Meneldor aims to create a positive societal impact and to promote ethical behaviour across all our ventures. We want to be valued not only for our investment choices and the drug development achievements of our portfolio companies, but also for how we work.

Integrity, respect and transparency are the foundation of our culture. We build trust by demonstrating ethical business practices and fair treatment of all living beings – within our portfolio companies, across our value chain, and in society.

Meneldor invests in innovative biopharma companies that make healthcare more affordable and improve access to essential and high-unmet-need medicines. On top of all other investment criteria, high ethical standards are a prerequisite for a positive investment decision.

Across Meneldor and our portfolio, we actively encourage and support:

ethical business cultures and responsible leadership; inclusion and diversity; talent development and training; wellbeing and safety of our workforces

Before any medicine can reach patients, it must be proven effective and well tolerated through clinical trials. Regulatory authorities worldwide require robust efficacy and safety data, which still often depend on animal studies – particularly in complex diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders.

We consider the responsible use of animals ethically acceptable in biomedical research and product development where no suitable alternatives exist. We share society’s concern for animal welfare and treat this as a serious responsibility.

We therefore promote strict adherence to high standards of animal care and to the principles of the 3Rs – Reduction, Refinement and Replacement – and we expect our portfolio companies to do the same.

The 3Rs:  

Reduce -  Design studies carefully and use advanced statistics and imaging to minimise the number of animals, while still generating robust, meaningful data.

Refine - Continuously improve housing, care and procedures to reduce stress, pain and discomfort, and provide the best possible conditions for animals.

Replace - Use non-animal methods whenever possible, such as cell and bacterial cultures, computer simulations, mathematical modelling, and microphysiological systems (organ-on-a-chip).

Through our partnership with Tissue Dynamics, we actively integrate cutting-edge organ-on-chip and organoid technologies into our scientific evaluations.

These New Approach Methodologies generate more predictive, human-relevant data and reduce reliance on animal models. Regulatory authorities are increasingly recognizing such methods as sufficient and highly supportive for key safety and efficacy questions, helping us, together with AI tools, to accelerate the development of safer, more effective therapies.