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Czech i&i Prague and the Polish Medical Innovation Institute join forces to support cutting-edge scientific innovation in the region Iva Machová (i&i Prague) and Jakub Chwiećko (Medical Innovation Institute) during PACTT conference in Poland. Prague/Warsaw, 20 February 2025 – The partnership between i&i Prague and the Polish Medical Innovation Institute (MII) aims to support the commercialization of unique Polish innovations. The companies want to identify biotech projects with the potential to achieve global success and contribute to their development. In the long term, they want to strengthen the links between the Czech Republic and Poland in this field and create a bridge between basic research and its commercial application. i&i Prague is dedicated to helping scientists transform their groundbreaking discoveries into market-ready solutions. The company offers step-by-step guidance to help with the commercialization of innovations, from shaping the scientific idea into a business concept to connecting inventors with top-tier experts in science, law, and industry. With this step, i&i Prague is expanding its activities beyond the borders of the Czech Republic, seeing Poland as a strategic partner. "Until now, we have focused mainly on the Czech environment, which we are trying to co-create and move forward in the long term. Now we are offering our expertise to Poland. We believe that just like in the Czech Republic, we will find unique scientific projects with a high level of innovation. We are ready to help them transform into successful startups and spin-offs," said Iva Machová, Incubation Manager and Regional Manager for Poland at i&i Prague. The Medical Innovation Institute (MII) is a Polish organization dedicated to advancing the commercialization of innovative research in the healthcare sectors. We support scientists and entrepreneurs by offering expert guidance, securing funding, and fostering strategic partnerships to transform innovative ideas into market-ready solutions. MII works closely with both local and international stakeholders, ensuring that innovations are not only successful in the Polish market but also have the potential for global impact. "Cooperation with i&i Prague marks another significant step in our efforts to internationalize Polish scientific projects. With their deep expertise in commercialization, we are confident that, together, we can pave the way for Polish innovations to enter global markets," said Michał Jeska, Chief Growth Officer at Medical Innovation Institute. Contact for journalists: Martin Kovalčík, kovalcik@iniprague.com , +420 777 472 863

We’ll show you what’s new with us here, offer you interesting media outlets that relate to our work, and you can find our press releases here. Our news We help invention grow! Welcome to the News section of i&i Prague – your go-to source for the latest updates straight from our incubator! This is where we keep you informed about everything happening at i&i Prague. Stay up to date with how we are driving innovation and turning scientific discoveries into real-world solutions. Whether you're a researcher, investor, or entrepreneur, this is the place to discover what’s new at i&i Prague. Highlights Interview Jiří Růžička: The Start-up/Spin-off Gives Scientists the Opportunity to Help Shape the Path of Their Discovery Read More Blog i&i Prague Continues to Support Biotech Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Young Talents at Lifbee Academy 2024/25 Read More Press release i&i Prague, ÚHKT and Medirekt Partner Join Forces to Bring an Innovative Sample Preparation Technology to Market Read More Podcast CHEmic podcast with Milan Prasil about how to turn a scientific discovery into a successful start-up/spin-off View More Press release Czech i&i Prague and the Polish Medical Innovation Institute join forces to support cutting-edge scientific innovation in the region Read More Press release Neuron 2024 Award for Bridging Science and Business Goes to SophoMer, s.r.o., a Startup from i&i Prague's Portfolio Read More Other news Nov 23 2024 David Stíbal: We believe a startup is one of the best paths nowadays to develop interesting technologies beyond the academic level Read More Nov 7 2024 i&i Prague and other Prague.bio members participate in a business mission with Czech president in Switzerland Read More Oct 30 2024 Jiří Moos: From the lab to the market: What biotech commercialization looks like from the perspective of an incubator Read More Oct 21 2024 PANC-CKI Consortium led by CasInvent Pharma Secures €4M Eurostars Grant for Pancreatic Cancer Research Read More Sep 24 2024 The Prague.bio Conference 2024 welcomed approximately 300 participants from all over the world Read More Mar 11 2024 This fall Prague will be the stage for a showcase of cutting-edge biotechnologies featuring prominent figures such as ... Read More Now 30, 2024 CasInvent Pharma raises € 1.6 million from i&i Prague and Other Investors to Support the Development of CK1 Inhibitors for ... Read More Now 30, 2023 IOCB Tech Group Successfully Represents the Czech Republic at the Prestigious Biotech Conference BIO-Europe 2023 Read More Apr 25, 2023 The Prague.bio international conference will bring together the best of science and business in Prague Read More Feb 7, 2023 New startup in our portfolio: Sophomer's technology will make immunoassays faster, easier and cheaper Read More Feb 6, 2023 Czech liquid biopsy startup Elphogene comes under full control of one of the founders Read More Earlier News

< Back Martin Kovalčík Communications For almost 13 years, Martin worked as a media coordinator for the respected Czech non-profit organization, People in Need, where he was responsible for the media service for a team of 300 people. Also, he has experience working in several editorial offices. He left his most significant mark at the Metro newspaper, where he worked for over 5 years, the last two as the deputy editor-in-chief.

David Stíbal: We believe a startup is one of the best paths nowadays to develop interesting technologies beyond the academic level How complex is the path to a new drug? Why do licenses for Czech drugs end up abroad? What are the most common issues currently faced by biotech startups? David Stíbal, Vice Director of the biotech incubator and venture builder i&i Prague, s.r.o., reflects on these and other questions related to the commercialization of scientific discoveries. How complex is the path to a new drug today? The path to a new drug is very complex and risky, and in some respects, this is even more true today than it was in the past. For example, if we were to calculate the current cost of developing a new drug from initial trials to the final "pill", statistics show it would approach one billion dollars. This figure includes also the costs of all unsuccessful candidates within the development program, preclinical and clinical experiments, production, marketing, and much more. Pharmaceutical companies then need to recoup this investment from the sales of the drugs that make it all the way to market. What drugs are in the highest demand today? According to the list of the most successful drugs (known as "blockbusters," i.e., drugs that generate at least one billion USD annually) for 2023, the most sought-after drugs are GLP-1 agonists, such as anti-obesity drugs (Ozempic, Mounjaro, etc.), cancer-fighting antibodies (e.g., Keytruda from MSD), immunologic drugs (Humira, Stelara, etc.), or HIV medication, incidentally the one developed by Professor Holý’s team at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry in the late 20th century (Tenofovir alafenamide, marketed by Gilead Sciences). Many licenses for Czech drugs are sold abroad. Is there any way to change that? Licenses are typically sold at an early development stage to larger companies that have the capacity to bring such programs through advanced clinical trials and to market. In our field, this is usually the domain of major pharmaceutical companies capable of bearing the high costs mentioned earlier. The idea of having a drug, invented and developed in the Czech Republic, also manufactured here is certainly appealing. However, until a major pharmaceutical company transfers its R&D or manufacturing facility to the Czech Republic, or until a mid- to large-sized pharmaceutical company emerges here, this scenario is hard to imagine. You support startups focused on developing new drugs or diagnostic methods. Are there any positive trends in this segment in the Czech Republic? Through our work, we see a positive trend, especially in the growing number of startups and the willingness of scientists and university employees to discuss commercialization and consider developing their inventions beyond scientific publications or patents. We’re delighted by this, as we believe a startup is one of the best paths nowadays to develop interesting technologies beyond the academic level. However, it's also worth noting that the startup mentality in the Czech Republic, particularly in our field, is not yet as developed as it is in more advanced countries. What are the biggest challenges these startups face today? The biggest issue, globally, is the current lack of investment capital and, more specifically, the scarcity of investors willing to support new, high-risk projects. This is especially true when compared to the “COVID years” of 2019-2021, when funds were released more readily, with investors supporting projects that could, among other things, respond immediately to the crisis. The situation is different now: investors are more cautious about where they allocate their funds, partly because they are reserving capital to support their existing portfolio companies. A startup may be a suitable path, where scientists and managers can work together to further develop the technology until it is relevant for direct licensing to a larger firm. DAVID STÍBAL VICE DIRECTOR AT i&i PRAGUE What did you think of this year’s Prague.bio Conference? I consider the event a great success. It’s impressive how the Prague.bio association managed to organize a high-quality conference with such a small team. Similar events are held fairly regularly across Europe, some of which i&i Prague likes to attend. However, there are relatively few conferences focused on such early-stage technologies, as was the case with Prague.bio. We were also pleased with the scientifically oriented program and high attendance, which shows that such an event is needed in the Czech Republic and is appreciated by both academic and industry players. Are there any new figures in today’s biomedicine who might follow in Professor Holý's footsteps? Repeating such an achievement will be challenging but not impossible. To make it happen, however, we need to build a more robust infrastructure that can help scientists navigate the very complex process of bringing their ideas to fruition. Our incubator aims to be one of the pieces that form this mosaic. What is the best way to commercialize the results of science and research? The answer to this question depends on how advanced the result is and how well it aligns with the current market needs. If it is possible to directly connect with a larger company and license the result to them, this is a relatively fast way to transfer the technology into practice. If that’s not possible, a startup may be a suitable path, where scientists and managers can work together to further develop the technology until it is relevant for direct licensing to a larger firm. Alternatively, developing the technology all the way to market can also be considered, although this is more of an exception in our field. David Stíbal is the Managing Director of the biotech incubator i&i Prague. He evaluates the business potential of scientific projects, establishes and initially manages startups, and works on the long-term development of projects all the way to their successful commercialization. He completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague, earned a Ph.D. from the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland, and conducted postdoctoral research at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Czech version of the interview was published in Ekonomický magazín . Author: Martin Kovalčík

Meet Our Team Our team benefits from decades of know-how and experiences gathered in academic institutions, technology transfer and industrial companies. Using this knowledge, we are developing a pool of highly potent biotech projects originating in academia and finding commercial partners for them. Jiří Moos CEO, Board of Directors Jiří Moos is the Executive Director at i&i Prague. Read More Iva Machová Project Manager Iva Machová is a Project Manager at i&i Prague. Read More Martin Kovalčík Communications Martin Kovalčík is our Communications Manager. Read More Milan Prášil Chairman, Board of directors Milan Prášil is the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Read More Jiří Růžička Project Manager Jiri Ruzicka is a Project manager at i&i Prague. Read More Simona Šandová Office Manager Simona Šandová is the Office Manager of i&i Prague. Read More David Stíbal Board of Directors, Vice Director David Stíbal is the Vice Director at i&i Prague. Read More Roberto Fernandez Project Manager Roberto Fernandez is a Project manager at i&i Prague. Read More Mikuláš Vargic External Lawyer Mikuláš studied law at Masaryk University Brno and International and European Law at the University of Antwerp. Read More Our Mission We scout and support the growth through discovery, pre-seed or seed phase of the most promising projects with innovative potential in Drug Discovery, Diagnostics, MedTech and other Life Science fields. Our Objective Our ambition is to become a leading partner advancing and promoting game-changing biotech inventions coming from the Central Europe region. Our Team Our team benefits from expertise and experience gathered from IOCB and IOCB Tech. We are developing a pool of highly promising biotech projects originating from academia and finding commercial partners for them. Our background We operate as a private company under the wings of the Czech Academy of Sciences and its Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry (IOCB). From 1994 to 2002, the IOCB was led by Dr. Antonín Holý, whose team invented and developed hugely effective and successful anti-HIV drugs (Truvada, Atripla, Complera, Eviplera). We believe that this is a legacy to build upon and that, with your and our combined expertise, we can make this world a better place and help millions of people.

< Back Alexandr Krajhanzl Board of Directors Alexandr Krajhanzl has been a part of i&i Prague since September 2021. He is also a member of the Board for the Commercialization of Science and Research Results of Charles University Prague. Between 1993 and 2004 he worked in various General Management functions in Cilag, later Janssen-Cilag, Johnson & Johnson. In 2004 as the Regional Director he became responsible for Business Development in EMEA Emerging Markets (80 countries) at Janssen, J&J Pharmaceutical companies. His responsibility changed from 2010 until 2017 when he acted as the Regional Director of New Business Development in the territory covering Europe Mid-Sized Markets. Between 2004 and 2017 he was a member of the Global BD team responsible for L&A and M&A initiatives and projects in Infectious Diseases and Vaccines. During his tenure in this position, he led or participated in numerous global, regional and local L&A and M&A deals. For his contribution, he was rewarded with two Global Standards of Leadership Awards of Johnson & Johnson. Between 2013 and 2019 he also served as the President and Founding Member of Pharma Licensing Group Central and Eastern Europe and Vice-President of the European Pharma Licensing Board. Alexandr completed his Master’s degree in Chemistry at Charles University in Prague. He has received a Ph.D. (CSc.) degree in Biochemistry and worked as a Charles University teacher for almost 11 years at the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science. Should you be interested in a collaboration in the field of drug development, Alexandr will be the right contact whom you can meet. He has been in the world of science and its commercialization for more than 20 years and has an extensive network of contacts among Pharma and Medical Device companies.