About fifteen exhibitors will be waiting for you at the BioAlps Networking Day on 19 November 2026 at Beaulieu Lausanne. They range from cantonal agencies and innovation campuses to research centres, global industry players and specialist service providers. Together, they offer a snapshot of the Swiss Health Valley’s ecosystem. Here’s who you can meet between sessions, during the networking lunch and at the closing cocktail.

Main sponsor: Canton de Vaud

The Canton de Vaud is this year’s main sponsor. On its booth, you’ll meet teams from the SPEI, the canton’s economic promotion service, and from Innovaud, the agency that promotes innovation and investment in the canton. Innovaud has a long track record of supporting startups, scale-ups, SMEs and large technology companies.

Innovaud has also just launched Biotools, a new platform built with BioAlps – Swiss Health Valley and Biopôle to bring the sector’s players together. Stop by the booth to find out more.

Innovation hubs and campuses

• Biopôle – Lausanne’s life sciences campus brings industry and academic specialists together and is home to 200 life sciences companies.
• BioArk – This life sciences hub in Valais federates more than 150 organisations across two technology sites, in Monthey and Visp.
• Microcity – Microcity connects companies, research institutes, experts and public bodies to turn ideas into concrete projects. It supports innovators at every step, from finding partners and funding to accessing technologies, skills and infrastructure.
• H4 – La Source – The health innovation hub of the Institut et Haute École de la Santé La Source helps startups and companies test their solutions in real-world conditions, so they can be adopted durably in clinical practice.

Research, data and training

• SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics – A non-profit academic foundation dedicated to biological and biomedical data science, SIB federates bioinformatics activities across Switzerland.
• CSEM – This Swiss research and technology centre works in precision microfabrication, digitalisation and sustainable energy. It acts as a bridge between academia and industry.
• SFITS (Swiss Foundation for Innovation and Training in Surgery) – Based in Geneva, SFITS is a centre for surgical training, research and innovation. It trains surgeons, anaesthetists, scrub nurses and operating room staff in realistic conditions, with no risk to patients.

Industry and expert services

• Siemens – Through Siemens AG and its subsidiary Siemens Healthineers, Siemens deploys advanced robotics and automation solutions across life sciences and healthcare.
• Beckman Coulter Life Sciences – Headquartered in Fullerton, California, Beckman Coulter makes optics-based scientific instruments for biology and medicine. Its Swiss subsidiary in Nyon employs more than 250 people and handles sales, technical support and after-sales service for the Swiss market.
• Chubb – The world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty insurer, present in 54 countries, Chubb partners with many life sciences companies.
• Katzarov – This Geneva-based patent and trademark firm has supported companies and innovators in Switzerland and abroad for 50 years. Katzarov is a long-standing partner of BioAlps – Swiss Health Valley.

Promoting the region

• Greater Geneva Bern area (GGBa) – The investment promotion agency for Western Switzerland brings together the cantons of Bern, Fribourg, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Geneva and Valais. It helps foreign companies set up quickly and grow their business in the region.
• GRIP (Groupement Romand des Industries Pharmaceutiques) – Founded in 1987, this non-profit association brings together and represents life sciences players in French-speaking Switzerland. In October 2026, GRIP unveiled a BAK Economics study on the sector’s often underestimated weight in Western Switzerland: CHF 28.3 billion in total value added, more than 83,000 jobs depending on it, and 36% of Swiss life sciences patents.

The exhibition is open throughout the day, with dedicated time during the networking lunch from 12:05 and the closing cocktail from 17:45. Programme and tickets: bioalps.org/bioalps-networking-day-2026.

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Release Therapeutics, a privately held Swiss BioMedTech company based at Campus Biotech in Geneva, announced that it has been awarded a CHF 500,000 Innovation Project grant from Innosuisse, the Swiss Innovation Agency, under an academic-industry partnership with the Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE).

MPS IIIA is a devastating, ultra-rare lysosomal storage disorder that causes progressive neurodegeneration and severe cognitive decline, with symptoms generally beginning in early childhood. The disease results from an inherited deficiency of the enzyme sulfamidase (SGSH), leading to toxic accumulation of heparan sulfate (HS) throughout the central nervous system (CNS). Until recently, treatment for MPS IIIA was limited to supportive care, with patients typically progressing to profound neurological disability and death by around age 15.[1] In September 2026, the gene therapy FAYUVI became the first disease-modifying therapy approved for patients with MPS IIIA with preserved neurodevelopmental function, representing an important advance for patients and establishing SGSH restoration as a clinically validated therapeutic strategy. 

Under the 24-month Innosuisse-funded programme, Release Tx and UNIGE will advance the Myo-P5A®, a living implant designed to provide continuous delivery of SGSH to the CNS through a fundamentally different modality. The programme aims to establish preclinical proof-of-concept that a subcutaneously implanted cell-encapsulation device can achieve sustained, therapeutically relevant SGSH exposure in the CNS, combining continuous enzyme production with an approach designed to enable enzyme delivery across the blood-brain barrier. Looking ahead, the design of the Myo-P5A is intended to enable a flexible, long-term approach to enzyme replacement, with the potential to discontinue treatment, replace the implant or adapt therapy over time and, ultimately, to broaden the population of children with MPS IIIA who could benefit from disease-modifying treatment. At the same time, the modality represents a departure from conventional enzyme replacement therapies, shifting the paradigm from intermittent administration and associated fluctuations in enzyme exposure with continuous in vivo production.

The Myo-P5A is built on Release Tx’s proprietary ECT platform, developed jointly with UNIGE and Geneva University Hospitals (HUG). The platform integrates genetically engineered immortalised human myoblasts capable of continuously secreting potent, disease-specific therapeutic proteins with the Myo-Pod®, a patented, biocompatible cell macroencapsulation implant, no larger than a pin. The device’s semi-permeable membrane enables selective, bidirectional diffusion of therapeutic proteins and nutrients while physically isolating the encapsulated cells from the host immune system. In preclinical studies, the platform has demonstrated excellent biocompatibility and sustained therapeutic protein delivery in vivo for more than ten months.[2]

“This award represents important recognition of both our technology and our development strategy,” said Professor Nicolas Mach, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of Release Tx. “Following the strong preclinical results generated with our lead programme, the Myo-P4, the Innosuisse funding enables us to expand our platform into a second rare, paediatric neurological indication. While therapeutic proteins hold great promise for the treatment of CNS diseases, efficient delivery to the brain remains one of the field’s greatest challenges. Our ECT platform is designed to enable sustained delivery of therapeutic proteins beyond the blood-brain barrier, with the potential to overcome a fundamental limitation that has constrained the treatment of neurological diseases for decades.” 

Stéphane Sizonenko, Professor in the Division of Child Development and Growth and Head of the Brain Development and Injury Laboratory at the Faculty of Medicine, UNIGE, said, “For children diagnosed with MPS IIIA, every month matters. The recent approval of the first disease-modifying therapy represents an important advance for patients, but important questions remain around how best to broaden the range of children who can benefit from disease-modifying treatment while reducing treatment burden and improving long-term flexibility. By combining our expertise in developmental brain injury with Release Therapeutics’ encapsulated cell technology platform, we aim to investigate whether continuous, implant-based enzyme delivery can offer a differentiated long-term treatment approach for children affected by this disease.”

About Release Therapeutics

Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, Release Therapeutics is a privately-held, BioMedTech company developing the first cell macroencapsulation technology designed to deliver potent therapeutic proteins beyond the human blood-brain barrier. The Company’s proprietary technology integrates an implantable macroencapsulation device with an immortalised myoblast cell line capable of producing a broad range of proteins for long-term delivery to the CNS. Innovating at the nexus of biotech and MedTech, Release Therapeutics is on a mission to treat genetic diseases of the CNS without gene therapy. The company’s lead programme is in preclinical development for the treatment of Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD), a rare genetic disorder that leads to progressive loss of myelin and typically affects young children.

Source: Press Release | © Release Therapeutics

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to CINAINU® (LH-8), an investigational topical treatment for moderate-to-severe alopecia areata. Legacy Healthcare, a biopharmaceutical company based in Epalinges, Switzerland, announced the decision on October 13, 2026. The designation covers adults, adolescents and children aged 2 years and older.

A botanical drug first

CINAINU® is a cutaneous solution applied to the skin. It is a botanical prescription drug made from several plants. According to Legacy Healthcare, it is the first FDA-regulated multi-plant botanical drug to receive Breakthrough Therapy Designation. Six granted patents protect the product, with coverage running to 2043.

Breakthrough Therapy Designation is not an approval. The FDA grants it to speed the development and review of treatments that show early evidence of a substantial improvement over existing options.

The evidence: RAAINBOW

The designation rests on RAAINBOW, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2/3 trial in 107 children and adolescents aged 2 to 17. Results were published in the British Journal of Dermatology (Blume-Peytavi et al., 2026;194:37–46, DOI 10.1093/bjd/ljaf279).

According to the company, the trial showed meaningful hair regrowth, a favorable tolerability profile and a sustained benefit. The press release gives no response rates or endpoint figures.

“This is a major milestone for CINAINU®,” said Saad Harti, CEO of Legacy Healthcare. He said the company aims to offer patients “meaningful hair regrowth, favorable tolerability and sustained benefit.”

Open question: add the trial’s headline efficacy figures from the BJD paper before publishing.

Filling a gap in care

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that causes patchy or total hair loss. Today, oral JAK inhibitors are the only approved treatment, and only for severe disease in adults and adolescents. That leaves two large groups with no approved option:

• Patients with moderate disease, who make up the majority of cases
• Children

JAK inhibitors also have drawbacks. Hair loss returns quickly when treatment stops, and the drugs carry FDA boxed warnings for serious infections, cancer, cardiovascular events and blood clots.

Legacy Healthcare positions CINAINU® as a potential first-line treatment for moderate and severe disease at all ages. With further study, it could also serve as a follow-on therapy after JAK inhibitors. The company is now preparing a global pivotal Phase 3 program in adults, adolescents and children.

Sources: CINAINU® Receives FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Alopecia Areata, Legacy Healthcare press release, 13 October 2026 | ©Legacy Healthcare

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Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) are now Switzerland’s most advances hospital in the digital field. In the 2027 edition of Newsweek and Statista’s “World’s Best Smart Hospitals” ranking, published in October 2026, HUG jumped 37 places to 31st worldwide. That puts it 9th in Europe and first in Switzerland, a first for the Geneva institution. CHUV ranks 100th.

A five-year climb

HUG has moved steadily up the ranking since 2023, but this year’s leap is its biggest yet. From 161 on 2023, to 31 today. The ranking covers more than 400 hospitals in over 30 countries. As expected, large US institutions dominate the top: Mayo Clinic (Rochester) is first, followed by Cleveland Clinic, Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, and Samsung Medical Center in Seoul.

Behind the jump

Rodolphe Meyer, HUG’s Chief Medical Information Officer and Deputy CIO, credits the hospital’s digital transformation directorate (DTN-IA). He points in particular to DPI+, HUG’s in-house electronic patient record. He stresses that this progress came despite growing budget and staffing constraints.

Meyer also shares the credit with the medical and nursing directorates, and with the clinicians who adopt the tools and adapt them to daily practice.

That matters for the score. Newsweek’s criteria go beyond buying technology: they reward how well digital tools are woven into clinical processes, the patient experience and overall hospital strategy. The ranking combines three inputs:

• An international survey of hospital leaders and health professionals (May–June 2026), where no one could vote for their own institution
• Statista’s Smart Hospitals Digital Maturity Survey, completed by hospitals and validated by their digital leads
• National and international digital health accreditations and certifications

A six-member expert panel guides the method. It includes Christoph A. Meier, professor at the University of Geneva and former head of internal medicine at Zurich University Hospital.

How Switzerland fares

The race at the top in Switzerland is tight. Zurich University Hospital (USZ) ranks 37th, just six places behind HUG. Lausanne’s CHUV comes in at 100th. Across Europe, several German and Spanish hospitals also make the continent’s top 30. Rankings measure digital maturity, not outcomes. The real test is whether these tools make nurses’ work easier, hospitals more efficient and patient care better. HUG’s rise suggests Geneva is building the foundations; the coming years will show what they deliver at the bedside.

Source: World’s Best Smart Hospitals: les HUG gagnent 37 places et deviennent numéro un en Suisse, Medinside, 22 October 2026

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Apply before 31 October 2026 for the Nyon Region Innovation Award and try to get up to CHF 50’000.

The call for entries for the 2027 Innovation Award is now open. Every year, the Nyon Region,
with the support of the Canton of Vaud, allocates a fund of CHF 50,000 to reward
innovative initiatives that enhance the district’s economic fabric.

Craft and industrial businesses based in one of the 42 member municipalities of the Nyon Region can submit their applications to the judging panel in the hope of winning the prize and, at the same time, gaining exposure for their activities.

Application Deadline: 31 October 2026 | Apply Here

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Apply before 13 January 2027 for the EIT Health’s Innovation Validation Call 2027.  

EIT supports innovative digital and AI–powered medical technologies that are ready for real-world clinical validation and are approaching market launch. This call addresses the funding gap for solutions that need to run clinical studies and collect evidence to demonstrate safety and efficacy, apply for regulatory approval and prepare for market commercialisation.

Consortia of at least two organisations from different countries representing at least two sides of the Knowledge Triangle (industry, research, education). A commercialising company must lead the project. Eligible solutions must be digital or AI-enabled medical devices (MDR/IVDR) at Innovation Maturity Level (IML) 6, aiming to reach IML 7 by project end. Please refer to EIT Health’s Healthcare Innovation Cycle Framework for more information on the required Innovation Maturity Level for this call.

EIT Health will fund up to 50% of the total project budget, up to a total grant funding amount of €850,000 per project.  

The commercialising entity must sign a Financial Sustainability Contribution Agreement and, in the case that it is a micro or small enterprise, must receive €400,000–€500,000 of the grant. 

Application Deadline: 13 January 2027 | Information

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Swiss companies and research institutes are invited to undertake R&D projects partnering with Japanese start-up and SMEs. Apply before 20 January 2027.

This call is open for all R&D projects, excluding technologies associated with nuclear power, pharmaceutical development, and regenerative medicine product development.

Examples of scope include, but are not limited to quantum technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, semiconductors, electronics, energy and environment, biotechnology, new materials, medical devices, aerospace, mining, and other industrial technologies.

Switzerland is participating with the following countries: Belgium, Canada, United Kingdom, Austria, Estonia, France, Germany, Israel, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Turkey.

Large companies, universities, and research institutions may participate in projects led by Japanese startups that apply for the programme as subcontractors and/or joint research partners.

On the Japanese side, NEDO is the funding body responsible for this call for projects.

More information | Deadline: 20 January 2027

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This FONGIT Life Event, exploring how AI can boost Life Sciences Innovation, is taking place on 17 November 2026 at Campus Biotech Geneva.

AI is accelerating innovation across the entire life sciences pipeline, from research collaborations and scientific discovery to clinical implementation and new healthcare solutions. This session, organised by FONGIT and the Swiss Data Science Center, brings together four speakers who each cover a different stage of that journey: translational AI research through partnerships, AI at scale in precision medicine, AI-driven therapeutic discovery for rare diseases, and AI-powered clinical products and digital biomarkers.

Beyond the technology itself, each speaker will address what it actually takes to make AI work in the real world: the data, infrastructure, domain expertise, validation and regulatory groundwork behind it. We will then showcase what concrete impact it delivers for researchers, clinicians and patients. The discussion will also look at the other side of the picture: the obstacles that still slow adoption, and the situations where AI has yet to deliver real value.

Speakers

• Julian Neumann – Wyss Center, AI Hub
• Tamara Maas – SOPHiA GENETICS
• Anna Fournier – Swiss Data Science Center
• Sven Haller – BrainQuant

MC: Federico Amato, Principal Data Scientist at The Swiss Data Science Center

Tuesday 17 November | Campus Biotech Geneva | Information & Registration

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dEEGtal, S-SENTIA and Juturna Bio are the latest projects to receive funding from the FIF, the Canton of Geneva’s innovation financing programme supporting technology-driven startups, scale-ups and SMEs. dEEGtal has been awarded CHF 100’000 in FIF Seed Tech funding for its EEG analysis software. S-SENTIA has received the same amount for its 3D imaging microchip. And Juturna Bio received a CHF 50’000 FIF Grant to develop an epigenetic therapy for brain ageing.

CHF 100’000 FIF Seed Tech awarded to dEEGtal

Based at the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering at Campus Biotech in Geneva, dEEGtal is harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to transform EEG analysis and support more precise epilepsy diagnosis. Developed from research at Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), its innovative software helps neurologists uncover valuable diagnostic insights, including in cases where interictal epileptic discharges are absent. By enhancing the interpretation of EEG recordings and going beyond the limits of traditional analysis methods, dEEGtal aims to make advanced brain data analysis an integral part of everyday clinical practice. The company was already supported by a FIF Grant in 2022. The FIF Seed Tech funding will support dEEGtal’s regulatory work, its first entry into the US market and the development of distribution partnerships.

CHF 100’000 FIF Seed Tech awarded to S-SENTIA

A spin-off of the University of Geneva, S-SENTIA develops semiconductor sensing technology that captures weak and fast signals with high precision. Its proprietary platform combines silicon detectors with on-chip electronics to capture and preserve important information at the point of detection. Potential applications include 3D vision for robotics and autonomous mobility, medical imaging, and radiation detection. Designed for standard semiconductor manufacturing processes, its technology offers a pathway towards scalable industrial production. The company received a FIF Grant in 2025 and is also part of the CERN Venture Connect (CVC) Programme. The FIF Seed Tech funding will support the company in advancing chip development and industrialisation.

CHF 50’000 FIF Grant awarded to Juturna Bio

Juturna Bio is an EPFL spin-off based at Campus Biotech in Geneva, developing innovative therapies aimed at restoring the function of ageing brain cells, with Alzheimer’s disease as its first target. Its approach uses epigenetic reprogramming to reset the chemical marks on DNA that regulate gene activity and change as cells age, without altering the underlying genetic code. By targeting these age-related changes, Juturna Bio aims to open new avenues for treating neurodegenerative diseases. The FIF Grant will support a translational proof of concept, a key step in assessing whether promising laboratory findings can be carried forward towards future treatments for patients.

About the FIF

The FIF aims to accelerate innovation within Geneva’s economy, whether it originates from the University of Geneva, the Universities of Applied Sciences (HES), Geneva-based research institutions, including CERN, or from startups, scale-ups, and fast-growing tech SMEs registered in Geneva’s commercial registry.  Entrepreneurs can apply for three types of financing: FIF Grant (up to CHF 50,000), FIF Seed (up to CHF 100,000), and FIF Growth (up to CHF 400,000), across three key areas: Tech, Digital, and Impact. The FIF contributes to sustainable economic, social, and environmental development by promoting innovations grounded in science and technology.

The FIF is supported by the State of Geneva, the Fondation Genevoise pour l’Innovation Technologique (FONGIT), the Fondation Modus, the United Nations International Trade Centre (ITC) and the United Nations Environment Programme. The next call for the FIF is 4 November 2026.

Source: Press Release | Juturna Bio, Gabriel Berdugo-Vega & Davide Martino Coda ©FONGIT

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Geneva-based eye care leader Alcon has acquired Neurotech Pharmaceuticals, a private biotech company developing therapies for chronic eye diseases, for USD 550 million, plus potential contingent payments linked to commercial milestones.

Announced on 20 October 2026, the deal brings ENCELTO into Alcon’s portfolio: the only FDA-approved treatment for macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel). Alcon expects the acquisition to be modestly accretive to net sales growth and slightly dilutive to core diluted earnings per share in 2027, and accretive thereafter.

A living implant to protect vision

MacTel type 2 is a neurodegenerative disease that affects both eyes in adults. The gradual loss of retinal cells leads to irreversible loss of central vision. In the United States, around 25,000 patients have been diagnosed, with 2,000 to 3,000 new diagnoses each year. Until recently, no approved treatment existed.

ENCELTO, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in March 2025, takes an original approach. It is a small, semi-permeable capsule implanted in the eye during outpatient surgery. Inside, genetically engineered retinal cells continuously release a protein called ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), which helps protect the retina and slow the loss of photoreceptors.

The therapy is based on Neurotech’s Encapsulated Cell Therapy (ECT) platform, a first-in-class drug delivery technology. It is currently available only in the United States.

Strengthening Alcon’s retina portfolio

The acquisition expands Alcon’s offering in retinal disease. Alcon plans to use its strong presence in surgical retina and its global reach to accelerate commercialisation and broaden patient access.

David Endicott, CEO of Alcon, described Neurotech’s platform as one that “sits at the intersection of cell therapy, pharmaceuticals, and surgery”. Richard Small, CEO of Neurotech, called the deal a milestone for the company’s mission, adding that Alcon’s scale and commercial capabilities will help more patients benefit from the treatment.

With more than 25,000 employees and products reaching over 260 million people in more than 140 countries, Alcon is one of the flagship companies of the Swiss Health Valley.

Source: Alcon press release, 20 October 2026

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