Category: Uncategorized

EXPERT COMMITTEE FINDS RED HAIR DYE YOXIC. The list goes on. The work of these Committees is invaluable. View in LinkedIn

HARNESSING PREDATOR-PREY PAIRS OF BUGS TO DO YOUR WORK FOR YOU is super smart. As the prey mutates to avoid the predator, the prey follows a similar mutational survival curve. The challenge with antibiotics are that they are stationary strategies and the bugs can quickly learn to mutate into resistant forms, if the target is not highly conserved and obligatory for life. Permitting a truly evolving kill strategy is perhaps the only way to stay abreast of antibiotic resistance. http://lnkd.in/PcVWfB View in LinkedIn

PHARMA PRODUCTIVITY TABLE. A bit misleading because it does not say how many were in-licensed, and not the costs of developing them. Regardless, a useful data point. http://lnkd.in/sFbVes View in LinkedIn

SANOFI'S THIRD OPEN INNOVATION CHALLENGE is curious. While appearing to value innovative ideas, the ten 5,000 USD prizes do not match the apparent intent. If Sanofi was serious about this, and really wanted to attract top talent to work (at risk) on their projects, a more meaningful incentive would be 200,000 cash upfront, and Milestone payments based on success of 10.0 M USD, and a 10% royalty. Now that could get the attention of some serious talent, not this candy bar raffle prize. This is still under the cost of a commercial license. The criteria should include patentability. http://www.pharmalive.com/sanofi-calls-insulin-delivery-ideas/?cid=nl_pharma_daily View in LinkedIn

GREAT INTERVIEW ON THE STATE OF STEM CELL COMPANIES. This relatively young industry has had false starts and skepticism from Pharma for some years, but may be getting ready for prime time, as some of the early pioneers start to have clinical successes. Actually, Pharma skepticism may be thawing, based on the number of recent stem cell investment. http://www.investorideas.com/news/2013/biotech/04161.asp View in LinkedIn

A PROMISING REGENERATIVE MEDICINE APPROACH TO UNTREATABLE EYE DISEASES USING RETINAL CELLS. A number of eye diseases have proved very challenging to treat and manage. This cell-based approach may have more success, since the difficulties of structural repair of big tissue areas in some of these diseases is proving beyond the ability of small molecules or monoclonals. http://m.yahoo.com/w/legobpengine/finance/news/retina-institute-japan-dainippon-sumitomo-080000985.html?.intl=us&.lang=en-us View in LinkedIn

SOCIAL MEDIA HAS BECOME ESSENTIAL FOR BIZ DEVELOPMENT. Early in my career, BD was about networking at frenetic conferences and scanning every obscure cranny of the printed news media. This tended to be inefficient and resulted in way too much follow-up travel. Now it is possible to effectively and efficiently network, gain access, and find out basic data in a product acquisition or out-licensing situation, by using social media. http://commercialbiotechnology.com/index.php/jcb/article/view/603 View in LinkedIn

ARE WE MEETING THE NEW WORKFORCE IN THE MIDDLE? An interesting contribution to the debate. http://lnkd.in/NHQKr8 View in LinkedIn

GENENTECH/ ROCHE's EXPENSIVE CANCER DRUG AVASTIN caused a firestorm for compounding pharmacies. Compounding pharmacies diluted Avastin for use for Macular Degeneration, to avoid the repurposed Roche Avastin-mimick Lucentis. Diluted Avastin cost 50 USD per shot vs 2,000 USD for Lucentis. Unfortunately, due to a small but serious group of eye infections, FDA understandably came down hard. We now risk throwing out the baby with the bathwater, to the likely delight of the innovator. View in LinkedIn

OVER 5,000 ONCOLOGY PROJECTS IN CLINICAL TRIALS. View in LinkedIn