Focus on stroke therapy: The German Medical Technology Association (BVMed), Earlybird and High-Tech Gruenderfonds publish “MedTech Radar 2”

Innovations in stroke therapy are the main focus of the second issue of “MedTech Radar”, a joint media service from the German Medical Technology Association (BVMed), Earlybird Venture Capital and High-Tech Gruenderfonds. Improvements in acute care mean that today many more patients survive a stroke, yet the damage to the relevant areas of the brain often results in lasting disabilities. Scientists are researching the possibility of repairing brain damage through non-invasive neurostimulation using brain synchronisation. A further focus of this issue: The innovation climate for medical technology in Germany. Cardiology is currently considered by companies to be the most innovative research area, followed by neurology, orthopaedics and oncology. 

In industrial nations, stroke is the third most common cause of death after cancer and heart disease and is responsible for most of the cases of adults requiring ongoing care. In Germany alone, there are up to 1.5 million people affected by the illness and suffering with its consequences; around 300,000 new patients are added every year. Neurostimulation offers therapy options for many neurological illnesses today. Clinical research is now being carried out into non-invasive neurostimulation for the treatment of stroke patients, in an attempt to find a way to repair brain damage using neural synchronisation.

The second issue of MedTech Radar provides a case study on stroke rehabilitation with a feature on the company EBS Technologies from Kleinmachnow, near Berlin. “In the case of damage caused by a stroke it is scientifically proven that approximately 20 to 30% of the affected cells do not die off, but fall into a ‘sleep mode'”, explains the CEO of EBS, Ulf Pommerening. “The main aim of the EBS therapy is to reactivate these residual areas.” The support of investors has made possible the development and completion of a market-ready device.

Well-qualified scientists and engineers, but too much bureaucracy in the innovation process: MedTech Radar also reports on a current survey by German Medical Technology Association (BVMed) on the climate for innovation in German medical technology.

77 MedTech research companies took part in the German Medical Technology Association (BVMed) survey. On a scale of 0 to 10 the companies rated the climate for innovation in medical technology in Germany at 6.2. The conclusion: “Germany has well-qualified scientists and engineers and a high standard of patient care. Yet the climate for innovation in Germany is increasingly jeopardised by bureaucratic procedures, health insurance companies that are anti-innovation, and low reimbursement.” The companies currently rate cardiology as the most innovative research area. Sixty percent of those questioned named this area, followed by neurology (43 percent), orthopaedics (40 percent), oncology (39 percent), diagnostics (31 percent) and surgery (26 percent).

“MedTech Radar is intended to provide a continual insight into new developments in the world of innovation in medical technology”, says BVMed Managing Director and Board Member Joachim M. Schmitt. “We want to illustrate the important role that investment in innovation plays in bringing benefit to patients in Germany”, says Dr. Michael Brandkamp, Managing Director of High-Tech Gruenderfonds, describing the aim of the service. “Using examples from the industry, we will show the complex journey a medical product makes from initial research through to use by patients” explains Earlybird Partner Thom Rasche.

You can read the complete issue of MedTech Radar here

About the publishers:
High-Tech Gruenderfonds invests venture capital in young technology companies with excellent prospects that are converting promising research results into businesses.

Earlybird Venture Capital is one of the most successful venture investors in Europe and currently manages over 500 million Euros of capital for an international investor base.

The German Medical Technology Association (BVMed) represents over 230 industrial and commercial companies in the medical technology sector.

Responsible under German press law:
German Medical Technology Association (BVMed), Reinhardtstr. 29 b, 10117 Berlin
Manfred Beeres, Head of Communication/Press
Tel. +49 – 30 246 255-20, beeres@bvmed.de, www.bvmed.de

Earlybird Venture Capital GmbH & Co KG, Torstr. 109, 10119 Berlin
Christine Höfer
Tel. +49 – 40 432941 0, hoefer@earlybird.com, www.earlybird.com

High-Tech Gruenderfonds Management GmbH, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn
Stefanie Zillikens
Tel. +49 – 228 82300107, s.zillikens@htgf.de, www.htgf.de