4SCAN®
Patented technology of 4SC which simulates the principle of high throughput screening on the computer in order to generate new molecules for biology and chemistry research.
A
ACR20
Improvement in the disease by at least 20% compared to the base value, i.e. reduction of 20% in the number of swollen and tender joints, and a reduction of 20% in three of the following five parameters: physician’s overall assessment of disease activity, patient’s overall assessment of disease activity, patient’s assessment of pain, C-reactive protein or erythrocyte sedimentation rate in blood, and degree of physical disability in Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) score.
ACR50
Improvement in the disease by 50% over the base value. For the parameters, see ACR20.
ACR70
Improvement in the disease by 70% over the base value. For the parameters, see ACR20.
ACUTE MYELOID LEUKAEMIA
Malignant form of cancer affecting part of the haemopoietic system.
AE
Abbreviation for adverse events.
AFS
Abbreviation for available for sale, one of four categories of financial instruments.
AFVPL
Abbreviation for at fair value through profit or loss, one of four categories of financial instruments.
AML
Abbreviation for acute myeloid leukaemia.
ANTI-MITOTIC
Inhibiting mitosis, i.e. cell nucleus division.
APOPTOSIS
The process of programmed cell death. This process can be caused by external factors, for example it may be triggered by immune cells, or may be activated due to cellular processes such as a damaged genome. Apoptosis is actively conducted by the cell´s internal components and results in destruction of the cell.
AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE
Illness that cause the body’s immune system to attack its own tissue.
B
BMBF
German abbreviation for the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
C
CAGR
Compound Annual Growth Rate. The annualised growth rate of an investment over a specifi ed period of time.
CAI
Abbreviation for colitis activity index; this index is used for determining disease activity in patients suffering from ulcerative colitis.
CDAI
Abbreviation for Crohn's disease activity index; this index is used for determining disease activity in patients suffering from Crohn's disease.
CHD BANK
Conrad Hinrich Donner Bank.
CLINICAL STUDIES
Trials (Phase I through III) in drug development that are conducted in healthy subjects and patients.
CRC
Abbreviation for colorectal cancer.
CROHN’S DISEASE
Autoimmune disease resulting in chronic inflammation of the intestine.
D
D&O INSURANCE
Directors & Officers insurance.
DAS28
“Disease activity score”; system that serves to measurethe activity of the disease in RA patients based on 28 defined joints.
DHODH
Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase; enzyme which plays an important role in building DNA in the cell.
DIVERSITY
Concept of corporate governance, that takes into account the diversity of people and functions among a company's workforce, management and Supervisory Board.
DMARD
Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs; agents that alter the course and progression of rheumatoid arthritis.
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a biological molecule that contains the genetic information in a cell and codes the blueprint for making the proteins.
DOR
Abbreviation for duration of response.
E
EG5
Kinesin spindle protein which plays a role in the distribution of chromosomes to the daughter cells during cell division.
EGFR
Abbreviation for epidermal growth factor receptor; a transmembrane receptor with intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity that is highly regulated and/ or found in mutated form in many types of tumours, thus leading to uncontrolled cell growth.
ENDPOINT
General result of a study that evaluates the outcome of the individual steps based on a clinical trial protocol.
ENZYME
Protein which enables or accelerates chemical reactions in cells by acting as a catalyst.
EQUITY METHOD
Method used in annual financial statements to account for an entity’s investment in another entity’s voting capital.
ESOP
Abbreviation for employee stock option programme.
F
FIFO METHOD
Abbreviation for “first in, first out”; a procedure related to the measurement of inventories and their utilisation in connection with fluctuating procurement prices.
FIRST-IN-MAN
Voluntary, usually healthy person participating in a clinical study.
FOLFIRI
Chemotherapy scheme for treating colon cancer.
H
HCC
Abbreviation for hepatocellular carcinoma.
HDAC
Abbreviation for histone deacetylase.
HDAC INHIBITOR
Histone deacetylase inhibitor designed to prevent the cell division process of tumours directly and in a targeted way.
HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA
Malignant tumour triggered by the hepatocytes of the liver’s tissue; the most common form of liver cancer.
HL
Abbreviation for Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
HODGKIN’S LYMPHOMA
Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a malignant tumour in the lymph nodes.
HTM
Abbreviation for held to maturity, one of four categories of financial instruments.
I
IAS
Abbreviation for International Accounting Standards.
IASB
Abbreviation for International Accounting Standards Board.
IBD
Abbreviation for inflammatory bowel disease.
IFRIC
Abbreviation for International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee.
IFRS
Abbreviation for International Financial Reporting Standards.
IL-17
Abbreviation for interleukin-17, a cytokine regulating cell growth and differentiation.
IMPAIRMENT TEST
Annual test of recognised goodwill for impairment.
INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE (IBD)
A group of inflammatory conditions that recurr in the gastrointestinal tract, including the small intestine and colon; Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are the main types.
INHIBITOR
Substance that inhibits a specific enzyme reaction.
INN
Abbreviation for international nonproprietary name, which is granted by the WHO.
IN SILICO
Description based on silicon, the chemical element used to manufacture computer chips. Computer-based simulation of biochemical processes and examination of the effi cacy of molecules.
IN VITRO
Experiments that take place in a controlled, artificial environment outside of the living organism, e.g. in a test tube.
IN VIVO
Experiments that take place in the living organism, e.g. in animal testing.
K
KINASE
Protein which controls cellular signal transfer.
L
LAR
Abbreviation for loans and receivables, one of four categories of financial instruments.
LUPUS
Autoimmune disease, frequently accompanied by joint pain similar to rheumatism; inflammation may also occur in the heart, lungs, kidneys and brain.
M
MEDICAL ETHICS COMMITTEE
Assessment of ethical and legal aspects of medical research in human beings; the medical ethics committee must approve the commencement of clinical studies.
MS
Abbreviation for multiple sclerosis.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
Autoimmune disease of the central nervous system which results in degeneration of the nerve sheath.
N
NEUROPATHY
Collective term for nervous system diseases.
O
ORR
Abbreviation for objective overall response rate.
OS
Abbreviation for overall survival.
OUT-LICENSING AGREEMENT
Granting of a license to a third party to use one or more industrial property rights.
P
PFS
Abbreviation for progression free survival.
PFSR
Abbreviation for progression free survival rate.
PHARMACODYNAMICS
Study of the efficacy of drugs in a living organism.
PHARMACOKINETICS
Spatial and temporal distribution of compounds throughout the various tissues of anorganism.
PHASE I
Clinical trial of a drug conducted in a small number of healthy patients subject to strict controls; serves to test the tolerance, pharmacokinetics, method of administration and safe dose of the compound.
PHASE II
Clinical trial conducted in a small number of patients subject to strict controls to identify a compound’s sudden side effects and risks; determination of the efficacy of the drug and any potential side effects.
PHASE III
Study conducted in a large number of patients (between several hundred and several thousand) to determine the safety, efficacy and optimum dosage of a drug under real therapeutic conditions.
PRECLINICAL
Laboratory tests related to a new drug candidate conducted in animals, organs or cell cultures in order to obtain satisfactory evidence that a clinical study is justified and that the drug candidate is classified as safe.
PRIME STANDARD
Listing segment of Deutsche Börse with clearly defined transparency requirements.
PROOF-OF-CONCEPT
Milestone proving a drug candidate’s efficacy in medical terms, usually in Phase II.
PROTEASOME
Multi-protein complex for the decomposition of used cellular products.
PROTEIN
Large complex molecule composed of amino acids. Proteins are essential to the structure, regulation and function of all organisms; typical proteins include enzymes and antibodies.
R
RA
Abbreviation for rheumatoid arthritis.
RECIST CRITERIA
Abbreviation for response evaluation criteria in solid tumours; guidelines on the evaluation of therapeutic success in solid tumours.
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Autoimmune disease of the connective tissue, especially the joints.
ROYALTIES
Compensation for the use of third-party rights to intellectual property. Royalties are generally calculated as a certain percentage of the revenue generated from the intellectual property rights.
S
SAE
Abbreviation for serious adverse events.
SIC
Abbreviation for Standing Interpretations Committee.
STEROID
Class of hormones such as cholesterol which has an anti-inflammatory effect.
T
TARGET
Specific biological molecule, e.g. an enzyme or receptor, which plays an important role in the origination or development of a disease. Compounds/drugs develop their therapeutic activity by binding to a target molecule.
TARGETED THERAPIES
Specific influencing and controlling of signalling pathways in cancer and autoimmune diseases.
TAXOL
Drug derived from natural cytotoxins. It inhibits cell growth by attacking the spindle apparatus during cell
TOXICITY
Undesirable side effects of a substance depending on its dose.
TOXICOLOGY
Field of science examining the effects of toxic substances or the toxicity of substances.
TTP
Abbreviation for time to progression.
TUBULIN STRUCTURE
Cellular components which play a significant role in cell division, among others.
U
ULCERATIVE COLITIS
Chronic inflammatory disease of the mucous membranes of the large intestine.
W
WHO
World Health Organization; the United Nations agency responsible for international public health.