25-05-2009 Leading politicians receive compelling demonstration of innovative powers inherent in Bremen's success model MeVis

Bremen, May 25, 2009 – Today (Monday), Bremen's Senator for Economic and Port Affairs Ralf Nagel and European MP Karin Jöns (both SPD) visited the MeVis Group in Bremen's Technologiepark estate.

At the Bremen location, for over fifteen years now the MeVis Group experts have consistently been working on research, conceptualization, development and marketing of innovative software solutions for medical imaging diagnostics, particularly in the field of digital radiology. MeVis’ core competence lies in the development of disease-oriented solutions that support diagnostics, surgery and biopsies as well as the monitoring of therapy progress. Using the specialized MeVis software applications, physicians are able to obtain efficient and reliable evaluations of a broad array of image data derived from various imaging modalities deployed in diagnostics and therapy of specific diseases.

MeVis software solutions make a direct contribution to early detection of epidemiologically significant diseases such as breast cancer, a cancer with one of the highest incidence worldwide. In this segment, the MeVis Group’s extensive breast care applications have already attained global market leadership in individual areas with the support of the Company’s industry partners. MeVis exploits the expertise acquired in this context to gradually expand the product portfolio to include other diseases, such as lung, prostate and colon cancer as well as neurological disorders.

During their visit, Senator Nagel and European MP Jöns had an opportunity to take a closer look at MeVis' extensive software applications for the world's leading "BreastCare" diagnostics workstations from industry partners Hologic, Siemens and Invivo. A wide range of leading-edge imaging modalities and examination methods are supported by the applications in question. These include magnetic resonance-imaging guided breast biopsies, digital tomosynthesis (a three-dimensional advanced development of digital mammography) and automated full-field breast ultrasound scans. Moreover, under the leadership of Prof. Peitgen and other international experts, the MeVis Group and the Fraunhofer MEVIS – Institut für Bildgestützte Medizin (formerly MeVis Research) conduct joint research on the further development of innovative imaging modalities such as positron emission tomography.

"The MeVis Group has succeeded in helping its software solutions achieve international acclaim at the latest since the European SCREEN and SCREEN-TRIAL projects were launched", says European MP Jöns, adding that "MeVis software has become a stardard element of quality assured national mammography screening programs in many European countries. The latest developments in the current EU project HAMAM for combined deployment of all imaging technologies will certainly usher in a new era in the field of early breast cancer detection."

MeVis Medical Solutions was recently commended for its particularly dynamism during the Bremen Schütting awards for innovation among SMEs and is also considered part of the spearhead in a ranking of German SMEs by the business daily Handelsblatt, among other publications. Beyond this, the MeVis Group has received a large number of other scientific and related awards.

Senator Nagel is convinced that "the example of the MeVis Group, which meanwhile is traded on the stock market, shows the immense success of a sustained, positive regional economic policy; "after all, efficient collaboration between policymakers and the business community is always based on mutual understanding and trust."

Medical imaging is one of the key growth segments within the healthcare sector. In fiscal 2008, the MeVis Group generated € 10.8 million in sales revenues (previous year: € 7.9 million) and today has a workforce of about 240 employees. For many years now, MeVis has collaborated in various projects with cooperation partners from academia, clinical science and industry in carrying out research on new, innovative functions of medical imaging, which constitute the blueprint for future marketable products.

"We're delighted with the ongoing political interest in our company," says Dr. Carl J.G. Evertsz, CEO of MeVis Medical Solutions AG, "and we're very grateful to the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen for the confidence placed in us in the early years. In fact, this is what actually enabled us to successfully establish a research institute and enterprise in the innovative field of software technology for medical imaging diagnostics. At present, our software products contribute day after day to enhancing early detection, diagnostics and therapy of cancer afflictions across the globe and, therefore, to reducing the associated high level of healthcare spending."