The Project of program for biotechnology sector – Polish Biotech Associaton

The mission of Polish Biotech Association is to take effective operations to create the conditions for creation the greatest number of innovative start-ups, because they should become an essential tool of research results commercialization.

The Polish Biotech Association meeting was attended by representatives of the following companies: CMS Code, Action for Development of Research, Bio-Tech Consulting, Bio-Tech Media, Celon Pharma, Celther Poland, CTI, Flavopharma, Future Sybthesis, Lipid System, Lipopharm, Mabion, Onco Arendi Therapeutics, Proteon Pharmaceuticals, Biologics Pure, Selvita, Stem Cell Spin, TCI Laboratories.

On the development of sectoral program worked:
• Maciej Wieczorek
• Sławomir Jaros
• Bogdan Manowski
• Mateusz Wołkowicz
• Tadeusz Pietrucha

-The project is dedicated exclusively to small and medium-sized biotechnology sector companies that operate and are located on Polish territory – due to the assumption of the National Center for Research and Development. Research teams can participate in the project as a subcontractor, but the entity that obtains funding must be a company - explains Tadeusz Pietrucha, the president of the Bio-Tech Consulting. The program is focused only on the biotechnology sector, because for other sectors such as pharmacy or nanotechnology are prepared other solutions according to National Center for Research and Development guidelines and also from specific of business in developing new, innovative biotechnology projects. This program is co-financing biotechnology research and development and implementation projects in companies.

-We want in our sector to indicate a certain logic of financing R&D projects. We believe that we should contribute both technologies and also drugs that present a low risk with introducing to market, for example biosimilar drugs that have well-defined regulatory pathway - says Maciej Wieczorek, president of the company Mabion and Celon Pharma.

The association wants to take actions to create favorable conditions for the developing possible the largest number of innovative projects, therefore become an active partner for research institutions. The plan assumes generate from 80 to 100 new start-ups within approx. 5 years. In addition, sectoral program is going to introduce the third phase of clinical trials of at least one new biotechnology drug and introduce to the market ten biosimilars. During the meeting was emphasized a certain minimum scale of institutions to achieve in order to have an impact on economic development. And that is the reason the program emphasizes the development of at least 50 biotech companies that are established in Poland and have high potential to develop the business and achieve an international level.

4 main topics of R&D projects were proposed: new biotech drugs, biosimilars, personalized medicine and biomarkers. There were also discussions on the principles of the requests and evaluation of grant applications. On 13^th of November 2014 was offered to prepare grant applications in English language. Evaluation will be conducted by two people representing the world of business and science.

Meeting of the members of Polish Biotech Association also appointed a new board, which consists of: Tadeusz Pietrucha (Bio-Tech Consulting Ltd, a professor at the Medical University of Lodz) - Chairman of the Board, Magdalena Przybyło (Lipid Systems Ltd, Wroclaw University of Technology Ph.D. ) - Vice President, Maciej Wieczorek (Ph.D., Celon Pharm Ltd., Mabion inc.) - Vice President.

Marta Łucka

Hanna Banasiak