Developing Highly Innovative Treatments for Severe Diseases – Future Cluster SaxoCell Enters Its Second Funding Phase

Saxony’s future cluster, SaxoCell, has been granted a second funding installment (from October 2024 until September 2027) by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). In making this decision, BMBF underscores the potential as well as the past successes of SaxoCell – the collaborative research cluster for novel cell and gene therapies. SaxoCell unites the expertise of leading research institutes and clinics from Saxony, including TUD Dresden University of Technology as the principal applicant, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), and Leipzig University, in addition to the clinics in Chemnitz, Leipzig, and Dresden.

The partners work closely together with a view to developing new and highly innovative treatments for serious illnesses. The focus is on developing customized and highly effective cell and gene therapies. The technologies developed by the cluster are designed in collaboration with local small to medium-sized companies. They provide incentives for both investors and industrial partners to engage with the region where the cluster is located. New partnerships with national and international companies have already been established for the second funding phase, and existing partnerships have been expanded.

Prof. Frank Buchholz, Chair of Medical Systems Biology at TU Dresden and Speaker for the Cluster, explained, “This decision and the total funding of EUR 15 million confirms that  our approach is spot-on. We had the clear objective of securing this funding. We see this as recognition of our work thus far and as confirmation of our development plan.”

“We are delighted about the trust and support from BMBF,” added Cluster Speaker Prof. Ulrike Köhl, who is Executive Director of Fraunhofer IZI and the Institute for Clinical Immunology at Leipzig University.

The research team behind SaxoCell is convinced that the cluster's targeted advances in the coming years will make decisive contributions to establishing Saxony as a leading international location for cell and gene therapy. The successful launch into the second funding phase is a pivotal step on this journey.

In the upcoming funding phase, SaxoCell will continue to intensify and strategically expand its research activities in the field of gene-based and cell-based therapies. In addition to optimizing existing treatments, the cluster will also enter into new partnerships with companies and other research institutions with a view to accelerating the transfer of innovative solutions into clinical practice.

More information:

https://www.saxocell.de/en/home/

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