About

Gene4Neuro convenes a unique and outstanding mix of leading innovators, researchers, pioneers, neurologists, CEOs and decision-makers in Gene Therapy for Neuro Degeneration and Rare Neurological Diseases. Bridging CNS neuroscience and the full range of gene therapy approaches, with the the leading biotech research institutes, foundations, biotech companies, patient organizations, foundations, philanthropies, investors, manufacturers, and pharma companies actively engaged in bringing therapies to patients and to market.

Insight - Access - Engagement - Impact

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Premier Gathering of Innovators

The one event which convenes a high-level, by-invitation, boutique gathering of thought leaders, innovators, CEOs and senior decision-makers from the leading stakeholders groups in Gene Therapy for Neuro Degeneration and Rare Neurological Diseases.

The business of CNS Neuroscience therapeutics development.

Where CEOs and C-level executives of the hottest companies come together with industry leaders, decision-makers, patient organizations, funders and the leading investors in Gene Therapy for CNS neuroscience drug development to dive into the the issues that matter most to stakeholders.

Elevating Engagement and Collaboration

A unique level of sustained high-quality discussion, access, engagement and partnering in a truly curated summit unlike other events.

Early Registration Open

About

Broadreach Neuro Summits - What Participants Say

A masterfully organized holistic view of developments in policy, clinical and business strategy, patient care and investment.

Pawel Swieboda

Director General

A masterfully organized holistic view of developments in policy, clinical and business strategy, patient care and investment.

Pawel Swieboda

Director General

Early Registration Open

Vision

Convening the full value chain to disrupt silos and curate highly interactive, multi-disciplinary, cross-industry, and multi-stakeholder discussions of opportunities, challenges, hurdles and ways forward.

Drive transformational connections, discussion and partnering for startups and growth companies.

Deliver insight, access, engagement and partnering to foster innovation and accelerate value creation.

Contribute to meaningful improvement in healthcare outcomes and positive impact for patients and society.

Get feedback and advice on your business, your objectives and your core challenges from leading innovators, investors and industry leaders in CNS gene therapy.

Why Now?

We are in exciting times for gene therapy for both neuro degeneration and rare neurological diseases, with advances in both fields signaling new opportunities in neuro degeneration and new therapies for rare diseases already reaching patients; often driving by patient led innovation and collaborative co-development.

Investor and industry interest is growing, yet challenges remain that can only be addressed by bringing together the leading translational research, clinicians, patients, entrepreneurs, CEOs and other executives from the leading companies, with relevant therapeutic area and business development heads from big pharma and large biotech,as well as CROs, CMOs and other Partners and Directors heading neuroscience investment at the most active and important investment funds.

Meet the Speakers - Check back for regular updates and additions.

Proudly convening leading speakers and stakeholders from across the sector

José Luís Lanciego

Chair – International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) Pan European
Committee, Head, Laboratory of Gene Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease – CIMA, University of Navarra

Špela Miroševič

President - CTNNB1 Foundation

Antoni Matilla Dueñas

CEO & Co-Founder - Biointaxis

Benjamin Shykind

Associate VP, New Gene Therapeutics and Delivery - Prevail Therapeutics (Eli Lilly)

José María Millán Salvador

Health Research Institute La Fe, Valencia Spain, CIBERER

Maria Luisa Pineda

CEO & Co-Founder - Envisagenics

Raúl Martín-Ruiz

Partner - Ysios Capital

José A. Obeso

Director - Neuroscience Center (CINAC)

Steven Gill

Founder & CSO - Neurochase

Patrick Downey

Senior Director - Neurodegeneration Team - UCB

Pablo Sardi

Global Head, Rare & Neurologic Diseases Therapeutic Area - Sanofi

Erwan Bezard

Chief Executive & Scientific Officer - Motac Neuroscience

Opher Kornfeld

Director, Translational Research and Development - SPARK NS

Adolfo López de Munain

Scientific Director - CIBERned (Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases), & Head of Neurology - Hospital Universitario Donostia

Maria Grazia Biferi

Associate Director, Neuroscience - Spark Therapeutics, Inc.

Yael Weiss

CEO - Mahzi Therapeutics

Thomas M. Kaiser

Chief Scientific Officer - Avicenna Biosciences, Inc.

Stephen Kargotich

Executive Director - Spark NS

José Luis Cabero

Member of the Advisory Board - Biovance Capital

Graham Whyteside

VP, Platform R&D - AskBio

Gurutz
Linazasoro, MD

Founder & Executive President - VIVE bioTECH SL

José Maria Frade

Co-Founder & CSO - TETRANEURON SL

Julen Oyarzabal

Partner & CSO - Columbus Venture Partners

Pascual Sanchez-Juan

CSO - Fundación CIEN

PROGRAM

Please see the program overview here. Gene4Neuro is a stakeholder initiative in progress and the program will be regularly updated. See the final more detailed version by 15 April 2025.

June 3

Welcome Day

Join your fellow Innovators, CEOs, Investors and Industry Leaders for a museum tour of the University of Navarra Museum followed by a terrace reception.

Museum tour - 16:00
Welcome Reception - 17:00

June 4

08:30 - COFFEE & REGISTRATION
09:00 - Welcome & Opening Remarks
- Christian J. Suojanen, founder & CEO - Broadreach Global
- José Luís Lanciego, Head, Laboratory of Gene Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease Head – CIMA, University of Navarra
09:20 - Keynote - Engineering Hope: The Science, Challenges, and Future of Gene Therapy. Pablo Sardi, Global Head, Rare & Neurologic Diseases Therapeutic Area - Sanofi
10:15 - Cambiando el Chip: Culture shift, from researcher or clinician to entrepreneur.
- Erwan Bezard, Chief Executive & Scientific Officer - Motac Neuroscience
- Gurutz Linazasoro, Founder & Executive President - VIVE bioTECH SL
11:00 - COFFEE BREAK
11:30 - Patient led innovation in pediatric rare neurological diseases
- Moderator - Yael Weiss, CEO, Mahzi Therapeutics
- Špela Miroševič, President - CTNNB1 Foundation
12:30 - NETWORKING LUNCH
13:45 - Innovative approaches in gene therapy for neurological diseases
- José Maria Frade, Co-Founder & CSO - TETRANEURON SL
- Antoni Matilla Dueñas, CEO & Co-Founder - Biointaxis
- Maria Grazia Biferi, Associate Director, Neuroscience - Spark Therapeutics, Inc.
14:45 - AI & ML in neurological gene therapy
- Maria Luisa Pineda, CEO & Co-Founder - Envisagenics
- Thomas M. Kaiser, Chief Scientific Officer - Avicenna Biosciences, Inc.
15:45 - COFFEE BREAK
16:30 - Research Clusters initiatives in Neurodegenerative and Rare Diseases
- Adolfo López de Munain, Scientific Director - CIBERned (Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases), & Head of Neurology - Hospital Universitario Donostia
- José María Millán Salvador - Health Research Institute La Fe, Valencia Spain, CIBERER
- Pascual Sanchez-Juan, CSO - Fundacíon CIEN
17:15 - Investor Session - The perspective on investing in gene therapies
- Raúl Martín-Ruiz, Partner - Ysios Capital
- Julen Oyarzabal, Partner & CSO - Columbus Venture Partners
18:00 - End of Day
18:00 - TAPAS & WINE NETWORKING RECEPTION

June 5

08:30 - COFFEE & REGISTRATION
09:00 - Welcome & Opening Remarks
09:15 - Keynote & Discussion Session - Blood Brain Barrier penetration & delivery: Different routes for different purposes.
- Moderator: José Luís Lanciego, Head – Laboratory of Functional Neuroanatomy of the Basal Ganglia, CNS Gene Therapy Program – CIMA, University of Navarra
- Keynote Speakers
  - José A. Obeso, Director - Neuroscience Center (CINAC)
  - Steven Gill, Founder & CSO - Neurochase
10:15 - COFFEE BREAK
11:00 - Philanthropic, collaborative, and co-development approaches to accelerating innovation
- Opher Kornfeld, Director, Translational Research and Development - SPARK NS
- Yael Weiss, CEO - Mahzi Therapeutics
12:00 - Discussion Panel - Engagement & Partnering with Industry
- Benjamin Shykind, Associate VP, New Gene Therapeutics and Delivery - Prevail Therapeutics (Eli Lilly)
- Patrick Downey, Senior Director, Neurodegeneration - UCB
- Graham Whyteside, VP, Platform R&D - AskBio
13:00 - Wrap up remarks and Discussion - End of Conference
13:15 - Transport to Lunch
14:00 - CLOSING LUNCH - WINE PAIRING AT CASTILLO MONJARDÍN

Present

Presenting Companies

Benefit From

Pre-summit guidance and feedback on your deck.

A pre-summit dry-run presentation with feedback.

5 minute presentation followed by 5 minutes Q&A with an expert panel of relevant investors and industry: In the plenary session.

Join a curated selection of the most innovative, promising and high potential companies with potential to transform Gene Therapy for Neuro Degeneration and Rare Neurological Diseases. Selection is by excellence and potential, not by price tag! There is no cost to present beyond the regular startup or private company registration fees.

Your Poster in the networking area.

Meeting space in the main networking area to facilitate additional post presentation discussion in the 45 minute networking break immediately following your presentation session.

2+ Days of sustained engagement with the best network of innovators, investors, industry leaders & decision-makers in CNS neuroscience drug development.

Option to add an exclusive company exhibition stand. There is no requirement to sponsor or exhibit; these exist as separate options each with their own unique range of benefits, however these will not have any impact on the selection of presenting companies.

Apply or Nominate to Pitch

Pitch

Who's Coming

Two days of sustained, interactive discussion, networking and partnering with:

Industry Leaders

Industry decison-makers, Heads of Therapeutic Area, Scouting, Alliance Management, Business Development & Licensing, Strategy & Portfolio from pharma & large biotech.

Key Opinion Leaders

Key Opinion Leaders from research, clinical development & care, strategy, finance, business development, licensing, regulatory, market launch & M&A.

Founders & CEOs

Founders, CEOs & C-Level from the most innovative and hottest CNS neuroscience and gene therapy companies leading innovation & deals in the sector.

Government & NGOs

Public funding bodies, policy makers, public agencies, societies, associations & NGOs in neuroscience, agencies, regulatory bodies.

Investors

Managing Partners & Partners from the most active CNS Neuroscience and gene therapy investing VC funds, Managing Directors & Directors of the leading Corporate Venture, Private Equity and Family Office Funds, Foundations & more.

Patients

A selected group of leading patient driven companies, non profits, foundations, associations and charities focused on the development of novel therapies for patients.

Participants

Venue

Bio-Neuroscience brings together an outstanding mix of leaders and decision-makers in Gene Therapy for Neuro Degeneration and Rare Diseases.

CIMA - Universidad de Navarra
Av. de Pío XII, 55, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain

Gene4Neuro takes place in the Salon de Actos in the Biblioteca Ciencias at CIMA, the University of Navarra, which is an exceptional, dedicated conference hall and networking area. It is spacious, with plenty of networking space and excellent conference facilities, as well as a beautiful view over the the University of Navarra Campus.

Pamplona is a beautiful and historic city which we look forward to showing you following the evening receptions, the end of conference lunch, and the optional post summit social program. The catering will be based on regional and Spanish cuisine, with appropriate vegetarian, gluten free and other options.

The entire venue and setup is well suited for the highly interactive but boutique interactive nature of Gene4Neuro, ideal for discussion, business development and networking.

RECOMMENDED HOTEL.

There are many nice and affordable hotels in Navarra. However for the most convenient access, we recommend the Hotel Blanca de Navarra, which is just across the street from CIMA, where Gene4Neuro will take place.
We have access to special rates for our participants, and a discount code will be shared with you upon registration.

Hotel Blanca de Navarra
Av. de Pío XII, 43, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra
https://www.hotelblancadenavarra.com/

Venue