Amsterdam BioMed Cluster launched

Amsterdam-based biomedical companies, academic research institutions and medical centres are now working together under the name of Amsterdam BioMed Cluster.

The purpose of this cluster is to showcase the expertise, services and products of the region to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Innovative efforts in developing novel drugs and diagnostics for life-threatening diseases are increasingly dependent on intensive interactions between medical centres, basic research institutes, spin-off companies and the industry. The Amsterdam region is said to offer unique opportunities for such collaborations.

First, the medical centres provide the rigorous clinical research infrastructure that is needed for optimal clinical trial management. In addition, research institutes provide the innovative discoveries that merit further development. Furthermore, spin-off companies provide the early proof-of-concept data for translation to the clinic. And finally, the industry provides the regulatory track records and core facilities for state-of-the art development of drugs and diagnostics.

The Amsterdam Biomed Cluster includes the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Universiteit van Amsterdam, the VUmc and AMC Medical Centres, and eight dedicated scientific institutes, as well as 42 biotech companies. The cluster employs more than 20,000 highly qualified professionals, both in laboratory and clinical research and in management.

Partners of the Amsterdam BioMed Cluster have globally renowned expertise in translational, basic and clinical research, in particular in the fields of oncology, neuroscience, cardiovascular diseases, immunology and infectious diseases. The medical centres have long track records in clinical trials management and contract research with the biotech and pharmaceutical industry. From all this research, extensive collections of specific patient materials have been set up, stored, and linked to databases and biostatistical analysis. These unique collections are valuable to third parties for research in genomics and proteomics, leading to innovative diagnosis and screening methods, and to new therapeutic products.