Biotop-report 2012

BioTOPics 44 | May 2012 

 Industry 

BioTOP-Report 

demand for sciFLEXARRAYER dispenser machines and microar-

rays manufactured by Scienion. 

Silence Therapeutics plc, a leading RNA interference (RNAi) 

therapeutics company, announced that it has entered into an 

agreement with Mirna Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical 

company pioneering microRNA-based therapeutics for cancer, to 

assess the delivery capabilities of Silence’s proprietary AtuPLEX™ 

and DBTC delivery systems for Mirna’s novel microRNAs. Under 

the terms of the agreement, Mirna will provide Silence with spe-

cific miRNA sequences, which Silence will formulate with its Atu-

PLEX™ and DBTC delivery systems in order to develop multiple 

candidate drugs.

Companies working on the development of innovative 

medicines achieved important milestones in 2011:

MOLOGEN AG, which specialises in the research and development 

of innovative medicines based on DNA structures, fully achieved 

the primary study targets ahead of schedule in the Phase I/II clini-

cal study on their kidney cancer medicine MGN1601, which has 

shown a significant survival benefit for patients. At the same time, 

the approval-relevant Phase II/III study on the intestinal cancer 

medicine MGN1703 is also progressing. It is the most developed 

product in the MOLOGEN AG pipeline. The DNA immune modula-

tor MGN1703 will now be clinically tested for treating advanced 

lung cancer.

Innovation for better health.  Our  commitment  is  to  bring  to 

patients  around  the  world  quality  medicines  for  use  in  diag­

nosing, combating and preventing disease. Every day we work 

against time, researching new pathways, new molecules, new 

technologies – complementing our own capabilities with exper­

tise of innovative partners from science and industry. 

The  success  of  this  work  is  evidenced  in  new  med i cines  for 

areas  with  significant  unmet  medical  need  such  as  oncology, 

cardiovascular and blood diseases, as well as gynecology and 

ophthalmology. Our aim is a better quality of life for all.

You need commitment, focus and passion to find new ways to 

fight the diseases of this world: innovation is at the heart of it.

www.bayerhealthcare.com

www.bayerpharma.com

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BioTOPics 44 | May 2012 

BioTOP-Report

 Industry 

The product portfolio of Glycotope, a global leader in optimiz-

ing the glycosylation of biopharmaceuticals, now encompasses a 

variety of antibodies and non-antibody biologics, 4 of which are 

currently in the clinical stage. This pipeline includes antibodies 

against novel targets for cancer therapy (e.g. GT-MAB 2.5-GEX™) 

and significantly improved versions of antibodies as well as other 

already marketed therapeutic proteins, so called Biobetters.

NOXXON Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the 

development of a new class of proprietary therapeutics called 

Spiegelmers has a diversified portfolio of clinical stage Spie-

gelmer therapeutics. For instance, Spiegelmer

®

 NOX-E36 targets 

the pro-inflammatory chemokine MCP-1 (CCL2) which is impli-

cated in diabetic complications including nephropathy. NOX-E36 

is currently completing a Phase Ib study in healthy subjects and 

diabetics, and a Phase IIa diabetic nephropathy study is currently 

in preparation. Spiegelmer

®

 NOX-A12 targets SDF-1 (CXCL12), a 

chemokine mediator of tumour invasion, metastasis and resis-

tance to chemotherapy, and has completed Phase I and Phase IIa 

studies in two haematological oncology indications have recently 

been started. 

In recent years there were a number of acquisitions, such as the 

take-over of the diagnostics company B.R.A.H.M.S by Thermo 

Fisher Scientific, but 2011 was exceptionally quiet in this re-

spect and no significant take-overs were recorded. Looking back, 

one can conclude that the more than 15 take-overs in the past 

few years have on the whole strengthened the affected compa-

nies, which have strategically benefited from them. Overall, the 

regional industry is in very good shape and developing with great 

dynamism. In view of the changing situation in the pharmaceu-

ticals industry, which is characterised by increased outsourcing 

and personalised therapeutic concepts, the biotech companies 

in Berlin-Brandenburg are well placed for the challenges of the 

future. 

Pharmaceutical Industry in the Capital Region

Major global corporations are located in the German Capital Re-

gion:  Bayer Pharma AG,  Berlin-Chemie  AG,  Pfizer Deutsch-

land GmbH and Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH. They are 

joined by more than 20 mid-sized pharmaceutical companies, 

including several international market leaders. For example: 

Bausch + Lomb – Dr. Mann, the world’s leading manufacturer 

of ophthalmic medicines. In 2011 sales revenues of more than 5 

billion Euros were generated by the pharmaceutical products of 

24 Berlin-based companies. The German capital’s pharmaceutical 

industry is growing strongly and creating modern jobs. It already 

employs some 10,000 people in the region, thereby providing 

about one in ten of all jobs in the city’s manufacturing sector. 

The Japanese pharmaceutical corporation Takeda is the most re-

cent arrival, having relocated its German distribution units from 

Aachen and Konstanz to Berlin.

In the Capital Region, innovation meets tradition – this is the 

formula that underpins the sustained success of the region's 

pharmaceutical industry. The tradition has a long history. Since 

the middle of the 19th century, manufacturing companies have 

produced medicinal products here, and some of those erstwhile 

Employees in Biotech SMEs

Employment rose to 4.068 in 2011. The number of companies went up to 215, 

reflecting the arrival of 17 companies and 2 departures. (Source: Internal survey, 

BioTOP database, 215 companies questioned, February 2012)

 4000

 3500

 3000

 2500

 2000

 1500

 1000

 500

 0

02 

03 

04 

05 

06 

07

08

09

10

11

Number of employees

2.942

3.007

3.213

3.427

3.590

3.700

3.727

4.068

3.904

3.003

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