The “Holy Grail” of Biotechnology – New Developments and Concerns

“I am proud to have been part of the amazing revolution that has taken place in science over the past six decades: from complete ignorance in many fields to largely deciphering and understanding how life works. And I am even prouder of the young people with whom I have shared my knowledge and experience: I have trained more than Three hundred scholars today teach at universities in the United States and around the world, and in fact, the majority of them are women. Achieving gender equality in academia has been a concern of mine since the beginning of my career, mainly because of my mother: she tried hard to make it her dream. In becoming a professor of psychology she did so at the age of sixty-two, after working for years as a saleswoman in a department store and going to night school….”

The reason is 86 years David BaltimoreWinner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (in 1975) for his research on oncogenic viruses and how to transform normal cells into cancer cells is interesting. Pioneering American biologist, professor at some of the most famous American academic institutions, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Whitehead Institute of Biomedicine and Rockefeller University, but also at the California Institute of Technology, the famous California Institute of Technology, where he also served as president for twenty-five years which was undoubtedly “ “Her star.” “Biotechnology 2024 – Biotechnology Meeting in Greece”.

Attendance Record

The conference – a meeting of international biotechnology representatives is organized every year since 2001 in Greece by Health Foundationwhich he founded Spyros Artavanes TsakonasProfessor Emeritus of Cell Biology at Harvard University and current President of the National Research, Technology and Innovation Council, Thessaloniki Dr. Stelios PapadopoulosFounder of several biotechnology companies and former chairman of the board. Biogen – the first to enter space and lead the way for subsequent generations of scientists and entrepreneurs. This year the event was hosted in Messinia Costa Navarino, and set a record number for attendance. the “K” He was there for another year. We watched the speeches, talked to researchers, corporate executives and academics, and tried to get answers to the key questions. What are the most important recent developments? New effective drugs are coming and for what diseases? Will it be easy for patients to access?

the Neurological diseases It is the “holy grail” of biotechnological research: we know very little about the brain, and as life expectancy increases, diseases such as Alzheimer’s will assume explosive proportions. “It is a fact that we do not understand much about the biology of Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases. Some drugs have been released that slow their progression, but there are still many unanswered questions and large gaps to be filled regarding their treatment.” Vangelis VergetesCEO of Epikast.

Recent developments in research, new medicines and concerns discussed at the International Industry Conference in Messinia.

“The brain remains the great unknown, the black box of science. An army of scientists is trying to understand how it works for patients, and we have many dark areas to shed light on,” says Dr. David Baltimore. “However, I am optimistic. Knowledge will soon overcome diseases of the nervous system. Revolutions in biology and medicine will continue. By sequencing proteins we can accurately predict their structure, which was a dream for my generation. Genetic modification is now a reality. “What could have been imagined a few decades ago? Technology allows us to study human biology directly and not have to draw conclusions – not always safe – through experimental animals. And of course there is artificial intelligence, which opens new horizons.”

Artificial intelligence was much discussed by delegates. But opinions differ. Others reserve reservations about its effectiveness and prospects, and others believe that it actually opens not only roads, but also avenues for biotechnology. The evidence is what he mentioned in his speech Homan AshrafianVice President and Head of R&D at Sanofi: “Some people are afraid of artificial intelligence, perhaps it reminds them of the Terminator movies. We believe in its potential. It is already at the forefront of what we are doing to bring innovative and more effective medicines to patients. By translating the wealth of information and data The knowledge and understanding it provides us with, we make better decisions during the new product development process and in the next five years, I believe that thanks to artificial intelligence, along with the traditional “tools”, we will see a transformation in clinical trials, as well as the rest of our work.

They “vote” to lose weight

Of course, weight loss drugs remain the focus of the pharmaceutical industry. “Last year, the majority of companies focused their research in this direction. The reason is clear: we saw the American giant Eli LillyAnd one European Danish one Novo Nordiskbringing its capital to about $400 billion thanks to its two best-selling drugs, Wegovy and Ozempic,” he says. Alexander TzoukasFounder of the newly established investment fund “Atheneon”. They are expected to influence others because of their tremendous success. Everyone is now focused on what they think will bring them greater profits: they follow the “hype” about obesity and rush to enter the race. It is expected that several corresponding preparations will be released on the market, therefore, in the near future. Not everything will work out, that’s for sure. We also don’t know what they are likely to cause over time. The only thing that is certain is that the pharmaceutical industry will create what the markets want because it believes it will cause stock values ​​to rise, and that research into other diseases will likely be neglected as collateral damage.

Developed to treat type 2 diabetes, these drugs, known as GLP-1s, are based on the same active ingredient, semaglutide, and they reduce appetite. “Diabetics take it on prescription, but also millions of people who are obese or want to lose a few pounds without a prescription. The ease of using a drug that is not needed for medical reasons also carries an ethical dimension, which the markets do not share. Demand is high and everyone is competing.” “To get a piece of the pie it won’t be an easy match though. It’s not a given that these drugs will work as companies hope. We saw this happen a few years ago with anti-TNF agents for rheumatoid arthritis.” Elias Papatheodorou, President of HepaRegeniX, a company specializing in liver (regeneration – transplantation). “Beyond this frenzy, if we have to hide anything from what is happening in our industry, it is that in oncology we are constantly doing better. We have found effective therapeutic solutions for several types of cancer. The crucial bet, of course, is the use of technology.” mRNA. It remains to be seen whether Moderna will succeed in what it has been trying to do recently: create a cancer vaccine that is not preventive, like the Covid vaccine, but therapeutic.

As expected, developments on the cancer front were much discussed. There is news that carries a positive connotation, such as the impressive progress being made, and others that carry a negative connotation. “Some companies are exiting cancer research, especially in the United States, which leads the international market, because the standards are too high. There are many types of cancer and the number of patients is relatively small, and developing drugs for them requires large investments, with limited effectiveness and unsatisfactory returns for investors,” explains the professor. Genetics. Manolis Dermitzakis. “On the other hand, there is a growing interest in research into autoimmune diseases. The Earth is mature: we now know their biology better, we have abundant data (derived from patients’ blood tests), and they are of scientific interest. Their prevalence is also increasing, mainly because “Environmental conditions, that is, they matter to an increasing number of people.”

Profit is the fuel in the innovation engine

Finally, where do their plastics tend? Biotechnology; What motivates them: profit or the desire to save as many lives as possible? “The important point is to have a balance. Science is not a business, but it must make a profit in order to continue striving, through research, to develop new people. pharmaceutical. Don’t forget that risk is the essence of biotechnology. About $275 billion is invested annually in research, and success rates remain low. Only one in ten clinical trials leads to the launch of a new drug. Despite this, the patient remains our first priority.” Daphne Carida, president and CFO of Flare Therapeutics, which specializes in precision oncology. “Cancer, for example, remains one of the biggest challenges, not only for us, but also for a large part of the industry. Many of us have personal experience as patients of what this disease means or have lost loved ones. Last year my sister died from ovarian cancer. Overcoming Cancer is personal to me.”

Greek American Emile KakisThe founder of Ultragenyx, which develops treatments for rare genetic diseases, agrees. “Thanks to the achievements of science and technology, today we have more tools than ever before. It is our duty to use them to save as many patients as possible. There are about 10,000 hereditary diseases, and unfortunately we have treatments for very few of them. It is tragic for a parent to hear that their child suffers “From a rare, incurable and fatal disease that can be diagnosed but cannot be cured, this can only motivate us.”

The interview is the answer to that Gives to “K” and Maria Freire, a member of the Biogen Board of Directors, has a PhD in biophysics and extensive health policy experience during her tenure in Congress and the US National Institutes of Health. “The role of biotechnology is to help people and change their lives for the better. This is clearly not possible without profits, because that is how new research is funded and the innovation engine is driven. But at the end of the day, if what we do does not have an impact on the lives of some Patients, it doesn’t make sense, and if the new technologies that the West enjoys don’t reach the developing world that desperately needs them, then we have failed, not only as biotech people, but as humanity as well…”

But the program “Biotech-nologia 2024” was not only limited to scientific presentations and speeches, but also included entertainment, relaxed discussions, swimming on the sandy Costa Navarino beach and football! As every year, the Greek biotech team competed against its foreign teammates at the Chora Field. Their 2-1 win was due to the passion of all the players and his leadership skills Stelios PapadopoulosIn his decisive goal Mr. Cleanthi XanthopoulouChairman of Stork Capital Life Sciences, but also with the participation of the US Ambassador, George TsoniWho was wearing the blue shirt and was excellent at taking corner kicks!