Article - 20/10/2014 First ever eye gene therapy close to clinical testing There are many different retinal diseases simply because many different steps of the visual process can be affected. However, they all have one thing in common: correction of the relevant defective gene currently provides the only possibility of permanent cure. Prof. Dr. Mathias Seeliger and his group of researchers at the Institute of Ophthalmic Research at the University Hospital in Tübingen is specifically focused on the development of gene…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/first-ever-eye-gene-therapy-close-to-clinical-testing
Article - 13/10/2014 Data mining is likely to play an increasing role in clinical development Data mining still plays a minor role in the research-based pharmaceutical industry. But this is likely to change in the future. Mathematician Hans-Jürgen Lomp predicts that exploratory data analysis will be used to a greater extent in the future. Lomp is the Global Head of Statistics in Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG’s Department of Medical Data Service and Biostatistics in Biberach.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/data-mining-is-likely-to-play-an-increasing-role-in-clinical-development
Article - 15/09/2014 Mesenchymal stromal cells: promising cell therapy candidates Mesenchymal stromal cells MSC are increasingly moving into the spotlight as the beacon of hope for somatic cell therapies. The biomedical research community is currently carrying out more than 300 clinical trials to investigate their suitability for a broad range of indications. Prof. Schrezenmeier professor of transfusion medicine and medical director at the Institute for Clinical Transfusion Medicine and Immunogenetics IKT in Ulm is involved in…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/mesenchymal-stromal-cells-promising-cell-therapy-candidates
Article - 25/08/2014 Frederik Wenz - radiologist sets milestone with new surgical technique for the treatment of bone metastases Can painful bone metastases be treated in a targeted and quick way? Can metastases that are potentially present in the liver and kidneys be adequately treated at the same time as bone metastases? These are the questions that Professor Dr. med. Frederik Wenz from the University Medical Center Mannheim asked himself before going on to develop an innovative surgical technique. After a long development period, this technique is now recognized as an…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/frederik-wenz-radiologist-sets-milestone-with-new-surgical-technique-for-the-treatment-of-bone-metas
Article - 18/08/2014 Biometry: Peter Martus works at the interface of mathematics and medicine It’s not computer science, but it’s close to data: Prof. Dr. Peter Martus has an in-depth knowledge of how professional biotechnology and medical statistics are generated. Prof. Martus works at the University of Tübingen where he brings his know-how to clinical trials as well as working on life sciences projects where statistical issues need to be resolved.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/biometry-peter-martus-works-at-the-interface-of-mathematics-and-medicine
Article - 18/08/2014 VAXIMM: Vaccines that impede cancer growth VAXIMM GmbH, a young biotechnology company from Mannheim, Germany, specialises in the development of vaccines for cancer treatment. The company’s first product candidate, VXM01, is a live oral vaccine that targets the VEGFR-2 receptor and hence the blood supply of tumours. VXM01 is currently undergoing clinical testing in pancreatic cancer patients.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/vaximm-vaccines-that-impede-cancer-growth
Article - 21/07/2014 Predicting the efficiency of cancer drugs using mathematical models A research consortium was established at the Stuttgart Research Center Systems Biology SRCSB at the University of Stuttgart in January 2013 with the goal of establishing models that help predict the action of targeted therapeutics. The scientists combine molecular biology experiments with complex mathematical models in order to achieve a holistic understanding of disease and therapy. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/predicting-the-efficiency-of-cancer-drugs-using-mathematical-models
Press release - 15/07/2014 amcure Receives EUR 5 Million Funding for the Development of New Tumour Therapeutic Agents amcure GmbH, a spin-off from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), has closed a Series A financing deal amounting to a total of EUR 5 million. The funding comes from a consortium headed by LBBW Venture Capital, with participations from KfW, MBG Mittelständische Beteiligungsgesellschaft Baden-Wuerttemberg, S-Kap Beteiligungen Pforzheim, BioM AG as well as private investors. The company also receives subsidies from the German Ministry of…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/amcure-receives-eur-5-million-funding-for-the-development-of-new-tumour-therapeutic-agents
Article - 16/06/2014 Methadone – the last step to becoming an anti-cancer drug It all began several years ago with a surprising discovery in the laboratory. Claudia Friesen, a chemist at Ulm University, discovered that leukaemia cells that were exposed to methadone died within a relatively short period of time. Seven years on and many papers later, what was once a rather exotic substance is now undergoing clinical testing in cancer patients.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/methadone-the-last-step-to-becoming-an-anti-cancer-drug
Article - 19/05/2014 Alcoholism: the molecular basis of addiction and deprivation Scientists at the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim use rats and mice to study the genetic basis and neurobiological mechanisms of alcohol addiction, the changes that occur during alcohol deprivation and the factors that favour a relapse. In translational research, the results from animal experiments are reviewed using alcohol-dependent patients in order to turn them quickly into preventive strategies and therapies.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/alcoholism-the-molecular-basis-of-addiction-and-deprivation
Dossier - 31/03/2014 Peptides – diverse molecules of life Peptides exist in all organisms, wherever there are cells. The range of their physiological functions is huge. Biologically active peptides can act as hormones, neurotransmitters, growth factors as well as toxins and antibiotics. This is what makes them highly interesting drug leads. They are used for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, cancer and other diseases. Despite some drawbacks, peptides are gaining in importance as candidates for drugs…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/peptides-diverse-molecules-of-life
Article - 31/03/2014 TherapySelect – Identifying Susceptibility to Cancer Therapy TherapySelect Dr. Frank Kischkel is an innovative biotechnology company based in Heidelberg, Germany, with a special focus on the development, validation and application of diagnostic tests for cancer patients. The company’s proprietary CTR-Test® uses patients’ cancer cells to determine the tumor’s susceptibility to treatment with cytostatic drugs. This knowledge helps identify ineffective drugs prior to treatment as well as reduce adverse drug…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/therapyselect-identifying-susceptibility-to-cancer-therapy
Article - 10/01/2014 HybridKnife – an instrument for future endoscopy Endoscopic and minimally invasive keyhole surgery is increasingly replacing open surgery. For many years now, patients have reaped the benefits of such treatment techniques, which are less stressful than open surgery and usually leave no scarring. People can leave hospital just a few days after treatment, which also contributes to cost savings in healthcare. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a new technique that enables the endoscopic…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/hybridknife-an-instrument-for-future-endoscopy
Article - 09/12/2013 KVART – a hospital bed with built-in intelligence Exercise is the best medicine! this was the maxim adopted by Dr. Clemens Gutknecht and Dr. Josef Schönberger when they were investigating the treatment remobilisation and care of bedridden patients. The findings of the two experienced neurologists led to the development of a concept for an intelligent hospital bed. Based on a patented technology and quantitative market potential estimates Gutknecht and Schönberger have established KVART GmbH in…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/kvart-a-hospital-bed-with-built-in-intelligence
Dossier - 15/10/2013 Adult stem cells – hope for regenerative therapies Adult stem cells have the lifelong ability to generate new specialised cells. They secure the continuous replenishment of cells therefore enabling the constant replacement of dying cells with new ones. Progress in the characterisation isolation and specific differentiation of adult stem cells over recent years raises hopes for the future use of the cells in the therapy of degenerative diseases. Knowledge about adult stem cells also has the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/adult-stem-cells-hope-for-regenerative-therapies
Article - 30/09/2013 CureVac GmbH: RNA-based vaccines and immunotherapies CureVac GmbH, a biopharmaceutical company based in Tübingen, develops immunotherapies for cancer along with prophylactic vaccines based on its proprietary messenger RNA (mRNA) technology platform. CureVac also uses RNA for developing adjuvants. Two clinical trials, a Phase I trial in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and a Phase IIb trial in prostate cancer, are currently underway to test the efficiency of mRNA-based drugs in treating cancer and…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/curevac-gmbh-rna-based-vaccines-and-immunotherapies
Press release - 05/08/2013 greenovation Biotech GmbH – production of therapeutic proteins in moss Plants can be genetically modified in a way that enables them to produce pharmaceutically active proteins for various indications. The small moss Physcomitrella patens is able to produce more complex molecules than bacteria. Moreover, moss is less expensive to grow and less susceptible to pathogenic contaminants than Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. greenovation Biotech GmbH, which has its headquarters in Heilbronn and a branch in Freiburg,…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/greenovation-biotech-gmbh-production-of-therapeutic-proteins-in-moss
Dossier - 21/05/2013 No new drugs to be placed on the market without clinical trials New pharmaceuticals are subject to approval by drug authorities. Prior to approval of a new pharmaceutical several hurdles such as preclinical and clinical studies need to be cleared. Clinical trials are performed to ensure the quality efficacy and safety of a medicinal product. Clinical development is a time-consuming and costly process and takes on average ten to fifteen years before a pharmaceutical company can apply for the approval of the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/no-new-drugs-to-be-placed-on-the-market-without-clinical-trials
Dossier - 15/04/2013 Bioactive plant foods – more than just filling The increasing demand for functional foods clearly shows that the role of food is no longer just to meet an essential need. Food that offers additional nutritional benefits is becoming increasingly important for example food that is able to prevent or treat diseases. This kind of food is therefore interesting for consumers the food industry and the healthcare sector alike. Products based on plant raw materials are particularly in demand due to…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/bioactive-plant-foods-more-than-just-filling
Article - 08/04/2013 Top position for German placebo research Placebo research at Tübingen University is part of a German network that is a world leader in the field. One of the research priorities relates to the perception of pain and the underlying neurobiological mechanisms. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/top-position-for-german-placebo-research
Dossier - 01/04/2013 Retroviruses: from infectious agent to therapeutic assistant Viruses are infectious particles that use the machinery and metabolism of a host cell to replicate. Despite some similarities with accepted forms of life viruses are not considered as such. The family of retroviruses is particularly known for its most notorious representative i. e. the human immunodeficiency virus HIV which leads to AIDS and for which no cure or effective vaccine is currently available. However retroviruses are not only of…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/retroviruses-from-infectious-agent-to-therapeutic-assistant
Article - 11/03/2013 PHAST GmbH: firm focus on growth strategy Since August last year, PHAST Development GmbH & Co. KG has been bringing a breath of fresh air to the old research campus of the pharmaceutical company Takeda (formerly Nycomed) in Konstanz. The pharmaceutical company, with its roots in the city of Homburg, Germany, is a specialist in innovative methods for testing the quality of medicines. Amongst other things, PHAST develops test methods that enable the optimisation of drug release. A…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/phast-gmbh-firm-focus-on-growth-strategy
Article - 25/02/2013 Molecular monitoring of premature infants Premature births are not uncommon in Germany where around seven percent of newborns are born before week 37 of pregnancy. The WHO estimates that the numbers of preterm births are growing due to the increasing age of mothers. Doctors caring for the tiny patients are faced with a dilemma because regular blood samples required for the clinical monitoring of important blood parameters cannot be taken due to the infants low body volume.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/molecular-monitoring-of-premature-infants
Article - 14/01/2013 Boehringer takes a deep breath: a look into the company’s respiratory R&D pipeline At its 3rd International Research & Development (R&D) press conference, Boehringer Ingelheim gave journalists insights into its R&D pipeline. Around 200 scientists at the company’s site in Biberach are investigating new treatment options for patients with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma, idiopathic lung fibrosis, lung cancer and other respiratory diseases. In addition, the researchers are also focusing on the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/boehringer-takes-a-deep-breath-a-look-into-the-company-s-respiratory-r-d-pipeline
Article - 18/12/2012 Gene therapy medicinal products: the first gene therapy product has been approved – where does the future lie? Is gene therapy close to broad clinical application? Following negative headlines at the end of the 1990s gene therapy had almost disappeared from the public radar to become an issue almost exclusively dealt with by research laboratories. Gene therapy has now reappeared in the public domain since the European Medicines Agency EMA gave the Dutch biotech company uniQure the go-ahead for the application of somatic gene therapy for the treatment of a…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/gene-therapy-medicinal-products-the-first-gene-therapy-product-has-been-approved-where-does-the-futu