 The Golden LEAF Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC), which will provide North Carolina students and incumbent workers with hands-on training with commercial scale biomanufacturing equipment, has started operations. The BTEC is located in Raleigh on the Centennial Campus of North Carolina State University. A dedication ceremony will be held September 19 featuring government, industry and education officials. The 85,000 square-foot BTEC is the only facility of its kind in the nation.
The BTEC is part of North Carolina's unique Biomanufacturing and Pharmaceutical Training Consortium (BPTC), which also includes the North Carolina Community College System's statewide BioNetwork training program and North Carolina Central University's Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Training Enterprise (BRITE), which provides pharmaceutical discovery and process development educational programs at the bachelors and masters degree levels. The Consortium also includes University of North Carolina System, and NC Biotechnology Center, NCBIO's Biotech Manufacturers' Forum.
BTEC simulates a biomanufacturing facility capable of producing biopharmaceutical products and packaging them in an aseptic environment. The Center also features classrooms, laboratories, and process utilities to support educational programs. The BTEC will support undergraduate and graduate education programs at North Carolina State University, at North Carolina Central University BRITE, and other programs at public universities across the state. The North Carolina Community College System's BioNetwork Capstone Center, which provides hands-on training for biomanufacturing-related community college programs across the state, will also be located at BTEC.
More than $70 million in capital and start-up costs of the BPTC were provided by the Golden LEAF Foundation. Consortium operating costs of approximately $20 million per year have been appropriated by the North Carolina General Assembly. In addition, North Carolina biomanufacturing companies and their suppliers have contributed an estimated $13 million of in-kind support to the Consortium. Industry contributions have included equipment donations and employee time for facility design and engineering. Most of the contributions have be provided or arranged by members of NCBIO's Biotech Manufacturers Forum, including long-time Forum members Biogen Idec, Diosynth, Novo Nordisk, Novozymes, Talecris and Wyeth.
A new study by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center recommends increased support for the State's nascent advanced medical technologies cluster. A draft version of the report, will be released at the Council for Entrepreneurial Development's September 12 MedTech Forum, provides a detailed analysis of North Carolina's advanced medical technology assets and sets out detailed recommendations for growing the sector.
The report, entitled North Carolina's Strategic Plan for Advanced Medical Technologies and prepared with support from NCBIO and its Medical Device Forum, finds that the number of medical device companies doing business in North Carolina has grown from 105 in 1996 to 142 in 2006. The report estimates medical device industry employment in North Carolina at 7,200, up from 6,179 in 1996 and 5,277 in 1990. Average wages for medical device industry workers in 2006 were $40,648 per year. The sector has shown particularly strong growth since 2001, with the opening of 31 new establishments and 1,331 new employees.
The report notes that recent industry growth has been particularly strong among start-up firms. It finds that between January of 1999 and December of 2006, advanced medical technologies companies in North Carolina have collectively raised more than $545 million in private and public equity from investors. Among these investments, $370 million were in medical device companies, $99 million in diagnostics firms, and $76 million in medical information technology businesses. During the same period, large firms paid more than $810 million to acquire emerging medical device companies founded in North Carolina.
The report also identifies key challenges facing advanced medical technologies firms operating in North Carolina. These include better access to specialized resources, such as managers and support companies with experience in medical device and advanced medical technologies regulation, marketing and reimbursement. The report identifies recruitment of such personnel as a leading objective for future sector development efforts.
Preparation of the report was led by Teri Louden, President of The Louden Network and a nationally recognized consultant to medical technologies industries. Also participating in the release of the report will be North Carolina Biotechnology Center President Norris Tolson, Senior Vice President Ken Tindall and NCBIO President Sam Taylor.
 A new private non-profit corporation, the Biofuels Center of North Carolina, has been established to promote the growth of biofuels production, manufacturing and utilization in the State. Launched with a one-time $5 million appropriation from the North Carolina General Assembly, the Center will hold meetings in September with biofuels partners and other sector participants.
Staff for the Center will be located at the North Carolina Biofuels Campus at Oxford, which was formerly operated as a USDA tobacco research facility. For additional information or questions, contact Jason R. Nelson, Special Projects Manager North Carolina Biotechnology Center, 919-549-8803, jason_nelson@ncbiotech.org .
 The North Carolina Biotechnology Center has established a new web site listing wet lab facilities throughout the state that are available for start-up companies to lease or buy. The web site contains property details provided by official facility representatives and includes Internet links to more information and photos of selected facilities.
Properties eligible for inclusion in the free listing service must be available for immediate occupancy via lease or sale to companies requiring wet lab or incubator space or manufacturing space suitable for life sciences-related production.
"This is another valuable asset that the Biotechnology Center can uniquely provide," said John Richert, the Biotechnology Center's vice president, business and technology development. "As the statewide go-to site for bioscience information we're frequently asked by start-up companies if we know of any available wet lab space that might meet their specific requirements. This site provides that information."
 Southeast BIO (SEBIO) has selected 24 companies to participate in its Southeastern BIO Investor Forum, an event that brings together the Southeast's most promising life sciences venture opportunities with the regional and national venture capital community. The SEBIO Investor Forum, now in its ninth year, will be held November 7-8, 2007, at the Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, NC. The gathering is the Southeast's premier life sciences venture capital conference.
"Once again SEBIO has assembled an outstanding group of life science companies to present at the conference," said David Pierson, co-chairman of the SEBIO Investor Forum selection committee and an investor with Intersouth Partners. "These companies are raising funds to help them pursue a wide range of business opportunities which investors will find compelling."
"We felt that having the opportunity to present at the 2006 SEBIO Investor Forum was both an honor and a benefit for our company," said Tom Amick, CEO of Aldagen. "Rarely do you have an opportunity to present to that many investors at one time. The interest created in Aldagen at that forum has helped the company in securing a stronger financial position for our future growth." In December of 2006, Aldagen raised over $17 million.
The annual conference, designed to stimulate venture investment, offers an "early-stage" event focused on best practices for newly emerging companies and a "presenting companies" event which showcases a second group of young companies that have already completed one round of institutional financing.
The two day event will also explore research, market, and financing trends with nationally recognized leaders from the investment and biosciences industries. Participants will include biotechnology executives, venture capitalists, investment bankers, and other industry professionals.
North Carolina companies selected to make presentations at the forum include Cognosci, Inc. (Research Triangle Park, NC), Ercole Biotech (Research Triangle Park, NC), InnerPulse Inc. (Raleigh, NC), Integrated Oncology Solutions, Inc. (IOS) (Raleigh, NC), Filtara, Inc. (Cary, NC) Jenken Biosciences, Inc. (Research Triangle Park, NC), Nanovector (Raleigh, NC), and Oncogenomics (Durham, NC).
The Southeastern BIO Investor Forum is an annual event of Southeast BIO, a regional nonprofit organization that fosters the growth of the life sciences industries in the Southeastern United States. The Forum was first held in 1999; SEBIO presenters have raised more than $2 billion in venture capital funding and IPO proceeds since the inaugural conference.
Ken Lee, General Partner at Hatteras Venture Partners, led a panel discussion on Assembling and Managing a Boards of Directors at NCBIO's Emerging Companies Forum September 5. Panel members included Dr. Christy Shaffer, President and CEO of Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Dr. Richard Kent, President and CEO of Serenex, Inc.; and Peyton Anderson, CEO of Affinergy, Inc. The group addressed techniques and strategies for getting the most of boards of directors in firms ranging from pre-venture start-ups to public companies. Click here for notes from the presentation.
The Forum also heard from NCBIO President Sam Taylor on results of the 2007 legislative session and discussed potential topics for the Council for Entrepreneurial Development's Biotech 2008 program in May of 2008 with CED Program Manager Jessica Hegele.
The Emerging Companies Forum is an optional NCBIO membership group for members interested in challenges and opportunities facing pre-revenue and similar life science companies. The Forum meets three times each year. The group's next meeting will be in February 2008.
Biolex Therapeutics has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to the proposed initial public offering of its common stock. Biolex expects to use the net proceeds from the offering to fund clinical trials, preclinical testing and other research and development activities, and for general and administrative expenses, working capital needs and other general corporate purposes.
Novartis has broken ground for its new facility in Holly Springs. The ceremony, held August 23, was led by Governor Mike Easley and Dr. Joerg Reinhardt, CEO of the new Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics division. The facility is expected to employ more than 350 individuals
Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan, LLP has announced that Santo J. Costa has joined the firm, as Of Counsel, in its life sciences practice. Mr. Costa has over 35 years experience in executive level legal and management positions with international pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical services companies, including President and member of the Board of Directors of Quintiles Transnational Corp. and Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and member of the Board of Directors of Glaxo, Inc., now GlaxoSmithKline. Since leaving Quintiles, Mr. Costa has been in private practice working with companies in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare and related areas.
Targacept has announced that its strategic collaborator AstraZeneca has initiated a Phase IIb clinical trial of AZD3480 (TC-1734) in cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, or CDS. There is currently no product approved for the treatment of CDS.
 House Passage of Tax Title in Energy Bill
Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) President and CEO Jim Greenwood has thanked U.S. House of Representatives, particularly Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) and Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.), for passage of the "New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act" containing the "Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007."
"The Cellulosic Alcohol Fuel Producer Credit contained in this important legislation will provide critical assistance to pioneer cellulosic ethanol producers who are in the early stages of bringing novel biofuels to market," said Jim Greenwood. "Importantly, the credit will encourage increased private investment in construction of new biorefineries, greatly accelerating the United States' move towards greater energy independence.
Bill to Modernize Tax Code
Jim Greenwood, president and CEO of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), has expressed appreciation on behalf of the industry to U.S. Representatives Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) and Kevin Brady (R-TX) for their leadership in introducing the American Life Sciences Competitiveness Act of 2007 (H.R. 3264).
"America's life sciences entrepreneurs deserve a tax code that is forward-looking, rewards risk-taking, and encourages the growth of a 21 st century knowledge-based economy. Introduction of the American Life Sciences Competitiveness Act of 2007 is an important step towards this goal," stated Greenwood. "We thank Representatives Schwartz and Brady for their strong support of the life sciences."
The legislation modernizes numerous elements of the federal tax code to ensure that America's biotechnology companies can continue to raise the funding necessary to bring new therapies to market. In particular, the legislation reforms net operation loss rules, improves the research and development tax credit, modernizes the orphan drug credit, encourages the development of new bio-defense and pandemic flu countermeasures, and promotes long-term investment in small life sciences companies struggling to raise research capital.
September 17 Biotech Forum: Meet the New Companies. North Carolina Biotechnology Center, 5:30-8:00 p.m. Biotech Forum and Networking Reception. CED members $20, non-members $30. On-site: $25 CED members, $40 non-members. More information.
September 20 NCBIO Board Meeting, 8:30 a.m., CED classroom, 100 Capitola Drive, Durham .
October 10-11, 2007 CED's Tech 2007 Conference, Friday Center, Chapel Hill, NC . CED's 17th annual Tech Conference will explore ways to live, think, communicate, and do business. Tech 2007 will unite the best in disruptive thinkers and tech industry professionals to converse on clean tech, med tech, new tech, and more. The Tech 2007 Demo Room will showcase pioneering technologies from entrepreneurial companies, universities, corporations, and research institutions across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. More information.
November 5 Nanotechnology in Biology and Medicine. Hosted by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, UNC-Charlotte, and the Carolinas Medical Center, the conference will feature experts with state-of-the-art presentations on nanotechnology as it relates to biology and medicine. Cannon Research Center Auditorium at Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte , 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. More information.
November 6, SEBIO 2007 Venture Conference. Pinehurst. More information.
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