MedWorm: Biotechnology

Green Hills assisted living center fetches $35.4 million

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:46:47 +0100

Belmont Village of Green Hills, Nashville’s second biggest assisted living facility, has sold for $35.4 million. Toledo, Ohio-based Health Care REIT, Inc. (NYSE:HCN) bought the 160-bed center at 4200 Stammer Place, according to Davidson County property records. The seller was Belmont Village Green Hills LLC. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

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Cel-Sci looks for more funding

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:23:41 +0100

Vienna-based Cel-Sci Corp., with final-stage clinical trials for its lead cancer drug underway, says it intends to find partners or other sources of funding to continue operations this year. Cel-Sci posted a net loss of $4.2 million, or 2 cents per share, in its fiscal first quarter, compared to a net loss of $6.3 million, or 3 cents per share, a year earlier as expenses for its Phase III clinical trials for Multikine slowed. Research and development costs fell to $2.5 million last quarter, compared to $3... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

FDA panel recommends agency reject NeurogesX HIV pain patch

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:23:37 +0100

An FDA advisory panel unanimously recommended Thursday that the agency reject an HIV pain patch from NeurogesX Inc. not be approved. Qutenza, the patch from the San Mateo-based company (NASDAQ: NGSX), already is used for pain related to shingles, but NeurogesX is seeking Food and Drug Administration approval for its use in nerve damage associated with the AIDS virus. The 12-member panel’s unanimous decision does not mean the FDA will reject the drug, but the agency typically follows the advise of its committees of experts... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

Exelixis to sell 10M shares to pay for R&D, other expenses

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:22:33 +0100

Cancer drug developer Exelixis Inc. plans to sell 10 million shares of common stock The South San Francisco-based company (NASDAQ: EXEL), which has centered its drug-development efforts around the cancer-fighting drug cabozantinib, said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Thursday that it will use net proceeds from the offering for research and development, capital expenditures, working capital and other purposes. The company expects to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to buy up to an addition 1... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

PharMerica earnings soar nearly 70 percent

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:19:47 +0100

Fresh from a key victory in its battle to repel a hostile takeover bid from Omnicare Inc., PharMerica Corp. reported Thursday that its earnings jumped 68 percent for the fourth quarter, compared with a year earlier. Louisville-based PharMerica, which provides pharmaceutical services to long-term care facilities such as nursing homes and assisted-living centers, reported net income of $7.9 million, or 27 cents per share, up from $4.7 million, or 16 cents per share, a year earlier, according to a news release... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

ThermoGenesis posts Q2 loss

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:58:27 +0100

ThermoGenesis Corp. lost $2.5 million on revenue of $9.6 million in the six months ended Dec. 31, compared to a loss of $554,000 on revenue of $12.9 million during the same period the year earlier. In the company’s second quarter, it lost $1.3 million on revenue of $4.8 million compared to a loss of $486,000 on revenue of $5.7 million in the second quarter of the previous year. Based in Rancho Cordova, ThermoGenesis (NASDAQ: KOOL) supplies products and services to process and store adult stem cells and blood products... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

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FDA sets draft rules for biotech drug copies

Reuters: Health — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:46:47 +0100

(Reuters) - The Food and Drug Administration's long-awaited guidelines for the sale of lower-cost versions of biotechnology drugs leave open the possibility that some products might not need to be tested in humans. (Source: Reuters: Health)

LVM Systems expanding in Mesa

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:42:17 +0100

LVM Systems Inc., a provider of call center software for the health care industry, is nearly doubling its space. Construction started last week on a 7,000-square-foot structure just north of its existing 10,000-square-foot headquarters in Mesa. Construction costs are estimated at about $1 million, said company spokesman Lorenzo Sierra, adding the project will be financed through a combination of cash on hand and a bank loan. The new building will accommodate up to 40 employees, he said. The company employs 61 people nationwide, including 51 at its headquarters... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

National Laser Institute to hire 40 in Scottsdale, expand nationally

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:38:52 +0100

The National Laser Institute, a medical aesthetics training facility and spa in Scottsdale, is planning to hire 40 people locally and expand nationally. The school employs 100 people, and owner Louis Silberman said he’s looking to hire 40 new employees in a variety of positions during the next 12 months. Positions include 10 more instructors with experience in procedures like laser hair removal and Botox injections. The other 30 positions include marketing, admissions and spa support jobs. To accommodate its new staff the institute plans to add 5,000 square feet to its administration building in Scottsdale near Bell Road and the Loop 101... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

Glaucoma drug developer Altheos adds $12.5M to Series A round

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:26:43 +0100

Altheos Inc. raised an additional $12.5 million — pushing its Series A round to a total of $32.5 million — as the South San Francisco company enters a mid-stage study of a glaucoma drug. Funding has come from Bay City Capital, Novo A/S, Canaan Partners and additional investors, the company said Thursday. The expanded Series A round will allow Altheos to complete the Phase II clinical program for ATS-907, which is designed as an eye drop to reduce elevated intraocular pressure in primary open angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

Humana unit Concentra buys Chicago-area practice

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:17:25 +0100

Texas-based Concentra, a subsidiary of Louisville-based Humana Inc., has acquired a primary-care practice near Chicago. Concentra purchased Mid America Medical Associates and Garcia, Rosenberg & Associates, in Lincolnwood, Ill., according to a news release. Financial terms were not disclosed. Concentra now has 15 medical centers in the Chicago area. The firm will continue with the same name, the release said, and will be able to access Concentra’s outcomes-driven medical model and enhanced business and technology efficiencies... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

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EPL Archives Joins Virginia Biotechnology Association

PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:10:07 +0100

EPL Archives, the first commercial biorepository, has joined VABIO (Virginia Biotechnology Association), a statewide non-profit trade association representing the life sciences industry in the...(PRWeb February 07, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/biotechnology/news/prweb9167009.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals)

Sustainable land use strategies to support bioenergy described in Industrial Biotechnology journal

EurekAlert! - Biology — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News) Applying 21st century tools and technologies to manage land use, maximize biomass production, and increase the efficiency of processes for extracting energy from renewable resources will enable the biofuels industry to overcome current challenges in bioenergy production, according to a comprehensive review article published in Industrial Biotechnology, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert Inc. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

£7 public funding available for research to deliver better fruit and vegetables

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council) A new research initiative launched Feb. 9 aims to bring academic researchers together with industry in order to deliver bigger yields of better quality fruits and vegetables for the consumer through more sustainable farming practices. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Calendar

Industrial Biotechnology — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:03:15 +0100

Industrial Biotechnology , Vol. 0, No. 0. (Source: Industrial Biotechnology)

Government funds for sanitation are inadequate

The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:03:48 +0100

More people die from inadequate sanitation-related causes in India everyday than 10 aeroplanes filled with 200 people each. (Source: The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News)

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Fasting Might Boost Chemo's Cancer-Busting Properties

Scientific American Topic - Biotechnology — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:30:00 +0100

Cancer treatment can be brutal for patients. Many of the tools we have-- chemotherapy , radiation--are big, blunt weapons that deal punishing blows to healthy tissues along with cancerous ones. So the hunt has been on for more and more finely targeted therapies that will attack malignant cells yet minimize damage to patients' bodies. [More] (Source: Scientific American Topic - Biotechnology)

Sight Seen: Gene Therapy Restores Vision in Both Eyes

Scientific American Topic - Biotechnology — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:00:00 +0100

Gene therapy has markedly improved vision in both eyes in three women who were born virtually blind. The patients can now avoid obstacles even in dim light, read large print and recognize people's faces. The operation, researchers predict, should work even better in children and adolescents blinded by the same condition. [More] (Source: Scientific American Topic - Biotechnology)

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals to Present at the 14th Annual BIO CEO & Investor Conference

Medical News (via PRIMEZONE) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:30:00 +0100

EMERYVILLE, Calif., Feb. 8, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NovaBay(r) Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE Amex:NBY), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing its first-in-class, anti-infective Aganocide(r) compounds for the local non-systemic treatment and prevention of infections, today announced that Ron Najafi, Chief Executive Officer, will present at the 14th Annual BIO CEO & Investor Conference in New York, NY, held February 13-14, 2011, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. (Source: Medical News (via PRIMEZONE))

Campaigners clash over industry claims of rise in GM crops

Guardian Unlimited Science — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:36:37 +0100

NGOs accuse industry body of inflating claims that the acreage of biotech crops grew by 8% in 2011Pro- and anti-GM organisations clashed on Tuesday over the accuracy of industry figures that suggested a rise internationally of 8% in the acreage of GM crops in 2011, a 16th straight rise since they were first sold in 1996.The International Service for the Acquisition of Agribiotic Applications (ISAAA), an industry body funded by GM companies including Monsanto, Bayer CropScience and CropLife International, claimed in its annual report that biotech crops grew by 12m hectares, to 160 million hectares, in 2011."A record 16.7 million farmers, up 1.3 million or 8% from 2010, grew biotech crops – notably, over 90%, or 15 million, were small resource-poor farmers in developing countries. Seven mi...

CCI cracks down on pharma companies for unfair trade practises

The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:17:17 +0100

The competition commission of India has cracked a whip on the Indian drug manufacturers for encouraging unfair trade practises by colluding with wholesale drug lobbies. (Source: The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News)

Armed and accurate: engineering cytotoxic T cells for eradication of leukemia

BMC Biotechnology - Latest articles — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Marko Radic discusses recent advances in cancer immunotherapy, whereby cytotoxic T cells from patients with leukemia are turned into efficient and specific killers of their own cancer cells. (Source: BMC Biotechnology - Latest articles)

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