European Biotechnology News Science & Industry
December 2011
II Biotech Clusters & Markets
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Nº 11-12 | Volume 10 | 2011
Special: cluSterS & MarketS
Intro
The biotech cluster survival guide 2011 is drawing to a close, and it’s been a tumultuous year for European biotechnology. It also looks as though things might get worse before they get better. Financing has always been tough in the high-risk sector, but according to a recent survey conducted by Dow Jones VentureSource, finding capital in Europe has been growing even more difficult. It says that investments in industry as a whole fell lower in the third quarter than they have for the last 11 years, but that biotechnology was hit even harder than other sectors – down 44% on Q3 2011. With the euro-crisis compounding the problems caused by the worldwide economic downswing, investors have grown more cautious than ever about investing in biotech here. As belts tighten, companies and clusters all over the world are competing for increasingly limited capital. So how successful are they? And what lessons could Europe’s biotech sector learn from developments in other regions – and vice versa? For this special on international markets and clusters, we look both inside and outside the borders of the EU to see how the industry is coping worldwide.
In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Sanofi CEO Chris Viehbacher complained that “it has never been more difficult to fund a new idea. Venture capital has pret-
ty much gotten right out of healthcare.” But there is a glimmer of hope coming from an unexpected quarter. A survey from the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA)
Boston – home to one of the world’s largest biotech clusters
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questioned over 150 venture capital firms in the US about their investment plans for the next three years. 36% of those who responded said they plan to increase investment in life science companies in Europe, while only 13% plan to increase investment in the United States. Of course, Europe still has a lot of catching up to do. Ernst & Young has estimated that biotech investments on the other side of the pond in 2010 were around five times that in Europe. But emerging markets are now drawing – if not the most money – at least the most interest. The NVCA said that 44% of the respondents to its survey plan to increase investment in Asia.
Innovate – the once and future key As bioeconomies continue to mature, some sectors are living up to or exceeding expectations – even in the midst of crisis – but others are stagnating. In this issue, Carolyn Gauntlett from IMS Health in London takes a tough-love look at where we need to go from here with biologics (p. 26). As emerging markets in Asia gain in importance, the biotech industry in the US is confronted with a set of challenges it has never before had to face. James Greenwood, the President & CEO of the world’s largest biotechnology organisation BIO, crunched the numbers from the 2010 Battelle/BIO State Bioscience Initiatives report for us, and explained what they mean for the once freewheeling North American market. Biotechnology has developed differently in Europe. Denmark’s long tradition of close cooperation in medicine and pharmaceuticals development have helped make the small Scandinavian country a port in the storm over the last three years (p. 35), while the Swiss ‘One nation – One cluster’ model (p. 44) is one of the brightest spots on Europe’s biotech map. And networking at the transnational scale is also finally gaining momentum. Claire Skentelbery from Brussels looks at what clusters on the continent must do to flourish as EU funding dries up (p. 46). Finally, with the immediate future looking brightest in the East, Belgian cluster BioWin is moving quickly to establish a foothold (p. 49) in one of the most exciting boomtowns in the world – Shanghai. B
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Nº 11-12 | Volume 10 | 2011
Biologics
A tough market that requires innovation Carolyn Gauntlett, PhD Consultant, Thought Leadership, IMS Health, London, UK
After years of strong double-digit value growth, the biologics market has recently stuttered, seeing year-on-year growth fall below 10%. As product space grows increasingly crowded, future success will depend on opening up the market through expansion into new therapy areas, offering new MoAs and successfully exploiting the opportunity in pharmerging and biosimilars markets. This is a valuable market to play in, and for those who get their strategy right, returns could be high indeed.
IMS currently measures the global biolog ics market* worth at more than US$150bn (Fig. 1) – that’s 18% by value of total pharma ceutical sales. If biologics were a country, it would be second in spending worldwide be hind the US. Contribution of biologics to to
tal pharma sales has also risen noticeably: value growth in the area has been rapid (14.0% CAGR since 2001). Despite the ini tial success and uptake of biologics, how ever, growth rates are clearly down on the early part of the decade, and are bolstered
Figure 1: sales and growth of biologics since 2001[1]. * In the IMS definition of ‘biologic’, all of the following criteria must be met: the molecular structure must be that of a complex macromolecule, typically with some form of polymer structure where the biologic molecule is clearly identified. The biologic molecule must be the clearly defined active therapeutic ingredient in the product and have undergone a regulatory human clinical trial programme under the auspices of a national or regional regulatory authority.
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Fig. 2: Market value of biologic products based on area of therapy [1]
only by a strong US market. With crowded product offerings, a relative lack of innova tion, copycat products and the introduction of biosimilars – are biologics entering a new era with lower growth rates and a tougher market environment?
increasingly crowded shelves mean a tougher market Biologics are still driven by specialist treat ments (Fig. 2). Only 25% of the overall mar ket is accounted for by primary care, and within this, almost all of the value comes from vaccines and antidiabetics. Leading therapy areas in terms of sales value for bio logics over the last five years have consist ently been oncologics, autoimmune agents, antidiabetics, vaccines and erythropoietins. With a rush to launch products into these proven successful therapy areas, many com panies are now going through what Small Molecule (SM) market firms experienced a few years ago – diminishing RoI. Consider the monoclonal antibodies cur rently on the market for oncology (ATC class L1X3). By the end of the 1990s, just two such products had been launched – Mabthera and Herceptin. By 2005, that number had climbed to eight, and today it stands at 14. But 96% of revenue value is still held by just four of these 14 products. Avastin, Mabthera, Herceptin and Erbitux – which were all launched before 2005 – continue to dominate the market. This is illustrated in Fig. 3, where we plot the normalised cu mulative postlaunch sales from Q1–Q12 (up to three years). Avastin, Mabthera, Her ceptin and Erbitux show a strong increase in sales, but sales from the other 10 Mabs on a per molecule basis have failed to repli
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cate this impact. Biologics for autoimmune treatment reveal a similar picture. At the end of the 1990s, there were only two anti-TNF biologics (Enbrel and Remicade). By 2005 there were three, and today there are five products on the market. Just as with the oncological Mabs, there is a stark difference in revenue achievement between the products, with recent launches performing less well in terms of sales. This lack of impact comes despite a widespread geographical roll-out. Among the blockbusters (global sales of US$1bn+) in each group, recent launches achieved faster geographical penetration than their predecessors – for example, according to IMS data, Avastin was present in 45 countries at three years vs. Herceptin in 30 countries. Likewise Humira was present in 31 countries three years after launch vs. Enbrel in 16 countries. But despite the widespread nature of the post2005 launches, they are not achieving the same returns the earlier launches generated. Launched in 2009, Simponi is present in 24 countries at Q9 post-launch, placing it in the same league as Humira (25 countries at Q9), yet it sees only a fraction of the sales. This of course raises the question - why continue to launch biologic products into crowded therapy areas where sales 2-3 years postlaunch are failing to impact the market as much as for earlier entrants? In the anti-TNF market, the five molecules illustrated all compete for a similar patient population. Being first to market brought significant advantages, and although Hu-
mira made inroads on Enbrel and Remicade due to a widespread roll-out after its launch in 2003, as well as its advantageous administration and immunogenicity, the market has remained essentially split three ways ever since. More recent launches have made much less of an impact, because the market is already sewn up. In contrast, the oncological Mabs do not always compete directly with each other in a target patient group. Large unserved patient populations existed when the first oncological Mabs were launched. With well-established products now on the market, many later entrants have turned to targeting specific patient populations, where successful treatment outcomes are more predictable and payers can be convinced to consider new entrants. Before launching products such as Erbitux and Vectibix, their manufacturers first identified biomarkers for EGFR or KRAS in order to target patients who will best respond to their treatment.[2] Arzerra has also been granted orphan drug status by the EMA and FDA for treating a niche patient group.[2,3] Although strategies like this are not in general lifting sales performances of recent launches to that of earlier oncologic Mabs, they are still succeeding in more focused market positions.
Where is the innovation? Core biologics therapy areas are still dominating research, with over 600 biologics in the pipeline for oncology alone. The IMS R&D Focus reveals that around 50% of the
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biologics pipeline is taken up with oncology and vaccines.[4] However, there are also exciting projects targeting potential expansion beyond these core areas. Biologics are also in the pipeline for traditionally primary care areas, among them cardio, dermatology and even CNS. For example, bapineuzumab is a monoclonal antibody indicated for the treatment of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease that is being developed by J&J and Pfizer (currently Phase III).[5] Future growth in the biologics market could rely heavily on expansion into new therapy areas like this. However, whilst in specialist areas such as Alzheimers with significant unmet need there may well be an opening for a biologic, efforts to expand further into primary care areas such as the osteoporosis market have met with limited success. The osteoporosis market is still dominated by SM treatments – biologics such as Forteo and Prolia have between them only managed to take 13% of the market value. They also have a startling low market volume (standard units) as SM generics grow in terms of volume share. In primary care areas where payer pressure is strong, plentiful SM generics make biologics likely to be seen at best as second-line treatments, and achieving RoI will be challenging. Assessing the biologic pipeline by MOA novelty across several therapy areas shows that companies are sticking with proven classes, such as recombinant proteins, monoclonal antibodies and peptides. Newer mechanisms like mRNA translation are fewer and further between. For example, of the biologics in the pipeline for oncology, 60% are monoclonal antibodies and only 10% are antisense. So why the lack of innovation in a relatively nascent, high-growth area? Development and manufacturing costs for biologics are high, and require a major upfront investment. With regulatory (and acceptance) risks likely to be higher for completely novel MOAs, companies seem to be playing it safe.
Pharmerging markets: friend or foe?
Figure 3: Declining sales impact of later biologics launches (per molecule)[1]
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With growth decelerating in the mature markets, pharmerging markets are becoming increasingly important to the global biologics market. The US is still at the top of the
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Frank. Photo: Markus Marcetic
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is a catalyser for transforming great research ideas into innovative new life science solutions. It bridges an important gap by engaging the right collaborators from industry and healthcare plus senior business advisors, all following a professional project plan. The end goal is a proof-of-mechanism or proof-of-concept for a competitive new product that fulfils a defined need in healthcare or the life science industry. BIO-X™ is a program within Uppsala BIO. Uppsala BIO is an independent, not-for-profit actor in the Stockholm-Uppsala region, that works to enhance the long-term competitiveness and growth of the life science sector. Our most important efforts are about turning up the flow of innovations, starting from defined needs in healthcare or the wider community. We do this together with companies, universities, healthcare, and public authorities.
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biologic market list, but China and Russia are #9 and #10 respectively, with Turkey at #14. Growth there is also impressive. Sales in the year to June 2011 were 10% higher than in the year to June 2010 in the US; in China they were 21% higher. The pharm erging markets therefore offer opportu nity just as the biologics market is start ing to feel the impact of declining growth in Europe and increasingly crowded prod uct space in the mature US market. Much of pharmerging growth, however, is driven by socalled “other biosimilartype prod ucts”, which are characteristic across the region. Dr Reddy’s has launched Reditux in India, which is based on Roche’s block buster rituximab (Rituxan).[6] Hayao Biolog ic has launched XueDaSheng in China, an erythropoetin.[7] These products have gone through an approval process in their home countries, but as they have not gone through the European pathway, they are not formal ly classified by IMS as biosimilars. Locally developed products such as these slow pen etration of original biologics in pharmerg ing markets, but raise overall volume use of biologics as they are generally less ex pensive. Although we predict future growth may be driven by these biosimilartype products rather than by original biologics, in a region where oncologics, antidiabetics and antirheumatics (core biologic product areas) are some of the fastest growing therapy areas, there is little doubt that pharmerging markets will be a source of future biologics growth.
The impact of biosimilars on the market At present the penetration of biosimilars is very low, representing just 1% of the bio logics market in value terms. Uptake in Eu rope has been variable, both by therapeutic market and country, and in the US there is not as yet a regulatory pathway to approve these products. However in March 2010, US lawmakers passed legislation to promote competition in the biologics market: the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act permits the approval and marketing of followon biologic drugs in the US.[8] Entry of biosimilar therapies in the US market is therefore expected from 2014, when the leg
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Figure 4: IMS forecast for Biologics Market 2010-2020
islative pathway is expected to be in place. Uptake is then predicted to accelerate, as availability of biosimilars in the US will co incide with the end of the current window of major smallmolecule loss of exclusivities, meaning payers will have to look elsewhere to continue to realise cost savings. With many of the current topselling bio logics losing product patent protection over the next five years (Enbrel in 2012, Mabthera 2013, Remicade 2014, Herceptin 2015), there has been a scramble for early market en try and market leadership within the bio similars world. SM generics are tradition ally led by generic specialists such as San doz and Teva. But although these compa nies were early entrants and are strong in biosimilars, big pharma are also hungry for a piece of the pie. Merck, Pfizer and BI have all announced their intention to play in the biosimilars field [911]. There is of course much speculation about the success of the biosimilars market and the impact it will have on forward movement in the entire biologics market. But with the stagnant growth seen in SM pharmaceu ticals and increasingly crowded therapy areas in the biological space leading to di minishing returns, biosimilar markets offer an attractive opportunity for diversification in a higher margin market.
Expansion, but a tougher market In the short term, biologics are expected to outpace overall pharma growth, with a fore cast CAGR of 7.7% from 20102015. Growth
is expected to slow from 20152020 as bio similars enter the US market. IMS con servatively forecasts the market could be worth US$253bn by 2020 – almost double its present value. IMS also foresees that even though bio logics are entering a tougher era – with low er market growth than there has been over the last ten years – expansion outside of the core biologic therapy areas, growth in the pharmerging markets and the increased uptake of biosimilars will make this an ex citing and rewarding sector over the com ing decade. D References [1] IMS Midas June 2011; excludes discounts and rebates [2] European Medicines Agency, Human Medicines Overview [3] FDA Orphan Designated and or Approved Prod ucts database [4] IMS Lifecycle: R&D Focus [5] NIH Clinical Trials Service; www.clinicaltrials.gov [6] Dr Reddy’s, http://www.drreddys.com/products/ popups/reditux.htm [7] Hayao Group, http://www.hayao.com/Corporation/ major.asp?cInfoId=195&dInfoId=262 [8] “Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act”, 2010 http://dpc.senate.gov/healthreformbill/ healthbill70.pdf [9] Merck 2008 Annual Report [10] Ahmed, R., Becker, N., “Pfizer, Biocon in insulin licensing deal,” Wall Street Journal, October 2010 [11] “Boehringer Ingelheim expands its Business with Biosimilars”, BI Press Releases, September 2011 Contact Carolyn Gauntlett, PhD Consultant, Thought Leadership – IMS Health 7 Harewood Avenue, London NW1 6JB CGauntlett@uk.imshealth.com www.imshealth.com
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Clusters
Biotech in the US – riding out the storm James C. Greenwood, President & CEO, Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)
until a decade ago, the united states was the undisputed leader in bioscience industry development. Global competition within the industry has dramatically increased – fueled in large part by low-cost labor, the speed of information dissemination, and available risk capital. In the united states, local and national government leaders continue to understand this new dynamic of increased competition for developing the biosciences and are actively working to expand and promote industry growth.
Nearly every competitor in this increasingly global economy has access to big breakthroughs in technology and to the equipment and capital to produce standardized products, but those regions that possess the human capital – with its insights, competencies, and experience – will have the competitive advantage. As the United States has adjusted to accommodate increased global competition, within this and other industry sectors, state and regional leaders have also sought to attract and retain high-wage, high-skilled jobs that offer the most promise to cure
disease, feed the hungry, clean our environment and provide renewable sources of energy. Biotech jobs and salaries within the United States have substantially grown in the past ten years. To date, there are more than 47,000 bioscience companies and 1.4 million workers across 50 states and Puerto Rico. Moreover, the industry has grown an average 3.5% each year during the past decade. Even during this deep recession, our industry actually grew between 2009 and 2010, though in uneven numbers depending on the sector.
Net income of the four bioscience subsectors in 2009 was positive in the us. source: the Battelle/BIO state Bioscience Initiatives 2010. Analysis of 649 public bioscience companies.
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While total private sector employment was down by 6.2% in 2009, total bioscience employment was actually up by 2.8% in that year. And biotech workers in the United States earn on average more than US$77,000 per year, significantly higher than the national average of over US$45,000 for all private industries. Beyond the statistics, the bioscience industry has come into play in the economic development initiative of states, cities and municipalities for several important strategic reasons. First, we are a vital component of the durable goods manufacturing sector of the economy in an environment of increasing and sustained international competition. Many states have a strong biosciencemanufacturing presence that produces some of the highest quality products in the marketplace. Second, these are high-skill, high-wage jobs that diversify the economy and support the creation of an improved standard of living, and help boost revenues from state and local taxes to support education, public safety, and other budget priorities. This is especially important as states focus on efforts to rebound out of a major recession. Third, the industry is intertwined with technology transfer efforts of universities, workforce development at community colleges, and inflow of federal and private research grants for invention and innovation and workforce training funds to match employer needs and employee skills. In the last year alone, state legislatures in Missouri, Wisconsin, Tennessee and Colorado have passed bills that reinvest tax dollars in bioscience economic development initiatives. Additional examples of state legislative best practices in support of bioscience industry development are available at BIO’s website (www.bio.org). While the economic climate has been difficult for bioscience companies, it has also had a significant impact on state budgets, causing some states to cut programs and reassess economic priorities. However, almost every state in the country is actively engaged in building bioscience industry infrastructure. State-sponsored programs to encourage investment and help bioscience companies leverage existing resources can be instrumental in helping these innovative companies survive this economic cycle.
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BIOWIN, BIOWIN, BIOWIN, BIOWIN, BIOWIN, WHERE WHERE WHERESCIENCE SCIENCE SCIENCE BIOWIN,
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Fig. 2: The 25 largest US metro areas in the biosciences. Source: The Battelle/BIO State Bioscience Initiatives 2010.
Realizing the economic potential, state and regional economic development leaders throughout the nation have become much more aware of the industry’s needs, and have put numerous programs and incentives in place to attract and nurture the biosciences. These programs include: – Providing business and financial assistance to emerging companies – Creating tax and regulatory environments to support and expand growing companies – Addressing capital needs by providing funding for pre-commercialization activities – Creating seed funds – Implementing policies encouraging private investment in early and later state venture capital – Supplying capital for facilities funding – Working closely with bioscience companies to develop and create a skilled workforce. Due in part to the international economic downturn, lawmakers have become increasingly aware of the unique challenges facing bioscience companies, such as high research costs and the long development timeline involved in bringing a new bioscience product to market. They understand the importance of a stable and supportive business industry climate for small and emerging companies. Some states are allowing companies to monetize earned
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R&D and net operating loss credits, sales tax exemptions for the purchase of R&D equipment, and investment tax credits to drive angel capital investment in the bioscience industry. American ingenuity is perhaps our greatest intangible resource. Exciting discoveries are often made in our university laboratories. Most of these discoveries are early stage and require lengthy R&D, which requires a massive infusion of private capital. Moving that intellectual property into the marketplace is a continuing challenge. There is, after all, no guarantee that these initial discoveries will ever lead to safe, effective, and commercially viable products. The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has the critical mission of reviewing new drugs (and other medical products) for safety and efficacy. However, the FDA’s regulatory processes have not kept up with rapidly advancing science, slowing the delivery of cures and breakthrough medicines to patients who desperately need them and creating uncertainty that impedes the ability of biotech companies to obtain the funding required for continued innovation. BIO is advocating for full funding for the FDA, for the reforms necessary to ensure the agency has the ability and resources it needs to renew its focus on reviewing products in a timely manner, and for a consistent and science-based decision-making process that reflects patient needs. The
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severe economic downturn makes it difficult to focus on issues beyond the shortterm imperative of improving our economic footing and reversing the deep declines in jobs. But just beyond today’s economic ups and downs are warning signs that the United States is slipping in generating the skilled, educated workers needed to meet the demands for a highly trained, technical workforce in today’s knowledgebased economy. Our struggle to attract and retain a continuing flow of educated (Ph.D., MS, BS, AA) and technically-proficient workers is a growing concern. Regrettably, our country is failing to prepare students for pursuing biosciences in higher education – a key pipeline for developing the bioscience workforce of the future. And finally, the U.S. Congress, a majority of the states, and numerous organizations continue to debate reform of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the sweeping overhaul of the nation’s healthcare system. The law includes provisions to create a pathway for the approval of follow-on biotechnology medicines, and a US$1bn therapeutic discovery tax credit, both of which were widely supported by the bioscience industry. Bioscience development is not simply about generating economic returns. The great promise of the biosciences is the ability to address global problems – from human health to food generation, from security to environmental sustainability and clean energy. Bioscience development pays huge social and quality-of-life dividends for the US and the world. State and federal fiscal woes threaten the United States’ leadership in basic research. The recent recession and its impact on capital markets have created a very sharp decline in venture capital for bioscience companies, which is critical to advancing bioscience innovation into the marketplace. And, in the long-term, the talent pipeline in the biosciences remains an area of significant concern. State and national policymakers have a key role to play in ensuring that these challenges are addressed in order to allow the United States to continue to be a world leader in the biosciences.
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European Euro|Biotech|News Biotechnology 35
Net work
Clusters
Doing things the Danish way Rasmus Beedholm-Ebsen, Invest in Denmark, Copenhagen
Denmark’s tradition of successful pharmaceutical companies and clinical trials stretches back more than a century, and over the past decade the country has emerged as a major global player in the field of biotech research.
Join the European Biotechnology Network!
Denmark is currently home to one of Europe’s strongest life sciences clusters, which employs some 42,000 specialised experts in an industry composed of more than 160 biotech companies and more than 20 clinical research organisations. Additionally, more than 5,000 life sci-
ences students graduate annually from eight universities and four major university hospitals in the Danish life sciences cluster. Close collaboration between Danish academia, industry and public health institutions has led to strong academic track records and industry so-
The European Biotechnology Network is dedicated to facilitating co-operation between professionals in biotechnology and the life sciences all over Europe. The network is run by the European Biotechnology Foundation, a non-profit organisation based in Brussels. Do you want to know more about the advantages of a (free) membership? Just have a look at our website: www.european-biotechnology.net
European Biotechnology Foundation Rue d‘Egmont 15 B-1000 Bruxelles, Belgique Fig. 1: Denmark’s commercial drug development pipeline (source: Invest in Denmark & Copenhagen Capacity, 2011)
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Tel: +32 2 50 08 531 Fax +32 2 64 92 989 info@european-biotechnology.org www.european-biotechnology.net
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Denmark excels in translational research & personalised medicine
Fig. 2: Development in Danish drug exports. Source: The Trade Council of Denmark 2011 lutions. With more than 230 drug can didates in preclinical and clinical devel opment in 2011, Denmark has the third largest commercial drug development pipeline in Europe in terms of absolute numbers according to a 2011 Ernst & Young report (Fig. 1). That strong pipe line is backed up by a proven ability to take drug candidates into preclinical and clinical development (Science 2010, Vol. 327, issue 5963).
of that forwardlooking planning is that many companies realised funds and in vestments when they became available, rather than waiting until circumstances or need forced them to do so. This stra tegic approach prepared Danish biotech companies for the new leaner era, leav ing them less susceptible to pressure when it comes to delivering results with in certain timeframes – the fate of many of their foreign competitors.
The address of one of Europe’s most successful clusters
Denmark – a major exporter of pharmaceutical products
The Danish life sciences cluster is spear headed by Medicon Valley, one of Eu rope’s strongest life sciences regions. It comprises a dense conglomeration of universities, hospitals and companies lo cated in the eastern part of Denmark and the southern area of Sweden. The importance of having a strong bio tech cluster has become particularly ob vious throughout the current financial crisis. Medicon Valley has helped the country remain attractive to both inves tors and knowledgeintensive talent. That has in turn allowed Denmark to maintain its leading position in the field of biotechnology, despite unrest on the markets and the current lack of funds in general in the sector. Another reason for the success is that many Danish bio tech companies have chosen to pursue a longterm financial strategy. One aspect
Danish pharmaceutical product exports saw growth of 23% in 2010 despite the ongoing financial crisis, which is an im portant indicator of the Danish life sci ences cluster’s ability to weather the economic storm (Fig. 2). Danish biotech and pharmaceutical exports are the biggest export sector in the country, and when the field as a whole profits, it benefits the Danish life sciences cluster overall, since capital is often reinvested in new projects and businesses. Because of the sector’s sig nificance, the biotech and pharma in dustry also has a high political profile in Denmark. In terms of government pol icy, it is important that the general life sciences sector is not only doing well, but is also provided with the conditions for conducting solid research and de velopment.
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One big advantage of a small country is that networking is easier than in a large one, with less psychological and phys ical distance between the scientist or scientific entrepreneur and decision makers such as government ministers, policymakers, and industry leaders. It also facilitates the connection between academia and industry, which is a big benefit for those professionals in trans lational medicine who are endeavour ing to turn basic research into clinical applications. And it of course provides a big boost to research in personalised medicine overall. Denmark particular ly excels in this new field of translation al research, and not just because of the ease of communication between scien tists in labs, researchers in industry, and clinicians in hospitals, but also due to a history of such collaborations dat ing back well over a century – long be fore the term ‘translational’ moved into common parlance. Denmark’s commitment to a know ledge economy is clear. Despite the chal lenging economic conditions encount ered at the end of this first decade of the 21st century, our country is determined to stay on track with its pledge to boost spending on R&D to 3% of GDP. Train ing programmes for PhD candidates are being expanded, including a special one for industrial PhDs that focuses on both the academic and commercial sides of science. A large number of domestic funding programs – such as the coun try’s Innovation Consortia programme – are also in place to fund research and development in new technologies and therapies. This commitment sends a clear mes sage to local scientists, as well as those working internationally and considering Denmark as a destination: we are serious about science, as well as about support ing key collaborations between academia and industry. D Contact: www.investindk.com
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Name of Cluster: BIO.NRW Cluster Biotechnology Location: North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Cluster Manager: Dr. Bernward Garthoff (CEO) Contact: www.bio.nrw.de Thematic Strengths: Technology Transfer, Financing, Personalised Medicine, Industrial Biotechnology, Biotech Data No. of Innovation & Start-up Centres: 18
No. of Life Sciences Companies: 340 in 2010 No. of Biotech Companies: 86 biotech com panies (71 dedicated) No. of employees: 3,400 staff (within dedicated biotechs) Annual sales: EUR1bn in revenues (dedicated biotechs) Financing: EUR80m (VC), EUR8m (public funding) No. of Universities/Research hubs with Life Scienc-
es activities: 50 research institutes with life sciences activities Related Networks/Branches: BioRiver – Life Science im Rheinland e.V., BioIndustry e.V., bioanalytik münster e.V., LifeTec Aachen Jülich e.V., Bio OWL, Life Science Net Düsseldorf, bio.dortmund, Stem Cell Network North RhineWestphalia, CleanTech NRW
Medical Devices, Biotech Products, Services (CRO, CMO, EHealth), Medical Equipment No. of Innovation & Start-up Centres: 6 science parks with life sciences activities No. of Life Sciences Companies: 100 health companies No. of Biotech Companies: thereof 70 innova tive companies No. of employees: 14,500
Annual sales: EUR3bn in annual turnover Financing: EUR1.7bn annual public & private investments in R&D No. of Universities/Research hubs with Life Sciences activities: 3 universities/academies and 300 public & private R&D centers Related Networks/Branches: ARESA (regional cluster for clinical research organi sations); WALDx (the invitro diag nostics network of Wallonia)
Name of Cluster: BioWin Location: The Health Cluster of Wallonia, Belgium Cluster Manager: France Fannes, Managing Director Contact: www.biowin.org Thematic Strengths/USPs: Biopharmacy, Radiopharmacy, Cell Therapy, Diagnostics (in vivo and in vitro),
Name of Cluster: Biocitech Technology Park for Life Sciences Location: Romainville, France Sort of Cluster: Biotechnology cluster Cluster Manager: Jean-François Boussard, CEO Contact: www.biocitech.com/
Thematic Strengths/USPs: Biotechnology, Biopharmaceutical, Fine Chemical Companies No. of Innovation & Start-up Centres: N/A, 147 patents No. of Life Sciences Companies: 27 life sciences companies No. of employees: 453
Annual sales: EUR142m in 2010 Financing: EUR30.2m (private funding) and EUR7m (public funds) No. of Universities/Research hubs with Life Sciences activities: 0 Related Networks/Branches: N/A
Name of Cluster: Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science Sort of Cluster: Life Science Cluster Managment: Uppsala BIO, Stockholm Science City, Flemingsberg Science Contact: www.uppsalabio.com, www.ssci.se and www.flemingsberg.se
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Thematic Strengths: Protein & Molecular Science, Diagnostics, Neuroscience, Cancer, Infectious Diseases, Pharma Production No. of Innovation & Start-up Centres: 5 No. of Life Sciences Companies: 750, 495 of which are involved in product develop ment and/or manufacturing
No. of employees: 23,500 staff, 70% of which are involved in product development and/or manufacturing Annual sales: EUR19bn (figures for firms with an address in StockholmUppsala) No. of Universities with Life Sciences activities: 6 Related Networks/Branches: ICT and Mobile Technology, Cleantech, Energy
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Name of Cluster: LISAvienna Location: Vienna, Austria Sort of Cluster: Biotechnology, Pharma and Medical Technology Cluster Cluster Manager: Peter Halwachs and Johannes Sarx (LISAvienna Executive Board) Contact: www.LISAvienna.at
Thematic Strengths/USPs: Cancer, Infec tious Diseases, Vaccines, Software for Medicine, Telemedicine and EHealth, Electromechanical Medical Devices No. Innovation & Start-up Centres: 1 No. of Life Sciences Companies: more than 400 Life Sciences Companies No. of Biotech Companies: 46 dedicated and 19 active biotechs, as well as 35 dedi cated and 6 active medtechs
No. of employees: more than 9,000 staff (within dedicated & active biotechs and medtechs) Annual sales: EUR1.7 bn in revenues (dedicated & active biotechs and medtechs) Financing: EUR35.5 m (public funding) No. of Universities/Research hubs with Life Sciences activities: 22 universities and research institutes with Life Sciences activities
Name of Cluster: One Nation – One Biotech Cluster Location: Switzerland Sort of Cluster: National network of collaboration in the biotech industry Cluster Managment: Swiss Biotech Association
Contact: www.swissbiotech.org Thematic Strengths/USPs: Nationwide position ing with regional cultural specialities No. Innovation & Start-up Centres: 40+ No. of Biotech Companies: 400 biotech firms No. of employees: more than 20,000
Annual sales: CHF9.254m Financing: CHF255m No. of Universities/Research hubs with Life Sciences activities: 1618 in total Related Networks/Branches: Medtech Clus ter Association, Nanotech Initiatives, Swiss Food Research Platform
Thematic Strengths/USPs: Immuno biotherapies, Radiopharmaceuticals, Cell&Gene Therapies, Biomaterials No. Innovation & Start-up Centres: 3 No. of Life Sciences Companies: 70 Life Sciences Companies No. of Universities/Research hubs with Life Sciences activities: 9, with 49 research
units (among them 5 institutes), 3 hospital universities (Nantes, Angers,Poitiers), a veterinary school (ONIRIS) and a management school (AUDENCIA) Related Networks/Branches: TERM network; BiomatIN network; Atlanpole Blue Cluster
No. of Life Sciences Companies: 2,200 Life Sciences Companies No. of Biotech Companies: 700 research based biotech companies, 370 device and 150 diagnostics companies, 120 clinical research and 170 BioIT companies No. of employees: N/A Annual sales: N/A Financing: N/A
Related Networks/Branches: BioBaltica, BioCon Valley, Biopeople, BioTop BerlinBrandenburg, BioTurku, Environmental Development Association of Latvia, Estonian Biotechnology Association, Göteborg Bio, HANNN, HealthBio, Latvian Biotechnology Association, MedCoast Scandinavia, Medicon Valley Alliance, Norgenta, Oslo Cancer Cluster, Oulu Innovation, Steinbeis Foundation
Name of Cluster: Atlanpole Biotherapies Location: Nantes, France Sort of Cluster: Mixed Cluster Manager: Jean-François Balducci Contact: www.atlanpolebiotherapies.com
Name of Cluster: ScanBalt BioRegion Location: Baltic states Cluster Manager: Peter Frank, General Secretary Contact: www.scanbalt.org/ Thematic Strengths/USPs: Crossborder Publicprivate Collaboration, Health and Health Economy, Green Innovation, Sustainable Use of Marine Resources, Sustainable Food Production
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08.12.2011 11:31:48 Uhr
5th Berlin Conference on IP in Life Sciences
© www.siegfriedfock.de
Antibodies & Beyond – Modern Immune Therapies
17 February 2012, 9:00 a.m., Embassy of Switzerland Berlin, Germany Why attend? Monoclonal antibodies are the fastest growing segment within the biotech and pharmaceutical industry. Today, four of the top ten selling blockbusters are antibodies. Industry forecasts see global sales rising to $58bn in 2014. Pharma and biotech companies are investing heavily in developing new antibodies to treat a rising number of diseases. However, antibody concepts also have their limitations. Reimbursement is becoming increasingly difficult. Biosimilars apply pressure on margins. Therefore, a growing number of alternative active and passive immune therapies will deliver fresh therapeutic concepts to the doctor’s menu. The 5th Berlin Conference covers the whole spectrum of immune therapies including the latest improvements.
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Please register now at www.biocom.de/events/IP or send an email to events@biocom.de. Restricted Capacity!
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...is an alliance of four leading Biotech regions of Switzerland (Bio Alps, BioPolo Ticino, Basel Area and Greater Zurich Area). They have combined efforts to streamline interests of the national biotech sector. The SWX Swiss Exchange holds a leading position in terms of lifescience listings and offers companies from that industry – be they located in Switzerland or abroad – access to an internationally recognised financial marketplace. The initiative was co-foundedPartner: by the SBA which also manages Supporting the executive office of Swiss Biotech.
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Media Partner:
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omenico Alexakis Executive Director the Swiss Biotech sociation.
For further information please visit www.swissbiotechassociation.ch www.swissbiotech.org
Organisation: BIOCOM AG | Lützowstraße 33–36 | 10785 Berlin www.biocom.de | events@biocom.de | Tel. +49 (0)30 264921-53 | Fax +49 (0)30 264921-66
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ADVERTORIAL
ClusTers
Swiss Biotech: One nation – One cluster Biotechnology is expected to continue to play a key role in the sustainable development of Switzerland. Boosting innovation in this industry will be vital to economic growth, environmental efforts, commercialisation of new technologies and public health. By further strengthening academic output, enablers and competitive clusters, the sector will continue to blossom. The Swiss biotech industry has garnered a lot of attention in recent years. Unlike many other industries, the sector has grown during the economic crisis, and Swiss biotech sustained itself remarkably well. The number of employees in the field now approaches 20,000 (including Big Pharma numbers). This overview illustrates the structure of the biotechnology sector and emphasises the various institutional players and enablers. ‘Biotech’ as it is here defined includes pharma and chemical companies, seed manufacturers, producers of intermediates, service companies and to a certain extent investors.The scientists working here stand for innovation, and are therefore the very first links in the value chain. Swiss research enjoys a first-class international reputation, thanks primarily to the scientists supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) who pursue their research interests predominantly in individual projects. With a view to further strengthening Swiss research in strategically important areas, the SNSF currently maintains National Centres of Competence in Research (NCCRs). By guaranteeing top quality in Swiss research, the SNSF also plays an important role in the economy. In international competition, first-class research plus highlyqualified and motivated young scientists
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are among the main advantages for innovative companies.
Academic Thrust – Public Funds The academic structure in Switzerland reflects its federal system of government. There are two Federal Institutes of Technology, Zurich’s ETH and Lausanne’s EPF, plus several research institutions (PSI, WSL, EMPA and EAWAG). As public sector services, they guarantee a fundamental level of pure and applied research, teaching and innovation. They also turn out world-class results in the promising, future-oriented disciplines of life sciences, communications and nanotechnology. The universities are funded largely by the cantons. Only the larger cantons have their own universities, and these vary in size and faculty emphasis. The universities of Basel, Bern, Geneva, Fribourg, Lausanne, Neuchâtel and Zurich offer extensive cur-
ricula in life sciences, medicine and biotechnology. Five universities of applied sciences have stepped up their activities in the field of biotech, and are working closely with the universities and Federal Institutes of Technology. This results in better vertical technology transfer and faster product innovation cycles. Universities coordinate their industry efforts through a competence network called ‘biotechnet’, a resource that collectively solves industry and company problems through an interdisciplinary approach. The Innovation Promotion Agency (CTI) specifically backs the transfer of knowledge and technology between universities and business. CTI supports application-oriented research and development. One of the agency’s main missions is the promotion of start-ups, because many innovations are realised and brought to market by young entrepreneurs. Switzerland needs talent with exciting business ideas –
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people who are willing to take on the competition and persistently implement their visions in the business.
Technology Transfer The National Association swiTT – The interface between academia and the private sector: For many biotech companies, collaborating with partners from academia and other companies is vital. Researchers at Swiss universities are generally open to and interested in collaborating with industry, and pursue a large number of joint research projects. Various tools are available to industry to help identify appropriate research partners in academia, including personal contact with researchers, scientific conferences, a research database used by a number of Swiss universities (forschungsportal.ch), and databases for scientific literature (e.g. PubMed, Scirus etc). swiTT members assist researchers at public research institutions in their dealings with the private sector. In addition, they play an important role in the identification and evaluation of research results with commercial potential, and actively promote and market such technology opportunities to companies interested in developing and marketing new products and services based on university technologies. swiTT lists many of these opportunities from various research institutions in Switzerland on its website.
Industry In every industry, companies are the biggest assets. According to Porter, a true cluster requires companies with solid histories. Switzerland is known for having many innovative small and medium-sized companies with a global reach. Often unknown to the public, these quiet champions are old companies that have been seeking new solutions or applications. Having built their know-how over decades, they have become integral parts of the cluster, and contribute to the respect commanded by products that are ‘Swiss Made’. At the networking level, the national industry association for biotechnology, the Swiss Biotech Association (SBA), is motivating strategically-selected stakeholders
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ADVERTORIAL to trigger developments that will benefit the whole industry. Because of the relative youthfulness and strong academic roots of many companies, the culture among the actors is an open one. The people in the biotech community view themselves as different players than those in older industries with a first-class reputation such as the medical devices industry. The SBA has initiated a platform for ‘Therapeutic Biologics’ and a programme called ‘Cleantech by Biotech’ as well as ‘BioActors’, a program that brings together job-seekers and job-offerers in Switzerland. It also organises networking opportunities for all segments active in the sector. Over the years, the SBA has invested a lot of resources in establishing good working contacts with other industry associations and federal offices. Joint projects between the associations have become increasingly common, and the whole community reaps the rewards.
Life Science Clusters Another success factor for any country is the presence of active regional clusters, and Switzerland is well-stocked with them. The Berne Capital Area, Bio Alps can be found in the west of the country, the Bio Polo Ticino in the south, while in the north there are the Greater Zurich Area and the Basel Area for Life Sciences. Berne Capital Area is the global centre of the precision industry, and an extremely valuable strength for the life science industry. Its international reputation nurtures clusters in both biotechnology and life sciences. Local industry and academia have been working here together for years in public-private cluster initiatives that consistently provide momentum to the sector. Bio Alps serves as a shining example of the importance of a matchmaking ability. Initiated by five cantons in western Switzerland, the Bio Alps cluster provides pragmatic and non-bureaucratic support of ideas from the laboratory through to international commercialisation. The regional presence of a generous world leader such as Merck-Serono with a far-reaching vision for integration, rounds off the selling propositions for Bio Alps.
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Bio Polo Ticino is smaller but similar in approach. This cluster covers the Italianspeaking part of Switzerland and also cooperates with the Italian biotech community, which in turn looks to Switzerland for further growth opportunities. A recent excellent example of collaborating on know-how is the ‘Toolpoint for Life Sciences’, an organisation at home in the Greater Zurich Area. This bottom-up vertical set-up connects more than 25 leading companies from the liquid-handling automation industries. They cooperate in noncompetitive or non-critical areas and excel in partnership projects ranging from Human Resources to Regulatory Affairs. In the Basel Area for Life Sciences, big pharma and the chemical industry are strong magnets for other successful ventures. Thanks to the presence of international blue chip firms such as Roche, DSM, Novartis, Lonza, Clariant and Syngenta, small businesses here develop rapidly and profit from the attention their big neighbours draw. The close proximity enables better know-how exchange, which in turn brings about more value for the participants in the value chain. Unsurprisingly, Basel is also an international hot-spot for Life Sciences conferences.
Finance Sector The biotech industry in Switzerland has developed over the past years into an internationally-recognised focal point, and is supported by an active public and private investor base. In terms of market capitalisation, the life science companies listed on the SIX Swiss Stock Exchange together represent the largest peer group of its kind in Europe.
About the author: Domenico Alexakis is a founding partner of Bridge Plus AG. His company manages various projects and initiatives for the stakeholder community of Life Sciences. He also serves as CEO of the Swiss Biotech Association. http://www.swissbiotech.org
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Biotechnology
Linking up EU clusters Claire Skentelbery, Brussels
europe has always recognised that critical mass through cooperation is the route to success, and nowhere is this more true than in biotechnology clusters. the eU has spent hundreds of millions of euros supporting both science and business-building, with funding at both regional and european levels. But with the globe in the grip of an economic crisis, the aid that helped clusters develop has begun drying up. For continued growth, cooperation is now no longer just an option, but a necessity. Partnerships between companies and cluster managers across europe have to increase to maximise the chances of success – or even survival.
Luckily for Europe, economic challenge is nothing new in the biotechnology sector, and clusters have long been aware that the development money would run out. Demonstrating sustainability has been a priority for most cluster managers, along with returning investment, creating employment
and proving that research from their academic centres can be effectively commercialised. Cooperation between clusters has been building for many years now, evolving from ideas and expensive grand plans into practical tools that are affordable and bring direct, measurable benefit for cluster man-
agers and their growing biocommunities. But the benefits of cooperation differ for the cluster managers and their companies.
networking cluster managers Cluster managers, who often take up the reins in a commercially immature biotechnology region, must be able to rapidly and effectively develop and deliver biotech support. That means tough decisions on what will work, what will give a maximum return on public funds and how to be very self-critical. Europe is littered with the remains of poorly designed and executed cluster development plans, and the only way to avoid that fate is by sharing experiences – both good and bad – and moving skills between regions. The Council of European BioRegions was founded over eight years ago by the clusters themselves to do just that, and the benefits are being felt. Cluster managers from over 50 biocommunities in Europe are now working together through a Cluster Manager Group delivered by the EC-funded ABCEurope project and supported by the Council of European BioRegions.The group meets every 2-3 months, and has discussed
CEBR member biotech centres and networks.
Cluster Name
URL
Cluster Name
URL
Alsace, Basel & Baden (Alsace Biovalley)
http://alsace-biovalley.com
Parco Tecnologico Padano (Lombardia)
www.tecnoparco.org
Amsterdam BioMed Cluster (Amsterdam)
www.amsterdambiomed.nl
Gdansk Science & Techn. Park (Gdansk)
www.gpnt.pl
ANAIN-BioNavarra (Navarra)
www.anain.com
Genopole (Evry)
www.genopole.fr
Andalucía BioRegión (Andalucía)
www.fibao.es
Healthcare & Bioscience iNet (Nottingham)
www.eminnovation.org.uk/health
Atlanpole (Nantes)
www.atlanpole.fr
Heidelberg Technology Park (Heidelberg)
www.technologiepark-heidelberg.de
Bio Negev (Negev)
www.bgu.ac.il
Leiden Bio Science Park (Leiden)
www.leidenbiosciencepark.nl
Bioibal (Mallorca)
www.bioibal.org
LISA Vienna Region (Vienna)
http://lisavr.at
BioBASK (Basque region)
www.biobask.org
Lyonbiopole (Lyon)
www.lyonbiopole.com
Biocat (Catalunya)
www.biocat.cat
Madrid Biocluster (Madrid)
www.madridnetwok.org
Biogenouest (West France)
www.biogenouest.org
MEDICEN PARIS REGION (Paris)
www.medicen.org
bioPmed cluster (Piemonte)
www.biopmed.eu
Nexxus (Scotland)
www.nexxusscotland.com
BioM (Bavaria)
www.bio-m.de
One Nucleus (Cambridge/London)
www.onenucleus.com
BioTech North (Tromsø)
www.biotechnorth.no
Stichting Healthy Ageing Netw. (Groningen)
http://hannn.eu
BioTOP Berlin-Brandenburg
www.biotop.de
Stockholm Science City (Stockholm)
www.ssci.se
BioWin (Wallonia)
www.bioWin.org
Technapoli S. & T. Park (Campania)
www.technapoli.it
Capbiotek (Bretagne)
www.capbiotek.fr
Toscana Life Sciences (Tuscany)
www.toscanalifesciences.org
CIBER-BBN (Zaragoza)
www.ciber-bbn.es
Turku Science Park (Turku)
www.turkusciencepark.com
Culminatum Innovation Oy (Helsinki)
www.culminatum.fi
Uppsala BIO
www.uppsalabio.com
FlandersBio (Flanders)
www.flandersbio.be
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topics such as building cluster culture, cluster assessment, implementing cluster strategy, and creating value for cluster actors. Hosted by the clusters themselves (including those in Heidelberg, Stockholm, Munich, Cambridge and Wallonia) the meetings bring together expert speakers and formally assess specific cluster activities for benefit and transferability between clusters. Results are posted on the CEBR website. The topics have included: – Purchasing scheme for cluster companies – Cambridge/ London – YIC Network – from PharmaValley (France) – Mindbrowser open innovation platform – from Piemonte (Italy) – Transferring biotechnology into classical industry sectors – from Baden Württemberg (Germany)
Networking cluster companies If your company doesn’t attend the big partnering meetings in Europe, it is very hard to find and build business and research partnerships outside your cluster or country, particularly for small companies. Clusters are now working together in a much more concrete fashion to connect firms directly with business partners, resources, facilities – everything that Europe already has, but struggles to connect. Examples include: – Tools of Science Europe – an online platform that lists expert facilities that SMEs can access. The platform was launched in September 2011, with over 200 facilities from 13 clusters. Free to access and free for inclusion until September 2012, the platform is growing rapidly, with new facilities being added by clusters each month (www.toolsofscience.eu). – International matchmaking – a virtual partnering programme that has been launched to bring small companies together through skype and phone around specific topics before the cost of travel is incurred. The first programme has been launched – with a focus on oncology, it will take place in February 2012. It is managed by cluster managers around Europe, and makes perfect use of their contacts within their own community. Because it is virtual, there are also minimal costs attached. Effort and company understanding are the key to success – Technology showcases between clusters – most clusters hold their own conferences, but it is always a challenge to bring in partners from outside, particularly SMEs. A programme of Technology Showcases has been launched between clusters. Held alongside cluster conferences, tech showcases are topic-specific, and cluster managers have selected companies and applied researchers together to showcase themselves to partners they would not meet in their normal working life. The first was held in Toulouse around the topic of Oncology and the second (on Infections and Immunity) took place as part of the Genesis conference in London. EC funding has been key to helping clusters cooperate – a prerequisite for all projects is international collaboration. In the cases described above, activities have been designed to be sustainable and affordable, delivered by clusters working in partnership – and long may it continue. Contact: www.cebr.net B
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Clusters
BioWin signs agreement with Shanghai-based biotech park A Gosselies – Health competitiveness cluster BioWin (Wallonia, Belgium), announced the signing of a partnership agreement in mid-October with Juke Biotech Park. The new publicly-funded science park in Shanghai is home to more than a hundred Chinese SMEs and research centres specialised in health biotechnologies and medical technologies. Under the terms of the agreement, BioWin’s permanent representative in Shanghai – “International Relations Manager” Laurent Le Guyader – will be provided with operational infrastructure and facilities. Le Guyader reports to Yve van Thorenburg, the cluster’s Internation-
al Relations Manager – Asia, as well as Frédéric Druck, who heads the BioWin international unit. Juke Biotech Park has further undertaken to smooth the path for access to the Chinese market for BioWin members, while BioWin will return the favour, easing access as much as possible for its new partner’s companies to Wallonia, which can be used as a strategic gate the European market. The agreement was born out of a strategy to develop BioWin activities in China that was launched in 2009 and signed in the course of a recent BioWin and AWEX (Walloon Export and Foreign Investment Agency) mission to the Bio China 2011 trade fair.
Responding to the growing interest in the Chinese market expressed by SMEs and research centres in Wallonia that work in the fields of health biotechnologies and medical technologies , BioWin was eager to conclude the agreement. It is the second such agreement concluded with a preferred partner on location in Shanghai, the Chinese city that has grown into a hub for healthcare innovation. D Contact: www.biowin.org
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Euro|Biotech|News
Products & services
Nº 11-12 | Volume 10 | 2011
astra Biotech
molecular Devices
Enhancing Dx product ranges
High-content screening system
A Berlin – Astra Biotech GmbH is building on the success of its rapidly growing diagnostics capability by expanding OEM partnerships, offering complete kits as well as kit components for a wide range of tests. The company manufactures high-quality reagents, allergens, antibodies, recombinant proteins and assays for the determination of hormones, allergies, hereditary diseases and tumour markers. For suppliers of microarrays, Astra Biotech provides high-quality, ready-to-use glass slides with aldehyde or aminosilane substrates. Featuring superior surface homogeneity and low intrinsic fluorescence and background noise, these products ensure the accuracy of results in this format. Astra Biotech’s strategy is to become the partner of choice for diagnostics manufacturers and a leading supplier of components for innovative diagnostic procedures. The company offers complete ranges of IVD-compliant assays as well as individual components, so partner organisations can fill gaps in their current portfolio without the expense of further research and development costs. Astra Biotech is known for its superior products, which incorporate only certified highpurity reagents. These are subject to rigorous quality control procedures in the company’s manufacturing facilities, thus enabling clear tracking of all component materials. D contact Tel : +49-(0)-337-168-1457 sales@astrabiotech.de
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A sunnyvale – Molecular Devices LLC has launched the XL model of the ImageXpress® Micro System. Improving upon the existing ImageXpress Micro Widefield High-Content Screening System, the ImageXpress Micro XL System offers researchers the ability to image three times the sample area, delivering statistically relevant results in a third of the time. Incorporating state-of-the-art detector and illumination technologies, the system can capture cellular resolution images using a single field that encompasses 384 wells, maximising content to up to three times that acquired with standard camera HCS systems. This increase in fieldof-view allows users to image three times the number of objects per image, minimis-
ing the need to tile when capturing sizeable objects that span the sample. D contact Tel : +1-(408)747-3514 Jennifer.McKie@moldev.com
Beckman coulter
Custom design for optimised mABs
A nyon – Custom Design Services (CDS) from Beckman Coulter, Inc. provides researchers with single and multicolour custom-tailored conjugate configurations, as well as purified antibodies. Beckman Coulter scientists, who have extensive experience in the design and optimisation of multicolour reagent panels, work with a wide variety of proprietary or customersupplied human and non-human antibodies. CDS uses a comprehensive array of fluorochromes to create tests for an expansive range of targets.
Two- to 10-colour panels can be composed using fluorochromes to meet specific experimental requirements. Proprietary tandem dye technology provides optimal coupling efficiency and enhances signal-tonoise ratio, so dyes can be used to detect low-density antigens without the loss of sensitivity. Antibodies can be lyophilised or supplied in a specified buffer solution. Krome Orange, a novel violet-excited organic dye from Beckman Coulter, expands the range of available choices and dye sensitivity limits for violet lasers, and facilitates the development of high-quality, multicolour panels. The panels are packaged in exclusive black vials to protect against photobleaching. For more information on Custom Design Services from Beckman Coulter, please visit www.BeckmanCustomDesign.com. D contact Tel : +41-(0)-22-365-3662 mjeremaes@beckmancoulter.com
08.12.2011 11:37:52 Uhr
UniversitĂ della Svizzera italiana
BioBusiness BioEntrepreneurship Life Sciences Entrepreneurship
BioBusiness Advanced short course on BioEntrepreneurship at USI
LUGANO: 7-11 May 2012 The course is tailored to the needs of scientists wishing to commercialize drugs and technologies or entrepreneurs and managers from pharmaceutical or biotech companies. Participants will be trained on how to start and finance a BioBusiness. Working in teams participants will design and pitch a plan for new business concepts. Lectures and seminars will be held by a world-class team of lecturers from industry, academia, venture capital. The number of participants is limited to 30. An early-bird rate applies until 15 December 2011. Deadline for registration: 15 March 2012. For further information, please view the course website at www.biobusiness.usi.ch
Supported by
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Media partner
06.12.2011 16:13:34 Uhr
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Euro|Biotech|News
Products & services
Nº 11-12 | Volume 10 | 2011
PoRvAiR
TAP BiosysTems
HT Filtration of Liquids
TAP receives IMechE accreditation
A segensworth –The Porvair Filtration Group Biofil™ Plus range of microbialrated cartridges has been developed and manufactured for the filtration of complex biological liquids used in biotechnological processes. Biofil™ Plus uses a naturally hydrophilic polyethersulphone (PES) membrane with a mirrored asymmetric pore structure, combined with a unique built-in pre-filtration membrane layer that allows for longer life and higher throughput. When combined with quality all-polypropylene components and high-integrity manufacturing techniques, the Biofil™ Plus filter cartridge is ideally suited to the most demanding process conditions. A new comprehensive validation guide summarising the extensive testing and evaluation program undertaken by Porvair on Biofil Plus cartridges to meet the key demands of the pharma industry is also now available. Porvair Biofil™ Plus cartridges are constructed in a clean room
under tightly controlled conditions using advanced, highly-specialised machinery. The quality and consistency of the product is assured by Porvair ISO-accredited quality control and manufacturing procedures, which are in place throughout all stages of manufacture. Biofil™ Plus membrane cartridges are tested for 100% integrity during manufacture using the forward-flow diffusion test method. For a brochure describing the new Biofil Plus cartridge range, please visit www.porvairfiltration.com. D Contact Tel : +44-(0)-148-986-4330 claire.webster@porvairfiltration.com
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A Royston – TAP Biosystems has been accredited by the UK’s leading professional engineering institute, The Institution of Me-
chanical Engineers (IMechE), for the development of Incorporated and Chartered Engineers. The IMechE accreditation means TAP Biosystems is now listed as one of a select group of companies offering professional mentoring and training to support engineers in their career development. The accreditation was the culmination of a four-stage selection process, including a visit by an IMechE interview panel of engineering experts. In their report, the interviewers noted TAP Biosystems “high level management support for the scheme, with a wide range of opportunities available to developing engineers.” D Contact Tel : +44-(0)-1763-227-201 matthew.walker@tapbiosystems.com
iBA
Smart and gentle cell selection A Göttingen – Cell biology relies on the investigation of un-manipulated and uncompromised cells. Unlike state-of-theart receptor-specific isolation procedures, the Streptamer approach is fully reversible, i.e. surface-bound staining or isolation reagents are completely removed from the cells by biotin (vitamin H). Isolated cells not only preserve their full effector function, but are predestined – from a regulatory perspective – for clinical uses such as cell therapy. Streptamers are designed both for cell staining with different colours (e.g. for fluorescence-assisted cell sorting) and for positive cell selections with magnetic beads. Sequential positive magnetic selections over multiple cell markers allow the enrichment of highly pure and specific cell preparations, without the need for preceding negative selection steps. The complete reversibility, i.e. removal of all surface-bound reagents, enables the isolation of authentic cells in their natural
physiological state for research, diagnostics and clinical use. Streptamer-purified cell therapeutics have been classified by the European Medicines Agency as “nonadvanced therapy medicinal products” (non-ATMP); which makes them subject to considerably fewer regulatory requirements. For more information, please visit us at www.streptamer.com D Contact Tel : +49-(0)-551-5067-2122 info@streptamer.com
08.12.2011 11:38:00 Uhr
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05.10.11 16:36 06.12.2011 16:18:56 Uhr
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