Biotop-report 2011

28

B i o T O P i c s   4 2 _

B i o T O P   R e p o r t   2 0 1 1

Returning to Growth

In 2010 companies in the Berlin-Brandenburg region returned to their accustomed growth 

levels again. After the economy had been more or less stagnant during the prior year, the 

region is now showing splendid 4.7 % growth. Compared to the average growth rate of 

3.5 % in the preceding years, this is a very good result and a clear sign of the region’s 

 economic dynamism. Some 200 companies in the Berlin-Brandenburg biotechnology 

 sector currently employ 3904 people. 

News Wirtschaft 

January 2010

 

p

Silence Therapeutics acquires U.S. 

company Intradigm, € 17 million 

capital increase 

March 2010

 

p

Epigenomics AG: € 33 million capital 

increase

 

p

At CeBIT 2010 Medipan receives the 

IT Innovation Award of the Initiative 

Mittelstand for AKLIDES, a fully auto-

mated system for the evaluation 

of cell-based immunofluorescence 

tests 

April 2010

 

p

First “German Biotech Days” with 

600 participants in Berlin

 

p

Silence Therapeutics extend siRNA 

delivery collaboration with Astra-

Zeneca and Dainippon Sumitomo 

May 2010

 

p

NOXXON announces the  completion 

of first-in-human clinical trial with 

Spiegelmer NOX-A12 and raises 

€ 33 million in Series D Round

 

p

The “25 Prix Veuve Clicquot” for the 

Businesswoman of the Year goes to 

Alexandra Knauer

 

p

Caprotec Bioanalytics closes $5M 

funding round

 

p

The Charité - University Medicine 

Berlin and sanofi-aventis sign 

landmark agreement on cooperation 

in research

 

p

ifp Institut für Produktqualität 

enters global cooperation with 

QIAGEN to market its food tests 

 

p

MagForce Nanotechnologies AG 

secures financing up to € 20 million 

through an equity line 

June 2010

 

p

MOLOGEN AG starts phase II clinical 

study with DNA-based cancer medi-

cine MGN1703 against colorectal 

cancer

 

p

Minapharm   Pharmaceuticals 

acquires majority stake in 

ProBioGen – Dr. Wieland Wolf 

appointed new CEO 

 

p

MagForce Nanotechnologies receives 

European regulatory approval for its 

Nano-Cancer(R) therapy 

 

p

Signature Diagnostics AG announces 

positive results for its in-vitro 

diagnostic screening test for early 

detection of colorectal cancer 

July 2010

 

p

Epigenomics AG: Licensee ARUP 

launches Septin9 colorectal cancer 

blood test in the United States

 

p

Silence Therapeutics and Astra-

Zeneca extend siRNA development 

collaboration

 

p

First brain tumor patient treated 

with IsoSeed

®

 from Eckert & Ziegler 

 

p

Epigenomics AG launches diagnostic 

lung cancer test in Europee

 

p

NOXXON to initiate Phase Ib clinical 

trial of MCP-1 inhibitor NOX-E36

 

p

BIOTECON Diagnostics and Xiril AG 

start worldwide marketing alliance 

Corporate development in 2010

As every year, BioTOP surveyed the companies in the cluster to 

analyse the current situation in the industry and provide a com-

prehensive overview of the corporate landscape in its database 

at www.biotop.de. 

During 2010, 12 new companies were founded while 7 with-

drew, so that the number of enterprises rose by 5 to the present 

total of 200. The corporate business models continued to follow 

the trend established during the preceding years. The compa-

nies founded are predominantly small with 1 - 10 employees and 

focused on service-oriented business models and near-market 

maturity developments. This is due primarily to the continuing 

lack of venture capital and the fact that investors have tended to 

focus more strongly on low-risk business models. 

The newly founded companies include aevotis GmbH in Potsdam 

which has positioned itself very successfully as a partner for the 

food industry with its proprietary technologies for the conversion 

Harald Wolf

Senator for Economics, Technology and Women’s Issues 

and Mayor of Berlin

The Health Region Berlin-Brandenburg

»

With more than 350,000 employees, the health econ-

omy is the largest and most developed cluster in the 

region. In the context of the joint innovation strategy of Ber-

lin and Brandenburg, we established a cluster management 

in autumn 2010. An experienced team from institutions in 

the two states under the direction of Cluster Manager Dr. 

Kai Bindseil and Cluster Spokesman Prof. Dr. Günter Stock 

is ensuring that the sector continues to grow by supporting 

effective networking, technology transfer and project coor-

dination in the core segments biotechnology, medical tech-

nology and pharmaceuticals.

---

29

B i o T O P i c s   4 2 _

B i o T O P   R e p o r t   2 0 1 1

News Wirtschaft 

August 2010

 

p

Glycotope starts phase I clinical 

trial with glycooptimized antibody 

CetuGEX™ 

 

p

MerLion Pharmaceuticals completes 

US$ 7 million series C financing 

round 

September 2010

 

p

Co.don’s autologous cell  therapy 

used for the first time in arthros-

copic cartilage defect of the hip 

joint. Brandenburg Investment Bank 

approves € 2.5 million funding for 

co.don AG 

October 2010

 

p

GA Generic Assays GmbH receives 

business award 2010 of the Cham-

ber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) 

Potsdam

 

p

MicroDiscovery and Bayer Schering 

Pharma prolong successful coopera-

tion 

November 2010 

 

p

ProBioGen presents GlymaxX - The 

Novel Glyco-Engineering Technology

 

p

MagForce and Glycotope are 

amongst the winners of STEP Award 

2010

 

p

BioGenes has developed Cellmid’s 

Midkine blood test and reports 

manufacture of first kits 

December 2010 

 

p

ORGANOBALANCE Medical AG starts 

business operations

 

p

Glycotope receives Innovation Award 

Berlin Brandenburg 2010

 

p

Source BioScience Group (UK) 

acquires imaGenes GmbH 

January 2011

 

p

RNL Bio (Korea) acquires the 

Berlin stem cell company Pharmicell 

Europe

 

p

QIAGEN to acquire stake in Alacris, 

gaining access to biomarker pipeline 

for use in personalized healthcare 

assays

 

p

GILUPI GmbH: VC funding in the 

amount of € 3.6 million 

February 2011 

 

p

MOLOGEN AG: € 10 Mio capital 

increase

 

p

The European Commission awards 

the newly created “Region of Excel-

lence” label to Brandenburg 

March 2011

 

p

Algenol announces acquisition of 

Cyano Biofuels GmbH

 

p

Revotar Biopharmaceuticals meets 

primary endpoint in Phase II COPD 

study with inhaled Bimosiamose 

April 2011 

 

p

Co.don AG: exclusive agreement 

with Novomedics GmbH to distribute 

its cell-based therapy chondro-

sphere

®

 for Switzerland  

 

p

Glycotope Biotechnology expands 

GMP production facility to 11 kg 

antibody per year and starts phase 

I clinical trial of FSH-GEX for the 

treatment of anovulatory infertility 

May 2011

 

p

Lonza and ORGANOBALANCE enter 

global license agreement to develop 

and market unique probiotic (Lacto-

bacillus anti-H. pylori)

 1.900

 1.800

 1.700

 1.600

 1.400

 1.200

 1.000

 800

 600

 400

 200

 0 

In comparison to the previous year, the average number of employees per company got reduced by 2 % in the 1-10 category and increased by 2 % in the 11-50 

category. The average number of employees in the category > 50 employees decreased by 8 %. (Source: Own survey, BioTOP database, 200 companies questioned, 

February 2011)

Number of Employees according to Company Size

Nu

mbe

r of

 e

mplo

yee

s

63 companies 11-50 employees

01 02 03 04  05  06  07 08 09 10

1377

18 companies > 51 employees

01 02 03 04  05  06  07 08 09 10

1910

119 companies 1-10 employees

01 02 03 04  05  06  07 08 09 10

617

---