trials have demonstrated safety and local immune activation, and the company is now testing the drug in combination with checkpoint inhibitors for non‑small cell lung cancer. The platform is modular, allowing other immune payloads to be developed using the same anchoring chemistry.

Ankyra recently began dosing patients in its phase 1b LANTERN trial, combining ANK‑101 with PD‑1/PD‑L1 inhibitors in non‑small cell lung cancer.

The science of skin

Utah-headquartered PolarityBio focuses on regenerative skin therapies for chronic wounds. Its flagship product, SkinTE, is an autologous heterogeneous skin construct designed to restore functional skin architecture in Wagner Grade 1 diabetic foot ulcers.

The company’s development strategy centres on pivotal trials to demonstrate healing rates, durability, and safety, with regulatory and reimbursement pathways treated as critical for adoption. SkinTE has Breakthrough Therapy designation from the FDA.

PolarityBio recently announced completion of its pivotal phase III trial, with final results expected in early 2026.

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This week, we have conversations with Jakob Andersson, vice president of engineering at Anaphora and founder and chairman of GAIA; Coave Therapeutics’ CEO Rodolphe Clerval; and MOBILion Systems’ CEO, Melissa Sherman.

Times:

03:13 Coave Therapeutics

24:43 GAIA Conference

36:55 MOBILion Systems

Genetic medicine for ophthalmology

Coave Therapeutics is a Paris‑based biotechnology company focused on developing genetic medicines using its ALIGATER platform. The company has pioneered ligand‑conjugated AAV vectors, enabling precision capsids that are highly tissue‑specific, safer, and more effective.

In October 2025, Coave presented data at the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy Congress in Seville, demonstrating the superiority of its lead suprachoroidal capsid, coAAV‑SCS‑01. The vector showed up to 26‑fold improved performance in targeting retinal cells compared to other capsids. This work supports the company’s focus on treatments for retinal vascular diseases.

Coave also recently announced the nomination of its lead gene therapy programme, CoTx‑101, for conditions such as wet age‑related macular degeneration and diabetic macular oedema. Delivered via an in‑office suprachoroidal procedure, CoTx‑101 aims to provide durable vision gains.

Artificial intelligence and the GAIA Conference

Jakob Andersson is the vice president of engineering at Swedish company Anaphora, a company active in artificial intelligence and complex systems.

He is also the founder and chairman of the Gothenburg Artificial Intelligence Alliance (GAIA), a non‑profit association established in 2018 to promote interest in AI, machine learning, and data science in the Gothenburg region. GAIA hosts the annual GAIA Conference, which has become a recognised event for researchers, developers, and industry leaders to share advances in artificial intelligence.

At the 2025 GAIA Conference, Andersson delivered the opening remarks, outlining the state of AI and expectations for the future. The conference continues to attract international participation, with sessions ranging from lightning talks to open discussions shaped by attendees.

Separation science

MOBILion Systems is a US‑based company specialising in separation science and advanced proteomics technologies. Its proprietary platforms, including MOBIE and BILLIE, are designed to improve ion mobility and mass spectrometry workflows, enabling deeper proteome coverage and faster analysis.

The company has gained recognition for its innovations in parallel accumulation mobility aligned fragmentation (PAMAF), a technique that enhances sensitivity and throughput in proteomics and multi‑omics research.

In November 2025, MOBILion presented transformative advances in proteomics at the HUPO World Congress in Toronto. Its CTO, Daniel DeBord, highlighted how PAMAF technology delivers near‑complete ion utilisation, improving analysis of post‑translational modifications and proteoforms.

To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com