 NCBIO This Month
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 Governor Beverly Perdue has recommended four of NCBIO’s top
policy priorities to the 2010 North Carolina General Assembly. Perdue’s budget recommendations for
FY10-11 call for establishment of a new small business capital gains tax
exclusion, increased funding for North Carolina’s SBIR/STTR state matching
grant program, an extension of the Qualified Business Venture Tax Credit, and
more funding for the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. The Governor’s recommendations are the
starting point for budget deliberations that will begin in the General Assembly
when its 2010 session opens on May 12th.
“NCBIO has been working actively with both the North
Carolina Board of Economic Development and Governor Perdue’s new Innovation
Council to identify key legislative priorities affecting the innovation economy,”
said NCBIO President Sam Taylor. “We
are pleased the Governor recognized the importance of these and other
incentives to boost the state’s economy and to assist the bioscience industry.”
“Small businesses are the backbone of North Carolina’s
economy, and a major driver in our economic recovery,” Perdue said in
announcing her budget. “They put our friends, neighbors and family members to
work. They anchor our communities. Supporting small businesses means supporting
jobs for North Carolinians.”
Biotechnology
Center Funding. The
Governor’s proposal includes an additional $3 million for nonrecurring funds
for the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, including funding for the Center’s
new agricultural biotechnology
initiative, for company and job stimulus programs, and for science and
technology grants and loans. The Biofuels
Center of North Carolina would receive $2 million in nonrecurring funding.
Capital
Gains Tax Exclusion. The budget
proposal would also create a new personal income tax
exclusion for gains on stock issued by certain small businesses. Although Perdue did not release details
of the proposal, NCBIO has offered draft legislation under which businesses
enrolled in North Carolina’s existing Qualified Business Venture Tax Credit program
could offer investors a 100% exclusion for gains derived from stock in such
businesses, subject to a recovery of QBV tax credits received at the time the
stock is purchased. The exclusion
proposed by NCBIO would apply to stocks purchased after enactment of the
credit. The proposal is designed
to leverage future tax revenues to stimulate current investments in
innovation-based start-up companies.
Qualified
Business Venture Tax Credit Extension. The
Governor also proposes reauthorizing and expanding North Carolina’s existing
Qualified Business Venture Tax Credit, which is currently scheduled to expire
for investments after December 31, 2010. Perdue’s proposal would raise the existing cap on allowed credits from
$7.5 million to $10 million annually. NCBIO has estimated that companies receiving the QBV credit attracted
more than $1.7 billion in initial and follow-on equity investments between 1999
and 2006.
SBIR
Matching Grants. The Governor’s proposed budget
includes $1.5 million in non-recurring monies to continue the state’s existing
SBIR/STTR matching grant program. The program received only $700,000 in FY 2009-10. The program typically requires $5
million annually to match all eligible grants. NCBIO has asked that that funding for the matching grants
program be increased to at least $5 million and made a part of the state’s
recurring budget.
NCBIO’s 2010 legislative agenda also calls for establishment
of the new North Carolina Life Science Development Corporation considered by
the Assembly in 2009. NCBIO worked
with the North Carolina Biotechnology Center last year to bring legislation
establishing the proposed Life Science Development Corporation to the brink of
passage. HB 530 (Life Science
Development Act) was considered on the floor of the State House, but not acted
upon, in the last days of the 2009 legislative session. The bill, which has received approval
in the State Senate, would establish a state-sponsored $80 million loan fund designed
to help finance new-product manufacturing and support facilities for late-stage
life science start-up companies.
North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) has been
recognized by the Biotechnology Industry Organization with its 2010 Legislator
of the Year Award. Hagan was a
lead sponsor of amendments in the Senate Health Education Pensions and Labor
Committee to establish a twelve-year data exclusivity period for innovator
biologics under new federal legislation establishing an approval pathway for
biosimilars.
Sam Taylor and NCBIO representatives present BIO Award to Senator Hagan
NCBIO President Sam Taylor presented the Award to
Hagan during BIO’s 2010 annual Congressional Fly-In on April 13. “Senator Hagan demonstrated
extraordinary leadership and commitment in this year’s debate on biosimilars
legislation,” said Taylor. After
only two years in the Senate, she has proven herself to be effective member in
terms of both her command of key issues and her ability to collaborate with
other Senators to affect positive change for the nation and for North
Carolina.”
BIO President and CEO Jim Greenwood stated, “During
Senator Hagan’s service on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Committee, she has provided thoughtful and responsive leadership on issues
critical to the biotechnology community such as drug safety and importation. She
played a key role in the creation of a fair and balanced pathway for the
approval of biosimilars which protects patient safety and provides incentives
for continued innovation.”
NCBIO members were among the more than 200
biotechnology industry representatives from 32 states who participated in
hundreds of meetings with members of the U.S. House and Senate during the BIO
Legislative Day Fly-In. Participants discussed issues critical to the
biotechnology industry including patent reform, NIH/ FDA funding, drug
importation risks, and improved eligibility for Small Business Innovation
Research grants. NCBIO met with
the offices of all fifteen members of North Carolina’s Congressional delegation
during the Fly-In
Visit with NCBIO, North Carolina life science companies
and state economic development partners at the North Carolina Pavilion at BIO 2010. Seventy sponsors from North Carolina’s life
science community will be represented in the State’s Pavilion at BIO 2010. The North Carolina Commerce Department,
the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, and NCBIO are assisting with the
Pavilion.
The international convention will have a host of
programs on a range of life science topics. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W.
Bush, the 42nd and 43rd Presidents of the United States, will appear together for a
moderated discussion on May 4th, and former Vice-President Al Gore
will speak on May 5th.
If you plan to be at the convention or need more
information about North Carolina events, please contact NCBIO’s Membership
Director Jennifer
Fong.
 North Carolina’s life science community is
debuting to new websites – a new portal for the State’s NCBioImpact
workforce training partnership, and a new site hosted by the North Carolina
Biotechnology Center to emphasize the job-creating dimension of North
Carolina’s life sciences sector.
The workforce training partnership NCBioImpact will unveil a new Internet
presence in time for BIO 2010. The
website will serve as a resource for worker training and related information
for visitors to the North Carolina Pavilion at the BIO 2010 International
Convention. “One of the goals of
the training initiative is to be more visible to industry, current and future
employees and government officials,” said Bruce Kaylos, who manages NCBIO
Biotech Manufacturers Forum. “The NCBioImpact will start by offering top-level
information on North Carolina’s biomanufacturing and related work force
training capabilities. Later, the
site will provide students, employees and employers tools to get the most out
of our training assets.”
NCBioImpact includes the North Carolina Community College System BioNetwork program, the North
Carolina State University Golden LEAF Biomanufacturing
Training and Education Center, and the North
Carolina Central University Biomanufacturing
Research Institute and Technology Enterprise.
Jobsfornc.com is a new website of the North
Carolina Biotechnology Center featuring five video segments that highlight
personal stories of a dozen people across the state. The site is designed to grow in the coming months, according
to Robin Deacle, Senior Director of Corporate
Communications at the Biotechnology Center. "We invite people whose lives have been improved by
biotechnology - a summer training program, a better job or a life-saving medicine
- to add their stories to the collection," Deacle said. "Biotechnology has made a huge impact on North Carolinians and
together we can get the word out."
Researchers, scientists and other bioscience professionals
turned out for the NCBIO and VWR third annual scientific products show April
27th at the Research Triangle Park Marriott. Participants had a chance to check out the latest equipments
and supplies from a range of companies such as BD, Beckman, Coulter, Biohit, bioMerieux,
Contec, EMD, GE Healthcare, Greiner BioOne, Lonza, Mallinckrodt Baker, METTLER
TOLEDO and Thermo.
Attendees at the Scientific Products Show
More than …
turned out for the event. “Not
only could those attending find out about the new technology, they also had a
chance to network and share ideas,” said NCBIO Membership Director Jennifer Fong.
AdvaMed
2010 will be held October 18-20 in Washington, DC. The AdvaMed conference offers an important opportunity for
participants to showcase products and concepts to national and international businesses,
media, government officials, and other key constituents.
NCBIO members are eligible
for discounted registration for AdvaMed 2010. The event is designed to allow participating
companies to efficiently network with potential business partners, investors,
media representatives, regulators, and collaborators on a global scale.
Please have your organization’s media/marketing coordinator send news about your company to Brenda Summers - bsummers@ncbioscience.org
Biolex Therapeutics, Inc. announced interim results from a Phase 2b trial of Locteron®, the "480 STUDY," at the 45th Annual
Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) in
Vienna, Austria. Locteron, controlled-release
interferon alpha 2b, is designed to improve patient care by providing a more
convenient once-every-two week dosing schedule and by reducing the flu-like
symptoms associated with pegylated interferons, the current standard of care. Through six and
twelve weeks of treatment in the trial, Locteron achieved the Company's objective by demonstrating viral kinetics and response
rates that were at least comparable to the PEG-Intron®
control while also achieving a reduction in flu-like adverse events.
Capstrat, a
communications agency based in Raleigh, has announced the launch of its
new website. To better serve visitors, the site employs a “channel approach”
that gives users the power to get agency insights and experience the company’s
broad capabilities funneled to their interest. The company also announced that Gary Bushey has joined the firm as Senior SharePoint Developer. Bushey joined Capstrat after serving as senior developer at MicroLink. Prior to that position, he worked with Microsoft
as a senior consultant. Bushey was awarded
Microsoft’s Most Valuable SharePoint Professional title from 2001-2009.
Forma Life
Science Marketing, a leading marketing firm for life science, biotech
and pharmaceutical companies, joined forces with the BIG Council and NC BioConnect of the greater Charlotte area to present
“Marketing in the Life Sciences,” a lecture and interactive marketing workshop
from Forma CEO and chief strategist, David Chapin.
Chapin, a highly regarded thought leader who specializes in
strategic marketing development for fast-growth and emerging markets, will
speak to local life science, pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device
industry professionals on the unique challenges of marketing scientifically
based companies. Topics included differentiating claims, content marketing
strategy, positioning and messaging.
The National Center for the Biotechnology
Workforce was recognized in the 2010 Metlife Foundation
Community College excellence award. The National Center
for the Biotechnology Workforce, part of Forsyth Technical Community College
and NC Community College's BioNetwork, received national recognition as a
National Finalist in service to its community this weekend with an award of a
$20,000 grant to the institution.
Dr. Charles Hamner, Chairman of the Board of the Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences received
a Health Care Heroes Lifetime Achievement Award from Triangle Business Journal. Dr. Hamner served as the President and CEO of the NC Biotechnology
Center for 14 years. He is
President Emeritus of NCBIO. Dr. Hamner has been instrumental in establishing
North Carolina as one of the leading states in biotechnology.
Hughes
Pittman & Gupton, LLP, the largest CPA firm headquartered and staffed in the Research Triangle Park is a
sponsor of the Duke
Start-Up Challenge, a
student-led entrepreneurship competition.
Now in its tenth year, the Duke Start-Up Challenge spans the entire academic
year. Teams progress in the competition gaining valuable professional feedback
from a panel of judges with extensive entrepreneurial experience. Cash and
in-kind prizes are awarded during each phase of the competition, with the
winning team receiving a grand prize of $25,000 and office space at the DUhatch Student Business Incubator.
Inspire
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that Andrew I. Koven will serve in the newly created position of Executive Vice President and Chief
Administrative and Legal Officer, effective May 10th. In his role, Mr. Koven will be responsible for the legal, intellectual property, CD&L and
compliance departments and will report directly to Inspire CEO Adrian Adams. Mr. Koven, age 52, has served as Executive Vice
President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Sepracor Inc. ("Sepracor") since 2007. Prior to Sepracor,
Mr. Koven served as Executive Vice President, General
Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Kos Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Kos")
from 2003 through 2007.
Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Santen Pharmaceutical Co.,
Ltd. have announced that the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare granted approval for the new dry eye treatment drug, DIQUAS Ophthalmic
Solution 3% (generic name: diquafosol tetrasodium. Diquafosol was
licensed for certain ophthalmic uses from Inspire and DIQUAS Ophthalmic
Solution 3% was developed by Santen as a treatment for dry eye.
Liquidia Technologies, a privately held biopharmaceutical
company developing particle-based vaccines and therapeutics, announced that
Jonathan F. Smith, Ph.D., has joined the company as Chief Scientific
Officer. Dr. Smith is a pioneer in
the development of novel vaccines based on RNA viruses and has over twenty-five
years of experience in virology, infectious diseases, and vaccine development.
Prior to joining Liquidia, Dr. Smith was a co-founder
and served as Chief Scientific Officer of AlphaVax, a
biotechnology company focused on developing vaccines for infectious disease and
cancer. At AlphaVax, Dr. Smith was responsible for
optimizing vaccine vector technologies, developing clinical and regulatory
strategies, and generating vaccine candidates and adjuvants based on vector technologies. His efforts resulted in over 20 issued patents
and contributed to the advancement of multiple vaccine candidates into clinical
studies.
TheNorth Carolina Association for Biomedical Research (NCABR) welcomes two new members. The David H. Murdock Research
Institute, of Kannapolis, and the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research, of
Horse Shoe, have joined NCABR, bringing the
association’s membership to 44 biomedical research institutions statewide.
The North Carolina Biotechnology Center has received a $450,000 grant from The
North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund. Funding will support
expansion of the Biotechnology Center's headquarters, creating space for the
Statewide Agricultural Biotechnology Initiative. The SABI will support supply
chain development for new crops, improvements in agricultural techniques and
finding new uses for old crops. Beneficiaries include producers of
nutritionally or commercially superior foods, manufacturers of plant-based
pharmaceuticals, renewable energy crop producers, and natural product
industries.
The NC Biotechnology Center Library has added new market reports
to its collection. New titles
include: New Developments in Treating
Genetic Disorders: The Global Market (March 2010); Drug-device Combinations:
The Global Market (Jan. 2010); Biopesticides: The
Global Market (Feb. 2010); Opportunities
in Emerging Pharma Markets (March 2010); and Next Generation Biofuels (Jan. 2010). In addition to the market research reports available at the
North Carolina Biotechnology Center library, the library provides fee-based
resources (subscription databases) and professional research services
pertaining to the business of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. Click here for more information.
Piedmont
Triad Research Park (PTRP) and R.J. Reynolds
Tobacco Company have reached a milestone in downtown development in
Winston-Salem, with R.J. Reynolds essentially completing its 2002 pledge of gifting
approximately 38 acres of downtown properties to the research park. In
addition, R.J. Reynolds this year donated $2 million to PTRP for unrestricted
use in the research park’s long-term expansion. The gifted properties are worth approximately $19 million.
Tengion, Inc., a regenerative medicine company focused on discovering, developing,
manufacturing and commercializing neo-organs and neo-tissues, has announced the
completion of its initial public offering of 6,000,000 shares of common stock
at a price of $5.00 per share. The net proceeds of the offering to Tengion, after deducting underwriting discounts and
commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by Tengion,
were approximately $26.0 million. In addition, Tengion has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional
900,000 shares to cover over-allotments, if any. The joint book-running
managers of the offering are Piper Jaffray & Co.
and Leerink Swann LLC.
The Wake Forest Institute for
Regenerative Medicine has announced collaborations with regenerative
medicine institutes in Shanghai, China, and Tokyo, Japan. Both agreements have
the goal of accelerating the translation of research into therapies that can
benefit patients. The agreements were announced by Anthony Atala,
M.D., director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and the
two international collaborators: Yilin Cao, M.D.,
Ph.D., of the Shanghai Tissue Engineering Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
School of Medicine, and Teruo Okano, Ph.D., of the
Institute of Advanced Biomedical Engineering and Science, Tokyo Women’s Medical
University. Each alliance will combine the skills and expertise of the two
institutions to develop new clinical treatments.
 BIO Supports Findings of National Report
American farmers are realizing higher profits due to the
widespread use of certain genetically engineered crops and are reducing
environmental impacts on and off the farm according to a report from the
National Research Council (NRC) released in April. Specifically, the report
notes, “(m)any U.S. farmers who grow genetically engineered (GE) crops are
realizing substantial economic and environmental benefits – such as lower
production costs, fewer pest problems, reduced use of pesticides, and better
yields – compared with conventional crops.” The report was
commissioned and internally funded by NRC in order to evaluate the impact of GE
crops on all U.S. farmers.
Sharon Bomer Lauritsen, BIO Executive Vice President for Food and
Agriculture issued the following statement in response to the report’s
release: “The NRC’s report acknowledges what we have known all
along: That genetically engineered (GE) crops provide significant
environmental, economic, and social benefits, and they are an integral tool in
achieving sustainable agricultural production. Decades of documented evidence demonstrate that agricultural
biotechnology is a safe and beneficial technology that contributes to both
environmental and economic sustainability. Farmers choose biotech crops
because they produce more yields on less land with less production costs.
That means farmers get a greater financial return while using environmentally
friendly farming practices.”
“We support the NRC’s recommendation for continued study
of potential weed-resistance problems and further development of
resistance-management practices. While this is a matter that
warrants monitoring, it is not one exclusive to GE crops, but a common problem
facing all farmers who use herbicides,” Lauritsen added.
BIO Asks Senators to Recognize Emission Reduction Potential
Industrial biotechnology holds the potential to save the
planet 1 billion tons of carbon emissions annually; U.S. climate change
legislation could accelerate deployment of carbon reducing biotechnology
applications. The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) today released a
letter to Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Lindsey
Graham (R-S.C.) asking that any comprehensive climate change legislation
include recognition and appropriate incentives for biotechnology solutions that
produce clean and sustainable biofuels and bio-products, enhance industrial
energy efficiency, and protect and enhance soil carbon.
Brent Erickson, executive vice president of BIO’s
Industrial and Environmental Section, said, “We cannot have a low-carbon future
without low-carbon transportation fuels. Biotechnology is a platform technology
for using renewable biomass resources as substitutes for fossil resources in
fuels, plastics and chemicals, which can sequester carbon. Widespread adoption
of biotechnology processes in industry can help displace use of fossil fuels,
reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and establish a new path for sustainable economic
growth. Biotechnology is already being used to make production of everyday
products more energy efficient. The growth and development of clean-tech and
green product technologies offer opportunities for sustainable industrial
production, new green jobs, and future economic growth.”
May - July 2010. Golden LEAF BTEC Short Courses, NCSU Biomanufacturing Training and
Education Center, Raleigh, NC. The biomanufacturing industry grows and changes
rapidly from year to year, creating significant educational demands on our
workforce. BTEC is committed to providing updated, cutting-edge short courses
to workers who are grounded in the industry but may not be positioned to take
advantage of new industry developments. Members of NCBIO’s Biotech Manufacturers
Forum can receive 20% discounts on all courses. More information.
May 3-6, 2010. BIO International Convention. McCormick Place, Chicago, IL. More information.
May 4, 2010. The Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at UNC/NCSU is pleased
to be hosting their 4th annual Research+Design Symposium to be held at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center on May 4th. The
past three years, crowds of 200 participants have shown up from the Advanced
Medical Technology Industry and Academic Sectors. We are expecting a similar
crowd this year. The event will include poster and oral presentations from
graduate and senior design students. Each year a number of projects have
commercialization potential, some already achieving licensing agreements. The
event will conclude with a networking reception. More information.
May 19,
2010. Biotech
Forum: Partnering with Big Pharma, 5:30-8:00 p.m., North Carolina Biotechnology
Center, Research Triangle Park, NC. More
information.
May 21-22, 2010. 2010 IACUC Conference,
North Carolina Association for Biomedical Research, North Carolina
Biotechnology Center, Research Triangle Park, NC. More information.
May 26, 2010. NCBIO Legislative Breakfast, 7:30-8:30 a.m., Legislative Cafeteria, General
Assembly Building, 16 W. Jones Street, Raleigh, NC. RSVP to Jennifer Fong by May 24th if
you plan to attend. More information.
June 2-3, 2010. 12th Annual NIH SBIR/STTR Conference, Raleigh
Convention Center, Raleigh, NC. Attendees will learn the ins and outs of the NIH SBIR/STTR program, the funding
opportunities available to small business researchers, and how the NIH
SBIR/STTR program can be a valuable resource to help you start and/or grow your
company. Meet one-on-one with NIH Program Managers, learn about tools to
identify solicitations that match your technology, and hear tips and strategies
for SBIR success from awardees. More information.
June - July 2010. Summer Biotechnology Workshops for Educators, North
Carolina Biotechnology Center, Research Triangle Park, NC. Enroll now in
one of the 2010 Biotechnology Workshops for Educators sponsored by the North
Carolina Biotechnology Center. The workshops give teachers the tools they
need to teach activities that will engage students while reinforcing state
education objectives. North Carolina educators receive a stipend, room
and board, CEUs and access to the Biotech Center’s Free Lab Supplies Program. More information.
July 19-21, 2010. BTEC Professional Development Course: European Regulatory Expectations,
Golden LEAF Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC), North
Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC. BTEC, in collaboration with the University of Strasbourg, France,
presents an exceptional professional development opportunity for pharmaceutical
and biotechnology professionals: Navigating the European Regulatory System. Learn
about European regulatory expectations in this 2½ day course. Topics
include organization of the European regulatory system; the texts and
organizations that deal with the regulation of medicinal products; how products
are authorized; requirements for drug development and manufacturing, and more. More information.
October 18-20, 2010. AdvaMed
MedTech Conference, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC. AdvaMed 2010 is the premier MedTech
Conference for CEOs, business executives, policy-makers, financiers, media, and
industry stakeholders from around the world. More
information.
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Sign up for the Annual NCBIO Legislative Breakfast on May 26th
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