Merck Serono, the biopharmaceutical division of Merck, has awarded the Innovation Cup, a programme that underscores the company's commitment to developing the next generation of biopharmaceutical talents and discovering new approaches to drug development, to Team Oncology.
Team Oncology, consisting of PhD and post-doctoral researchers from the University of California San Francisco (Hildegard Mack), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Marie Spitzner), Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (Michael Becker), Yale School of Medicine (Sorin Fedeles), and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (Steve Marquis Fernandes), won the Innovation Cup trophy and €10,000 for their innovative approach to antibody-drug conjugates that may fight cancer.
'This forum provides bright young students from around the world with an opportunity to learn about the pharmaceutical industry and understand how drugs are successfully discovered, developed and brought to market,' said Ulrich Betz, Department Head Innovation & Entrepreneurship Incubator at Merck Serono.
'The goal is to educate participants about careers in the biopharmaceutical industry and build excitement around innovations that have the potential to transform lives through medical science.'
During a week-long Innovation Summer Camp, 28 participants gathered to learn the essentials of drug development in a stimulating and competitive environment.
Working together in six teams, they generated new ideas in the areas of oncology, immuno-oncology, autoimmune diseases, chemo- and bioengineering, drug formulation and medical devices/electronic health, receiving guidance and support from Merck Serono mentors to turn their ideas into business plans.
At the end of the week, teams presented their proposals to a jury consisting of senior Merck managers and external experts.
Since 2011, Merck Serono has invited annually top students in the fields of life-science and business administration from all over the world to apply for participation in the Innovation Cup. More than 700 applications were received this year from more than 50 countries.
