Study: Countries angling to lure U.S. biopharma companies

Posted under Blog, Companies, Diagnostics, Funding, Medical Devices, Medical Supply, Pharmaceuticals, PhRMA, R&D, Regulatory, Startups, Universities, Videos by Damian Garde

In a study commissioned by PhRMA, Battelle reports that countries around the globe are boosting their investments in R&D and instituting innovation-friendly policies to attract biopharma outfits. PhRMA CEO John Castellani said in a statement that regulatory uncertainty and strict IP laws could put the U.S. at a disadvantage, leading big-earning biopharma companies to flee overseas. Castellani points to Germany, which used to be "the world's medicine cabinet," and cautions that if the U.S. government doesn't reaffirm its commitment to biomedical innovation, it could lose its standing in the industry. Release

Takeda shutters Bay Area R&D shop in California shakeup

Posted under antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, Blog, Cancer, Companies, Diagnostics, Funding, immunology, Medical Devices, Medical Supply, Pharmaceuticals, R&D, San Diego, South San Francisco, Startups, Takeda, Universities, Videos by John Carroll

Five months after Takeda announced it was formally integrating its R&D efforts in South San Francisco and San Diego into a single entity, the Japanese pharma company dropped the news that it will now shutter its Bay Area ops and move its most essential staffers and technology down south into an expanded "center of excellence."

Putting its scientists in one spot will help "enhance communication and collaboration," noted Takeda, as they pursue new antibodies and small molecules for cancer, immunology and metabolic disease. The company went on to tout its technology, boasting of X-ray crystallography work and its antibody-drug conjugates.

"This decision supports our continuous efforts to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of Takeda's global research activities," said Paul Chapman, senior vice president of Takeda's Pharmaceutical Research Division, in a statement. "Takeda California, with its broad and flexible drug discovery capabilities, is an important asset and contributor to Takeda's productivity."

Ron Leuty at the San Francisco Business Times noted that Takeda's San Francisco chief, Mary Haak-Frendscho, recently took a new job at Compugen. There's no word on the ultimate fate of Takeda's non-essential employees, or how many will be let go in the consolidation. The Business Times noted that at one point there were 65 workers at the site, at a time when Takeda was projecting employment to hit 100. 

- here's the press release
- get the report from the San Francisco Business Times

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New study confirms worst fears about Merck’s HIV vaccine

Posted under Biologics, Blog, Companies, Diagnostics, Funding, HIV, HIV/AIDS, Medical Devices, Medical Supply, Merck, NIH, Pharmaceuticals, R&D, Startups, Universities, Videos by John Carroll

Five years ago Merck ($MRK) investigators stunned everyone working in the AIDS research field with the news that they were abruptly halting a study of a prospective HIV vaccine after the data began to make clear that it wasn't only failing to guard against the virus, but appeared to increase the risk of becoming infected. Now researchers have followed up to confirm that the worst case scenario was true.

The sudden about-face on the vaccine forced investigators as well as the NIH to do some serious rethinking about the R&D work being done on HIV vaccines. Not knowing exactly what went wrong, another big trial was scrapped on a similar vaccine. And as The New York Times reports today, further work has been carried out in slow motion, delivering at best mixed results.

The new study tracked the health of 1,836 men enrolled in the Merck trial for a further two years. Almost 10% later became infected, with uncircumcised men and men with high levels of antibodies for the Type 5 adenovirus most at risk. As the vaccine was constructed using a weakened adenovirus 5, scientists speculate that may have boosted the presence of CD4 cells in the blood, creating the kind of "target-rich" environment that HIV thrives on.

But that's conjecture. Investigators still aren't certain what went wrong, only concluding that the result had to be biologic. As a cautionary tale, the Merck trial will continue to serve as a reality check for everyone in the field.

- here's the story from The New York Times

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Study: Further insight into Merck HIV vax infection increase
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Mohr Davidow’s Siegel tapped to run $6B GE health tech initiative

Posted under affymetrix, Blog, Companies, Diagnostics, Funding, GE, healthymagination, Medical Devices, Medical Supply, Mohr Davidow Ventures, personalized medicine, Pharmaceuticals, R&D, Startups, Sue Siegel, Universities, Videos by John Carroll

Mohr Davidow Ventures' Sue Siegel, the former president of Affymetrix ($AFFX), is leaving the venture group to take the reins at GE's $6 billion healthymagination project. An expert in tech platforms and molecular diagnostics, Siegel brings considerable experience in the personalized medicine field to the task. Mohr Davidow, Kleiner Perkins and other VC groups have been working with GE to identify new technologies that can cut healthcare costs by 2015. Release