Bioe News > archive

Looking for the ripple effect
March 2006
One year after its passage, California's embryonic stem cell research funding initiative remains a mixed blessing for biotech startups.

Canada's biotech conundrum
February 2006
Canadian citizens, the government and its entrepreneurs are all keen on biotech. Startup incentives, government supports and talent are not hard to find in Canada, but the message isn't getting out. Boosters think they know why and have a solution.

IBM opens the IP vaults
February 2006
Low fees for licensing patents could attract small entrepreneurs, but for some companies the price could be high.

Missing: entrepreneurial women in biotech
January 2006
Specialized academic training, seminars and mentoring programs are slowly emerging to woo and equip female biotech entrepreneurs.

The new financing event
January 2006
Will 2006 bring a new set of expectations about M&A among entrepreneurs?

China's entrepreneurial side
January 2006
China's biotech ambitions rest squarely upon the shoulders of Taiwan. Thus far, the tiny island is proving that it is up to the task.

Seed capital conundrum
December 2005
Venture capitalists and angels are pulling back from seed rounds, just as biotech startups need more money than ever to get off the ground.

Biotech entrepreneur, educate thyself!
December 2005
In recent years, a number of universities have created graduate degrees in biotech and business. Although it's still too early to measure their value, it appears that they are already inspiring debate and some startup activity.

The UK and its matchmakers
December 2005
The UK government is looking for a few good US biotech entrepreneurs.

Biotech on Fashion Island?
December 2005
New York City is crowing about the long-awaited arrival of a new biotech park, but the city will have to overcome its image as a financial and fashion capital before it captures the interest of biotech startups.

Fishing farther upstream
November 2005
As biopharmaceutical companies are pushed up the pipeline to find the best licensing deals, some small biotechs are starting to command more money at an earlier stage in their research.

Chile's supermodel
November 2005
The government of Chile turns to a consortium of business leaders and academics to bolster its biotech prospects.

Nanobiotech booster shots
November 2005
The US National Cancer Institute has completed its funding for nanobiotech projects, but the debate about its value to startups lingers.

Swedish roadtrip
October 2005
Many nations provide startup funding for biotech startups. In an effort to give its upstarts an added boost, the Swedish government also plays the role of bridge builder by taking its startups on the road.

Mad about medtech
October 2005
Life science investors are once again smitten with medical device startups. But, biotech entrepreneurs and investors should keep things in perspective.

Nice PIPEs
October 2005
Fledgling biotechs and their original investors are increasingly looking at PIPEs to fill the funding void.

China's biotech experiments
October 2005
In China, biotech startups are struggling to make a go of it. But new models for survival are emerging.

A capital idea
September 2005
The buzz is growing about reverse mergers as an alternative path to capital markets in the US.

When will Israeli biotech grow up?
September 2005
The biotech sector is maturing, but investors are still cautious.

Argentina gets serious about biotech
September 2005
New law could provide the long underachieving Argentinean biotech industry the incentives and funding to finally test its potential.

Biotech's challenge in Africa
September 2005
A new panel has been formed in Africa to determine how and where the continent should be building its biotech base.

Easy act to follow
August 2005
Despite a faltering biotech IPO market, secondary offerings are still going strong for startups with good news and impeccable timing.

Denmark's sense of urgency
August 2005
Denmark's next generation of biotech startups needs smart government money and solid VC backing. Is help on the way?

Looking at US versus European exit opportunities
August 2005
Data suggest that investor exits are dwindling in the US. For now, prospects are rosier in Europe. But, mixed messages are everywhere.

At America's top health institute, the writing is on the wall
July 2005
New revelations at the US National Institutes of Health dims any hope of a compromise with scientists and industry.

Biotech's gender gap
July 2005
Some of the world's top scientists and business school graduates are women, so why are so few of them holding senior-level management positions in biotech?

Canada's alternative biotech scene is an island apart
July 2005
Prince Edward Island is betting that nutraceuticals and stress reduction will give it an edge on the competition.

New biotech oasis?
June 2005
Wealthy oil nations in the Middle East hope to woo biotech talent and startups with money and other incentives.

BIO's big gamble
June 2005
The Biotechnology Industry Organization is pushing hard to force the US government to change the rules on certain grants for biotechs. Not everybody views this as a wise pursuit.

Investors and the precautionary principle
June 2005
Entrepreneurs continue to be stymied by the current climate for IPOs.

Early-stage exits: sometimes, less is more
June 2005
Desire for quicker liquidity is pushing investors to later stage companies, but early-stage startups built for rapid exit are coming into vogue.

Momentous patent case may not be resolved anytime soon
May 2005
Biotech startups hoping that the US Supreme Court will resolve the closely watched Merck v. Integra case, once and for all, could be in for still more waiting and uncertainty.

German biotech sector inches forward despite long odds
May 2005
Capital and exit opportunities are still hard to come by in Germany, but there are new signs of life for investors and startups in Europe's second largest biotech market.

Governments backing manufacturing to save startups
April 2005
European governments see manufacturing as a vital next step toward developing a robust local biotech industry—and an essential fortification to protect their investments in the field.

Overreaction to violations stifle innovation
April 2005
A backlash over new ethics rules could yield a compromise, but biotech startups and innovation might suffer nonetheless.

European universities weigh spin-offs versus licensing patents
April 2005
With commercialization of academic research slowly rising, debate is brewing over whether spinning off young companies can become too much of a good thing.

India's strategy to bridge the public-private divide
April 2005
Public-private partnership is the cornerstone of India's new draft National Biotechnology Development Strategy that aims at creating one million jobs and an annual turnover of $5 billion in the biotech industry by 2010.

Brazil to foster public-private innovative ventures
March 2005
Brazil will encourage partnership between academia and industry through joint ventures, backed up by favorable tax incentives, but such measures rely on greater industry involvement.

UK on a quest for early-stage financing models
March 2005
Several UK universities have given exclusive rights to finance their startups to specialist seed investors, but this monopoly may not be the only way to finance early-stage biotech startups.

Community colleges eye biotech; industry returns the favor
March 2005
A new program to train workers in the skills required to work in the biotech sector offer a career opportunity to some but are still too few and far between.

VC funding up, search now on for talent
March 2005
Talent rather than money may now be the rate-limiting factor in the emergence of new biotech companies.

Tobacco money reinvested in biotech
February 2005
Tobacco settlement funds could bridge the gap in seed funding needed to encourage biotech startup in the US states, particularly in Pennsylvania.

Spanish wishful thinking towards biotech
February 2005
Spain has strong scientific capabilities, but institutional obstacles are stifling the development of its fledgling biotechnology sector.

Survey reveals US university licensing up, startup formation down
January 2005
University licensing is likely to increase as pharma looks to supplement drug pipelines, and venture capitalists broaden their focus to platform technologies.

Hungarian Parliament expected to pass a new innovation law
December 2004
The country's government aims to promote the commercialization of publicly funded research and to boost private investment into its nascent biotech sector.

Amgen's new fund plumps for incubator
December 2004
Venture capital interests shift to platform technologies.

Angel investors shy away from biotech
November 2004
Budding bioentrepreneurs should try to attain seed funds from both angel investors and venture capitalists in tandem.

NIH licensing performance under par
November 2004
Heavy workload, high staff turnover and poor marketing practices have hampered transfer of technologies from the National Institutes of Health to industry.

UK VCs avoid university spinouts
November 2004
A new report provides details of the current state of VC funding for UK university spinouts and suggestions for how to reverse the trend.

South Africa fights low patent rate
October 2004
Drawing on a strong research base, the country seeks to provide better incentives for commercialization.

Germany's BioRegions join forces
October 2004
Regional biotech industry groups throughout Germany are cooperating with each other to enhance the international competitiveness of the country's biotech sector.

International regional collaborations are paying off
September 2004
As a UK-Texas collaboration gets ready to launch its first biotech firm, many regional industry organizations see the future of startups in such programs.

Israel to launch biotech incubators
September 2004
But the country still needs a larger R&D budget and a better developed infrastructure to strengthen its biotech sector.

Europe fights 'brain drain' with new research grants
September 2004
Cash awards have persuaded 25 promising scientists to settle in Europe, but other barriers to fostering bioentrepreneurs in the EU remain.

Swiss patent proposal prompts criticism
September 2004
Members of the drug industry debate the effects of a proposed law in Switzerland that would limit the patent protection of gene sequences.

Egypt boosts its academic entrepreneurs
August 2004
Initiatives are popping up across the Middle East to promote biotech research and commercialization.

Early-stage biotechs raising more cash in Europe
August 2004
Venture capital investment into European biotechs doubled in the last quarter, but US firms still raise more in an average round.

Russian biotech needs better patent protection
August 2004
Scientists in Russia seek overseas partners to commercialize their inventions, but the country's immature business climate often stands in the way.

Napster case spills into biotech sector
July 2004
If Napster's investors are found guilty of assisting copyright infringement, then venture capitalists will begin to practice more caution before dropping money into any high-risk technology firm.

Scotland launches ITI Life Sciences
July 2004
A new Scottish institute will play matchmaker with interesting biotech projects and market demands on a global level.

Vietnam to refocus biotech
July 2004
Vietnamese biotech has historically been grounded in agriculture, but it will soon tackle drugs and related products.

Italian biotech too reliant on big pharma
July 2004
Academics in Italy need to launch more startups before its biotech sector can expand any further.

Swiss biotech outpaces Europe
June 2004
The Swiss biotech sector owes its economic performance to limited public support.

US stock option accounting changes imminent
June 2004
Federal regulators, legislators and biotech companies are choosing sides when it comes to employee stock options.

Pfizer delivers body blow to New Zealand biotech
June 2004
Prospects for New Zealand's nascent biotech sector took a hit after Pfizer cancels a contract with an Auckland Research Center.

Norway goes private to develop biotech
May 2004
Private initiatives have emerged to support Norway's fledgling biotech industry in the absence of adequate research funding and industry management.

Global biotech expansion taking cues from Bayh-Dole
May 2004
As the spirit of the Bayh-Dole Act appears to erode in the United States, the rest of the world is busy trying to reproduce the landmark technology transfer legislation.

Canada's bumper biotech budget
May 2004
Canadian biotech startups are eligible for record amounts of federal funds.

Patenting costs cast a shadow on European biotech
April 2004
Costly language translations required for filing patent applications in Europe burden the limited budgets of biotech companies.

Colorado Bioscience Park adds expertise
April 2004
Biotech companies at this US facility expect to benefit when researchers and clinicians move in and open up research labs and hospitals.

Foreign VC funds get mixed reception in India
April 2004
The first foreign venture capitalists have started looking for biotech opportunities in India.

University entrepreneur initiatives on the rise
April 2004
An increasing number of universities are designing programs to create business-savvy scientists and science-savvy business and law graduates.

Japanese national universities are now 'incorporated'
April 2004
A new national policy is expected to improve university tech transfer and give biotech a boost in Japan.

'Spinning in': a new concept for technology transfer?
March 2004
In the first move of its kind, an academic institution has 'spun in' a biotechnology company, acquiring all of its assets.

Singapore trains its biotech workforce abroad
March 2004
To remain competitive, Singapore is sending its graduates to learn biomanufacturing skills in factories around the world.

ATP under attack
March 2004
A US federal funding program that has been instrumental in helping biotech companies develop high-risk products is in danger of termination.

The changing attitude of European VCs
March 2004
Biotech investment patterns are evolving in Europe because of an emerging crop of venture capitalists with a greater taste for risk.

Sumitomo buys Oxford Finance
February 2004
Acquisition will enable US biotech startups to more easily connect with Japanese pharma companies and stores of cash.

New Zealand launches biotech seed fund
February 2004
The New Zealand government seeks private investors to complement a new biotech venture capital fund.

Boutiques reborn in 2003
February 2004
The biotech sector saw a surge in VC investment last year, and the role of specialized banks might help the trend continue.

Ireland launches regenerative medicine research center
January 2004
The Irish government encourages innovation by supporting industry-academia partnerships in biotechnology.

ScanBalt coordinates intellectual property in Northern Europe
January 2004
A new organization will promote the value of managing intellectual property among universities and companies in Scandinavia and near the Baltic Sea.

Arizona's sales tax diverted to biotech research
January 2004
A unique arrangement for allocating sales taxes to education is driving Arizona's development as a biotech center, but other states are unlikely to follow suit.

Three US states launch biotech seed funds
December 2003
Although the cash is a welcome boost to emerging biotech companies, not every region can expect to develop into a biotech hub.

Biotechs critique big pharma's collaboration skills
December 2003
Survey shows what biotech already knows: some big pharma companies are better partners than others.

UK urged to plug "bioprocessing gap"
December 2003
The country needs to increase its biomanufacturing capacity.

France critiques its incubators before refinancing
December 2003
The country aims to boost its high-tech sectors, but a more proactive role in project detection and seed funding is still needed for successful incubation.

Scripps lured to Sunshine State
November 2003
Is the opening of a Scripps Research Institute in Florida enough to kick-start the state's biotech sector?

Humboldt University beefs up technology transfer
November 2003
With its new patent policy, the university aims to deal with industry partners on an equal footing.

Venture capitalists shun Chinese biotech
November 2003
Barriers to foreign investors are impeding the growth of the biotech sector in China.

'Hai gui' stimulate Asian biotech industry
October 2003
Asia’s biotech opportunities attract brains to the region.

University-based manufacturing on the rise
October 2003
Texas Tech University is gearing up for a blood substitute phase 1 trial.

Investment patterns vary across the pond
October 2003
UK VCs have yet to become as bold as their US counterparts.

US NCI contracts push high-risk, high-reward research
October 2003
Nanotechnologies capture most of funding to fight cancer.

North Carolina fires salvo in state’s battle for biotechs
September 2003
The state is planning to build a biomanufacturing plant to train its biotech workforce.

Mexico bids on biotech
September 2003
The Mexican government just launched two initiatives to foster biotech.

California institutes unite to bridge drug development gap
September 2003
Academics partner with nonprofit to improve the odds of crossing drug development's 'Valley of Death.'

Increasing number of companies found ineligible for SBIR funding
September 2003
Because of a tightening in the implementation of eligibility rules, a valuable source of US government funding for biotechnology companies is in jeopardy.

New biotech hubs may emerge as industry matures
August 2003
A recent study suggests biotech companies will increasingly migrate out of existing hubs to cut costs.

Reservations raised about UK academic spinout rate
August 2003
UK university technology transfer offices should refocus on licensing technologies to existing companies.

Michigan aims to exploit Pharmacia expertise for startups
August 2003
The exodus of employees from Pharmacia's Kalamazoo facility is being targeted by Michigan to galvanize biotech startup activity.

Two new biotechnology research parks created in India
August 2003
The state of Maharashtra hopes to outshine other Indian biotech hubs.

Ireland trying to attract biotech brains
July 2003
The country's courting of US expatriates is only one of the steps necessary to build its bioindustry.

Private biotech companies face new funding challenges
July 2003
Venture capital funds are spending more on fewer companies.

Burrill invests in Australian biotech
July 2003
New tax laws in Australia are motivating foreign venture capitalists to invest Down Under.

Bio-City budding in Saxony
July 2003
Does Germany need more biotechnology incubators?

VC war chests for biotech startups continue to grow
June 2003
Young biotech firms have ample opportunity to raise cash, but they need to appear more robust in order to compete with existing companies that are vying for the same funds.

Technology transfer survey reveals disparities but growth at US universities
June 2003
An AUTM survey shows that US technology transfer is thriving, but many small universities are having trouble commercializing their research.

EC measures member states' biotechnology innovation
May 2003
Critics say a new report's measurements are not consistent, but there are still valuable lessons to be learned from it.

Dutch biotech celebrates late arrivals
May 2003
A new report shows that attempts by the Dutch government to grow its biotech sector have produced fresh start-ups. But will they survive?

Growing pains on the horizon for EU biotech
May 2003
The European biotechnology industry looks set for a shake-up when 13 new countries join the European Union later this decade, according to a new survey by the European Commission.

Scotland's biotechnology industry growth outpaces European average
May 2003
Scotland's government has taken a proactive approach to boosting its biotech industry, and other countries can learn from the details.

France releases audit of its genomics research centers
April 2003
A genomics research initiative begun in 1998 has helped foster the French biotechnology industry, but a government-sponsored audit suggests that some improvements would attract more start-ups to the country.

Budget shortfalls threaten US biotechnology programs
April 2003
US states are slashing funds for biotechnology programs from their budgets, threatening the economic development of startup firms.

New Jersey contemplating uniting its three state universities
March 2003
Monitor Group finds a single, large university would benefit the state's biotech industry as well as university researchers.

Investors tout Biofrontera, Kiadis merger as consolidation model
March 2003
Investors say that increased M & A activity among startups is required for healthy growth of the highly fragmented biotechnology industry.

Taiwan challenges itself to boost biotech sector
March 2003
An influx of government cash into Taiwan's biotechnology sector is expected to attract foreign firms, but some policy changes may be needed before the island's technology can develop efficiently.

EC report reveals scarcity of female bioentrepreneurs
March 2003
The meager number of women occupying high-level positions in European biotechnology reflects antiquated recruitment processes, rather than active discrimination.

California dreaming about slick technology transfer
February 2003
Industrialists are skeptical about any simple routes for streamlining technology transfer.

New head of US Office of Technology Transfer sets agenda
February 2003
Technology transfer is becoming more complex in the United States, and OTT head Mark Rohrbaugh is preparing to meet the resulting challenges.

MedImmune Ventures plumps for Iomai
February 2003
Young biotechnology firms can expect increased attention from corporate venture funds, including those set up by cash-rich counterparts.

Japan's first biotechnology graduate school will open in April
February 2003
Private initiative intends to fuel the nation's biotech startup sector.

Private funding heads to startups focused on products
January 2003
Venture capitalists are currently funding only those biotechnology startups that have a clear path to profitability.