The names of the finalists in this year's EUROPEAN BIOTECHNICA AWARD have been announced. The companies Addex Pharmaceuticals (Switzerland), Apeiron Biologics (Austria) and Galapagos Genomics (Belgium) have made it through to the final round.

Addex Pharmaceuticals, based in Plan-Les-Ouates (near Geneva), researches and develops agents used in products for treating Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, anxiety attacks, depression and disorders affecting the central nervous system. The Viennese biotech company Apeiron Biologics specializes in the development of enzyme-based biotherapies for treating ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome). The third finalist, Galapagos Genomics, a biotech company based in Mechelen, Belgium, develops pharmaceutical products for the treatment of bone and joint disease, including bone metastases.

Professor Peter Stadler, chairman of the internationally acclaimed panel of nine experts whose task it was to select the finalists, reports: "We were impressed by the innovative technology developed by all three companies, and are confident that their products and business models hold a lot of promise." Worth a total of 75,000 Euros, the prize is presented to new European companies that have already made a name for themselves in the biotech and life sciences sectors due to their market success and innovative prowess. This year is the eighth time that Deutsche Messe AG and their partners have organized the competition.

The winner will be announced on 4 October during the opening ceremony of this year's BIOTECHNICA in Hannover. The company that takes first place will receive 30,000 Euros in prize money. Furthermore, all three finalists will receive substantial non-cash prizes.

Information on the competition conditions and the winners of previous competitions can be found at www.biotechnica.de/award_e.