ORGANOBALANCE Medical AG Commences Operations

Berlin-based pharmaceutical company pursues probiotic therapies. The newly founded ORGANOBALANCE Medical AG has today launched its commercial operations.

The company was founded by Professor Christine Lang, managing director of ORGANOBALANCE GmbH, and Bernd Wegener DVM, PhD, Chairman of the Board of the German Federal Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry (BPI) as well as founder and former Chairman of the Board of the B•R•A•H•M•S Group.


ORGANOBALANCE Medical AG - Facts

1. Business objectives

ORGANOBALANCE Medical AG funds and promotes the research and development activities of ORGANOBALANCE GmbH into novel therapeutic concepts based on positive microorganisms, known as specific probiotic cultures. The objective is to develop patented active substances for innovative medicinal products and medical devices. Out-licensing of the research and development results is not ruled out. In such a way, new therapeutic options are to be developed for hitherto inadequately treatable indications.

2. Board of management

The company's board is made up of the two founding members. Their work is focused on the areas of expert scientific advice (Prof. C. Lang, Chief Scientific Officer) and legal and marketing affairs (Dr. B. Wegener, Chief Executive Officer).

As a result of their previous and present activities, both board members have extensive experience and acclaimed expertise in their relevant specialisations.

3. Supervisory board

The supervisory board of the new company comprises:

1. Lawyer Renke Luhrs, Berlin, Germany (Chairman)
2. Graduate engineer Joachim Lang, Ulm, Germany (Deputy Chairman)
3. Prof. Ulf Stahl, Berlin, Germany

4. Motivation behind the company's inception

Prof. Lang and Dr. Wegener founded ORGANOBALANCE Medical AG with the aim of transforming the patented results obtained from many years of research by ORGANOBALANCE GmbH into marketable products, thus tapping their potential. ORGANOBALANCE GmbH will continue to function in its established way as a successful provider of research and development services.

A product used for probiotic treatment of gastric ulcers caused by the Helicobacter pylori bacterium is just one example of the research carried out by ORGANOBALANCE GmbH. Recently, a US patent was granted for the use of strains developed by ORGANOBALANCE GmbH in this biological indication. Such a product would join a global market in which, at present, chemical therapeutics are being sold to the value of several hundred million Euros per year.

"I am delighted that at ORGANOBALANCE Medical AG we will be able to further pursue the outstanding research findings obtained with biological substances in our own projects with ORGANOBALANCE GmbH, and render them suitable for practical uses. In doing so, we are providing patients and doctors with hitherto unknown therapeutic concepts", explains Prof. Lang with a view to her expectations of the new company.

"Using our biological substances, we can and shall develop alternatives to current medicines which are often inadequately effective and also plagued by side effects," continues Dr. Wegener, and adds: "with our expertise and patents, we are in an ideal position to fulfil such an objective."

5. Current projects

In addition to the gastric therapy already mentioned, further projects are currently being pursued involving skin diseases which are difficult to treat. A common denominator in all projects is the fact that, to be true to the wishes of many patients, they should offer alternatives to synthetic chemical treatments by basing the therapies on strains of lactobacilli and yeast which are not harmful to the health.

6. Personnel

To achieve their goals, ORGANOBALANCE GmbH and ORGANOBALANCE Medical AG plan to increase their personnel in terms of specialised scientists and experts. With its solid financing, unique expertise and protected intellectual property, the company can offer secure jobs with attractive prospects.

About ORGANOBALANCE Medical AG:

ORGANOBALANCE Medical AG funds and promotes the research and development of novel therapies based on specific probiotic cultures, aiming to develop active substances and mechanisms for innovative medicinal products and medical devices, as well as offer new therapeutic concepts for hitherto inadequately treatable indications. More information can be found at http://www.organobalancemedical.com.

About ORGANOBALANCE GmbH:

ORGANOBALANCE GmbH is a company specialising in strain development and microbiological screening, tapping the potential of beneficial microorganisms, known as specific probiotic cultures, in order to balance out the microflora and restore the microbial equilibrium in a natural way. In close cooperation with renowned industry partners, ORGANOBALANCE GmbH develops new biological products in the fields of pharmaceutics, preventive health care, nutrition and cosmetics. In its development activities the company draws on its own collection of more than 8000 microorganisms suitable for use in foodstuffs as well as its own OASSYS® screening systems. ORGANOBALANCE was founded in 2001 and is based in Berlin, Germany. More information can be found at http://www.organobalance.com.

About Professor Christine Lang:

Prof. Christine Lang is one of the founders, and managing director of ORGANOBALANCE GmbH. As a graduate biologist, she worked in industry research at Huls Chemie Forschungsgesellschaft for 10 years where, amongst others, she set up and directed the study team for genetics and molecular biology. In 1993 she moved to Berlin's Technical University where she habilitated in microbiology and molecular genetics. She is an affiliated professor for microbiology and molecular genetics at the Technical University of Berlin, and lectures on the subject of genetics in biotechnology.
Christine Lang is actively involved in a number of associations. She is a member of the Scientific Committee of the International Probiotics Association, and a member of the board of the German Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (DECHEMA).

About Dr. Bernd Wegener:

Bernd Wegener, DVM, has extensive managerial experience from diverse areas of responsibility in the pharmaceutical industry and relevant associations. After holding positions at Boehringer Ingelheim KG, Degussa Pharmagruppe, Marion Merrell Dow GmbH and Henning Berlin GmbH, he founded the B•R•A•H•M•S Group and was Chairman of the Board from 1994 to May 2010.
Dr. Wegener is also Chairman of the Board of the German Federal Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry (BPI) as well as being a member of the board of various associations and supervisory boards. Dr. Wegener also holds substantial stakes in various companies.

Further information:

ORGANOBALANCE Medical AG
Kristin Ebert
Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25
13355 Berlin
Germany
Tel.: +49 30 46307-200
Fax: +49 30 46307-210
Email: info@organobalancemedical.com
Internet: http://www.organobalancemedical.com

Press contact:

COMAGO
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Helmut Landenberger
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14612 Falkensee
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 33 22 84 06 52
Fax: +49 (0) 33 22 84 06 53
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