Lipum’s COO brings track record in company building and entrepreneurship
Pernilla Abrahamsson has served as COO at Lipum since 2019 and has since played a key role in the company’s operations. Her background includes a successful exit and several years of experience in product development and as a laboratory engineer.
– One key takeaway is the importance of building a sustainable company for the long term – focusing on patient benefit, a strong team, and a solid foundation, says Pernilla in an interview with BioStock.
Lipum is developing the biological drug candidate SOL-116 for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases. SOL-116 has shown promising results in a phase I trial and is now transitioning into phase II, with a focus on the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
One of the key persons behind this development is Pernilla Abrahamsson, who has been the company’s COO for nearly six years. She began her career as a laboratory engineer at Norrland University Hospital in Umeå, where she identified a way to analyse metabolites on the surface of organs to detect complications during and after surgery – a concept that later formed the basis of her doctoral thesis.
Developed product for organ monitoring
Based on her research, Pernilla founded the medtech company MD Biomedical, where she developed OnZurf Probe – a microdialysis probe for monitoring the surface of organs. The product attracted market interest and led to a acquisition of the company by the publicly listed company Senzime in 2015.
Following the acquisition, Pernilla continued to work on further development and commercialisation of OnZurf Probe at Senzime, where she held roles including Product Development Manager and Director of Sales & Marketing.
Pernilla joined Lipum 2019
After four years at Senzime, Pernilla was recruited in 2019 as COO of Lipum. Since then, she has played a key role in coordinating the company’s operations and projects, driving its progress from preclinical development through phase I, and now into a pivotal next stage: a phase II trial with SOL-116 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
BioStock spoke with Pernilla to gain insight into both Lipum’s development journey and her own career path.
Which of your previous experiences have been particularly valuable in your role as COO at Lipum?
– The experience of founding and running MD Biomedical AB has been invaluable. It gave me hands-on insight into product development and a clear understanding of what it takes to bring a company from idea to commercialisation.
– Working with the OnZurf Probe – from research to market launch – has given me a broad perspective that I apply daily at Lipum. My research background in anesthesiology also helps me understand the medical needs we aim to address.
You have now been COO at Lipum for nearly six years. What has been important in building and structuring the company?
– A key aspect has been creating structure and clarity in all areas of our business. We have built an organisation that is both flexible and stable enough to meet the demands of development. Finding the right partners, for example in manufacturing and clinical trials, is crucial. We always keep the patient’s needs in mind – it is one of the main driving forces behind what we do.
You’ve previously achieved a successful exit in medtech. What lessons do you bring into the potential future exit of Lipum?
– One key takeaway is the importance of building a sustainable company for the long term – focusing on patient benefit, a strong team, and a solid foundation. At Lipum, we continuously work to develop our business in a way that makes it attractive both clinically and commercially. By being transparent with our strategy and progress, we aim to show that what we are building has value – not only for patients but also for future partners, licensees, or owners, should such an opportunity arise.
What would you say are the biggest differences between developing medtech products and pharmaceuticals?
– The timelines and regulatory requirements differ significantly. In medtech, you can often reach the market more quickly, and there is usually room for development even after launch. Drug development is more resource-intensive, with longer timelines, complex clinical trials, and even stricter regulatory demands. It requires a different level of patience and long-term commitment.
Lipum’s drug candidate SOL-116 is now entering phase II for rheumatoid arthritis. What are your expectations based on the phase I results?
– We are very optimistic. The phase I study confirmed a good safety profile, high tolerability, and predictable pharmacokinetics, which is an important first step. It gives us a solid foundation as we now enter phase II, where we can begin evaluating the efficacy in patients with RA. We hope SOL-116 can offer a new treatment option for patients for whom current therapies are ineffective or inadequate.
In addition to planning for phase II, Lipum has other ongoing projects. Can you provide a brief overview of those and their goals?
– In parallel with developing SOL-116 for RA, we are also investigating other inflammatory diseases where the target protein BSSL may play a key role. The goal is to broaden the therapeutic potential of SOL-116 while building a pipeline that reflects our ambition to become a leading player in treating chronic inflammatory diseases.
The content of BioStock’s news and analyses is independent but the work of BioStock is to a certain degree financed by life science companies. The above article concerns a company from which BioStock has received financing.
