Page 22 - MemoriaCIBER-2017ENG

In 2017 we should also stress having obtained a new designation for Metformin as an orphan drug (OD) by both the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and by the U S institution (FDA), for treatment of Lafora disease This represents the sixth OD sponsored by the CIBER (CIBERER Area)
As for the ongoing support for creation of technology-based companies emerging from CIBER Groups, in 2017 the company Epidisease, a CIBER spin o (arising in the CIBERER), has formalised the investment of the Fundación Botín by means of the Mind the Gap programme and a NEOTEC, among other sources of nancing and investment
As an example, other steps connected with the transfer of knowledge and public-private cooperation that have been taken are as follows:
• Dozens of CDAs and MTAs negotiated and signed
• Marketing activities, as well as including the publication of technological o ers and marketing and direct contact with companies, involve participation in forums, trade fairs and sympo- sia Amongst other forums, the CIBERES area has for example submitted proposals at the Farmaindustria Farma-Biotech Programme, in the Johnson &Johnson Quick Fire Challenge o Healthio 2017
• A guide explaining to researchers how to develop orphan drugs for rare diseases, available at this link has been published by the CIBERER area along with the Spanish Agency for Medi- cines and Health Products (AEMPS)
• Several symposia have also been arranged by the CIBERER area:
• Rare Diseases Registries Workshop at the Hospital Universitario La Paz de Madrid, nanced by the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Agency of the European Commission (CHAFEA), attended by over 130 healthcare professionals, patients’ organisations, re- searchers, the pharmaceutical industry and public administrations to analyse the situation of those registries
• CIBERER and the Platform for Malalties Minoritàries oarranged symposia on the designa- tion of OD in Barcelona and Madrid at which the process of OD was explained, with great success as regards attendance
• In the CIBER-BBN area four projects for ISCIII Transfer were carried out in 2017 with the nan- cial aid of four companies Three of these projects concluded through reaching the end of the intended implementation period, accomplishing the objectives set at the start A new call for transfer projects was made, with the start of six new projects being intended in early 2018
• Over the last month in the year we started to design a call for valorisation projects, which has been published in 2018 The CIBER-BBN will nance the projects selected, after evaluating the applications submitted, in order for these projects to increase the TRL (Technology Readiness Levels, level of maturity of technology) of tis technologies in a step towards their exploitation and marketing
22 CIBER ANNUAL REPORT 2017