Meet Venture Leader Stefanie Flückiger-Mangual’s Preventing Resistance to Cancer Therapy's Startup

06.05.2019 11:45, Guillaume Tinsel

Ten Venture Leaders will represent Switzerland in Boston in June. Meet Stefanie Flückiger-Mangual, co-founder and CEO of TOLREMO therapeutics. Learn more on how preventing the development of resistance against cancer drugs can prolong patient survival and Stefanie's expectations on her roadshow in Boston.

Can you introduce yourself, how your company started and what your project is?

I am Stefanie Flückiger-Mangual, co-founder and CEO of TOLREMO therapeutics, a spin-off for which we laid the scientific foundation during my PhD at ETH Zurich. TOLREMO addresses one of the major limitations to the long-term survival of cancer patients: the development of resistance against cancer drugs. Therefore, instead of developing yet another cancer therapy, we develop a solution that makes existing cancer drugs work better in the clinic. Using a proprietary drug discovery and development platform, we develop small molecules that can be combined with selected cancer therapies (in a personalized manner) to prevent resistance development and prolong cancer patient survival.

What attracted you to Boston as a business development destination?

Boston is an epicentre of the American biotech and life sciences scene. The city is home to numerous pharmaceutical companies and Venture Capitalist firms, including some that we view as ideal partners for our future development.

What do you hope to achieve from the trip? What are your expectations and goals?

I hope to get a glimpse of Boston’s bustling biotech community, strengthen my network in the area, and connect with pharma partners to lay the foundation for fruitful collaborations. In preparation of future financing rounds, I also aim to have our business plan stress-tested by US investors and plan to start building relationships with VCs that invest overseas.

Why is Venture Leaders Life Science beneficial for your startup?

The benefits are many-fold. On the one hand, Venture Leaders opens doors to potential business partners that might otherwise be more difficult to get to. On the other hand, if forces us to be even more critical with ourselves but simultaneously think bigger. Lastly, Venture Leaders is great external validation for our young startup and the publicity we get from the program will help us recruit the brightest minds to our growing company.



What is pushing you towards international expansion?

Cancer is a global problem that needs a global solution. TOLREMO’s proprietary drug discovery and development platform has the potential to catalyze a wave of novel resistance-breaking therapies that can profoundly change the way we approach the treatment of cancer. Our molecules can be used by various pharmaceutical companies located all over the world to boost the long-term efficacy of cancer drugs in their portfolios. To this end, we need to collaborate with the best scientists, clinicians, and investors around the globe. Boston is the perfect place to start.

What do you foresee as the largest hurdles towards expansion into the American market?

Cultural differences. US investors and potential strategic partners are more accustomed to American pitches which tend to be bolder and more aggressive. I will have to step out of my comfort zone to make sure people understand that TOLREMO has the same great potential as any hungry US startup.

What makes you most nervous or excited about the trip?

The last time I was in Boston was 12 years ago when I studied a semester at Harvard. It was a truly life-changing and eye-opening experience for me. Having embarked on a new journey with my own company, I am very excited to go back after all these years and get challenged and inspired to take TOLREMO to the next level.

  Venture Leaders Life Sciences is sponsored by Rothschild & Co Bank, Kellerhals Carrard, swissnex Boston, Ypsomed, Paul Schererr Institute, Canton de Vaud, EPF Lausanne and ETH Zürich.