Due to a conference, the next issue of this newsletter will be on Monday, July 19th.
Arizona
Bioscience research grows dollars at IBSB under Chandler, July 8, 2004, Inside Tucson Business
Like her genetics research in the laboratory down the hall, Vicki Chandler's reputation in the science world has become inseparably linked with corn. And through more than $3.6 million in grant funding, the plant biologist and new head of the UA Institute of Biomedical Science and Biotechnology is using the crop to usher in a wave of genetics research and understanding that could reap huge benefits for the university, and the city as well.
$65 million building to house Biotech research, July 8, 2004, Inside Tucson Business
With more than 100,000 square feet of laboratory and office space, the new Institute for Biomedical Science and Biotechnology headquarters at the corner of Helen Street and Warren Avenue, will be able to house more than 300 faculty, research scientists and support staff.
Australia
Biotechs boom in solid year, July 7, 2004, News.com
Australian biotechnology stocks were performing at their best since the technology boom of 2000, brokerage Intersuisse said yesterday.
Canada
Inimex Pharmaceuticals Inc. Announces Series A Venture Capital Financing, July 6, 2004, Inimex Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Inimex Pharmaceuticals today announced the first closing of a Series A Financing for US$4.5 million (C$6.0 million) led by a syndicate of venture capital funds: BDC Venture Capital, the Canadian Medical Discoveries Fund (CMDF) advised by MDS Capital, and the Working Opportunity Fund managed by GrowthWorks(TM) Capital. Proceeds of the financing will support the lead optimization and pre-clinical development of the first drug based on Inimex' novel innate immunity platform. (Vancouver)
France
France plans national agency, July 2, 2004, The Scientist
The French government has unveiled ambitious plans to set up a national agency for research that is to be modeled on the US National Science Foundation and to be financed, in part, by the sale of gold reserves.
India
Science budget, agri biotech gets boost, July 9, 2004, Business Standard
Eight new satellites, mission to the moon, the country's first large scale desalination plant near Chennai and a big boost to agricultural biotechnology are the highlights of the new budget announced today.
Now, a park to focus on marine biotech, July 6, 2004, Times of India
A marine biotechnology park that will act as a hub for biotech companies developing products using marine organisms is coming up at Parwada near Visakhapatnam.
Missouri
GenoMed applies for listing on American Stock Exchange, July 5, 2004, St. Louis Business Journal
GenoMed Inc. has applied to be listed on the American Stock Exchange, the company announced Tuesday.
Singapore
Singapore takes biomedical road to growth, July 9, 2004, Asia Times
The biomedical industry in Singapore, viewed by many government officials as a strong pillar in the island city's national economy, is projected to exceed US$7 billion (S$12 billion) by the end of 2004 and should achieve its target of US$11.7 billion by 2010, Trade and Industry Minister George Yeo said at the recent opening of GlaxoSmithKline's manufacturing facility.
Switzerland
Biotech patents come under fire, July 8, 2004, Neue Zuercher Zeitung
The pharmaceutical industry and non-governmental organizations have voiced strong reservations about a controversial law on the patenting of genes. The government says the new legislation, which is currently under consultation in Switzerland, would help safeguard the country's booming biotech sector.
UK
New plans for NIMR, July 6, 2004, The Scientist
Britain's Medical Research Council (MRC) has abandoned plans to close one of its flagship institutions in north London and replace it with a scaled-down operation 50 miles away in Cambridge.
Utah
Myriad Genetics Awarded $14.2 Million by NIH for Pathogen Drug and Diagnostic Development, July 8, 2004, PR Newswire
Myriad Genetics, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded a five-year, $14.2 million contract by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. The agreement recognizes Myriad's expertise in pathogen-host protein interaction analysis, which has previously been applied by the Company to a range of anti-viral drug programs.
General
COX-2 Patent Ruling Leaves Bitter Taste, July 8, 2004, The Recorder
In a case closely watched by the biotech industry, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has refused to review en banc a ruling against the University of Rochester in its patent battle over rights to a multibillion-dollar painkiller. At issue is whether a patent can be held invalid if it does not provide a "written description" of the invention. The 7 to 5 decision revealed a sharp divide that lawyers say requires action by the U.S. Supreme Court.
FDA mad cow rules expected Friday, July 8, 2004, MSNBC
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday will unveil a broader set of proposed rules to minimize the risk of mad cow disease, according to consumer and trade groups.
FDA. No changes to generic marketing rules, July 7, 2004, Medical News Today
Agency denies generic companies' requests to block authorized generics, Pfizer's request to disallow waiver of 180 days of exclusivity for first-approved generics.
NIH budget worries advocates, July 7, 2004, The Scientist
With the US House of Representatives appropriations subcommittee that oversees funding for the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) planning to start drafting the agency's budget bill for the fiscal year beginning October 1, legislators and research advocates predict the new budget is likely to be more difficult to negotiate than usual and will end up falling short of the goals hoped for by the research community.
Biotech Raises Nearly $15 Billion in First Half of 2004, July 7, 2004, PR Newswire
"In the history of the biotechnology industry, the prospects for long term success have never been greater," stated G. Steven Burrill, CEO of Burrill & Company, a San Francisco-based life sciences merchant bank.