National Cancer Institute's Non-Dilutive Funding Deadlines
By Lauren Panetta, BIOCOM Communications Department
Need some non-dilutive cash? The National Cancer Institute welcomes entrepreneurs and small business leaders to learn more about the two government-funded programs that provide the largest sources of early-stage technology grant and contract funding opportunities. The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs are a way to cultivate new departures in the development of new technologies and products to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer. The SBIR Program funds early-stage research and development at small businesses. The STTR Program is different from the SBIR Program in that it requires the small business concern applicant organization to formally collaborate with a research institution.
Currently, the NCI has two different funding opportunities available. One of the funds, available through both the SBIR and STTR, supports small business concerns that propose the development and clinical validation of systems for image-guided interventions for cancer. The goals of this program are to provide support for: the development and optimization of fully integrated cancer imaging, monitoring, and therapy systems; the validation of integrated these systems through clinical evaluations; the development of multiple prototype integrated image-guided intervention systems as required for multisite clinical evaluations; and partnerships among small business, large business, and academic clinical centers, as well as small business joint ventures, in order to reach the research goals. There are various budgets according to the amount of time of each phase. The total length of support for Phase I and Phase II is limited to 4 years.
Another opportunity, also available through the SBIR and STTR and issued by the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the FDA and the Administration for Children and Families invites eligible U.S. small business concerns to submit SBIR and STTR grant applications. United States SBCs that have the research capabilities and technological expertise to contribute to the R&D mission(s) of the NIH, CDC, FDA and ACF awarding components identified in this FOA are encouraged to submit SBIR grant applications in response to identified topics.
Spotlight on Multiple Sclerosis
By Terri Somers
With each issue of the Biocommunique, BIOCOM takes a monthly look at the many patient populations that the life sciences industry serves, and the member companies researching treatments for that type of disease. We will also highlight information about fundraising events that aim to raise money to support continuing research.
For our March disease spotlight, we take a look at multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body and it stops people from moving. Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S., and 2.5 million worldwide.
EVENTS:
Walk MS is the rallying point of the MS movement, a community coming together to raise funds and celebrate hope for the future. Join us for a fun, festival-like event including food, drink, entertainment and a 2-3 mile walk at your choice of three beautiful locations. You can walk Saturday, April 10 at the University of California in Irvine; Saturday, April 24 at NTC Park in San Diego; or Sunday, April 25 at LEGOLAND® California in Carlsbad. For more information, visit MSwalk.com or call 1-800-486-6762.
Participants of last year's MS Walk
Corporate sponsors of this event include:
Ability Center
Ability Rehab
Americare Home Care
AMN Healthcare
Ambrx
Avanir Pharmaceuticals
Biogen Idec
CSUF Student Health Profession Association
Kaiser Permanente
Kaplan College
Pacific Ambulance
Palomar Nursing Students
Saddleback College Biological Society
Scripps Rehab
Scripps Health/Encinitas
Skilled Healthcare
Team At Your Home FAMILYCARE
Team Neurology Center
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries
UCI Gottschalk Got To Walk (UCI Nurses)
UCSD MS Center: Doc JC-B's Seabees
UCSD Pre-PT/OT Society
NIH Director Meets with So. Cal Life Science Leaders
By Terri Somers
Southern California’s life sciences cluster plays a pivotal role in turning the nation’s taxpayer-funded scientific discoveries into life-improving therapies, diagnostics, medical devices and research tools, said Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health.
“San Diego is a hub for high-end innovation at both the academic centers and industry,” Collins told a gathering of Southern California life science industry leaders.
Collins met last month met with a delegation of more than 25 of the region’s life science leaders to hear industry concerns and interests in NIH programs. The Saturday morning meeting at the Sanford-Burnham Institute for Medical Research was arranged by Rep. Brian Bilbray and moderated by BIOCOM President and CEO Joe Panetta.
San Diego received almost $1 billion in grant funding from the NIH last year, and more than $126 million in stimulus funding, Collins said. That money supports more than 1,180 scientists at 92 organizations in San Diego alone, he said.
Every grant dollar for scientific research translates into $2.21 cents in goods and services returned to the local economy, he said.. And each grant funds an average of seven jobs, he said.
“This has been one of the most important investments that this country has made. And this is among the thing you might want to put money into and a pretty darn good one if you’re concerned about the economy,” Collins said. “Of course we also hope that this money will help people have a chance to live long and health lives,” he said.
Collins said that the 21st Centure is the “Century of Biology,” and that it is important to prioritize science education, discovery and technology now as we look to create jobs and remain competitive with other countries that are pushing to make inroads in science-driven industries.
Industry leaders talked to Collins about the need for more non-dilutive funding. It would help greatly, they said, if companies that had received venture capital funding were allowed to receive SBIR grants from the NIH that they currently are not eligible to receive. The business leaders and Collins talked about the important role of industry in translating scientific discoveries into therapies.
Collins said that the NIH planned to work more closely with the Food and Drug Administration with the ultimate goal of finding ways to improve how taxpayer funded sciences can be translated into life-saving products for consumers.
The former head of the Human Genome Project also talked about the industry’s future of providing products more tailored to the patient’s individualized genetics, known as personalized medicine. He noted that Carlsbad-based Life Technologies is one of the companies that has developed the technology to decode people’s genomes at a cost that continues to get less expensive as the information it can provide becomes more detailed. It cost about $300 million to sequence the first genome, with related activities brining the total to about $2.6 billion. The goal is to be able to complete an individual’s genome for about $1,000, which would enable people to routinely have their genes sequenced and lead to more personalized health care, he said.
“Then it would be a click of the mouse for a doctor to determine what is the right drug for a patient,” he said. Already, said Collins and Scripps’ Eric Topol, who attended the meeting, there are already several drugs for which genetic information can help determine a drug’s effectiveness.
For some diseases, such as cancer, figuring out what triggers good cells to go bad, or determining the genetic triggers that play a role in disorders such as bipolar disease and diabetes, could have a great impact on the health, productiveness and happiness of many people.
“All of these are poised for breakthroughs, and some of this is already starting to happen,” Collins said.
“It was an honor to have Dr. Collins visit San Diego and I was proud to show him the cutting edge research going on in our community,” said Congressman Bilbray. “NIH investment in San Diego helps employ the nearly 36,000 San Diegans who currently work in our local biotech and medical research communities. This investment, along with bipartisan support in Congress, has made San Diego one of the top research communities in the world. On top of that, Joe Panetta from BIOCOM did a fantastic job moderating the event.”
NIH Director Francis Collins (center) met with Southern California life science executives to discuss industry issues and how companies can better work with the NIH. BIOCOM CEO and President Joe Panetta (right) moderated the meeting that was held on a Saturday at the Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute. Philanthropist Denny Sanford (left) attended.
Re. Brian Bilbray (center), a staunch supporter of the life sciences industry, arranged the meeting with Collins.