Article - 13/12/2016 Smart sensor technology from Ulm can do more than just breath analysis Detecting disease-specific molecules in human breath is technically feasible, but time-consuming and rather costly. "µbreath" could soon change this. The breath gas analysis device has all the necessary requirements for commercial success in the healthcare sector: it is compact, accurate, highly sensitive and fast. The chemist who developed µbreath, Prof. Boris Mizaikoff from Ulm University, and his partners are hoping to start…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/smart-sensor-technology-from-ulm-can-do-more-than-just-breath-analysis
Press release - 12/12/2016 Curetis obtains EIB debt financing totaling up to EUR 25 million to further expand its diagnostic platform https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/curetis-obtains-eib-debt-financing-totaling-up-to-eur-25-million-to-further-expand-its-diagnostic-platform
Press release - 30/11/2016 Takeda to invest more than 100 Million Euros in Dengue Vaccine Manufacturing plant in Germany Konstanz, Germany, November 29, 2016 and Osaka, Japan, November 30, 2016 – Takeda Pharmaceuticals Company Limited, (“Takeda”) today announced that it will invest more than 100 Million Euros to build a new manufacturing plant for its dengue vaccine candidate in Singen, Germany. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/takeda-to-invest-more-than-100-million-euros-in-dengue-vaccine-manufacturing-plant-in-germany
Expert interview - 14/11/2016 The great untapped potential of herbal medicines Baden-Württemberg is home to a large number of companies that produce herbal medicines, i.e. preparations made from plant extracts rather than pure compounds. In an interview with Dr. Ariane Pott from BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg, Professor Dr. Michael Wink, Director of the Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology at the University of Heidelberg, explains how these special extracts are placed on the market and how they differ from medicines…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-great-untapped-potential-of-herbal-medicines
Article - 13/09/2016 Catalent – galenics experts from Schorndorf Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are working intensively on the discovery and development of new drugs for the efficient and safe treatment of diseases. However, before drugs are authorised for treating humans and animals, they have to be made into a form that is acceptable. That is where a company called Catalent Pharma Solutions, with a facility in Schorndorf in the south of Germany, comes in.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/catalent-galenics-experts-from-schorndorf
Article - 12/09/2016 New target for the therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma discovered Hepatocellular carcinoma is the second most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide. If the tumour is at an advanced stage, doctors have few treatment options. Researchers led by Prof. Dr. Lars Zender from the University of Tübingen have now identified one of the cancer's Achilles' heels, namely, the interaction between C-MYC and AURKA proteins, which can be destabilised with a drug, thus killing cancer cells. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/new-target-for-the-therapy-of-hepatocellular-carcinoma-discovered
Article - 08/08/2016 First achromatopsia gene therapy clinical trial in Germany is going well Around 3000 people suffer from achromatopsia in Germany. Achromatopsia is an inherited visual disorder characterised by the absence of full colour vision. The disease is caused by a genetic defect that makes the retina's cone photoreceptors, needed for daylight and colour vision, non-functional. There is currently no cure for achromatopsia. Scientists from Tübingen University Hospital and their colleagues from Munich and New York have now…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/first-achromatopsia-gene-therapy-clinical-trial-in-germany-is-going-well
Article - 02/08/2016 Can the ticking Huntington clock be stopped? An early phase clinical study involving thirty-six Huntington’s disease (HD) patients is currently underway to investigate whether a method called gene silencing can cure the disease. If the gene that causes the disease can be turned off, it would be the first step towards a treatment that not only fights symptoms but actually treats the causes of HD, hence providing a cure. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/can-the-ticking-huntington-clock-be-stopped
Company profile - 18/07/2016 mbits imaging GmbH – mobile app in the field of radiology Trying to get a second opinion from a medical colleague who is at home preparing dinner may be quite a challenge, especially when the colleague does not have access to the necessary image data. This has now become easier in the field of radiology thanks to a mobile app called mRay, which provides a reliable way for radiologists to share medical images on mobile devices. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/mbits-imaging-gmbh-mobile-app-in-the-field-of-radiology
Press release - 14/07/2016 Study in Peer-Reviewed Journal Vaccine Demonstrates Decoding Mode of Action of mRNA Vaccines CureVac AG, the most clinically advanced mRNA company, today announced that a study of its RNActive® technology was published in the renowned, peer-reviewed journal Vaccine. The study demonstrated a mechanistic insight into the mode of action and rationale for the use of messenger RNA (mRNA) for the development of multiple vaccines.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/study-in-peer-reviewed-journal-vaccine-demonstrates-decoding-mode-of-action-of-mrna-vaccines
Company profile - 27/06/2016 Atriva Therapeutics GmbH: new ways to treat influenza Influenza viruses constantly change and mutate. This makes treatment difficult and vaccination rather touch and go. But what about targeting virus-manipulated cell events rather than using the virus itself as drug target? Atriva Therapeutics GmbH, a start-up company from Tübingen, shows how this works.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/atriva-therapeutics-gmbh-new-ways-to-treat-influenza
Article - 20/06/2016 Activation of the innate immune system against metastatic colorectal cancer Researchers from Heidelberg have shown that instead of fighting cancer cells, macrophages of the innate immune system promote the growth of metastases in people with metastatic colorectal cancer. They have also shown that a signal inhibitor used to treat HIV infections reactivates macrophages so that they gain the ability to destroy cancer cells. A clinical phase I study has confirmed the antitumoral effects of this drug.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/activation-of-the-innate-immune-system-against-metastatic-colorectal-cancer
Article - 23/05/2016 Fungal infections of the lungs – antibody-based imaging improves diagnosis Cancer was the first area of diagnostics in which antibody-based PET/MRI imaging was used. The diagnosis of fungal infections will be the next. The innovative method is being developed by a European research consortium coordinated by researchers in Tübingen. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/fungal-infections-of-the-lungs-antibody-based-imaging-improves-diagnosis
Article - 26/04/2016 Methadone for cancer treatment? Clinical trials are needed to prove the effectiveness of this opioid Claudia Friesen, an oncologist at Ulm University Hospital, has achieved what many scientists dream of: she has made a discovery that has increased existing knowledge, and can be used to help people. People with cancers that are resistant to all conventional therapies who have been given methadone for pain relief in combination with conventional chemo- or radiation therapy, have reported that tumours have shrunk or disappeared completely. Clinical…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/methadone-for-cancer-treatment-clinical-trials-are-needed-to-prove-the-effectiveness-of-this-opioid
Retrospective Meet & Match Pharmaceutical Process Technology - 07/04/2016 Speed dating for Pharmaceutical Process Technology – a business flirt at Bosch The speed dating format is no longer just a popular and simple dating method for lonely hearts, but has also become a rewarding way for establishing new business contacts and connections quickly and efficiently. BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg chose speed networking, as speed dating is called in the corporate world, for its recent Meet & Match event on pharmaceutical process technology, which took place on 15th March 2016 with the support of Bosch…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/speed-dating-for-pharmaceutical-process-technology-a-business-flirt-at-bosch
Medical technology - 14/03/2016 The operating room of the future: minimally invasive and future-oriented intervention techniques Being able to diagnose and treat tumour patients in just a few hours is just one of the many promising goals of the Fraunhofer Project Group for Automation in Medicine and Biotechnology (PAMB). The overall goal of the Intervention and Therapy research group is to take innovative technologies for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions from laboratory development to prototype production for use in clinical trials.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-operating-room-of-the-future-minimally-invasive-and-future-oriented-intervention-techniques
Press release - 29/02/2016 Retina Implant AG Secures €26 Million Round of Private Funding Retina Implant AG, the leading developer of subretinal implants for patients blinded by retinitis pigmentosa (RP), today announced the completion of an €26 million round of private equity funding. The funding represents a significant recommitment by both Retina Implant's long-standing investors and new investors, and will be used to establish new clinical centres around the world. It will also help the company to initiate reimbursement…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/retina-implant-ag-secures-26-million-round-of-private-funding
Article - 18/01/2016 New approaches in the life sciences industry: innovative strategies for courageous companies For many years, the pharmaceutical industry has been investing increasing amounts of money in the development of new products. Dr. Friedemann Taut, a specialist in anaesthesia, intensive care, emergency medicine and clinical pharmacology as well as founder and managing director of Taut Science & Service Ltd. a consultanca for Medical Device and Drug Development, explains in the following interview why small- and mid-sized companies can stay a…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/new-avenues-in-the-life-sciences-industry-innovative-strategies-for-brave-companies
Press release - 03/11/2015 CureVac raises $110 Million in a private placement CureVac, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the field of mRNA-based technology, today announces that it has raised about $110 million (€100 million) to enable accelerated expansion of its industry-leading messenger RNA (mRNA) development platform and clinical-stage pipeline. CureVac also announces the change of its corporate legal form to a joint stock company, Aktiengesellschaft (AG).https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/curevac-raises-110-million-in-a-private-placement
Article - 19/10/2015 New compound that may kill hospital germs is close to clinical testing Bacteria's increasing resistance to antibiotics is a very serious medical issue. An infection with pathogens such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria can be life-threatening for hospital patients because MRSA has become resistant to the most commonly used antibiotics. Although reserve antibiotics are available in cases where others have lost their ability to control or kill bacterial growth effectively, they do not…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/new-compound-that-may-kill-hospital-germs-is-close-to-clinical-testing
Article - 18/05/2015 Parvoviruses can destroy brain tumours Parvoviruses such as H-1PV have been shown to selectively attack and destroy human cancer cells. However, they are unable to replicate in healthy human cells. A preliminary clinical trial is currently being carried out to assess the suitability of parvoviruses for treating malignant brain cancer. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have now discovered the cause of the selective effect of H-1PV. The finding helps identify…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/parvoviruses-can-destroy-brain-tumours
Article - 16/02/2015 Therapeutic vaccines against brain tumours Therapeutic cancer vaccines have the potential to boost the immune system's ability to destroy tumour cells. Cancer researchers around the world are intensively studying the potential of this therapeutic concept and initial positive results have been obtained. Cancer researchers from Heidelberg have developed a vaccine that triggers an immune response against a protein that is mutated in brain cancer. The vaccine, which successfully arrested…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/therapeutic-vaccines-against-brain-tumours
Article - 09/02/2015 Joining forces to develop anti-cancer immunotherapies No cancer therapy is currently achieving such promising results as immunotherapy. The German Cancer Research Center and Bayer HealthCare have established a joint laboratory to develop novel immunotherapies that selectively reactivate the body’s own immune system and incite it to attack tumour cells, thereby supporting the faster translation of concepts from the laboratory into clinical application.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/joining-forces-to-develop-anti-cancer-immunotherapies
Article - 26/01/2015 Pooling efforts against infectious diseases in Germany Over 150 scientists at various locations throughout Germany work together as part of the German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF). The centre focuses on the development of new diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic methods for treating infectious diseases. Scientists from the University and University Hospital of Tübingen and the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology are also part of the project. The researchers from Tübingen are…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/pooling-efforts-against-infectious-diseases-in-germany
Dossier - 10/11/2014 Cell and gene therapies: from bench to bedside While cell therapy has become standard treatment for a number of blood cancers, most cell and gene therapy approaches for the treatment of hereditary and metabolic diseases, neurodegenerative disorders and cancer are still in the experimental phases or early clinical trials. However, recent successes give rise to the hope that cell and gene therapies will in future make important contributions to previously incurable diseases.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/cell-and-gene-therapies-from-bench-to-bedside