Meet Venture Leader Sven N. Hobbie's Next-Generation Aminoglycoside Antibiotics's Startup

21.05.2019 10:55, Guillaume Tinsel

Ten Venture Leaders will represent Switzerland in Boston in June. Meet Sven N. Hobbie, co-founder and CEO of Juvabis. Learn more on gram-negative systemic infections, Juvabis' technology to fight antimicrobial resistance and Sven's expectations on his roadshow in Boston.

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

Juvabis was founded around a technology that was developed to fight antimicrobial resistance, a major threat to global health. Juvabis has a clinical candidate for the treatment of gram-negative systemic infections that sets itself apart from other candidates by a superior coverage of highly drug-resistant infections including all of the superbugs designated by the WHO as priority pathogens. Juvabis further holds a diversified pipeline of earlier-stage leads for a variety of indications.

What attracted you to Boston as a business development destination?

Boston is one of the most vibrant biotech hubs worldwide, without any question. In my field of interest, quite a few very interesting therapeutics companies have pitched base in the Boston area and seem to have performed well, which further testifies the stimulating and supportive ecosystem that the Boston area has to offer.

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

The trip presents an outstanding opportunity to learn more about the unique market and business opportunities on the other side of the Atlantic. Not only do we expect stimulating discussions with the US-based investor community and successful therapeutics companies. We also anticipate deeper insights into the regulatory frameworks in place for getting market approval in the US and, very importantly, study the specific market mechanisms with regards to reimbursement of medicinal products.

Why is Venture Leaders Life Science beneficial for your startup?

Venture Leaders has repeatedly and continuously succeeded in scheduling an exciting program with a rapid succession of very inspiring encounters with important players of the Boston biotech scene. It is simply impossible to create the same intensity, quantity, and quality of interaction and visibility as a single entrepreneur. In that sense VL’s function is very much that of an accelerator and catalyzer for the benefit of any startup. Juvabis feels honored that it will also and equally benefit from this exciting program.



What is pushing you towards international expansion?

For a biotech company that develops novel therapeutics, it is essential to seize market opportunities large enough to compensate the tremendous costs of clinical development. The US is still the single biggest pharmaceutical market in the world and therefore of paramount importance to any biopharmaceutical business model.

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

For a small company from overseas, like a Swiss startup, the challenges to penetrate the American market might seem overwhelming. From both a business and a regulatory perspective. But with a strong team experienced in doing business in the US, and with a product portfolio sufficiently distinct from the established US market players, we feel it will be possible to tackle these hurdles. It might of course create synergies to enter into a strategic partnership with a smart US-based player, and we look forward to some of the discussions we are going to lead as part of the Venture Leaders Life Science program in June.

What makes you most nervous or excited about the trip?

American coffee. In combination with jet lag.


  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.