• Finalists were chosen for their entrepreneurial skills and ability to translate scientific ideas into practical applications.
• The winner(s), to be announced on July 3, 2025, will be awarded a cash prize of EUR 100,000.

Munich, Germany, May 27, 2025 – The selection committee has revealed the finalists for this year’s award. The nominated companies and their founders exemplify the outstanding and globally successful leaders emerging from the DACH region’s vibrant life science industry. The award, now in its second year, recognizes founders who are not only pioneering scientific advancements but also demonstrating the determination and perseverance needed to convert innovation into tangible therapeutic benefits.

The award is named after Andreas Strüngmann, M.D., and Thomas Strüngmann, Ph.D., in recognition of their achievements. As founders of Hexal, they attained remarkable entrepreneurial success and further built on this success as forward-thinking investors. The award is a celebration of the next generation of leaders who are transforming groundbreaking ideas into reality.

“We firmly believe in the immense talent within the DACH life science community, and we are dedicated to acknowledging and promoting both innovative concepts and their successful implementation through this award. This year’s finalists highlight the significant scientific and entrepreneurial capabilities within the DACH region. They represent a diverse range of scientific areas, from targeted cancer treatments to regenerative neuroscience and drug resistance. It is inspiring to observe how various approaches can result in meaningful innovation that enhances patients’ lives,” stated Andreas and Thomas Strüngmann.

The award committee has selected the following visionary entrepreneurs for their innovative thinking and talent in converting biomedical research into therapeutic solutions:

Dragan Grabulovski | Philipp Spycher | Isabella Attinger-Toller – Araris Biotech

The founding team of Araris Biotech, consisting of Dragan Grabulovski, Ph.D., CEO, Philipp Spycher, Ph.D., CSO, and Isabella Attinger-Toller, Ph.D., CTO, has developed one of Switzerland’s most successful biotech ventures in recent years. Originating from the Paul Scherrer Institute (part of the ETH domain), the team created a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) linker-payload technology (AraLinQ^TM) that allows for the direct attachment of payloads to readily available antibodies, eliminating the need for prior antibody engineering. Their collaborative leadership and scientific excellence enabled Araris to raise over CHF 40 million, establish strategic partnerships with Chugai (Roche) and Johnson & Johnson, and achieve a significant acquisition by Taiho Pharmaceutical in March 2025 for up to USD 1.14 billion.

Araris Biotech is developing a new class of ADCs that aims to transform targeted cancer therapy and beyond.

Martin E. Schwab | Stefan Moese – NovaGo Therapeutics

Prof. Martin E. Schwab, Ph.D., CSO and co-founder of NovaGo Therapeutics, is a globally recognized neuroscientist whose groundbreaking work on nerve growth inhibition has significantly impacted the field of neuroregeneration. He discovered the protein Nogo-A, a crucial inhibitor of nerve repair in the central nervous system, and translated this discovery into the development of regenerative antibody therapies. Building on decades of research at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, he founded NovaGo in 2015 to advance clinical candidates for patients with spinal cord injuries and related conditions.

Since joining as CEO in 2023, Stefan Moese, Ph.D., has contributed extensive expertise in biologics and translational drug development. Together, he and Martin E. Schwab are spearheading the company’s efforts to translate cutting-edge science into regenerative therapies, with the first candidate entering clinical trials in acute spinal cord injury patients in 2024.

NovaGo Therapeutics is a Swiss biotech company focused on developing antibody-based therapies to stimulate nerve and blood vessel regeneration, with a primary program targeting acute spinal cord injury.

Stefanie Flückiger-Mangual – TOLREMO therapeutics

Stefanie Flückiger-Mangual, Ph.D., founder and CEO of TOLREMO therapeutics, has established a company that is transforming the approach to drug resistance in cancer treatment. Drawing from her academic research at ETH Zurich, she discovered that resistance is often triggered by transcriptional changes, sometimes occurring long before oncogenic mutations emerge. This insight led to the creation of a proprietary screening platform that identified CBP/p300 as an epigenetic master regulator of non-oncogene resistance. Under Stefanie’s leadership, the company has raised over CHF 34 million and advanced its lead program TT125-802, a novel, highly selective CBP/p300 inhibitor, into clinical trials. In the ongoing clinical trial, TT125-802 has demonstrated a best-in-class safety profile and unprecedented monotherapy activity in solid tumors.

TOLREMO therapeutics is pioneering a new, comprehensive strategy to combat cancer drug resistance by targeting transcriptional resistance pathways that operate in parallel with the primary oncogene signaling axis. This represents a unique strategy to address a significant challenge in cancer treatment, with considerable therapeutic potential both as a monotherapy and in combination with targeted therapies.

As the next step in the selection process, a panel of expert judges, including leading entrepreneurial figures and biotechnology investors, will choose the winner(s). The winner will be officially announced on July 3, 2025, and will receive a EUR 100,000 cash prize.

For more information about the award and to stay updated on the latest news, please visit our website: .

About the Strüngmann Award
The award was established in 2024 to recognize outstanding entrepreneurs who are bringing groundbreaking ideas to life in the DACH life science sector. Its purpose is to reward exceptional accomplishments with a prestigious prize and to support the development of the next generation of leaders in this field. The award is named in honor of twin brothers Andreas Strüngmann, M.D., and Thomas Strüngmann, Ph.D., who are recognized as prominent entrepreneurs, visionaries, and investors in the life science industry. As the founders of Hexal, they achieved remarkable entrepreneurial success, and as investors, they have continued to build and develop leading companies across the industry for over 20 years, including Mainz-based BioNTech. Learn more at .

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