RegMed XB press release

Robust new institute for regenerative medicine

The Netherlands and Belgium are working on a world-class institute for innovation RegMed XB is the new institute for regenerative medicine. REGMED XB (REGenerative MEDicine Crossing Borders) will see health funds, scientists, entrepreneurs and doctors working together, each from their own institutions. The partnership will first look at new solutions for patients with diabetes, kidney disease and osteoarthritis. In a subsequent phase, Belgian institutions will join up. RegMed XB will be further developed in the course of 2016 and will start in 2017 with an impulse of 18 million euros. The aim is a structural continuation with a projected budget of 250 million euros for the first 10 years.

Innovations against chronic diseases

Regenerative medicine seeks to repair diseased or damaged tissues and organs. With regenerative medicine we may eventually cure what are now chronic diseases, thus preventing suffering and reducing healthcare costs. The Dutch Kidney Foundation (Nierstichting), the Diabetes Research Foundation Netherlands (DON), the Dutch Diabetes Research Foundation (Diabetes Fonds) and the Dutch Arthritis Association (ReumaNederland) intend to participate in RegMed XB to develop new treatments for patients with kidney disease, type 1 diabetes and osteoarthritis.

Building up a high-quality industry

Breakthroughs start with excellent scientific research, and the Netherlands has had a strong scientific position in regenerative medicine for some time now. In RegMed XB scientists and physicians from the universities and involved institutes of Utrecht, Maastricht, Leiden and Eindhoven and teaching hospitals of Utrecht, Maastricht and Leiden will be working together. A partnership with the business community provides the basis for a new, high-quality industry within our national borders. This is why the Province of Utrecht, the Province of Noord-Brabant, the Province of Limburg and the municipality of Leiden are now expressing their intention as regional authorities to support the partnership. In this way they are giving a boost to the regional knowledge economy. The potential is already evident from the participation of about 15 companies in the consortium.

Top sectors policy

Top sector Life Sciences & Health (Health~Holland) supports public-private partnerships by means of the TKI allowance, a financing instrument from the top sectors policy of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. This brings the partnership’s total projected budget in the first phase to 18 million euros. The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science also support the creation of RegMed XB.

Aim

In the second half of 2016 the partners will work on shaping their intentions into a partnership agreement and the start of the actual partnership in 2017. In a future phase, the university of Leuven and the life sciences research institute VIB will also participate. The aim is for RegMed XB to expand into a global, leading institute for innovation which speeds up the growth of a new industrial cluster, brings solutions for patients closer and contributes to affordable care.

About RegMed XB: RedMed XB is a developing new institute in which Dutch and Belgian knowledge institutes, health funds and businesses, supported by regional and national authorities, will work together on innovations in regenerative medicine. It reinforces and clusters the research being carried out at the participating knowledge institutes and develops the toolkit and network needed to valorise that research effectively. In this way it catalyses the development of new solutions for patients.

For more information, please contact: Marcel Hammink +31 6 53 21 39 17