Thursday, June 30, 2011

CBSA June Focus Newsletter Spotlights AlloSource, the largest provider of living stem cell transplants in the world

The Colorado Bioscience Association spotlights AlloSource in its June Focus Newsletter.

"AlloSource, a CBSA member since 2002 that is headquartered in Centennial, is renowned for its unwavering focus on its mission of maximizing the gift of human tissue donation by creating innovative life enhancing and saving tissue products from even the most novel processes."

Other articles include:

From the President...Holli Riebel (formerly Baumunk) - Page 1

BioBogey Golf Tournament Thank You - Page 3

Upcoming CBSA Events - Page 4

Link to the June Focus Newsletter pdf

Link to the AlloSource website

Reminder: BioBeers Denver is Thursday July 7

Join BioBeers in Denver for a warm summer evening of good beers and great networking on the West Patio at your friendly neighborhood Vine St. Pub., 1700 Vine St, Denver. Meetup time: 6:30 p.m.

Link for details and to RSVP

From June 27: "Task force recommends ways to strengthen innovative industries"

Quoting from the Northern Colorado Business Report:

"Colorado Sens. Michael Bennet and Mark Udall and Gov. John Hickenlooper, met with the Coloradans for an Innovation Economy task force Friday to discuss recommendations to strengthen Colorado's competitiveness in aerospace, clean-tech and bioscience industries...

Coloradans for an Innovation Economy also recommended changes on the national level, including more predictable federal grants and tax breaks that would allow businesses to better plan around these sources of funding...

Co-chairs of the task force were Holli Riebel, president and CEO of the Colorado BioScience Association; Mark Sirangelo, executive vice president of Sierra Nevada Corp.; and Ron Sega, vice president and Enterprise Executive for Energy and the Environment at Colorado State University and The Ohio State University. David Hiller, executive director of the Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory, facilitated the effort."

Link to NCBR.com

From June 24: "Bioscience startups struggle to find financing"

Quoting from Beth Potter's Bank Notes column:

"In light of industry funding woes, companies are getting creative about where they get money, said Holli Riebel, formerly Baumunk, executive director of the Colorado BioScience Association in Denver.

For example, company founders may be more be willing to take private equity financing deals these days, even though they may lose some control over products, Riebel said.

'Take any money as soon as you can, whenever you can,' Riebel said. 'This is not a time to be really picky. Venture capital is very tough.'"

Link to bcbr.com

Monday, June 27, 2011

2011 Bioscience Colorado Magazine Debuts at BIO International Conference in Washington D.C. This Week

This year's issue, Bridging the Gap from Discovery to Commercialization, takes a closer look at the process from discovery to commercialization with the following feature articles:

Discovery to Development: The Story of Technology Transfer
When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Creative Financing
Colorado's Clinical Trial Landscape
Mile High Manufacturing
Changing the Lives of Patients for the Better


The edition also includes critical updates of the resources, statistics and information you depend on from this publication.

Colorado by the Numbers: 2011 update
Bioscience Discovery Evaluation Grant Program Awardees
Directory of Bioscience Companies and Resources


Member copies will be mailed this week- additional copies will be available at upcoming CBSA events.

Link to the pdf version

Link to the flipbook version

'Colorado companies head to Washington to promote state'

Quoting from the Denver Post article by Howard Pankratz:

"The Colorado BioScience Association will head the Colorado Pavilion at the Biotechnology Organization's international convention which starts today in Washington.

The CBSA is a not-for-profit organization which provides service and support for Colorado's biosciences industry. The CBSA has more than 350 members."

Link to denverpost.com

Colorado Showcases Its Bioscience Industry at BIO 2011 Conference In Washington DC This Week

Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) will head the Colorado Pavilion at the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s (BIO) International Convention in Washington DC, June 27-30. CBSA President and CEO, Holli Riebel (formerly Baumunk) recently stated, “Colorado is the next frontier in life sciences. Everyday, over 600 Colorado bioscience companies help improve lives locally and around the world. The BIO Conference is a fantastic opportunity so showcase the talent and resources in Colorado to the rest of the country.”

Colorado Pavilion Partners– Exhibit Hall Booth #2107
- Bridging Health Matters
- Broomfield Economic Development Corporation
- Colorado BioScience Association
- Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4)
- Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade
- Colorado Science + Technology Park at Fitzsimons
- Colorado State University Technology Transfer Office
- Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority
- LABS Inc.
- LCC Consulting, LLC
- Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation
- Southeast Business Partnership
- University of Colorado Technology Transfer Office

Colorado companies at the 2011 Convention:
- Amgen • Booth #1851
- Barofold, Inc • Booth #4323
- CBL Biopharma • Presenting
- GlobeImmune, Inc. • Presenting
- Inviragen • Booth #4613
- MenoGenix • Partnering
- Roche Colorado • 2750

Link to the Business Wire release

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Business: 'Innovations panel tells Colorado leaders how to support job creation'

Quoting from the Denver Post article:

"Holli Riebel, the group's co-chair and chief executive of the Colorado BioScience Association, said the level of venture capital investing has been decreasing for several years. 'Our No. 1 concern among our companies and institutions is attracting capital,' Riebel said. The group recommended creating tax incentives for private investment into companies caught in a funding gap. The report said many clean-energy companies fall into a gap, or 'Valley of Death,' between early stage funding — for example, from the inventor's own pockets and angel investors — and debt and equity financing at the later stages because the risk and profitability of their technology does not fit into the typical investment parameters for capital sources."

Link to denverpost.com

June 24 - Coloradoans for an Innovation Economy: Action Plan Rollout for Senators Bennet, Udall and Governor Hickenlooper

Coloradoans for an Innovation Economy present their action plan to Colorado's Senators Bennet and Udall and Governor Hickenlooper at Sierra Nevada Corp. Space Systems Group's offices in Louisville, CO. CBSA Pres/CEO Holli Riebel; Sierra Nevada Corp Vice President Mark Sirangelo; and Ron Sega, Vice President and Enterprise Executive for Energy and the Environment at Colorado State University; together co-chaired the panel. The group, organized at the suggestion of Senator Bennet, included representatives from the state's bioscience, aerospace and cleantech industries. In addition to Riebel, bioscience participants on the Coloradoans for and Innovation Economy include Steve Orndorf, CEO of Ariel Pharmaceuticals and Board Chair of the Colorado BioScience Association; Timothy C. Rodell, M.D., GlobeImmune CEO; Dr. Dan Stinchcomb, Co-founder and CEO of Inviragen; and David Allen, Associate Vice President for Technology Transfer University of Colorado and Board Member of the CBSA.

Link to the action plan report: http://tinyurl.com/ColoradoCompetesReport

Link to the Facebook photo gallery of the event: http://tinyurl.com/ColoradoCompetesPhotoGallery

Video clips from the presentation - Holli Riebel - Attracting Capital to Colorado:


http://youtu.be/2c6IHAylJPg

Holli Riebel - Partnerships are Key to Financing Innovation:
http://youtu.be/hDCh5FLEO1A

Timothy C. Rodell, M.D - BIO Committee Recommendation to FDA: http://youtu.be/XXliantUqR0

Daily Camera: 'Boulder's Clovis Oncology files for IPO'

Quoting from the 6/24 Daily Camera article by Alicia Wallace:

"Clovis' IPO was not a surprise, said Holli Riebel, president and chief executive officer of the Colorado BioScience Association, who noted the experience of the company's management team...'(The IPO) signifies some of the things we have going on with our entrepreneurial climate,' Riebel said. 'It just puts one more feather in Colorado's cap.'"

Link to the DailyCamera.com

BCBR: 'Clovis' IPO good sign for bioscience'


Quoting from the 6/24 Boulder County Business Report article by Beth Potter:

"Biopharmaceutical company Clovis Oncology Inc. plans to raise $150 million in an initial public offering, a possible indicator that future financing will pick up for other startup bioscience companies in the region, said Holli Riebel, president of the Colorado Bioscience Association...Riebel said she is 'excited' by the IPO news, considering the current austere financial environment across the United States. She mentioned Clovis' chief executive Patrick Mahaffy as one who is able to make things happen in the biotechnology world. 'This is just another example of the fantastic serial entrepreneurs we have in the state,' Riebel said of Mahaffy. 'A lot of our companies are starting to see an uptick and getting financing to go to the next stage.'"

Link to bcbr.com


Bennet, Udall, Hickenlooper to hear job creation ideas [from panel co-chaired by CBSA Pres/CEO Holli Riebel

Quoting from the 6/23 Longmont Times-Call:

"U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and Mark Udall and Gov. John Hickenlooper are to hear ideas for creating an environment in which innovators, entrepreneurs and job creators can thrive, during a Friday afternoon presentation at the Sierra Nevada Corp. Space Systems Group's offices in Louisville...The group has been working for several months on identifying ways to promote economic competitiveness at state and national levels through a greater focus on innovation and cross-sector collaboration. Other co-chairs are: Holli Riebel, president and CEO of the Colorado Bioscience Association; and Ron Sega, vice president for Energy and the Environment at Colorado State University."

Link to timescall.com

Friday, June 10, 2011

Reminder: BioBeers Is Tuesday, June 14th, At Boulder's Twisted Pine

When: Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 6:00 PM

Where: Twisted Pine Brewery - 3201 Walnut Street Boulder, CO

"Come hoist a pint with us to toast the coming of summer! BioBeers Boulder 2Q11 at the Twisted Pine will be another classic BioBeers meetup, replete with good beer, good conversation, and great people. No formal presentations this time, just networking. Hope to see you there!"

Confirm your attendance now

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Rocky Radar: Second Class of Boettcher Investigators Announced

Quoting from the posting:

"The Boettcher Foundation announced its second class of investigators in the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program. This program provides grants of between $200,000 and $300,000 to assist early-career investigators (ECIs) engaged in biomedical science research in Colorado. These grants provide ECIs, defined as those who are four years or less from their first academic appointment at a research institution, funds to get research at their own labs underway, as NIH funding can be difficult to attract for those early in their careers. This year’s recipients hail from three different campuses around the state. A list of the recipients and their research topics follows."

Link to Rocky Radar

Boulder Daily Camera: CU scientists named 'Boettcher Investigators' for their work to improve human health

Quoting from the article by Brittany Anas:

"Three University of Colorado researchers — including one scientist from the Boulder campus — have been named to the 2011 class of Boettcher Investigators, a program that supports scientists who are early in their careers and working toward making discoveries that improve human health.

This is the second year for the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program."

Link to the dailycamera.com

Friday, June 3, 2011

NCBR: 'CSU professors named Boettcher Investigators'

Quoting from the NCBR:

"Two Colorado State University assistant professors have been named 2011 Boettcher Investigators by the Boettcher Foundation.

John D. (Nick) Fisk, an assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering, and Ting Ting Yao, an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, were two of only five 2011 Boettcher Investigators named as part of the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research program."

Link to the Northern Colorado Business Report news item

CU News Center: 'CU-Boulder scientist Zhe Chen named 2011 Boettcher Investigator'

Quoting from the posting:

"DENVER – Three University of Colorado researchers have been named to the 2011 class of Boettcher Investigators in the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program. This is the second year for the program, which supports early career scientists in their work toward making discoveries that improve human health. CU's 2011 Boettcher Investigators are:
Zhe Chen, Ph.D., assistant research professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at the University of Colorado Boulder, whose research focuses on axon guidance during neural development; Robert C. Doebele, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of medical oncology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, whose research focuses on resistance mechanisms in oncogene-driven lung cancer; and Jing H. Wang, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of immunology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, whose research focuses on antibody production and genomic instability in B lymphocytes."

Link to the CU News Center article

CSU News & Information: 'Colorado State University Engineer, Biochemist Named 2011 Boettcher Investigators'

Quoting from the posting:

"FORT COLLINS - The Boettcher Foundation on Wednesday named Colorado State University assistant professors John D. (Nick) Fisk and Tingting Yao two of only five 2011 Boettcher Investigators as part of the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program, which helps recruit, retain and advance scientific talent in Colorado.

The two are the only biomedical researchers from Colorado State University to receive the honor, which comes with a three-year, $200,000 grant. Fisk, a chemical and biological engineering professor, and Yao, a biochemistry professor, join researchers from the University of Colorado in the second class of Boettcher Investigators.

Melissa Reynolds, assistant professor of chemistry at Colorado State, received the recognition in 2010."

Link to the CSU News article

Thursday, June 2, 2011

CBSA news feed blog included on 25 Best Blogs on Biomedicine list

Thanks to William Hopper and HealthTechTopia for including this blog on its "25 Best Blogs on Biomedicine" list. Quoting from the article:

"Biomedicine is a branch of science that combines biology with health and often involves understanding how the body and science works to create resulting solutions to complex problems. This can be used on everything from using food as medicine to understanding how DNA and genetics writes on the slate of who each person is. Related practices include biotechnology, bioinformatics, genetics, and many others"

The CBSA news feed blog is #18 on the list.

Link to the "25 Best Blogs on Biomedicine"

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Announced Today: 2011 Class of Boettcher Investigators in the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program

Today, the Boettcher Foundation Board of Trustees released the names of the five early-career scientists selected for the second class of Boettcher Investigators in the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program. The announcement is made by Edward D. “Ted” White III, Chairman of the Boettcher Foundation Board of Trustees, who said "Our board is very pleased to embark on the second year of this important program, assisting early-career investigators in Colorado to continue their important research."

Launched last year, the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research program fills an unmet need in the state by assisting early-career investigators engaged in biomedical sciences to advance their research. Further, the program honors the tradition of Colorado's Webb and Waring families by investing in science that has the possibility of making significant contributions to human health.

Timothy W. Schultz, President and Executive Director of the Boettcher Foundation, said "Through this program, the Boettcher Foundation has been able to bring resources to an area where funds are currently lacking and where federal and private research programs provide limited support. Early-career investigators quite frequently have a difficult time securing a first opportunity at an independent research effort that will move them out of the laboratory of their mentors and onto their own new and exciting areas of discovery."

The 2011 (second) Class of Boettcher Investigators in the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program includes:

* Zhe Chen, Ph.D. , Assistant Research Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, “Axon Guidance During Neural Development”
* Robert C. Doebele, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Medical Oncology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, “Resistance Mechanisms In Oncogene-Driven Lung Cancer”
* John D. (Nick) Fisk, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, “Bacteriophage Biomedical Devices and Engineering”
* Jing H. Wang, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Immunology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, “Antibody Production and Genomic Instability in B Lymphocytes”
* Tingting Yao, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University,
“Ubiquitin-Dependent Signaling”

Individual grant amounts for these research projects range from $200,000 to
$300,000. The grant amounts varied based on funding allocated to each institution. Per program guidelines, the minimum budget was required to be $200,000.

Link to the Business Wire Release