VALBY, Denmark, Aug. 29, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- In less than two years, the biotech company Combio A/S has managed to build up the company to start research and development of new, potential drug compounds.
Combio A/S was established in June 2000. In November 2000, Carlsberg A/S, Novo A/S, Medicon Valley Capital K/S, Dansk Kapitalanlaeg A/S and Loenmodtagernes Dyrtidsfond together contributed DKK 60 mill. to the company. In December the following year, the same investors increased their investment to DKK 71 mill.
Today, the company has 27 employees, including 13 chemists and 8 biologists. Combio has invested in laboratory equipment and technology which enable it to stand on its own feet and to be technologically independent of the Carlsberg Research Center. The rented premises at the Research Center are already too small and Combio has entered into a new agreement with Carlsberg A/S to rent premises that will be redecorated and adapted for the purpose. Combio will be renting 2 floors, in total 2.700 m2, and will have the option to rent yet another floor. The redecorated premises are expected to be ready in the beginning of 2004.
The development of Combio's technology is based on Carlsberg's research and implicates that new, potential drugs can be found fast and costefficiently. Drugs are being developed to combat cancer, inflammatory conditions and infectious diseases caused by various bacteria. At the moment, Combio is working on several drug projects one in cooperation with ProZymex in Hoersholm and three others in cooperation with a Swiss company.
Furthermore, Combio is negotiating projects with potential customers in the U.S. and Europe. Generally, it is a problem for drug companies to develop new biologically active drug agents fast enough. Hence it is Combio's force to contribute to fulfil these companies' need for new products fast and efficiently. The demands for fast growth within the drug industry are creating a good market for Combio. This development might imply that Combio will need further capital around 2003/2004.
Combio's ambitions are not only to do research in the preclinical phase, but also to participate in the clinical development of new drugs. Typically, the company will do simultaneous research on several agents in the preclinical phase and develop two or more drug agents in the clinical phases 1 and 2. In phase 1, the drug effect will be tested on healthy individuals, in phase 2 on individuals with a relevant disease.
The Management consists of five persons with broad experience within the pharmaceutical industry:
Kjell Stenberg, Dr Med Sc, CEO with 25 years experience from Astra and AstraZeneca.
Ernst Meinjohanns, Ph D, Director of Medicinal Chemistry: 10 years experience from Hamburg University, the Carlsberg Research Center and Leo Pharma.
Niels Westergaard, Ph D, Dr Sc, Director of Biology: 11 years experience from the Danish University of Pharmacy and Novo Nordisk.
AnneMarie H. Joersboe, M Sc, European Patent Attorney, Director of Intellectual Property Rights: 21 years experience from Roche, Novo and NovoZymes as well as Ploughmann & Vingtoft.
Gert Bolwig, Ph D, Director of Business Development: 9 years experience from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, University of Aarhus and Lundbeck.
Further information Kjell Stenberg, (45) 33 27 54 09 CEO, Combio A/S Klaus Bock, (45) 33 27 52 20 Chairman of the Board of Directors