25. July 2006
The situation of Germany's biotech industry in the medical sector
Biotechnical drug production in a German research-based company
(© Boehringer Ingelheim)
In the past, biotechnology has contributed to quantum leaps in the quality of therapy for severe illnesses. Today it offers many new and promising ways to treat both major widespread diseases such as diabetes or cancer and rare diseases.
In addition to 20 well-established companies already working in the field of biotechnology, there are more than 60 emerging companies in Germany with their own innovative product pipelines:
- The well-established companies currently generate more than two-thirds of the total turnover in Germany with biopharmaceutical products and represent over 60% of biotechnology jobs.
- While the main share of biopharmaceuticals presently available on the market treat metabolic disorders (e.g. with human insulin), the pipelines of the companies are concentrating on new treatments for cancer.
- Last year, the well-established and emerging biotechnology companies spent more than EUR 950 million on research and development.
- Germany is the second largest manufacturer of biopharmaceuticals in the world. Above all, the well-established companies invested more than EUR 1 billion in this field in 2005.
- Improvement in planning certainty by means of a reliable legal framework;
- Improvement in the knowledge transfer between universities, research institutes and industry;
- Simplification of the authorization procedure for clinical studies, and
- Optimization of financial frameworks.
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