At the 9th Biotech Press Lounge, industry representatives met at the Faculty Club G2B (Gateway to Biotech) in the Innovation and Start-up Center for Biotechnology to discuss new research results, projects and strategies. Impulse lectures by Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Chromotek GmbH and Gilead Sciences GmbH were presented to multipliers from biotech, pharmaceutical and venture capital companies as well as top researchers from the Martinsried campus. Dr. Peter Hanns Zobel, Managing Director of the IZB, welcomed nearly 100 guests and explained: “We are excited to be working at this dynamic location where groundbreaking new therapies and drugs are being developed. The exchange between the players is important”. Susanne Simon, Head of Public Relations at IZB, moderated the event and introduced the speakers Dr. Karsten Kissel, Director Medical Affairs Germany from Gilead Sciences GmbH; Dr. Marion Jung, CEO from Chromotek GmbH and Thomas Hegendoerfer from Johnson & Johnson Innovation.

Dr. Karsten Kissel spoke about his new CAR-T cell therapy, one of the most innovative technology platforms in oncology. “In this personalized cell therapy, the body’s own cells are individually modified for each patient so that they can fight certain cancers. “With the introduction of CAR-T therapies, we are entering new technological, regulatory, administrative and logistical territory. Patients can only benefit from this innovation through the close cooperation of all those involved in healthcare,” explained Dr. Kissel. Gilead Sciences GmbH’s first product in this field has already reached market maturity.

“Chromotek’s mission is to provide scientists around the world with new, better tools for their research”, said CEO Dr. Marion Jung. She explained in her presentation how Chromotek’s alpaca nano-antibodies raise the quality of research results to a new level. Fields of application include proteomics, cell-microscopy and life cell screening.