Virus-based Therapies, Biberach branch

Viral therapeutics are considered a promising tool in medicine for alleviating or even curing diseases that are currently inadequately treatable or untreatable. The “Virus-based Therapies” branch in Biberach develops and characterizes new targeted virus therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and genetic diseases as well as methods for their production and preclinical testing. The branch thus acts as an interface between basic research and industry and provides the prerequisites for accelerating the translation of virus-based therapeutics into clinical application.

Key technologies for engineering, manufacturing, and testing of therapeutical viruses

To provide safe therapeutic virus products in sufficient quantities and of consistent quality in terms of functionality, efficacy and purity, one focus is on optimizing existing virus platforms. Furthermore, new technologies for the production, analysis and preclinical testing of therapeutic viruses are to be developed and established. Highly productive cell lines are designed and created to facilitate cultivation in bioreactors. New processes enable real-time monitoring of virus production, as well as purification and analysis of virus products. The aim is to increase the efficiency and activity of viral therapeutics and reduce production costs.

Therapeutic viruses against cancer and genetic diseases

Prof. Dr. Susanne Bailer, who heads the Biberach branch as well as the “Virus-based Technologies” department, and her team at Fraunhofer IGB have already developed a modular oncolytic technology platform based on the herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1). With this proprietary Fraunhofer virus platform for cancer therapy, the branch has a solid foundation on which to build new processes for preclinical testing and efficient production of targeted viral therapeutics. In addition, the branch is focusing on programmed vectors that can specifically correct genetic errors and hold great promise for the treatment of genetic diseases.

Publications

Prof. Dr. Susanne Bailer (publica-rest.fraunhofer.de)
Jens Wetschky (publica-rest.fraunhofer.de)
Carina Rohmer (publica-rest.fraunhofer.de)

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Networking and cooperation

BioPharma Cluster South Germany

Via its Biberach branch, Fraunhofer IGB is a member of the BioPharma Cluster South Germany, the leading European cluster for research-based development and manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals. Through the spatial concentration of basic as well as application-oriented research facilities and globally successful enterprises, the cluster covers all parts of the biopharmaceutical value chain.

Technologies and platforms for the development and optimization of novel biopharmaceutical agents (e.g. virus-based therapeutics) and their production processes are a focus of the cluster.

BioPharma Cluster South Germany

Biberach University of Applied Sciences

The Biberach University of Applied Sciences is characterized by transfer-oriented research and application-oriented education of specialists in the field of pharmaceutical and industrial biotechnology. The Virus-based Therapies branch collaborates with the University of Biberach particularly in the training of Master’s students and doctoral candidates as well as in research projects.

Ulm University

The University of Ulm has a focus on research with more than 10,000 students of medicine, natural sciences, and technology, and is the center of the biotechnology region South Germany. The Virus-based Therapies branch collaborates with Ulm University particularly in the training of Master’s students and doctoral candidates as well as in research projects.

Fraunhofer IGB Network

Funding and history

The “Virus-based Therapies” branch of Fraunhofer IGB in Biberach is being funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism for almost five years since the end of 2023.

On October 12, 2023, the Minister of Economic Affairs, Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, handed over the grant notification. The state government had already passed the resolution to set up the branch on June 20, 2023. On July 6, the Finance Committee of the Baden-Württemberg state parliament approved the decision of the cabinet.

In April 2024, the team moved into newly equipped laboratories at the Innovation and Transfer Center ITZ Plus in Biberach. The laboratory facility has been approved for work with infectious pathogens, epizootic agents, and genetically modified organisms, allowing the work granted by the state of Baden-Württemberg for the development of virus-based therapies to be put into practice.