Indian Pharma MNC Piramal Investing in German Molecular Imaging Technology
BERLIN, August 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –
Innovative medical research in Germany
In April 2012, Indian MNC Piramal took over Bayer HealthCare’s molecular-imaging
pipeline and has since then been continuing research and development work on the acquired
PET radiopharmaceuticals in its labs in Berlin. Speaking at a press conference Mr. Ajay
Piramal, Chairman of Piramal Group commented on the strategy saying, “Molecular imaging is
one of the key technologies paving the way to individualized medicine. Our acquisition of
a powerful pipeline in this field hence, is an important milestone on the road to an
innovative pharmaceutical portfolio for us.”
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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 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the
European Medicines Agency (EMA) is expected later in 2012. In addition, Piramal Imaging is
working on other PET tracers for various medical indications,” said Dr. Swati Piramal,
Vice-Chairperson of Piramal Enterprises
According to Christoph von Knobelsdorff, Permanent Secretary at the Berlin Senate’s
Department of Economics, Technology and Research, Piramal Imaging’s decision to come to
Berlin is a real gain for the city as a business location, underlining its reputation as a
center of knowledge-based economy. “Piramal has made a good choice with Berlin. The
healthcare industry in the capital region is highly innovative and offers above-average
growth potential. 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.”
“The field of molecular imaging is made attractive by the availability of excellent
technical equipment and the vicinity of renowned academic institutions, such as Charite
University Hospital and the Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine. This is a good
environment for interdisciplinary exchange between academia and industry,” confirms
Professor Guenter Stock, President of the Berlin-BrandenburgAcademy of Sciences and
spokesperson of the network HealthCapital Berlin-Brandenburg. Researching novel agents to
improve medical diagnostics has been a long tradition in Berlin. This 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), revolutionizing medical imaging.
Note to the editors:
About florbetaben
Florbetaben is an 18F-labeled tracer for use in positron emission tomography (PET),
which specifically binds to beta-amyloid deposits in the brain, a key pathological
hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Florbetaben may in future contribute to the early
detection of Alzheimer’s disease and facilitate specific treatment. A Phase III trial
previously presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology showed
that PET imaging with florbetaben reliably detects beta-amyloid with great accuracy in the
brains of living patients. The visual assessment procedure proposed for routine clinical
practice demonstrated 100% sensitivity and 92% specificity.
About Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease which mostly affects
people over the age of 60 and is the most common cause of dementia. In 2009 estimates
suggested that more than 36 million people worldwide were suffering from Alzheimer’s. By
2050 this number could reach more than 115 million. At present there is no cure for the
disease, but treatments for symptoms, combined with the right services and support, can
improve the quality of life for the millions of people living with Alzheimer’s.
About the Piramal Group
The Piramal Group, led by Ajay G. Piramal is one of India’s foremost business
conglomerates. Driven by the core values of Knowledge Action Care, the Piramal Group has
interests in a myriad of industries that encompass healthcare, drug discovery & research,
diagnostics, glass, real estate and financial services. The Piramal Group steadfastly
pursues inclusive growth while adhering to ethical and value driven practices. The Group’s
turnover exceeded $ 900 million in FY2011.
About Piramal Enterprises Ltd.
Piramal Enterprises is one of India’s largest diversified companies, with a presence
in pharmaceutical, financial services and information management sectors. Piramal
Enterprises had consolidated revenues of $ 450 million in FY2012. In the pharmaceutical
space, PEL is one of leading custom manufacturing player globally, has presence in the
global critical care segment with a portfolio of inhalation and injectable anesthetics and
its OTC business is ranked no. 7 in India. PEL is also engaged in drug discovery &
research and has strong pipeline of development products. In the financial services space,
PEL has a real estate focused PE fund – Indiareit and a NBFC that is focused on lending to
real estate and education sector. Recently, PEL has also entered the global information
management industry through acquisition of a US based company ‘ Decision Resources
Group.
About Piramal Imaging GmbH
Piramal Imaging GmbH is a 100% daughter of Piramal SA and was recently created through
the acquisition of worldwide rights for a molecular imaging research and development
portfolio of Bayer AG by Piramal Enterprises. The portfolio includes the rights to
florbetaben, a highly specialized molecule used in PET imaging to detect beta-amyloid in
the brain, a widely recognized marker for Alzheimer’s disease. Only recently, florbetaben
has successfully completed a phase III clinical trials. By developing novel PET tracers
for molecular imaging, Piramal is focusing on a key future field of modern medicine.
For more information, please visit http://www.piramalhealthcare.com
For media enquiries, please contact:
PIRAMAL GROUP
Akansha Pradhan/ Riddhi Goradia
Corporate Communications
Piramal Group
Contact: +91-22-33514082
akansha.pradhan@piramal.com
riddhi.goradia@piramal.com
PIRAMAL IMAGING
Dr. Ludger Dinkelborg
Managing Director
Piramal Imaging GmbH
Tel: +49-30-461-1246-01
Fax: +49-30-461-124-629
ludger.dinkelborg@piramal.com
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SOURCE Piramal Group
