The Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI) has approved expansion of the global INVISE Phase 1 clinical trial to Europe. The study aims to evaluate first-in-class gene therapy for the treatment of B-cell malignancies.

The second SaxoCell Fuckup Night - this time in coop with C4F SEMECO - focused on failures and lessons learned in founding startups in the biotech and medical fields. Three speakers openly shared their personal experiences with setbacks, highlighting the challenges of entrepreneurship, funding, and innovation in a high-stakes industry, while emphasizing resilience and learning from mistakes.

The three courageous speakers were the startup founders Jens Geissler from DiA42 - Gesellschaft für digitale Medizinprodukte mbH, Moritz Middeke from Cancilico and hardware developer Alexander Gürbig from ConnCons who took the stage and shared what most don't: the tough lessons, the unexpected twists, and the “not-so-glorious” moments behind building a business. The stories were raw, honest, inspiring – and yes, sometimes funny or painful. But most of all, they sparked real conversations and valuable insights for everyone in the room.
Let’s keep learning, failing forward, and building strong innovation ecosystems together!
 

It was an inspiring two days in Heidelberg Congress Center filled with exciting presentations, including a strong contribution from our cluster spokeswoman Ulrike Köhl, and plenty of opportunities for networking and exchange—both during the sessions and at the evening event.
A special highlight: the symbolic handover of the DBT baton to André Hofmann (biosaxony e. V.), as we look forward to next year’s DBT in Leipzig.

On June 20th, SaxoCell was represented twice at the Long Night of Science (LNDW): in Leipzig at the Fraunhofer IZI and in Dresden at the CRTD. Interest was huge at both locations – our booths were consistently well attended by curious guests of all ages who wanted to learn more about innovative therapies from the Saxon Cell and Gene Therapy Cluster. With hands-on stations, hands-on models, and interactive games, we made complex topics such as CAR immune cell therapies and gene therapies tangible.

Our cell quiz, in which visitors could find out which immune cell they are most similar to – from the helpful T helper cell to the cunning natural killer cell to the voracious macrophage – was particularly popular. A special highlight was the panel discussion with @HAIT (Hannah Arendt Institute for the Study of Totalitarianism) on the topic: "Innovation and Reservation: How Science Moves Society." Why does medical progress often arouse skepticism? Experts from medicine, ethics, and the social sciences discussed the opportunities, fears, and trust in new technologies. 

The discussion was recorded:

If you are interested in more information about any of these events or about the role of SaxoCell at these conferences, please do not hesitate to contact us.