BIOTECHNICA 2010 (5 – 7 October)
Hannover, Germany, October 5, 20101 / b3c newswire / - The Belgian biotech company Galapagos has won the 2010 EUROPEAN BIOTECHNICA AWARD. Galapagos thus secures the lion’s share of the prize money totalling 75,000 euros, which is offered every year in the competition staged by Deutsche Messe AG and its partners. The award celebrates innovative European companies from the biotechnology sector and the life sciences.
Based in Mechelen, Belgium, Galapagos specializes in research and development of antibody and small molecule therapies based on novel modes of action in many different disease areas. The company currently has a product pipeline comprising six clinical, one preclinical and over 50 small molecule pre-clinical programs. “Galapagos shows a remarkable combination of scientific know-how in different fields and business success through cooperations with eight big pharma companies”, as pointed out by Prof. Dr. Rolf G. Werner, deputy chair of the international panel of nine experts that judges the competition.
The award was presented in a special ceremony to mark yesterday’s opening of BIOTECHNICA by Lower Saxony’s Economics Minister Jörg Bode, who shared the platform with Dr. Toralf Haag, Board Member of the Lonza Group AG, Dr. Peter Heinrich, Board spokesman for BIO Deutschland and Board member of EuropaBio, Dr. Maharaj Kishan Bhan, Indian Government Secretary for the Department of Biotechnology, and Stephan Kühne, Board member of Deutsche Messe AG.
Apart from Galapagos the other finalists were the Swiss biotech company Addex Pharmaceuticals and Apeiron Biologics from Austria. The main focus of Addex Pharmaceuticals, which is based in Plan-Les-Ouates near Geneva, is the research and development of therapeutic products for Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, anxiety, depression and other disorders of the central nervous system.
The biotech company Apeiron Biologics, based in Vienna, concentrates on the clinical development of an enzyme biotherapy for acute respiratory distress. The company is also engaged in establishing a product portfolio around the development of biological and immunological cancer treatments.
The winner Galapagos receives a cash prize amounting to 30,000 euros, while a further 45,000 euros in non-cash prizes went to all three finalists. The non-cash prizes comprise free strategy and investment consultancy services provided by Capgemini Consulting and a media service packages facilitated by the European Biotechnology News. Finally, all three companies will have the opportunity to stage a presentation from 5-7 October at BIOTECHNICA in Hall 9, Stand C35.
Information about the terms of participation in the competition as well as previous prize-winners over the years can be found online at www.biotechnica.de/award_e.
About BIOTECHNICA - www.biotechnica.de
BIOTECHNICA is Europe's leading annual event for biotechnology and the life sciences. It covers the entire spectrum of biotechnology, including basic equipment, laboratory equipment, bio-informatics and services, and addresses all five major fields of application, i.e. pharmaceuticals/medicine, industrial manufacturing, food, agriculture and the environment. Deutsche Messe AG has been holding BIOTECHNICA at the Hannover Exhibition Grounds since 1985.
Your contact for further information at Deutsche Messe:
Katharina Siebert
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Company profiles of the finalists for the 2010 EUROPEAN BIOTECHNICA AWARD
Profile of Galapagos - www.glpg.com
Galapagos is a medium-sized biotech company specialized in the research and development of antibody and small molecule therapies with novel modes of action. The company is currently developing one of the biggest product pipelines in the biotechnology sector, with six clinical and over 50 preclinical programs devoted to small molecule research. Risk/reward sharing alliances with GlaxoSmithKline, Eli Lilly, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Merck & Co., Roche and Servier mean that Galapagos is eligible to receive € 3.3 billion in downstream milestone payments, plus royalties. The company’s international headquarters is in Mechelen, Belgium.
Profile of Addex Pharmaceuticals - www.addexpharma.com
Addex Pharmaceuticals researches and develops allosteric modulators which can be used as therapeutic agents, in particular focusing on validated therapeutic targets in diseases affecting the central nervous system, as well as metabolism and inflammatory disorders. The company’s product pipeline demonstrates the productivity and great potential of the unparalleled proprietary know-how of Addex Pharmaceuticals. Depending on the conclusion of the Phase I tests and regulatory approval, Phase II clinical trials will start in late 2010 in four indicators for two lead products which are used in therapy for Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia. A third product, which has good potential value as a therapy for chronic pain, is scheduled to enter Phase I testing towards the end of 2010. In addition, Merck & Co., Inc. has licensed rights to two pre-clinical products targeting Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia. Roche Venture Fund as well as SR-One, the venture capital fund of GlaxoSmithKline, have invested in Addex.
Profile of Apeiron Biologics AG - www.apeiron-biologics.com
Apeiron Biologics AG is a privately funded biotech company located in Vienna. In February 2010 the company licensed out its lead product APN01 at the time to GlaxoSmithKline in a milestone dependent agreement amounting to approx. 236 million euros. APN01 (recombinant human Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2, rhACE2) is used for enzyme biotherapy to treat acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and a whole number of other diseases. Alongside numerous innovative projects the company is also building a mature, low-risk project portfolio with the prime focus on biological/immunological cancer therapies. Apeiron currently has 15 employees at its central facility at the Vienna Campus Biocenter.