Indian healthcare major Piramal, which had taken over Bayer HealthCare’s molecular-imaging pipeline, has been investing in German molecular imaging technology.
In April 2012, Piramal had taken over the pipeline and has since been continuing research and development work on the acquired PET radio pharmaceuticals at its labs in Berlin.
Ajay Piramal, Chairman of the Piramal Group commented on the strategy, “Molecular imaging is one of the key technologies paving the way for individualised medicine. Our acquisition of a powerful pipeline in this field is an important milestone on the road to an innovative pharmaceutical portfolio.”
Florbetaben, Piramal’s most advanced PET tracer, enables the detection of beta-amyloid deposits in the brain and could, therefore, open the door to the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
“A phase III study to test the reliability of florbetaben in the histopathological detection of beta-amyloid has been successfully completed. Submission of the dossier for drug approval by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency is expected later in 2012. In addition, Piramal Imaging is working on other PET tracers for various medical indications,” said Swati Piramal, Vice-Chairperson of Piramal Enterprises.
Christoph von Knobelsdorff, Permanent Secretary at the Berlin Senate’s Department of Economics, Technology and Research, said Piramal Imaging’s decision to come to Berlin was a real gain for the city.
“Piramal has made a good choice with Berlin. The healthcare industry in the Capital region is highly innovative. The density of the scientific and research institutions here is unique throughout Europe. Our policy aims to create intense links between business, research and science.”
Professor Gunter Stock, President of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences, and spokesperson of the network HealthCapital Berlin-Brandenburg said researching novel agents to improve medical diagnostics has been a long tradition in Berlin.
It is where the first commercially available X-ray contrast agent was developed, as early as 1931. Then in the late 1980s Berlin researchers developed the first contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), revolutionising medical imaging.