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Spinning Innovation
Certus Pharmaceuticals – new shuttles for chemotherapie Certus is the first spin-out from one of Ascenion’s partner institutes to build its new venture in the US. Based in South San Francisco, California, co-founder and CSO Peter Scherrer has already attracted a group of experienced industry managers and drug discovery experts to the Certus Board of Directors. The team has just initiated Certus’ first financing round. “They are perfectly set to exploit the potential of the innovative drug-delivery technologies that were developed at the MDC,” Christian Stein, CEO of Ascenion comments.
“We have carefully evaluated different routes of commercialization – on both sides of the Atlantic – and identified Certus as an ideal licensing partner.” The potential of the technologies is enormous, medically as well as commercially. “Based on our technology platforms, we hope not only to improve the safety and efficacy of chemotherapy for a large group of cancer patients but also to provide the first effective treatment option for patients suffering from liver cancer,” Scherrer comments. Protectimmun - stable dust against hay fever and asthma Protectimmun key facts Protectimmun is the second spin-off from Ascenion’s partner institutions in the Leibniz Association that Ascenion has helped get off the ground – just two years after the partners started to collaborate with regards to IP protection and commercialization. Protectimmun’s business concept is based on international studies demonstrating that children who regularly spent time in farm stables during their first year of life were virtually immune to hay fever and allergic asthma later in life. In light of this, scientists at the FZB and the Ruhr-University Bochum have developed procedures for extracting soluble components from stable dust that can be administered in aerosol form, e.g. as a nose spray. Preclinical testing is ongoing and the team is about to initiate its first financing round. Furthermore, Protectimmun has recently identified the active components in stable dust and has expanded its patent position appropriately. “This further endorses our position in negotiating with investors,” Marion Kauth, CEO of Protectimmun, comments. “And it is an important milestone on our way towards a safe and easily applicable medication that could effectively protect children from developing allergic respiratory diseases.” With its approach, Protectimmun addresses an urgent medical need and an attractive market, since more and more children are suffering from these kinds of allergies.
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Meet us at the forthcoming events: 2008-11-17 to 2008-11-19
2008-11-28 to 2008-11-29
2009-02-10
2009-05-08
Munich: |
