Weekly Update -- October 29, 2007

Industry & Company Headlines

Market Watch

  • Investing in Follow-On Biologics
    With the establishment of a pathway for FDA approval of follow-on biologics possibly dead until after the 2008 election, it may seem like there's little hope for investing in this potential multibillion-dollar market. But broadening your horizons may well lead you to a much different conclusion ... Read more

  • Medical Device Companies Surging in Popularity with Investors
    Venture firms, as well as hedge funds and buyout firms, are shifting their money into small, privately held medical device companies like never before ... Read more

Recent VC Investments

  • Xencor adds $15M to fifth VC round
    The Monrovia–based developer of protein therapeutics and antibody drugs, has raised $15 million in additional Series E funding. The round total now stands at $60 million, including a $45 million first close in October 2006. ... Read more

Patent of the Week

Shape Memory Devices and Methods for Reshaping Heart Anatomy
Assigned to MiCardia Corporation  (Irvine)

Patent #: 7,285,087
Date Granted: October 23, 2007
This invention pertains to treating heart failure patients by reshaping the heart anatomy with the use of shape memory elements. Such reshaping changes the geometry of portions of the heart, particularly the right or left ventricles, to increase contractibility of the ventricles thereby increasing the stroke volume which in turn increases the cardiac output of the heart ... Read more

Company Headlines

Open Positions

Advance You Career

New SoCalBio Member

ALine Inc.
Redondo Beach

ALine has developed a fabrication method for rapid prototyping and volume manufacture of bio microfluidic devices for applications in cell culture, medical diagnostics, laboratory and field research.

The company will be represented in SoCalBio by its president & CEO Leanna M. Levine, Ph.D.

Upcoming Events

November 14, 2007
 7:00 - 9:30 am
Hyatt Regency in Irvine

SoCalBio Breakfast in Orange County 

Click Here to RSVP

Life-Science Industry "Sneak Peak" Introducing

Novel Biotech Approaches in Targeting Neurological Disorders

This Mixer will showcase the following companies:
  • Anergix, a USC spin-off targeting multiple sclerosis;
  • Cenomed Biosciences, an Irvine-based joint venture between Abraxis Bioscience and Cenomed, which targets disorders such as cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's; and
  • Kadmus Pharmaceuticals, a UCI spinoff focusing on endocannabinoid pathways to develop drugs for anxiety, depression and panic.

Click Here for SoCalBio Calendar

Thanks to Sponsors








 

For Sponsorship and Display Opportunities, Contact SoCalBio at scbc@socalbio.org

January 28, 2008
7:30 am - 4:00 pm
UCI University Club in Irvine

SoCalBio Workshop on Accessing Government Funding

Click here to RSVP

Learn about funding opportunities from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and the U.S. Army .. See attendee evaluation of previous workshop held on Jan. 2007



For Sponsorship and Display Opportunities, Contact SoCalBio at scbc@socalbio.org

February 29, 2008
8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Wilshire Grand Hotel, Los Angeles

2nd SoCalBio Human Resources  Conference

Click Here to RSVP

Organized by the Southern California Biomedical Council, this conference provides a forum for information sharing among HR executives in device and biotech companies, HR service providers, bio-recruiters, educators, and workforce training professionals to address the growing human capital and employment needs of the life-science industry in Southern California ... More information

Sponsors


Los Angeles - Orange County EWD Biotechnology Center

For Sponsorship and Display Opportunities, Contact SoCalBio at scbc@socalbio.org

Join SoCalBio

Join the Southern California Biomedical
Council and Enjoy the Benefits of our
Group Purchasing Program

The SoCalBio Group Purchasing Program covers the following products and services:

Testimonial

"The SoCalBio group purchasing program not only saves our company money but also administrative time; which in the end also saves money. We have officially been in the program for about one month, but in that month, we have seen savings of up to 70% on our compressed gases and an average savings of 45% on laboratory supplies," said Richard Tamaki, Chief Operating Officer. Molecular Express