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The EUROPEAN BIOTECHNICA AWARD 2009 goes to NovImmune
Hannover/Geneva. The winner of the 2009 EUROPEAN BIOTECHNICA
AWARD is NovImmune SA from Switzerland. This biopharmaceutical company duly receives
the lion's share of the €100,000 prize money, which is awarded each year by Deutsche
Messe AG and its partners. The aim of the award is to celebrate the
achievements of innovative European companies in the field of biotechnology and
the life sciences. EU Commissioner Janez Potočnik presented the prizes at today's
opening ceremony for BIOTECHNICA 2009.
"In an extremely close final the jury chose
NovImmune after lengthy deliberation, because it believes that this company has
the greatest future potential. Never before has it been so difficult to reach a
decision", commented Prof. Dr. Peter Stadler, chairman of the eleven-man international
prize jury and CEO of TaconicArtemis GmbH in Cologne. NovImmune in Plan-Les-Ouates
near Geneva specializes in the development of monoclonal
antibodies for the treatment of immune-related disorders.
The other finalists apart from NovImmune
were the biopharmaceutical companies TRION Pharma GmbH from Munich and VIVALIS
SA from Saint Herblain near Nantes, France. "All three finalists have
impressively demonstrated just how far the biotechnology industry in Europe has come", noted Stadler.
For its work NovImmune
received a cash prize of €30,000. The
remaining €70,000 were distributed among all three finalists in the form of non-cash
prizes. These prizes comprise a consultancy course with Capgemini Consulting
focussing on business strategy and investment, plus media packages in the
"European Biotechnology News". In addition all three companies will be
showcasing their work at BIOTECHNICA from 6 to 8 October in Hall 9, Stand F05/1.
Information about previous prize-winners
and the terms of entry for the next competition can be found online at www.biotechnica.de/award_d.
About BIOTECHNICA
BIOTECHNICA is Europe's leading
annual
event for biotechnology and the life sciences. It covers the entire
spectrum of
biotechnology, including fundamentals and equipment, bio-informatics
and
services, and addresses all five major fields of application, i.e.
pharmaceuticals/medicine,
industrial manufacturing, food, agriculture and the environment. Ever
since
1985, BIOTECHNICA has been organized and staged by Deutsche Messe AG in
Hannover, Germany. As a global brand, BIOTECHNICA now also has sister
events in Asia
(BIOTECHNICA CHINA) and in the U.S. (BIOTECHNICA AMERICA).
Appendix
Corporate profiles of the three
finalists in the 2009 EUROPEAN BIOTECHNICA AWARD
NovImmune SA
NovImmune develops monoclonal antibodies
for the treatment of inflammatory and immune-related disorders. The company is
based in Plan-les-Ouates, near Geneva, Switzerland, and so far has generated
seven monoclonal antibodies with the intent to treat immune-related disorders.
The company's product spectrum ranges from preclinical to clinical phase II.
All portfolio products have the potential of becoming a medicine for multiple
medical conditions due to their specific mechanism of action. Two compounds are
in early clinical development, with the most advanced in clinical phase II. The
lead product, NI-0401/anti-CD3, is currently being tested in Crohn's disease,
type 1 diabetes and transplantation. Founded in 1998,
the company currently employs a workforce of 75.
TRION Pharma GmbH
TRION Pharma is a
biopharmaceutical company
that develops trifunctional antibodies called Triomab® at its site in
Munich. They are based on a platform technology for which TRION Pharma
holds IP rights
around the world. Triomab® antibodies simultaneously activate multiple
immune
defence mechanisms against cancer. As a result, tumour cells are
specifically
destroyed with hitherto unknown potency and precision, and the immune
system's
memory is activated. In 2009, Removab® (Catumaxomab) was the first
member of
the Triomab® family to receive EU market approval. It is not only the
first
drug indicated for the treatment of malignant ascites (abdominal fluid
retention) in cancer patients, but also the first bispecific,
trifunctional
antibody worldwide. Removab® is marketed by TRION's development partner
Fresenius Biotech.
VIVALIS SA
VIVALIS (NYSE Euronext: VLS) provides the
pharmaceutical industry with cell-based solutions for the manufacture of
vaccines and proteins, and develops drugs for the prevention and treatment of
viral diseases. Headquartered in France, the company specializes in the field
of embryonic stem cells and their practical applications in human and
veterinary medicine. Its proprietary EB66 cell line platform, derived from duck
empbryonic stem cells, presents unique industrial and regulatory characteristics
to replace the eggs in the production of vaccines and to produce antibodies
with enhanced ADCC activity. Beside its proprietary programs, VIVALIS has developed
partnerships with more than 25 pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. In addition to these licence partnerships, VIVALIS
develops and manufactures a range of vaccines and antibodies.
Press Release (biotechnica_09-024-e, .pdf)
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