AC BioScience | Committed to fight against cancer
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Interview with Andreas Schläpfer, CEO & cofounder
AC BioScience, the Vaud based company is a pioneer in the development of a novel treatment in immuno-oncology that will enhance patients immune capabilities and help them fight off cancer.
How does your company fight cancer?
AC BioScience is deeply committed to fighting cancer and improving the lives of those who suffer from it. We are pioneering a novel treatment in immuno-oncology that will enhance the body’s immune capabilities to fight off cancer. We have also developed another drug candidate to challenge an existing treatment paradigm and address the unmet medical need for a more effective treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer.
When we first met, you said “Canton de Vaud has built a beautiful enabler for companies like ours”. How did Innovaud and the Canton of Vaud help you set up your business in our region?
We started first at the EPFL innovation Park and have recently moved to the Biopôle. What we felt right from the beginning was the proactive and visionary attitude of the Canton of Vaud through its agency Innovaud to encourage and facilitate the creation of start-up companies and to embed them in a life-science ecosystem. It figuratively provided the fertile ground for green shoots to thrive: companies benefit from a comprehensive and relevant catalogue of measures such as financing, coaching and advice, promotion and networking, and access to scientific parks. And we personally experienced that Innovaud has a human face, with a highly competent and motivated team of experts.
AC BioScience is headquartered at the life science campus Biopôle. What benefits does Biopôle offer to young companies?
Biopôle is vibrant, young and highly professional. The Management of Biopôle reaches out to its members, organizes networking events, and is particularly helpful in business development, including participation in investor conferences. An ingenious support for young companies comes in the form of StartLab. This is Biopôle’s life science incubator where young companies can rent one workplace in a fully equipped shared lab space. Biopôle is an ideal home that meets all the requirements of a fast-moving biotech company.