Blog Archives
Golf Classic 2013 Registration Now Open!
Registration is now open! Click here to register.
MassBio and the Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation (MassBioEd) are pleased to announce that we will host our 19th Annual Golf Classic on September 6th, 2013, and we will return to the award-winning Pinehills Golf Club in Plymouth, MA. Play 18 holes on a beautiful course – then add food, drinks, networking, and fun – all for an excellent cause!
The annual MassBioEd Golf Classic supports the Foundation’s activities in science and biotechnology education in Massachusetts through school programs, workforce training, and lifelong learning. Despite the challenging economy, MassBioEd’s programs continue to grow and reach more schools and students.
Through corporate support, MassBioEd has been able to provide:
- 185 high schools with over $3 million in equipment, supplies, and consumables to conduct cutting-edge biotechnology labs.
- 600 educators with professional development training.
- A new website that serves as a resource for STEM education stake-holders across the country.
Sponsorship opportunities are available!
Not only is the Golf Classic a fun way to support biotechnology education, but this well-attended industry event also offers a great opportunity for maximum visibility. There are a variety of event sponsorship options to choose from-from breakfast, to water bottles, to hole sponsorship, to giveaways and more! Click here to learn more.
For more information, visit our website.
MassCONNECT Mentees Shine in Spring 2013 Technology Showcase!
The MassCONNECT 2013 Cycle 1 class of entrepreneur mentees have spent the last two months collaborating with industry leader mentors to advance their business plans, develop plans to raise capital, and hone their pitch decks. This morning, the mentees presented their new and improved pitches to the entire group of mentors in their final Technology Showcase.
Congratulations Boston 3T Biotechnologies, LuminaCare Solutions, AblaCor Medical Corporation, and Pattern Genomics, LLC on graduating the program- we look forward to your future successes!
Here are a few photos from the event and details on the entrepreneurs’ groundbreaking innovations:
Boston 3T Biotechnologies Led by: Meijia Yang, Ph.D.
Meijia Yang kicked off the morning presenting his company: Boston 3T Biotechnologies. The company is working to develop genetically engineered T-cells as therapeutic for treating lymphomas and solid tumors. The therapeutic mechanism is based on the mobilization of the patient’s own immune cells, which will lead to the killing of the cancer cells. In addition, this technology trains the patient’s immune system to memorize this acquired ability in order to fight against the recurring cancer cells, resulting in a durable and effective control of the cancer.
LuminaCare Solutions Led by: David Howe Ph.D.
Next up was David Howe who presented LuminaCare Solutions a Healthcare IT Company focused on patient data for optimization of clinical trials. LuminaCare’s lead technology is a platform that integrates patient characteristics, clinical data, and testing algorithms to provide personalized dosing for patients to maintain efficacy while reducing side effects. By repurposing technology that is currently being used to determine efficacious doses for the overall population from clinical trials, LuminaCare Solutions is able to determine an optimal does for a patient using a simple, minimally invasive test.
Read the rest of this entry
Upcoming Futures in Life Sciences Events
The Futures in Life Sciences Program is a joint initiative of MassBioEd Foundation, MassBio, and Propel Careers, which aims to raise awareness of career paths that exist in the Massachusetts life sciences industry for individuals with advanced degrees. The program brings together experts across a wide range of disciplines and functional areas within the life sciences industry.
Each Futures in Life Sciences event has a panel discussion comprised of industry leaders who provide an overview of the life sciences landscape and various career opportunities that exist in the industry. Each session also features time for open networking. Attendance for the program is open to current graduate students, post doctoral fellows, and medical residents.
This month’s Futures in Life Sciences panel & and networking event will be held on May 21st and will focus on clinical development, regulatory, and medical affairs career paths.
Panelists include:
- Laurie Halloran, President and CEO, Halloran Consulting Group
- Bill Ferrell, Client Solutions Team Lead, UBC-Envision Group
- William Tobia, Clinical Instructor for the US Monitoring Division, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals
- Joanne Gibbons, Associate Director, Regulatory Affairs, Biogen Idec
Meeting Agenda:
5:30 pm – 6:00 pm – Registration and Open Networking
6:00 pm – 6:10 pm – Introductions, Overview, and Recognition of Sponsors
6:10 pm – 7:30 pm – Panel Discussion
7:30 pm – 8:00pm – Open Networking
Click here to register!
Can’t attend this month’s panel? Check out the fall 2013 line-up:
Top 5 News Stories: 5/4-5/10
1) Biotech and medical technology companies are lining up for IPOs – Boston Globe- 5/9/2013
More than two dozen life sciences companies, including at least nine in Massachusetts, could go public this year, the biggest coming-out class since at least 2007 and a sign investors are excited about the prospects for new life-extending drugs and medical devices. Link
2) Elections may have big impact on tech, biotech - The Boston Globe- 5/5/2013
Tuesday, a primary with pretty poor voter turnout chose the two major party candidates who will face off in the Senate special election June 25, while two dozen candidates hoping to succeed Mayor Thomas M. Menino of Boston began collecting signatures to get on the ballot in November. Boston’s next mayor and Massachusetts’ next senator have the potential to be helpful, harmful, or just so-so for the region’s innovation economy. But what has been surprising to me is how disengaged the tech, biopharma, and energy sectors have been in the process to fill these jobs. These are the seven major policy issues that leaders of our state’s innovation economy ought to be pressing, and that Boston’s next mayor and Massachusetts’ next senator ought to have high on their agendas. Link
3) PCORI Awards $88.6 Million in Funding for Comparative Effectiveness Research Projects - The Wall Street Journal – 5/7/2013
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has approved 51 new awards, totaling $88.6 million over three years, to fund patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) projects under the first four areas of its National Priorities for Research and Research Agenda. This brings the total that PCORI has awarded for projects addressing these priorities to $129.3 million. PCORI also has committed another $30 million in funding for a series of pilot projects. Link
4) MassBio Recognizes Marlborough as a Major Life Sciences Hub in Massachusetts - PR.com- 5/5/2013
The Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MassBio) has identified Marlborough as a leading incubator for mature life sciences companies, and is now planning to host a Life Sciences Open House in the city this summer.The news comes after the Marlborough Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) participated in the 20th BIO International Convention in Chicago, IL, which took place April 22nd-25th. MEDC was there on behalf of the City of Marlborough, one of just a couple of municipalities that, along with statewide economic development agencies, represented the Commonwealth at the “Lifecycle Massachusetts” Pavilion. Link
5) Merck’s Liptruzet Wins U.S. FDA Approval to Lower Cholesterol - Bloomberg – 5/3/1013
Merck & Co. (MRK) won U.S. marketing approval for Liptruzet, a combination of the company’s Zetia pill and a generic version of Pfizer Inc. (PFE)’s Lipitor, to lower elevated levels of bad cholesterol. Link
President’s Update: Looking Back & Ahead in 2013
Dear Readers,
It’s been a busy year so far here at MassBio!
We started our year with at least one major event each month. In January, we held our Annual Policy Leadership Breakfast where we convened industry leaders and honored Senate President Therese Murray as the MassBio Legislator of the Year.
In February, we hosted our second annual MA CRO/CMO Symposium as well as Rare Disease Day at the Massachusetts State House.
March brought the 2013 MassBio Annual Meeting, our scientific conference, where we were honored to host keynote speakers John Crowley and FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg. Josef von Rickenbach, Chairman and CEO of PAREXEL, was awarded with the Henri A. Termeer Innovative Leadership Award for his commitment and contributions to the biotechnology industry.
Last month, we brought Lifecycle Massachusetts: The Massachusetts Pavilion to the BIO International Convention in Chicago.
We’ve also been busy rolling out our new Forums structure and programming and we’re very excited about our new Adventures in Bioteching series launching this June. This process has been a great collaborative effort working closely with members to plan timely programming featuring high level speakers and panels to address a wide variety of current topics.
I also want to highlight some exciting news from our sister organization, the MassBioEd Foundation. They have revamped and re-launched the MassBioEd.org website to be the go-to resource for STEM educators, students, postdocs, and industry professionals. Take a look at the new site and get involved with corporate partnership and volunteer opportunities to support the great work they do developing the science leaders of tomorrow.
Looking ahead, here are a few events coming soon that might interest our readers:
- May 22nd - MassBio Networking mixer out in Waltham at Morse, Barnes-Brown & Pendleton, PC
- June 4th – Life Science Foundation’s Courage to Innovate: Early Lessons from Boston’s Biotech Founders (Join the wait-list)
- June 5th – Massachusetts Life Sciences Innovation (MALSI) Day
- June 5th – NEHI Annual Member Dinner & Meeting
- June 6th - Annual Job Shadow Day – Organized by MassBioEd this is an exciting day where MassBio member companies will host local students for career exploration
Also be sure to save September 6th for our annual Golf Classic to benefit MassBioEd (registration will open soon!) and September 17-19 for BioPharm America 2013. (Register before July 19, 2013 and save $200. MassBio members receive an extra $200 off of registration– be sure to mention “MassBio” in the comments field.)
Thanks to all who have helped make 2013 successful so far and I look forward to seeing you again soon at one of our events!
Until next time,
Bob Coughlin
