Cellzome, GSK and EMBL: Biotechnological research "Made in Germany" for better care with innovative therapies

At an anniversary event of the biopharmaceutical company GSK and its subsidiary Cellzome on the campus of the EMBL (European Molecular Biology Laboratory) in Heidelberg on 15 February 2023, the leading representatives of the respective companies and institutions spoke about the recipe for success and the future of biotechnological research for the development of innovations. The collaboration between Cellzome and EMBL within the BioRN life science network is regarded as a beacon example of how basic research can lead to innovative approaches in the treatment of serious diseases thanks to cooperation between science and industry.

As a spin-off from EMBL, Cellzome originally came from the academic world and was incorporated into the GSK global research network in 2012. This has enabled the company to grow stronger and faster and better translate research findings into care. "Cellzome has an amazing story and since joining GSK, we can be even more effective in helping to bring new medicines to patients," said Dr Gitte Neubauer, founder of the company and Vice President Omics Sciences & Head of Cellzome at GSK. "The secret to our success is a team of the best scientists from 25 nations around the world, integrating many different disciplines and collaborating within GSK and with our academic partners." 

Within GSK's Research and Development (R&D) organisation, Cellzome works with other R&D departments to develop new treatments for immunological and oncological diseases. By specialising in omics technologies in combination with biology, biochemistry and data analytics, Cellzome is helping to enable decision-making across the entire drug discovery and development value chain.

Dr John Lepore, Head of Research, GSK, explained the relevance: "At GSK, we base our research and development approach on the science of genetics and genomics as well as advanced technologies. This enables us to identify the most promising targets, but also to understand the molecular mechanisms of these targets and drugs. Over the last ten years, the excellent scientific work here in Heidelberg has helped us to find better starting points for new drug discovery programmes, to select the compounds that most effectively hit the desired target protein and to identify the right patients who can benefit from potential drugs."

Innovationsökosystem offers optimal framework conditions for successful translation

Cellzome is located on the EMBL campus, which ensures strong networking and cooperation with the scientific community as well as the opportunity to test new scientific approaches and technologies. Prof. Dr Jan Ellenberg, Head of Imaging Center, EMBL, summarised: "Cellzome is an excellent example of successful collaboration, trustful partnership and synergies that allow us to ideally combine science, technology development and industrial application. Our partnership allows young scientists to move quickly from academia to industry and back, enriching their skills." 

Crucial for the success of Cellzome is, among other things, its embedding in one of the most flourishing European biotech regions in the life science network around Heidelberg. The density of research institutes, top universities, start-ups and global pharmaceutical companies is reflected in the more than 140 members of the local BioRN network, which represents a unique interface between academic institutions, the pharmaceutical industry and politics.

"Our initiatives are aimed at establishing and expanding connections and interaction with regional innovation players as well as with innovation regions worldwide in order to create successful knowledge creation and transfer," said Dr Julia Schaft, Managing Director BioRN. 

Collaborations are the key to researching and developing new forms of therapy. The optimal breeding ground for this is a healthy, innovative ecosystem that brings together public and private research in order to bring ideas from the test tube to healthcare. "Successful collaboration between science and industry is the key to innovation - as in the case of GSK/Cellzome and EMBL. Leading-edge clusters such as BioRegion Rhine-Neckar (BioRN) strengthen the entire region with an innovative infrastructure and attractive employers. The leading-edge cluster promotes Germany as a biotechnology centre. The researchers here in Rhine-Neckar are helping to bring innovations to patients throughout Germany more quickly. A great contribution to medical progress and a better quality of life!" said Parliamentary State Secretary Dr Jens Brandenburg, BMBF.

GSK-EMBL Young Entrepreneur Grant awarded for the first time

In order to support research and translation, GSK and EMBL have awarded the "GSK-EMBL Young Entrepreneur Grant" for the first time. Scientists from the EMBL network who want to translate their research into commercial applications were eligible to apply. The grant comprises research funding in the amount of 200,000 euros, half of which was provided by EMBLEM (the EMBL subsidiary responsible for technology transfer) and half by GSK, and is intended to test the commercialisability of early research work. Dr Jürgen Bauer, Deputy Managing Director of EMBLEM, said: "The idea for this grant, which arose from the close collaboration between Cellzome, EMBLEM and EMBL, confirms the valuable contribution that collaborations between industry and public institutions make to support scientists from academic research in the development of innovative solutions". During the event, the GSK-EMBL Young Entrepreneur Grant was officially awarded to Dr Jamie Hackett, group leader at EMBL Rome, for his research entitled "Precision Epigenome Editing to Reverse Disease(-risk) Indications". The method developed by Dr Hackett makes it possible to make precise modifications to the epigenome in order to regulate genes.

¨ber Cellzome

Cellzome was founded in 2000 as a spin-off from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg by Dr Gitte Neubauer together with a team of researchers and was incorporated into GSK's R&D unit as a wholly owned subsidiary in 2012.

The biotechnology company works in the early stages of drug discovery and is a leader in the field of "omics" technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics), which are used to investigate the molecular mechanisms of disease development and drugs. The work of Cellzome serves to gain a better understanding of the influence of genetic factors on the development of diseases - especially cancer and immune diseases - and of active substances on disease progression.

The aim is to find new targets for active substances and increase their accuracy of fit. The company thus contributes to important decisions in drug discovery, the choice of target, molecule and drug dose.

&about GSK

GSK is a global biopharma company combining science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together. Further information at: en.gsk.com

Release of the "Saarbrücker Zeitung" of 19 February 2023