11/11/2004
First In Vivo Demonstration of RNA Interference via Systemic Delivery
Alnylam (Kulmbach/Boston) announced the first in vivo demonstration ever published of RNAi-mediated gene silencing in mammals by a method that potentially can be applied to systemic RNAi therapeutics for human disease. The research, published in Nature, represents a significant advance in the development of systemic RNAi therapeutics. Systemic delivery through the bloodstream potentially enables RNAi therapeutics to target virtually any gene involved in the cause of human disease, opening up the prospect for broad application of RNAi therapeutics to treat a wide range of diseases.
 

09/02/2004
More Space for Crowded Incubator
The Innovation Center “Medical Technology and Pharama” (IZMP) in Erlangen had rented the last of its 4000 m2 floorspace already shortly after its completion in January 2003. However, at least some remedy is in sight for the local start-up scene. The State of Bavaria has now committed another 2 Mio € to the expansion of the IZMP, in addition to the 10 Mio €  it has spent so far. Another building block of 800 m2 is expected be finished early 2006 and will help to shorten the queue of companies waiting for space.
 

19/06/2003
Strategies in Tissue Engineering
Developmental biology, bio-engineering, clinical research and medical technology must work together even more closely in the challenge to repair or regenerate cells, tissues or maybe even whole organs. This became apparent once again at the International Conference „Strategies in Tissue Engineering“, June 16-19, in Würzburg organised by the Würzburg Initiative Tissue Engineering (WITE e.V.) and the regional biotechnology network organisation BioMedTec Franken e.V.. More than 450 participants from 25 countries gathered at the largest event of its kind in Germany this year to discuss the medical as well as commercial potential of tissue engineering. The conference also served as a contact platform for regional SMEs and research institutions with a strong interest in TE, such as CellMed AG, Innowep GmbH, Friedrich-Baur-Institute for Biomaterials, Neue Materialien Würzburg GmbH  and Fraunhofer ISC, who were integrated into the lecture-program of the conference and presented their products and research-projects at the booth of the BioMedTec Franken network.
 

09/15/2003
Colloid Chemistry and Pharma-Research Under One Roof
The University of Bayreuth celebrated the roofing ceremony of a new research building in September. Almost 1000 qm of lab and office space will go into operation in summer 2004. The institute will house projects with clear commercial perspectives in two main fields of excellence. A local stronghhold in biochemistry and structural biology within the BioMedTec Franken Network will be utilized for the development of new drugs for a variety of indications. The incubation of biotech spin-offs will be part of the process. The second focus is on macromolecules, with a particular emphasis on intelligent synthetic materials. BASF will invest 750.000 Euro for joint research and development in this area.
 

07/23/2003
More awards for Franconian Life Science Companies
All seven finalists of the BPWN 2003 (Business Plan Competion of Northern Bavaria) belonged to the area of Life Sciences. A clear indication that the Life Science are a major source of innovation in Franconia. Last night the three awardees were announced at a ceremony in Nuremberg. TomoScope came in first. The start-up company is specialized in the development and production of micro computer tomographs, which are to meet a demand for non-invasive methods in animal experimentation, particularly for the pre-clinical development of pharmaceuticals. CAS Innovations AG were awarded a second price for their navigation system CAPPA, which help surgeons to find their way during operations. Both companies are spin-offs from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, underscoring the fact that Erlangen is a unique hotspot for new developments in medical technology.

The third price went to Alopex GmbH of Kulmbach. The company develops bio-chips that will allow to determine the chromosome status of egg-cells before in vitro fertilization, thus avoiding non-productive fertilisations and alleviating a serious problem in IVF. Alopex is located in the same building as Ribopharma AG, together forming a biotechnology nucleus in Kulmbach.
 

07/07/2003
Alnylam and Ribopharma merge
Alnylam and Ribopharma announce the completion of the merger to create the leading company in RNA interference. The combination brings together two leading companies in RNAi therapeutics. The merger also creates a united intellectual property estate that provides the combined companies important opportunities to bring new medicines to the market with proprietary protection and to forge needed alliances with pharmaceutical and biotech partners as a way of funding discovery, development, and commercialization activities.
The company will have operating units in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Kulmbach, Germany, each specific responsibilities including RNAi research and development, and global headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
As part of the merger, Alnylam and Ribopharma will together complete a new financing of over $24M from their united investment partners Abingworth, Polaris, Cardinal, Arch, and Atlas.  With this new financing, the combined company is amongst the best capitalized companies in the new field of RNAi therapeutics.
 

05/12/2003
One opening, one roofing
Today the Bavarian Prime Minister Dr. Edmund Stoiber came to Erlangen to underscore the importance of Erlangen as a prime location in Bavaria for the life sciences in general and medical technology in particular. The dual occasion to make this point was the official opening of the “Innovation Center Medical Technology and Pharma” (IZMP) and the roofing ceremony of the new Institute for medical Technology (IMT). The IMT is part of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and will house the departments of Biomedical Technology and Medical Physics as well as two new industry-endowed chairs on 3.000 m² of office and laboratory space. The IMT shares infrastructure like the lecture hall, seminar-rooms and a common entrance hall with the IZMP. Linking the innovation center with the IMT is expected to accelerate and facilitate spin-offs such as TomoScope, which develops micro computer-tomographs. TomoScope won the “Hochschulgründerpreis 2003”, an award for the best university spin-off in Northern Bavaria.

Roofing ceremony at the IMT            Dr. Stoiber at the IZMP, talking to representatives of Merix Germany GmbH
 

03/17/2003
OncoMab closes antibody deal
The Canadian company 3H Pharma and OncoMab GmbH, located at the Innovation Center “BioMed” in Würzburg, have closed a multimillion dollar transaction including an exclusive royalty-bearing license for the first product, the antibody SC-1, targeting stomach cancer. SC-1 is a fully human monoclonal IgM antibody targeting a specific isoform of CD55 present in 60% of stomach carcinomas. 3H Pharma wants to further develop the antibody under a fast track designation and Orphan Drug status. In addition, the deal between Oncomab and 3H Pharma includes an exclusive option for a license on three other products targeting other forms of cancer and the purchase of an equity stake in the company.
 

02/27/2003
Mice and More continued: Roofing ceremony at the Franz-Penzoldt-Center in Erlangen
Only days after the ceremony at the ZEMM in Würzburg, the Franconian BioMedTec Triangle Würzburg / Erlangen-Nuremberg / Bayreuth celebrates the roofing of a second large facility for medical research and animal experimentation, the Franz-Petzold-Center in Erlangen. The center is viewed as an important step towards Erlangen’s ambitious goal to become the medical capital of Germany. “We fully support Erlangen’s plan”, Sate Minister Günther Beckstein said during his speech.
The new center is yet another project within the Bavarian “High Tech Initiative”. 25,3 Mio Euro will be spent until 2004, finally providing 2300 square meters of work-space. It will unite many small animal facilities scattered around Erlangen under one roof and will provide the latest in technical standards, complying with all regulations set forward by grant-agencies in Germany and the EU.
 

02/20/2003
Mice and More: Topping out ceremony at the ZEMM
„The new building will not only serve basic science. Medically related research will take center stage “, Bavarian Science-Minister Hans Zehetmair said at the topping out ceremony at the Center for Experimental Molecular Medicine (ZEMM). The 31 Mio. Euro project is largely financed with money from the Bavarian High Tech initiative. University president Theodor Berchem put the new building into a larger perspective. “The ZEMM is one important step towards the total remodelling of the medical campus, which will consume about 1 Billion Euro within the next 15 to 20 years”. Up to 100 000 mice will be kept in the animal facility at the ZEMM, enabling animal experimentation in the main areas of tumor-biology, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular disease.

Minister Zehetmair           shell of the ZEMM

Formally part of the medical faculty, the ZEMM will be open to all biomedical research groups in Würzburg. This is what Berchem identified as the particular strength of Würzburg. “Our university is middle sized and its competitiveness in medical research depends on the close cooperation of all medical and science faculties”, he said.
 

01/16/2003
12. AEK Congress puts Biotechnology on the agenda
The Experimental Cancer Research branch of the German Cancer Society will have its 12th meeting March 25-28, 2003 at the University of Würzburg. Translational research leading to the development of new diagnostics and therapeutics is a main topic, covered by an international panel of speakers. Consequently the regional biotech network organisation, BioMedTec Franken, organises a special symposium “Biotechnology Boosts Oncology”, focussing on the contribution of biotech-companies to new leads in oncology. BioMedTec Franken will also provide a platform for regional biotech-companies at the industrial exhibition accompanying the congress.