Exciting exchange at CSL Behring in Marburg on February 13: Prof. Sven Simon, Member of the European Parliament, learns about future prospects and challenges in drug development, manufacturing and supply at the Central Hessian manufacturing and research site.
Many of the drugs manufactured at the CSL Behring manufacturing site in Marburg are derived from human blood plasma and are subject to special regulatory requirements. They are used in the indication areas of coagulation disorders, immune deficiencies, wound healing or intensive care medicine and are often vital for people with rare diseases. Access to innovative therapies and a reliable market supply is therefore existential for many patients.
Prof. Simon spoke with Dr. Lutz Bonacker, Managing Director of CSL Behring GmbH, Stefan Neudörfer, Head of Market Access Commercial Operations Europe, and Rüdiger Gatermann, Senior Director Policy, Advocacy & Government Affairs EU, about how this requirement can be ensured with regard to the European markets. In particular, regulatory hurdles, pricing pressure and supply chain volatility are current challenges facing the company.
"At CSL Behring, we focus on our patients. Our goal is to give as many people as possible access to life-saving therapies and to provide them with reliable supply. For this, we need a stable regulatory framework as well as lean and flexible approval and reimbursement processes, especially for innovative technologies" said Dr. Bonacker.
"Europe must remain attractive for companies like CSL Behring. For this, we need dependable regulations for our growth industries," said Prof. Simon. It is important to promote research, development and innovation and to reduce bureaucracy, added the constitutional policy spokesman of the EPP Group.
After the discussion, Vicky Pirzas, General Manager CSL Behring Innovation GmbH and Martin Vey, Executive Director Plasma Product Development, guided the guest through the new R&D Campus, sharing insights into the new and innovative workplace environment and discussing topics such as improving the local, international infrastructure and implementing future innovations.
“Prof Simon was impressed by the fact that CSL not only has built a state-of-the-art research building here in Marburg, but also established an open work culture while engaging with the academic and entrepreneurial community to create a sustainable and growing innovation ecosystem”, Martin Vey said.
“We were honored by Prof. Simon’s visit and his comments on what we have achieved here in Marburg with our world class R&D facility”, Vicky Pirzas said. “It is another reassurance that we are on the right track of developing CSL as an industry-leading plasma-based biotech.”
