02/01/2012
On Monday, FDA approved the first drug to treat an advanced form of basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer. The drug -- known generically as vismodegib -- will be marketed as Erivedge by California-based Genentech. The company estimates that a 10-month treatment course would cost about $75,000. New York Times' "Prescriptions," Wall Street Journal.
02/01/2012
CDC has selected Sacramento to be one of 15 counties to participate in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The survey -- which will begin Thursday and continue through April 1 -- aims to identify health issues and guide the federal government in developing initiatives and policies to address those issues. Sacramento Bee.
01/25/2012
On Monday, a group of experts who make up the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, which was created by the federal health reform law to assess the effectiveness of medical procedures, released its draft research agenda for public comment. The 22-page agenda highlights five priority areas for comparative effectiveness study, such as improving health care systems, communicating research and assessing prevention, diagnosis and treatment options. The Hill's "Healthwatch," Modern Healthcare.
01/24/2012
Last week, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine signed a memorandum of understanding with Scotland to facilitate collaboration between researchers. Danny Cusick -- Scottish Development International's president of the Americas -- said the partnership will help create opportunities for Scottish companies to work with California businesses and researchers. San Francisco Business Times' "Biotech SF."
01/24/2012
In a study published in the journal Lancet on Monday, a team of researchers from California and Massachusetts found that an experimental treatment derived from human embryonic stem cells helped to significantly improve the vision of two southern California patients. The patients -- who suffered from progressing forms of blindness -- were treated at UCLA last summer. Advanced Cell Technology -- which developed the therapy and funded the study -- now is expanding the trial. New York Times et al.
01/24/2012
Last week, UCSF Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann told the UC Board of Regents that she would prefer to loosen ties between UCSF's clinics, hospital, medical school and research facilities and the main UC system. According to Desmond-Hellmann, UCSF could become a leading health innovator worldwide if it took on a more autonomous role. The regents said they would task a committee to study the proposal and report back in July with recommendations. San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Business Times' "Bay Area Biz Talk."
01/12/2012
On Wednesday, first lady Michelle Obama announced a new initiative, as part of her "Joining Forces" campaign, in which more than 100 medical schools will commit to increasing research and training on treating veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. The initiative is intended to provide military-focused training to physicians beyond those who work at military medical centers or military bases. The initiative will not provide funding to the participating schools, but schools will be able to make individual decisions on how to integrate the additional training and research into their curriculum. AP/Washington Post, MedPage Today.
01/12/2012
On Tuesday, French pharmaceutical company Sanofi and UC-San Francisco announced details of a $3.1 million pilot project designed to identify drug targets that might lead to new treatments for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. The initiative is part of a broader partnership between UCSF and the drugmaker that was launched in January 2011. Under the latest project, laboratories led by three UCSF scientists will study insulin-producing cells, known as beta cells, which are destroyed in Type 1 diabetes and often fail to produce enough insulin in Type 2 diabetes. San Francisco Business Times' "Biotech SF," Fierce Biotech.
01/11/2012
A new survey finds that many California biomedical firms are delaying projects as they encounter difficulty in obtaining funding. Some firms say they might consider corporate partnerships. San Jose Mercury News, Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal.
01/10/2012
On Monday, Bayer HealthCare announced plans to create a 6,000 square-foot shared lab, called CoLaborator, to house startup life science companies that have technology platforms, drug targets or drug candidates that align with Bayer's portfolio. The move comes one year after the drug developer launched its Innovation Center in San Francisco's Mission Bay area. The new CoLaborator will launch in the summer in Mission Bay and is expected to house three to four small companies. San Francisco Business Times, Healthcare IT News.
12/21/2011
A government advisory panel has asked two scientific journals to withhold details of two avian flu studies because of concerns that the data could be used for bioterrorism. The move marks the first time an advisory panel has issued such a recommendation. New York Times et al.
12/19/2011
California voters approved a 2004 ballot proposition to fund the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine for 10 years because they "wanted to stop the tragedy of spinal cord injuries and end the ravages of Alzheimer's disease" through stem cell therapies, a San Jose Mercury News editorial states. It continues, "Now that the end of [CIRM]'s 10-year life span is in sight, it's time for the founders to step back and encourage universities and industry to take over the pursuit of therapies using these potent cells." The editorial concludes, "The promise of stem cell treatments now must be kept alive with funding from industry, academic institutions and private foundations and philanthropists." San Jose Mercury News.
12/09/2011
Advocates for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine might seek a ballot initiative in 2014 to raise more funds for the agency. Meanwhile, CIRM has approved $27 million in funds for new projects. Contra Costa Times, San Francisco Business Times' "Biotech SF."
12/08/2011
Geron's announcement last month that it was stopping "the first human trial of stem cell-based spinal cord therapy ... underscores the old questions, and raises new ones, about what [the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine] is supposed to accomplish," Los Angeles Times columnist Michael Hiltzik writes. Geron refunded a loan from CIRM to fund the trial, but "CIRM needs to take a good look at whether it pushed too hard for the Geron loan and overplayed the significance of the trial," according to Hiltzik, who adds, "These questions are only going to become more important in the future, as CIRM prepares to ask California voters for new billions to supplement its original $3 billion bond issue authorized by voters through 2004's Proposition 71." Los Angeles Times.
12/08/2011
Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a lawsuit that could determine the legality of patents for certain medical screening tests. The justices appeared to be split over whether companies should be allowed to patent such diagnostic tests. AP/Washington Post et al.