Transferring Biomedical Research to Patients Faster: ForTra gGmbH Announces Positive Funding Track Record
23 Abril 2024 - 3:00AM
- Closing the gap between basic research and clinical
application
- More than 50 percent of all funded projects received
follow-up funding
Bad Homburg v.d. Höhe, Germany, April 23, 2024 - ForTra gGmbH
für Forschungstransfer der Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (ForTra
gGmbH), a non-profit arm of Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation, today
published the successful track record of its latest funding
projects. Since 2017, the organization has been supporting basic
biomedical research projects in their efforts to accelerate their
transfer into clinical practice. From 2017 to the end of September
2023, 31 projects were funded, of which 16 were able to secure
follow-on financing from public funds, venture capitalists or
similar organizations. More than a third (11) of the completed
projects have already entered clinical development. One of the
first funded projects, which is developing a new strategy for
cancer therapy, led to the founding of a start-up company in 2020
and has succeeded in bringing their drug candidate into the final
phase of clinical development (Phase III).
Other successfully continued projects include, for example, the
development of switchable antibodies for cancer immunotherapy with
significantly fewer side effects, a gene therapy to remove
integrated HI viruses from blood stem cells and an app to better
prepare patients for major surgical procedures.
The projects that received further support from third parties
had been funded by ForTra with €12.4 million. They were able to
raise follow-up funding of €128 million. Just over €100 million
came from public funding programs and €25.5 million from private
funds, i.e. from venture capital firms, private equity, or
partnerships with industrial companies. As a result, the initial
support provided by ForTra enabled the raise of ten times the
original funding amount.
"This is a very positive outcome of our funding initiative,"
said Prof. Dr. Martin Zörnig, Managing Director of ForTra. "The
fact that so many projects reached the clinic and were able to
secure follow-up funding shows the successful implementation of our
goal to make new research results available to patients in a
significantly shorter time frame. In Germany, there is
unfortunately a large gap between successful basic medical and
scientific research and its application in everyday clinical
practice. We want to change this, thereby realizing an important
goal of EKFS founder Else Kröner."
Prof. Zörnig added that ForTra has approximately 6.6 million
euros at its disposal to spend in 2024. Funding will be provided to
projects from research institutions that are ready for clinical
testing and have already overcome initial development hurdles.
"These projects often face specific problems and challenges, e.g.
validating their medical approach or medical product, financing a
key experiment, or obtaining specific support in project
development and the transfer of technology and knowledge,"
explained Prof. Zörnig. "Around €2.5 to 3 million of our annual
budget is reserved for the GMP production of clinical trial
material. This is a statutory requirement for the approval of
subsequent clinical trials and is particularly expensive."
Researchers working at academic research institutions (clinics,
research institutes, etc.) or other non-profit scientific
institutions are eligible to apply for non-profit funding from
ForTra.
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ForTra gGmbH für Forschungstransfer der Else
Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (ForTra gGmbH)ForTra gGmbH is a
subsidiary of Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation (EKFS), a non-profit
organization under German tax law. The purpose of the organization
is the promotion of medical science and research as well as the
promotion of public health by supporting the transfer of medical
research results into clinical application for the benefit of
patients and public health care.
Scientific contact person:ForTra gGmbHProf. Dr. Martin
ZörnigManaging DirectorPhone: +49 6172 8975-12E-mail:
m.zoernig@fortra-forschungstransfer.de
Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation (EKFS) - Advancing
research. Helping people.Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation is a
non-profit foundation dedicated to the funding and advancement of
medical research and the support of humanitarian projects. To date
the foundation has funded around 2,600 projects. With an annual
funding volume currently amounting to over 70 million euros it is
the largest foundation in Germany that actively funds and supports
medicine. You can find more information at: www.ekfs.de/en
Press contacts:Else Kröner-Fresenius FoundationBianka
JerkePress and Public RelationsPhone: + 49 6172 8975-24E-mail:
b.jerke@ekfs.de
akampionDr. Ludger Wess / Ines-Regina ButhManaging
PartnersPhone: +49 40 88 16 59 64Phone: +49 30 23 63 27 68E-mail:
info@akampion.com