SoCalBio Weekly Update -- March 6, 2008
Editor: Ahmed A. Enany

From the Lab Bench

  • UCLA Study Shows How Blood Stem Cells Are Nurtured in the Placenta
    The discovery may allow researchers to mimic the specific embryonic microenvironment necessary for the development of blood stem cells in cell cultures and grow them for use in treating diseases like leukemia and aplastic anemia, said senior author of the study Dr. Hanna Mikkola (photo right) ...read more 

Industry & Company Headlines

  • Is this the Beginning of the End for the User Fee Program?
    The FDA is sending signals that it will start to let deadlines for drug approvals go by the wayside. This would be an enormous blow to drug developers, who have provided huge sums to the FDA in fees in return for its assurance that it will stick to a secure timeline for approvals... read more

Real Estate

Congratulations

Winners of the SoCalBio Educator and Employee of the Year Awards

Educator of the Year

Martin Ikkanda, Director, Amgen Bruce Wallace Biotechnology Lab Program
The awards ceremony capped a day-long HR conference on February 29 at the Wilshire Grand Hotel that focused on workforce development issues affecting the Greater Los Angeles medical device and biotechnology sector. Organized by SoCalBio’s Workforce Development Committee, the SoCalBio HR Conference is the only event of its kind dedicated to addressing regional strategies for nurturing biomed/biotech human capital and employment needs ...read press release
Employee of the Year

Kent Smith, Chief Scientific Advisor, Coastal Marine BioLabs

Coming This Month

March 27, 2008
4 to 7 pm
UCLA Faculty Club

SoCalBio Networking Forum
RSVP: https://www.123signup.com/register?id=ttrmq

Personalized Medicine
Are We There Yet?

Personalized medicine is the practice of tailoring treatment to patients and their diseased cells based on genetic/genomic knowledge and health information technology. It is a therapeutic modality fueled by the genetic data and diagnostic tools that emerged following the decoding of the human genome about ten years ago. Personalized medicine represents a paradigm shift in health care requiring a whole new approach to science, but progress in making it a reality has been slow. Although many biotech firms and institutional researchers are rallying around personalized medicine, the timeline to new therapies is still being recalibrated.

Join us to learn from local companies, such as Pathway Diagnostics of Malibu, about the prospects of personalized medicine. 

Recommended Events

March 29, 2008
 3rd Annual Biomedical Forum

Organized by SABPA (Sino-American Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Professionals Association) at the Hyatt Regency in Huntington Beach .. click here for more information

About SoCalBio

The Southern California Biomedical Council (SCBC or SoCalBio) is a nonprofit, member-supported trade association that promotes biomedical and life science research, development, manufacturing and overall economic development in Los Angeles, Orange County and adjacent communities.

The organization’s programs assist local firms in accessing capital, potential partners and business support services. They also promote technology transfer and workforce training and educate the public and policy makers about the economic and social benefits of the life-science industry.


Southern California
Biomedical
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