Across Barriers GmbH

The German BMWi (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie) gave the green light for a new scientific study through the ZIM-Network „NanoPahrm“.

Now the Partners Dr. Eleonore Haltner, Managing Director of Across Barriers GmbH and Prof. Cornelia Keck, Technical University of Kaiserslautern have received the necessary funding for their study, which is titled: “Topical artificial ex vivo skin model for the development of nanocarrier based formulations for incurable skin diseases.” The goal of the study is to aid the holistic treatment of hard to heal skin diseases. Cosmetic basic care would complement nanocarrier based medication used in the treatment, for example, of neurodermatitis or other skin diseases.

With the ZIM network “Nano Pharm” a platform has been created that enables its members, at an early stage to identify forward-looking fields of research in order to implement them jointly and profitably. The aim is to develop new, safe and effective pharmaceutical products and to bring them to market.
The current grant award happened exceptionally early because Nano Pharm is still in the construction phase. Usually, applications are written and approved after the completion of the network structure.

For more details please visit the German version here.

The cc-NanoBioNet is Germany biggest networking cluster for Nano- and Biotechnology. It now has been awarded the „Silver Label“ by the European Cluster Excellence Initiative (ECEI). This award shows the outstanding performance achieved in a European wide comparison.

The Managing Director of the Across Barriers GmbH, Dr. Eleonore Haltner, who is also on the board of the cc-NanoBioNet is very proud of the accomplishments and this archived award.
The “Silver Label” Award had only been awarded 22 times in all of Europe, including the cc-NanoBioNet.

For more details please visit the German version here.

Across Barriers GmbH was founded in 1998 aiming at developing new in vitro-methods for substance characterization and offering these as a service for the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and chemical industries. After 17 years it has been shown that Across Barriers has a solid concept. Our wide range of progressive methods has convinced our customers. In accordance with our service portfolio quality control standards within the company have been implemented with success in order to achieve the high level of excellence expected by our clients. The quality control system has been developed in accordance with GLP and GMP. Please look at our Image movie, to get an inside view of Across Barriers.

Trainees with the Managing Director and Trainer of the Across Barriers GmbH lending a helping hand at the Wildlife Park (Wildpark) in Saarbrücken

On the 18th of December 2014 the trainees from the Across Barriers GmbH met at the local Wildlife Park to support them.
The Wildlife Park (Wildpark) Saarbrücken was founded in 1929 to nurture local wildlife and those that made the area their home.
The Trainees got an initial instruction about the workings of the Wildlife Park upon their arrival by the responsible ranger (Förster) Mr.Raphael Greif. He explained also that the park relies on the animal food donations of local business. After the introduction the trainees were separated into groups and helped the local staff with their daily duties in caring for the animals. Among the duties performed were the cleaning of the goat, pony and donkey enclosures as well as the feeding of wild boar and wildcats.
The trainees also adopted two park animals a snow owl and a mouflon for one year, in the name of the Across Barriers GmbH. They accomplished this by collecting donations among the staff and now secured the feeding and maintenance of the animal’s habitats.
Mrs. Eleonore Haltner (Managing Director) and Mr. Manuel Sacha (Head of Business Development and Sales) took the opportunity to surprise the trainees and staff by bringing them hot beverages and sandwiches on a cold day.
This was a well-chosen project by the trainees as animal welfare and rights are very important to the Across Barriers GmbH. It is focused on developing in-vitro methods to replace animal testing in the pharma and cosmetic industry and now very proud to support the local wildlife park.

This year’s focus, at the PharmaForum in the Congresshalle Saarbruecken with more than 100 participants, was “holistic patient care – what can be done by the pharma industry?” “We want to heighten the awareness of the actors in the field, and draw attention to the creation of studies and cooperations that focus on holistic approach”, said the Prime Minister of the state Saarland Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer in the opening speech at this year’s PharmaForum in Saarbruecken.

A central responsibility of the PharmaForum is the advance of cooperation in different fields like R&D, licensing, strategically planning and financing. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said „With the discussion about holistic patient care, the PharmaForum takes up a theme that is deciding for the future perspective of the supply of drugs and healthcare industry. On the way to holistic patient care more effort is needed in R&D and a good network between universities, independent researchers and cooperations.” The initiation and strengthening of contact between innovative researchers and the pharmaceutical industry has been well established for years at the PharmaForum South West.

Dr. Haltner held a speech about the 3D ocular model. For most of the ophthalmological agents there is no established pharmacokinetics (data about the drug absorption). With the help of the 3D model, which is built up out of 2 human ocular corneal cells, it is possible to simulate the mechanical and chemical barrier functions of the eye and measure the transcorneal permeation of substances and agents. By using this model, the development of ophthalmological drugs can be significantly sped up.

The Across Barriers was present with a stand. As Dr. Haltner is vice president of the EUSAAT, we also represented them.

As in previous years, there was an exhibition which gave the opportunity to build relations or collaborations to other participants.

The German state of Hessen hands out the “Tierschutzforschungspreis”, an award for the discovery and refinement of methods for the preservation of animals in the area of scientific research and education as well as the manufacturing of biomedical products within the 3R principles. Animals are creatures that can sense comfort, pain and suffering. Out of this grows the responsibility to avoid or at least minimize any activity that would cause the animals discomfort, suffering or serious harm. At the very least though to reduce the necessity to use and harm animals. The state of Hessen, as an important standpoint for science, wants to further encourage in the R&D field to find solutions to protect animals and bring the research to new applications. The focus on this way of thinking it the 3R principles, developed by Russel and Burch in 1959:

Replacement – methods to replace animal testing
Reduction – methods to reduce the amounts of animals in studies
Refinement – methods to reduce the discomfort and suffering of animals used in studies

The award for leading innovations and contributions in the reductions of animal use in accordance with the 3R principles, in the fields of scientific research and development, education and production of biomedical products (like Immunization, antibody’s or others), is awarded to those who find ways to significantly reduce or replace the use or suffering of animals. The award is given out every two years and includes price money in the amount of 15,000 €.

Prof. Dr. Thorsten Stiewe, Ministerin Hinz and Dr. Stefan Weigt,                    Winner with Dr. Haltner

The jury, among others consisting of Mrs. Dr. Haltner, the commissioner for animal rights from the state of Hessen, and representatives from universities, industry, government and animal rights groups, choose the award winners after intense deliberation and the hard decision to split the price.
The first winner is Prof. Dr. Thorsten Stiewe from the Philips-University, who worked on a study on a “method for the monitoring of transplanted tumors in mice”. He can celebrate being awarded 10,000 €. His research focuses on being able to quantities compare two different tumor populations with minimal invasive methods in the same animal, which reduce the needed animals by half.
The second winner is Dr. Stefan Weigt from the Merck in Darmstadt has been doing significant work on the “development a method for the in-vitro testing of the teratogenity of zebra fish embryos”. His study is based on the 2007 awarded “method for identifying teratogene and proteratogene substances through fish embryos” developed by Dr. Thomas Broschard and Francois Busquet. This makes it possible to further reduce the amount of animals that are needed. Highly innovative is the newly found proof of the potentially growth harming properties of the blood coagulation inhibitor Warfin in humans. It had so far not been possible to make this discovery with animal tests or in-vitro. For his research Dr. Stefan Weigt is awarded 5,000 €.

“We cannot let off, from developing new methodology to reduce animal testing, or ease the suffering and pain in studies and bring these methods to a broad application in the industry.” stated the environmental minister Mrs. Priska Hinz clearly.

As the managing Director of the Across Barriers GmbH, which is specialized in the field of in-vitro studies, through which animal testing is being reduced, Mrs. Dr. Haltner has been part of the award ceremony in the jury.

For further information on the award winners:

https://umweltministerium.hessen.de/presse/pressemitteilung/innovative-forschungsbeitraege-von-grosser-bedeutung-fuer-den-tierschutz

The PharmaForum was founded in 2003. It offers the possibility to ease communication inside the Pharmaceutical Industry. Good cooperation is strategically of great importance. Joint ventures between Industrial leaders, young companies and Start-ups in their related research fields, creates an advantage for all involved. Partners of the PharmaForum are the states of Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland as well as the vfa (die forschenden Pharmaunternehmen) and the Gesundheitspolitische Arbeitskreis Mitte.

Across Barriers will be present at the Forum with a stand as well as a presentation about a new ocular in-vitro 3 D model, by Frau Dr. E. Haltner.

You can also follow the PharmaForum live out of the Congresshalle Saarbrücken via the website www.live-dabei.saarland.de . There will be a Live-Stream on Thursday the 20th of November starting at 1pm until 3pm.

1015 participants from 49 countries have attended this congress
• 38 exhibitors
• 445 poster presentations
• 84 sessions
• 455 lectures

World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences

Across Barriers has taken an active part at the congress with two lectures, one poster and a stand.
• Lecture by Dr. Eleonore Haltner:
Potential of mucosal in vitro models obtaining approval for drug products – Case studies with Caco-2 and Calu-3 cells on Monday 25 Aug 2014.

• Lecture by Manuel Sacha:
In-Vitro Buccal delivery and release of Caffeine from Guarana on 27 Aug 2014.

• Our stand (No. 34)

• Poster:
Porcine buccal mucosa as an in vitro route model for systemic drug delivery evaluation

The World Congress provides a unique forum to discuss the importance of ethical issues in animal studies in the 21st century. The development and improvement of the 3R-relevant research methods clearly show the commitment of the scientific community to provide new science of a higher quality. This approach is not only consistent with the human and ethical principles, but should also cope with animal rights. The implementation of the 3Rs principles has become an integral part of innovation and research. Modern high-quality research is intended to create an increased understanding and confidence in the ethical approaches in today’s society.

The theme of this year’s conference was “Human Science in the 21 st Century”.

Anke Rehlinger (Minister for Economic Affairs, Labor, Energy and Transport) visited Across Barriers on 5 Aug 2014. Ms Rehlinger was very impressed by the services of Across Barriers. For years, Across Barriers has been developing methods to replace animal experiments. The possibilities of in vitro methods are far from exhausted. Many properties such as absorption, toxicity, and metabolism of a wide variety of substances can be studied in vitro. These new scientific research methods lead to relevant results for the human being, in contrast to many animal experiments. As a further business segment Across Barriers supports customers in the approval of drugs without clinical studies that is to say only on the basis of in vitro data, by using the in vitro bioequivalence concept.

With easy access here at Saarbruecken (e.g. express train to Paris) and the proximity to France, the company has attracted many customers in France.
To meet the customers’ needs, we are constantly looking for new employees. In laboratory or administration, we offer attractive activities and new challenges.

Gradually, the quality assurance has been developed in order to meet the quality standards of customers from the pharmaceutical industry.
In a laboratory tour Ms Rehlinger was shown our technical equipment.
This resulted in the photo of Ms Rehlinger (center), Dr. Eleonore Haltner (left, Managing Director) and Manuel Sacha (right, Head of Business Development and Sales).

Across Barriers is Coorganizer of the 17th European Congress on Alternatives to Animal Testing of EUSAAT (European Society for Alternatives to Animal Testing) held in Linz (Austria), September 5 – 8, 2012

Since 1998, Across Barriers strongly support the replacement of animal testing and development of alternative methods. The Managing Director, Dr. Haltner, is vice president of EUSAAT organization.

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