Oxolife's CEO Agnès Arbat receives prestigious EU Women Innovators Prize

BARCELONA, Spain, April 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Oxolife, the female fertility biotech focused on increasing live birth rates by enhancing embryo implantation in women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) fertility treatment, today announces that Agnès Arbat, its Chief Executive Officer, has been awarded the prestigious EU Women Innovators Prize at the European Innovation Council (EIC) Summit on the 3^rd of April 2025 in Brussels, Belgium.

The EU Women Innovators Prize is open to women founders and co-founders from across the EU and countries associated to Horizon Europe, who have founded a successful company and brought innovation to the market. As part of the prize, Agnès has been awarded €100,000.

Agnès Arbat, Chief Executive Officer, Oxolife, said: "I am deeply honoured to receive this award among such an inspiring group of women innovators who are pushing boundaries and making a real impact. At Oxolife we are advancing our lead candidate to improve fertility, an area that is very close to my heart, so this recognition is especially rewarding. I am incredibly grateful to my dedicated team at Oxolife, as well as our advisors, investors, and supporters. This achievement is a testament to the strength and commitment of our entire biotech family."

Sara Secall, General Partner, Inveready "This is a well-deserved recognition for Agnès and the entire team at Oxolife. Women's health remains a significantly underserved area in medicine, and it's vital that we continue advancing solutions in this space. Agnès' dedication to developing better fertility treatments is making a real difference, and this award is a testament to her vision, leadership, and unwavering commitment to improving care for women."

With over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Agnès has been responsible for the clinical development and management of Oxolife since its founding in 2013. Previously, she led the Women's Health and Cardiovascular medical team at Bayer and worked in Medical Affairs in Women's Health at Organon. Agnès has played a key role in over 20 clinical studies in women's health and has contributed to the launch of more than 10 new products or indications, including Xarelto, Nexplanon, and Ventavis. Agnès holds a medical degree from the Autonomous University of Barcelona with a specialty in Clinical Pharmacology and completed a General Management Programme at IESE Business School. She is a guest professor & mentor for the Master's in Pharmaceutical Industry and Biotechnology at UPF and UIC.

Oxolife's lead candidate, OXO-001, is a first-in-class non-hormonal drug that acts directly on the endometrium to enhance and improve the embryo implantation process, a breakthrough innovation in reproductive medicine. A single-to-take oral tablet, OXO-001 has demonstrated its effectiveness in increasing embryo implantation, pregnancy, and live birth rates among infertile women who are undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

OXO-001 has successfully completed Phase 2 studies for its initial indication in embryo implantation and is ready to enter Phase 2 trials for a second indication, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), where it has shown promise in restoring ovulation and improving fertility.

About Oxolife

Oxolife is a specialist biotech focused on female fertility. Its lead compound is an easy to administer, non-hormonal, oral tablet that addresses two indications; its lead programme is embryo implantation, a major factor in improving pregnancy success rates; a secondary indication is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome ("PCOS"), where it recovers ovulation and fertility. Its lead indication in embryo implantation has completed phase 2 studies, while its PCOS indication is on track for Phase 2 trials. With the global infertility market growing at 4.5% a year, due to later pregnancies, obesity, smoking and alcohol, 76m women a year are affected, with an expected market value of $45.4bn in 2029. Oxolife is currently fundraising to accelerate the progress of OXO-001, its lead programme, through the clinic and is also exploring potential partnerships to bring the benefits of OXO-001 to patients as rapidly as possible, to address the growing global decline in fertility rates worldwide. https://oxolife.com/

About the European Prize for Women Innovators

Since 2023, the European Prize for Women Innovators has been managed by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) and the European Institute for Innovation & Technology (EIT). The prize acknowledges the invaluable role of women in driving transformative change and fostering innovation-driven growth in the European Union.

Over the years, more than 30 women innovators and entrepreneurs have been recognised, with over 100 shortlisted for the final, serving as role models, breaking barriers and reshaping the narrative on women's leadership.