Mycoplasma biosafety specialist Mycosafe Diagnostics GmbH and virus and prion biosafety company ViruSure GmbH – both
based in Vienna, Austria – today announced at BioMedical Asia 2009 that they are to establish a second site in Singapore as part of a joint venture. This move will ensure that both companies are in an ideal position to offer the biosafety expertise and laboratory services so urgently required in the rapidly-expanding biopharmaceutical and biotechnology industry in Asia.
In the biopharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, contamination with mycoplasmas, viruses and prions can result in losses worth millions if they are detected too late due to a lack of warning signs or inadequate contamination checks. The knock-on effect is that therapeutics are not approved for the market due to inconsistencies in the manufacturing process, diminished quality and possible risks to health.
Mycosafe has an international reputation as a leading service provider of
GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice)-certified quality control analyses for
detecting and preventing mycoplasma contamination. The company is now to
establish its first branch abroad with the site in Singapore. Founder and
Managing Director of Mycosafe Prof. Renate Rosengarten explains: “As
mycoplasmas have the potential to cause considerable damage, well-defined
mycoplasma biosafety testing procedures are laid down in international
regulatory protocols. Based on these standard procedures, more rapid and
technologically innovative alternative test methods have recently been
developed and are currently being validated for compliance with the
regulatory requirements. Mycosafe began specialising in this niche in the
market five years ago and is now one of the few providers worldwide that can
offer sound scientific and regulatory know-how in this area. Our new site in
Singapore will enable us to bring this expertise directly to the expanding
Asian bioscience and biopharmaceutical industry”.
ViruSure was founded four years ago and, like Mycosafe, it has succeeded in
establishing a reputation as a key biosafety company among the international
biopharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. Dr. Andy Bailey, co-founder
and Managing Director of ViruSure, explains: “Mycoplasma biosafety demands
special scientific and regulatory expertise and experience. Similarly, the
detection and management of virus and prion contamination requires
state-of-the-art know-how and experience built up over many years. As one of
the few companies specialising in this area, ViruSure offers this know-how
and experience as part of its customer-focused services and first-class
quality standards”.
A commercial office based in Singapore’s renowned Biopolis is representing
both companies to establish new business relationships in the Asia region.
Dr. Bailey comments: “With its roots in the existing cooperation at our
respective headquarters in Vienna, the joint venture between Mycosafe and
ViruSure offers our customers an expanded high-quality portfolio of
biosafety services. With this strategic advantage in mind, we have announced
our joint venture together at a workshop on mycoplasma and virus risk
minimisation strategies that was organised by Mycosafe and ViruSure as part
of BioMedical Asia 2009”.
Mycosafe Diagnostics GmbH (as at March 2009):
Mycosafe is a GMP-certified company specialised in mycoplasma biosafety
testing and associated validation, contract research and consulting
services. The company was founded at the end of 2003 by internationally
renowned mycoplasma expert Prof. Renate Rosengarten as a spin-off of the
Institute for Bacteriology, Mycology and Hygiene headed by her at the
University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. At its headquarters in Vienna,
Austria, the company has a workforce of 19 and state-of-the-art S1 – S3
laboratories.
ViruSure GmbH (as at March 2009):
ViruSure specialises in virus and prion biosafety testing and associated
regulatory and consulting services. The company was founded in 2005 as a
spin-off of the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. At its main
headquarters in Vienna, Austria, the company has a workforce of 17 and
state-of-the-art S1 – S3 laboratories.
Contact:
Prof. Renate Rosengarten
Mycosafe Diagnostics GmbH
Veterinaerplatz 1
1210 Vienna
AUSTRIA
T +43 / 1 / 250 77 – 2150
E [email protected]
Dr. Andy Bailey ViruSure GmbH
Tech Gate Wissenschafts- und Technologie-Park
Donau City Straße 1
1220 Vienna
AUSTRIA
T +43 / 1 / 269 – 9120
E [email protected]
Copy Editing & Distribution:
PR&D – Public Relations for Research & Education
Campus Vienna Biocenter 2
1030 Vienna
AUSTRIA
T +43 / 1 / 505 70 44
E [email protected]