Geneart AG from Regensburg Wins 2008 EUROPEAN BIOTECHNICA AWARD

Geneart AG from Regensburg, Germany, is the winner of the 2008 EUROPEAN BIOTECHNICA AWARD. Second place went to immatics biotechnologies GmbH from Tübingen, Germany, while the third prize was awarded to Astex Therapeutics Limited from Cambridge, UK. The aim of the award - which is now worth a total of €100,000 in prizes - is to celebrate the achievements of innovative European companies in the field of biotechnology and the life sciences. "We established the EUROPEAN BIOTECHNICA AWARD in order to support and encourage emerging biotech firms, whose endeavours are doing so much to build Europe´s reputation as a key centre for research", says Stephan Kühne, who sits on the Board of Management at Deutsche Messe AG, Hannover. The Award was presented this year for the sixth time by Deutsche Messe AG and its partners.

Professor Dr. Peter Stadler, Managing Director of TaconicArtemis GmbH and Chairman of the international prize jury, spoke in praise of the three prize–winners. "The winner impressed the jury with a remarkable combination of business success and scientific vision", said Stadler. Geneart is the world´s leading manufacturer of synthetic genes and one of the leading global specialists in synthetic biology.

The second–placed company immatics biotechnologies demonstrated an extremely innovative therapeutic approach aimed at combating tumours", reported Stadler. Using its own technologies, this biopharmaceutical company identifies and validates new substances to treat various types of cancer.

"The third–placed company Astex Therapeutics is remarkable for its high level of scientific achievement, as was apparent from the large number of scientific publications, which totalled almost 100", noted Stadler. Astex has already developed five substances which are being tested for use in cancer therapy. Three of these are currently undergoing clinical trials and two are in pre–clinical development.

For its work Geneart received a cash prize of €20,000. The remaining €80,000 were distributed among all three finalists in the form of substantive benefits. These benefits comprise a consultancy course with consultants Capgemini, with the focus on business strategy and investment; media packages in the "European Biotechnology News"; and a year´s membership of EuropaBio, the European umbrella association for the biotechnology industry based in Brussels.

The prize award ceremony took place on 6 October during the formal opening ceremony for BIOTECHNICA 2008 in Hannover. EU Commissioner Günter Verheugen, Lower Saxony´s Minister for Economic Affairs, Walter Hirche, Professor Dr. Jens Schneider–Mergener, CEO of the Berlin–based Jerini AG, and Stephan Kühne, Board member of Deutsche Messe AG, presented the prizes before an audience of some 500 invited guests from Germany and other countries.

Information about previous prize–winners and the Terms of Entry for the next competition can be found online at http://www.biotechnica.de/award_e .

About BIOTECHNICA

BIOTECHNICA in Hannover is the leading event within the European biotech industry. It embraces every segment of biotechnology - from basic biotechnology and equipment, bio–informatics and services to the five major areas of application: pharmaceuticals/medicine, industry, food, agriculture, the chemical industry and the environment. BIOTECHNICA has been organized by Deutsche Messe AG at the Hannover Exhibition Grounds since 1985. Today, BIOTECHNICA events - BIOTECH CHINA in Asia and BIOTECHNICA AMERICA in the USA - are also held across the globe.

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