Author: biozimmer

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RIANA at BioEurope 2025 in Vienna

From November 3–5, the RIANA team was delighted to participate in BioEurope 2025, hosted this year in our beautiful home city of Vienna.

It was an inspiring few days filled with engaging conversations, valuable new connections, and the opportunity to reconnect with many familiar faces from the biotech community.

A special highlight was Anna’s pitch on Wednesday, where she presented our STAT5 program and introduced RIANA’s current seed investment round.

We’re proud to be part of the vibrant Austrian biotech community, and deeply appreciate the professional and charming organization and support by Life Science Austria – LISA — who made this exceptional event run so smoothly.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to such an energizing and productive conference experience!

The Austrian Biotech Community!
Anna pitching RIANA

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RIANA Therapeutics Wins First Prize at Prague.bio 2025

On September 25, 2025, RIANA Therapeutics took part in the Prague.bio Conference 2025, one of Central and Eastern Europe’s leading events for the biotechnology and life sciences community.

The conference brought together founders, investors, scientists, and innovation leaders from across the region — all sharing a common goal: to strengthen and connect the CEE biotech ecosystem.

We are proud to announce that RIANA Therapeutics was awarded the 1st Prize in the Prague.bio Pitch Competition 🥇, recognizing our innovative work on developing novel STAT5 inhibitors for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Startup Riana Therapeutics wins at Prague.bio Conference with innovative acute leukemia therapy

The event featured outstanding talks from keynote speakers Hannah Nelson, Philipp Kukura, and Wojciech Nowak, and was perfectly moderated by Michala Hergetová, whose enthusiasm and professionalism set a great tone for the day.

We extend our warm congratulations to the other winners, HeartBeat.bio AG and Nanoflexion, and our sincere thanks to the entire Prague.bio team for organizing such a well-curated and inspiring event.

We left Prague energized and deeply motivated by the spirit of collaboration and innovation driving biotech in Central Europe.

We’re already looking forward to BioEquity Europe 2026, which will take place in Prague next May – another great opportunity to strengthen international ties and showcase the potential of our region’s biotech startups.

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RIANA at Krebsforschungslauf 2025

Together we go further!

On Saturday morning, October 4, the RIANA team joined the Krebsforschungslauf (Cancer Research Run) at the Medical University of Vienna.

The weather was perfect, the atmosphere uplifting, and the event beautifully organized by the MedUni Vienna team. We truly enjoyed running together for such a meaningful cause – with every single euro directly supporting cancer research.

We’re keeping our fingers crossed that the organizers will reach their ambitious goal of 30,000 laps around the Altes AKH university campus and the distance run, because if they do, donations will be increased by an additional €17,500!

We are proud to have contributed 26 laps (26 miles) to this year’s total, and even prouder to support the scientists and initiatives advancing cancer research in Austria with our feet, but also our own work at RIANA.

We’ll definitely be back next year, on October 10, 2026, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Krebsforschungslauf!

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RIANA among 20 most innovative start-ups in Austria

Vienna, Nov 9 2024

What an honor! We are proud to share that RIANA Therapeutics has been named one of Austria’s Top 20 Most Innovative Start-ups by Trend. magazine! We’re truly honored by this recognition. A big thank you to the jury for their support and belief in our vision.

Thank you to everyone who’s been part of this journey – our incredible RIANA team, our exceptional partners, and the wider community supporting us in creating a healthier future.

Read the whole article here

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Meet us at the RESI London Conference

Dec 4, 2024 | London, UK

Meet our CBO, Christine Ruckenbauer, in person on December 4 or online afterwards, December 4-5.

The RESI (Redefining Early Stage Investments) event in London is the perfect platform for early-stage biotech startups like RIANA Therapeutics to connect with potential investors, explore funding opportunities, and showcase our innovative approach to advancing cancer therapies.

We look forward to networking with industry leaders and discussing how RIANA’s STAT5 inhibitor program is paving the way for new treatments in oncology. If you’ll be there, we’d love to connect!

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Biotech – Langer Atem, hoher Impact

In a recent article for the Brutkasten magazine RIANA Therapeutics CEO Anna Orlova, Christopher Trummer (Celeris Therapeutics), and Peter Llewellyn-Davies (President Biotech-Austria) discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the biotech industry.

“It is always difficult to explain to people who are not familiar with the life science industry what our challenges are and why we are not yet making sales.” says Anna Orlova.

“Fact is, Biotech is not easy. But it is also a fact that we do something for the health of humanity and that we do it with passion. And the fact is that biotech is one of the most innovative industries in Austria and makes a significant contribution to achieving one of the highest research and development rates in the EU. Austria took third place in the EU, and the trend is rising.”, says Peter Llewellyn-Davies.

Link: Der Brutkasten Magazin

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RIANA at the Vienna Business Run 2024

September 4 2024 | Vienna, Austria

RIANA team had an incredible time running! The energy, teamwork, and camaraderie made it unforgettable. We were proud to send two teams of three this year, and the best part? We improved our results from 2023!

It was a perfect day to step away from the lab, have fun, and strengthen our bond as a team. We’re already planning our next sporty challenges, and I couldn’t be more excited. Huge thanks to everyone at RIANA for creating such a fantastic atmosphere – here’s to more shared adventures!

From left to right: Anna, Dominika, Anna, Tobias, Angela and Christine
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Meet us at BIO-Europe 2024

November 4-11, 2024 | Stockholm, Sweden

We are delighted to announce that RIANAtx will be attending the BIO-EUROPE partnering conference, from November 4th to November 11th in the beauftiful city of Stockholm.

We look forward to presenting our recent data and connecting with leading business executives and early-stage investors in the life sciences and biotech community to foster new and exciting business opportunities!

Photo: (c) Ludwig Schedl, Bio-Europe 2024
Working hard and having fun 🙂 We love our jobs!
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Scientific Advisory Board

Vienna, June 2024. We are pleased to announce the formation of our Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), which includes leading experts in the field of cancer research and small molecule development. This milestone marks a significant step forward in our mission to demonstrate how our platform screening approach for protein-protein interaction inhibitors and our pipeline molecules can improve the lives of cancer patients.

Anna Quattropani, PhD
VP Chemisty Anavo Tx, Expert in medicinal chemistry

Anna brings over 20 years of experience in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery, with a strong track record of advancing clinical candidates through to Phase 2/3. She has invented small molecules for neurodegenerative diseases and reproductive health. Her expertise spans targeted protein degradation, enzyme inhibition, GPCR modulation, and protein-protein interactions across various therapeutic areas. Currently SVP of Chemistry and Non-Clinical Development at Anavo Therapeutics, Anna holds 48 patents in oral and CNS small molecule drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, and synthetic organic chemistry.

Jürgen Moll, PhD
Ex-Boehringer Ingelheim, Expert in cancer drug development

Jürgen is a distinguished expert in cancer research and preclinical drug development, focusing on cancer cell targeting and immuno-oncology with small molecules, antibodies, and nanobodies. He has advanced oncology drugs at big pharma companies like Novartis, Pfizer, and Sanofi, as well as biotech spin-offs. Jürgen has held leadership roles at Sanofi, Boehringer-Ingelheim, and Nerviano Medical Sciences. An international consultant, SAB member, and lecturer, he holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Basel and a degree in Microbiology from the University of Bayreuth.

Peter Nussbaumer, PhD
KHAN/LDC, Expert in medicinal chemistry

Peter has over 30 years of industry experience in drug discovery. Before joining the LDC, he held key roles in medicinal chemistry at Sandoz and Novartis, most recently as Executive Director and Senior Unit Head of Chemistry at Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research. He has managed numerous drug discovery projects and coordinated interdisciplinary and international teams. Peter has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, is a co-inventor on several patents, and holds a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Technology, Vienna.

Prof. Richard Moriggl, PhD
Co-founder, Expert in STAT/JAK Biology

Prof. Moriggl is a leading expert in STAT biology, with significant contributions to understanding STAT3/5 signaling in normal and cancer cells. He was a Professor for Functional Cancer Genomics at Vetmeduni Vienna from 2014 to 2022 and has been a successful PI for 17 years, overseeing personnel, funding, and scientific management. As director of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cancer Research for 14 years, he shaped a successful research program and managed an annual budget of up to €2.5 million.