All start-ups that want to participate in this year’s 10th MEDICA Start-up Competition by submitting innovations can send in their application free of charge until 22 September 2021. For more information about the competition, visit: https://www.medica-tradefair.com/mac2
In addition to these highlights, a programme of several on-stage events at the epicentre of the trade fair will also be on offer. Holders of the relevant tickets can follow the talks and discussions simultaneously via livestreams on the industry portals MEDICA.de and COMPAMED.de.
The event organisers say decision-makers of the healthcare industry have committed to participating on site. In a recent survey of several thousand MEDICA and COMPAMED visitors from previous years, three quarters stated that they intend to attend this year’s trade fairs.
Pharmacokinetic and immunogenicity projects can be both diverse and complex, involving work packages from antibody generation and production to the analysis of clinical samples with validated assays.
In an effort to simplify the process, BioGenes and FyoniBio has signed an agreement under wich they will cooperate to provide a single source for these services.
BioGenes, as an expert in antibody production and ELISA setup, takes care of the first steps of the project, while FyoniBio, a specialist in bioassay development and validation for analysis of clinical samples, uses their expertise to transfer the assay to the MSD2 platform for analysing clinical samples under “good clinical and laboratory practice” (GCLP). Specialists at the Berlin-based companies guarantee comprehensive project management.
“We are very pleased that the cooperation with FyoniBio has now officially started,” said Dr. Alexander Knoll, CEO of BioGenes GmbH. “We are convinced that our complete package for high-quality and customized immunological tests for new biological compounds and clinical samples offers an enormous added value for customers.”
“Both companies want to provide the perfect service for each customer. In this respect, as well as regarding scientific excellence in their respective fields, the two companies complement each other very well,” added Dr. Hans Baumeister, Service Division Manager at FyoniBio. “We are looking forward to the first joint projects.”
Solvent evaporation specialists – BioChromato has published online a description of how the Vacuum Vortex Concentration (VVC) methodology enables users of its Smart Series of Evaporators remove high boiling solvents including water, DMSO and DMF quickly and safely.
At the heart of each BioChromato Smart Evaporator is a highly efficient spiral airflow created by a special concentrator plug or “Spiral Plug”. This novel Spiral Plug technology generates a helical flow of air or inert gas agitating the surface of the solvent, increasing its surface area and thereby significantly improving the effectiveness and speed of evaporation.
Since the evaporation vessel on a Smart Evaporator isn’t under high vacuum, there is no risk of bumping or splashing. By using VVC methodology – Smart Evaporators increase efficiency by eliminating the time-consuming task of cleaning apparatus, potential loss of samples and the need to repeat the drying process that can result from solvent bumping or splashing.
ERS Genomics Limited, which was formed to provide broad access to the foundational CRISPR/Cas9 intellectual property co-owned by Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier, issued a statement saying that the Japanese Patent Office (JPO) has rejected arguments filed in opposition to the second Japanese patent (JP6692856) filed by Dr. Charpentier, together with The Regents of the University of California and University of Vienna (collectively known as CVC), which covers compositions and methods for use in a variety of eukaryotic cells, in either dual-guide or single-guide format. In addition, the JPO has allowed a third CVC patent (JP2019-210828), which covers a chimeric version of the Cas9 protein.
During the JP6692856 proceedings, opponents contested novelty and inventive step. In its opposition decision, the JPO re-affirmed the patentability of the inventions, further validating the fundamental value of these patents for use of the CRISPR/Cas9 technology.
The JPO has also allowed JP2019-210828 to the CVC group. This patent covers compositions and uses of a chimeric version of the Cas9 protein in cellular and non-cellular settings and will represent the third Japanese patent granted to the group.
Michael Arciero, Vice-President of Intellectual Property and Commercial Development, ERS Genomics, said: “The JPO actions reinforce the broad and fundamental nature of our CRISPR patent portfolio, both in Japan and worldwide. This also validates the decision our licensees have made to work with ERS to enable their commercialization efforts involving CRISPR/Cas9. We are expanding our efforts to make the technology broadly available, so it can be used by as many people as possible.”
Patents have now been issued to Dr. Charpentier, The Regents of the University of California and University of Vienna for this cutting-edge technology in over 80 countries worldwide.
MIMETAS, a leader in human-relevant organ-on-a-chip models, has opened their Phenotypic Screening Center. The centre facilitates large-scale screening campaigns on Organ-on-a-Chip models, a powerful technology that improves the human physiological relevance of cultured tissues by utilizing microfluidic techniques. In contrast to other Organ-on-a-Chip platforms, the MIMETAS OrganoPlate technology offers the scalability and the throughput needed for drug discovery studies.
The new screening centre is the first energy-neutral laboratory building in the Netherlands. It is located in the new head office of MIMETAS in Oegstgeest, the largest life sciences cluster in The Netherlands.
“We are very proud to open up this new centre,” said Jos Joore, CEO of MIMETAS. “Our new Phenotypic Screening Center facilitates high-throughput organ-on-a-chip screening combined with high-content imaging and machine learning data analysis to identify drug candidates for today’s unmet medical needs. Our customers understand that human-relevant disease models should be at the basis of every drug discovery effort. Moreover, these cutting-edge technologies stimulate the creativity and purpose of our scientists to make a difference in the lives of patients.”
MIMETAS recently reported a successful 1,546 compound screen in duplicate on a 3D angiogenesis assay in the OrganoPlate 3-lane 64. Promising hit compounds from this screen are currently under investigation.
“To our knowledge, this is the largest organ-on-a-chip screen ever reported,” explained Joore. “We partner with large pharmaceutical companies, that need our disease model screening expertise, and can bring promising candidates to the clinic fast. In this way, we make sure that we bring novel drugs to patients in the most efficient manner.”
ProBioGen and LAVA Therpuetics N.V. have closed a second cell line development agreement to support a bispecific gamma-delta T cell engager (TCE) candidate in LAVA’s pipeline.
Under the agreement and using its CHO.RiGHT expression platform, including its DirectedLuck Transposase technology for the generation of stable high-titer cell lines, ProBioGen will conduct cell line development of a novel gamma-delta bsTCE.
Dr. Lutz Hilbrich, ProBioGen’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are delighted to continue our collaboration with LAVA to develop cell lines for another novel gamma-delta bsTCE. Our proven cell line development platform, which also includes our Transposase technology, is perfectly suited for novel protein formats.”
Stephen Hurly, Chief Executive Officer and President of LAVA Therapeutics, commented: “Based on the great results from our previous agreement, we would look forward working with ProBioGen again. ProBioGen exceeded our expectations and proved to be a scientifically driven partner with a proven development platform and a dedicated analytical panel for bispecific antibody formats.”
Veraxa (former Velabs Therapeutics GmbH), a leading company in innovative ADC engineering and functional antibody screening, has entered into a partnership agreement with Quadira Biosciences AG, Zug, Switzerland, to jointly develop a suite of novel ADCs for the treatment of oncological conditions.
The collaboration will leverage both the advantages of VERAXA’s advanced and proprietary position-true click-chemistry-based drug conjugation technology in combination with Quadira’s superior 3D cellular assay and assessment systems. The agreement provides that VERAXA will be entitled to upfront payments and royalties from the worldwide sale of products resulting from the collaboration. Further details of the agreement were not disclosed.
Quadira Biosciences AG is a Joint Venture between abc biopply AG, a Swiss biotech company specializing in the standardization of biological components and complex 3D cell culture systems and Xlife Sciences AG, a Swiss based biotech company. Quadira will, under the partnership, have exclusive access to abc biopply’s proprietary 3D CoSeedis technology platform, a new standard in the industrial application of 3D cell culture systems for preclinical drug validation.
VERAXA Biotech is a pioneer of microfluidic technology for the ultra-fast screening of functional antibodies. The company has developed superior microfluidic hardware and processes to screen for modulatory mAbs on complex target proteins such as GPCRs. In contrast to all other technologies available, VERAXA combines binding and functional assessment in a single step and unravels therapeutic hits out of entire immune repertoires that consists of millions of B cells in less than 48 hours.
Recently, VERAXA acquired Araxa Biosciences GmbH, a biotech company with innovative and proprietary protein engineering and click-chemistry based drug coupling technologies to expand its preclinical antibody capacities from early screening to later stage antibody engineering and to sharpen its profile in personalized medicine and precision oncology. With the novel ADC technology, VERAXA can perform precise site-specific antibody labelling with almost any drug at any position and highest reproducibility. The company has several ADC in production and testing with superior cytotox profiles as compared to benchmark molecules.
November 2025
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