http://stevensclark.typepad.com/bioscience_biz/ News, commentary and analysis of the life sciences and the biotechnology business en-US 2009-07-13T11:00:50-05:00 typepad/IgBKhttp://feedburner.google.com http://stevensclark.typepad.com/bioscience_biz/2009/07/science-and-ethics-in-the-embryonic-stem-cell-debate.html Advances in stem cells and cloning have changed the ethical debate over embryonic stem cells at a time when the first clinical trial using ESCs is about to be launched. Some believe that induced pluripotent stem cells will eliminate the ethical problem, but Steven Clark describes how they carry their ethical problems. BioScience By Steven S. Clark Commentary Ethics Stem Cells Steven S. Clark, PhD 2009-07-13T11:00:50-05:00 http://stevensclark.typepad.com/bioscience_biz/2009/07/sbir-reauthorization-update-.html The US House of Representatives, behind the Machiavellian machinations of Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), again passes a controversial SBIR reauthorization bill similar to earlier ones that failed to get the approval of the full congress. The SBIR program is scheduled to end July 31. What does all of this mean for SBIR reauthorization? By Steven S. Clark Commentary News Politics Steven S. Clark, PhD 2009-07-09T11:22:19-05:00 http://stevensclark.typepad.com/bioscience_biz/2009/06/clinical-research-activity-up-significantly-in-2008.html Despite cuts in the biopharma industry, clinical trail activity was way up in 2008. Biopharma seems to be doing more with less. Biotechnology By Steven S. Clark News Pharma Steven S. Clark, PhD 2009-06-28T11:58:00-05:00 http://stevensclark.typepad.com/bioscience_biz/2009/06/more-stem-cell-trial-problems-for-osiris-therapeutics-.html Osiris Therapeutics recently announced interim results of its Phase II trial using an adult stem cell therapy, called Prochymal, to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The therapy reduced systemic inflammation but failed to improve lung function. This comes on the heels of an announcement last March that the company had a design flaw in its Phase III trial testing the ability of Prochymal to treat Crohn's disease. Biotechnology By Steven S. Clark News Stem Cells Steven S. Clark, PhD 2009-06-26T11:51:39-05:00 http://stevensclark.typepad.com/bioscience_biz/2009/06/slicing-and-dicing-sbir-award-data.html As they do every year, the State Science and Technology Institute published the latest state-by-state SBIR Phase I award data. These award data for 2008 are analyzed and trends identified in this article. Biotechnology Commentary Steven S. Clark, PhD 2009-06-11T15:06:44-05:00 http://stevensclark.typepad.com/bioscience_biz/2009/05/the-biotech-industry-promise-vs-reality.html Thirty years after the launch of the biotech industry, Gary Pisano, a professor at the Harvard Business School, decided to empirically test how well the biotech sector has lived up to its potential. He collected and dissected financial and productivity data for 293 publicly held biotech companies and from 20 large pharmaceutical companies that existed between 1975 and 2004 and his results, published in the book, Science Business, are sobering. Biotechnology By Steven S. Clark Commentary Pharma Steven S. Clark, PhD 2009-05-25T12:12:39-05:00 http://stevensclark.typepad.com/bioscience_biz/2009/04/fighting-back-against-the-highhanded-naysayers.html Relationships between university researchers and medical product companies are under relentless attack by high-minded academic critics who portray these associations as a morality play in which noble academics struggle to resist the dark, corrupting influence of industry. Biotechnology Commentary Ethics Pharma Steven S. Clark, PhD 2009-04-17T08:31:31-05:00 http://stevensclark.typepad.com/bioscience_biz/2009/02/sbir-nonauthorization-redux.html Last year, congress failed to finalize the SBIR reauthorization bill that is needed to extend the program. Even if they begin working on it now, it would not become law until months after it is scheduled to expire on March 20, 2009. What is needed to keep the SBIR program alive? Biotechnology By Steven S. Clark Commentary Entrepreneurs/Inventors News Politics Steven S. Clark, PhD 2009-02-20T11:19:02-06:00 http://stevensclark.typepad.com/bioscience_biz/2009/02/wisconsin-task-force-formed-to-facilitate-tech-transfer.html The University of Wisconsin system is organizing a task force to examine how UW system campuses can better parlay their research into industrial partnerships and state-based startup companies. Biotechnology News Politics Steven S. Clark, PhD 2009-02-14T11:43:26-06:00 http://stevensclark.typepad.com/bioscience_biz/2009/01/drug-industry-needs-open-innovation-says-jjs-stoffels.html “All simple diseases have been solved,” Stoffels said. “The next-generation drugs, therapies, are much more complex… You need much more information and science than what you can get out of your own internal labs.” Biotechnology Pharma Steven S. Clark, PhD 2009-01-30T14:29:34-06:00 http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.gifhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/