The Cross-Border Biotech Blog

Biotechnology, Health and Business in Canada, the United States and Worldwide

Monthly Archives: April 2009

The Week Ahead: FTC Hearing on “Evolving IP Marketplace”

Leave a Comment Posted by dorganpeters on April 13, 2009

The Federal Trade Comission will be hosting a public hearing this Friday on the “The Evolving IP Marketplace: Markets for Intellectual Property”. This is part of series of public hearings the FTC has held around changes in intellectual property law, patent-related business models and the new IP marketplace. Looking at the agenda, I was surprised to [...]

Dani Peters intellectual property

New Life Sciences Industry Data

Leave a Comment Posted by Jeremy Grushcow on April 13, 2009

New data from Delaware and Arizona last week: Some highlights from a study by Edward Ratledge and Simon Condliffe of the University of Delaware’s Center for Applied Demography and Survey Research: The biopharmaceuticals industry contributed $4 billion to Delaware’s economic output in 2008. 247 biopharmaceutical firms employing 12,000 people, paying $1.6 billion in wages, average [...]

Bailout, Jeremy Grushcow Arizona, Delaware, industry data, Jobs

About the Delayed Sebelius Confirmation

Leave a Comment Posted by dorganpeters on April 13, 2009

Contrary to expectations, Secretary of HHS-designate Kathleen Sebelius did not receive her Senate confirmation before the Congressional recess on April 3, due to the objection of one Senator. Is Sebelius using the break to make greater assurances to Republican lawmakers before her vote is taken up again during the week of April 20? In her confirmation hearing, Sebelius [...]

Dani Peters Comparative Effectiveness, HHS

Bailout Updates: Results May Vary

Leave a Comment Posted by Jeremy Grushcow on April 12, 2009

We’re beginning to see a round of adjustments in government budgets. On the one hand, some programs are facing further cuts as aspirational commitments meet fiscal reality. For example, state legislators in Washington are proposing cuts of betwen 50 and 90 percent to spending on the state’s Life Sciences Discovery Fund over the next two years. Similarly, the government [...]

Bailout, Jeremy Grushcow budget, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Genome Canda, Ireland, Life Sciences Discovery Fund, Ontario, Quebec, The Genome Analysis Centre, UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Washington State

Trends Update — IP Constituencies: Sanofi Buys Medley in Brazil

3 Comments Posted by Jeremy Grushcow on April 11, 2009

Continuing a trend we have been following of increased “innovator” pharma investment in global generics and biosimilars, Sanofi-Aventis is spending €500 million to acquire Medley, a privately-held Brazilian manufacturer. The acquisition will make Sanofi Latin America’s biggest generics manufacturer. A post at the WSJ Health Blog on the acquisition includes a nice overview of the other [...]

Jeremy Grushcow, Trends in 2009 Brazil, generics, Medley, Sanofi, Sanofi-Aventis

Trends Update — Electronic Medical Records: Military and Vetrans System Should Speed Adoption, Standards

1 Comment Posted by Jeremy Grushcow on April 11, 2009

In a speech Thursday, President Obama announced that the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments will set up a system that will ultimately provide “unified lifetime electronic health record” for members of the armed services. Any large-scale government implementation like this is bound to help set standards and encourage adoption by other providers. With luck it will [...]

Jeremy Grushcow, Trends in 2009 Defense Department, electronic medical records, Obama, Vetrans Affairs

Friday Science Review: Run For it Edition

Leave a Comment Posted by Jeremy Grushcow on April 10, 2009

Only one actual science development made the news from Canada this week: A study out of McMaster in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism shows that small doses of caffeine has metabolic effects beneficial for runners. On the topic of putting things in your body, also note this week that the Ontario Medical Association has [...]

Friday Science Review, Jeremy Grushcow Caffeine, calories, gastric bypass, lap-band, McMaster, Ontario Medical Association, running

Yet Another Way Canadian Employment Law Can Mess You Up

2 Comments Posted by Jeremy Grushcow on April 9, 2009

U.S. clients are always surprised that one step across the 49th parallel opens up such a radically different (employee-favo(u)rable) world in employment law. Here’s the latest and greatest… The Supreme Court of Canada recently handed down a decision in Shafron v. KRG Insurance Brokers (Western) Inc. … that highlights how narrowly Canadian courts will interpret [...]

Jeremy Grushcow Canadian employment law, KRG Insurance, non-compete, Shafron

Wednesday Brain Dump: Things that Might Surprise You Edition

Leave a Comment Posted by Jeremy Grushcow on April 8, 2009

Things that surprised me this week: AstraZeneca’s CEO David Brennan, elected PhRMA’s new chairman, spoke in favour of comparative effectiveness research, calling it “a market requirement.” PolyCap, a combination of five off-patent cardiac and cholesterol drugs that costs $17 combined per month showed promising results in a 2000-person study in The Lancet. The Ebola researcher [...]

Jeremy Grushcow, Wednesday Brain Dump battery, Canada, Comparative Effectiveness, Ebola, genetically engineered battery, Lancet, M13 phage, MIT, National Microbiology Laboratory, PhRMA, PolyCap, virus

Cardiome Licenses Vernakalant (Oral) to Merck

2 Comments Posted by Jeremy Grushcow on April 8, 2009

Merck & Co., Inc. and Cardiome Pharma Corp. announced a collaboration and license agreement that provides Merck with exclusive global rights to the oral formulation of vernakalant for the maintenance of normal heart rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation. Here’s the deal: US$60 million upfront up to US$200 million in development and approval milestones up [...]

Jeremy Grushcow, News Astellas, Cardiome Pharma, collaboration and license agreement, license agreement, Merck, vernakalant

Trend Update — Electronic Medical Records: View From HIMSS

Leave a Comment Posted by Jeremy Grushcow on April 8, 2009

The 2009 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference was in Chicago this week, and was obviously energized by the stimulus money in the U.S. and the budget allocation in Canada, which have greatly increased the available funding for Electronic Medical Records. There’s a great overview of trends at HIMSS from Dr. John D. [...]

Jeremy Grushcow, Trends in 2009 Canada Budget 2009, GeekDoctor, Healthcare Information Management Systems Society, HIMSS, Stimulus

Ontario Venture Capital Fund (OVCF) Scoreboard: Commitments 2, Biotech/Cleantech 0

1 Comment Posted by Jeremy Grushcow on April 8, 2009

The Ontario Venture Capital Fund announced its second commitment today (third?): $20 million to EdgeStone Capital to “help support innovative, high-growth businesses, including high-potential companies in Ontario.” EdgeStone’s previous venture fund has $108 million of committed capital in this portfolio of IT companies. Fund III has a first close milestone of $100 million and an ultimate target [...]

Jeremy Grushcow, News EdgeStone Capital, Ontario Venture Capital Fund, OVCF, OVCF Scoreboard

Trends in 2009 Update: Hospital Hits Electronic Medical Record Milestone

Leave a Comment Posted by Jeremy Grushcow on April 7, 2009

As the momentum behind electronic medical records builds, New York-Presbyterian Hospital – with the help of the Microsoft Health Solutions Group – has kicked it up a notch with MyNYP.org, an electronic personal health record. According to a report in the New York Times on Sunday: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital … is the first large institution to move beyond the pilot [...]

Jeremy Grushcow, Trends in 2009 electronic medical records, Google Health, Microsoft Health Solutions, MyNYP.org, New York Presbyterian Hospital

It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s Super Provincial Genomics Funding!!

5 Comments Posted by Jeremy Grushcow on April 6, 2009

You may remember Genome Canada’s reaction to the 2009 Canadian Federal budget. Here’s one bit from ScienceInsider at the time: Researchers funded by Genome Canada … are reacting with shock to news that the Canadian government is withdrawing funding from the 9-year-old organization. Not true! Cried the Canadian government. Well, this week Genome Canada’s Board [...]

Jeremy Grushcow, News BIO2009, Canada Budget 2009, Genome Canada, Godbout, International Regulome Consortium, John Wilkinson, MRI, Ontario Budget 2009, Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, Ontario-Quebec Corridor, Rudnicki

Wait Wait… You Should Hear This!

Leave a Comment Posted by Jeremy Grushcow on April 6, 2009

Ever since I lived in Chicago, I’ve been a huge fan of National Public Radio’s “weekly hour-long [very funny] quiz program” wait wait… don’t tell me! This week, they did their show focused on “technology: high, low, and really low … a special innovation theme“ Catch it online here, or download or subscribe to the podcast.

Jeremy Grushcow Innovation, NPR, podcast, technology, Wait Wait don't tell me

Monday Deal Review: April 6, 2009

2 Comments Posted by Jeremy Grushcow on April 6, 2009

One complex arrangement, two clinical trial updates, three commercial deals and other bits of Canadian deal and company miscellany

Jeremy Grushcow, Monday Deal Review Baylis Medical Company, bioequivalence, Bioniche, BioSyntech, clinical trial, debenture conversion, Dyadem, Fralex Therapeutics, in vivo imaging, Labopharm, Mauna Kea Technologies, Medifocus, Phase III, Plan of Arrangement, plant-produced insulin, risk assessment software, SemBioSys Genetics Inc., Special Committee, strategic alternatives, Urocidin, VisualSonics, Wyeth

Existential Question for 2009: Is a Virtual Company Virtually as Good?

Leave a Comment Posted by Jeremy Grushcow on April 5, 2009

A thought-provoking piece over at Capital Rants (and the BlackBerry Partners Fund Blog) from Pierre Donaldson says, basically: virtual-schmirtual, there’s no substitute for the interpersonal benefits of a physical headquarters where the whole team is regularly under the same roof and interacting face to face. On the legal side, we have a tendency to view [...]

Jeremy Grushcow biotechnology, BlackBerry Partners Fund, Capital Rants, clinical trials, contract research organizations, locker room theory, outsourcing, pharma, Pierre Donaldson, virtual companies

Friday Science Review: Good News, Bad News Edition

Leave a Comment Posted by Jeremy Grushcow on April 3, 2009

Good news: If you happen to be in Montréal on Monday, you should check out the opening of the Centre de pharmacogénomique Beaulieu-Saucier de l’Université de Montréal (that’s the Beaulieu-Saucier Centre for Pharmacogenomics at the University of Montréal, y’all). It will be great to see what comes out of this centre for Canadian personalized medicine. [...]

Friday Science Review, Jeremy Grushcow Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, cellphones, driving, Gene Therapy, Nature paper, Personalized Medicine, retraction, University of Montreal

Canadian Life Sciences VCs Lead the Realization Parade

1 Comment Posted by lumiracapital on April 3, 2009

“Liquidity Shrivels Up For VCs in First Quarter” was the banner screaming across the wire services earlier this week. While true, what was lost in the subtext were a few important observations for Canadian VCs, particularly those focused on life sciences:

Lumira Capital, Peter van der Velden Ablation Frontiers, Alveolus, Canada, Cardiac Dimensions, Ception, CoreValve, Guaca, Life Sciences VCs, Medtronic, Ventor, venture capital, Virochem

U.S. Unemployment Numbers Hit 25-Year High

Leave a Comment Posted by Jeremy Grushcow on April 3, 2009

Wow. Those are pretty bad. And this won’t help.

Jeremy Grushcow, News IBM, Sun Microsystems, unemployment

Updated – Sibelius Senate Hearing: Interesting Bits from Prepared Testimony

Leave a Comment Posted by Jeremy Grushcow on April 2, 2009

Update from the NY Times: Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas appeared Thursday to be headed for confirmation as health and human services secretary, but several Republican senators objected to an immediate vote, so the Senate is unlikely to take up the nomination until later this month. Following our initial posts on Sibelius and her Ag [...]

Jeremy Grushcow, News confirmation, HHS, Senate, Sibelius

Preparing for Passover

Leave a Comment Posted by Jeremy Grushcow on April 2, 2009

In preparation: A Graduate Student Haggadah. Kudos to Carl Elkin. Hat tip to Judy Libman.

Jeremy Grushcow attempted humo(u)r, Carl Elkin, Graduate Student Haggadah, Passover

Trends in 2009: Comparative Effectiveness Meets Personalized Medicine in the Senate

4 Comments Posted by Jeremy Grushcow on April 2, 2009

Yesterday Senator Kyl (R-AZ) introduced a “comparative effectiveness amendment” (SA 793) to the budget which would have: required that legislation resulting from the health care reserve fund not use data obtained from comparative effectiveness research to deny coverage under Federal health care programs; and ensured that comparative effectiveness research accounts for advancements in genomics and personalized [...]

Jeremy Grushcow, News, Trends in 2009 budget amendment, Comparative Effectiveness, Personalized Medicine, Senator Kyl

Wednesday Brain Dump: Deal-O-Rama Edition

1 Comment Posted by Jeremy Grushcow on April 1, 2009

There’s still plenty of deal activity in the pharma and biotech sector this week, even outside Canada, so here’s a roundup of what’s done, what’s pending and what’s in the rumor mill:

Jeremy Grushcow, Wednesday Brain Dump Abbott, Aspen Pharmacare, Aveo, Bayer HealthCare, Biogen, Campath, Fludara, Genzyme, GlaxoSmithKline, HGS, Human Genome Sciences, Infosys, JLL Partners, leukemia, Leukine, Lilly, Morphotek, Nycomed, Patheon, Pfizer, PharmaNet, Solvay, TriLipix, Zydus

Google to Venture into the Life Sciences

1 Comment Posted by Jeremy Grushcow on April 1, 2009

Google announced on Monday that it’s launching its own venture capital fund under the leadership of Rich Miner and Bill Maris. Interestingly, they have taken pains to assure companies that “[y]ou don’t have to be a potential Google acquisition for us to want to work with you.” So don’t be shy. In fact, Google Ventures aims [...]

Jeremy Grushcow, News 23andMe, Bill Maris, Google, Google Ventures, not an april fools joke, Rich Miner

Newer posts →

RSS feed

The views expressed here are solely the authors’ and should not be attributed to any of their firms or clients. The material and information provided on this website are for general information only and should not be relied on as legal or business advice or as a legal opinion. The authors make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, currency, or adequacy of any information linked or referred to or contained on this blog. No person should act or refrain from acting in reliance on any information found on this blog without first obtaining appropriate professional advice from a consultant or from a lawyer duly licensed to practise law in the relevant province, state, territory or country. These materials do not create a solicitor-client relationship between you and any author. Please note that the authors will not provide free legal, financial or other advice. Please don’t send us any confidential information or questions by email or otherwise because any information sent to us cannot be considered to be privileged or confidential. Note that by accessing, commenting on or linking to the blog, you (like us) are subject to the WordPress Terms of Service. Most images are from Wikimedia Commons or from governments, others link back to commercial sources. If you want us to remove an image, just let us know.