#BIOSPAIN2026 | 'The greatest impact will come from combining innovative therapeutic modalities with smarter development strategies and data-driven insights'

The rapid evolution of advanced therapies, precision medicine and new therapeutic modalities is opening up unprecedented opportunities to address diseases for which effective treatment options remain limited. At the same time, increasing scientific and technological complexity is creating new challenges across clinical development, analytics, manufacturing, scalability and patient access. These are some of the key issues that will shape the Health track at BIOSPAIN 2026, which will bring together experts to explore the innovations transforming healthcare and the collaborative approaches needed to accelerate their translation into clinical practice.

As sponsor of the Health track, Lonza joins BIOSPAIN 2026 to contribute its expertise in the development and manufacturing of innovative medicines and to foster dialogue across the biotechnology ecosystem. Ahead of the event, we spoke with Alice Harrison, Director, Global Technical & CMC, Analytics at Lonza, about the technologies she believes will have the greatest impact on the future of healthcare, the growing role of AI and data-driven development, the importance of collaboration in bringing increasingly complex therapies to patients, and what Lonza expects from this year's edition of BIOSPAIN.

AseBio. The Health track at BIOSPAIN 2026 will explore some of the major advances transforming biotechnology in healthcare. Which trends or areas of innovation do you believe will have the greatest impact in the coming years?

Alice Harrison. The biotechnology industry continues to make significant progress in addressing increasingly complex diseases, and I believe several areas of innovation will have a major impact in the coming years.

Advanced therapies remain one of the most exciting areas of development. Cell and gene therapies, multispecific antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates and other next-generation biologics are expanding the therapeutic options available to patients and enabling developers to target disease pathways that were previously difficult to address. As these modalities continue to mature, we can expect further advances in both clinical outcomes and the range of diseases that can be treated.

At the same time, I am seeing growing adoption of novel molecular formats beyond traditional monoclonal antibodies. These molecules offer significant therapeutic potential, but they also introduce greater complexity in development, analytics and manufacturing. Success will increasingly depend on the ability to identify and address potential challenges early, ensuring that robust development strategies can be established from the outset.

Another area that will continue to transform the industry is the application of artificial intelligence and data-driven decision making. From molecule design and developability assessments through to process optimization and predictive analytics, these tools have the potential to improve decision quality, reduce development risk and support more efficient pathways to the clinic.

Ultimately, I think the greatest impact will come from combining innovative therapeutic modalities with smarter development strategies and data-driven insights. Together, these advances will help accelerate the delivery of increasingly complex therapies to patients while building confidence throughout the development lifecycle.

AseBio. This year, Lonza is sponsoring the Health track at BIOSPAIN 2026. What motivated your company to support this initiative, and why do you believe it is important to contribute to a forum dedicated to discussing innovation in the life sciences?

Alice Harrison. Lonza's mission is to enable our customers to bring the medicines of tomorrow to patients, and collaboration across the life sciences ecosystem plays a critical role in achieving that goal. BIOSPAIN brings together innovators, biotechnology companies, technology providers, investors and development partners, creating an environment where ideas, expertise and experiences can be shared to help advance new therapies.

As therapeutic modalities become increasingly complex, success depends not only on scientific innovation, but also on effective collaboration across the development lifecycle. Many of the challenges I see facing the industry today, from manufacturability and scalability to analytics and regulatory readiness, are best addressed through partnership and the early exchange of knowledge. Forums such as BIOSPAIN provide valuable opportunities for these discussions and help foster the connections that ultimately support the advancement of innovative medicines.

For Lonza, supporting initiatives such as the Health track are closely aligned with our commitment to enabling biotech innovation. With more than 30 years of experience supporting biologics development and manufacturing, we have worked across a wide range of molecule types and development programs. Participating in events such as BIOSPAIN allows us to share insights and lessons learned, while also engaging with the broader community to better understand emerging challenges and opportunities.

Ultimately, we all share a common objective: accelerating the development of safe and effective therapies for patients. By bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise, events such as BIOSPAIN can help drive the innovation needed to address some of the most important healthcare challenges of the future.

AseBio. Every year, BIOSPAIN brings together companies, research organisations, investors and other key stakeholders from the international biotechnology ecosystem. What opportunities do you expect to find at this year's edition, and what value do you believe an event like BIOSPAIN brings in fostering collaboration and innovation?

Alice Harrison. One of things I believe is the great strength of an event such as BIOSPAIN is its ability to bring together the diverse expertise required to advance innovation in biotechnology. Developing new therapies is an increasingly complex undertaking, and success depends on effective collaboration between innovators, researchers, investors, technology providers and development partners across the broader ecosystem.

For me, BIOSPAIN is an excellent opportunity to engage with both emerging and established companies, learn more about the innovations shaping the future pipeline, and exchange perspectives on the opportunities and challenges facing the industry. Europe has a strong and highly collaborative biotechnology community, and events like this create a valuable environment for building new connections and strengthening existing partnerships.

There is also significant value in sharing experiences and lessons learned across different development programs. Many companies face similar challenges as molecules become more complex, whether related to manufacturability, scalability, analytics or regulatory readiness. Open discussions around these topics can help organizations avoid common pitfalls, make more informed decisions and ultimately progress their programs more efficiently.

Most importantly, collaboration helps ensure that scientific innovation can be translated into therapies that reach patients. While organizations may contribute different expertise and perspectives, we share a common goal of advancing the development of safe and effective medicines. Events such as BIOSPAIN play an important role in fostering the partnerships and knowledge exchange needed to achieve that objective.

AseBio. What message would you like to share with the biotechnology professionals attending BIOSPAIN 2026 who are interested in learning more about Lonza's expertise and capabilities?

Alice Harrison. My message would be that Lonza is committed to helping innovators translate promising science into therapies that can ultimately reach patients. As therapeutic modalities continue to evolve and become increasingly complex, developers need access to the right expertise, technologies and development strategies to navigate challenges efficiently and with confidence.

At Lonza, we have extensive experience supporting a broad range of biologic modalities across the development lifecycle, from early-stage development through clinical and commercial manufacturing. This experience allows us to work alongside our customers to address challenges related to developability, analytics, manufacturing and scale-up, while building a robust foundation for future success.

Partnership is central to our approach. We work with organizations of all sizes, from emerging biotech companies to established pharmaceutical organizations, and most of the customers we support are biotech innovators. We recognize that every program is unique, and we believe that close collaboration and early engagement can help identify potential risks, inform development decisions and create a more efficient path forward.

We are also continually investing in new capabilities and approaches designed to help customers accelerate development timelines. Recent innovations, including our streamlined DNA-to-IND offering for monoclonal antibodies and upcoming solutions focused on increasingly important modalities such as bispecific antibodies, Fc-fusion proteins and high-concentration formulations, reflect our commitment to addressing the evolving needs of the industry.

I would encourage anyone attending BIOSPAIN to engage with us and discuss their programs, objectives and development challenges. Through open dialogue and collaboration, we can explore strategies to help advance innovative therapies more efficiently while building confidence at every stage of development.