Back to the Surgical Future
Alex Lukianov likes to set ambitious goals for the San Diego medical device company he leads, spinal-surgery specialist NuVasive. A few years ago, as the company was just starting to establish its new approach as a less-invasive alternative to conventional back surgery, he told employees and investors he had his eye on a big number: $500 million in annual sales. This year, Lukianov thinks the company may make it so he’s raising the stakes, talking about the day when the 863-employee company will bring in $1 billion a year in revenue.
“Last year, we closed the year firing on all cylinders, generating cash, doing everything you’d expect a business to do,” Lukianov said in a recent interview at the company’s Sorrento Valley office. “This year really goes up a notch, with obviously $500 million becoming a pretty good-sized company.” He said it’s realistic despite competition from much-better-known names in the business of supplying devices for back operations, such as Medtronic and Johnson & Johnson.
NuVasive has positioned its approach as a better alternative to traditional back surgeries that often involve big incisions, long recovery times and uncertain results. The key is nerve-sensing instrumentation that enables a surgeon to get at the spine from the side, allowing a smaller incision and thus faster recovery.
CSU San Marcos Offers Free Biotechnology Lab Tech Training
In partnership with the San Diego Workforce Partnership, and with $400,000 in funding from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) Extended Learning is offering free biotechnology laboratory technician training for qualified unemployed and underemployed adults.
Through its new Biotechnology Laboratory Technician Certificate program, CSUSM Extended Learning will provide no-cost education to 40 qualified individuals in two cohort sessions, and prepare them for current and emerging jobs in the biotechnology industry as lab technicians or research assistants.
With the first cohort set to launch in April and another cohort beginning in July, the program is currently accepting registrations. San Diegans who have a background in science and an interest in a biotechnology career are encouraged to first contact their nearest One Stop Career Center to see if they qualify for the funding. For Career Center locations visit http://www.sandiegoatwork.com/centers.
Bioengineering Day at UCSD April 17
Bioengineering Day is an event held by the UC San Diego undergraduate and graduate students to celebrate the research, education, and community of bioengineering in the San Diego area. This year, our event will be held on Saturday, April 17, 2010 from 10:30-6pm on the UC San Diego campus. The day will consist of a variety of poster expositions, research talks, industry panels, keynote speeches, an industry fair, and the popular jeopardy-style quiz bowl. Interested in becoming more involved? We are currently seeking sponsorship, judges for presentations and posters, and participants in the industry fair. We enthusiastically invite your company to participate in this exciting event. More information on how to sponsor or RSVP can be found on our website: http://www.be.ucsd.edu/beday/.
RESolutions Launches Novel Patient Recruitment Web Site
RESolutions Rapid Enrollment Solutions, LLC, ("RESolutions") a firm specializing in patient recruitment for clinical trials, announces the launch of a new web site devoted to increasing the success of patient recruitment through the internet. Clinical Trial Spotlight, utilizes the global power of the web to cost effectively boost the pool of eligible patients for screening for any given clinical trial. For the first time ever, sponsors will have the ability to upload recruitment material approved by their Institutional Review Board (IRB), on their own specific landing page.
Compensation Survey for pre-IPO Life Science Companies
Top 5 Data Services, Inc. is conducting a unique compensation survey designed specifically for pre-IPO life science companies in the U.S. This survey will provide participants with current market levels of cash compensation and stock ownership for all positions in their company. Data will be broken out by stage of finance and total investment, ensuring that all participants receive data relevant to their company. Data for medical device and biopharmaceutical companies will also be reported separately.
There is a fee to participate, although BIOCOM members receive $100 discount by noting their membership when registering for the survey. For more information, visit Top5’s website.
MicroConstants Now Offers Nanoparticle Formulation Services
MicroConstants, a GLP-compliant contract research organization (CRO) specializing in bioanalytical and pharmacokinetic analysis, has acquired access to a new nanosizing technology that transforms water insoluble compounds into nanoparticles, making formulation preparation and dosing for toxicology studies easier
For more information please visit the MicroConstants website at http://www.microconstants.com, or contact Heather McMahon at hmcmahon@microconstants.com or (858) 652-4600.
Xconomy Event on March 31 Will Give Glimpse into the Future of Biotech
Xconomy’s event on the evening of March 31 at Biogen Idec’s San Diego office will feature some of San Diego’s scientific and business leaders and allows them to share their long-range visions of what the San Diego life sciences cluster can achieve over the next two decades.
There will be an interactive panel discussion with Paul Schimmel of The Scripps Research Institute, Dan Bradbury of Amylin Pharmaceuticals, and Fred “Rusty” Gage of the Salk Institute. John Mendlein, the chairman of Fate Therapeutics, will moderate. This stellar panel will be followed by quick 3-minute “burst” presentations by a handful of organizations pursuing innovative biotech ideas in San Diego—Ambrx, Biogen Idec New Ventures, Helixis, Receptos, and VentiRx Pharmaceuticals. Luke Timmerman will fly in from Seattle to be there to facilitate audience interaction with the great lineup of speakers.
Ever since the event was first announced, tickets have been going fast. Xconomy expects this event to sell out before March 31, so it’s best to get your tickets in advance. You can find all the pertinent details on how to register by clicking here.
Benefits of Brain Cooling After Stroke Being Explored
Local researchers at UC San Diego Medical Center are collaborating with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, and University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) on the largest clinical trial of hypothermia (brain cooling) for stroke to date. Brain cooling has been shown to decrease brain swelling and reduce loss of neurologic function after an acute stroke. Named “The Intravascular Cooling for Acute Stroke 2/3” (ICTus-2/3), this trial will look specifically at whether hypothermia improves patient outcomes after ischemic stroke.
Set to begin later this spring, the three-and-a-half-year study will enroll 400 patients and is funded by two grants from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health. A UC San Diego grant includes funding for 18 study sites, while a UTHealth grant will fund eight sites. Most of the sites are in the United States, but some are in Europe.
Cooling is achieved by inserting a special catheter into the inferior vena cava – the body’s largest vein. No fluid enters the patient; instead, an internal circulation within the catheter transfers heat out. Study participants are covered with a warming blanket to “trick” the body into feeling warm, and temperature sensors in the skin and a mild sedative help suppress shivering. In this study, body temperature will be cooled to 33 degrees C (92.4 degrees F) and maintained at that level for 24 hours. At the conclusion of the cooling period, participants will be re-warmed over 12 hours.
Barney & Barney Associates Earn National Recognition as 2010 Power Brokers
Two Barney & Barney associates have been recognized by Business Insurance magazine as 2010 Power Brokers. More than 300 risk managers analyzed the 2500 brokers who were nominated and selected Barney & Barney Principal Mike Milligan and Community Association Practice Director Robyn Thaw among those recognized by the national publication’s 5th annual Power BrokerTM recognition program. Brokers were judged primarily on their creativity in solving risk-related problems during 2009, their demonstrated industry knowledge and their high level of client service.
Principal Mike Milligan was recognized as a “Young Gun.” The publication noted, “Mike Milligan has watched his firm’s life sciences clients in Southern California multiply exponentially since he joined in 2000 immediately after graduating from the University of San Diego. The number jumped from seven clients to 200 over the last nine years. A client commented, "I would definitely say he is the best." The client continued, "In fact, I’d say he is among the better service providers I’ve worked with in any service."
Community Association Practice Director Robyn Thaw was recognized as a “National Leader in HOA, PUD Issues” in the Real Estate category. The publication noted, “With more than 30 years of industry experience, Robyn Thaw, a director with Barney & Barney, last year set up the Community Association Practice (CAP) that specializes in insurance programs for real estate and common interest developments, homeowners' associations and planned unit developments (PUD).” Kingsley McLaren of Prescott Management commented that his eight years of working with Thaw have convinced him that she stands head and shoulders above other brokers. "In my previous position I oversaw some 14 properties, and there were other brokers on some of those accounts," he said. "It is the comparison with those brokers that truly makes Robyn shine and stand out."
Genomic Advances Outpace Physicians
Experts at the La Jolla “The Future of Genomic Medicine” conference at La Jolla’s Neurosciences Institute spoke about a future, in which doctors sequence a patient’s genome, analyze any mutations they find and then create a “custom cocktail” of treatment. But for that to happen, the physicians on the front lines of medicine will need to dramatically change their approach. An American Medical Association survey that found only one in 10 doctors believe he or she has enough knowledge of genetics to use it in a medical practice.
Greg Lucier, chief executive of the Carlsbad biotechnology company Life Technologies, said there is a question as to whether there will need to be a new specialty of molecular medicine to make the best use of approaches that will emerge. His company is a top supplier of the sequencing machines that drive the work. Lucier said a priority is to make the machines smaller and more practical to enable widespread use in a variety of settings. He said one initiative to change this will be a new Association of Genomic Medicine, funded initially with a grant from Life Technologies. Its mission will be to educate the medical community. This will include online learning programs with credentials for physicians who complete them.
Life Technologies this week also announced a study that aims to put genomic technology to practical use by sequencing the genomes of 14 breast cancer patients. That’s possible only because improvements in technology have slashed the cost of sequencing a genome to about $6,000 on the company’s latest instrument.
Pioneering Neurosurgeon Bob Carter Joins UC San Diego Health Sciences
Distinguished neurosurgeon and scientist, Bob Carter, MD, PhD, has been named chief of the division of neurosurgery at UC San Diego Medical Center and the Moores UCSD Cancer Center. Under his leadership, the university will launch a multidisciplinary Brain Tumor Treatment Center that will serve as a destination for patients and referring physicians seeking integrated care from multiple specialists in one location.
Internationally recognized for advancing novel therapies for the treatment of glioblastomas at both the genetic and surgical level, Carter was one of the first researchers to identify a genetic signature for brain tumors in blood samples of cancer patients. This form of profiling enables the early diagnosis and personalized treatment of brain tumors. Carter is also a leader in immunotherapy, researching how the body’s own biologic system can be used to reject cancerous growths.
Scientists Identify Age-Associated Defects in Schizophrenia
The underlying causes of the debilitating psychiatric disorder schizophrenia remain poorly understood. In a new study, however, scientists report that a powerful gene network analysis has revealed surprising new insights into how gene regulation and age play a role in schizophrenia.
In the new work, a team of researchers led by Associate Professor Elizabeth Thomas of The Scripps Research Institute has taken a novel approach to this problem, performing a gene network-based analysis that revealed surprising insight into schizophrenia development. The group analyzed gene expression data from the prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain associated with schizophrenia, sampled post-mortem from normal individuals and schizophrenia patients ranging from 19 to 81 years old. However, instead of just looking at genes individually, Thomas and colleagues at the Scripps Translational Science Institute, Nicholas Schork and Ali Torkamani, considered interactions between genes, as well as groups of genes that showed similar patterns of expression, to identify dysfunctional cellular pathways in schizophrenia.
The gene network analysis suggested that normal individuals and schizophrenia patients have an unexpectedly similar connectivity between genes, but the most surprising finding was a significant link between aging and gene expression patterns in schizophrenia. The team identified several groups of co-expressed genes that behaved differently in schizophrenia patients compared to normal subjects when age was considered. Specifically, this work indicates that abnormal gene expression in developmentally related genes might be a significant pathogenic trigger, occurring over a broader time-scale than expected. Furthermore, Thomas noted that the new study supports early intervention and treatment of schizophrenia. Treatment approaches aimed at averting gene expression changes and altering the course of the disease could be specifically tailored to the age of the patient.
UC San Diego Researchers Help Create New System to Improve Safe Use of Medicines and Vaccines by Pregnant Women
Tracking the effects of drugs on pregnant women has long been a difficult and nearly impossible task for researchers, until now. Researchers in the Department of Pediatrics at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine along with Boston University and The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) have created a new system to provide information to pregnant women and their doctors about using medications and vaccines safely in pregnancy.
The Vaccines and Medications in Pregnancy Surveillance System (VAMPSS) will collect data from women who are pregnant or have recently completed their pregnancies in order to provide information on issues that could be of concern to women and their babies. Many medical conditions, such as asthma and influenza, particularly if left untreated, can harm both the mother and her baby so it is important to capture the experiences from women who use medications or vaccines during their pregnancy.
The initial focus of VAMPSS will be on the respiratory health of pregnant women, including asthma medications, seasonal and H1N1 influenza vaccines, and antiviral medications used to prevent and treat influenza. Although there is no evidence to suggest that influenza vaccines pose any harm to pregnant women or their offspring, the newer and more comprehensive data provided by VAMPSS will improve understanding of the safety of these and other medicines and vaccines that are taken in pregnancy.
Women are encouraged to enroll in the study so they and their infants can be followed through pregnancy and the post-partum period. Pregnant women who have taken asthma medications and/or have received the seasonal influenza vaccine, the H1N1 vaccine or any antiviral medications to prevent or treat the flu can contact OTIS at (877) 311-8972 for more information.