Sweden’s biomedical sector is one of the strongest and fastest growing in Europe. With a long tradition of tight collaboration between industry, academia and the hospital system, Gothenburg plays a significant part in this field.
Gothernburg is one of the leading regions in Europe for biomedical development, focusing on the two important fields of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Several bestselling drugs have been developed for these diseases, including Losec and Nexium for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases and Seloken/Toprol, Plendil and Crestor for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, all
from AstraZeneca.
Visionary pharmacology, represented by distinguished researchers such as Professor Arvid Carlsson, who received the Nobel Prize in 2000 for his research regarding the dopamine system, has contributed to the region’s rise in prominence. These researchers have defined medical needs and found pharmacological solutions that have been adapted by the industry, leading to the development of important pharmaceutical products.
The Gothernburg region is the second largest in Sweden. Today there are approximately 170 biomedical companies with 8,000 employees within the area. It is the base for two leading universities, Göteborg University, with its Sahlgrenska Academy, and the nearby Chalmers University of Technology.
The Sahlgrenska University Hospital is the largest university hospital in Northern Europe, making it an ideal place for clinical trials. These academic institutions and the hospital place a strong emphasis on translational medicine and have an open mindset for close collaboration with the domestic and global biomedical industries.
Biomedical network
GöteborgBIO is the network for the biomedical community in the region. It aims to create a solid base for long-term growth in the biomedical field within the region by cultivating academic research into commercial innovations and adaptations within the healthcare system. The focus areas are:
- To execute applied research and development in the areas of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases as well as biomaterial and cell therapy in order to create new products, services and companies
- To educate future leaders at Göteborg International Bioscience Business School
- To incubate new biomedical companies at Sahlgrenska Science Park
Cardiovascular and metabolic research
The Gothernburg region has a proud tradition within the field of cardiovascular and metabolic research. One pioneer was Professor Per Björntorp, who was first to describe the metabolic syndrome, which involves obesity, insulin resistance and high cholesterol levels. Another innovator was Professor Finn Waagstein, who revolutionised the treatment of cardiac heart failure by introducing beta-blockers to the disease.
The Sahlgrenska Centre for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research is a Swedish national strategic research centre. The aims of the centre are
to find new mechanisms behind the metabolic syndrome and to develop strategies to detect and treat its life-threatening complications.
AstraZeneca has its global headquarters for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases located in the Gothernburg region. It is one of the largest and most modern sites in Europe for pharma R&D. Almost 3,000 people are involved in finding new therapies within this field.
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The Sahlgrenska Science Park provides premises in its Biotech Center to established growth companies in medical application fields.
 Within GöteborgBIO, the network for cardiovascular and metabolic research works to commercialise findings from the basic research. The network supports new product ideas and emerging companies in the early start-up phase. It adds resources and skills to projects to facilitate knowledge sharing and reduce the risk of failure.
Education, training and workshops with topics relevant to the segment are other areas of focus.
Stem cell focus
Several research groups at the Sahlgrenska Academy have a strong focus on stem cell research, particularly in the fields of neurology, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cartilage repair. In 2001, the stem cell company Cellartis was formed as a spin-off from Gothernburg University, founded by leading academic researchers. Today, the company has the largest set of characterised human embryonic stem cell lines in the world. Differentiated cell lines include cardiomyocytes, hepatocytes and neural cells.
The focus of the company is to use stem cells in the R&D of new pharmaceuticals, both from an efficacy and a toxicological viewpoint. The long-term objective is to use cell therapy for the treatment of diseases. Cellartis has a lot of international collaborations with academia and the pharmaceutical industry.
Company profile
GöteborgBIO is a joint venture between national and regional players and aims to create a solid base for long-term growth in the biomedical field.
For more information visit www.goteborgbio.se
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