The Lithuanian biotech sector‘s sales have grown by about 22 % each year for the last 5 years according to the Lithuanian Biotechnology Association. Two modern biotechnology companies: Fermentas Ltd. and Sicor Biotech Ltd. operate in Lithuania for more than 10 years. The sales of both companies in 2007 exceeded 28 mln. Euros.
 
Fermentas Ltd. is a R&D and manufacturing company, which develop and produce products for genetic engineering, molecular biology, genomic research and other biotechnological investigations (over 400 items). More than 99 % of the products are exported. Expansion of efforts to the field of molecular diagnostics is taking place at the present time. Big scale production of kits for molecular diagnostics is planned.
 
The enterprise of biotechnological pharmacy Sicor Biotech Ltd. in Lithuania is producing recombinant proteins for medical use (interferon α-2b, human growth hormone, granulocyte colonies stimulating factor, erythropoietin). It is the only factory of such a profile in Eastern and Central Europe. Sicor Biotech Ltd. is a member of TEVA group (TEVA Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Israel). It has strong and very well equipped research centre, developing technologies for production of recombinant proteins.
 
The success of Lithuanian Biotech is underscored by the fact that the Institute of Biotechnology in Vilnius has attracted back to Lithuania seventeen (17) scientists who have spent over 3 years abroad. They have now returned to carry out their research in Lithuania bringing with them experience, knowledge and funds.

The Lithuanian government has increased funding of biotech research in the last five years and established new programs such as the Industrial Biotechnology Program. Very appropriate, this year’s ScanBalt Forum takes place in Vilnius 24-26 September, organized by the Institute of Biotechnology and the Lithuanian Association of Biotechnology and in parallel with the annual ScanBalt Biomaterial Days.
 
The responsible organizer of ScanBalt Forum 2008, dr. Daumantas Matulis, the head of Laboratory of Biothermodynamics and Drug Design, Institute of Biotechnology, says: “The growing importance of life sciences and biotechnology in Lithuania is being recognized with ScanBalt Forum 2008 to take place in Vilnius. This is a chance to promote Lithuania as an attractive place to work, live and invest. We intend to further strengthen our position as a strong player within life sciences and biotechnology in the Baltic Sea Region - also called ScanBalt BioRegion”.
 
For further information contact Daumantas Matulis at: +370 650 06560 or matulis@ibt.lt
 
About Institute of Biotechnology:
IBT is State Research Institute and the leading biotechnology center in Lithuania active in multidisciplinary studies of restriction - modification enzymes, and the research and development of recombinant biomedical proteins. IBT has 7 laboratories specializing in Protein-DNA Interactions, Biological DNA Modification, Prokaryote Gene Engineering, Eukaryote Gene Engineering, Immunology, Biothermodynamics and Drug Design and Bioinformatics.

IBT aims to strengthen the cooperation in the field of Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Biomedicine, enhance networking of academic and industrial sectors and the development of international collaboration and knowledge exchange by maintaining the stimulating competitiveness both in research and commercial applications.  IBT boost the initiation of the dialogue with policy makers, best scientific, business leaders on national and international scale.
Read more at www.ibt.lt