WuXi Night in Lisbon: A Spirit of Connection Shapes Biotech’s Next Chapter

For centuries, Lisbon stood as a point of departure. Against the backdrop of the Tagus River, ships and ideas traveled outward across the ocean, connecting distant parts of the world.

This week, that same spirit of connection felt just as relevant across the global life sciences ecosystem. Alongside BIO-Europe Spring 2026, WuXi AppTec hosted WuXi Night in Lisbon, bringing together biotech entrepreneurs, investors, and pharmaceutical leaders from across Europe and beyond.

The gathering continues a tradition: creating a space to look beyond day-to-day operations, offering a moment to reflect on why we are here and what drives our work, and drawing inspiration from one another. At its core, it reflects a shared purpose across the industry: Advancing Breakthroughs For Patients.

An Industry That Endures

At WuXi Night in Lisbon, four experienced investors reinforced an optimistic outlook for biotech.

Dr. Stephan Christgau, Founding Partner of Eir Ventures, highlighted the resilience embedded in the sector. “There is still a fundamental need to develop new drugs. There’s a lot of unmet medical need, and innovation continues,” he said. “It’s easy to focus on the dark clouds, but we should also look at the silver lining.”

“This community is defined by people who don’t give up,” said Dr. Hubert Birner, Managing Partner of TVM Capital Life Science, echoing a message of resilience. “Over the years, we’ve seen downturns and recoveries. What stands out is the collaboration between entrepreneurs, investors, service providers, and pharma. That spirit is what we need to keep alive.”

Dr. Willem Broekaert, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of V-Bio Ventures, offered a metaphor capturing the essence of global collaboration. “Think of our industry as a dinner table,” he said. “Decades ago, there were only a few guests. Today, many more have joined.” While some may worry about a smaller share of the “meal,” he offered a different perspective: “More guests also bring more food. The opportunity is to share, to collaborate, and to learn from each other’s ‘cuisine.’”

Dr. Claudio Costa-Neto, Chief Scientific Officer of Jeito Capital, brought the discussion back to patients. “Being patient-driven means accelerating development so therapies reach people in time,” he said. “That requires capital, but also the right catalysts—teams, expertise, and collaboration across the value chain.”

Through the ability to anticipate challenges, integrate capabilities, and accelerate the path from idea to execution, WuXi AppTec helps build resilience with “WuXi Speed”, even in the most demanding environments.

A Convergence of Momentum

If the first theme of the evening was resilience, the second was momentum.

Europe has excellent science. The challenge is to match that with execution and investment, so the industry can translate it into medicines as quickly as possible.

Grounded in Europe’s scientific strength and increasingly supported by renewed capital, industry leaders pointed to a new generation of companies advancing under tighter conditions, where discipline and creativity are becoming defining traits.

That shift was visible in the room. Among nearly 300 guests attending WuXi Night in Lisbon, many represented companies at the forefront of innovation that had secured financing in the past six months. FoRx Therapeutics raised $50 million to develop PARG inhibitors for cancer; Aerska secured $60 million to advance RNA medicines for CNS diseases; MRM Health raised $55 million to progress microbiome-based therapeutics for inflammatory conditions…

These companies span diverse modalities and disease areas, reflecting a gradual return of investor confidence and a growing pipeline of innovation. It also captured a broader dynamic echoed throughout the evening: when science, capital, and partnership converge, when different segments connect, and when established players shake hands, momentum follows.

Enabling Through Integrated Platform

If resilience defines the industry and momentum signals its direction, the next question becomes execution: how to translate science and capital into medicines at speed.

Guided by its vision that “every drug can be made, and every disease can be treated,” WuXi AppTec has spent more than two decades building an end-to-end platform to support that transition: evolving from a single laboratory into a global network spanning Asia, Europe, and North America, and from early chemistry services into an integrated CRDMO platform that connects Research, Development, and Manufacturing. The company’s growth reflects a single focus: enabling innovation to move forward, with speed, scale, and greater certainty.

“We’ve all seen the growth of biotech,” said Dr. Dave Madge, VP of WuXi AppTec. “From early academic discoveries to venture-backed startups and established pharma, all of those strategies are represented here. And we’re very grateful to work with you across the whole landscape—from early discovery through to commercial manufacturing.”

As more European companies advance into development, the need for local capabilities has become increasingly clear. 

WuXi AppTec has invested in Europe for many years. In 2016, Crelux, a drug discovery services company based in Munich, Germany, became a subsidiary of WuXi AppTec. Over the past decade, the Munich site has grown from just a few dozen employees to more than one hundred.

Approximately five years ago, the Couvet site in Switzerland became part of WuXi AppTec’s CRDMO network, providing high-quality drug product manufacturing services to customers in Europe and around the world. Through continued capacity expansion, the site’s oral dosage form packaging capacity doubled in 2024, and a new spray drying facility is expected to become operational in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Last year, WuXi AppTec announced that Munich will serve as the company’s European headquarters to better support hundreds of customers in Europe. 

Dr. Thomas Meins, Managing Director at Crelux, a WuXi AppTec company in Munich, pointed to the company’s long-term commitment to Europe. “We joined WuXi AppTec 10 years ago. Since then, we have been building a research and supply chain that is close to European companies,” he said. “As programs progress, you will find qualified teams in Europe to support studies and manufacturing locally.”

This approach reflects WuXi AppTec’s role in the ecosystem: integrating global platforms with localized delivery, enabling companies to scale efficiently and without fragmentation.

Progress, Together

If one message carried through the evening in Lisbon, it was this: resilience sustains the industry, momentum moves it forward, and collaboration makes progress possible.

For Dr. Hui Cai, VP of WuXi AppTec and host of WuXi Night, that progress is best understood through partnership. “Just this morning, we reported record financial results. In 2025, WuXi AppTec achieved record performance with strong growth, demonstrating the strength of our unique CRDMO business model and the exceptional execution of our global team.” she said. “We’re deeply grateful for everyone’s support—that’s what made us where we are today.”

More importantly, she added, “every service we provide, every success we achieve means we are helping to bring medicines closer to patients. That reflects not only the strength of our platform, but the trust and collaboration from all of you.”

“Progress is never a straight line. It can only be made collectively.” Hui concluded, “We have seen the industry go through many ups and downs, but one thing always holds true: stay persistent, and stay optimistic.” 

That sense of shared achievement and shared responsibility echoed across the room. In a year shaped by both challenges and recovery, the industry continues to adapt, to persevere, and to move forward—together.