HANNOVER, GERMANY--(Marketwire - August 25, 2009) -
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25 August 2009
BIOTECHNICA 2009 (6 - 8 October)
Finalists from Germany, France and Switzerland nominated for the
EUROPEAN BIOTECHNICA AWARD 2009
- Three biopharmaceutical companies in the final round
- Award ceremony on 5 October 2009 in Hannover
Hannover. The EUROPEAN BIOTECHNICA AWARD jury has selected the three finalists for 2009: The nominees are the biopharmaceutical companies NovImmune, Switzerland, TRION Pharma GmbH, Germany, and VIVALIS, France. The award, with prize money totalling 100,000 euros, recognizes the achievements of young, innovative European companies from the areas of biotechnology and the life sciences. It is presented annually by Deutsche Messe AG, Hannover, and its partners.
NovImmue SA
NovImmune develops monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of inflammatory and immune-related disorders. The company is based in Plan-les-Quates, 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 embryonic 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. In addition to its proprietary programs, VIVALIS has developed partnerships with more than 25 pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Through these partnerships, VIVALIS develops and manufactures a range of vaccines and antibodies.
The international jury of experts, consisting of eleven members and chaired by Prof. Dr. Peter Stadler, CEO, Artemis Pharmaceuticals, Cologne, will decide on the ultimate winner immediately before the award ceremony during the BIOTECHNICA opening event on 5 October. The winner will receive prize money of 30,000 euros. In addition, all finalists will receive numerous non- cash prizes. The award will be presented by opening speakers Janez Potocnik, EU Commissioner for Science and Research; Dr. Philipp Roesler, Minister of Economics, Lower Saxony; Dr. Stefan Marcinowski, Member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF and President of the German Association of Biotechnology Industries; and Kary Mullis, winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
All three finalists will be represented at BIOTECHNICA from 6 to 8 October in Hall 9, Stand F05/1. Further information about the conditions of participation and the prize-winners in previous years can be found at www.biotechnica.de/award_e.
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).
Number of characters (incl. spaces): 4,753
Your contact at Deutsche Messe for further information:
Katharina Siebert
Tel.: +49 511 89-31028
E-mail: katharina.siebert@messe.de
This information is provided by HUGIN
