As a sponsor of RESI JPM, Novotech joined the RESI community during JPM Week to engage with emerging biotech companies at pivotal stages of development. Marina Mullins, VP of Early Clinical Development at Novotech, shared insight into the company’s biotech-focused model, global execution strategy, and evolving approach to early-phase clinical development. 

Marina Mullins

Caitlin Dolegowski

Caitlin Dolegowski (CD): Can you briefly describe Novotech’s mission and core capabilities as a global CRO and scientific advisory partner? 

Marina Mullins(MM) : Novotech is a global full-service clinical research organization and scientific advisory partner focused on accelerating the development of innovative therapeutics for biotech and small- to mid-sized pharmaceutical companies. The company provides integrated clinical trial services across Phase I–IV, with particular strength in early clinical development, regulatory strategy, medical oversight, biometrics, and operational execution. 

With offices across Asia-Pacific, North America, and Europe, and long-standing site partnerships globally, Novotech combines regional expertise with global coordination to support sponsors from preclinical planning through proof-of-concept and beyond. Its model integrates scientific advisory and operational delivery, enabling sponsors to move efficiently from strategy to execution. 

CD: What differentiates Novotech from other CROs in terms of clinical execution, expertise, or client support? 

MM: Novotech differentiates itself through a biotech-centric approach and deep regional execution expertise. Rather than operating as a transactional service provider, the company works as a strategic partner, aligning development strategy with operational planning from the outset. 

Key differentiators include strong early-phase capabilities, particularly in first-in-human and proof-of-concept studies; deep regulatory and operational experience across high-performance regions such as Australia, Asia, and North America; therapeutic expertise spanning oncology, infectious diseases, obesity, CNS, endocrine, rare diseases, and emerging modalities; and a partnership model designed to provide agility, senior oversight, and milestone-aligned execution. 

This integrated structure allows sponsors to make data-driven decisions while maintaining timeline discipline and regulatory alignment. 

CD: How does Novotech’s global footprint support biotech and pharma companies as they advance clinical development? 

MM: Novotech’s global presence enables sponsors to strategically select development regions based on speed, regulatory pathway, patient access, and capital efficiency. 

For example, Australia offers an established regulatory framework that allows certain first-in-human studies to proceed under the Clinical Trial Notification scheme without requiring an Investigational New Drug submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This can provide an efficient pathway to first patient while maintaining internationally recognized ethical and regulatory standards. 

At the same time, Novotech’s footprint across Asia, North America, and Europe supports seamless program expansion into multi-regional trials. Sponsors benefit from consistent governance, harmonized data standards, and coordinated regulatory strategy as programs advance. 

CD: As a sponsor of RESI during JPM Week, what were your key objectives for participating this year? 

MM: Novotech’s objectives were centered on early engagement and strategic dialogue. The company aimed to connect with emerging biotech companies preparing for first-in-human or proof-of-concept studies, provide guidance on early development strategy and regulatory pathways, explore long-term partnerships beyond single studies, and support investor-backed companies in aligning clinical milestones with financing objectives. 

RESI provided a focused environment to engage with innovative sponsors at critical inflection points in development. 

CD: Who is Novotech most interested in connecting with? 

MM: Novotech is particularly interested in engaging with early- to mid-stage biotech companies transitioning from preclinical to first-in-human studies, and companies seeking an integrated CRO partner that combines regulatory advisory, scientific strategy, and operational execution. The emphasis is on building strategic relationships with sponsors who value early alignment between scientific design, regulatory positioning, and clinical operations. 

CD: Are there particular trends in early clinical development shaping Novotech’s ECD strategy? 

MM: Regulators are placing greater emphasis on optimized dose selection and robust early-phase data packages, increasing the use of adaptive designs, expansion cohorts, and integrated pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modeling in first-in-human studies. 

There is also growing strategic use of healthy volunteer studies, where scientifically appropriate, to better characterize safety, pharmacokinetics, and target engagement before patient expansion. This can reduce downstream risk and improve capital efficiency. 

Biotech sponsors are under pressure to generate milestone-defining data efficiently. As a result, early programs increasingly incorporate translational biomarkers, seamless SAD and MAD structures, and optional proof-of-concept expansion pathways within unified protocol frameworks. 

Together, these trends reinforce a shift toward positioning early clinical development as a strategic foundation for the entire program lifecycle. 

Interested in sponsoring an upcoming RESI conference? 

To explore sponsorship opportunities, please contact resi@lifesciencenation.com. Life Science Nation would welcome the opportunity to meet and discuss organizational goals for connecting with the global RESI investor and innovator community.

VerImmune is an emerging biotechnology company advancing a novel virus-inspired platform designed to redirect the body’s existing immune memory toward hard-to-treat diseases. The company participated in RESI JPM as part of the Enterprise Singapore delegation, reflecting Singapore’s growing role as a global hub for biomedical innovation and cross-border collaboration. In this conversation, Founder & CEO Joshua Wang shares insights into VerImmune’s scientific approach, clinical ambitions, and momentum following recognition as an Innovator’s Pitch Challenge (IPC) winner. 

Joshua Wang

Caitlin Dolegowski

Caitlin Dolegowski (CD): For readers who are just discovering VerImmune, how do you describe the company and its scientific focus? 

Joshua Wang (JW): VerImmune is an IND-enabling stage biotechnology company leveraging the natural architecture of viruses to create a self-assembling Virus-inspired Particle (ViP™) platform for targeted therapeutic delivery of diverse payloads for oncology, autoimmunity, and animal health indications

VerImmune’s lead ViP program, VERI-101, is pioneering a new First-in-Class immuno-oncology paradigm that repurposes existing CMV-specific T-cell memory cells (present in ~85% of adults globally) to recognize and eliminate solid and metastatic tumors in a tumor-type-agnostic manner, either as a monotherapy or in combination with existing standards of care.

CD: What unmet medical need are you targeting, and how does your platform or approach differentiate you in the immunology landscape? 

JW: Despite recent blockbuster innovations like checkpoint inhibitors (PD-1/PD-L1) , antibody drug-conjugates and radioligand therapies, resistance to these treatments and other standards-of-care becomes inevitable and cancer recurs. This inevitably creates a large population of post-failure patients with limited to no options.
Hence, the biggest unmet need in oncology remains dealing with such cancer resistance and recurrence.

VerImmune has discovered that within these patient populations, regardless of previous treatment, most patients still retain a robust immunity to viruses.

VerImmune targets this preserved anti-viral immune memory and repurposes it against tumors, bypassing previous mechanisms of immune or genetic resistance.

Since all patients have pre-existing viral immunity (e.g to CMV which is what VERI-101 targets), VerImmune’ s approach represents a distinct and potentially category-defining modality in immuno-oncology, with clear strategic and partnering value in the post-failure setting and most importantly, giving patients one more shot at a treatment opportunity!

CD: What was your experience participating in the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge at RESI JPM? 

JW: As part of the Enterprise Singapore startup delegation from Singapore, participating at the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge at JPM RESI 2026 was a high-impact international opportunity as it occurred alongside 90+ other companies from around the world in a forum with concentrated investor and partner visibility. We were truly honored to win 2nd place which provides further external validation of our science, platform, and commercialization strategy before a global audience.

CD: With so many strong companies presenting, what feedback or reactions stood out to you from judges or attendees? 

JW: Despite a challenging biotech financing environment, which does not favor highly novel new mechanisms and approaches, we were encouraged that judges and attendees acknowledge the strategic logic that the post-PD1/ADC/RLT failure population still retains active anti-viral immunity. They highlighted the novelty of redirecting intact, non-exhausted viral immune memory rather than attempting to generate new anti-tumor immunity or introduce another small-molecule payload, viewing it as a differentiated and refreshing timely approach.

CD: How has RESI JPM helped advance investors, partners, or industry conversations for VerImmune? 

JW: Yes, being recognized as a winner has amplified the visibility of VerImmune’s approach and strengthened its perceived credibility. It has led to increased inbound interest from investors seeking to learn more, rather than relying primarily on outbound outreach.

CD: Where does the company currently stand in terms of funding, partnerships, or key development stages? 

JW: We are currently at the IND-enabling stage whereby we have already had a successful pre-IND meeting with the FDA which confirmed alignment on our planned GLP Toxicology studies and CMC manufacturing scale up to GMP clinical material. We are currently working to build up a syndicate to raise our Series A to close this financing which will advance our lead ViP program- VERI-101 into first-in-human clinical trials.

CD: What milestones or inflection points are most important for VerImmune in the coming months? 

JW: A key milestone is completing our Series A, which will enable full execution of our ongoing IND-enabling activities and transition VerImmune into a clinical-stage company with VERI-101 advancing into first-in-human studies.

The deadline to apply for the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge at RESI Europe has been extended to February 23. Applicants are encouraged to act quickly, as submissions are reviewed on a rolling basis.