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BioVaria Roundtable: What does it Take to Put Ideas into Practice?

In April this year, Removab, an anti-cancer antibody originating from the Helmholtz Zentrum München, obtained EU approval. Together with Ixempra and Gardasil it is the third anti-cancer drug discovered by Helmholtz scientists that is now available to patients. It is the first, however, that has been brought to market by a spin-out in collaboration with an industry partner.

These successes clearly demonstrate what publicly-funded research has to offer. The crucial question is: What does it take to exploit this potential? Can Removab’s story serve as role model for technology transfer in Germany?

Need for innovation
To discuss these questions, Ascenion hosted an expert round table during this year’s BioVaria, held on May 8 in Munich. In their introductory statements, all participants agreed that publicly-funded research is the source of innovation. “At the same time, the biopharmaceutical industry struggles with decreasing productivity and an increasing need for innovative drug candidates, primarily due to patent expiries and cutbacks in early research and development capacities over the last decade”, Claus Kusnierz-Glaz, Senior Manager from PriceWaterhouse Coopers pointed out.

Death valley of drug development
The transfer of promising projects from academia to industry rarely runs smoothly. “This is mainly due to a gap in the value chain between the point in a project where public research usually ends and that at which industrial product development begins,” Christian Stein, CEO of Ascenion explained. “Typically, we want to see some proof of concept,” Manfred Horst, Director Scientific Liaison at MSD, confirmed. “But it is exactly these proof-of-concept studies for which it isextremely difficult to attract public funding,” Horst Lindhofer, main inventor of Removab and CEO of TRION Pharma, continued. TRION therefore entered into a strategic alliance with Fresenius Biotech right after foundation. This early partnership model, however, seems to be the exception proving the rule. For the vast majority of projects, it has been hard to attract a partner and get early development funded. “Yet, the problem is being recognised. Today, we see a range of new tools and infrastructure for translational research being set-up”, Stein commented. The Hanover Center for Translational Medicine, which is currently being established by the Hanover Medical School and partners, provides just one example.

Marketplace for Inventions
Another challenge is the fragmented technology transfer landscape in Germany. Overall, there are some hundred universities and medical schools with relevant life-science activities, plus about as many life-science institutes in the Fraunhofer and Max Planck Societies, and the Helmholtz and Leibniz Associations. But there is no central point of access for industry. “It is almost impossible for us to gather meaningful information about licensing opportunities”, Horst says. That is why Ascenion has initiated BioVaria as the first nation-wide showcasing event for licensable life-science technologies from publicly-funded research. “Nowhere else can the pharmaceutical industry gain such a comprehensive overview of attractive inlicensing opportunities”, Horst continues.

Going Europe
This year, BioVaria was able to broaden the range of participating technology transfer organizations. All four major German public research organizations were present, as well as a number of universities and medical schools, presenting a total of 50 technologies. “The encouraging feedback from research, technology transfer and industry strongly confirms our approach”, Peter Ruile, COO of Ascenion concluded. “We are now considering developing the conference into an international event, with the long-term aim of building a market place for the best European life-science technologies.” 

Meet us:

STS Forum, October 4–6, 2009, Kyoto, Japan

ASTP Fall Seminar, October 29 & 30, 2009, Krakow, Poland

BioEurope, November 2–4, 2009, Vienna, Austria 

Biotech Networkshop, February 24–26, 2010, Schloss Ringberg (Tegernsee), Germany

BioVaria, April 20, 2010, Munich, Germany

News in Brief:

Partnership with nine Leibniz Institutes continued
Following 3 years of collaboration, all the partner institutions of the Leibniz Association decided to continue their cooperation with Ascenion as exclusive marketing partner. more

 
New partner from the Leibniz Association: IfN
Ascenion has also closed a partnership contract with the Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (IfN) in Magdeburg. more

Alliance with TWINCORE 
Ascenion and TWINCORE - Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Hanover, have signed an exclusive collaboration agreement for comprehensive IP asset management support. more

New assistant for Ascenion’s team
Since January this year, Christiane Schwarz has been assisting Ascenion’s management and co-ordinates travel for all her colleagues more

Rights to new ALL-test licensed to Medac
Ascenion has initiated and negotiated a licence agreement on behalf of Hanover Medical School (MHH) providing Medac with exclusive worldwide rights to a diagnostic test that can help guide the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). more

Fast diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases: Licence agreement with Roche Diagnostics
Researchers at the MHH Hospital for Cardiology and Angiology around Prof. Dr Kai C. Wollert have identified growth-differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) as a marker in the blood of cardiac patients more


Novel antibiotic against tuberculosis licensed to Inverness Medical
Ascenion has negotiated the agreement on behalf of an international consortium of patent owners including a Russian inventor, the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology Hans Knöll Institute (HKI) and the Institut Pasteur. more

FZB closes four collaboration contracts 
The FZB - Research Center Borstel - Leibniz Center for Medicine and Biosciences has entered into four alliances with industry: more

DIfE becomes member of the Life Science Foundation
Ascenion’s parent holding, the Life Science Foundation for the Promotion of Science and Research has a new member: the Institute of Human Nutrition (DifE). more

Contact us:

Munich:
T +49 89 318814-0
info(at)ascenion.de

Berlin:
T +49 30 9406 230 -1/-4
berlin(at)ascenion.de

Braunschweig:
T +49 531 6181 2090
braunschweig(at)ascenion.de

Hamburg:
T +49 40 22611 278
habeck(at)ascenion.de

Hanover:
T +49 511 5328 921
cordes(at)ascenion.de

Neuherberg:
T +49 89 3187 2850
scheek(at)ascenion.de

Ascenion GmbH, www.ascenion.de