Next Installment of BioBeers and other News that’s Fit to Print

I have been a slack blogger since I’ve started tweeting & scouring my RSS feeds, that’s for sure.  Fortunately, you can following my twitterverse in the left hand column of this blog or get up off yer ass and get on twitter yourself?!

So, most importantly, the next installation of BioBeers will be on Friday April 8th at Akonni Biosystems in Downtown Frederick!  wOOt !  For those not familiar with Akonni, they’re been getting a lot of attention for their rapid DNA extraction system and their rapid, low-cost microarray systems.  The street address is 400 Sagner Ave., Suite 300, Frederick, MD 21701.  I hereby proclaim anyone from Frederick County that needs a GPS to find it, right next to McCutcheon’s, is automatically un-invited.  You know who you are.

Please RSVP via email, LinkedIn or MeetUp

This far I have two confirmed sponsors:  Biotech Primer and Chesapeake Insurance/SandySpring Bank.  Still room for more.  Call or email me if you’re interested in sponsoring.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t do a quick recap of interesting news I have failed to blog about the past 5-6 weeks.  Do you see how MedImmune scored $93M in a patent infringement settlement over Synagis, the product produced in Frederick or how BioElectronics is growing too big for their britches?  I just wish I could get one of their patches locally and without a prescription.

Also worth a mention is how NCI-Frederick was named one of the Best Places to work as a PostDoc in America.

And the BIG news, which I should have already blogged about, is long-time Biobeers sponsor and advocate, FiberCell Systems being awarded a MIPS Grant for $263K.  I even get to be quoted in the article.  Johnand I have been working on a seperate project we call the “FiberCell Stem Cell Initiative” for more than two years now.  Although it’s not directly related to the MIPS grant, the grant is for a Large Scale system, I am glad to see FiberCell get a grant to help them keep moving in the right direction.

Slow day in the news

Seems like I’ve started every recent post out with an apology for not being more diligent in maintaining this site.  A slow day on my contract work at MedImmune gives me the chance to push some of my hidden agenda forward.

I missed out on an opportunity a couple weeks ago to tell all about Kempbio taking the Best New Incubator Company award.  I share common lab space with Chris and Kempbio, so I am well aware of how good business has been for them.  There was a good feature article in the Gazette and in

Tom Fedor/The Gazette

the Baltimore Citybizlist.

There’s even a mention in “la Tribune” about a recent licensing deal Kempbio made for a transfection reagent:

Polyplus Transfection cède un contrat de licence

La biotech spécialisée dans les vecteurs chimiques de transfert de gènes accorde l’utilisation de son savoir-faire à l’américain Kempbio, basé à Frederick (Maryland). Ce contrat participera à la hausse de 20 % du chiffre d’affaires (2,6 millions d’euros) prévue chez Polyplus en 2010. La start-up strasbourgeoise (27 salariés), qui a réalisé trois levées de fonds depuis 2002, continue d’investir l’essentiel de ses ressources en R&D.

On my home front, things are really starting to take off with the LavaAmp project.  Rob Carlson, one of the shareholders with Biodesic LLC, is in DC this week for Meeting of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues he mentions on his blog Synthesis.  He just published a book through Harvard Press called Biology is Technology that’s getting us quite a lot of attention.  I just got my copy last week and haven’t read it, yet.  The reviews are pretty impressive, overall.

Meanwhile, Joseph Jackson, the CEO of LavaAmp, is organizing the Open Science Summit in Berkeley July 29th-31st.  He also had a nice feature article published in Xconomy (San Francisco) called “The Open Science Shift“.

While were on the topic, Guido (the other shareholder) is off in Colorado going through training at the Unreasonable Institute.  I can’t embed the flash in WordPress, but you can watch his pitch HERE. In a couple weeks, he’ll be off the Oxford to give his TEDTalk, as he was made a TEDGlobal Fellow.

Through all of this, I just arrange the BioBeers events.  Speaking of which, I hope to have the next one at the new Riverside Research Park in August (date to be determined).  That video on their home screen is awe inspiring.  I wish it was embedable.  maybe I’ll try to grab a copy.  I hope to get in there to get more information about the NCI’s Advanced Technology Partnerships Initiative (ATPI). Here’s a link to the PDF describing the program.  It’s up to you, Biotech companies in Frederick, to win some of these contracts!  Stay tuned….

Eppendorf to market Akonni TruTip™

Just saw this run across the wire.  Sounds like a great deal for Akonni and FredcoBio:

Eppendorf North America and Akonni Biosystems Announce Joint Marketing Agreement

Eppendorf NA to market Akonni TruTip™ solutions for rapid, high-throughput nucleic acid extraction on epMotion^® automated pipetting systems

 HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. & FREDERICK, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Eppendorf North America and Akonni Biosystems today announced they have entered into a joint marketing agreement to promote Akonni TruTip nucleic acid extraction kits configured for use with Eppendorf epMotion automated pipetting systems. Under the agreement, Eppendorf will promote the extraction kits to clinical, clinical research and forensic laboratories in North America – providing users with access to the industry’s most rapid and reliable means to automatically extract PCR-ready DNA and/or RNA from larger volume samples.

“Eppendorf’s deep experience in developing and manufacturing automated pipetting systems makes them an excellent partner for our high-throughput TruTip nucleic acid extraction solutions”

“Eppendorf’s deep experience in developing and manufacturing automated pipetting systems makes them an excellent partner for our high-throughput TruTip nucleic acid extraction solutions,” said Kevin Banks, Ph.D., Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Akonni. “We believe that the combination of the products from both companies has the potential to improve laboratory efficiency by reducing, by 10-fold or more, the time it takes to obtain PCR-ready nucleic acid, for up to 8 simultaneous samples in as few as 4 minutes.”

Andrea Dickstein, Eppendorf North America Director of Marketing, adds, “It is well known that rapid and reliable nucleic acid extraction is a critical early step in detecting diseases and genetic disorders using genomic-based methods, like real time PCR. By combining the rapid extraction methodology used in TruTip with epMotion’s automated pipetting systems, we’ll increase the productivity of our customers by reducing to mere minutes the time it takes to extract DNA or RNA.”

Akonni TruTip uses a patented, nucleic acid binding matrix inserted into the 1000µl Eppendorf pipette tip for the epMotion system. Each TruTip Kit delivered under this agreement includes a rack of 96 x 1000µl TruTip extraction tips with bulk packaged lysis, wash and elution buffers.

Akonni will initially introduce two high-throughput TruTip extraction kits for use on the epMotion systems: one for isolating Influenza RNA from nasopharyngeal aspirate samples, and a second for extracting genomic DNA from saliva. Akonni plans to develop and supply additional kits for the Eppendorf epMotion family of systems in the near future.

Breaking News: Life Technologies Corp to be Purchased by GE

According to a post by Nancy on the BioBeers East LinkedIn group, Life Tech is going to be purchased by GE in an all cash transaction.  The news was revealed this morning on Yahoo!Finance.

This is even bigger news than the announcement last week that LifeTech was closing a 73,000 sq ft Camarillo CA facility and relocating it, and as many as 250 positions, to Frederick.

So, some stuff is shaking out on Executive Way, for sure.  Which reminds me, the next BioBeers will be on Executive Way, at ImQuest on Friday March 19th.  Official announcement coming soon!

FOLLOW UP:  The story of GE buying LifeTech could be a rumor, at least that’s the prevailing theory on the Rumor Mill.  Stay posted!

In the News

I didn’t want to scoop this story too early, but FredCoBio, and BioBeers specifically, will be featured on Jason Balog’s Biotech blog in the News-Post tomorrow. Stay tuned for the post.

I wanted to post some neat slides being shown in the Lunchroom at MedImmune for the Open House they had last weekend, but alas the slides are not for public consumption.

A couple interesting facts about the new MedImmune Frederick Manufacturing Facility: over 355,000 sq ft under roof.  It is the tallest building in Frederick at 6 stories.  The facility will make Synagis and is being built with the capacity to make other products, potentially FluMist.

FredCoBio: MIA

Geesh, I just realized that I haven’t posted in nearly a month.  So much news to catch up on I don’t know where to start.

The reason I haven’t posted is that I have been working a contract at MedImmune, aiding in the commissioning of their new Frederick facility where they will be scaling up Synagis.  It’s a wonderful product, a monoclonal antibody called  palivizumab, which protects preemies and high risk babies from lung infections.  It’s very busy here and I expect it to continue to be busy through the end of the year (at least that’s how long I think my contract will be running).  I really don’t know how much of what I see here is considered “confidential” so I’ll keep quiet.  Suffice to say, big bioreactors and 4-5 contractors for every MedImmune employee on site.

It’s kind of fun running into the other contractors all over town in different bars and restaurants.  Especially now that MedImmune has already received $453 million in contracts since May, but Frederick doesn’t have much to do with making the H1N1 vaccine.  A lot of the people here do travel to Philadelphia where that product is packaged, though.

Speaking of swine flu, I gave a talk tat the NIH last week on the Commercial uses of Stem Cells.  My focus was on the “commerce”  created specifically by Stem Cell research, staying away from the Therapeutic elements.

Check it out:

Enough shameless self promotion.

Frank from SAIC-Frederick sent me this press release, which I have not seen covered elsewhere:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Amplimmune Enters Into Broad Alliance with NCI

Collaboration Will Focus on

Potential New Therapies for Cancer and Autoimmune Disease

FREDERICK, Md., Oct. 13, 2009 — Amplimmune, Inc., has entered into a broad agreement with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for further advancement of two Amplimmune product candidates into therapies for cancer and autoimmune disease.

Under the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), Amplimmune will collaborate on multiple projects with NCI and its contractor, SAIC-Frederick Inc., under the umbrella of the NCI’s Advanced Technology Partnerships Initiative (ATPI). The goal of ATPI is to accelerate the translation of cancer and AIDS research into clinical therapies, diagnostics, and treatments. NCI-Frederick’s prime contractor, SAIC-Frederick is facilitating these partnerships for NCI.

The collaborations will focus on furthering development of Amplimmune’s AMP-110 and AMP-224 therapeutic biologic candidates. AMP-224 blocks activation of the PD-1 receptor and inhibits immune evasion typically induced by tumors or infectious disease pathogens. AMP-110 is being developed as a biologic to treat autoimmune/inflammatory disease and has been demonstrated to attenuate key inflammatory pathways that contribute to a wide range of different autoimmune diseases.

“We are very pleased to establish this broad CRADA with the National Cancer Institute,” said Michael Richman, Amplimmune’s President and CEO.  “We look forward to collaborating with investigators at NCI and feel that these collaborations will have a significant impact on accelerating development and advancing AMP-224 and AMP-110 into the clinic,” he added.

“We value the opportunity to collaborate with Amplimmune on development of their leading therapeutic biologic candidates to treat cancer and immune disorders.  This partnership reflects the true potential of NCI’s ATPI—to accelerate leading innovations into clinical application in the fight against cancer, through strategic partnerships.  We look forward to working closely with our colleagues at Amplimmune on our shared goals under the CRADA,” said David Hoekzema, SAIC-Frederick’s Vice President of Business Development.

About Amplimmune Inc.

Headquartered in Rockville, Md., Amplimmune is focused on developing novel biologics targeting key co-stimulatory/co-inhibitory molecules that rebalance the immune system and are intended for treating cancer, autoimmune disease, infectious disease, and transplantation. With its strong development focus, Amplimmune is rapidly advancing two lead molecules toward clinical development: one in the area of cancer and the other in the autoimmune disease setting. AMP-224 will be advancing into a phase 1 clinical trial for cancer in 2010. Working closely with its founders at Johns Hopkins University and other collaborators, Amplimmune is expanding its technology base in the area of immune co-stimulatory/co-inhibitory molecules and has assembled a large foundation of reagents, models, know-how, and intellectual property to further develop its product pipeline as well as to discover novel biomarkers, ligands, and receptors. For more information: www.amplimmune.com.

About SAIC-Frederick

SAIC-Frederick, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), a Fortune 500^® company, is the operations and technical support contractor for the National Cancer Institute’s research and development center in Frederick, Md.  This is a national laboratory dedicated to rapidly translating basic research into new technologies for diagnosing, treating, and preventing cancer and AIDS. SAIC-Frederick maintains a full suite of advanced technologies in areas such as nanotechnology, genomics and imaging; operates the federal government’s drug and vaccine manufacturing facilities; operates the high-performance Advanced Biomedical Computing Center; and supports more than 300 clinical trials for patients in the United States and around the world.

Information about the NCI’s Advanced Technology Partnerships Initiative can be found at ATPIhome.com

Contacts:  Frank Blanchard,  SAIC-Frederick, Inc.  (301) 846-1893  blanchardf@mail.nih.gov

Gary Fanger, Amplimmune Inc. (301) 309-9800  fangerg@amplimmune.com

They’ve also been awarded (SAIC-Frederick that is) $300MM in ARRA funding (the Stimulus hits Frederick County) and have heard rumors through my contacts in SAIC_Fred purchasing that the money is going to be released soon, in the form of several new hires and loads of contracts.  Stay tuned and I will try to give FredCoBio companies and inside edge.

And speaking about big money and Big SAIC-Frederick Projects, Matan recently announced they’ve secured $300MM in financing for the Riverside Park project:

Contact : Noelle Schilling

Tel   (301) 815-9980   Cell (301) 471-7552

Email nschilling@mataninc.com

Matan Companies Teams with Federal Capital Partners to Finance The National Cancer Institute At Riverside Research Park in Frederick Maryland

(September 30, 2009-Frederick, MD) The Matan Companies has teamed up with Federal Capital Partners (FCP) to complete the financing for the development of the National Cancer Institute’s 330,000 square foot Advanced Technology Research Facility (ATRF) at Riverside Research Park in Frederick Maryland.  The state-of-the art 200 million dollar office and laboratory facility will commence construction immediately and is slated for delivery in mid 2011.    As part of the larger 177 acre Riverside Research Park, the National Cancer Institute’s 62 acre campus will have expansion capacity for another 570,000 square feet, reserved for life-science and advanced technology partner organizations.  “This site will be the center of an intensive new effort to bring together government, industry, academic, and nonprofit partners, working side-by-side, utilizing technological resources second to none, to more rapidly translate our latest genetic and molecular discoveries about cancer into effective new treatments that benefit patients,” said John E. Niederhuber, M.D., director of the National Cancer Institute.   With SAIC-Frederick, Inc. as its prime contractor, the new facility will be the only Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) in the country focused exclusively on biomedical research and development, and concerted technology and R&D partnership efforts toward reducing the burden of cancer.

Matan and FCP partnered to secure the 52 million dollar construction financing from Wells Fargo Bank and US Bank.  “Today’s financing environment demands creative approaches to bring large, high profile projects like this to the market.  The ATRF is one of the largest private biotech developments in the country to secure construction financing and it is a credit to everyone involved,” stated Mark Matan, Principal of the Matan Companies.   Matan Companies will develop and manage the project.

“We are incredibly excited to have formed this partnership with the Matan Companies to bring this very important project to fruition,” said Esko Korhonen, Managing Partner of FCP.  “The diligent work by our teams resulted in consummating a great financing package and we appreciated the opportunity to work with Wells Fargo, US Bank, Jones Lang LaSalle and Cassidy & Pinkard to get this deal completed.”

Cassidy and Pinkard helped to secure the equity and debt for this transaction and Jones Lang LaSalle represented the Tenant.

About Riverside Research Park

Riverside Research Park is the first biomedical research and development park of its kind in Frederick Maryland.  The 177 acre site has all necessary infrastructure and utilities in place and is ready to build.  Riverside delivered its first tenant in the Spring of 2008, a 54,000 sf facility for Charles River Labs.   Riverside can accommodate up to 1.8 million square feet of lab, R &D, and office space.    “Frederick has a vibrant biotech community servicing NIH, the National Cancer Institute and Fort Detrick, but until now there hasn’t been a destination for these companies to come together in a collaborative campus type environment in this market.   Riverside Research Park provides just that and there has been a very high level of interest from companies looking to co-locate with the National Cancer Institute” said J.P. Matan, Director of Leasing for Matan Companies.   Located within the city limits of Frederick and less than three miles from the main gates of Fort Detrick,  Riverside is uniquely positioned to provide private sector companies, government agencies, and universities a secure and collaborative work environment. Abundant green space, water features, walk/jogging trails, courtyards, and chance meeting spaces will all add to the collaborative work environment and campus like feel of Riverside Research Park.    For more information please visit: www.riversideresearchpark.com

About Federal Capital Partners

Founded in 1999 by partners Esko L. Korhonen and Lacy I. Rice, Federal Capital Partners (FCP) is a real estate investment and development company headquartered in Washington DC.  Other partners include Alex Marshall and Tom Carr, former Chairman and CEO of CarrAmerica Realty Corp. who joined FCP as a partner in early 2007.  Since its inception, FCP has acquired more than $1.2 billion of real estate assets consisting of multi-family, office, retail and industrial assets.  In 2008 FCP raised a 240 million dollar co-mingled, private equity fund which it is currently investing in multiple product sectors in the Mid Atlantic region.  FCP has established a strong reputation in the greater Washington DC metropolitan area real estate markets as an investor with a keen eye for indentifying unexploited markets and product sectors.

About Matan Companies

Headquartered in Frederick Maryland for over 30 years, Matan Companies is one of the regions premier commercial real estate and development firms.   Founded on the principle of providing a comprehensive, full-service approach to all disciplines involved in commercial real estate, Matan has assembled an in-house professional staff with a proven track record in the disciplines of asset management, investment sales, debt placement, property management, leasing, development and construction.  Matan’s knowledge of the local market and established history, including certainty of closing, expeditious due diligence and timely settlement dates, sets the company apart from the competition.  This full service approach gives Matan the ability to control every phase of the real estate investment process.  Matan’s primary geographic focus is Frederick, Maryland and the I-270 Corridor.  Matan’s current portfolio consists of over 3.2 million square feet in 30 buildings with an additional 3 million square feet in the development pipeline.

About NCI-Frederick and SAIC-F

With SAIC-Frederick (SAIC-F) as its prime contractor, NCI-Frederick, is home to a cadre of researchers studying cancer and HIV/AIDS and is host to NCI’s Advanced Technology Program, which encompasses nanotechnology, high-performance computing, genomics, and biomedical imaging, among other areas.  SAIC-F, a wholly owned subsidiary of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), a Fortune 500^® company (NYSE: SAI) – is the operations and technical support contractor for the National Cancer Institute’s research and development center in Frederick, Md.  This is a national laboratory dedicated to rapidly translating basic research into new technologies for diagnosing, treating, and preventing cancer and AIDS. SAIC-Frederick maintains a full suite of advanced technologies in areas such as nanotechnology, genomics and imaging; operates the federal government’s only drug and vaccine manufacturing facilities; operates the high-performance Advanced Biomedical Computing Center; and supports more than 300 clinical trials for patients in the United States and around the world.    “The NCI has identified an urgent need to convert basic research findings into effective cancer treatments that can be delivered to patients right away,” said Larry O. Arthur, Ph.D., president of SAIC-Frederick. “The consolidation of our operations into modern facilities will enable us to do just that, with the specific goal of shortening timelines, reducing costs, and increasing productivity—all of which will benefit cancer patients and people at risk for cancer.”  More information about the NCI’s Advanced Technology Partnerships Initiative (ATPI) can be found at www.atpihome.com.

NCI at Riverside Research Park Building Rendering:  https://www.box.net/shared/static/r2a6uoimhs.tif

Additional Contacts:

Esko Korhonen                                    Frank Blanchard                                 Joe Carter

Federal Capital Partners                     SAIC-F                                                  Wells Fargo

202-386-7160                                      301-846-1893                                      202-303-3016

esko@fcpdc.com Blanchard@mail.nih.gov carterjl@wellsfargo.com

Jeff Jacobson                                       Paul Collins                                           Pete Briskman

US Bank                                                Cassidy & Pinkard                              Jones Lang LaSalle

703-442-5482                                      202-463-2100                                      301-214-1144

Jeffrey.jacobson@usbank.com pcollins@cassidypinkard.com Pete.Briskman@am.jll.com

I actually could’ve broken this story before the press release, but I was busy and didn’t want to annoy one of my bestest BioBeers sponsors.  But do check out the new Riverside Park web site.  It’s awesome.

And speaking about more rumors, sadly, this one is NOT a rumor. Marilgen, in my home town of Ijamsville (just a mile or so north of the MoCo line), was acquired by Origene. My sources tell me that the few employees left at Marilgen have been offered positions at OriGene and will be relocated to Rockville (boo, hiss).  Marilgen has been struggling for a year or so since one of their primary investors decided to pull their cash out.  I have a lot of personal ties to Marligen, since most of the people there, in their hayday, were former LTI colleagues of mine and half of the Vialing depertment I used to run at LTI. Sherry Challberg hired me in 1988 and moved me to Maryland, for which I am eternally grateful.

This makes me think that it’s already time to schedule the next BioBeers.  I think I’ll make a new post with a poll on which day of the week to have the next one.  I’ve been trying to rotate it around because everyone has different schedules.

FredCoBio and the Immaculate Confection

This may be a bit of a stretch to link Mary Spiro’s piece, “Gummi guts: artist Jason Freeny bestows rubbery confection with internal organs“ in the Baltimore Examiner with FredCoBio, but here’s the catch:  The artist is from Middletown and it’s biotech, geeky stuff.  Also, really cool stuff.

"Immaculate Confection" by Jason Freeney via Baltimore Examiner

There are a number of cool images on Jason’s web site MoistProuctions, and a neat slide show on Mary’s Baltimore Examiner piece as well as an interview.  Although he’s in Manhattan now, you can find more of the former FredCo resident on his blog and his Facebook Page:  Gummi Fetus.

All this talk almost makes me want to comment on the recent banter spewed forth by the RTLifer’s about one of our largest Biotech companies, but instead I’ll ask you to enjoy this YouTube video of a Gummi Bear (fetus)being destroyed for the sake of science (via joannelovesscience.com)

By the way, you trolls, if you’re so committed to your mission, why not take a pledge to never use a single product that was developed using Stem Cells?  Same thing to those trolls destroying Pharma Execs (and at one point in time threatening me and my family) claiming to be Aminal Rights Activists:  Don’t use any drugs or products that used Aminaml Testing?  Why not?  It would be the right things to do.

On another note, I saw an interesting article in the FNP yesterday that Emergent Biosolutions is pulling out of Frederick.  This caught me by surprise because I didn’t even know they were in Frederick.  According to their Press Room, they’ve owned these buildings since 2004, but never renovated or improved them.  Building in Gaithersburg instead.  OK, you win some and you lose some.  I thought I heard somewhere that they won a contract fo9r H1N1 vaccine, but I may be mistaken.

I somehow missed Balog’s Biotech “Battle over biosimilars” last Sunday in the FNP.  Personally, I think giving the “biosimilars” more protection, mimimizing the competition will have the opposite effect of putting new products on the shelf faster.  It will stop competition dead in it’s tracks at the expense of the people needing these new therapies and ultimately, more people will die.  The US Patent System is broken and archane and needs to be overhauled thrown out the window.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention a write up in FNP last week about MedImmune.  The new facility is on schedule to open in 2011.  I also learned, informally, that Synagis will be the first product produced there, but the plans are to move to more “flexible” manufacturing to permit other uses in the future.

Phot by Sam Yu via Frederick News Post

I will be making a guest appearance at the Frederick County Workforce Service’s Center at noon on Wednesday 8/12 for a “Lunch-n-Learn”.  If you’re looking for work, then I might suggest you attend.  You may not “learn” anything, but it’s all about the networking.  I know I have been through the Center more than once in the past 9 years.  I think it’s the least I can do to return the favor.

And speaking of networking, I am working on the next BioBeers with a target date of Thursday 8/27.   Pencil it in.  We can discuss fetal Gummi bear stem cell research…

Miscellaneous Day

On the day that the Frederick County Commissioner voted in FAVOR of the Waste-to-Energy facility they also approved the $25K grant to Life Technologies for their expansion.  FredCoBio Unanimously (one a vote of One) approves the commissioners recommendations.

I remember that we had a WTE furnace at the University of Rochester when I was there from 1985 until 1988.  Sat right by the loading dock and burned all lab waste, as well as medical waste from the adjoining Strong Memorial Hospital (side note:  the same Strong family that owned Sugerloaf Mountain).  Even in the 80′s there was never a problem.

Another unique perspective I have, which I doubt anyone else in Frederick has, is that my house boarders the landfill and I work at 4539 Metropolitan Court, which is next door to the most likely site designated for the WTE plant.  No worries.  Then again, I grew up in a neighborhood called KodaVista in Greece, NY and had Eastman Kodak/Kodak Park energy plants visible at the top of my street.  It never bothered me, but apparently some people have made a fuss about it. At least you can still buy a house on Malden St (a detached house w/garage), where I delivered the Newspaper (now defunct Times-Union)for only $67K

Anyway, I hope to see some of you tomorrow at the MdBio Golf outing at Whiskey Creek.  if you’re not in yet, it’s probably too late.  And if I don’t see you there, maybe we can hook up at International Business Wales, Washington Mission Portal on Friday?

Has anyone else noticed the massive Marketing campaign by SABiosciences?  They’re all over GEN News and Biotechniques this month.  Just an observation.  Must finish taking care of my stem cells today since I’ll be busy the next couple days.

I promise, I will set a date for BioBeers in July.  Maybe second week?

BioElectronics finds a Cure for the Curse

I’ve been blogging about FITCI graduate BioElectronics for quite some time.  Even though they’re not technically a Biotech company, there product/technology is Bio-based and it is used as a therapeutic product.  They made some really big waves at the end of last week. Last week, BioElectronics announced that  their “patch” has been submitted to the FDA for clearance in use for treatment of pain reduction associated with dysmenorrhea (period pain and cramps).  This is also a request to make their product available “Over the Counter”, as currently it requires a prescription (at least in the US).  The Allay Menstrual Pain Relief Patch is drug-free and is based on Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) therapy, which applies advanced semiconductor and micro-battery technologies into a very small form factor that has been packaged into a wafer thin patch that can be worn directly on the skin.

There is a very nice write up entitled The Curse’s Cure here.

According to this article,  they are engaged in Clinical trials recently completed or currently underway including the following:

Dysmenorrhea (period pain) — On the call, Barry Eppley, M.D. D.M.D. discussed the results of a recently completed randomized, double blinded, active and placebo-controlled clinical study on the use of the Allay™ Menstrual Pain Relief Patch for the treatment of period pain. The study, which included 91 females showed very strong efficacy, 100% safety and strong statistical significance. The results of the study were used as the basis for the Company’s recent FDA submission.

General Musculoskeletal Complaints — Earlier this week the Company announced that Sheena Kong, M.D. is undertaking a significantly sized randomized, double blinded, active and placebo-controlled clinical study on general musculoskeletal complaints. The study is specifically designed to allow BioElectronics Corporation to file an application with the FDA to receive an indication for treatment of general musculoskeletal complaints, including back, knee, ankle and neck pain. On the call the management team discussed recent heightened concerns about the potential dangers of inappropriate acetaminophen and Tylenol® usage, which are far and away the leading causes of liver failure in the United States and the United Kingdom. The Company believes its portable, drug-free technology offers a significantly safer alternative to these potentially dangerous pharmaceuticals. The Company’s goal is over-the-counter clearance.

Breast Augmentation — BioElectronics currently has three breast augmentation surgery recovery trials underway. The largest of these is being conducted by David Genecov, M.D., FACS-FAAP, of Houston, Texas. The randomized, double blinded positive and placebo-controlled study involves 120 patients. Barry Eppley, M.D. D.M.D. of Indianapolis, Indiana is also conducting a similar study. Additionally, several physicians in the country of Denmark are conducting a breast augmentation surgical recovery study in order to receive approval for government reimbursement.

Cesarean Section — The vast majority of women who undergo cesarean section delivery do not wish to take narcotic drugs during the recovery stage. As a result pain relief is a major issue. Dr. Michael Lopez of St. Mark’s Hospital in Texas is conducting a trial using the Company’s RecoveryRx™ product. The management team of BioElectronics believes this market holds great potential over the coming years.

Heel/Foot Pain/Plantar Fasciitis — A major study on these conditions is currently underway in Houston, Texas conducted by David Genecov, M.D., FACS-FAAP. This double blinded, randomized and placebo-controlled study is very near completion with the management team expecting data over the coming few weeks. Tens of millions of people in the United States suffer from such conditions and it is believed the Company’s ActiPatch is both a safe and effective alternative for treatment.

Diabetic Wound Care — A group of physicians in Denmark is currently undertaking a clinical study on the treatment of diabetic wounds. While no placebos are being used in this study, the Company nevertheless believes strong data will be realized.

Uveitis — Uveitis is an inflammation in the middle layer of the eye and the second leading cause of blindness in the United States. This condition is typically treated with steroids, either as topical eye drops or as an oral therapy. A study at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Institute is currently being conducted to determine the efficacy and safety of the Company’s PEMF technology for treatment of this condition.

Pretty exciting stuff, if you ask me!

Tales of Wales, Money for Free and of Newly Discovered dieases

Several months ago I was called out of the blue by a Canadian firm who was helping to establish connections for a Welsh delegation coming to Maryland to strum up business through collaboration.  I was considering hosting a special BioBeers for them here, but that never panned out.  What was established is being called International Business Wales, Washington Mission Portal.  Amongst the delegation are a number of Life Science Companies.  The briefing for Life Science companies and an opportunity for one-on-one discussions is next Friday, June 26th in Alexandria (unfortunately).  I am going to attend.  If anyone would like to tag along, please let me know.  I think you will be quite surprised when you investigate the amount of Life Science research going on in Wales.  I know I was.  Plus, one of the companies, in particular, is doing almost exactly what I am trying to do with placenta.  For me, as great fit.

That is next Friday.  Next Thursday is the long awaited return of the MdBio Golf Outing at Whiskey Creek.  My team is set and ready to roll.  I hope some of you have also signed up.  This used to be to highlight of the year for many of us.  Networking and a Reunion all rolled up into one.

On a totally unrelated topic, I was amused reading an article in the Frederick News Post this morning about the on-going inventory audit at USAMRIID.  Amused because i don’t blame the way this was reported, but having worked in inventory control & logistics for 15 some odd years, discovering 9,200 “finds”, items they didn’t know they ever had isn’t unusual. The article says there were over 70,000 total counted sample. One should report the result in terms of the accuracy of the inventory.  In this case, for simplicity, say (70,000 -9,200)/70,000 =  87% accurate.  In my experience, if the only thing the auditors were going off of, as the article implies, were excel spreadsheets and lab notebooks, I would be surprised if an academic lab like USAMRIID could sustain over 60% accuracy over the decades these samples have been stored there.  Still, this does not present a seriously “out of control” situation.  But one word of warning:  conducting a “physical inventory” once per year (again, just quoting the article), is a HUGE, ENORMOUS, stupid and foolish waste of time!!!  For the past 20 years the way to maintain control of your inventory is to conduct periodic, weekly, cycle counts:  randomly selected items or locations.  The frequency and number of counts is determined by total inventory and the degree of accuracy you’d like to maintain.  In this case, lets say they have 70,000 vials to count.  If every week  1,500 vials were counted from random locations (which isn’t difficult since they’re being stored in cryo racks I assume containing multiples per box), the entire inventory would be counted in 47 weeks.    Or say 300 per day.  And even more important, cycle counts are more likely to catch mistakes or systemic errors closer to the time they occur.  Yikes, the book on cycle counts vs and Annual Physical Inventory were written a long time ago.  That rant accomplished, most companies still do physical inventories because the accountants like it.  Stupid.

And lastly, I want to briefly comment on the story (HERE and HERE and also heard on WFMD) breaking this week about Life Technologies being granted money through the state and city for their expansion into the old PGC building.  Howard left a comment about this earlier.  I worked DBED on a PWQ grant while with the former Life Technologies for $25K to train new employees for the Distribution center we were building.  I remember John Gardner, our Comptroller or something like that (his wife is now a county commissioner), asking why on earth do we need $25K from DBED when our operating profit was something like $50MM the year before?  Yes, we used to be that profitable before the IVGN debacle. My opinion is that any money the State/County can provide to assist in creating jobs is going to be paid back in probably the first year in sales tax, income taxes and construction contracts to build out the new facility.  It is money well spent that will be returned.  If this isn’t the role of Economic Development, better on a “sure thing”, then what is?  Providing loans to risky start-ups?

And b y the way, I may have said at one point I thought that Life Tech was putting Stem Cell stuff in the new building:  totally wrong.  I learned from an insider that the new facility is going to be used as a distribution Center for the ABI products.  Since ABI systems are used for diagnostics, they need a cGMP facility and controls.  So, good news:  the new facility is taking jobs away from California!  All more reason to spend locally!