IBBL (Integrated Biobank of Luxembourg) is pleased to be hosting the second Codex4SMEs double session at its premises in Dudelange, Luxembourg. The meeting will allow SMEs from the partner regions to discover the biomarker validation services offered by IBBL as well as the support ecosystem that Luxembourg can provide.
IBBL is pleased to be welcoming about 30 participants for the double session today, including consortium partners, representatives from SMEs and external speakers. Through a series of expert interventions, the meeting aims to present the biomarker validation service offered under the Interreg North-West Europe project Codex4SMEs to participating SMEs, elucidate the main aspects pertaining to biomarker research, development and marketing, and introduce the services that Luxembourg’s research and financial ecosystem can offer.
The event features a presentation of Luxembourg’s economic environment by Jean-Philippe Arie and Ian Cresswell of the Luxembourg BioHealth Cluster. The scientific support – clinical trials and proteome and genome research – from Luxembourg’s research institutions is discussed through a presentation by Prof. Laetitia Huiart and Prof. Gunnar Dittmar (Luxembourg Institute of Health). Biomarker R&D and validation services are addressed by Dr. Monica Marchese (IBBL) while IBBL’s Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Fay Betsou will cover clinical reference material. After the lunch break, Mrs. Maria Souleau (GNOSIS-MTS/ Biotech Developpement Conseils) will present the aspects related to the marketing of biomarkers (intellectual property, market needs, competition follow-up etc.). SMEs interested in gaining a better understanding of biobanking activities and sample access will also be able to take part in a guided tour of IBBL’s facilities, led by IBBL’s Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Fay Betsou and IBBL’s COO Dominic Allen. A networking session allowing participants to meet clinicians from the Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg (Dr. Marc Schlesser) and exchange on unmet clinical needs will conclude the day.
Codex4SMEs (Companion diagnostics expedited for small and medium-sized enterprises) aims to build a transnational network to accelerate the development of companion diagnostics by small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), hence promoting personalised medicine in Europe. It offers two main services to eligible SMEs, namely Knowledge Transfer and Sample Access – delivered by the Biobank of Graz (BBG) – and Biomarker Validation – provided by IBBL. Codex4SMEs is part of the Interreg North-West Europe (INTERREG NWE) programme, a strategic key element of the European Union’s structural and investment policy, inspiring cross-border cooperation between regions and cities. The project is co-financed through a EUR 1.9 million allocation from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
