Living pharmaceuticals: The SaxoCell innovation network is one of the winners of the first BMBF Future Cluster Round

SaxoCell is one of the winners of the first round of the nationwide "Clusters4Future" ideas competition. This makes them one of seven projects in Germany that the Federal government earmarked to make a significant contribution to the transfer of knowledge and technology of pioneering innovations.

The SaxoCell team led by the spokespersons Ezio Bonifacio (TU Dresden) and Ulrike Köhl (Fraunhofer Institute IZI / Leipzig University) is delighted about the positive decision on the "Clusters4Future" initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). "The Saxon consortium, consisting of experts from TU Dresden, Leipzig University, Chemnitz Hospital, the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology and other partners from science and industry, has set itself ambitious goals," explains SaxoCell spokesperson Ezio Bonifacio, professor at the Center for Regenerative Therapies (CRTD) at TU Dresden. "Together, we want to make novel cell and gene therapies, known as living pharmaceuticals, available in Germany for a broad spectrum of diseases."

"By submitting applications for future clusters, TU Dresden is addressing mega topics of the 21^st century and wants to play its part in solving global issues in the fields of digitalization and health and structural change in Saxony," Prof. Ursula M. Staudinger, Rector of TU Dresden, is also delighted with the success of SaxoCell.

The German government plans to provide up to 450 million euros for future clusters over the next ten years. Last spring, 16 projects were selected out of 137 proposals in the first round to develop their research and innovation strategies into a full proposal. Three of them came from TU Dresden. The second application round for "Clusters4Future" started in November 2020.  

SaxoCell - Precision Therapy Cluster for "Living Pharmaceuticals “
In the SaxoCell future cluster, the body's self-healing powers are to be better utilized and "living pharmaceuticals " made available to a wide range of patients: Researchers from Technische Universität Dresden,  Leipzig University and the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI have joined forces to realize innovative production methods and areas of application for the broad use of novel, personalized gene and cell therapeutics, so-called "living pharmaceuticals ". Essential and necessary features are flexible systems so that the new therapies can be used more cost-effectively than existing therapies. The cluster aims to join the fields of gene and cell therapy, artificial intelligence, automation and regulatory areas from science and industry, thus establishing a unique value chain in Saxony. Regional industry and commercial partners will also be involved as an important success factor. More at http://www.tu-dresden.de/crtd

BMBF information on the "Clusters4Future" initiative
https://www.bmbf.de/de/zukunftscluster-initiative-9195.html

Media inquiries:
SaxoCell
Prof. Ezio Bonifacio