Healthcare industry

Immatics biotechnologies GmbH announced the start of a Phase III trial of its IMA910 cancer vaccine in patients with advanced colorectal cancer. The study will enroll about 70 patients in 8 European countries. The vaccine is developed to slow or halt tumor progression.

Professor Peter Öhlschläger established his major scientific interests very early on. During his degree thesis at the German Cancer Research Centre DKFZ in Heidelberg the immunologist succeeded in combining his two major interests namely virology and cancer. Öhlschläger is now junior professor at the University of Constance and mainly deals with the development of therapeutic cancer vaccines.

Burst bark mucus secretions blackened leaves crop failures - these all represent huge ecological and economic damage and are known as fire blight. Fire blight is an example of how global trade and traffic leads to the spread of a pathogen across almost the entire world.

Researchers at the German Cancer Research Center have discovered a key molecule that is responsible for the immature structure of blood vessels in malignant tumors. If this molecule is switched off in mice vessels normalize so that immune cells are better able to get to the tumor tissue.

Article - 01/03/2008

New active substance against hepatitis B

Scientists at the University Hospital in Heidelberg have discovered a hepatitis B virus peptide that can prevent viral infections in a mouse model. A team led by Professor Stephan Urban is developing a virus blocker against hepatitis B infections. Despite vaccinations every year about 750000 people die from the consequences of hepatitis B infections.

As one of the people who initiated the establishment of EMBL and in his role as founding director of the ZMBH Hermann Bujard has made a considerable contribution to the transformation of Heidelberg into a leading location for molecular and biological research in Germany. As the director of EMBO Bujard is now promoting the development of molecular biosciences across Europe.

Nycomed and its licence holder Wyeth Pharmaceuticals a division of Wyeth NYSEWYE today announced the U.S. launch of an own generic version of PROTONIX Pantoprazole tablets in response to the at-risk launch of generic Pantoprazole tablets by Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.

Scientists at the German Cancer Research Centre DKFZ have now succeeded in generating peptides on a microchip - faster and thus cheaper than with previous methods.