Yves Decadt has amassed more than 20 years of experience within the global pharmaceutical industry after working at a number of high-profile firms. His 18 years at Johnson & Johnson brought him experience of several different roles and international markets, while his time as CEO of Stragen gave him insight into a diverse portfolio of pharmaceutical products.

Driven by a desire to make medical history, Decadt co-founded and became CEO of his own company, BioLingus, in 2013. In the years since, he has pioneered a new method of stabilising biological treatments – a technique that has provided numerous advantages.

Currently, Decadt and his company are focused on using sublingual delivery – essentially, a tablet that is placed under the tongue – to administer biological molecules. Previously, these types of treatments needed to be injected, as human bodies are designed to degrade the proteins commonly used to cure a range of conditions. Sublingual delivery makes the administration of drugs simpler, without compromising success rates. The treatments can be stored at room temperature, which makes them extremely useful in developing countries where refrigerated supply chains are not always practical. They also help to lower the risk of infections resulting from needle handling.

Decadt’s personal interest in medicine is certainly long held: the BioLingus CEO holds a master’s degree in bioengineering from Ghent University, plus another in pharmacology and pharmaceutical medicine from the Free University of Brussels. However, much of the inspiration for his company’s products comes from nature, not the world of academia.

Sublingual treatments mimic some aspects of lotus flower seeds, where existing proteins can remain bioactive for more than 1,000 years. Even in the fast-changing world of biotech, stability is clearly the order of the day. As BioLingus’ CEO, Decadt ensures this remains the focus for the company.