Biotechnology industry in Italy

Biotechnology industry in Italy is a highly innovative and fast-growing sector dedicated to research. At the end of 2019, there are 696 biotech companies active in Italy.^[1]

Industry

The turnover exceeds 12 billion euros, the number of employees exceeds 13,000 units. Between 2017 and 2019, over 50 new innovative start-ups active in biotechnology were registered.^[2]

Healthcare

Vaccine

The first Ebola vaccine in the world was developed in the IRBM Science Park laboratories, Pomezia, Rome, Italy.^[3]

In the laboratories of the IRBM Science Park a team of Italian and American researchers has developed the Chad3Ebola-Zaire anti-ebola vaccine, a monovalent adenovirus capable of neutralizing the «Zaire» strain of the virus, conceived and produced by OKAIROS, a biotech company founded by Prof. Riccardo Cortese, with whom IRBM set up the Advent equal joint venture.

A COVID-19 vaccine was developed in the IRBM Science Park laboratories, Pomezia, Rome, Italy, in cooperation with Jenner Institute Oxford University.^[4]^[5]^[6]
An other COVID-19 vaccine was developed by ReiThera, Castel Romano, Rome, Italy, in cooperation with Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases.^[7]
On 10 August 2020, 3,000 candidates (including doctors) are ready for the test phase.
Screening tests carried out throughout the course of the study will be used to select suitable people to test the safety of the vaccine in this early phase of testing (Phase I). Volunteers are divided into two age groups: from 18 to 55, and from 65 to 85. Each group will be divided into three subgroups who will be given a different dosage of vaccine.^[8]

Agricultural biotechnology

Research

The research intensity of the biotech sector is significantly higher than that found for the Italian industry as a whole.^[9]

Organizations

Ministries

Ministero della Salute
Ministero delle Politiche Agricole Alimentari e Forestali (MiPAAF)
Ministero dell'istruzione, dell'università e della ricerca (MIUR)

Agencies

Federchimica Assobiotec

Science parks and incubators

Istituto di Ricerca di Biologia Molecolare P. Angeletti SpA (IRBM)
IRBM Science Park

References

^ "La fotografia delle imprese di biotecnologie in Italia". assobiotec.federchimica.it. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
^ "La fotografia delle imprese di biotecnologie in Italia". assobiotec.federchimica.it. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
^ "Ebola, con il vaccino sviluppato in italia si ottiene l'immunità per 10 mesi". La Repubblica. 7 September 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
^ "Vaccino Oxford-Pomezia, a settembre 400 milioni di dosi: accordo con multinazionale Astrazeneca. Fondi anche dagli Usa". ilmessaggero.it. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
^ "The Jenner Institute signs an agreement with Advent to develop a novel coronavirus vaccine". IRBM. Archived from the original on 19 January 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
^ "Vaccino Covid-19, sprint di azienda italiana: a fine aprile i test sull'uomo". ilsole24ore.com. ilsole24ore.com. 13 April 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
^ "Vaccino italiano, via ai test sull'uomo allo Spallanzani". ilsecoloxix.it. ilsecoloxix.it. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
^ "Vaccino italiano, 3.000 candidati (anche medici): primi test su 3 volontari a fine agosto allo Spallanzani". ilmessaggero.it. ilmessaggero.it. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
^ "La fotografia delle imprese di biotecnologie in Italia". assobiotec.federchimica.it. Retrieved 3 August 2020.