CSL hosted a reception for political stakeholders at its R&D Campus M600 at the Behringwerke in Marburg on 1 November. The aim of the event was to discuss CSL's economic development and the economic and political conditions for further strengthening Marburg and the Hesse region as a business and biotechnology location.
Kaweh Mansoori, Hessian Minister for Economics, Energy, Transport, Housing and Rural Areas, gave the keynote address and emphasized: “CSL's continued investment in Marburg is a strong sign of confidence in the region and its future viability. In this day and age, it is not a matter of course to spend money to generate prosperity and create jobs. We, as the state government, want to help you continue to succeed in this endeavor in our region.”
For years, CSL has been committed to improving the conditions for research and development in biotechnology and access to essential medicines. This includes the creation of stable and industry-friendly framework conditions, ensuring reliable patient care without financial disadvantages due to discounts or substitution of medications, promoting and simplifying blood plasma donation, and accelerating the assumption of costs by health insurance companies for innovative gene therapies and other advanced treatments. In recent years, CSL has also invested more than 700 million euros in the Marburg site.
Christian Wieszner, Managing Director of CSL Behring Commercial Operations DACH, explains: “We need industry-friendly and stable framework conditions for research and development, plasma donation, production and distribution channels in order to be able to continue to invest sustainably in the location and jobs in the face of international competition."
“We will ensure that patients in Germany continue to be supplied with the complex plasma therapeutics needed in this country. To this end, the exemption of plasma therapeutics from discount contracts, which leads to price dumping similar to what we are currently experiencing in other areas of the general pharmaceutical supply, must be repealed. This applies, for example, to some oncology drugs, antibiotics and fever-reducing syrups. Such framework conditions are also crucial to ensuring that Marburg, Hesse and Germany remain competitive and sustainable as a pharmaceutical location – there is no doubt about that.
Among the guests at the event were high-ranking politicians, including Member of the German Bundestag Sören Bartol, members of the state parliament, representatives of the Australian Embassy and the President of the Philipps University of Marburg, Prof. Dr. Thomas Nauss. Numerous representatives from business, society and local politics also attended.
CSL, one of Marburg's largest employers with over 3,300 employees, is continuously investing in the location and is doing everything it can to keep the region attractive for investments, particularly in the field of medical and biotechnology, and to continue to grow together with the city, university and other partners. CSL operates 15 plasma donation centers throughout Germany, in addition to Hesse, and has companies in Munich and Frankfurt.
