Investors Flock to German Medical Biotech Industry / BayBio Annual Conference

Berlin / Burlingame (California) (ots) - Germany is setting the
bar in biotechnology and investors from all over the world are
taking notice. Venture capital investments doubled from 2009 to
2010 to over $420 million. Industry revenues continue to grow,
according to a new industry survey available Thursday. The growing
importance of medical biotechnology has already led to industry
clusters that are drawing companies to Germany. Germany Trade &
Invest will be at this year's BayBio Annual Conference in
Burlingame, California, from April 20-21 to inform companies of new
business opportunities in Germany.

With an aging society and rising healthcare costs, Germany's
medical biotechnology segment is addressing these challenges with
innovation and rapid commercialization. Biopharmaceuticals already
comprise over 16 percent of total pharmaceutical sales in Germany.

"Medical biotechnology is taking Germany's long tradition of
healthcare innovation one step further. Biopharmaceuticals have
already established themselves in the marketplace and we see a great
deal of potential in fields like personalized medicine," states
Gabriel Flemming, Senior Manager for Medical Biotechnology at
Germany Trade & Invest in Berlin.

Medical biotechnology industry clusters have developed
organically in several regions of Germany. Federal and state
initiatives are simultaneously promoting cooperation among players
in various regions. The Munich Biotech Cluster, for example, has
over 350 life science companies and was recently awarded a federal
grant worth more than $50 million to further support collaboration
among companies, research institutes and other stakeholders.
Cluster member MorphoSys AG recently signed an agreement with
US-based ContraFect Corp. to cooperate on the discovery and
development of therapeutic antibodies for infectious diseases.

"These industry clusters are fertile ground for new business
opportunities. International industry players can access one of the
world's largest, most attractive markets and benefit from
established networks and shared costs. Top researchers and
international companies are able to work together to innovate and
bring new products quickly to market," continues Flemming.

Germany Trade & Invest is the foreign trade and inward investment
promotion agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. The
organization advises foreign companies looking to expand their
business activities in the German market. It provides information on
foreign trade to German companies that seek to enter foreign markets.

Pressekontakt: Contact:
Germany Trade & Invest
Andreas Bilfinger
Email: andreas.bilfinger@gtai.com
T: +49(0)30 200099-173
F: +49(0)30 200099-111