Jan Lennart von Hacht | 3BPharma
3B Pharmaceuticals: Innovation in Radiopharmacy
The Berlin-based biotech company 3B Pharmaceuticals GmbH (3BP) has been a success story for more than 16 years. 3BP develops targeted radiopharmaceuticals and diagnostics for oncological indications with high unmet medical need. The nuclear medicine specialist has built a technology platform for peptide discovery and optimization, from hit identification to early clinical development. We spoke with co-founder and CEO Dr. Ulrich Reineke about the company's success in recent years and 3BP's new location in Adlershof.
3BP emerged from the sale of Jerini AG to Shire. How did this happen and how were the assets developed?
The pharmaceutical company Shire was primarily interested in Jerini's approved product Icatibant (Firazyr®) for the treatment of acute attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE) and therefore acquired the entire company. Of course, there was much more to Jerini than Icatibant, as we had built up a large research department. At that time, we were able to enter into a research collaboration with Baxter to develop novel agents for the treatment of hemophilia. Due to special circumstances, we only had to pay a symbolic one euro for all the laboratory equipment. The collaboration with Baxter made us immediately profitable, and we invested all the profits in our new core business, the development of therapeutic and diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals for nuclear medicine.
What have been the most important steps for the pharmaceutical company Shire (3BP) so far?
The treatment of the first patients with pancreatic cancer and Ewing's sarcoma with our first development candidate 3BP-227 was a particular source of motivation for the entire team. When we started our research in 2009, the development of radiopharmaceuticals was a curiosity that did not attract the interest of investors and pharmaceutical companies. Therefore, the out-licensing of 3BP-277 to Ipsen in 2016 (the project has since been acquired by Fusion Pharmaceuticals/AstraZeneca) was an important milestone, especially for the financing of 3BP.
Since then, we have steadily expanded our pipeline and signed further licensing agreements, including with Novartis, the market leader in radioligand therapy (RLT). Fortunately, interest has grown enormously in recent years and the field is indeed "hot". Since the beginning of 2024, we have been building our own clinical development and plan to start the first 3BP-sponsored clinical trial next year.
The last time we did an interview together was in 2016, just after the out-licensing deal with the pharmaceutical company IPSEN was finalized. Since then, the company has made great strides and attracted many other partners. How has this been achieved and what makes 3BP's technology so good?
We started developing our technology platform more than 16 years ago, when there was little industrial experience in identifying and developing radiopharmaceuticals. We were also very naive at the time - probably one of the most important prerequisites for starting a biotech company - and initially underestimated the challenges. However, since then, we have developed a technological advantage that helps us today. It was also crucial that we established all the important development steps, up to and including the selection of a development candidate, in-house and optimized them specifically for radiopharmaceuticals.
In the meantime, 3BP has purchased a plot of land in Adlershof for its own laboratory and office building. The topping-out ceremony took place on September 13, 2024. The company - and you in particular - have a long history with Adlershof. How did it all begin?
In 1997, I completed my Ph.D. at Humboldt University in Berlin in the research group of Jens Schneider-Mergener, who had founded Jerini Biotools GmbH (later Jerini AG). At that time, Jerini was located in an incubator (IGZ) in Adlershof. As one of the first employees, I had the opportunity to translate my scientific work into applied research and to experience the fascination of the biotech industry. It was then an easy step to return to Adlershof after many years with 3BP, which had developed enormously in the meantime. I am enthusiastic about the Adlershof site and its dynamism.
It is rare for a biotech company to build its own building. Was it hard to convince investors?
We had a lot of support and approval from our shareholders. I hadn't expected that because it's not the typical biotech business model. But the property was ideal, and the other circumstances were right. You also have to consider that we have significant technical requirements for our laboratories, because we do chemical, biological, analytical and radiochemical work. Suitable rental properties were not available or would have required unaffordable adaptations and alterations. The obvious solution was to build our own laboratory and office building.
You are a versatile manager. Is it true that you are also a good musician?
Whether I am a good musician or not is for my audience to judge. In addition to biochemistry, I also studied French horn at the conservatories in Hamburg and Berlin and was allowed to play as a substitute at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden (state opera) in Berlin. It was a great experience, but today 3BP comes first and music is a fulfilling hobby.
We would like to thank our colleagues from the HealthCapital Berlin-Brandenburg for conducting the interview in November 2024. (Source: HealthCapital Berlin-Brandenburg)
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