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BioNTech AG and Ganymed Pharmaceuticals AG, two leading German biotechnology companies, announced today the joint- opening of a new headquarters and research facility of approximatively 10,000 square-meters.
The new facility brings together 300 employees and is located close to academic institutions (Johannes-Gutenberg University), hospitals (University Medical Center) and cancer research institutions such as the leading translational oncology institute “TRON” with access to highly skilled scientists and clinicians as well as supercomputing infrastructure. The new building is among the largest privately held research facilities in Germany, which both companies BioNTech and Ganymed lease from their main investors Andreas and Thomas Strüngmann.
BioNTech and Ganymed scientists will work in a large lab on a range of pre-clinical and clinical programs mainly in the field of cancer therapies.
BioNTech develops and produces individualized cancer immunotherapies and focus on new and disruptive technologies, such as mRNA-based biologicals or innovative antigen-receptor / T-cell-receptor therapies. In 2013, BioNTech became the first company ever, to start a fully individualized clinical program worldwide.
“Our new presence in the heart of the German immunology research cluster represents an important milestone in our efforts to create a highly innovative product pipeline for our fight against cancer,” said Prof. Ugur Sahin, M.D., Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of BioNTech AG.
Ganymed develops highly selective antibody against stomach/esophagus cancer in his advanced stages of clinical trials. The majority of 21 patients treated in a phase IIa trial showed a significant slow-down of the cancer, Ganymed has now recruited 210 patients for a phase IIb trial.
“Patients as well as all our external partners from industry and academics will benefit from our researchers and developers working closely together in an exciting new building, speeding up the translation of a late-stage immunology pipeline into novel drugs,” added Özlem Türeci, M.D., Ph.D, CEO of Ganymed.
The grand opening was celebrated today with a ceremony with the Secretary of Commerce and the Vice President of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate, Eveline Lemke, Minister of State for Education and Science, Doris Ahnen, MayorMichael Ebeling as well as the investors Andreas and Thomas Strüngmann.