Michael Altorfer: "BIOSPAIN 2025 offers the opportunity to connect Swiss and Spanish biotech leaders."

AseBio.For those unfamiliar with Swiss Biotech Association, could you briefly explain what the organization is and what its mission is?

Michael Altorfer. The Swiss Biotech Association supports and represents > 1’500 Swiss biotech companies which focus on the development of innovative biotech applications in the biopharma and bioeconomy space. As a member of the ICBA (International Council of Biotechnology Associations), we aim at optimizing the global framework conditions for biotech startups and SMEs. We support the Swiss biotech companies in securing access to essential resources: namely biotech talent, funding and innovative technologies. Thereby we help Swiss biotech companies to be visible and connected internationally and we establish platforms to present the investment and partnering opportunities they can offer. With the Swiss Biotech Day, www.swissbiotechday.ch, the Swiss Biotech Association is hosting a global partnering conference that invites delegations from other innovative biotech hubs around the globe and connects their biotech leaders with the Swiss biotech ecosystem. The Swiss Biotech Association is exclusively funded by the member fees of its close to 600 members.

AseBio. Switzerland is recognized as one of the most advanced biotech ecosystems in Europe. What would you say are the main differences between the Swiss model and those of other European countries?

Michael Altorfer. We dare to say that Switzerland is in fact one of the global biotech innovation hubs. For 14 consecutive years, WIPO has listed Switzerland at the top of the Global Innovation Index. While the Swiss innovation power is recognized globally, it is important to emphasize that this power is not achieved in isolation but is rather the result of intense international collaboration. 4 out of 5 biotech patents filed in Switzerland are a result of international partnerships. The in- and outlicensing activities of the Swiss biotech hub are almost balanced, which means that Switzerland is not just developing innovative products and licenses them to international partners, but it is equally focused on inlicensing innovation from all over the world. In fact, the distribution of these deals is about 1/3 with Europe, 1/3 with the US and 1/3 with Asian partners. 

In comparison with other biotech hubs, Switzerland is one of the most densely populated and complete biotech ecosystems. A recent Mc Kinsey study has found that Switzerland was either a leading hub or a growth center in all modalities and indications that this report had assessed. The Swiss biotech hub hosts multi-national pharma companies, global CDMOs, leading universities and hospitals as well as a thriving and growing network of startups and SMEs. The startups and SMEs alone, attract some 2 billion CHF new investments every year and invest about 2.5 billion CHF into their R&D projects. The international connectivity, political stability, the attractive quality of life and reliable infrastructure has proven to be very attractive for international talent. As a consequence, the Swiss biotech talent pool is very diverse and international and only comprises 30% Swiss citizens.

AseBio.How does Swiss Biotech contribute to strengthening and developing Switzerland’s biotech ecosystem?

Michael Altorfer.The life science industry is by far the biggest contributor to the Swiss exports. In recent years the biopharma sector export volume has consistently exceeded 100 billion CHF/year and expanded by about 300% during the last twenty years.

AseBio.How does the Swiss regulatory framework impact the development of biotechnology? What advantages does it offer compared to other regions?

Michael Altorfer. The fact that Switzerland has its own regulatory agency, Swissmedic, is a great advantage. As Swissmedic is both interested in understanding emerging technologies early on and providing regulatory advice and guidance to startups and SMEs, there is an intense and direct interaction between innovative biotech companies and the regulator. 

Swissmedic can further strengthen its support and impact by engaging in strong international collaboration and the formation of alliances. Whether it is mutual recognition agreements with the US FDA or the formation of a joint approval process withing the Access Consortium (together with Australia, Canada, the UK and Singapore), such international collaboration helps to harmonize and accelerate the regulatory approval process and brings us closer to standardized and faster global approval processes helping all parties involved to bring innovative solutions to patients faster.

AseBio. What specific initiatives and actions is Swiss Biotech implementing to further drive innovation and sector growth in Switzerland?

Michael Altorfer. We have established the groundwork with robust online platforms (Swiss Biotech Directory, Swiss biotech funding, partnering and talent platforms) and with our flagship event, the Swiss Biotech Day (May 5-6 in Basel).

We are now building a range of peer-to-peer exchange events in Switzerland to leverage the potential a community can exploit when the biotech companies do not work in isolation but engage in exchanging best practices and building e.g. combined investor or talent pools.

Last but not least, we are offering our Global Village platform to build bilateral international communities that further strengthen our international network, alliances, and collaboration opportunities.

AseBio.  What role do the private and public sectors play in the development of biotechnology in Switzerland?

Michael Altorfer. In contrast to the EU, the US, and other big nations such as China and India, the Swiss government is not establishing an industrial policy and therefore does not deploy taxpayer funds to strengthen distinct industries by investing in private companies or build industry specific infrastructure. Rather the approach is to trust the free-market forces. The expectation is clearly that the industry leaders and specialized investors understand best where to set priorities and deploy the resources and where to take risks.

Nevertheless, the Swiss government plays an important role as it invests heavily in affordable education, strong universities and reliable infrastructure (such as a reliable public transportation), and it fosters the formation of public/private partnerships to strengthen translational research collaboration. But also in this effort, the financial support provided by the government typically goes to the academic partners and not to the industrial partners. Thus, the strong academic research organizations are an important element of the Swiss innovation power and the Swiss industry partners benefit clearly from such public/private partnerships.

AseBio.  What are your expectations for BIOSPAIN 2025?

Michael Altorfer. BIOSPAIN 2025, similar to the Swiss Biotech Day, offers the opportunity to connect Swiss and Spanish biotech leaders. Our concept is very simple. Biotech leaders that don’t know each other will not work together. Simply because they cannot see or assess the opportunities that would exist. By bringing together smart and experienced biotech executives from both biotech ecosystems, we can foster the buildup of a Swiss/Spanish biotech community. I am convinced that once these leaders know each other, they will engage in exploring investment and partnering opportunities, potential new R&D collaboration, exchange of best practices and talents. All of these activities will strengthen the ties between the two biotech hubs, and they will contribute to an increase of cross-border investments and trade. Ideally, such partnerships are not limited to biotech companies but include biotech investors, pharma companies, CROs and CDMOs, universities, hospitals, research centers and incubators. The Global Village platform,  can effectively facilitate the collaboration between the Spanish and Swiss Biotech hubs.

AseBio. What opportunities do you think BIOSPAIN could generate for Swiss companies?

Michael Altorfer. I firmly believe that successful collaborations can only be built if they are mutually attractive. So, we do not look to just identify opportunities for Swiss biotech companies, but we are interested in understanding the ambitions, objectives, and interest of the Spanish business partners. Then we can identify those areas of collaboration that are most attractive and of high priority for both partners. This might include topics in which both partners are particularly strong. Or areas where they complement each other. Or in fact even areas where both partners feel that they need to catch up and can do so more effectively by teaming up. The fact that the Spanish biotech ecosystem is growing quickly and is also well connected internationally, makes Spain a very attractive partner. Also the good collaboration between Asebio and the Swiss Biotech Association build a solid basis and the fact that many biotech leaders (investors and biotech executives, pharma companies and universities) have already collaborations and vested interests in both countries provides a head start.

AseBio. What emerging trends do you consider most relevant for the future of the sector in Europe and globally?

Michael Altorfer. While several countries and regions are developing new regulations and implementing changes to the global framework conditions for startups, SMEs and multinational pharma companies, it is mandatory that the key elements which enable investment in this sector remain intact and attractive. This includes in particular the robust protection of intellectual properties, harmonized and predictable approval processes and market exclusivity. Some 75% of the innovative projects in biopharma are initiated in startups and SMEs and these companies typically implement and finance the pre-clinical and early clinical development phases. These companies are primarily funded by private investors and venture capital funds. If these investors do not trust that the global framework conditions are attractive and enable them to secure a substantial profit with the successful projects, then they will stop investing in this field.

The second big topic is the accessibility and affordability of new products. We aspire to develop ever more personalized medicine which is highly potent and effective for a focused patient group. At the same time, we develop an ever-increasing range of different modalities and technologies. This will bear the challenge that such new products will have to be developed and manufactured in a very cost-effective manner in order to be affordable to the target patient group. Therefore, in an increasing number of projects, the development challenge will not be limited to the scientific breakthrough and the ability to treat patients effectively, but increasingly it is also very important to ensure that such products are affordable for the specific patient groups. That is why it will be equally important to invest in the optimization of innovative technologies, manufacturing, storage and distribution processes.