The CDMO journey is never just operational, it‘s human.
In this 7-question Q&A, Philippe Clavel, CEO of Curapath, shares his reflections on the first half of 2025: what we’ve achieved, what we’ve learned, and what it takes to keep growing while staying grounded in purpose and people.
This interview goes beyond metrics to explore the mindset of a leadership team focused on long-term impact, and why cross-functional collaboration is Curapath’s greatest asset for the future.
For this reason, we are pleased to announce the answer to the 7 most relevant questions regarding Curapath’s mid-year review, what have been the greatest achievements, the greatest challenges, for him, for the team, and for the company.
Question 1:
Looking back at the first half of 2025, if you had to sum it up in one word, what would it be, and why that word?
Answer:
First, I would say 2025 has been very challenging so far. The global environment remains very uncertain. We are facing some major geopolitical challenges which create unpredictable ups and downs for the business, making funding less accessible and slowing down decision making processes across the industry. This has consequences for the biotech and pharma industry in general, with many R&D programs being postponed or cancelled, which impacts the CDMO sector with unpredictable demand, and therefore for our company as well.
On the other hand, I´d like to say that it’s also very exiting from Curapath standpoint. Despite the uncertain context, we keep developing the company and preparing ourselves for the future growth. We are implementing very important changes looking forward for the development of Curapath, which are generating many new and positive dynamics within the organization.
Question 2:
What’s been the most meaningful milestone or moment for Curapath so far this year?
Answer:
Well, I would say two important milestones in June. One was June 19th, which marked the start of a PPQ campaign for our number one customer on the manufacturing of polymer excipient, for a breakthrough therapy to be commercialized in 2027. But I’ll come back to that in a moment.
The second key milestone for us was June 24th, because this is when we launched the new version of our product catalogue. That´s something very important, because, on one hand, it enables many innovators and sponsors to accelerate their developments and boost innovation but it’s also a powerful tool for us, as it helps us to develop collaborations, showcase our capabilities to the market, and ultimately position our company as a leader in our segment, beyond traditional CDMO services.
Question 3:
What’s been the toughest challenge we’ve faced, and what did it reveal about our team?
Answer:
Well, that’s an excellent question. In my opinion, the biggest challenge, has been launching our change program and the continuous improvement, roadmap that we have committed to, including raising the bar on quality as part of our FDA readiness plan.
Change can be very disruptive, and when it happens fast, it puts a lot of pressure on the teams. And I must admit I’ve been, very impressed by how our teams have reacted and how they have demonstrated the dedication and the ability to learn fast through change implementation.
So yes, I’m very proud of all the achievements we made and all the teams in that change management journey.
Question 4:
How do you see Curapath’s positioning evolving as RNA and non-viral delivery continue to gain global traction?
Answer:
We have clearly placed Curapath on the map as a leader and solution provider in non-viral drug delivery across multiple therapeutics areas covering oncology, genetic disorders or infectious diseases. The market potential for Curapath is very significant specifically looking at the number of innovations requiring our technology platforms, including proprietary enabling technologies that we bring to the market which position Curapath as more than “just a CDMO”.
We can mention, for instance, some innovations like our PEG replacement products as well as the proprietary formulations that we develop with some of our partners to provide flexible alternative to innovators. We are also advancing in the chemical modification of lipids, enabling us to decorate lipid nanoparticles to do active targeting, which is becoming a key topic in the field.
Curapath is clearly a front-runner here, offering technical solutions to both biotech and pharma sponsors. So yes, we’re truly at the forefront of this transformation and actively accelerating our efforts to be ready for the next wave of growth.
Question 5:
Has there been a team win or behind-the-scenes moments this year that made you especially proud as a CEO?
Answer:
Well, there’s one thing in particular that has made me really proud of the team lately. We have just signed a scope of work with a biotech company based in Northern Europe. And you know, when you sign a scope of work, it’s like the tip of the iceberg, you see the final contract, and you celebrate the signature and the start of the project.
But what has been very impressive is the dedication of the team over the past 15 months. It took that long to fine tune discussions with the customer, customize the offer, all in the context I mentioned earlier: a very uncertain environment, with funding challenges for our customer. We had to work really hard from the first presentation to the final financial engineering to make it happen.
And I must say, we also had a world-class commitment from our business development team by showing responsiveness and listening skills in order, as I said, to customize the offer and make it the right offer for our customer to move on with us.
The project will kick off in the next few weeks. It’s a very challenging project scientifically, and we are very excited and proud to be part of this breakthrough innovation in oncology.
Question 6:
As we step into the second half of the year, (including Curapath’s transition into PPQ and other key milestones) what are the top priorities you see shaping our path forward? Both for us and for the broader RNA/non-viral delivery field?
Answer:
PPQ campaigns are, in a way, the gateway to commercial supply and to being further recognized by the market as a GMP manufacturer for late-stage development and commercial projects, in polymer and lipid excipients. As a consequence, it’s a must-succeed milestone.
We are going through a PPQ campaign that started in June, with our number one customer. But we have another set of PPQ campaigns coming up in July, which means those months are critical for us, but also a source of motivation and high focus for the teams towards this strategic objective. .
Beyond that, from the business perspective, we must continue the journey we’ve engaged the company on, over the past few years, meaning continuing to work on a more robust portfolio of projects and customers. Specifically, in the very uncertain context I described before, it’s crucial for us to work with more resilient partners. For instance, we are progressing in the development of a portfolio of customers within big pharma companies, and that is also very important for Curapath. It shows that our
offering makes a lot of sense for broad spectrum of players: from innovating biotech to big pharma companies.
One additional important point looking forward this year: for the first time, we are organizing our own conference in Valencia, called NanoThera, from the 8th to the 10th of September. This is a very important initiative for Curapath, as it represents our contribution to the field, bringing together experts from the industry and the scientific and academic communities. It’s our way to share innovations, discuss ideas, and help our segment in non-viral drug delivery grow in line with evolving customer needs.
Last but not least, we are looking forward to customers moving towards late-stage clinical development and commercial launch, using these technology platforms. Because as a CDMO, the success of our customers is our success. That’s why we’re increasingly focused on fostering long-term collaborations with innovators bringing non-viral delivery systems to market.
Question 7:
If you could leave a message for our partners, clients or team as we hit the halfway point of 2025, what would it be?
Answer:
We are going through challenging and difficult times, and during tough times, you need clarity.
At Curapath, we are very clear about our values: care, resilience, and resolution. And that’s not only how we run the company, it’s also how we manage our relationships with our partners and suppliers.
We’re always caring, always focused on solving problems, and always pushing to bring innovation, all for the benefit of our customers, the success of their projects, and ultimately, for patients.
Thank you.
