This week, we have a conversation with Lisa Guerrettaz, executive director, Pharmacology and Translational Science at Artiva Biotherapeutics; and Avacta Therapeutics’ CEO Christina Coughlin.

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04:12 Artiva Biotherapeutics

21:30 Avacta Therapeutics

Artiva Biotherapeutics

Artiva Biotherapeutics is a clinical‑stage cell therapy company developing off‑the‑shelf (allogeneic) natural killer (NK) cell therapies for autoimmune diseases and cancer. Headquartered in San Diego and founded in 2019, the company was created as a spin‑out from GC Cell (formerly GC Lab Cell) in South Korea, alongside a strategic partnership granting Artiva exclusive rights (outside Asia, Australia and New Zealand) to GC Cell’s NK manufacturing technology and associated programmes.​

Artiva’s lead programme is AlloNK, a non‑genetically modified, cryopreserved NK cell therapy designed to enhance antibody‑dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) when paired with monoclonal antibodies. The company positions this approach to achieve deep B‑cell depletion in outpatient settings without the complexity and cost associated with bespoke autologous cell therapies.​

In terms of clinical activity, AlloNK is being evaluated across three ongoing trials in B‑cell‑driven autoimmune diseases, including company‑sponsored and investigator‑initiated basket studies covering indications such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, lupus nephritis and Sjögren’s disease. Artiva has treated more than 100 patients with AlloNK across oncology and autoimmune disease and is planning FDA interactions in the first half of 2026 aimed at enabling a pivotal trial pathway in rheumatoid arthritis.

Avacta Therapeutics

Avacta is a life sciences company best known for its Affimer platform—engineered binding proteins positioned as an alternative to antibodies for use in diagnostics, reagents and therapeutics. ​ The company’s activities span both life science reagents/diagnostics and oncology therapeutics, with the latter centred on its pre|CISION technology, which is designed to activate drugs selectively in the tumour microenvironment. ​

In therapeutics, Avacta’s most advanced programme is faridoxorubicin (AVA6000), which uses a fibroblast activation protein (FAP)‑targeted mechanism intended to release an active form of doxorubicin preferentially at tumour sites. The programme has moved into phase 1b expansion cohorts to assess efficacy in more homogeneous patient populations and help guide expectations for later‑stage studies.​

Earlier this month, the company announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance of the Investigational New Drug (IND) application for its FAP-Exd programme, the first pre|CISION peptide drug conjugate based on the highly potent topoisomerase I inhibitor, exatecan.

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This week, three interviews, and five guests. We have conversations with Ulrik Tirsted Zeuthen, CEO, and Katarina Cantell, founder/CSO of Adalyon; Nisit Khandelwal, co-founder/CEO, Cycuria Therapeutics; and Craig Ritchie, founder/CEO of Scottish Brain Sciences and Deborah O’Neil, CEO/CSO of NovaBiotics as well as chair of the Life Sciences board of Opportunity Northeast, which runs ONE BioHub, and BioAberdeen.

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02:38 Adalyon

32:44 Cycuria Therapeutics

53:43 Scottish Blood Services/One BioHub

Cycuria Therapeutics

Cycuria Therapeutics is a preclinical oncology company based in Graz, Austria, which is developing first‑in‑class protein therapeutics for hard‑to‑treat blood cancers. Its lead programme, CUR‑101, is designed to target both acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) tumour cells and the tumour stem cells thought to drive relapse, while sparing healthy blood formation.

The company combines cytokine biology with protein engineering to deliver durable efficacy alongside a better safety profile in preclinical models.

Cycuria recently announced significant public grant funding to support the translation of CUR‑101 and follow‑on assets into the clinic.

Scottish Brain Sciences

Scottish Brain Sciences runs brain health research centres that specialise in clinical trials for early detection and treatment of neurodegenerative disease, with a particular focus on Alzheimer’s.

Scottish Brain Sciences is building one of the world’s largest biobanks of genetic, blood and imaging data in neurodegenerative conditions. It has helped more than 100 people with Alzheimer’s enrol into drug trials, and is leading the IONA longitudinal cohort study to characterise very early disease changes and prevent progression to dementia.

The company recently opened a new office at ONE BioHub in Aberdeen.

One BioHub

ONE BioHub is a £40m life sciences innovation hub on Aberdeen’s Foresterhill Health Campus, created for high‑growth life science ventures in the north‑east of Scotland. The facility brings together start‑ups, spin‑outs and scaling companies with flexible labs, offices and grow‑on space, alongside commercialisation and skills programmes.

Led and co‑funded by Opportunity North East with support from the UK and Scottish governments, Scottish Enterprise and regional partners, ONE BioHub can accommodate up to 400 bio‑entrepreneurs. The aim is to accelerate research from the University of Aberdeen, Robert Gordon University and NHS Grampian into market‑ready solutions, diversifying the regional economy and creating life sciences jobs.

Adalyon

Adalyon develops AI‑driven speech biomarkers to serve as digital endpoints in clinical trials, helping sponsors detect treatment response earlier and manage patient engagement. Its platform analyses natural speech from voice journalling or guided conversations to extract behavioural, emotional and paralinguistic features relevant to psychiatric and neurological conditions.

The company combines AI engineering, clinical research operations and behavioural science to build tools that align with regulatory expectations for digital endpoints. Its technology is designed to automate aspects of psychometric assessment, flag dropout risk and shorten trial timelines by enabling earlier, objective insight into how patients are responding to therapy.

To get in touch, please email jim@deeptechdigest.com

This week, we’re talking about eye treatments with Oculis CEO, Riad Sherif, 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.

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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.

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