ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE BioWin www.biowin.org Wallonia—a cell therapy and regenerative medicine powerhouse Since 2006, BioWin, the health cluster of the Belgian region of Wallonia, has powered a renaissance of technological and scientific excellence in cell therapy and regenerative medicine.

esearch and development in cell therapy and regenerative medicine is exploding R in Belgium’s Wallonia region thanks to an increasing number of initiatives and companies active in this fast-developing field. Driving this success is BioWin, one of Europe’s most innova- tive health clusters. Its unique ecosystem com- prises 130 companies, 5 universities (Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Université de Liège (ULg), Université de Mons (UMONS) and Université de Namur (UNamur)) and 4 registered research centers. In total, the cluster includes 11,000 researchers (Fig. 1). Since its creation, BioWin has witnessed a 71% Figure 1: Wallonia’s health cluster BioWin has been instrumental in putting Belgium on the map as growth in the employment rate among members, a powerhouse in cell therapies and regenerative medicine. the establishment of five new companies, the launch of over 32 R&D projects, the filing and/or to advance its autologous heart-failure therapy, secure the company’s commercial readiness and granting of 78 patents, rapid progress on 23 C-Cure, into phase 3 pivotal trials, and to expand continued growth.” other projects and services and increasing inter- into oncology with the acquisition of a portfolio of national attention. According to Sylvie Ponchaut, chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) products International partnerships BioWin’s managing director, “The government for solid and liquid tumors that will move into BioWin, in collaboration with the Wallonia Foreign of Wallonia provides strong financial and fiscal clinical development in 2016. Trade and Investment Agency, actively pursues support for the biopharmaceutical industry, which In 2015, Bone Therapeutics raised €37 million opportunities for its members to establish part- has attracted over €800 million [US$872 million] in a successful oversubscribed IPO in support nerships and other collaborative agreements out- of private capital since 2006. A unique ecosys- of clinical programs in bone fracture repair and side of Wallonia. As an example, Promethera and tem has been fostered by the presence of large prevention, and Promethera Biosciences, a UCL EMD Millipore recently obtained funding to jointly players with strong roots in the region, such as spin-off active in liver regeneration and functional develop a long-term liver drug-toxicity screening GSKVaccines, Baxter, UCB, IBA and Eurogentec- repair, raised €25.3 million in a series C financial platform. Funding was made possible under a Kaneka, and an unusually high concentration of round to pursue phase 2b studies in urea-cycle BioWin partnership with the Massachusetts Life small- and medium-sized enterprises, universi- disorders and to develop new indications in con- Sciences Center. “Our company specializes in ties and research institutes. This has instilled a genital and acquired liver diseases. isolating, expanding and characterizing human culture of technological, scientific and entrepre- liver progenitor cells for the treatment of con- neurial excellence.” Excellence in technology genital and acquired liver diseases,” explained and manufacturing Etienne Sokal, founder, board director and CSO An ecosystem driving cell therapy R&D Key to accelerating the translation of scientific of Promethera. “BioWin helped us from the initial With over €303.87 million generated from public breakthroughs into the clinic are maintaining characterization and isolation of cells, core to and private funds since 2006 for cell therapy the investment momentum, developing the driving the growth and clinical application of stem R&D, and with the transfer of technology from 30 technological and manufacturing infrastructure cell research, to what is now an internationally research laboratories to five companies, Wallonia and addressing the need for specialized skill recognized biotech of excellence.” lays claim to a level of innovation and drive seen sets. In 2011, BioWin supported the creation of BioWin has representatives in Boston, Shang- www.nature.com/biopharmadealmakers in few other regions in Europe. BioWin recognized MaSTherCell, the first advanced-therapy medici- hai and a number of European capitals, as well

early on that against a European backdrop of nal product contract manufacturing and develop- as partnerships with many other centers of excel- strong fundamental science in cell therapy and ment organization for cell therapies in Wallonia. lence around the world to support its members. regenerative medicine, a fully integrated aca- MaSTherCell was recently acquired by US cellular At the heart of this approach lies a philosophy demic and industrial ecosystem was a prerequi- therapy specialist Orgenesis. of open innovation, reflecting the dynamism of site for addressing issues of safety, scaling and In April 2015, a large public-private partnership a region that not only is open to technological manufacturing to deliver on the potential of cell including Bone Therapeutics and Promethera partnerships but also offers a vibrant and sup- therapies to transform the future of medicine. opened a high-tech, large-scale manufacturing portive ecosystem.

dealmakers In 2013, Novadip Biosciences, a UCL spin-off, facility for cell therapies in Gosselies, Belgium. was established to support the development of “We are excited to be starting the transition to CONTACT DETAILS a platform to transform fat cells into bone cells. our new facilities, situated in the heart of the Sylvie Ponchaut, Managing Director The same year, cellular therapy company Celyad thriving Belgian biotech environment,” said Enrico BioWin asbl raised €23 million through a successful initial Bastianelli, CEO of Bone Therapeutics. “After the Gosselies, Belgium public offering (IPO) on the Paris and Brussels rapid expansion of our clinical programs last year Tel: + 32 71 376 386

biopharma Euronext exchanges. This enabled the company and the recent IPO, this is an important step to Email: [email protected]

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