Getting to Market: Adding Value to Your Biomedical Product

Getting a marketing plan approved solves only part of the challenge that biotech drug developers, medical device, and diagnostic makers face in getting their product distributed and fully commercialized. Developing a strategic market access plan can help reduce perceived risk and uncertainty of commercial success, and add substantially to the asset value of products in … Continue reading “Getting to Market: Adding Value to Your Biomedical Product”

7th Annual Life Sciences Career Counseling Workshop

Biocom’s Education Subcommittee, the San Diego Workforce Partnership, Southern California Biotech Center, and San Diego County Office of Education have organized this 6-hour networking event and workshop. Career counselors from K-12, community colleges, four-year schools and one-stop career centers are welcome. Registration is limited to career counselors and related professionals. More information and online registration … Continue reading “7th Annual Life Sciences Career Counseling Workshop”

Legislative Roundtable With Assemblyman Dave Jones

Biocom is hosting Dave Jones, D-Sacramento, chairman of the California Assembly Health Committee, to its legislative roundtable series. As a comprehensive health reform package continues to take shape in Washington, it is becoming apparent that, if passed, much will be left to individual states to implement. Jones is in a position to have significant influence … Continue reading “Legislative Roundtable With Assemblyman Dave Jones”

Doing More With Less: Capital Efficiency in Drug Development

As the biotechnology industry faces headwinds due to increased regulatory scrutiny and fewer liquidity events, venture capitalists are insisting that companies provide data from “proof-of-concept” experiments before they consider investing. In addition, once companies receive venture funding, they must move their drug candidates to the clinic with minimal equity capital. Experienced biotech executives and venture … Continue reading “Doing More With Less: Capital Efficiency in Drug Development”

Successful Business Models for Technology Innovation

Connect and Blue Mine Group organized this half-day workshop as an introduction to the essentials of designing a successful business model. The presentation includes the five critical elements of a business model and some key tools for optimizing them to maximize potential value. Register online here.

Where to Bluetooth?

Bluetooth low energy, which consumes a fraction of the power of conventional Bluetooth designs, is the next step in the evolution of Bluetooth wireless technology. As usual, San Diego is a hotbed of activity for this new wireless technology with the R&D operations of several companies based here. Nick Hunn, chairman of the CommNexus Bluetooth … Continue reading “Where to Bluetooth?”

Bio-Briefing for Non-Scientists

Biocom has organized an all-day seminar for the non-scientist employees of biotech companies, so they can become more instrumental in their company’s success by understanding the science and technology. Be more strategic in your relationship-building by knowing who the industry players are and how they interact. Presentations are given by credentialed biotech instructors. More information … Continue reading “Bio-Briefing for Non-Scientists”

Is There Any Way Out of Here? New Ideas for Funding Life Sciences Startups

Traditional means of funding private companies in the life science industry have changed forever. Venture capital is no longer a logical choice for raising capital to fund pre-clinical programs, just as it’s no long practical or acceptable to spend vast amounts of cash to advance such research. The San Diego Venture Group has assembled a … Continue reading “Is There Any Way Out of Here? New Ideas for Funding Life Sciences Startups”

Lessons from the Pandemic: H1N1 and the Biotech Industry

With the anniversary of the swine flu outbreak in Mexico approaching in April, San Diego’s Biocom has asked influenza experts to discuss the lessons learned from this pandemic. How did public health agencies from around the world handle the outbreak? How will vaccine production be handled in the future? And what does the biotech industry … Continue reading “Lessons from the Pandemic: H1N1 and the Biotech Industry”

The Outlook for Solar: Q&A With Borrego Solar CEO Mike Hall

While venture investments in cleantech startups declined last year, technology advances in renewable energy remain a hot area of interest for both cleantech innovators and investors. In an effort to gain a better understanding of the solar energy market, especially in the photovoltaic segment of the industry, I sought insights from Mike Hall, the CEO … Continue reading “The Outlook for Solar: Q&A With Borrego Solar CEO Mike Hall”

Kindle Conniptions: How I Published My First E-Book

This is the 80th edition of World Wide Wade since this weekly column on technology trends began in April 2008. Since we have so much material piling up in the archive, we at Xconomy decided to do something a bit different: We’re collecting all of the columns in the form of an e-book. It’s called … Continue reading “Kindle Conniptions: How I Published My First E-Book”

Ranker.com Obtains $750,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=bf56a788-9d69-44b7-bc7d-13c3ac373ff1&Preview=1 Date 2/5/2010 Company Name Ranker.com Mailing Address 7080 Hollywood Blvd Hollywood, CA 90028 Company Description Ranker is an operating system for Lists. Okay, that was pretty nerdy. But basically, Ranker is an easy, fun and social way to rank anything. By hooking up our 5 million+ item database to a drag … Continue reading “Ranker.com Obtains $750,000 New Funding”

Optimer Passes Second Big Trial of Drug for Deadly Bacteria

San Diego-based Optimer Pharmaceuticals has nailed the second big trial designed to prove it has a new antibiotic for a deadly infection people can get in hospitals. Optimer (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OPTR]]) said today that it reached its main goal of showing its experimental antibiotic, fidaxomicin, was roughly equivalent to the gold standard vancomycin drug when attempting … Continue reading “Optimer Passes Second Big Trial of Drug for Deadly Bacteria”

Carl Icahn Nominates Scripps Researcher to Biogen Idec Board, BrainCells Pursues New Drug Combo for Depression, Illumina Adds to Oxford Nanopore Investment, & More San Diego Life Sciences News

San Diego-based aFraxis is working to advance a possible drug treatment for Fragile X syndrome identified by MIT’s Susumu Tonegawa. Meanwhile Waltham, MA-based Syndax Pharmaceuticals is developing an anti-cancer drug that came out of Ron Evans’s lab at San Diego’s Salk Institute. That’s life sciences, and this is Xconomy: —San Diego-based aFraxis CEO Jay Lichter … Continue reading “Carl Icahn Nominates Scripps Researcher to Biogen Idec Board, BrainCells Pursues New Drug Combo for Depression, Illumina Adds to Oxford Nanopore Investment, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”

ViaSat on New Trajectory Following Deal to Create Satellite-Based High-Speed Internet

It was a big deal in October when ViaSat (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VSAT]]), the Carlsbad, CA-based specialist in satellite-based communications technologies, announced it was acquiring WildBlue Communications, a suburban Denver, CO-based internet service provider. The acquisition, once revealed, made a lot of sense. As a satellite-based provider of high-speed Internet service in mostly rural communities, WildBlue made … Continue reading “ViaSat on New Trajectory Following Deal to Create Satellite-Based High-Speed Internet”

San Diego’s aFraxis Studies Drug Candidates to Treat Fragile X Syndrome

Fragile X syndrome is the second leading cause of mental retardation, after Down syndrome. Caused by a defect on the X chromosome, the syndrome affects boys more frequently and severely than girls; one-third of men with Fragile X are autistic and have trouble with communication and social interaction. There is no cure or specific medical … Continue reading “San Diego’s aFraxis Studies Drug Candidates to Treat Fragile X Syndrome”

Factual Garners $1,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0a3266c4-e783-4c3d-bb6c-6c820233982d&Preview=1 Date 2/3/2010 Company Name Factual Mailing Address 11111 Santa Monica Blvd Santa Monica, CA 90025 Company Description Factual is a platform where anyone can share and mash open data on any subject. For example, you might find a directory of California restaurants, a database of endocrinologists, or a list of American … Continue reading “Factual Garners $1,000,000 New Funding Round”

Single Touch Interactive Lands $1,900,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1c3ec31f-c968-430c-9929-76b0c614c367&Preview=1 Date 2/3/2010 Company Name Single Touch Interactive Mailing Address 2235 Encinitas Blvd Encinitas , CA 92024 Company Description Single Touch is a pioneer and leader in customized easy-to-use wireless solutions. Single Touch’s Patent Pending technology drives adoption by reaching new data subscribers, generating new revenue streams for carriers and content owners. … Continue reading “Single Touch Interactive Lands $1,900,000 New Financing Round”

Google Funds Research on Mobile Sensing at UW, Energy Efficiency at UC San Diego

With all the froth around big tech company earnings, device announcements, and mobile app stores, it’s refreshing to see some long-term research in computing being funded. Google announced today it has awarded $1.35 million ($900,000 up front) to the University of Washington for work on mobile data collection for public health and environmental monitoring, and … Continue reading “Google Funds Research on Mobile Sensing at UW, Energy Efficiency at UC San Diego”

Frank Quattrone, Star Banker of Technology Ventures, Talks Wistfully of the Good Old Days—Before Netscape’s IPO

[Editor’s note 2/3/10, 3:15 pm: Robert Kibble, who conducted the chat with Frank Quattrone at this event, took issue with aspects of this story. See comments below.] At a time when the IPO market appears to be loosening a bit, controversial former investment banker Frank Quattrone appeared before a regular meeting of the San Diego … Continue reading “Frank Quattrone, Star Banker of Technology Ventures, Talks Wistfully of the Good Old Days—Before Netscape’s IPO”

Economics Bloggers See Innovation, Immigration as Paths to Recovery

Despite official data showing that the U.S. economy is out of recession, leading economics bloggers remain cautious about the nation’s economic prospects, with almost half saying that conditions are worse than the official numbers indicate. But government policies boosting entrepreneurship and allowing more high-skilled immigrants into the country could bolster recovery, bloggers say. That’s all … Continue reading “Economics Bloggers See Innovation, Immigration as Paths to Recovery”

BrainCells Inc. Maps Out Next Steps for Novel Depression Drug

San Diego-based BrainCells Inc. surprised the field of psychiatry last August, when a clinical trial showed that it could relieve symptoms of depression with an odd combination of an anxiety drug and a common dietary supplement. Six months later, the company is in the thick of plotting the next steps to turn this into a … Continue reading “BrainCells Inc. Maps Out Next Steps for Novel Depression Drug”

Concerro Acquires RES-Q

San Diego-based Concerro, a venture-backed provider of software-as-a-service-based systems for hospital shift and emergency workforce management, says today it acquired RES-Q Healthcare Systems of Calabasas, CA, for an undisclosed amount. RES-Q provides similar software applications for healthcare management and scheduling. RES-Q president Michael Meisel is joining the combined business as vice president of product management … Continue reading “Concerro Acquires RES-Q”

Verari Founder Tells Death and Life Story, IPO Activity Increasing, Aptera Looks to Sell Through Best Buy Stores, & More San Diego BizTech News

Was there any BizTech news besides Apple iPad news last week? The answer is yes, but not a lot. We’ve got it here, plus a little speculation about San Diego’s iPad connection. —Diego-based V-Vehicle raised $62.3 million in venture capital in 2009, enough for the stealthy startup automaker to rank No. 2 in Southern California … Continue reading “Verari Founder Tells Death and Life Story, IPO Activity Increasing, Aptera Looks to Sell Through Best Buy Stores, & More San Diego BizTech News”

Illumina Bets Again on Oxford Nanopore, Joins $28M Investment in Cheaper Gene Sequencing

San Diego-based Illumina has made its second big bet in the past two years on U.K.-based Oxford Nanopore Technologies. The investment is another show of confidence in a startup that boldly promises to sequence entire human genomes far faster and cheaper than anything on the market today, possibly for as little as $1,000 per genome. … Continue reading “Illumina Bets Again on Oxford Nanopore, Joins $28M Investment in Cheaper Gene Sequencing”

Concerro Acquires RES-Q Healthcare for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8592482d-62ef-47c0-9ef2-c428c13f7431&Preview=1 Date 2/1/2010 Company Name RES-Q Healthcare Mailing Address 26500 W Agoura Road Calabasas, CA 91302 Company Description RES-Q Healthcare Systems is a proven provider of resource management software for hospitals. The RES-Q software includes applications for personnel management, enterprise-wide employee scheduling and staffing, open shift, surgery department management and case scheduling, … Continue reading “Concerro Acquires RES-Q Healthcare for Undisclosed Sum”

Follow That Slime: Using Drifting Robots to Track Oil Spills

UC San Diego Jorge Cortes and his team at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering recently won a nearly $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop control systems for “swarms” of miniature robots that could one day help predict where ocean currents will carry oil spills. The engineers are leading … Continue reading “Follow That Slime: Using Drifting Robots to Track Oil Spills”

Wind Power: Leading a Renaissance in Renewable Energy

Cleantech San Diego has organized this showcase, which includes a keynote presentation by Jim McDermott of the U.S. Renewables Group and a panel discussion featuring regional wind developers and technology companies. The program will explore the opportunities and challenges of wind in powering the nation’s economic recovery, and in meeting renewable energy goals. Online registration … Continue reading “Wind Power: Leading a Renaissance in Renewable Energy”

SPAWAR Focus on Electronic Medical Records and Wireless Health

SPAWAR, The Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, and Connect, San Diego’s non-profit group for technology and entrepreneurship, have organized a half-day session on electronic medical records and wireless health. The event is being held during the annual Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association conference at the San Diego Convention Center. For more information, … Continue reading “SPAWAR Focus on Electronic Medical Records and Wireless Health”

Ernst & Young Counts More IPO Filings as Sign of Increasing Activity

A study released today by Ernst & Young shows that 53 companies submitted the necessary paperwork during the fourth quarter of 2009 to hold initial public offerings—the highest number of new registrants in a quarter since 2007. At of the end of December, Ernst & Young counted 54 companies in the U.S. that were ready … Continue reading “Ernst & Young Counts More IPO Filings as Sign of Increasing Activity”

Allylix, Specialty Chemical Maker, Nails Down $6M Financing

Allylix, the San Diego-based company that uses genetically engineered yeast to make specialty chemicals, has raised $6 million in new equity capital, according to a regulatory filing. The document doesn’t say who invested, although it does list CEO Carolyn Fritz, Simon Barnes of Tate & Lyle Ventures in London, Stephen Block of Tech Coast Angels, … Continue reading “Allylix, Specialty Chemical Maker, Nails Down $6M Financing”

What’s So Magical About an Oversized iPhone? Plenty—And There’s More to Come

The Apple iPad is one of the most eagerly anticipated computing devices in history. With all the heat and hype that preceded Wednesday’s public debut of the device, it was inevitable that the backlash from skeptical bloggers and Twitterers would be equally ferocious. Still, even after you filter out all the bozos who keep repeating … Continue reading “What’s So Magical About an Oversized iPhone? Plenty—And There’s More to Come”

Verari Founder Outlines Strategy After High-Speed Wipeout and Rebirth

The demise of San Diego’s Verari Systems and its resurrection as Verari Technologies happened so fast you might not have realized what happened unless you were paying close attention over the holidays. The longtime local company, which specializes in making high-performance servers, server racks, and energy-efficient data storage centers, laid off 223 employees and ceased … Continue reading “Verari Founder Outlines Strategy After High-Speed Wipeout and Rebirth”

Allylix Garners $6,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=653da1fa-7e7d-4751-b387-563be621e4a1&Preview=1 Date 1/29/2010 Company Name Allylix Mailing Address 6020 Cornerstone Court San Diego, CA 92121 Company Description Allylix has developed proprietary technology that allows it to produce a group of natural products called terpenes at low cost. In nature, terpenes are produced by plants in minute quantities to serve a number of … Continue reading “Allylix Garners $6,000,000 New Financing Round”

Carl Icahn Nominates Three More Candidates for Biogen Board Seats

The season of proxy battles at Biogen Idec (NASDAQ:[[ticker:BIIB]]) is upon us. Billionaire investor Carl Icahn and his affiliates have sent word to Cambridge, MA-based Biogen that they plan to nominate three additional people for election to the board of directors at the company’s annual meeting this year, Biogen says. Two of Icahn’s nominees are … Continue reading “Carl Icahn Nominates Three More Candidates for Biogen Board Seats”

A Contract Services Cluster Emerges, the Burnham Gets a Big Donation, Somaxon Resubmits Sleep Drug Application, & More San Diego Life Sciences News

San Diego’s life sciences sector had a busy week. Allow me to recap it for you. —Working with Assay Depot, a San Diego-based online marketplace for CRO services, Bruce found 144 companies in San Diego that provide contract services to life sciences companies, providing a glimpse of what appears to be a thriving new sector. … Continue reading “A Contract Services Cluster Emerges, the Burnham Gets a Big Donation, Somaxon Resubmits Sleep Drug Application, & More San Diego Life Sciences News”

Amira Mixes Small Biotech Irreverence, With Big Pharma Rigor, To Create New Lung Drugs

Amira Pharmaceuticals looks and feels like a typical small biotech company, with the sort of irreverent sense of humor that you don’t often find at a Big Pharma shop. While CEO Bob Baltera showed me around the Amira offices on my last visit to San Diego, he opened up a storage room where employees had … Continue reading “Amira Mixes Small Biotech Irreverence, With Big Pharma Rigor, To Create New Lung Drugs”

ThisNext Obtains $1,200,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2fd9a50f-d57c-40d5-a5a4-c36b9d6bb3c7&Preview=1 Date 1/28/2010 Company Name ThisNext Mailing Address 227 Broadway Santa Monica, CA 90401 Company Description The company is developing a social ecommerce company providing guided product discovery. Website http://www.thisnext.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,200,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor Undisclosed

The Apple iPad’s Impact on Mobile, Gaming, and E-Books: Local Techies and Startups React

[Updated 1/28/10, see below] The wait is over, but the endless mulling of the details and implications is just beginning. As Apple unveiled its long-rumored tablet device, the iPad, at a press event today in San Francisco, mobile industry insiders in Seattle, Boston, and elsewhere were watching closely. Which is exactly what you would expect, … Continue reading “The Apple iPad’s Impact on Mobile, Gaming, and E-Books: Local Techies and Startups React”

Biogen Idec Advances First Regenerative MS Medicine into Human Study

One of the more intriguing experimental drugs for multiple sclerosis has just entered its first clinical trial. Cambridge, MA-based Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) has now started what it believes to be the first-ever clinical trial of a drug with the potential to regenerate the fatty protective coating around nerves that gets damaged in people with … Continue reading “Biogen Idec Advances First Regenerative MS Medicine into Human Study”

San Diego’s Life Sciences CROs—The Map of Clinical Research Organizations

Economic downturns often light the fuse of revolutionary change. And one key change is becoming apparent now in San Diego’s life sciences community—which has been hammered by the 2008 capital markets collapse and plunge in VC funding. Unable to raise capital, many biotechs and medical instrument makers were forced over the past 16 months to … Continue reading “San Diego’s Life Sciences CROs—The Map of Clinical Research Organizations”

Vertex’s Matt Emmens on His Journey From Security Guard to CEO

The man hired to turn Cambridge, MA-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals into biotechnology’s next big success story might never have gotten into the industry if he hadn’t been a security guard. It was the early 1970s, and Matt Emmens was a middle-class New Jersey kid with a vague idea of studying business at nearby Fairleigh Dickinson University. … Continue reading “Vertex’s Matt Emmens on His Journey From Security Guard to CEO”

NeoMend Garners $30,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a45241b9-1d8c-4746-a1fc-d5bc194a5a2e&Preview=1 Date 1/27/2010 Company Name NeoMend Mailing Address 60 Technology Drive Irvine, CA 92618 Company Description NeoMend, Inc. is a privately held, clinical stage biomedical device company engaged in the development and commercialization of advanced surgical wound healing products. Website http://www.neomendinc.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $30,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds … Continue reading “NeoMend Garners $30,000,000 New Financing Round”

Prometheus Positions for IPO, Licenses Novartis Drug

Prometheus Laboratories, a San Diego-based specialty pharmaceutical and diagnostics company, says it has executed a commercialization deal with Novartis that gives Prometheus exclusive rights to sell aldesleukin (Proleukin) in the United States. Aldesleukin is a recombinant human interleukin-2 for treating metastatic melanoma and metastatic kidney cancer, and generated about $75 million in U.S. sales last … Continue reading “Prometheus Positions for IPO, Licenses Novartis Drug”

San Diego’s Top 10 Venture Deals of 2009

The good folks at Dow Jones VentureSource provided us with a list of the 10 biggest private-equity deals in Southern California in 2009, but it might have been just as easy if Dow Jones had focused solely on San Diego. Seven of the region’s 10 biggest deals of 2009 were in the San Diego area, … Continue reading “San Diego’s Top 10 Venture Deals of 2009”

Burnham Snags $50M Gift, Sparks Translation of Basic Science into New Treatments

Big news is out this morning from the Burnham Institute for Medical Research. The San Diego-based nonprofit says it’s getting a $50 million donation from T. Denny Sanford, enough for the whole institution to be re-named in honor of the philanthropist. The center will now be called the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute. That decision was … Continue reading “Burnham Snags $50M Gift, Sparks Translation of Basic Science into New Treatments”

Addressing the Innovation “Valley of Death:” It’s the Products, Stupid!

Several articles published in the press this past year have emphasized the importance of technology innovation in creating high-paying jobs and fueling our nation’s economy. Janet Rae-Dupree’s aptly titled New York Times piece, “Innovation Should Mean More Jobs, Not Less,” makes the case that investing in innovative technologies is critical to the future of the … Continue reading “Addressing the Innovation “Valley of Death:” It’s the Products, Stupid!”

San Diego’s Halozyme Injects New Life into Old Drugs

Smart companies are cautious about fiddling with successful products. So I was intrigued to learn that Roche was reformulating its blockbuster breast cancer drug trastuzumab to include an enzyme from San Diego-based Halozyme Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:HALO]]). Last week I caught up with Halozyme CFO Kurt Gustafson, who offered some insight into why companies like Roche … Continue reading “San Diego’s Halozyme Injects New Life into Old Drugs”