Every year, one of the biggest events in the life sciences calendar brings innovative businesses together with hundreds of potential investors from around the world. CEO, Dr Sam Whitehouse, gives an update on LightOx’s attendance at the 18th Annual European Life Sciences CEO Forum in Zurich.
On 26 27 February, we spent two days in Zurich, talking to potential investors about LightOx’s lead candidate, LXD191, which is formulated to treat pre-cancerous oral lesions.
This forum is one of the best investor conferences of the year and businesses are selected to present based on their readiness for significant investment, and their potential interest to the international investors who are attending. So we were very happy to have the opportunity to talk about LXD191 and its benefits for patients worldwide.
Partnering with investors globally
LightOx has already secured a lot of support from UK and Dutch based investors and we’re now at the stage where we are ready to work with more partners globally.
Pre-clinical studies have shown that LXD191, which is light-activated, has significant efficacy in inducing cell death in cancerous tissues. Collaborating with the clinical team at the Liverpool Head and Neck Centre alongside formulation specialists we are proud to have developed a gel for clinical use.
Now, we are raising £10million to initiate Phase I/IIa clinical trials for LXD191 in 2026.
We are receiving particular interest from investors and partners in China, India and other parts of Asia, partly due to the fact that the need for treatments for oral cancers is high in those areas due to the greater prevalence of chewing tobacco.
We want to make sure we are working with partners globally, to make sure that our new drugs and treatments will be available to everyone who needs them.
A milestone in bringing a new drug to market
The Annual European Life Sciences CEO Forum is a very selective event and it marks a milestone in LightOx’s journey.
As anyone in the business knows, bringing a product to market involves many, many steps and considerations. And connecting with global partners and investors is one more step towards transforming the management of early stage oral cancers.
