Arizona Biotech News

Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor Conference 2009

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 21:37:00 +0000

The Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor Conference 2009 - Apply Now!

See the the future of bioscience and your role in shaping it! On September 17th in Denver, Colorado, The Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor Conference 2009, co-hosted by AZBio and the Colorado BioScience Association, will bring together leading investors, emerging companies and senior executives of established companies from around the country. Arizona companies are encouraged to participate and apply to present. Presenting companies will have a 20 minute podium presentation (including Q&A) for you to introduce your company, innovation or technology, and the status of your product development. Don’t miss this chance to participate in some of the newest deals and meet those who are shaping the future landscape of the life sciences industry. Click Here for complete conference details.

BIO hosts events at UNFCCC in Bonn

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:37:00 +0000

BIO to Host Side Event at Bonn Climate Change Talks “Biotechnology: Solutions for Climate Change”

WHAT: The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) will host a side event at the upcoming UNFCCC Climate Change Talks in Bonn. Biotechnology offers a broad range of tools to address climate change. This briefing will focus on clean, renewable alternatives to petroleum-based fuels and products, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from industrial processes, and the use of sustainable agricultural practices.

WHO: Stephanie Batchelor, Manager, Industrial & Environmental Section, BIO;
Willy De Greef, Secretary General, EuropaBio.

WHEN: Monday, June 1st from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

WHERE: Ministry of Environment, WIND Room
Robert-Schuman-Platz 3
53175 Bonn

NOTE: For additional information, please contact Stephanie Batchelor at 202-742-6498, sbatchelor@bio.org, or Paul Winters at 202-962-9237, pwinters@bio.org.

For a full list of side events at the Bonn Climate Change Talks, visit http://regserver.unfccc.int/seors/reports/events_list.html.

About BIO

BIO represents more than 1,200 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology technologies. BIO also produces the annual BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world.

Upcoming BIO Events

BioEquity Europe
June 9-10, 2009
Munich, Germany

World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology & Bioprocessing
July 19-22, 2009
Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Contacts

Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)
Paul Winters, 202-962-9237
pwinters@bio.org
www.bio.org

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Celera cuts its last tie to Maryland biotech

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:53:00 +0000

It’s official, the end of an era. Celera Corp., once among the biggest biotech brand names in the Washington area, is shuttering its last remaining operation in the region.

The company, which moved its home base to Alameda, Calif., last year, is laying off 20 of its 25 local employees and closing its 41,000-square-foot operation in Rockville by the end of the third quarter.

A small number of employees working on lung cancer diagnostic tests could move to the West Coast, while only one or two employees might stay in Rockville.

In its heyday, Celera employed 550 people in the company’s 220,000-square-foot headquarters on West Gude Drive, making it one of the region’s biggest success stories as it raced to map the humane genome.

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$18 million awarded to TGen and University of Pennsylvania

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Thu, 28 May 2009 18:18:00 +0000

$18 million awarded to TGen and University of Pennsylvania for pancreatic cancer research from Stand Up to Cancer

Scottsdale Healthcare at Shea Medical Center a primary clinical site

PHOENIX, Ariz. - The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) will receive $18 million to research pancreatic cancer, Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C) announced today.
Dr. Daniel Von Hoff, TGen’s Physician-In-Chief, and Dr. Craig B. Thompson, Director of the Abramson Cancer Center at Penn, are co-leaders of SU2C pancreatic cancer "Dream Team," which will lead a three-year investigation into new approaches to treating pancreatic cancer, the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States.

"We want to do something dramatic. It is going to take a tremendous amount of real thinking power to make that difference, so it is a dream come true to be able to put this team together to work towards this goal," said Dr. Von Hoff, who also is Chief Scientific Officer for TGen Clinical Research Services (TCRS) at Scottsdale Healthcare, a primary clinical research site for TGen and the SU2C grant.

The $18 million to TGen and Penn was the largest single grant among five awards, totaling $74 million, announced by SU2C, a philanthropic group created by cancer scientists and members of the entertainment industry a year ago today to quickly turn scientific discoveries into ways to care for cancer patients.

The goal of the pancreatic cancer Dream Team research project – "Cutting Off the Fuel Supply" – is to develop tests, using advanced imaging techniques, to determine what nutrients pancreatic cancer cells require to fuel their growth and survival. Understanding the cell’s fuel supply will help scientists develop more individualized treatments with fewer side effects.

TGen and its clinical partner at TCRS will launch a series of innovative clinical trials in advanced pancreatic cancer. These clinical trials will be designed to deprive pancreatic tumors of crucial nutrients, thereby cutting off the fuel supply.

TCRS is located at the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare Shea Medical Center in Scottsdale. Other clinical sites in the study are at Penn in Philadelphia and at John Hopkins University in Baltimore.

The TGen-Penn team will combine translational methods developed at the University of Pennsylvania with individualized-therapies emphasized by TGen to rapidly move laboratory findings to bedside treatments, benefiting pancreatic cancer patients as quickly as possible. They will test the drugs in combination with existing standard chemotherapy, with the hope of improving quality of life while increasing the percentage of patients surviving beyond one year.

Since its inception in 2002, TGen has pioneered cutting-edge research in genomic medicine, enabling physicians to design targeted and individualized therapies for patients suffering from cancer and other debilitating diseases.

About Dr. Daniel Von Hoff

In addition to his positions at TGen and Scottsdale Healthcare, Dr. Von Hoff is Chief Scientific Officer for US Oncology, and Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Arizona. His major interest is in the development of new anticancer agents. Dr. Von Hoff’s work focuses on the development of molecularly targeted therapies for patients with pancreatic and other advanced cancers. He is serving a six-year term on the National Cancer Advisory Board and has served on the FDA’s Oncology Advisory Committee. Dr. Von Hoff is a past president of the American Association for Cancer Research, was on the AACR and the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Board of Directors, and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians.

About Dr. Craig Thompson

In addition to his position at the Abramson Cancer Center, Dr. Thompson is the Associate Vice President for Cancer Services at the University of Pennsylvania Heath System, director of the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute and the John H. Glick professor of medicine and cancer biology at the university’s School of Medicine. His research focuses on how alterations in the control of cell metabolism contribute to cancer cell development and survival. He has contributed to the development of new treatments for autoimmune diseases and leukemia.

About pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and it remains one of the most deadly forms of cancer. Over 90 percent of patients die within the first year of diagnosis. Recent advancements have had little impact, and a new approach is desperately needed.

Using modern tumor imaging, it is possible to monitor a tumor’s glucose utilization and such tests are now routinely used in clinical practice. In most cases, the more glucose a tumor is using, the more advanced the tumor and the greater likelihood of spread. Similarly, if a tumor is using less glucose as a response to chemotherapy, then it is a good indication that the tumor is responding to treatment.

Pancreatic cancer presents a unique challenge because it is addicted to another molecule, glutamine, rather than glucose. Glutamine is an amino acid that helps build muscle mass and is used by some cells for energy. When cancer feeds or metabolizes excess amounts of gluatamine, it can lead to extreme weight loss by robbing other cells of this important nutrient, a condition from which many pancreatic cancer patients suffer. In addition, the waste that is a by-product of this process generates an intense reaction from surrounding normal cells, which then secrete growth factors that help tumor cells grow. Cancers that use excess glutamine are often resistant to standard forms of chemotherapy, another characteristic of pancreatic cancer.

About the Dream Teams

The five Dream Teams – culled from 237 submissions – are comprised of seven leaders, four co-leaders and 27 principal researchers from more than 20 leading institutions, with more than 300 individuals participating:

"Cutting off the Fuel Supply: A New Approach to the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer" – $18 million – Leaders: Craig B. Thompson, M.D., Director, Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, and Daniel D. Von Hoff, M.D., Senior Investigator and Physician in Chief at the Translational Research Genomics Institute (TGen).

"An Integrated Approach to Targeting Molecular Breast Cancer Molecular Subtypes and Their "Resistance" Phenotypes" – $16.5 million – Leaders: Joe W. Gray, Ph.D., Life Sciences Division Director, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Dennis J. Slamon, M.D., Ph.D., Director of Clinical/Translational Research at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

"Targeting the PI3K Pathway in Women’s Cancers" – $15 million – Leader: Lewis C. Cantley, Ph.D., Chief of the Division of Signal Transduction at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Co-Leaders: Charles L. Sawyers, M.D., Director of the Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and Gordon B. Mills, M.D., Ph.D., Chair, Department of Systems Biology, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

"Bioengineering and Clinical Applications of Circulating Tumor Cells Chip" – $15 million – Leader: Daniel A. Haber, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center; Co-Leader: Mehmet Toner, Ph.D., Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Harvard Medical School.

"Bringing Epigenetic Therapy to the Forefront of Cancer Management" – $9.12 million – Leader: Stephen B. Baylin, M.D., Deputy Director of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins; Co-Leader: Peter A. Jones, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Urology and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Southern California.
Collectively, the research that will be done through the Dream Team projects could impact the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of cancers in adults and children across ethnicities including, but not limited to pancreatic, breast, ovarian, cervical, uterine, brain, lung, prostate, rectal and colon. These represent two-thirds of all U.S. cancer deaths; 562,340 people are expected to die of cancer this year in the U.S., where on average 1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes. Worldwide, cancer annually kills nearly almost 8 million.

"(S)cientists need more money for research and easier ways to work together; and the entertainment industry has unique resources that can be called upon to help make every American aware that each and every one of us has a role to play in advancing cancer research," said Sherry Lansing, Board Chair of the Entertainment Industry Foundation and a member of the SU2C Executive Leadership Council. "From the person who can give five dollars to the philanthropist who can give millions, we are all connected to the devastation that cancer causes in our families, and together, we can Stand Up to end it."

On behalf of Stand Up To Cancer, the 28,000-member American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) will be responsible for administering the grants.

Major donors

Major League Baseball was the first major donor to contribute to Stand Up To Cancer. Other major SU2C supporters include: Jones Apparel Group Inc. founder Sidney Kimmel, Amgen, AARP, Bloomberg Philanthropies, GlaxoSmithKline, Revlon, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Wallis Annenberg & The Annenberg Foundation, Alliance for Global Good, New York Giants, Milken Family Foundation, Philips Electronics, Steve Tisch, and The Island Def Jam Music Group.

About Stand Up To Cancer
The Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) movement raises funds to hasten the pace of groundbreaking translational research that can get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives. In 2007, a group of women whose lives have all been affected by cancer in profound ways began working together to marshal the resources of the media and entertainment industries in the fight against the disease. For more information about Stand Up To Cancer, please visit www.su2c.org.

About the American Association for Cancer Research
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the oldest and largest scientific organization in the world focusing on every aspect of high-quality, innovative cancer research from the bench to the bedside. Lauded internationally for its scientific breadth, innovation and spread of new knowledge about cancer, the AACR is on the front lines in the quest for the prevention and cure of cancer.

About the Entertainment Industry Foundation
The Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), as a leading charitable organization of the entertainment industry, has distributed hundreds of millions of dollars to support programs addressing critical health, education and social issues.

About Scottsdale Healthcare:
Scottsdale Healthcare (www.shc.org) is the not-for-profit parent organization of Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Medical Center, Scottsdale Healthcare Shea Medical Center, Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson Peak Hospital, Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center, Scottsdale Clinical Research Institute, TGen Clinical Research Services at Scottsdale Healthcare, Scottsdale Healthcare Home Health Services, Scottsdale Healthcare Community Health Services, NOAH Clinics and Scottsdale Healthcare Foundation. Scottsdale Healthcare ER wait times are updated every three minutes at www.fastERtimes.org.

About TGen
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix, Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting groundbreaking research with life changing results. Research at TGen is focused on helping patients with diseases such as cancer, neurological disorders and diabetes. TGen is on the cutting edge of translational research where investigators are able to unravel the genetic components of common and complex diseases. Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical communities, TGen believes it can make a substantial contribution to the efficiency and effectiveness of the translational process. TGen is affiliated with the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan. For more information, visit: www.tgen.org.

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TGen intern named one of the nation’s Top 40 studentscoparomi

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Mon, 11 May 2009 21:03:00 +0000

TGen intern named one of the nation’s Top 40 students

Source: TGEN

ASU student also awarded $2,500 scholarship for work at TGen

05-08-2009
javascript:void(0)
PHOENIX, Ariz. - May 8, 2009 - Eric Anderson, who has worked for three years as an intern for the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), has been named one of the nation’s Top 40 students by USA Today.
Anderson, a senior at Arizona State University, was named to the national newspaper’s prestigious annual All-USA College Academic Second Team of 20 students. The First Team of 20 students also included an ASU student. (Click here for related link).

In addition, Anderson was notified May 7 by ASU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences that he has been awarded a $2,500 Arizona Power Authority Scholarship in the fall 2009 semester for his research under the supervision of TGen's Dr. Heather Cunliffe.

Anderson, who has worked in brain and breast cancer research at TGen, has investigated potential diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic targets.

"Eric is an extremely intelligent and self-motivated student. It has been a pleasure to play a role in his career development, and very satisfying to see him excel through strong collaborative mentorship from both TGen and ASU," said Dr. Cunliffe, head of TGen's Breast & Ovarian Cancer Research Unit.

Anderson, who also has worked in research projects at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, will remain at ASU one more year to complete dual majors in Bioengineering and Medicinal Biochemistry. He plans to attend medical school and pursue a career in biomedical research.

Anderson said he plans to "continue my clinical and translational research involvement throughout my undergraduate career and explore the intimate and vital process of translating scientific discoveries into bedside applications that will directly affect patient care."

Each year at ASU, he has won a fellowship in the School of Life Sciences Undergraduate Research program, and he is a past winner of the Goldwater Scholarship, considered the nation's highest undergraduate award in science, math and engineering.

Anderson also is enrolled in ASU's Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering and ASU’s Barrett Honors College. He has been a hospice volunteer and volunteers at the Mission of Mercy Medical Clinic and the Migrant Health Education Program, providing care to homeless patients and the uninsured, finding funds and helping establish clinical partnerships.

A national team of judges selects USA Today’s top students based on grades, leadership, activities, and how students extend their intellectual talents beyond the classroom.

*

About TGen
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting groundbreaking research with life changing results. Research at TGen is focused on helping patients with diseases such as cancer, neurological disorders and diabetes. TGen is on the cutting edge of translational research where investigators are able to unravel the genetic components of common and complex diseases. Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical communities, TGen believes it can make a substantial contribution to the efficiency and effectiveness of the translational process. TGen is affiliated with the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan. For more information, visit: www.tgen.org.

Big Web 2.0 Technology Challenges

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Thu, 07 May 2009 19:17:00 +0000

Big Web 2.0 Technology Challenges: Moderating Biotech, Pharma and Medical User-generated Content (UGC)

I know this post has jumped ahead in order of my planned posts on the technology challenges created in by Web 2.0. However, I recently had a few inquiries in this area (from friends, analysts and colleagues.) As such, I thought it would be beneficial to move this topic up in my series.

In general, moderation of UGC is not a simple prospect. Moderation of UGC in a regulated space is even tougher – especially in the very highly regulated biotech, pharmaceutical and medical industries (where regulation compliance is essentially intended to protect human life). Based on the sensitivity of this topic, it is worth diverting a little of your attention to some disclaimers and background information:

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Arizona BIO 2009

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:49:00 +0000

BIO 2009 - Stop by the Arizona Pavilion (Booth 4601)

Again this year, the AZ Dept. of Commerce has coordinated a pavilion that will showcase our state's bioscience community. In the pavilion, AZBio will highlight the AZBio Bioscience Company Directory and the Interactive Biomap on our website (click here), both exceptional tools for locating bioscience organizations in Arizona. As BIO's recognized state affiliate organization in Arizona, AZBio works closely with BIO throughout the year, and we hope to see many of our Arizona colleagues at the world's largest annual gathering of the biotechnology industry. For more information and to register for BIO 2009, click here.

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Highlighted events on the online calendar:

April 30th - Experience Your Future Day (Glendale)
Presented by Jobing.com, Experience Your Future Day is a one-day, experiential learning event designed for 8th grade students to be able to experience hands-on what it's truly like to work in a chosen trade, profession or industry. For complete details, click here.

May 4th - Donald K. Buffmire Lecture presents Fernando D. Martinez, MD (Phoenix)
Fernando D. Martinez, MD, Director of the Arizona Respiratory Center and Interim Director of the BIO5 Institute will present “Genes and Environment at the Onset of Asthma and Allergies”. Dr. Martinez will discuss the natural history of childhood asthma, and the role of genetic, physiologic, immunologic and environmental factors as determinants of the risk for asthma in early life. Please RSVP to Mindy Shields by April 29 to buffmirelectures@gmail.com or 602-827-2076. For more information, please click here.

May 15th - AZBio/BIO-SA Breakfast - An Ounce of (Chemo) Prevention (Tucson)
Eugene W. Gerner, Ph.D. will discuss his research and findings regarding Colorectal Cancer (CRC) and how he and his team have recently demonstrated remarkable efficacy for the prevention of recurrence of colon polyps, which are the forerunners of colon cancer. Click here for more information and to register online.

May 18th - 21st - 2009 BIO International Convention
The 2009 BIO International Convention will deliver the partnering tools, licensing tips and other industry resources you need to meet current economic challenges and to strengthen your biotech business for the future. Join 20,000 senior level life science professionals in Atlanta to explore valuable partnerships and discuss financial and strategic practices. For more information and to register, click here.

October 11th - 13th - Annual BioPartnering Europe - EARLY REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
BPE brings together decision-makers from leading biotechnology, pharmaceutical and investment companies from around the world for 3 days of focused networking, presentations, expert panels and one-to-one partnering. For more information and to register, click here.

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Swine Flu Testing in Arizona

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 01:01:00 +0000

Biotech News

TGen helps test for swine flu in Arizona

The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is assisting state and federal authorities in a coordinated effort to prevent a swine flu pandemic. Using state-of-the-art genetic testing systems for identifying the potentially deadly swine influenza virus, scientists at TGen’s Pathogen Genomics Division (TGen North) in Flagstaff today began running tests on three of the first four suspected cases in Arizona. A fourth sample from Arizona was tested and found to be positive for swine flu - the state’s only confirmed case - earlier today at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
TGen’s work in producing disease-detecting genotyping tools has potential national and global significance in tracking potential drug-resistant mutations of swine flu, said David Engelthaler, Director of Programs and Operations for TGen North in Flagstaff Arizona.

Techniques honed from post-9/11 FBI anthrax letters investigation; ‘TGen North’ also investigating Valley Fever; viruses and bacteria

“We’ve been working on influenza the last couple of years; developing tools and assays to be able to identify different strains of influenza, to quantify the amounts of virus in different samples, and also to look for anti-viral resistance markers,” said Engelthaler, a former Arizona State Epidemiologist and former Arizona Biodefense Coordinator.

In addition to assisting the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), TGen is working with a pharmaceutical company to help discover ways to track and prevent anti-viral drug resistance. Currently, strains of influenza eventually become resistant to anti-viral drugs, Engelthaler said. “We’ve maintained and developed a really strong relationship with the state Health Department, and we’ve helped them with other disease outbreaks in the past. We have all this cutting-edge technology, so we want to bring that to bear on these public health emergencies,” he said. “All of that is fortuitous because now we can immediately step up and help them, not only with the very specific tools that are needed to identify swine flu, but also by providing them with information about anti-viral resistance and the ability to see how that (swine flu virus) might change,” Engelthaler said.

TGen has worked with ADHS to develop genomic tests for such diseases as Valley Fever - molecular epidemiology - allowing officials to track disease outbreaks and potentially identify their sources.

Read more here:

Explore Career Paths In Biotechnology - Ongkili

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:41:00 +0000

KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 (Bernama) -- Students and job-seekers should explore the various career paths offered by biotechnology and life sciences, said Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili.

He said career opportunities in the industry were not limited to only research-based roles but also marketing, legal, finance and human resources, among others.

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Swine Flu fear Boosts Biotech Stocks

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:22:00 +0000

The U.S. Government declared an emergency Sunday and released 25% of Relenza and Tamiflu antiviral treatment courses for use by healthcare providers should cases escalate. Tamiflu was developed by Gilead and manufactured and sold by Roche; Relenza is made by GlaxoSmithKline. A travel advisory to Mexico may be issued today where there are 2000 cases and about 150 deaths.In the U.S. there are several cases in CA,NY and TX for a total of 40.

GSK was up 7.8% and GILD up 4% at midday trading. More speculative biotechs are quite volatile with BCRX up 68%,CRXL up 6.5%, and NVAX up over 90%.Be careful here.

Leerink Swann has a Market Perform on BioCryst (BCRX), which has Peramavir an IV/IM neurominidase inhibitor currently in Phase III studies in the U.S. and Phase IV in Japan and LS says the drug is likely to be effective against H1N1 swine flu.

Rodman and Renshaw has a Market Outperform on Novavax (NVAX) which has a Phase II seasonal flu vaccine in trials and could move due to the potential of a swine flu development.

Diagnostic stocks perked up as well with Becton-Dickinson (BDX) up 4.4%,Inverness (IMA) up 11.5%,Quidel(QDEL) up 7%,and Meridian(VIVO) up 11.5%.

Although it is way too early to forecast the impact of swine flu on the biotechnology stocks the sector will attract more investors as diagnostics and drugs have been languishing in the current rally.

We recommended IMA at 20 (now 30) and continue to like the stock on pullbacks and would add to healthcare positions with BDX GILD and GSK for the longer term.

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Going Green Goes Hi-Tech

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:19:00 +0000

How Biotechnology Is Helping to Create a Greener World

April 2009 (Medialink) - Everyone interested in the environment knows about recycling, hybrid cars and carbon footprints. But what about bioplastics, biofuels and pest-resistant crops? Biotechnology breakthroughs help bring us clean air, clean water and green products. Biotechnology is technology based on biology, creating cutting edge products and technologies used to create renewable fuels, increase environmental sustainability and develop new drugs and cures for devastating diseases such as cancer and Parkinson’s.

New industrial and environmental biotechnology advances are helping to make manufacturing processes cleaner and more efficient by reducing toxic chemical pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Renewable biofuels from algae and other cellulosic materials decrease greenhouse gases while reducing our dependence on oil. Bioplastics that are available today can substitute for petroleum-based plastics, replacing waste destined for a landfill with biodegradable, compostable consumer products.

Agricultural biotechnology allows farmers to grow more food on existing farmland while reducing water and fuel consumption. New technologies also are allowing farmers to address the challenges of producing food in less than adequate growing conditions with drought and flood resistant crops. In fact, growing biotech crops actually can help enhance air, water and soil quality. Agricultural biotechnology is integral in reducing pesticide use, toxic chemical pollution and greenhouse gases. Although we can do a lot to clean up pollution after it’s in the environment, preventing pollution in the first place is even better.

Talent/Guest: Oliver P. Peoples, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, VP Research
Oliver P. Peoples is a co-founder of Metabolix and has served as the chief scientific officer and vice president of research since January 2000. Prior to founding Metabolix, Dr. Peoples was a research scientist with the Department of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he emerged as a pioneer of the new field of metabolic pathway engineering and its applications in industrial biotechnology. Dr. Peoples received a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.

Talent/Guest: Fred Yoder, Fourth Generation Farmer
Fred Yoder is a 4th generation farmer who has lived and farmed near Plain City, Ohio for over 35 years. He also has operated a retail farm seed business for over 30 years, and sells seed to all kinds of farmers including those who use biotech varieties, conventional varieties, and also to those who grow organic crops. Fred has served as President of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) before. He is still involved as an advisor to NCGA with their efforts to develop solutions to current issues that agriculture faces, including global warming, sustainability definitions, biofuel production, and other important issues.

Source: Mediaseed

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Biotech Events

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 19:57:00 +0000

May 15th - AZBio/BIO-SA Breakfast - An Ounce of (Chemo) Prevention (Tucson)
Eugene W. Gerner, Ph.D. will discuss his research and findings regarding Colorectal Cancer (CRC) and how he and his team have recently demonstrated remarkable efficacy for the prevention of recurrence of colon polyps, which are the forerunners of colon cancer. Click here for more information and to register online.

May 18th - 21st - 2009 BIO International Convention
The 2009 BIO International Convention will deliver the partnering tools, licensing tips and other industry resources you need to meet current economic challenges and to strengthen your biotech business for the future. Join 20,000 senior level life science professionals in Atlanta to explore valuable partnerships and discuss financial and strategic practices. For more information and to register, click here.

October 11th - 13th - Annual BioPartnering Europe - EARLY REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
BPE brings together decision-makers from leading biotechnology, pharmaceutical and investment companies from around the world for 3 days of focused networking, presentations, expert panels and one-to-one partnering. For more information and to register, click here.

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Bioscience Companies Needed for Experience Your Future Day

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:37:00 +0000

Experience Your Future Day - Bioscience Companies Needed

Presented by Jobing.com, Experience Your Future Day is a one-day, experiential learning event designed for 8th grade students to be able to experience hands-on what it's truly like to work in a chosen trade, profession or industry. Bioscience companies in the Greater Phoenix Region are being asked to give back to the community while helping to invest in the future workforce by registering for an exhibit booth free of charge. Exhibitors will answer questions or possibly demonstrate what their company does, discuss how education is a factor, etc.

Please click here for more details.

Food & Beverage Focus 2009 to discuss Biotechnology applications in the sector

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 21:48:00 +0000

The use of biotechnology (BT), which initially was employed in the traditional food processing sector in the form of home-made fermented cheese and yoghurt, is now one of the frontline technologies in food and beverage and dietary supplements sectors. Resultantly, several food and supplement segments have transformed into high value markets. Diverse technologies such as gene modification, transfer, in-vitro vegetative propagation of plants, to name a few, have been used in agriculture in order to improve crop yield and create disease resistant variants.

Food & Beverage Focus 2009, to be held on May 27 at Hyatt Regency in Mumbai, will he plunging into such topics surrounding the biotechnology trends, associated safety hazards and leveraging BT in the industry. The event is being organised by Frost & Sullivan and the theme would be "Biotechnology applications in F&B sector and dietary supplements sector."

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Cloud Computing Brings Cost Of Protein Research Down To Earth

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 15:46:00 +0000

ScienceDaily (Apr. 13, 2009) — Researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin Biotechnology and Bioengineering Center in Milwaukee have just made the very expensive and promising area of protein research more accessible to scientists worldwide.

hey have developed a set of free tools called ViPDAC (virtual proteomics data analysis cluster), to be used in combination with Amazon's inexpensive "cloud computing" service, which provides the option to rent processing time on its powerful servers; and free open-source software from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the University of Manitoba.

Their research appears online in Journal of Proteomic Research and is funded by the NIH Heart Lung and Blood Institute's Proteomics Innovation Center at the Medical College. Proteomics is a biomedical research term used to describe the large-scale study of all the proteins expressed by an organism. It usually involves the identification of proteins and determination of their modifications in both normal and disease states.

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You Are Here Will Be There at World's Largest Bio-Technology Tradeshow

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 12:43:00 +0000

Alexandria, VA (PRWEB) April 10, 2009 -- MarketArt announced today that it has signed a multi-year event marketing agreement with Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) to provide its You Are Here interactive directory system at the organization's international conferences. The 2009 BIO International Convention, the largest biotechnology event in the world, will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. The conference attracts over 20,000 attendees and 2,200 exhibitors. Tradeshow Week cited the convention as the 2008 Top Association Show and included the event on its Fastest 50 list for the second consecutive year.

The You Are Here system will be deployed on 15 touch-screen stations distributed throughout the show floor. The system helps attendees find their way to the companies, products and services of highest interest to them, and enables exhibitors to extend their reach, promote their offerings and attract qualified traffic to their booths.

"After experimenting with other electronic directories in the past, we chose the You Are Here solution based on its extraordinary usage numbers and overall attendee and exhibitor satisfaction demonstrated at other shows employing the system," explained Chris Galione, Senior Sales Executive at BIO. "Last year's results proved we made the right decision. Our goal is to make our convention's networking and partnering opportunities as cutting-edge, exciting and productive as possible for our attendees, exhibitors and members."

About MarketArt - www.MarketArt.com
MarketArt is a digital media technology company that develops and sells interactive media and advertising systems to both online and to out-of-home markets. The company is the leading provider of electronic directories to the trade show market with its You Are Here products.

You Are Here from MarketArt is an electronic, map-based, interactive directory and wayfinding system for attendees, exhibitors and managers of trade shows and exhibitions. The system is deployed both on a show's web site and on the show floor itself and is employed by many of the largest tradeshows in the U.S. You Are Here replaces traditional printed materials and is especially important to environmentally 'green' shows.

About BIO - www.BIO.org
BIO represents more than 1,400 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world's largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world.

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Facet Biotech Gets New Majority Shareholder

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 12:37:00 +0000

Facet Biotech, the Redwood City drug development company that is facing a proxy fight, now has has a new majority shareholder, according to a regulatory filing Wednesday.

The Baupost Group, a Boston investment company run by Seth Klarman, disclosed owning 4,374,407 shares of Facet, or about 17.8 percent of its outstanding stock. The news was filed on an SC 13D form, the kind of form used by active investors. Although Klarman said he had no plans currently to acquire more shares or to enact any “extraordinary corporate transaction, such as a merger, reorganization or liquidation, he did say that intends “from time to time to discuss with management” issues about the company and its “strategic direction”.

Facet, formed less than four months ago as a spin-off of the drug development operations of PDL Biopharma from its licensing business, was notified last month by Roderick Wong of his intention to nominate four directors of his own choosing to the company’s board as part of his intention that the company liquidate itself.

In a response to Wong issued Monday by the chairman of Facet’s board, the company basically thanked him for his “input” but said it preferred its own plans.

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Sinovac Biotech Q4 Net Income Increases Slightly

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:33:00 +0000

Sinovac Biotech, a China-based biopharmaceutical company, has reported a net income of $2.4 million, or $0.06 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2008, compared to $2 million, or $0.05 per diluted share, in the same period of 2007.

For the fourth quarter of 2008, sales were $12.4 million, compared to $9.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2007. For the 12 months ended December 31, 2008, sales reached $46.5 million, compared to $33.5 million for the full year 2007, representing 39% growth.

The year-over-year increase in sales reflected Sinovac's strategy to continue to devote significant resources to marketing Healive to the private pay market in China, as compared to the market created by government purchasing initiatives under the Expanded Immunization Program that may include the lower priced, live hepatitis A vaccine produced by state owned entities.

Net income for the 12 months ended December 31, 2008 was $8 million, or $0.19 per diluted share, compared to $7.7 million, or $0.19 per diluted share, for the same period of 2007.

Weidong Yin, chairman, president and CEO, of Sinovac, said: "We are pleased with our results for the quarter and the year, with full year 2008 sales up 39%, in line with our expectations. The sales of our vaccines continue to grow as awareness of the benefits of inoculations for hepatitis A and seasonal influenza increases across China.

"Although we are feeling the effect of the financial crisis, the healthcare industry is not very sensitive to the economic cycle. Sinovac has accumulated resources of technological expertise, operation management experiences, and investment capability, which positions the company well to execute our sales growth strategy in 2009 and achieve our full year sales increase of 20% over 2008 levels."

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Farmers Will Talk About Ag Biotech Benefits at Convention Session

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 12:08:00 +0000

BIO At the 2009 BIO International Convention, this session will explore the benefits of agricultural biotechnology from the farmer’s perspective.

With the advent of biotech, millions of farmers around the world have experienced several expected – as well as some not-so-expected – benefits by using biotechnology on their farms.

As the ag biotech industry continues to gain worldwide acceptance, understanding and exploring these benefits provides the complete story of the long term impact biotech has the opportunity to have on farms of all sizes.

This session tilted, “Ag Biotech – Improving Farmers Lives” will include a panel of growers from the Philippines, Portugal and the United States. It is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20, 8:00am-9:30am at the Georgia World Congress Center.

Many of the scheduled events are now posted on the BIO International Convention website. Hosted by BIO, the global event for biotechnology will take place May 18-21, 2009, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga., and is expected to draw 20,000 industry leaders from around the world.

The convention program will feature more than 150 sessions in 21 breakout session tracks highlighting the latest information and the newest opportunities for executives, investors, scientists, policy leaders, and media from around the world. More than 1,000 speakers will share breakthroughs in medicine, diagnostics, the environment, energy production, food and agriculture and more.

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UNCC Names Winners of Five Ventures

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 20:59:00 +0000

UNC Charlotte selected the winners of the annual Five Ventures entrepreneurial business competition.

Countervail Corp., of Charlotte, was named the winner in the biotechnology-pharmeceutical category for its plans to repurpose an Alzheimer’s drug to protect against nerve gas and pesticides.

Charlotte-based HepatoSys Inc. was the winner in the biotechnology-devices category. The company proposed developing products related to preserving and restoring human organs for transplant.

Balaya, of Savannah, Ga., was named the winner in the information-technology and software-as-a-service category.

TrakLok Corp., of Knoxville, Tenn., was named the winner in services and retail.

Raleigh-based Entogenetics won in the student and nonprofit category.

The competition, in its ninth year, tests the business acumen of startup companies for a chance to win more than $100,000 in cash and in-kind services. Fifteen start-up companies competed in the finals.

Sponsors of the 2009 Five Ventures competition include UNC Charlotte and the Ben Craig Center.

The conference is presented by the Charlotte Research Institute.

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Brain Tumor Breakthrough at TGEN

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 20:32:00 +0000

TGen researchers discover possible way to block the spread of deadly brain tumors

Brain Tumor Research

Findings will be presented during the 100th annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Denver

Researchers at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) may have found a way to stop the often-rapid spread of deadly brain tumors. A gene with the playful-sounding name NHERF-1 may be a serious target for drugs that could prevent malignant tumors from rapidly multiplying and invading other parts of the brain, according to a cover story in this month's edition of Neoplasia, an international journal of cancer research.

Cancer cell movement and rapid division are key characteristics of malignant brain tumors known as glioblastoma multiforme, or GBM.

Dr. Michael Berens, Director of TGen's Cancer and Cell Biology Division, said the recent findings are a major step toward devising a treatment for GBM, which because of its ability to rapidly grow within the brain often means patients have little time to survive.

"Controlling the actions of tumor cells by regulating NHERF-1 implicates it as a possible therapeutic target for treating brain cancer," said Dr. Kerri Kislin, a scientist in TGen's Cancer and Cell Biology Division.

"Our findings suggest a novel mechanism defining NHERF-1 as a 'molecular switch' that regulates the GBM tumor cell's ability to migrate or divide," said Dr. Kislin, the scientific paper's lead author.

Dr. Berens, the paper's senior author, said the advances made by TGen not only confirm NHERF-1 as a gene associated with brain tumors, but also pinpoint it as a possible cause for their rapid growth and spread of GBM.

"Dr. Kislin's work has meant a fast maturation of NHERF-1 from a candidate gene associated with glioma invasion to positioning it as having a verified role in contributing to the malignant behavior of the disease," Dr. Berens said.

TGen scientists are scheduled to present their findings at the 100th annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, April 18-22 in Denver.

Glioblastomas are essentially incurable tumors, in part, because there is no way to remove them surgically and ensure that all of the invading tumor cells are gone, even when surgery is followed by radiation treatments and conventional anti-cancer drugs.

"A chemotherapeutic treatment which targets these migrating cells would therefore have significant ramifications on patient survival," said Dr. Jennifer M. Eschbacher, a Neuropathology Fellow at Barrow Neurological Institute, who examined tumors for the study.

"As a pathologist, I examined expression of NHERF-1 under the microscope in tumor sections, including both invading edges of tumor and cellular tumor cores. We found NHERF-1 to be robustly expressed by invading tumors cells, when compared to tumor cores, suggesting that this factor plays a significant role in tumor invasion," Dr. Eschbacher said.

In the study, depletion of NHERF-1 stopped the migration of glioma - brain cancer - cells, she said. "These results suggest that NHERF-1 plays an important role in tumor biology, and that targeted inhibition of this factor may have significant effects on patient treatment and survival."

*

About Barrow Neurological Institute
Barrow Neurological Institute of St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, is internationally recognized as a leader in neurological research and patient care. Barrow treats patients with a wide range of neurological conditions, including brain and spinal tumors, cerebrovascular conditions, and neuromuscular disorders. Barrow's clinicians and researchers are devoted to providing excellent patient care and finding better ways to treat neurological disorders. For more information, visit: www.thebarrow.org.

About TGen
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix-based, non-profit organization dedicated to conducting groundbreaking research with life changing results. Research at TGen is focused on helping patients with diseases such as cancer, neurological disorders and diabetes. TGen is on the cutting edge of translational research where investigators are able to unravel the genetic components of common and complex diseases. Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical communities, TGen believes it can make a substantial contribution to the efficiency and effectiveness of the translational process. For more information, visit: www.tgen.org.

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Photobiological Hydrogen Production from Water. Hydrogen Biofuel.

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:55:00 +0000

* “A select set of microalgae are reported to be able to catalyse photobiological H(2) production from water.”1

Researchers from School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, and SRC for Functional and Applied Genomics, the University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia; have presented an article titled: “Phylogenetic and molecular analysis of hydrogen-producing green algae.”

The researchers from St Lucia, Queensland, Australia; have also noted:

* “Based on the model organism Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a method was developed for the screening of naturally occurring H(2)-producing microalgae.”

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C5 Biotech Patenting Conference

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 02:45:00 +0000

C5 (UK) will be holding its annual Biotech Patenting conference on June 16-17, 2009 in Munich, Germany. The conference will allow attendees to:

• Identify the principles followed by the courts and patent offices when determining inventorship and entitlement disputes;
• Capitalize on gene patenting and stem cell related inventions;
• Understand the practical impact of recent case law and other legal developments;
• Broaden your knowledge of effective claim construction to avoid patent challenges and defend the validity of their claims;
• Formulate strategies and tactics to conduct successful cross-jurisdictional litigation;
• Tackle the latest scientific and legal developments within antibodies in Europe and the U.S.; and
• Master the practicalities of biotech patenting in China and India.

In particular, C5 faculty will offer presentations on the following topics:

863L09-MUN • Review of key European case law developments affecting biotech patent practice;
• EPO examiner's perspective: An overview on biotechnology related patentability issues, with particular emphasis on antibodies and vaccines;

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Harvest Scientists Say Biotech Seed Companies Are Foiling Research

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 22:03:00 +0000

`` Biotech companies are holding university scientists from fully researching the effectivity and environmental impact of the industry 's genetically modified harvests, according to an unusual ailment released by a grouping of those scientists. `` No really independent research can be lawfully dealt on many critical inquiries, '' the scientists composed in a statement submitted to the Epa. The EPA is seeking public inputs for scientific meetings it will keep following hebdomad on biotechnology harvests. ''

`` The investigators, 26 corn-insect specialiser, withheld their names because they feared being severed from research by the companies. But several of them concord in interviews to hold their names utilized. The job, the scientists state, is that grangers and other purchasers of genetically engineered seeds should subscribe an understanding intended to assure that agriculturists honor company patent rights and environmental ordinances. But the understandings besides nix turning the harvests for research aims. So while university scientists can loosely purchase pesticides or conventional seeds for their research, they can not make that with genetically engineered seeds. Alternatively, they must seek permission from the seed companies. And sometimes that permission is denied or the company insists on reexamining any determinations before they can be printed, they tell. Such understandings hold long been a job, the scientists stated, but they are moving populace now because defeat holds been making. `` If a company can command the research that looks in the public orbit, they can cut the possible negatives that can come out of any research, '' stated Cognizance Ostlie, an bugologist at the University of Minnesota, who was one of the scientists who holded subscribed the statement. ''

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Genentech Executives Leave as Roche, Soriot Arrive

wbaustin@worldnet.att.net (Bill Austin) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:47:00 +0000

April 15 (Bloomberg) -- Genentech Inc., the biotechnology company bought by Roche Holding AG for $46.8 billion, lost its chief financial officer, head of product development and compliance manager after the Swiss drugmaker named a new chief executive officer for the unit.

Pascal Soriot, 49, who now heads Roche’s commercial pharmaceutical operations, will become Genentech’s CEO, responsible for all U.S. pharmaceutical operations, beginning May 1. Susan Desmond-Hellmann, 51, the product development leader who has been a Genentech executive since 1995, will leave at mid-year and join the Genentech Scientific Resource Board, Roche said in a statement yesterday.

The changes begin the company’s transformation to a team- oriented culture from one that supports individual scientific enterprise, said Stephen Burrill, a venture capitalist who invests in biotechnology companies. Soriot will succeed current Genentech’s Arthur Levinson, 59, who will stay on as chairman. Roche officials also will take over from the other departing executives, the company said.

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