Dr Mary Martin moderated the session ‘Spotlight on Irish Biotech’ at the Bio€quity meeting held in Dublin on May 14th, 2023. The panel of speakers consisted of six accomplished individuals with different backgrounds who have all founded biotech companies in Ireland. 

Mark Barrett of APC and VLE Therapeutics, Loretto Callaghan of Vzarii Therapeutics, Daniel Crowley of RemedyBio, Therese Kinsella of ATXA, Luke O’Neill of Trinity College Dublin and Kieran Rooney of Amryt Pharma engaged in an insightful discussion, sharing their unique experiences and highlighting the various challenges they encountered along the way. The speakers elaborated on creative strategies to leverage the support of Irish state agencies and European funding, while also discussing the intricacies of revenue-based funding and venture capital in their respective journeys.

The discussion touched on the supportive environment provided by Science Foundation Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, along with the country’s highly proactive attitude. Additionally, there was a recognition of the need for increased funding to facilitate the translation of innovations from the Irish academic system, aiming to expand on the achievements of Irish companies following the example of Amryt Pharma, INFLAZOME UK LIMITED, and PrecisionBiotics.

Listen to the BioCentury podcast episode discussing the Irish BioPharma ecosystem while setting up the stage for the BioEquity Europe 2023 event in Dublin.