CBSA's March FOCUS Newsletter Features Covidien's New R&D Innovation Center

FOCUS Newsletter Page 2 Company Spotlight: "Covidien, a leading global provider of healthcare products, recently announced the opening of a 63,000-square-foot state-of-the-art Research & Development (R&D) Innovation Center in Boulder, CO.

In the last five years, Covidien has doubled R&D investments and introduced more than 100 new products. The Company’s goal is to continue to increase R&D spending to 5%-to-6% of sales, as it launches more than 50 products during the next two years. The opening of the Innovation Center in Boulder will be a catalyst for the expansion of R&D capabilities, spurring collaboration and creativity, while decreasing product time-to-market."

Other March FOCUS content includes:

From CBSA President Holli Riebel - Page 1
Medical Device Liability Protection - Page 3
Biotech Pharma Symposium - Page 4
Upcoming Events - Page 5

Link to the March FOCUS Newsletter pdf

Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority Names New President & CEO

Aurora, CO, March 14, 2012 - Following an extensive national search, Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority (FRA) has named Steve VanNurden as its new President and Chief Executive Officer, beginning in late May. The announcement is made by John M. Shaw, Chair of the FRA Board of Directors, who said: "Steve, a seasoned leader in the life science/bioscience space, comes to us from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota."

The appointment of Mr. VanNurden is further evidence of the FRA's continued commitment to support the development of life science companies in Colorado in partnership with the State’s research institutions. He will be working with universities, local economic development agencies, state and local governments, and the bioscience industry to promote the successful development of the 180 acre Colorado Science + Technology Park, which is adjacent to the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora.

Steve Hogan, Mayor of the City of Aurora and FRA Board member stated, “Steve is the partner we need to fulfill the promise of the bioscience industry park. His working relationships span nationally and internationally, which will be a great advantage for us.”

Steve VanNurden is currently Chair of Mayo Clinic Ventures, the invention arm for Mayo Clinic. Under Mr. VanNurden’s direction, this division is responsible for patenting and commercializing Mayo’s discoveries, inventions and other intellectual property. Since 1986, Mayo Clinic Ventures has successfully commercialized over 2,000 technologies and has been granted more than 1,200 patents. Under the guidance of Mr. VanNurden, Mayo’s technology based ventures efforts have paid off, resulting in the formation of 45+ Mayo Clinic start-up companies.

Link to the PitchEngine Social Media Release

Link to the PR Newswire Release

Denver Post YourHub: 'Parker Girl Scout troop helps cat food bank' at Denver's Cat Care Society

Quoting from the Parker, CO, YourHub:

"A Parker Girl Scout Troop’s journey of discovering about animals led to the girls making toys and dropping off supplies for Cat Care Society’s Nibbles & Kibbles Cat Food Bank in [Lakewood].

The food bank serves food and cat litter to cats whose owners cannot provide food and litter because of a temporary financial setback. The 10 girls of Troop 624 made cat toys using socks and catnip and collected food and cat litter.

'We want the girls to understand that not all animals have it as nice as theirs do,' said Mary Tate, troop leader. 'There’s a lot of cats out there that don’t have that and the Cat Care Society really works with people who can’t afford to feed their animals.'"

Photo ID: "Caitlin Tate, in purple, and India Choudhury helped deliver cat supplies and food to Cat Care Society's Nibbles & Kibbles Cat Food Bank (courtesy Mary Tate)."

Link to the posting

Denver Post Photos: 'Cat Fanciers Competition At Adams County Fairgrounds'

Quoting from the Denver Post Media Center: "Several hundred cats, 40 pedigreed breeds and one non-pedigreed household pet category, were judged in a 10-ring show. Cat Fanciers Association to benefit Cat Care Society, which offers low cost neuter and spay operations and free dental exams for cats throughout February."

Link to view the 14 photos by John Leyba

Link to the article by Kristen Leigh Painter - online and in print 2/20 page 23A

Check out our Cat Care Society slides from the event:


http://youtu.be/Jpry8lO2zTI

Denver Post: 'Colorado in running for U.S. patent satellite office'

Quoting from today's Denver Post article by Allison Sherry - @allisonsherry - on the 'Bring A Patent Office To Colorado' initiative:

"Holli Riebel, president of the Colorado BioScience Association, helped marshal signatures and support within her field for the office.

'Many times, things go to the coasts and they don't go to the middle of the country,' she said. 'I think there's a huge market that could be drawn from the middle. It's an easy place for everyone to get to, and we do have an international airport.'"

Link to the Denver Post article

View the related video:
http://youtu.be/xKW6j33EipQ

Link to the news release: 'Colorado Business Leaders Unveil New Report Making the Case for Patent Office in Denver'

CBSA January FOCUS Newsletter: Featuring Fitzsimons Bioscience Park's $8 Million Expansion and a Sneak Peek at CBSA's Plans for the Upcoming Year

Quoting CBSA President & CEO Holli Riebel:

"As we kick off the New Year at CBSA we are thankful for a great 2011 and look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead in 2012. Our community's spirit of innovation and history of success continues to push the bioscience industry forward. CBSA's strategic goals for the year are to:

* Promote a supportive regulatory and tax environment at the state and federal level.
* Increase access to capital.
* Brand Colorado's innovation in the bioscience industry.
* Enhance programs and services for our members.
* Create a bioscience community that fosters growth.

A feature detailing the $8 million expansion of the Fitzsimons Bioscience Park is on page 2.

Link to the January FOCUS newsletter

Denver Business Journal: 'VC-backed startups now free to chase SBIR grant money'

Quoting CBSA board members Mark Spiecker and Rick Duke in Greg Avery's article:

"The change will be particularly helpful to many early-stage bioscience companies in Colorado, making them eligible for a program that’s awarded $16 billion in grants since 1997.

'Everybody’s writing SBIR grants or counting on them in one way or another,' said Mark Spiecker, co-founder of Sharklet Technologies.

The Aurora-based startup has survived on SBIR grants that pay for its research into a bacteria-fighting surface coating for medical uses, a technology inspired by the bacteria-fighting properties of shark skin. But that meant limiting the involvement of VC investors.

Sharklet landed $1.2 million in SBIR grants in early 2011. Without them, the company would have shut down, Spiecker said. Sharklet’s pursuing more SBIR grants under the new rules...

...For more established biotechs, the old SBIR ban limited their ability to research new uses for their technologies, said Rick Duke, a veteran biotech entrepreneur who helps run the Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4), a nonprofit incubator for biotech companies.

Now a biotech can use for SBIR grants for research to broaden the number of products the company’s developing, while investors fund getting the first product to market. That should help companies grow faster and be stronger, and speed the development of new medicines.

'It’s helpful from the point of view of continuing to be innovative among companies that are funded with venture capital,' Duke said."

Link to the article that also quoted Cartier Esham, BIO’s senior director on health regulations for emerging companies (subscription required for full article access)