The international life-science community gathered this week in Munich for the 16th BioVaria, Europe’s leading showcasing event for breakthrough technologies and start-ups in the field. Organized by 13 top-tier technology transfer organizations, the event serves as a catalyst for forging partnerships between industry and academia to advance transformative innovations into commercial development.

• MHH spin-off Cardior will be taken over for up to EUR 1.025 billion including an upfront payment and additional payments if certain development and commercial milestones are achieved.
• Cardior has pioneered a new approach for the treatment of heart disease by targeting distinctive non-coding RNAs.
• Cardior’s Phase II candidate CDR132L is supported by strong Phase I and preclinical data suggesting the compound is safe and able to achieve cardiac functional improvements.
   

A record number of 40 technology transfer colleagues joined Ascenion’s two-day workshop to connect with peers and to learn about the latest developments in patenting, AI, and structuring deals, spin-offs and equity.

The US company Immusoft has dosed the first subject with its investigational engineered B cell therapy, ISP-001, in a human Phase I clinical trial of mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I).

dentalXrai and Tube Pharmaceuticals were both acquired by international key players in their respective fields. The transactions add new momentum, development and marketing power to the start-ups’ projects.

Ascenion supports spin-offs from their partner institutes on their long-term growth trajectory. Recently, four of our portfolio companies have received different awards and prizes – sincere congratulations!

Through its spin-off program, Helmholtz Enterprise finances the establishment of start-up teams and the implementation of start-up projects in the Helmholtz Association.

Over the years, a strong clinical pipeline has arisen from our partners’ research projects, with the potential to provide enormous benefits for patients. Immerse yourself in all the details in our Annual Review, with selected projects, tips and figures.

On 30 November 2023, Ascenion will host another GO-Bio Information Webinar as part of our BMBF-funded Life Science Digital Hub project.

Beyza Yildiz has been supporting the Controlling team at the Munich head office since September 2023.

The EU-funded AiChemist project aims to provide advanced AI approaches with increased explainability and broad applicability. It brings together key players from academia and industry and includes a structured training program for AI specialists.

Leopard Biosciences GmbH, founded in July, is developing a new diagnostic platform that can detect multiple markers in a single test. The translation of the technology was made possible by funding from the Helmholtz Association.

Our next Life Science Digital Hub workshop will take place on August 24, 2023.

Ten female-led startups competed in the finale of the Female StartAperitivo startup competition. Ascenion’s portfolio company TimeTeller received the most votes in the public ballot for a method to make chemotherapy more effective and less harmful to the patient.

Ascenion's portfolio company OMEICOS has received a significant grant by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (“BMBF”) to co-finance a Phase 2a study evaluating their lead product candidate OMT-28 in Primary Mitochondrial Disease (PMD) patients.

Ankara, Turkey

Cologne, Germany

Munich, Germany

Kiel, Germany