• Schwarzenegger Vetoes Stem Cell Bill:

The bill was designed to direct CIRM to back studies that do not involve embryonic stem cells. California Life Science Alliance partnering organizations wrote letters urging Governor Schwarzenegger to veto this bill. In defending his veto decision, the Governor said the measure would have undermined funding for work focused on human embryonic stem cells and the institute's authority to strike a balance between patient need and research. Read more at: http://www.bizjournals.com/ sanfrancisco/stories/2008/09/ 29/daily3.html?b=1222660800^ 1708117&brthrs=1

• New Ernst and Young Study of Medtech Industry Shows Strong investments from the private sector have helped the continued growth of the U.S. medical-technology industry despite a worldwide credit slowdown that has stalled public-equity financing

Aging populations, the spread of chronic conditions and "an expected surge in demand for companion diagnostics" for use with new generations of targeted therapeutics will drive industry growth in the coming years, despite a worldwide credit slowdown that has stalled public-equity financing, Ernst & Young's report said. See: http://www.socalbio.org/ Weekly_Update/files/EY_ MedTech_Pulseofindustry_final. pdf

• The Medical Device Industry, Which Grew as Quickly as a Teenager, Now Has Some Serious Growing Pains

Medical devices are getting increasingly more complex, the Food and Drug Administration requirements for testing them are becoming increasingly more stringent, and, with health care costs growing at an alarming rate, ensuring that new devices will be reimbursed by insurance companies is becoming increasingly difficult .... See article at http://www.socalbio.org/ Weekly_Update/files/Med_ Device_Innovation.pdf

• Will Medtech Remain a Safe Port in the Current Financial Storm?

Industry analysts continue to assert that the medtech industry is positioned as a safe port in the current turbulent financial environment. But if the storm becomes a tsunami, all bets may be off. See: http://www.devicelink.com/mx/ issuesupdate/08/09/Finance

• District Court Affirms Patent Infringement Rulings and Finds That Amgen (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) is Entitled to a Permanent Injunction against Roche: http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/ 081002/20081002006383.html?.v= 1

Collaborations:

• Clarient (Aliso VCiejo, Calif.) Enters into Training and Consulting Agreement with University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine: http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/ 080929/20080929005051.html?.v= 1

Clinical Studies:

• Mentor Corporation (Santa Barbara, Calif.) Announces Completion of PurTox(R) 3A Study: http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/ 081001/20081001005424.html?.v= 1
• Aeolus Pharmaceuticals (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) Announces Initiation of Multiple Dose Study of AEOL 10150 in a Patient with ALS: http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/ 080930/20080930005659.html?.v= 1
• Watson Pharmaceuticals (Corona, Calif.) Announces Positive Data for RAPAFLO(TM)(silodosin), Its Investigational Product for BPH: http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/ 080929/lam026.html?.v=101

• STAAR Surgical (Monrovia, Calif.) says 3Q Visian ICL sales climbed: http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/ 081006/aqm038.html?.v=57 
• Response Genetics (Los Angeles, Calif.) Launches National Sales Strategy for Its ResponseDX™ Tests Through Exclusive Agreement With NeoGenomics Laboratories and Formation of Sales Team: http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/ 080929/20080929005404.html?.v=  

Personnel:

• Amgen (Thousan Oaks, Calif.) Appoints Francois de Carbonnel to the Company's Board of Directors: http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/ 081003/20081003005606.html?.v= 1
• Hemacare (Van Nuys, Calif.) Appoints John Doumitt as CEO: http://biz.yahoo.com/e/081002/ hema.ob8-k.html