Innovation in Life Sciences for Start-Ups and Companies
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Why Geneva is your best choice in Europe Innovation in life sciences for start-ups and companies www.whygeneva.ch Geneva-based life sciences companies explain what makes this ecosystem special Alcon Covance Eli Lilly Genomic Health Incyte Laboratoires Bailleul Linkage Biosciences Menicon Otsuka Santen Tasly Vifor Contents Commitment to innovation Geneva supports life science companies Strong to stronger: how a life sciences ecosystem grows 2 When a vaccine is found for Ebola, the “most Geneva’s commitment to life sciences companies 3 severe acute public health emergency seen in modern times”*, it will be in part thanks to the Campus Biotech: Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) where Innovation, collaboration, translation 4 clinical trials of the current best vaccine candi- Covance: Focusing on innovation 6 date are now underway. That this important work is happening in Geneva underlines two things Eli Lilly’s philosophy of exchange 8 special about our canton: the region’s expertise in life sciences and Geneva’s place at the center Alcon at the “center of healthcare innovation” 10 of international governance. For, if the HUG is here with all its scientific rigour and expertise, Vifor: Finding everything it needs 12 so is the World Health Organization, the Specialized service companies help International Red Cross, Doctors without Laboratoires Bailleul grow 13 Borders, the Global Fund, DNDi, FIND, MMV and the many other international organizations The world center of private / public cooperaton in health 14 and NGOs committed to public health who call Geneva home. Otsuka: “A strategic location for our TB programme” 15 The new Campus Biotech puts Geneva at the Eclosion helps take ideas to market 16 heart of “Health Valley”, a dynamic ecosystem of pharmaceutical, medtech and biotech compa- EspeRare’s new model for “orphan diseases” 16 nies, start-ups and research institutes in Western FONGIT and Geneva attract start-ups 17 New in Town: Coming from all over the world 18 The power of attraction “A natural step in Incyte’s evolution” 18 Geneva’s life sciences ecosystem grows on its strengths Genomic Health finds partners locally 19 Over the past decade, a remarkable life sciences Why the Japanese pharma Santen ecosystem has grown up around Geneva. It chose Geneva 20 started with the University of Geneva’s long-res- Menicon “joins its brand to Geneva’s” 21 pected expertise in biological science and the Geneva University Hospitals’ research. It grew Tamaggo : From “Death Valley” to “Health Valley” 22 through initiatives of the cantonal, regional and federal governments to support innovation and California’s Linkage Biosciences finds ensure a friendly business climate. And, like an a unique talent pool 23 ecosystem in nature, this one has grown organ- China’s Tasly opens European HQ 24 ically: strong companies and world-class experts attracting their peers, helping new companies “Convenient gathering place” for EASL 25 and research to develop. Bringing the world to Geneva 26 Today, this “Health Valley”, is the most diversified life sciences ecosystem on the European conti- nent. It includes over 750 companies and some Impressum 20 universities, graduate institutes and research Publication: Why Geneva • 2015 edition hospitals. It has a proactive organization, Editor: Geneva Economic Development Office • Rue de l’Hôtel-de-Ville 11 P.O. Box 3216 • CH 1211 Geneva 3, Switzerland BioAlps, facilitating exchange between poten- Phone: + 41 22 388 34 34 • Email: [email protected] tial partners and investors, and incubators, Photos: Photos used in this edition are mostly provided by the companies and organizations featured. Fongit and Eclosion, preparing new companies for the market. Now into this dynamic mix comes 2 Commitment to innovation Geneva supports life science companies Switzerland. This ecosystem continues to grow and internationalize. In the last few months, the Chinese company Tasly, the US company Incyte, the Japa- nese companies Santen and Menicon, the Cana- dian company KRIM Biopharma, among others, have joined firms long here like Eli Lilly and Covance. We welcome them all to Geneva, one of the most international cities in the world. My job as Minister is to ensure that all companies based here benefit from Geneva’s assets and Mr. Pierre Maudet exceptional business conditions. This means keep- Minister of Security and Economy ing Geneva’s academic preparation strong and Republic and State of Geneva building bridges between research and industry and between incubators and investors. It also means having an open mind and an open door. Ebola is not the only challenge we will face in the innovation and to fostering the unique synergies avail- coming years. Nor will a safe vaccine for it be the only able in the healthcare industry in Geneva. wonder to emerge from our laboratories. Life sciences are important to people everywhere. As Minister of Security and Economy, I am committed to supporting * WHO Director-General Margaret Chan, October 2014 The power of attraction Geneva’s life sciences ecosystem grows on its strengths Campus Biotech, with a new model to stimulate available,” says Elie Anselin of Laboratoires innovation and knowledge transfer in neuroscience Bailleul. “Even if you don’t know the right person, and bioengineering. someone here will.” Significant “locals” include the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manu- As Director Benoît Dubuis makes clear in the facturers & Associations (IFPMA), representing following article, Campus Biotech will focus on the research-based pharmaceutical industry, includ- collaboration. Between scientists working in the ing the biotechnology and vaccine sectors. And a same field, but also those in apparently unrelated number of specialized service companies have also ones. Between companies large and small. Between concentrated in the region to meet business chal- academia and business. Where today can one draw lenges. “Geneva has many consultant companies the line between developments in bioinformatics, specialized in pharmaceutics, so you have access biotech, neuroscience, medtech, neuro-engineering to regulatory affairs, legal or quality-compliance and pharmaceuticals? Campus Biotech has been expertise, and biotech consultants providing services set up to promote exchange across all of these like data-mining and knowledge-management,” says disciplines. Vifor Pharma’s Frédéric Zwahlen. “We find people here we can’t find in other places.” The word “neighborhood” is important. For, in spite of its global reputation, Geneva is a small place Innovation, collaboration, service, expertise. Geneva’s where access to people is easy and relatively infor- life sciences ecosystem has entered into a new era mal. Geneva’s multicultural atmosphere, high level of growth. of education and diverse range of talent are a power- ful combination. “Geneva makes the rest of the world 3 Under one dome Campus Biotech opens its doors Benoît Dubuis Campus Biotech Director Individually, each of the research institutes inside The architecture also takes into account the human Geneva’s new Campus Biotech is remarkable. element of science and business: conference Together, they exemplify Aristotle’s famous defini- rooms, a restaurant, a cafeteria, indoor and outdoor tion of synergy: the whole is greater than the sum picnic areas and a café promote both formal discus- of its parts. sion and chance meetings. Born thanks to the shared vision of two entrepre- Campus Biotech’s platforms for sharing technology neurs – Ernesto Bertarelli and Hansjoerg Wyss – are another asset as they provide not only cutting and two main research institutions – the University edge resources but also opportunity for exchange. of Geneva and the EPFL –, Campus Biotech is In addition to traditional office and lab space, scien- promoting interaction between research, develop- tists have access to shared facilities with such ment and companies. This new model for collabo- equipment as MRI scanners and medical imaging ration between academic, industrial and clinical platforms. “We offer open, shared platforms and partners, is already earning Campus Biotech the high-level resources for all. This configuration reputation as the “CERN of neuroscience”. enables a range of specialists to be in contact with one another,” says Benoît Dubuis. “We are building on three core values,” explains Campus Biotech Director, Benoît Dubuis. “Inno- vation, collaboration, translation. First, find new ways of doing things for the benefit of patient and population. Second, don’t duplicate efforts but capi- talize on existing knowledge, promote synergies, secure impact. And, third, promote the translation of innovation into products and solutions with an entrepreneurial spirit to integrate industry, start-up and companies.” “The CERN of neuroscience” Designed for inter-connectivity, Campus Biotech’s opportunity of having everything under one dome minimizes psychological and physical barriers. Thanks to bridges throughout the complex, a neuro- scientist, for example, has easy access not only to the high-end equipment he/she needs, but also to colleagues working on complementary research groups, even in different fields. 4 * UNIGE – University of Geneva Six-hundred people are already working at the ** EPFL – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne 40,000 m2 site and up to 1200 are expected to be *** HESSO – University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland there within two to three years. An extension is ****HUG – Geneva University Hospitals already