MVA promoted cancer research and innovation at post-BIO meeting

The day after BIO 2007 in Boston a showcasing and networking event was hosted at Biogen Idec’s office in the same city. The title was Scandinavian Core Competence in Translational Cancer Research and Innovation. Oslo Cancer Cluster introduced their public private collaboration, and Photocure ASA as well as other Norwegian companies with projects in the cancer field presented themselves. From Sweden only Affibody AB was presenting.

MVA’s Stina Gestrelius gave an overview of current preclinical and clinical cancer studies in Medicon Valley. The new strategic cancer research centres BRIC in Copenhagen and Create Health in Lund were described. Focus was then changed to the SMEs: first to the group presently performing preclinical development showing their technology platforms, then to the even larger group of companies with candidates in clinical trials with cancer indications. Not unexpectedly, cancer is the medical area with the largest number of ongoing clinical studies in Medicon Valley, when big pharma studies are excluded. Ten companies with almost 30 candidates were on the list. Among them, Active Biotech, Santaris Pharma and Topo Target had posters at BIO, and were presented in some more detail. The about fifty attendees also received an updated information leaflet describing 150 Medicon Valley companies with web addresses and telephone numbers.

Companies with preclinical trials:	BioInvent, Enkam, LIDDS, OncoTac, Symphogen, ZGene, 2CureX
Companies with clinical trials:	Active Biotech, Bavarian Nordic, Camurus, CellCure, DanDrit, Genmab, NatImmune, Pharmexa, Santaris Pharma, SpectraCure, TopoTarget

Visit the BRIC and the Create Health homepage