IVGN announces Licensing deal with WARF

According to their web site today, Invitrogen has signed an agreement with Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) for Human Embryonic Stem Cells.

According to the release:

Under the terms of the agreement, Invitrogen will have the right to work with karyotypically normal hESCs to develop novel research and drug discovery tools.

“Invitrogen’s goal is the development of research tools that enhance the ability of scientists to work with embryonic stem cells and to enhance the utility of these cells for research and drug discovery,” said Joydeep Goswami, Vice President, Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine. “Having the ability to work with karyotypically normal hESCs through our license with WARF allows us to develop better technologies for research, such as more defined media and engineered stem cell lines. This agreement is another step in our strategy of pursuing advances in the high-growth area of regenerative medicine.”

This is interesting in several regards.  WARF appears to be holding it’s own in defending several patents related to hES cells, although the verdict is still out.

Perhaps more interesting is that IVGN’s RegMed group is, I believe, in Frederick.  At least Dr Rao, who is also a VP of the Stem Cell Group, is in Frederick.

OncoVAX Authorized by Dutch

In a press release yesterday, it was announce that Frederick-based Vaccinogen’s potential blockbuster colon cancer “vaccine” therapy has been approved for manufacture at their Emmen, Netherlands facility.

From the FoxBusiness web site:

FREDERICK, Md., May 7, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX News Network/ —-Vaccinogen Inc. said Dutch health authorities licensed it to manufacture its break-through OncoVAX anti-colon cancer vaccine, immediately clearing the path to more than $100 million of potential European sales.

The Dutch approval of the company’s facility based in Emmen, The Netherlands also paves the way to its pivotal US FDA Phase IIIb clinical trial — the final step before the vaccine can be sold in the United States.

“The facility can produce up to 3,500 vaccines annually, equivalent to $130 million in revenues,” said Michael G. Hanna, Jr., Ph.D., Vaccinogen CEO. “That number only scratches the surface of potential demand for a Stage II colon cancer vaccine. One of every three patients who have their cancer removed see it return — and the results are usually fatal.”

“Our experience with OncoVAX has resulted in increasing the patients’ chance of survival by more than 50%,” he concluded. “This represents an opportunity for a new lease on life for tens of thousands of patients around the world.”

The Dutch license permits the company to commercialize the vaccine, first in Switzerland and then in seven other countries in Eastern Europe. The OncoVAX vaccine represents a potential medical breakthrough because it uses a patient’s own cancer cells to prevent the cancer from returning after a successful operation to remove it.

The product is actually not a standard “vaccine” like you’d get for rabies or HPV or influenza.  These vaccines are produced and tested in large batches in fermenters and everyone gets essentially the same dose.  OncoVAX is actually an autologous vaccine, whereby a small section of the excised tumor is sent by the surgeon to the production facility where the tumor section is processed and made antigenic.  It is then injected back into the patient, where their own body produces antibodies to the tumor and kills it.

While Vaccinogen is not the only company working on this new era of “personalized medicine”,  they are among the first to pave the way through clinical trials.  This explains, in part, the extreme effort (in terms of $$ and time) it has taken to get this novel process through the rigors of FDA approval in the States.

There’s No Place Like Home

I was remiss in not posting that FITCI hosted the first of the Season Happy Hour & networking event on Friday. I had been in Kansas since Wednesday and was too busy working on my presentation and dodging tornado’s to post. Plus, I forgot to look ahead in my calendar.
The Happy Hour was well attended, by the Chamber of Commerce, RCM&D, OED, Ft Detrick’s tech transfer office and many other people I didn’t have the chance to meet & greet. I had only been back for about an hour, though, from my trip. Since I had to get up at 4 AM to get to the airport, I was pretty exhausted by 4 PM and the happy hour, so I didn’t stay long.

I stopped in to feed my cells, but ended up getting a Biodiesel sample for testing, so I did that instead, then got myself home.

Speaking of events, I will be out at the Greater Baltimore Tech Council’s Golf Classic on Monday May 19th and AFCEA Frederick’s Golf outing Tuesday May 13th at Whiskey Creek. The GBTC event is “SOLD OUT”, but there is still room for both individual golfers and Sponsorships at the Frederick event.

1st Annual AFCEA Golf Tournament Come Join Us Prior to the Spring Research Festival Where: Whiskey Creek Golf Course When: May 13th - 1 pm Shotgun Contact Abby Richon to sign up or become a sponsor 301-644-3913 x2178 arichon@ape-bio.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it <!– document.write( ‘</’ ); document.write( ’span>’ ); //–>

Lunch Complementary Beverages on the Course Dinner Silent Auction Hole-In-one Contests Great Networking $100 per government golfer $125 per industry golfer

Click here to download PDF for available sponsorships

APE-BridgePath Merger announced

This press release came out today through the PRWeb:

Local Biotech Companies Merge Operations

Advanced Product Enterprises and BridgePath Scientific become APE-BridgePath Scientific

Frederick, MD (Vocus/PRWEB ) April 29, 2008 — The Baltimore-Washington metropolitan region is a productive R&D arena, with over $7 billion spent each year on scientific products for research and product development. Two local companies catering to the same target market, but with different niches, have teamed up to offer a spectrum of services to commercial, academic, and governmental research organizations.

Dr. Joseph Garner (left) and Patrick Haley have merged as APE-BridgePath Scientific, providing solutions for research and development institutions.

I couldn’t be more pleased with this merger. The combination of the two companies will allow us to serve the biotech industry at-large in a more cohesive manner

BridgePath Scientific and Advanced Product Enterprises, LLC (APE) of Frederick have merged their operations into APE-BridgePath Scientific. “Both companies are currently headquartered at the Frederick Innovative Technology Center incubator,” stated Dr. Joseph Garner, President and CEO of APE. “We have collaborated on a number of projects, and joining the two companies will provide our clients with a complete list of value-added services from one organization. We believe the addition of highly trained and business minded scientists to the product lines sold by BridgePath, will allow APE-BridgePath Scientific to provide a high level of understanding and technical support to commercial, academic, and governmental researchers that is currently lacking in the industry.”

“I couldn’t be more pleased with this merger. The combination of the two companies will allow us to serve the biotech industry at-large in a more cohesive manner,” stated Patrick Haley, President and CEO of BridgePath Scientific. BridgePath Scientific provides scientific and laboratory equipment, supplies and custom research and development product fulfillment. They carry tens of thousands of products. Founder, President and CEO Patrick Haley is an active member of the Frederick community and the State of Maryland. He has served on many business, community, industry, and civic boards and councils, including the Technology Council of Maryland, Goodwill Industries of Monocacy Valley, and the Suburban Frederick Kiwanis Club. Haley is a long time member of the Business Development Advisory Council (BDAC) for Frederick County, currently serving as Chairman, and the Frederick chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA). He is also co-founder and former Chairman of the Board of the Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc. (FITCI), Frederick County’s first technology incubator.

Advanced Product Enterprises, LLC provides preclinical contract research for pharmaceutical and vaccine companies along with several scientific research products. Their founders of APE have over 30 years of academic and industry research experience and recently launched APE Biodiesel, providing complete testing for biodiesel fuels. Dr. Joseph Garner, President and CEO of APE, was trained and received his PhD in molecular biology at the University of Maryland and studied at the Center of Marine Biology. He is active in a number of regional and national organizations, including the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the Business Development Advisory Council for Frederick County. Dr. Garner has presented research worldwide at scientific meetings, including Translation UK in Dundee, Scotland and International Marine Biotechnology Conference in Australia.

APE-BridgePath is located in the Frederick Innovative Technology Center’s second incubator located at 4539 Metropolitan Court in Frederick, Maryland. For more information about the company and their services, visit www.bridgepathscientific.com and www.ape-bio.com or call 1-888-496-8333.