Further 100 Million Euros Allocated to Netherlands-Based R&D Targeting the Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Disease

EINDHOVEN, The Netherlands - The Center for Translational Molecular Medicine (CTMM) - the Dutch
public-private partnership committed to the research and development of new
techniques for the diagnosis and treatment of major diseases - today
announced that eight new research projects will receive funding from the
CTMM. It means that almost 250 million Euros have now been allocated to
Netherlands-based translational projects that could radically improve patient
outcomes for diseases such as Alzheimer’s, rheumatoid arthritis, sepsis,
cardiovascular disorders and the most important forms of cancer.

The eight new projects, each of which comprises a consortium of clinical
and industrial partners, involve 13 leading university medical centers and
research institutes, 29 expert SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) and
15 major industrial players. 50% of the funding for these new projects is
being contributed by the Dutch Government. The other 50% will come from
industry and academia.

In line with the CTMM’s original business plan, the newly approved
projects include projects that target cancer, cardiovascular,
neurodegenerative and infectious diseases. They also include projects to
develop innovative new technology platforms, such as new medical imaging
techniques, that can be applied across a broad spectrum of these diseases.
The need for broad-based technology platforms in translational molecular
medicine is underlined by the fact that all three technical universities that
make up the Netherlands’ 3TU.Federation (Delft, Eindhoven and Twente) are
now involved in the CTMM.

Speaking on behalf of the 3TU.Federation, Amandus Lundqvist, President of
the Technical University of Eindhoven (TU/e) said, “By applying our combined
expertise in areas such as bio-nano applications, ICT systems and applied
technology to CTMM projects, we believe we can help to boost the competitive
position and innovative power of the Dutch knowledge-based society as well as
improve the well-being of its people.”

Following advice from its International Scientific Advisory Committee,
the CTMM will continue to provide selective investments in centralised
infrastructures for CTMM projects to address the rapidly increasing demand
for advanced genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and bioinformatics. In close
collaboration with the other major Dutch translational programs in the life
sciences (TI Pharma, BMM, NGI and the “String of Pearls Initiative”), these
efforts will substantially strengthen the translational research climate in
the Netherlands.

For general information please visit our website at
www.ctmm.nl. For information on the projects, click the ‘Projects’ tab
on our website.

About CTMM

The CTMM (Center for Translational Molecular Medicine) is a
Netherlands-based public-private partnership dedicated to the development of
technologies in molecular medicine that enable early diagnosis and
personalized treatment for oncology, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative and
infectious/auto-immune disease - the four main areas of disease causing
mortality and diminished quality of life in the western world. CTMM operates
by inviting, assessing and funding multidisciplinary projects that involve
active participation by Netherlands-based academia and industry. All CTMM
projects are judged by an independent International Advisory Board and
approved by a Supervisory Board based on their significant potential to
translate research knowledge into clinical practice. The CTMM is funded by
the Dutch government (50%), academia (25%) and industry (25%). For more
information, visit www.ctmm.nl

The other major Dutch translational programs in the life sciences:

TI Pharma (Top Institute Pharma): www.tipharma.com

BMM (BioMedical Materials Program): www.bmm-program.nl

NGI (Netherlands Genomics Initiative): www.genomics.nl

String of Pearls Initiative (Parelsnoer): www.parelsnoer.org

Source: CTMM

For further information, please contact Marjoke Kortas, Communications Manager CTMM, by telephone (+31(0)40-277-44-05) or by email (Marjoke.kortas at ctmm.nl).