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ASU Biotechnology Club meeting

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:47:02 GMT

Start Date: 1-Apr-10 6:00 PM
End Time: 1-Apr-10 7:30 PM

Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building at ASU

Skin cells morph to liver cells

Keysha Gonzalez — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:00:00 GMT

In a fresh demonstration of science's newfound ability to alter the basic units of human life, researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin have turned the cells in human skin into those in the liver, work that opens new avenues for treating diseases of the liver without relying on organ transplants.

enlarge photo

Photo courtesy of Medical College of Wisconsin

Researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin released this image of liver cells that were generated from human skin cells.

Professor and stem cell researcher Stephen A. Duncan and other scientists in his lab reported this week in the journal Hepatology that they have created reprogrammed human liver cells that were identical to those grown in nature and were able to integrate and grow alongside those in a mouse liver.

Duncan and his fellow researchers also showed that human liver cells made through reprogramming are virtually the same as those grown from embryonic stem cells, though both appear to differ from adult liver cells in one respect. Those grown with reprogrammed or embryonic stem cells in the lab had fewer of the enzymes that fulfill the liver's function of filtering out toxins than adult liver cells that have developed in the body.

The Medical College experiments, which represent roughly 2½ years of work, also showed that scientists have a reliable and efficient method of turning primitive cells into liver cells, a finding that could offer pharmaceutical companies opportunities to test drugs and provide researchers with a window that will allow them to observe liver diseases progress at the cellular level.

The cells the scientists made are called hepatocytes and make up about 70% of all the cells in the liver.

"You can now make hepatocytes from (the skin cells of) individuals with a liver disease. Then you can start screening for drugs and molecular approaches to reverse the disease or treat the disease," Duncan said.

Karim Si-Tayeb, a post-doctoral researcher in Duncan's lab, said it may still be five to 10 years before liver cells made using reprogramming are "clinical grade" and approved for use in people. He and Duncan, however, envision the possibility that liver cells made in the lab can be injected into an unhealthy liver and replace damaged cells.

Much of the mouse work for the new paper was done by Fallon Noto, a graduate student in Duncan's lab.

"It's really very impressive. Only a few elite labs in the world have done what Duncan's lab has done," said Kenneth Zaret, associate director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Zaret was not involved in the research.

Duncan's team had hoped to become the first group to provide published evidence that reprogramming could be used to make liver cells, but two other groups have succeeded in making liver cells in this manner. Chinese scientists published their results in late September, and this week a group led by Scottish scientist Ian Wilmut published similar work online.

However, the Medical College work in both human and mouse cells suggests treatment strategies right out of the pages of science fiction. For example, both Duncan and Si-Tayeb talked about the possibility of growing livers in mice that contain mostly human cells.

"I could make a mouse that has your liver. That's incredibly valuable," Duncan said.

Such a technique would help doctors solve the problems created by drugs that are generally safe but in a small number of people have devastating side effects.

In theory, here's how the procedure would work:

Scientists would take a skin biopsy from you and reprogram the cells back to the embryonic state, then coax them into becoming liver cells. They would then inject these liver cells into a mouse's liver until most of the mouse's liver was made up of your cells. Before they gave a drug to you they would give it to the mouse, which has a liver very similar to yours. If the drug harmed the mouse's liver, doctors would know not to use it on you.

Since some drugs have serious side effects in a small percentage of patients, this technique would allow scientists to create a model of your liver in a mouse, then use that specific mouse to determine whether a drug will be safe for you.

Duncan's team also will be looking to build on the new work by collecting skin cells from patients with liver diseases and reprogramming them into liver cells. Diseases they hope to examine using this method include mature onset diabetes of the young, mutations that affect cholesterol levels and hypercholesterolemia, a metabolic problem.

The Medical College work also could one day help people whose livers have been damaged by hepatitis C, alcohol or large amounts of certain drugs. Such ailments could be addressed by the injection of healthy liver cells to replace those that have been damaged or destroyed.

9-Oct-09 11:00 AM

Ultrafast DNA Nanosensor

Keysha Gonzales — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:00:00 GMT

A portable instrument based on an ultrasensitive nanoscale sensor could detect bacteria in minutes, helping to catch infectious diseases early and prevent their spread. The simple, low-cost device should be available within three years, says Benjamin Miller, professor of dermatology and biomedical engineering at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and codeveloper of the sensor.

Glowing DNA: A CCD camera sensor captures the glow of hairpin-shaped DNA nanosensors when they bind with a target gene sequence of anthrax bacteria.
Credit: Benjamin Miller, University of Rochester Medical Center

Right now, diagnosing common bacterial infections requires growing cultures in a laboratory over a period of days, but diagnosis could be greatly speeded by a number of new sensors based on various nanomaterials that are being developed for ultrasensitive, rapid DNA detection. The new instrument would take from 15 minutes to two hours for a diagnosis and could be used in doctor's offices, hospitals, and homes.

Each sensor is a hairpin-shaped strand of DNA, complementary to the genetic sequence being targeted, that is fixed on a gold film. Gold quenches the glow of a fluorescent molecule attached to one end of the DNA. The DNA stays folded over until a target genetic sequence links to it. Its unfolding results in the fluorescent molecule moving away from the gold film and glowing, which can be seen under a fluorescent microscope.

Lighthouse Biosciences in West Henrietta, NY, is commercializing disposable cartridges to be used with the nanosensor technology. A blood or urine sample to be tested would be placed directly on the cartridge. The cartridge will be a lab-on-a-chip, with rapid, miniaturized ways to prepare the sample for testing. "In the cartridge there are steps for cleaning up samples, that is, extracting material you're interested in and amplifying the [bacterial] DNA," Miller says. The cartridge will then be placed in a small portable instrument that does the fluorescence imaging and analysis. Each cartridge should cost a few dollars, Miller says.

By attaching different DNA strands on the gold film, the same cartridge could screen for multiple pathogens, Miller says. So far, the researchers have made a sensor to detect antibiotic-resistant staph bacteria that cause skin infections. They are now working on detecting bacteria responsible for common urinary-tract infections. The sensors could also be used to quickly spot bacteria in food or bioterror agents in water supplies, or even to screen for genetic disorders or cancer.

DNA detector: A new ultrafast DNA sensor contains hairpin-shaped DNA strands attached to a gold film. The DNA unfolds when it captures the target gene sequence, and an attached fluorescent molecule glows.

Credit: Benjamin Miller, University of Rochester Medical Center

In a newer version of the sensor, Miller and colleagues stick DNA strands on silver nanoparticles. The silver nanoparticles make the fluorescent signal 10 times brighter. Plus, because thin layers of silver nanoparticles are transparent, the sensor could be coated on glass and optical fibers to make new types of detecting instruments, Miller says.

n the other nanosensors being developed for ultrasensitive, rapid DNA detection, researchers are using carbon nanotubes, nanowires, and nanoparticles. All of these approaches promise high accuracy, portability, and low cost. "If you could make a portable device that would sit in your doctor's office, then, using a small amount of fluid, your doctor could screen you for a genetic abnormality," says Michael Strano, a chemical engineering professor at MIT who has made nanotube sensors that detect DNA electrically.

Nanosphere in Northbrook, IL, which makes a DNA nanosensor based on research by Northwestern University chemistry professor Chad Mirkin, is far ahead of the game. The Food and Drug Administration has already approved the company's sensors for certain genetic and infectious diseases, and additional versions are pending FDA approval or in clinical trials.

Nanosphere's sensor is a microarray coated with DNA strands complementary to the target DNA and incorporated into a test cartridge. Gold nanoparticles, also coated with complementary DNA, are introduced, followed by target DNA, which binds to both the microarray and a nanoparticle. Then the nanoparticle is coated with silver to amplify the light that is scattered from the particle; the light is captured using a digital camera sensor. This method of detection is 100,000 times more sensitive than detecting fluorescence, says William Moffitt, CEO of Nanosphere.

Miller calls Nanosphere's technology fantastic. However, he adds, Lighthouse Biosciences's diagnostics test is simpler and requires fewer steps.

5-Oct-09 11:00 AM

Chandler eyes new site for biotech incubator

Deirdre Morhet — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:30:00 GMT

Ari Cohn, Tribune

September 22, 2009 - 5:24PM

Chandler is moving forward with a planned biotech business incubator at the site of the old Intel CH10 building on 79th Street next to the Stellar Airpark.

Ralph Freso, Tribune

An artist's rendering of the proposed Innovations biotechnology business incubator, into which Chandler plans to invest $5.7 million.

Chandler had the option of building a new multimillion-dollar biotechnology business "incubator" at a Price Road site touted by Mayor Boyd Dunn this year, but an alternative arose that was too good to pass up.

The City Council Thursday is slated to consider dropping $5.7 million on what's being called the Innovations Technology Incubator/Accelerator in a former Intel research and development facility at 145 S. 79th St., just west of the Chandler Fashion Center. If the council approves, renovations are expected to begin within 30 days, said Pat McDermott, an assistant city manager.

The facility's purpose is to provide research space to biotech start-ups such as software design, engineering, biosciences, nanotechnology and sustainable technologies. The incubator provides space to allow them to take a concept from a scientific idea to a marketable product, and to find investors, McDermott said. Successful companies would remain in the city and add to its employment and economic base, he said.

"Generally, these jobs are going to be well-paying. We want them to locate in Chandler," McDermott said.

Dunn, in his State of the City speech earlier this year, had indicated the city's intent to put the incubator on a 152-acre site formerly owned by Motorola at 2501 S. Price Road to take advantage of the Price Road technology corridor's infrastructure.

Christine Mackay, Chandler's economic development director, said the Motorola site was sold to Capital Commercial Investment about six weeks ago. The investment firm also owns the former Intel building that officials are now considering. The firm gave city officials the option as to which building they preferred for the incubator, she said.

The Intel site was chosen because it already had technology infrastructure in place like gas lines, compressed air, vacuum lines and clean rooms, and because officials determined the labs at the Motorola site were too deep within the core of that building to be useful, Mackay said.

McDermott said the Motorola site was unwieldy.

"It doesn't lend itself as well to being split up into smaller spaces," he said.

Ex-Motorola site offers new opportunities

Mackay said the city already has three or four possible tenants lined up, including the University of Arizona's McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship, and a local medical device company called Invoy Technologies, which specializes in noninvasive therapies.

The city's $5.7 million investment would pay for renovations and other things like furniture, fixtures and equipment. Chandler officials set aside the money about four years ago as a one-time expense for the business incubator, Mackay said.

McDermott said the city would pay Capital Commercial Investment between $4.5 million and $6.5 million over the course of a 10-year lease for more than 36,000 square feet of space within the Intel building, but would recoup the money in rent payments from tenant businesses to which the city sublets space. Those start-ups would pay a reduced rate of rent compared with the market rate for a similar space.

"We think there's a real demand for this kind of space," McDermott said.

Mackay said the building was built in 1979, and has been vacant for about five years. The renovations are expected to be done by April 2010, she said. The landlord is in the process of renovating the building's exterior and landscaping, out of the firm's own pocket.

The City Council Thursday also is expected to seal a yearlong, $96,000 deal with Gilbert-based consultant Jeff Morhet, nationally recognized as a biotechnology start-up expert. Morhet founded ThirdBiotech Research Group, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the growth of biotech companies.

22-Sep-09 6:30 PM

Chandler set to provide lab facilities for startups

Deirdre Morhet — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:15:00 GMT

by Edythe Jensen - Sept. 18, 2009 02:14 PM
The Arizona Republic

Chandler is poised to spend millions on "Innovations," a bioscience and technology incubator project that officials say could turn the region into a magnet for inventors, scientists and startup entrepreneurs.

The plan, which would offer small, reduced-rate lab spaces with the latest equipment, won unanimous backing on Friday from the city's Economic Development Advisory Board. Members were told that the city would lease part of a vacant Intel building southwest of McClintock Drive and Chandler Boulevard, start renovations within weeks and open the site by May 1.

The City Council was expected to give final approval Thursday and Mayor Boyd Dunn said he anticipated overwhelming support. The money has been set aside for economic development, he said.

"Why would a city do this? Because we're the only ones who can," said economic-development director Christine Mackay. There will be no direct profit for Chandler, although the city expects to break even on leasing costs and utilities, she said.

Remodeling and equipment will cost about $5.7 million, and the city would have to pay an additional $7 million to $8 million in the next 10 years to lease 37,000 square feet of the 120,000-square-foot building from an investor who bought it for $7.1 million last year, Mackay said. Intel built the structure in 1979. It has been vacant for five years.

"This is kind of an adventure, but it is important in terms of our future," Dunn told the board. "Incubator space like this is missing in the Valley, and we need it to bring in small companies and help them get their feet on the ground so they can grow and stay in the city."

One of the city's prospective tenants is Lubna Ahmad, founder of Invoy Technologies and inventor of a medical breath-testing device. A longtime Chandler resident who recently completed her doctorate at Arizona State University, Ahmad told the board that one of her friends and fellow entrepreneurs left the state because he couldn't find incubator space here.

Mackay said the anticipated $18-per-square-foot monthly rent will be about one-fourth the market rate for secure, equipped wet labs. The city expects to offer turnkey operations for up to 30 tenants complete with carded security systems, expensive refrigerators, autoclaves and air-filtering devices. Heavy-duty gas and electric lines exclusive to industrial and laboratory work are already at the site.

Chandler will work with Jeff Morhet and his non-profit ThirdBio to recruit, screen and mentor the startups, Mackay said. Morhet, a Gilbert resident who is also CEO for a Scottsdale biotechnology company, said he had wanted to locate his company in Chandler, but there was no suitable space.

Mackay has been promoting the creation of wet-lab space for more than two years as a key to the city's employment future. She said Chandler has lost several bioscience companies because it lacked those facilities. The latest plans are already getting statewide attention.

"This is an exciting development that addresses head-on one of the most challenging gaps identified in Arizona's Bioscience Roadmap," said Saundra Johnson, executive vice president of the Flinn Foundation. "For young bioscience firms to grow and thrive, they must have low-cost, fully equipped lab space to develop their technology and reach viability. The incubator is an important addition that will boost Arizona's capacity to attract and retain innovative bioscience firms."

Barry Broome, CEO of the Greater Phoenix

Economic Council, said, "I think this will be an explosive success story for Chandler."

18-Sep-09 2:15 PM

BIO Responds To President Obama's Health Care Reform Address

Deirdre Morhet — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) President and CEO Jim Greenwood released the following statement in response to President Obama's address on health care reform delivered tonight before a joint session of the U.S. Congress:

"BIO shares President Obama's goal of ensuring that all Americans have access to affordable, sustainable, high quality health care. Biotechnology plays an essential role in achieving this goal. Biotechnology expands the boundaries of science by discovering, developing, and delivering innovative and needed medical products to patients. Medical innovation in health care that leads to medical advancements and breakthroughs, including health care solutions such as new therapies and diagnostics, has always been and will continue to be central to realizing our health care goals.

"Further, market-based reforms provide the best opportunity to achieve the goal of universal access while providing high quality care and incentives for the discovery and development of innovative improvements throughout the health care delivery system.

"Through biologic medicines, therapies and diagnostic tools, biotechnology also provides the best hope for reducing the incidence of chronic disease. In this way, biotechnology can provide measurable benefits in increased productivity, while at the same time saving the scarce health care dollars spent on treating such diseases. Biotechnology also can provide the immeasurable benefits of saving, extending and improving the quality of life for patients living with debilitating diseases such as cancer, Parkinson's, diabetes and multiple sclerosis.

"Congress can help expand access to biologic medicines, and expand hope, by establishing a pathway for the regulatory approval of biosimilars, medicines that are similar to but not the same as pioneering biologic medicines. Both the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and the House Energy and Commerce Committees included biosimilars provisions in their health care reform bills. These provisions received strong bipartisan support in each committee.

"The language adopted by the committees strikes the necessary balance among expanding access and competition, ensuring patient safety and promoting continued biomedical innovation that will lead to new and improved medicines and treatments. This language is a 'win-win' for the patients of today and the patients of tomorrow.

"We urge the Congress to include this biosimilars language as they continue efforts to reform our nation's health care system. We look forward to continuing our participation in the process of health care reform with the goal of increasing access and reducing costs while promoting the continued development of new therapies and cures."

10-Sep-09 1:00 PM

Glaxo Cancer Vaccine Recommended; Merck Shot Backed for Boys

Deirdre Morhet — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:00:00 GMT

GlaxoSmithKline Plc won a U.S. advisory panel’s backing to introduce Cervarix, the first cervical cancer vaccine to compete with Merck & Co.’s Gardasil. The panel separately recommended expanding Gardasil use to boys.

The shots were ruled safe and effective by a panel of outside advisers to the Food and Drug Administration meeting today in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Both protect against strains of human papillomavirus, or HPV, a common sexually transmitted virus that can cause serious infections. The FDA usually follows its panels’ recommendations, though it isn’t required to do so.

While regulatory delays for Cervarix gave Merck a head start on the U.S. market in 2006, Glaxo aims to capitalize on slowing sales of Gardasil. The London-based drugmaker’s biggest challenge will be winning over doctors and parents to Cervarix, according to analysts. Gardasil is already recommended by U.S. health officials for school-age girls and comes with added protection against genital warts.

“Cervarix is approved in many markets outside of the U.S. already” where it has “approximately 35 percent sales market share,” said Tim Anderson, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. in New York, in a note to clients last week. “In the U.S., the product will be roughly three years behind Gardasil’s introduction, and our belief is that it will not capture as much share in the U.S. as it has internationally.”

American depositary receipts of Glaxo, each representing two ordinary shares, rose 20 cents to $39.22 at 4:04 p.m. in New York trading, before the meeting ended. Merck, of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, gained 58 cents, or 1.9 percent, to $31.55. Merck shares have increased 39 percent since it announced plans on March 9 to buy Schering-Plough Corp.

HPV Prevalence

Twenty million Americans are infected with HPV, and most will be able to fight off the infection naturally. This year, an estimated 11,270 new cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. and 4,070 women will die of the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute. About 1 percent of sexually active American men will develop genital warts from HPV, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Gardasil and Cervarix, given in three doses during a six- month period, trigger immune responses that help protect against the two HPV strains responsible for most U.S. cervical cancer cases. Gardasil also protects against two additional strains of HPV that cause 90 percent of genital warts. The shot costs about $400 and is approved for females ages 9 to 26.

The FDA is scheduled to make a decision by the end of this month whether to approve Cervarix’s use in women ages 10 to 25. The shot is cleared in 98 countries and had sales of 125 million pounds ($232 million) last year, or about one-sixth as much as Gardasil. The average estimate of three analysts surveyed by Bloomberg calls for sales of 758 million pounds in 2012.

Cervarix Delay

Safety concerns, including a higher number of young women who reported miscarriages after getting Cervarix, contributed to the delay with Glaxo’s March 2007 application, according to an FDA staff review released before today’s meeting. The difference in miscarriages wasn’t statistically significant and most of the FDA advisers said Glaxo’s plan to register patients and monitor pregnancies would mitigate any potential risks.

Cervarix should “just be marketed with the usual caveat that it shouldn’t be used during pregnancy,” said panel member Kenneth Noller, a professor in the obstetrics and gynecology department at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. “I don’t see anything compelling with these data at all.”

Expanded use of Gardasil in boys would help Merck counter competition from Cervarix in the girls’ market. The shot is available in more than 100 countries, including at least 40 where it is cleared for males. The FDA should decide by the end of October whether to approve Gardasil’s use in boys and young men ages 9 to 26 to prevent genital warts.

Side Effects of Gardasil

U.S. officials have received 12,424 reports of side effects with Gardasil, about 54 reports for every 100,000 vaccine doses distributed, according to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Only one person on the 13-member panel voted against the safety and effectiveness of either Cervarix or Gardasil, citing lack of long-term proof that HPV vaccines are safe.

“There are too many issues going on,” said Vicky Debold, the panel’s consumer representative. “We need to figure this out before we subject boys to risks that are not necessary at this point. This is a very, very important issue in terms of public confidence.”

Sales Decline

Questions about side effects and cost caused Gardasil sales to drop 5 percent last year to $1.4 billion, or 5.9 percent of Merck’s revenue. Sanofi-Aventis SA, based in Paris, helps market the product in some European countries. Anderson, of Sanford Bernstein, estimates expanded use in boys will boost sales to $2.43 billion in 2015.

Merck had sought approval to sell Gardasil to prevent pre- cancerous lesions in boys and young men, as well as genital warts. The FDA told the company in May the proposal for prevention of “external genital lesions” was too broad, according to the FDA’s staff review.

This restriction may hurt Merck’s ability to prove the shot is cost effective for boys, said Keyur Parekh, a UBS AG analyst in New York, in a Sept. 4 note to clients.

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a 15-member panel that sets national recommendations for vaccine use, probably will review Cervarix and Gardasil for boys in late October, Parekh said.

9-Sep-09 1:00 PM

Xoma to receive $6 million in Cephalon partnership

Deirdre Morhet — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Biotechnology company Xoma Ltd. said Wednesday it will receive $6 million from Cephalon Inc.'s Arana Therapeutics unit for a partnership on antibody research and development.

Under the deal, Xoma will receive the payment and is entitled to royalty and milestone payments on future products. Xoma will also be fully reimbursed for its services.

Xoma's revenue currently comes from a series of licensing deals and partnerships, including work on biodefense contracts and commercial treatments such as the macular degeneration drug Lucentis, which is sold by Roche ( RHHBY.PK - news - people )'s Genentech ( DNA - news - people ) division.

Shares of Xoma rose 6 cents, or 7.2 percent, to 88 cents in morning trading. The stock has traded between 37 cents and $2.34 over the last 52 weeks.

Shares of Frazer, Pa.-based Cephalon ( CEPH - news - people ) rose 96 cents to $57.80

9-Sep-09 1:00 PM

Roche taps new pharma head after Genentech buy

Deirdre Morhet — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Roche Holding AG (ROG.VX) named the architect of its integration with Genentech to head its drugs business, closing a $47 billion buyout that sets the U.S. biotech at the heart of the Swiss group's growth plans.

Roche said on Tuesday that industry insider Pascal Soriot would replace veteran William Burns as head of its pharma division at the end of the year -- the final move in a management reshuffle started when Severin Schwan took over as chief executive last year.

The Swiss firm, which bought out minority Genentech shareholders in the spring, now describes itself as a biotechnology company and will continue to run its U.S. operations under the Genentech name, underlining the latter's strategic importance.

"Roche was a Genentech story and it will continue to be so for some time, before Roche starts to bring its own products through," said Karl-Heinz Koch, analyst at Swiss brokerage Helvea.

Roche is one of several major players in the sector looking to biotech drugs, which are hard to copy and offer big sales potential, as pharma manufacturers worldwide struggle to develop and make money from traditional medicines.

Genentech's research, development and commercial operations will all remain at the U.S. group's San Francisco headquarters, Roche said.

PLANNING AHEAD

Soriot was appointed CEO of Genentech in April and has been leading the integration of the business and planning the future set-up of the combined company together with Arthur Levinson, the previous head of the U.S. group.

A Frenchman who trained as a vet, and a one-time chief operating officer of Sanofi-Aventis's (SASY.PA) U.S. operations, Soriot joined Roche in 2006.

Roche on Tuesday also named Daniel O'Day, who currently heads its molecular diagnostics business, as new chief of the diagnostics division and announced a series of other appointments.

The drugs unit accounted for some 80 percent of Roche's 2008 sales of 46 billion Swiss francs ($44 billion) and diagnostics made up the remainder. Fourth quarter sales at Genentech totaled $3.7 billion.

Roche had previously announced Burns would step down at the end of 2009. The 62-year-old Scotsman will be nominated to Roche's board at the 2010 annual meeting.

"The management changes achieved two things -- (they) significantly reduce the average age in the new executive committee and the structure of the new body should ease the decision-making process," Helvea's Koch said.

Roche stock fell 0.1 percent to 165.30 Swiss francs by 1234 GMT, lagging a DJ Stoxx European healthcare sector .SXDP that rose 0.15 percent.

8-Sep-09 1:00 PM

Abbott, Pfizer in pact for lung cancer screening

Deirdre Morhet — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:00:00 GMT

An Abbott Laboratories Inc unit that makes genetic tests will work with Pfizer Inc to develop a test to screen non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors to determine which patients are good candidates for a novel cancer therapy being developed by Pfizer.

The Abbott unit, Abbott Molecular, said it would develop a test that determines a patient's genetic status. Results would be used to select patients for future clinical trials of a new oral cancer therapy, known as PF-02341066, being developed by Pfizer, the world's largest drugmaker.

The Abbott test, another step toward personalized medicine in cancer treatment, will determine the presence of so-called gene rearrangement in the tissue of NSCLC tumors.

Gene rearrangement is a process in cells that can contribute to the transformation of a normal cell into a cancerous one. It is found in NSCLC tumors and a wide variety of other cancers, but not in normal cells. Gene rearrangement, also called translocation, means the gene is in a different place than it usually is. If gene rearrangement is present, the Pfizer therapy is more likely to be effective, an Abbott spokesman said.

About 6 percent to 7 percent of NSCLC patients have the rearrangement and thus would be candidates for clinical trials of PF-02341066, an investigational therapy that selectively targets cancer-causing genes implicated in the progress of many cancers.

"This test will allow us to focus on the patient population most likely to benefit," Garry Nicholson, general manager of the Pfizer Oncology Business Unit, said in a prepared statement.

Working with Abbott, he added, "we are confident that we will deliver yet another application of personalized medicine to address a currently unmet medical need in NSCLC."

Abbott Molecular President Stafford O'Kelly said Pfizer's compound "appears to be ideally suited to individualized therapy."

Financial terms of the Abbott-Pfizer deal were not disclosed.

Last month, the Abbott unit unveiled an agreement with British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline to develop a companion test to screen for lung cancer. That test will focus on an antigen called MAGE-A3 and will screen for NSCLC tumors.

Drug companies and regulators alike increasingly are turning to these companion diagnostics -- tests that look for specific genes or proteins -- as a way to improve the odds that a high-cost biotechnology drug will work in specific patients.

AstraZeneca stopped most U.S. sales of Iressa in 2004 after it was found to help only 10 percent to 15 percent of lung cancer patients. But several studies have suggested that some people -- notably nonsmokers, Asians and women -- did better on Iressa.

28-Aug-09 12:00 PM

Southwest Terminal LLC plans biodiesel facility in Pinal County

Deirdre Morhet — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Friday, August 28, 2009

Southwest Terminal LLC plans biodiesel facility in Pinal County

Phoenix Business Journal - by Chris Casacchia and Patrick O'Grady

Ron Rich

View Larger

A Tempe company plans to build a 100-acre plant in Pinal County that will produce millions of gallons of biodiesel and jet fuel made from oils extracted from a poisonous bush native to Central America.

Southwest Terminal LLC, a subsidiary of Pacific Texas Corp., has applied for a $140 million federal stimulus contract to build what’s touted as the first full-scale production facility to generate clean fuels from the undomesticated jatropha plant, which produces oil-rich seeds that are crushed and processed to make biodiesel.

If Southwest Terminal does not receive the federal contract, PTC President Mike Owens said private investors will fund the massive facility, which is expected to create 900 full-time jobs during its two-year construction and 115 permanent positions for Southwest Terminals.

The multiphase project is expected to be expanded to other states and create thousands of jobs over its lifetime.

PTC is a pipeline company with nearly 30 years of experience in the Valley. Owens said its biggest project was Pier 300 at the Port of Los Angeles, where the company served as the developer, contractor, fundraiser and permitter. The 16-year project helped establish the privately held company, which has done most of its work in Texas and Oklahoma.

Pacific Texas also is working on a major pipeline project between El Paso, Texas, and Phoenix. Construction on the Picacho Pipeline should begin early next year and take 18 months to finish, Owens said. Funding for the $600 million project is two-thirds complete, he said.

The refined-fuel pipeline will siphon gasoline, diesel and jet fuel from Texas oil refineries into Phoenix –– a cheaper alternative than California’s distribution system, which Arizona relies on now.

The Picacho project originally came before the Arizona Corporation Commission in 2003 as a proposal for a natural gas pipeline, but the project stalled about four years ago. It was pitched as a way to bolster Arizona’s critical infrastructure, but other proposed pipelines at the time ran into trouble with natural gas suppliers unwilling to boost capacity.

Owens said expanding from pipeline operations into the emerging biofuel market could position PTC well for the future.

“We knew the green fuel and biofuels were going to be the next generation,” he said. “It’s a whole new direction for us.”

Owens hopes to start the jatropha project in January. When Phase I is complete, the plant will generate 22 million to 25 million gallons of biodiesel a year, which could be boosted to more than 50 million gallons after Phase II opens.

The facility, which will have rail and truck transportation systems, will supply the entire Southwestern U.S. through distribution points in the Valley and other metro areas.

Southwest Terminal has been in the design phase of the biofuel plant for 16 months, and the site search has been narrowed to a handful of locations. The company has struck partnerships with local firms for job training and development. Some of the contractors are Babcock & Wilcox Co., Honeywell International Inc. and Malcolm Pirnie Inc.

Honeywell has been part of a consortium of aviation companies, major airlines and engine manufacturers that have been testing bio-based jet fuels.

The fuel running in those tests was developed by UOP LLC, a Honeywell subsidiary based in Des Plaines, Ill. For the past several months, Honeywell has been testing a blend created by UOP — 50 percent biofuels and 50 percent petroleum-based fuel — in its business-class jet engines and its auxiliary power unit that runs in most commercial aircraft.

The tests gave engineers and manufacturers information on the product’s performance, which was comparable to traditional fuels, said Ron Rich, director of advanced technology for Honeywell Aerospace in Phoenix.

“We’ve very pleased with what we’ve seen so far,” he said.

In December, Air New Zealand began testing a new jet-fuel blend for Boeing 747s that used oil from the jatropha plant grown in India, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania, the airline said. Virgin Atlantic Airways was the first airline to test biofuels, in a Boeing 747-400 flight from London to Amsterdam. Continental Airlines and Japan Airlines also are testing, and the U.S. military is interested in biofuel for its jets and other aircraft.

This month, Egypt’s state news agency reported plans to expand cultivation of the jatropha plant for biofuel production.

The plant grows in arid climates, though scientists say it needs fertile soil and plenty of water to thrive. However, there is a long way to go between testing and eventual deployment, Rich said.

“When you switch to a biomatter fuel, I think you have to look at what the infrastructure looks like,” he said.

UOP’s blends were focused on the use of nonfood crops such as jatropha and algae. Aviation industry standards on biofuels still are three to four years away. Large-scale production of crops and refining capacity also needs to be in place, Rich said.

The first jet fuel on the market to be refined from domestic resources likely will be produced from coal and natural gas, according to Rich. In addition to developing specifications for biofuels, UOP and other industry players are working on specifications for fuels based on coal and natural gas that will be ready a few years before plant-based fuels, Rich said.

The biggest challenge in adopting biofuels in aviation is mass production. Companies have expressed interest in adoption, but no one has stepped up to develop the refining capacity, said Eric Johnson, one of the founders of the Desert Biofuels Initiative Inc., a local group that promotes green fuels.

In July, oil company BP PLC withdrew from a partnership with jatropha biofuel company D1 Oils, which sought to plant 2.5 million acres of jatropha.

Get Connected

Pacific Texas Corp.: www.pacifictexas.com

Desert Biofuels Initiative Inc.: www.desertbiofuels.org

Jatropha

What: A poisonous plant native to Central America. It is grown in tropical and subtropical regions, including Asia and Africa.
Uses: The plant — particularly the jatropha curacas, or Barbados nut plant — is known for having seeds with a high level of oil that can be used to create various biofuels.
Tests: Jatropha oil-based fuel was used as a substitute for diesel in a successful Air New Zealand test flight last year of a Boeing 747, which mixed the biofuel with petroleum-based fuels.
Future: Aerospace biofuels have been tested using jatropha and algae-based blends, but it will be several more years before the specifications are finalized.

28-Aug-09 10:00 AM

ThirdBiotech Launches Webinar Series with BusinessWire

noemail@thirdbiotech.com — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Creating Web-friendly Content: Why Your Press Release Wants to be a Mini Web Page Join us for a Webinar on July 14 ...

Grassroots Industry Group ThirdBiotech Leads Delegation of Companies to BIO 2009

noemail@thirdbiotech.com — Fri, 08 May 2009 06:00:00 GMT

PHOENIX, May 8, 2009, ThirdBiotech Research Group, (www.thirdbiotech.com), a grassroots not-for-profit biopharma industry group, today announced that for the first time ThirdBiotech is leading a delegation of biopharma and technology companies at this year’s BIO 2009 Annual International Convention taking place in Atlanta, May 18-21 at the Georgia World Conference Center. The delegation from Arizona includes prominent firms banding together to showcase recent successes and highlight the diverse biopharma and renewable technology sectors in the state. ThirdBiotech is focused on the individuals, companies and alliances in biotechnology working collaboratively, said Jeff Morhet, chairman and CEO of InNexus and founder of ThirdBiotech. By banding together, we are finding ways to translate science into the growing industry that is Arizona’s Bioscience. Partnering with the Arizona Department of Commerce and other industry partners at this year’s BIO 2009, ThirdBiotech is drawing the...

ThirdBiotech Announces the First Annual Arizona Biotech Day and Researcher Appreciation Event

noemail@thirdbiotech.com — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:00:00 GMT

ThirdBiotech Inc., (http://www.thirdbiotech.com), a biotechnology incubator and life sciences association, today announced the First Annual Arizona Biotech Day and Researcher Appreciation Event to be held on Thursday, October 23, 2008 between 1PM and 5PM. The event will take place in and on the campus of the Mayo Clinic Collaborative Research Building at 134th Street and Shea Boulevard in Scottsdale, Arizona. Guest lectures, scientific presentations, games, entertainment and food will be among the highlights of the day's events. The celebration will also spotlight sponsor companies, industry leaders and show great appreciation to researchers of the Arizona biotech community. The First Annual Arizona Biotech Day and Researcher Appreciation Event will be a fantastic opportunity to meet and get to know the members of our growing biotech community here in Arizona in a fun, laid-back setting, said Jeff Morhet , Founder of ThirdBiotech, and Chairman and CEO of InNexus ...

ThirdBiotech Launches Research Institute to Promote Formation and Growth of Arizona-Based Biotech Companies

noemail@thirdbiotech.com — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:00:00 GMT

ThirdBiotech Inc., (http://www.thirdbiotech.com), a biotechnology incubator and life sciences association, today announced that it has launched the ThirdBiotech Research Group including a drug discovery research institute and technology incubator for the promotion of collaborative activities between researchers and industry for the formation of biotechnology companies in Arizona. Over the past year, we've successfully established ThirdBiotech as an organization for bringing together Arizona biotech companies, groups and life science industry individuals to meet in a relaxed setting outside of the work place and form relationships that can provide a basis for future professional collaborative efforts, said Jeff Morhet, CEO of InNexus Biotechnology and Founder of ThirdBiotech. Morhet continued, Today, I am pleased to announce the expansion of ThirdBiotech to include the ThirdBiotech Research Group. The Group's mission is to form and establish biotech companies based in...

ThirdBiotech Networking Group Launches

noemail@thirdbiotech.com — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 06:00:00 GMT

ThirdBiotech Inc., (www.thirdbiotech.com) a biotechnology networking group, today announced that it has begun operations in Arizona.

Jeff Morhet, founder of thirdbiotech created the group to foster networking and collaboration for the biotech, life sciences and healthcare community throughout the state. "It's important we start finding other ways to bring people together. No lectures -- just a great time, and maybe someone will strike another life science deal," he said describing the monthly event.

Around every third week of the month, thirdbiotech invites people from the Arizona Biotechnology community to trendy spots in Tucson, Phoenix and Scottsdale. A variety of industry professionals attend each month, including entrepreneurs, investors, attorneys, scientists and journalists. The event offers networking and good fun.

ThirdBiotech has already garnered sponsors including the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Canadian Arizona Business Council, the law firm of Osborn Maledon and InNexus Biotechnology Inc. Morhet will be co-hosting the event with Dr. Chris Lipinski, a Mayo Clinic physician and researcher. To learn more about the hosts and the events of thirdbiotech, visit http://www.thirdbiotech.com/3B%20Hosts.html.

The group's website, http://www.thirdbiotech.com, provides further information on the sponsors and the next meeting, set for 6 p.m. Sept. 27th at Mastro's Ocean Club, 15045 N. Kierland Blvd., Scottsdale. October's meeting will take place in Tucson.

ThirdBiotech Store

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:51:22 GMT

Have you Seen our T-shirts at one of our events or perhaps you joined our alumni association and received one already and just want more. We opened a store just for you. Here you can order your official ThirdBiotech Gear from T-shirts, Mugs, Sweatshirts, Mouse pads and much more. Even better ALL proceeds go to support ThirdBiotech Programs.

Come Visit our Online Store by clicking HERE

Chandler: Community of Distinction

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:56:22 GMT

Since its founding in 1912, Chandler, Arizona was planned to be a welcoming destination for leading-edge companies, innovative thinkers and lifestyle versatility.

Chandler is home to some of the most notable names in manufacturing, technology and business services. An enviable quality of life is enhanced by friendly neighborhoods, great education, and outstanding retail, dining and entertainment experiences.

Year after year, large and small companies, along with thousands of well-educated residents, are attracted to this vibrant community. Chandler prides itself on having a progressive vision for success and creating a platform for possibility.

Click here for Chandler's
Demographic Overview (pdf)

Click here for Chandler's
Community Profile (pdf)

Innovations Space for Lease

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:48:51 GMT

AVAILABLE SPACE FOR LEASE To lease space at Innovation, you must first be approved through our application process. To apply, please click here. If you are accepted into the program lease rates and agreement will be discussed at that point. Please direct questions to Christine Mackay at christine.mackay@chandleraz.gov or Jeff Morhet at jmorhet@ixsbio.com

INNOVATIONS Resources

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 23:48:34 GMT

INNOVATIONS has many resources to help make your research and development successful - and all at below market rates!

Facility-Based Services

Assisting entrepreneurs and reinforcing the P&L performance of the plan

Analytical core lab
Business Center
Business support
Cold/Cryogenic storage
Conference and meeting rooms with AV equipment
Equipment rooms

Inventory, storage, specialty services (integrated onsite vendor: VWR)
Kitchen and multiple break areas
Shipping, recieving and loading docks
Staffed and secure reception
Tissue culture labs

Integrated Programs

Angel and Venture Capital (VC) networks
BioLOGIC Curriculum and mentoring program
Biotech Business Exchange

ThirdBiotech Networking (monthly and annual) i.e. 3rd Annual Biotech Day & Researcher Appreciation Event
Virtual Incubator

INNOVATIONS/3rd Bio Partnership

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:38:38 GMT

Third Biotech and INNOVATIONS have formed a partnership to offer a full gammit of services to the new technology and science start-up. If Third Biotech was the brains, INNOVATIONS would be the body. The services, advice and programs are greated and run by Third Biotech. INNOVATIONS is the place and the space to make things happen. Together they form a dynamic partnership unparralelled in Arizona.

INNOVATIONS Incubator

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:28:27 GMT

The INNOVATIONS incubator has been developed with your needs first. Designed by scientists and technology entrepreneurs, the incubator offers state-of-the-art facilities, laboratories and a specialized core of services, equipment and support to accelerate your success.

Giving you the infrastructure to innovate is just the beginning. The facility is integrated with industry partners, cost-saving programs and access to academic institutions, workforce, investment funds and opportunities to showcase yourself on an international scale.

Fueling Your Future
INNOVATIONS, located in Chandler, Arizona, offers a novel, compelling and truly collaborative blend of services and resources for innovative entrepreneurs of the life sciences and emerging technology industries. It is a one-stop- shop for entrepreneurs to have instant turnkey facilities and resources of a large company while preserving their entrepreneurial focus. INNOVATIONS Fuels the Future™ and accelerates the commercialization of technology and innovation.

Click here for Innovations Brochure (pdf)

Event Hosts

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 23:56:10 GMT

Jeff Morhet is Chairman & CEO of InNexus Biotechnology, (Toronto Stock Exchange: IXS.V), a publicly traded drug development company based in British Columbia, Canada with laboratories in Scottsdale, Arizona His experience spans pharmaceutical product development, manufacturing, commercialization and working with the FDA for drug applications. He has launched multiple biotech/pharma companies and believes that a strong network in Arizona for life sciences, biotech and healthcare will greatly enhance the state’s opportunity to be a leading bioscience economy. Jeffrey Jacob is a Founder and CEO of Systems Medicine LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cell Therapeutics, Inc., and is also the principal of Tucson Pharma Ventures LLC, an Arizona-based biopharmaceutical development. He is a founding Board Member and served as the Acting Chief Program Officer of the CPATH Institute, a startup nonprofit Institute co-founded by the FDA, University of Arizona, and SRI International to accelerate...

Corporate Sponsorship

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 23:14:04 GMT

ThirdBio Corporate Sponsorship sponsorship is yearly Submit your corporate sponsorship application on-line here or for more information please email us. ThirdBio Membership Benefits Platinum Gold Silver General Associate* Custom Package Logo recognition and link on homepage Annual Strategy Meeting Free Job Posting ...

ThirdBio Tech Events

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:37:44 GMT

OUR HOSTS CALENDAR PHOTO ALBUMS

Right around every third week of the month, ThirdBio invites people from the Arizona biotechnology community to trendy spots around town. A variety of industry professionals attend each month, including entrepreneurs, investors, attorneys, scientists and journalists.

No lectures - no agenda. Some call it networking, others just good fun and the event offers both. We look forward to seeing all our guests at the next ThirdBio event.

Alumni Association

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:56:27 GMT

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP

The most important benefit of your ThirdBio Alumni Association Membership is the support of growing your industry through programs and resources available uniquely to you.

As a member, you'll have a powerful voice in growing our industry, plus a wide range of benefits that add up to savings, convenience, and fun.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BENEFITS

Official ThirdBio Membership Card
Official ThirdBio T-Shirt
Official ThirdBio Pen
Monthly Newsletters
Exclusive access to on-line industry information
Exclusive and special access to discount programs
Ability to search Jobs posted by our Corporate Sponsors and post your Resume for specific Jobs
Invitations to "members only" events and priority registration for all other events

JOIN NOW

Innovations Incubator Application

noemail@thirdbiotech.com — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:00:00 GMT

Objectives:

Release Date: 23-Feb-10 12:00 PM
Expiration Date: 24-May-50 12:00 PM

(All questions must be answered)
SELECTION PROCESS
1. The Application should be completed in full and submitted to Innovations Incubator along with a Business Plan and other documents and presentations that will allow the management of Innovations Incubator to understand your business.
2. The Application and supporting material (package) may be submitted electronically to info@innovationsincubator.com or directly to Christine Mackay at 480-782-3035. For a pdf link go to http://chandleraz.gov/Content/EDInnovations.pdf
3. Follow receipt, the applicant’s package will be reviewed by the management and Advisory Council of Innovations Incubator.
4. The management of Innovations Incubator will communicate with the applicant within 45 days of receipt of package. Select applicants may be invited to meet with the management of Innovations Incubator.

P1010637

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:48:03 GMT