Business & Biotech

BIOtechNow’s Tracy Krughoff talks to Dr. Louise Perkins, Chief Scientific Officer at the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation is one of the advocacy organizations presenting at the upcoming BIO CEO & Investor Conference, being held February 8-9 in New York City.

Listen to the podcast here:
http://www.bio.org/podcasts/MMRF.wma

This week, IP Watchdog sets the story straight by writing a post, “Fact vs. Fiction: The Truth on Biologics and Biosimilars raising some important points,

“Did you know that on average, it takes an investment of more than $1 billion over 10 years to develop a biotech medicine.

This week Health Reform Watch wonders if the biosimilars debate is over.

"Two months ago, I discussed possible federal legislation intended to balance the competing need for scientific and medical innovation with the costs to patients for biosimilars.

This week,

“To continue the state life science industry's record-setting growth rate, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, with the help of statewide partners, is building an addition to its Research Triangle Park headquarters.”

To find out more about this check out the Web site of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.

Also this week, Patent Docs wrote about a media briefing we (BIO)

For people living in the world’s richest countries, the quality of health care has been rising for decades.  But in the developing world, diseases like cholera, dengue fever, and leishmaniasis are endemic.  These illnesses are contracted by the world’s poorest each day, causing social, political, and economic devastation that exte

Today, The Scientist released its 2009 Life Sciences Salary Survey, showing a 5% increase in total compensation over salaries last year—an increase that exceeds the 2008 inflation rate of 3.8%. A few trends they noted in the survey:

When Congress returns next week, reauthorizing the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant program will be one of the many decisions policymakers need to address. BioWorld Today explored the VC loophole in a story today (“Squabbling Over VC Loophole Leaves SBIR Program in Limbo”).

The BIO/Thomson Reuters Investor Perception Study is an in-depth assessment of Wall Street’s views of the biotech industry, its current challenges, its relative valuation, and the outlook for 2009. The analysis aims to provide BIO members with an insider’s perspective on what the investment community values in the current economic climate and help foster more effective communication between company management, shareholders, and potential investors.

Download and read the report now (.pdf format)

This week in the blogosphere biotech is all about being green and saving the planet.
Cleantech writes about Plankton Power plans for biofuels facility on Cape Cod.

A recent article in the New York Times fairly captured the essence of the ongoing debate over the appropriate length of the period of data exclusivity to be included in a pathway for biosimilars: