5
BioTOPics 46 | September 2013
BioTOP-Report
Biotechnology
Deals and Product Developments
A number of companies closed new cooperation agreements in
2012 and achieved major milestones in product development
and approval. We present some examples of these dynamic ac-
tivities:
MOLOGEN presented outstanding results in its clinical devel-
opment programmes from a first evaluation of the colon cancer
study with the active pharmaceutical ingredient MGN1703. The
evaluation performed in May 2012 demonstrated the effective-
ness of MGN1703 as a maintenance therapy for metastasised
colon cancer impressively. MOLOGEN also plans to investigate
the effect of MGN1703 in lung cancer therapy in the future. In
October 2012, the company presented promising new data from
its kidney cancer study with MGN1601. They showed a clear sur-
vival advantage for patients who fully completed the prescribed
therapy programme compared to patients who had to terminate
the therapy early due to the severity of their cancer disease.
Furthermore, MOLOGEN completed the preclinical phase of its
MIDGE
®
-based Leishmaniasis vaccine MGN1331 in June 2012
with good results.
NOVEMBER 2012
Alacris Theranostics GmbH signs agreement with GSK to apply Alacris Mod-
CellTM system in the early phase of cancer research
++++
Entry to the phar-
ma market: Tönnies invests 21 million Euro, majority shareholder at Heparin
specialist Pharma Action
DECEMBER 2012
NOXXON initiates phase IIa study on anaemia of chronical illness with anti-
Hepcidin Spiegelmer
®
NOX-H94
++++
Epigenomics releases more data on
the results of a direct comparative study between Epi ProColon
®
and FIT
JANUARY 2013
Epigenomics AG hands in fourth module at FDA completes application for
approval as planned
++++
co.don
®
AG applied for approval of joint cartilage
product chondrosphere
®
in the EU
++++
Shire discovered the Munich-based
RNA specialist Ethris for itself. In cooperation the two companies want to find
therapies for rare diseases
FEBRUARY 2013
Epigenomics receives notice about grant of priority review status and accep-
tance of the hand-in of the PMA application for Epi proColon
®
from the FDA
++++
Innovation forum “Biopolymers and Bio-based Plastics” in Schwarz-
heide
MARCH 2013
BIOTECON Diagnostics GmbH extends its robot segment
++++
Epigenomics
AG collects 5,0 million Euros through capital increase
++++
New research col-
lective INNO-TRACE develops innovative contrast agents for tumour imaging
APRIL 2013
Europe's largest clinical laboratory at Campus Virchow-Klinikum: Labor Berlin
inaugurates new site
MAY 2013
Bayer HealthCare presents new incubator model for biotech start-ups in Ber-
lin
JUNE 2013
Alacris Theranostics GmbH announces Illumina CSPro certificate for next gen-
eration sequencing
++++
Humedics co-founder Martin Stockmann receives
Von-Langenbeck Prize for development of LiMAx test
Dr. Claudia Ulbrich
CEO t-cell Europe GmbH
Our T-cell-based therapies, unique throughout the world, can
help prevent organ rejection following transplant procedures,
thus significantly reducing the need for immunosuppressive
drugs. With the new funds of EUR 5.5 million raised in our
most recent financing round, we aim to commence clinical
trials already in 2014, so that we can expeditiously move for-
ward with proof-of-concept at the patient level, then proceed
with negotiations to license our proprietary technology to a
pharmaceutical industry partner. T-cell therapy will not com-
pletely eliminate the need for immunosuppressive support.
However, even if the amount of immunosuppressive drugs
required can be reduced by one half, the costs of our thera-
py will be quickly recovered, generating net patient savings.
Just for one specific application, T
reg
therapy following kidney
transplantation, we estimate a current market potential of
more than one billion euros per year.
6
BioTOPics 46 | September 2013
BioTOP-Report
Biotechnology
NOXXON Pharma AG, a biopharmaceutical company and pi-
oneering developer of the new active agent class spiegelmers,
successfully advanced its product pipeline. Its latest candidate
agent NOX-H94 is already the third spiegelmer to have reached
the Phase II trial stage. This is one of four Phase IIa trials NOXXON
began in 2012. The others are investigating NOX-E36 in diabetic
nephropathy therapy, NOX-A12 in the therapy of chronic lym-
phatic leukaemia and NOX-A12 for treatment of multiple myelo-
ma. The trial for anaemia of this chronic disease is the fourth
Phase II trial NOXXON launched in 2012.
The German-American molecular diagnostics corporation Epig-
enomics AG made important progress with the approval of Epi
proColon
®
in the USA and the development of its marketing strat-
egy for this blood-based test for early detection of colon cancer.
The next major milestone will now be the marketing launch of
the product on the world‘s most important market – the USA.
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1.000
1.100
1.200
1.300
1.400
1.500
1.600
1.700
1.800
1.900
2.000
2.100
2.200
2.300
2.400
2.500
2.600
'03 '04 '05 '06
'09 '10 '11 '12
'07
141 companies 1-10 employees
Number of Employees According to Company Size
61 companies 11-50 employees
20 companies > 51 employees
'08
'03 '04 '05 '06
'09 '10 '11 '12
'07 '08
'03 '04 '05 '06
'09 '10 '11 '12
'07 '08
Number of employees
663
1.330
2.355
In comparison to the previous year, the average number of employees per company increased by 2,7 % in the 1-10 category and 1,8 % in the 11-50
category. The average number of employees in the category > 50 employees increased by 10%. (Source: Own survey, BioTOP database, 222 companies
questioned, June 2013)
Contact us:
Phone: +49 (0)30 / 2125-4747
E-mail: wachsen@ibb.de
www.ibb.de/wachsen
Our tailored fi nancing are your key to success.
Our consultants look forward to meeting you.
Getting your
innovation going.
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