+ All Categories
Transcript
Page 1: BB OctNov07 Issue

www.biobusinessmag.com

Talent Wanted: Biotech industry challenged by talent shortagesCanadianPublications

MailProduct—Sales

Agreement40063567

Twinstrand president Thor Borgford onadvancing biodefense research in CanadaTwinstrand president Thor Borgford onadvancing biodefense research in Canada

Agents ofBiodefenseAgents ofBiodefense

CHAMPIONING THE BUSINESS OF BIOTECHNOLOGY IN CANADA October/November 2007

Biotech in FloridaSouthern state viesto become major lifesciences hub

Adequate Support?Assessing supportrequirements forselection patents

Biotech in FloridaSouthern state viesto become major lifesciences hub

Adequate Support?Assessing supportrequirements forselection patents

Inside:Inside:Our look back

at NationalBiotechnology

Week 2007

Our look backat National

BiotechnologyWeek 2007

Page 2: BB OctNov07 Issue

One placeOne standardOne call...

www.fishersci.ca

One source for spectrophotometry

RE

LIA

BIL

ITY Discover the Evolution line of UV-Vis

Spectrophotometers from Thermo Scientific.

A high performance optical design gets the results

you need with greater consistency. The Evolution line

delivers superior accuracy over the entire spectral

range. Versatile software packages and high-quality

Snap-and-Go Smart Accessories™ are suitable for

even the most demanding applications. Isn't it great

to get exactly what you want when you want it?

To book your demonstration call Fisher Scientific at 1-800-234-7437

reply online at www.biobusinessmag.com

Page 3: BB OctNov07 Issue

October/November 2007 Bio Business 3

14 Post-National Biotech WeekA look back at some of the many eventsthat happened across the country duringNational Biotech Week 2007

19 Q&AThallion’s Lloyd M. Segal on his business strategy,challenges and plans for the company’s future

26 IP&PatentingSupporting Your SelectionHas the Federal Court of Canada increased thesupport requirements for Selection Patents?

Licensing Your IPHow can companies exploit and protecttheir resources?

30 DiscoveriesAgents of biodefense in Canada

32 Regional profileBuilding Florida’s life sciences hub of the future

38 In PersonComputational biologist Melanie Huntley has beenhonoured with the Academies of Arts, Humanitiesand Sciences of Canada Alice Wilson Award for 2007

Recruitmentfor theCanadianlife sciencesindustry20 Experts weigh in on how the sector

is dealing with a shortage ofexperienced management

also inside

standards

BioBusinessBusinessBusinessContents

CHAMPIONING THE BUSINESS OF BIOTECHNOLOGY IN CANADA

5 EDITOR’S NOTE

7 NEWS

36 NEW PRODUCTS

Cover photo: Darren Cardinal

“In Canada we have a smaller life sciences industry, and asmaller labour pool to draw from. There aren’t as manypeople who’ve had biotech experience. That’s why Canadiancompanies covet people who’ve worked with a medium tolarge biotech company and taken products to market—peoplewith experience in business development, financing, andcommercialization. But it will come in time—we’re still a veryyoung industry.”

—Mark Gregory, vice president, Pharmahorizons

36

20

Page 4: BB OctNov07 Issue

C52

01-A

134

©20

06E

pp

end

orfA

G

� Model 5424 available with control keypad or knobs

� Standard aerosol-tight rotor and lid

� 18-place spin column rotor

� Column rotor for filter tubes

NEW!

www.eppendorf.com • Email: [email protected] • Application hotline: 516-515-2258

In the U.S.: Eppendorf North America, Inc. 800-645-3050 • In Canada: Eppendorf Canada Ltd. 800-263-8715

How did we improve upon our legendary Model 5415 D? By creating two new models to meet your expanding applications and decreasing bench space.

Meet compact 18-place Model 5418 and its higher-speed 24-place sibling, Model 5424: Both feature an aerosol-tight rotor for use with hazardous samples. The optional spin column rotor for Model 5424 safely supports open microcentrifuge tubes—no broken-off leashes and lids!

They’re Silent: optimized airflow allows runs at maximum speed—without the rotor lid—generating practically zero noise!

They’re designed for Speed: up to 21,130 x g with Model 5424, over 16,800 x g with Model 5418. Enjoy higher throughput with shorter run times.

They’re designed for Simplicity: automatic lid opening, 5-digit speed display and single-button parameter setting/control—just to name a few...

For more information visit www.eppendorf.com

The new laboratory standard2

Silence | Speed | Simplicity

reply online at www.biobusinessmag.com

Page 5: BB OctNov07 Issue

October/November 2007 Bio Business 5

Ihad the pleasure of attending theNational BiotechnologyWeek kick-offevent in Winnipeg in September.

Though the Manitoba weather left a littleto be desired, the luncheon event wasworth the trip.Headliner Dr.Moira Gunn was highly

entertaining, and provided much food forthought. BIOTECanadapresident Peter Brenders,who delivered the resultsof a BIOTECanada andPollara annual poll at thelaunch event, said theindustry’s challenge is toinspire people to under-stand the breadth ofbiotechnology.Time and time again, it

comes up at events acrossthe country: Canadianbiotechnology players andcompanies need to educate and buildawareness around biotechnology, in gener-al, and around their companies and discov-eries, in particular. The industry is alwaysbeing urged to boast a little more; talk it up;sell yourself.It occurred to me in reading this

issue’s cover story (“TalentWanted”, page20) that the positive auxiliary benefits of‘selling yourself ’ may indeed be in areassuch as recruitment, workforce develop-ment, and talent management. If we canstart to boast ourselves and the indus-try—both domestically and globally—perhaps we can ultimately attract andretain key scientists and managementexecutives.According to PriceWaterhouse-

Coopers’ Canadian Life Sciences IndustryForecast 2007, recruiting experienced sen-ior management is seen as the most impor-tant action industry can take to improve

Canada’s ability to compete globally. Thesurvey cites the senior management posi-tions that are particularly difficult to hireinclude directors of regulatory affairs,CEOs, VPs of business development anddirectors of clinical development.As Catherine Muir’s story states, pun-

dits agree the size of our industry, as wellas its relative age, are con-tributing to the challenge.Sources also point to a newtrend: while recruitmentstrategies are indeed cru-cial, retention is increasing-ly growing in importance.Our sister publication LABBusiness conducts a salarysurvey each year—we’recurrently working on the2007 edition. Withoutrevealing too much of thegood stuff, one thing I can

say that’s pertinent to this particular dis-cussion is that monetary and non-mone-tary incentives—all designed to keep peo-ple around longer—are increasing yearover year.It’s all about the package you’re willing

to offer, says Thallion president and CEOLloyd Segal. Compensation opportunitiesare global, he says, indicating key employ-ees can do business development, forinstance, anywhere in the world. You haveto create a competitive package thatensures they have upside in the success ofthe company.Here’s to getting out there and boast-

ing a little.

Cheers,Bernadette

BioBusinessBusinessBusinessChampioning the

Business of Biotechnology in Canada

Publisher Christopher J. Forbes& CEO [email protected]

Managing Bernadette JohnsonEditor [email protected]

Assistant Catherine MuirEditor [email protected]

Art Tammy WhiteDirector [email protected]

Contributors Mark D. PennerPierre-Paul HenrieErica Tennenhouse

Secretary/Treasurer Susan A. Browne

Sales Beth KukkonenManager [email protected]

Account Sandor NymanManager [email protected]

Promotion Nancy SimManager [email protected]

Production Jessica ForbesCo-ordinator [email protected]

Production Roberta DickManager [email protected]

Production Crystal AllenCo-ordinator [email protected]

Bio Business is published 5 times per year by JesmarCommunications Inc., 30 East Beaver Creek Rd., Suite202, Richmond Hill, Ontario L4B 1J2. 905.886.5040Fax: 905.886.6615 www.biobusinessmag.com One yearsubscription: Canada $35.00, US $55.00 and foreign $95.Single copies $9.00. Please add GST where applicable.BioBusiness subscription and circulation enquiries:GarthAtkinson, [email protected] Fax:905.509.0735 Subscriptions to business address only. Onoccasion, our list is made available to organizations whoseproducts or services may be of interest to you. If you’d rathernot receive information, write to us at the address above orcall 905.509.3511The contents of this publication may notbe reproduced either in part or in whole without the writtenconsent of the publisher. GST Registration #R124380270.

PUBLICATIONSMAIL AGREEMENTNO.40063567RETURNUNDELIVERABLE CANADIANADDRESSESTOCIRCULATIONDEPT.202-30 EAST BEAVERCREEK RDRICHMONDHILL,ON L4B 1J2email: [email protected]

Publisher ofLAB BUSINESS Magazine

LAB BUSINESS CardsBIO BUSINESS Magazine

Printed in Canada

Editor’s Note

Bio Business is a proudmember ofBIOTECanada and theTorontoBiotechnology Initiative (TBI).

A Benefit to Boasting

Page 6: BB OctNov07 Issue

reply online at www.biobusinessmag.com

Page 7: BB OctNov07 Issue

October/November 2007 Bio Business 7

News

BIOTECanada is seeking inter-vener status in an upcoming

case to overturn a ruling by theFederal Court that would establishnew “super sufficiency” require-ments for Canadian improvementpatents. The patent in question is aclassical improvement/selectionpatent, a commonplace patent rec-ognized throughout the world inthe chemical, materials, pharma-ceutical, biotechnology, pulp andpaper, and agrifood industries.Improvement/selection patents aregranted when an inventor elucidatesthat one or more members of apreviously known class has somepreviously unknown advantage.According to BIOTECanada, due tothe incremental nature of researchand development in the biotechnol-ogy industry, the need for selectionpatent protection is significant.

The organization says if selec-

tion patents are invalid withoutthe inclusion of comparativedata, its member companies mayfind themselves holding invalidpatents and may be required toincur unnecessary time andexpense to prepare and includedata in their future patent appli-cations though no such disclosureis required under the Canadianpatent regulatory framework.According to BIOTECanada,“Novopharm has sought todismiss the appeal in this caseand if that effort is successful theCanadian patent system will like-ly become more uncertain forinnovative companies in allsectors. BIOTECanada willbe arguing on the importanceof the issue and seek to havethe ruling overturned.”

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) unveiled a new policy to promote publicaccess to the results of research it has funded. CIHR will require its researchers to ensure

that their original research articles are freely available online within six months of publication.The policy will apply to all grants awarded after January 1, 2008 that receive funding inwhole or in part from CIHR. Grant recipients must “make every effort to ensure that theirpeer-reviewed research articles are freely available as soon as possible after publication.”This can be achieved by depositing the article in an archive and/or by publishing results in anopen access journal. Additionally, grant recipients are now required to deposit bioinformatics,atomic, and molecular coordinate data, as already required by most journals, into the appro-priate public database immediately upon publication of research results.

CIHR unveils new policy for open access to research publications

The Conference Board of Canada (CBC), a not-for-profit group in Ottawa, recently gave a reportcard to Canada that examined six domains—economy,innovation, environment, education, health and society.The report, called How Canada Performs: A Report Cardon Canada, is a detailed comparison of Canada’s socio-economic performance with that of other leadingindustrialized countries. In the report, Canada receivedmixed results, with one “A,” three “B”s and two “D”s.According to the board: “[Canada’s] mediocre overallstanding confirms the message the Conference Boardhas been reiterating for the last decade: Canada is notkeeping up with the top performers in the new globaleconomy.” Canada showed a particularly poor perform-ance in innovation, which received an overall grade of“D”. Canada ranks fourth to last in the 17-countrycomparator group for innovation. The report states:“We lag in investment in R&D and in machinery andequipment, and we produce a lower share of graduates inscience, engineering and the trades. We are not keepingup either in the creation or in the commercializationof knowledge…Canada needs the energy that will comefrom a national vision to encourage innovative behav-iour. Canada also needs a strategy to focus our invest-ments in commercialization where we can create andsustain a globally competitive advantage.”In response to the findings of the report, the

Conference Board has created a Leaders’ Panel onInnovation-Based Commerce (LPIC) to proposenational paths and priorities for the investments of busi-nesses, governments and academic institutions in inno-vation. Canada earned its best grade—an “A”—in theEducation and Skills domain. However, says the report,Canada does not produce enough post-graduates in thedisciplines that support innovation, and it fails to meetthe basic skills and literacy needs of its adult population.

Innovation getslow grade inConference Boardof Canada report

BIOTECanadaseeks overturnof anti-IP ruling

Page 8: BB OctNov07 Issue

8 Bio Business October/November 2007

Acrongenomics appointed Dr. DimitriGoundis as CEO. Dr. Goundis has almost20 years of international experience inscience, business and management.

Atotal of $426 million in venturecapital was invested across thecountry during the second quarter of2007, down approximately 30% fromthe $606 million invested in the firstquarter, and down 12% from the secondquarter of 2006, says a recent report.However, Canada’s Venture Capital &Private Equity Association’s (CVCA)quarterly statistical report by theCVCA and research partner ThomsonFinancial says that due to strong show-ings in the first quarter of 2007, totalventure capital investment of just over$1 billion through the first half of 2007was up 21% over the $853 millioninvested during the same period lastyear. During the second quarter of 2007there was continued growth in marketshare from foreign (principally U.S.)investors, now at more than 40% of all

venture capital investment in Canadathis far, as well as a steady decline infundraising by Canadian venture capitalfirms. Biopharmaceuticals and other lifesciences sectors were lower than com-parable figures from 2006. $127 millionwent to 27 life sciences companies inthe second quarter of 2007, 10% lessthan the prior year’s $141 million.Consequently, life sciences activitysecured 30% of total capital invested,which matches its share in 2006 overall.

Canadian VC funding declining from Q1 to Q2

News

Genome Quebec, in partnership withthe Centre de sante et de services

sociaux de Chicoutimi, ahospital centre affiliated with theUniversite de Montreal, opened abiobank as part of the previouslyannounced P3G/CARTaGENE project.Primarily created for storing andmanaging biological samples collectedby the CARTaGENE project from 20,000citizens of Quebec, it will also supportother key projects. The biobank will alsoreceive financingof $9.6 million over three years.

Genome Quebec Biobank opened

The Health Care Products Associationof Manitoba has been renamed theLife Science Association of Manitoba(LSAM). The association has also addeda communication and marketing special-ist to the LSAM team, who will be theliaison between organizations, industryand government. With the launch ofthe association came a comprehensiveWeb site, featuring member profilesand member’s Web site links, as well asevent listings with on-line registration

and payment. In addition, employmentlistings and links to relevant governmentand industry sites will be available on theLSAMWeb site.

Æterna Zentaris appointedJürgen Ernst as chairman of theboard of directors and DavidJ. Mazzo, Ph.D., president andCEO, to the board. Jürgen Ernst has servedas vice-chairman since November 2005and succeeds executive chairman EricDupont, Ph.D. Æterna Zentaris alsoappointed Paul Blake, M.D., as senior vice-president and chief medical officer.

Allon Therapeutics appointed Dr.Annette Kleiser as VP of business develop-ment. Dr. Kleiser joins Allon fromEpigenomics in Seattle where she held asimilar position and prior to that workedfor Amgen.

Axcan Pharma announced Mr.Nicholas Franco joined the company assenior vice-president, InternationalCommercial Operations. In his new role,Franco will oversee Axcan’s business out-side of North America.

IntelGenx Technologiesappointed James Wittenberg,R.Ph., M.S., as vice-presidentof business development.Wittenberg has over 20 yearsof experience providing market researchand business development to pharmaceu-tical companies. Most recently he servedas director of business development atSchwarz Pharma.

Med BioGene announced Dr. NathanYoganathan, Med BioGene’s founder,president and CSO, has transitioned toa senior advisory role as chief scientificadvisor. Dr. Bradley McLean, a seniorscientist with the company, wasappointed CSO.

New name for Health Care ProductsAssociation of Manitoba

Page 9: BB OctNov07 Issue

October/November 2007 Bio Business 9

PharmEng International namedDavid G. Leonard the Keata Pharmapresident for the Sydney and Perthmanufacturing sites. David succeedsBernie Boudreau who will assume thenew role as the vice-president ofcorporate development and legalaffairs of PharmEng. Keata Pharma isa wholly owned subsidiary of PharmEng.

Dr. Michael Mayne, Ph.D., director ofresearch at NRC’s Institute forNutrisciences and Health (NRC-INH)in Charlottetown, accepted a secondmentto the province of Prince EdwardIsland as deputy minister of the newoffice of Biosciences and EconomicInnovation. Dr. Jeffery Zidichouskiwill assume the duties of director ofresearch for NRC-INH.

Theratechnologies named PierreCaudrelier, M.D. as chief medical officer,effective September 2007. For over 15years, Caudrelier held various positionsat Aventis Pasteur and was recentlyvice-president, clinical research &CMO at Kiadis Pharma where heled the clinical development on fourproprietary products in the areaof oncology.

The University of Toronto appointedprofessor R. Paul Young as vice-president,research. Young begins his term onNovember 1. Young is currently chair ofthe department of civil engineering andholds the Keck Chair of Seismology andRock Mechanics, and is a fellow of theRoyal Society of Canada.

The federal government is investing$14.7 million in the Thunder Bay

Regional Health Sciences Centre(TBRHSC) for the establishment of aMolecular Medicine Research Centrewhere cancer, cardiac and neurologyresearch will take place.The $44.1 millionproject will be managed as a joint venturepartnership between TBRHSC andSunnybrook Health Sciences Centre,with active involvement of private part-ners, led by Philips Medical Systems(a division of Philips Electronics Ltd.).FedNor will administer the funding forthe centre over the next five years.Specifically, the investment will supportthe salaries of a scientific director, careerscientists and technical support staff; helppurchase core research, IT and laboratoryequipment; and support contracted pro-fessional services to assist with the estab-lishment of the Molecular MedicineResearch Centre.The economic impactof the Molecular Medicine ResearchCentre on Thunder Bay and area is esti-mated to be between $92 million and$110 million over five years, and isprojected to lead to 205 full-timeknowledge-based jobs, and an additional400 – 600 spin-off jobs across the region.

NeuromedPharmaceuticals appointedMario Orlando to the newlycreated position of vice-presi-dent of marketing. Orlando hasover 25 years of marketing and salesexperience of major medicines withWyeth, Genentech, Glaxo and Eli Lilly.The National Research Council of

Canada (NRC) and Agricultureand Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)released the single largest numberever of DNA sequences for Brassicanapus (Canola) and related species.These sequences have been addedto the global repository for DNAsequence information—GenBank(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/).As part of a long-standing coopera-tive research effort between theAAFC Saskatoon Research Centre(AAFC-SRC) and the NRC PlantBiotechnology Institute, Canadianresearchers have been working withExpressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) tounderstand how specific genes withinCanola react to their environmentand create compounds important inbiofuels and healthy oils for foods.In conjunction with two GenomeCanada projects, Enhancing Canolathrough Genomics (managed byGenome Prairie) and DesigningOilseeds for Tomorrow’s Markets(managed by Genome Alberta),NRC and AAFC have been usingESTs to examine how gene expressionis involved in Canola seed develop-ment. The submission of this jointcollection marks the most significantDNA sequence contribution to theglobal Brassica research community,representing nearly 90% of allsubmitted Brassica ESTs.

$14.7M for Thunder Bay’s MolecularMedicine Research Centre

Canada at the top incanola research

First of its kind anthologyThe Nanoethics Group has published a collectionof papers addressing issues related tonanotechnology’s impact on society. Publishedby John Wiley & Sons, the 416-page anthology,containing almost 40 papers, is directed towardsstudents, policymakers, industry stakeholders, andthe general public. Nanoethics: The Ethical andSocial Implications of Nanotechnology discussesissues facing nanotechnology. www.nanoethics.org.

Page 10: BB OctNov07 Issue

10 Bio Business October/November 2007

Simplified compliance to substances notification regulation soughtBIOTECanada, Environment Canada and Industry Canada are working togetheron issues affecting new substances notification. Under the New Substances NotificationRegulations (Organisms) of the Canadian Environmental ProtectionAct (CEPA), companies must report any new or modified organism or product ofa new or modified organism to Environment Canada. If a company uses anygenetically modified bacteria in their manufacturing process, including commonlyused organisms such as E. coli K12, CEPA requires the company to notifyEnvironment Canada. According to the organizations involved, regulations shouldbe efficient, competitive and not cause a substantial burden to manufacturers.Representatives highlighted the need to expand the current list of common“workhorse” organisms on the “Domestic Substances List” in order to simplifycompliance with the regulation. www.ec.gc.ca/substances/nsb/eng/biotech_e.shtml

The Ontario government iscommitting $10 million to anew Bioindustrial InnovationCentre in the Sarnia-Lambtonregion, located at the Universityof Western Ontario’s Sarnia-Lambton Research Park. Thecentre will connect researchersand the local petrochemicalindustry to create and commer-cialize new sources of clean fuel.The centre will include a retrofitof 60,000 sq. ft. of existinglaboratory space that will pro-vide a commercialization centrewith incubator suites, laboratoryequipment, pilot plant space,and growth space for start-upcompanies. The project is alsoreceiving support from theUniversity of WesternOntario’s Sarnia-LambtonResearch Park, the City ofSarnia and Lambton County.N

ewbioindustrialinnovationcentreplanned

Resverlogix won the 2007North American Excellence in

Technology of the Year Award byFrost & Sullivan. The award is givento the company that has pioneeredthe development of an innovativetechnology that has the potentialto impact several market sectors.“Resverlogix NexVas PR technologyis a best-in-class technology fortherapeutic drug development. Theenhancement of ApoA-l has thepotential to revolutionize how car-diovascular diseases are treated inthe future,” writes Frost & Sullivan.

$76M to combat disease in hog sector

The feds are contributing $76 million over four years to combat disease andenhance prosperity and stability in the hog sector, as Porcine Circovirus

Associated Diseases (PCVAD) are severely affecting the Canadian swine industry,with incidences increasing across Canada and new outbreaks in Western Canada.Following the recommendations of an industry-government task team, the four-year program will focus on assisting producers and the industry in four areas: herdinoculation, research, bio-security best management practices and finding long-term risk management solutions.

Three research projects at the University ofOttawa have received a total of $6.8 mil-

lion in funding from the Chemical, Biological,Radiological-Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE)Research and Technology Initiative (CRTI).Richard Davies, from University of Ottawa’sDepartment of Medicine and Heart Institutewill lead the deployment of a system thatmonitors information from various sources toprovide an early warning system for diseaseoutbreaks. Louise Lemyre, from University ofOttawa’s Department of Psychology, willdevelop a bilingual, user-friendly training tool

to assist responders and planners in the eventof CBRNE threats or attacks. Also, the facultyof science will lead the development andadaptation of software for maintaining acomprehensive databaseof chemicals, standardizing the managementof chemical inventories acrossinstitutions, and improving tracking of chemi-calsin Canada.

Counter terrorism research at U of Ottawa receives $6.8 million

ResverlogixReceivesExcellencein Technology Award

News

Page 11: BB OctNov07 Issue

C51

01-A

132E

©20

03,2

006

Ep

pen

dor

fAG

To find out more about the complete PhysioCare Concept please visit:

www.physiocare-concept.info

� Ergonomically designed

� Single-handed volume setting

� Reduced weight maximizes efficiency

� Ergonomics approved by TÜV

www.eppendorf.com • Email: [email protected] • Application hotline: 516-515-2258

In the U.S.: Eppendorf North America, Inc. 800-645-3050 • In Canada: Eppendorf Canada Ltd. 800-263-8715

Eppendorf PhysioCare Concept® pipettes.The more strain you experience, the less energy you have. Energy is a very precious and exhaustible resource, so we try to use it as efficiently as possible. Eppendorf PhysioCare Concept pipettes have been designed with you in mind to ensure maximum use of your energy.

TÜV Rheinland approved our manual pipettes as: ergonomic, user-friendly and user-tested.

Less strain—More efficiency.Optimized form and function—Perfectly balanced

reply online at www.biobusinessmag.com

Page 12: BB OctNov07 Issue

reply online at www.biobusinessmag.com

Aprotocol amending the income tax treaty between Canadaand the United States was signed on Friday, September 21,2007. “We are modernizing a long-standing treaty for the better-ment of individuals and businesses on both sides of the border,including manufacturers,” said the Honourable Jim Flaherty,minister of finance. “Today we have signed an agreement thatwill stimulate further trade and investment and make our taxsystems more efficient.”The fifth update of the Canada-U.S. Tax Treaty eliminates

withholding taxes on cross-border interest payments; extendstreaty benefits to limited liability companies; allows taxpayers torequire that certain key double tax issues, such as transfer pric-ing, be settled through arbitration; ensures that there is no dou-ble taxation on emigrants’ gains; gives mutual tax recognition ofpension contributions; and clarifies how stock options are taxed.“After nearly 10 years of negotiations, we are delighted that

the government has signed an updated Canada-U.S. TaxTreaty,” said Perrin Beatty, president and CEO of the CanadianChamber of Commerce. “The economic benefits to Canada...will result in a substantial increase in capital and foreign directinvestments in Canada.”As biotech companies require a significant amount of capital to

take their ideas through the regulatory and development processto turn them into commercial products, some of the changes werewelcome news to BIOTECanada. “Today’s signing is a tremen-dous accomplishment for the investment climate in Canada andour international colleagues will take notice,” said Peter Brenders,president and CEO, BIOTECanada.A BIOTECanda National Biotechnology Week poll

revealed 87% of Canadians were looking to the federalgovernment to find ways to support Canadian biotechnologycompanies. “The tax treaty amendments answer this call andhelp with Canada’s advantage,” continued Brenders.

Protocol amending income tax treaty welcome news for Canada’s biotechnology industry

News

Thanks for coming! See you again soon…

The Life Science Association of Manitoba (LSAM) was proud to

host the 2007 National Biotechnology Week launch in Winnipeg.

A very special thanks to BIOTECanada and all of our national partners!

LSAM is the premier association promoting Manitoba’s dynamic

life science industry. We are proud to represent the Biotechnology,

Pharmaceutical, Healthcare and Medical Device sectors.

Visit us at www.lsam.ca

Page 13: BB OctNov07 Issue

reply online at www.biobusinessmag.com

Page 14: BB OctNov07 Issue

14 Bio Business October/November 2007

A look back at NBW 2007 events across the country

NBW Winnipeg launch engages Canada’s business leadersThe capacity crowd at the Winnipeg National Biotechnology Weeklaunch featured leading industry players and also the broader busi-ness community. It proved to be an excellent opportunity to demon-strate the importance of biotechnology in people’s everyday lives.

The theme of the NBW Launch spoke to how items we useeveryday are biotech products and hold the potential to benefitalmost every aspect of our lives, from our health to the food weeat and how we travel. Dr. Moira Gunn, host and author ofBiotech Nation, delivered the keynote address. She was intro-duced by the master of ceremonies, Mr. David Asper, chairman ofthe National Post.

Peter Brenders, president of BIOTECanada, delivered theresults of the organization’s annual poll conducted in partnershipwith POLLARA. The results showed that 93 percent of Prairie

residents support biotechnology. “Canadians see an opportunityfor governments to make sure Canadians have access to treat-ments for rare diseases and illnesses, as well as to provide taxincentives to encourage innovation in Canada,” said Brenders.“That’s part of our on-going discussions with federal andprovincial decision makers.”

“Winnipeg was proud to host the launch of this truly nationalcelebration of Canadian innovation,” said Dawson Reimer, chair ofthe newly re-branded Life Science Association of Manitoba. “In thepast decade, Manitoba has experienced a significant increase inactivities within the life science and health products sector. Severalmajor publicly financed research centers exist and the number ofnew companies and employees continues to grow. It was a natu-ral fit to host National Biotechnology Week in this province.”

For more information visit www.lsam.ca or www.biotech.ca

The fourth annual National Biotechnology Week was launched in Winnipeg on September 20. Many events tookplace across the country during the intensive week of biotechnology advocacy, from September 22 to 29. Individual

provinces and cities hosted events such as regional advocacy days, conferences, career fairs, and tours of biotech facilities.Biotech CEOs also meet with senior federal decision makers in Ottawa to discuss issues relating to biotechnology inCanada. Across the country, other industry leaders hosted meetings with Members of Parliament in their respectivehometowns, providing guided tours of their facilities and outlining the importance of biotech to their communities

and constituents. Here’s a sampling of National Biotech Week happenings held from coast to coast:

National Biotechnology

Page 15: BB OctNov07 Issue

October/November 2007 Bio Business 15

Biotech national advocacy dayA cornerstone event of National Biotechnology Week, National Advocacy Day in Ottawa(Sept. 25) began with a Newsmaker Breakfast hosted in partnership by BIOTECanada,National Press Club Canada and Association of Canadian Academic HealthcareOrganizations (ACAHO). Participants heard from 100 Years of Biotech Know How withestablished researchers, an industry executive and an up-and-coming industry leader.Panelists (l-r): Dr. Francisco Diaz Mitoma, CEO, Variation Biotechnologies Inc.; JamesMacLeod, student and second place recipient, Sanofi Aventis BioTalent Challenge(Canada); Dr. Brian Barber, director of technology development and commercialization,University Health Network, Toronto; Dr. Lori Frappier, professor, University of Toronto,Department of Medical Genetics and Microbiology

NBW 2007

Dance exploring genetics connects science and artPerhaps the most unusual of all National Biotech Week activities in 2007 was FerociousBeauty: Genome. The Canadian premiere of a multimedia, dance based work was pre-sented by the Ontario Genomics Institute, in association with Harbourfront Centre, inToronto. The work aimed to help people develop an understanding of biotechnology, anoften-misunderstood subject. The work is the result of a unique collaboration betweenseveral leading American genetic scientists and the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, basedin Takoma Park, Maryland. The production used dance, video, text and music to illumi-nate some of the fundamental concepts of genetic science.

When it comes to life sciences inMontréal it’s all about vitalitySince its creation in 2002, MontréalInVivo, in collaboration with its part-ners, has been creating over 2000 jobsannually in the Greater Montréal area.“To continue to grow and to be com-petitive globally we have decided tofocus on seven key priorities after con-sultations with our members,” saysMr. Carl Viel, the new general manag-er of Montréal InVivo.‘’We now knowwhat we have to focus on, and ourmembers are ready to work togetherand ensure that the cluster continuesto be at the forefront of the life sci-ences industry. The first half of 2007has been quite rewarding with somemajor investments from “big pharma”and partnerships between biotechcompanies and pharma companies.We were also successful in attractingBIO VentureForum East for the firsttime outside of the U.S., with 60 VCfirms coming to hear about ourCanadian biotech companies.” Mr. Vielconcludes in saying that the interna-tional quality of research happening,both private and public, and the talentpool in Montreal, along with provincialmeasures are just a few reasonsMontréal InVivo and its members areready to face the opportunities thatpresent themselves.

Week 2007

Ph

oto

sco

urt

esy

of

Kev

inK

enn

efic

k

Page 16: BB OctNov07 Issue

BioPort Atlantic conference looks at“going glocal”Members of the life sciences industryfrom Atlantic Canada and abroad tookpart in the BioPort Atlantic conferencein Halifax, Nova Scotia on September26-27. This year’s theme, “Going glo-cal”, focused on how local industriescan achieve global success. Speakersdiscussed the issues and opportunitiesfaced by local Atlantic Canadian com-

panies in the world marketplace.Phillip Blake, president and CEO, Bayer Inc. Canada

and chair, Rx&D, and Dr. Scott Kennedy, executivedirector, global research & development, Pfizer Inc.,spoke at the conference about big pharma and life sci-ences partnerships. Local life sciences companies

gave pitch sessions and a number of panelsaddressing such issues in the life sciences asaccessing capital and getting products tomarket were held throughout the day.

A proclamation was made by the provinceof Nova Scotia, declaring the week ofSeptember 23-29 as Biotechnology and LifeSciences Week in Nova Scotia, coinciding withevents being held across the country duringNational Biotech Week.

ABIC 2007 explores the evolution ofag-biotech(l-r) Dr. Ashley O’Sullivan, president andCEO of Ag-West Bio Inc, Dr. Abdul Jalil,director of agriculture research forSaskatchewan Agriculture and Food, andDr. Robert Tyler, acting associate dean(research) College of Agriculture andBioresources for the University ofSaskatchewan at the SaskatchewanNetworking Reception during ABIC inCalgary.

The Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference(ABIC) 2007, the largest agricultural biotech conference in theworld, was held from September 23 to 26, 2007 in Calgary,Alberta. The four-day event offered scientists, investors, indus-try leaders and policy makers the opportunity to exchange ideasand hear from a line-up of internation-ally acclaimed speakers addressingissues and challenges being met bythe global biotechnology industry. Theconference, which had the theme of“Harnessing Science for the EvolvingConsumer: The Fit of AgriculturalBiotechnology”, highlighted Albertaand Canada’s leadership role in theworld of agricultural biotechnology.

16 Bio Business October/November 2007

MP roundtable and tour of Halifax, NovaScotia-based ImmunoVaccine Technologies(IVT) [l-r] Marli MacNeil (BioNova), CateMcCready (BIOTECanada), Stephen Duff(Precision BioLogic), Alexa McDonough(MP, Halifax) Hermes Chan (MedMira), MikeSavage (MP, Dartmouth-Cole Harbour),Robert Thibault (MP West Nova), Brian

Lowe (IVT), Scott Brison (MP Kings-Hants), Jean Paul Deveau (Acadian Seaplants)

The Guelph Partnership for Innovation(GPI) golf tournament on Sept. 26brought together industry representa-tives for a day of fun on the golfcourse. The winning foursome were(l-r) Dr. John Kelly, MaRS Landing; Dr.Bruce Archibald, OMAFRA; GrantTipler, RBC; and Paul Truscott,AFMNet.

Dr. Roberta Bondar, Canada’sNational Biotechnology Champ-ion, speaks to 240 high school stu-dents at the Sanofi-AventisBioTalent Challenge launch event-Gateway to Biotechnology—atBCIT in Vancouver on Sept. 26.

NBW 2007

Page 17: BB OctNov07 Issue

C6

001

-A10

5D©

2002

,20

06

Bri

nkm

ann

Inst

rum

ents

,In

c.

Tuttnauer understands that different sterilization applications require different chamber dimensions. That is why we offer benchtop models with 7-, 9-, 10- and 12-inch diameter chambers.

These autoclaves offer fast, safe, dependable and convenient steam sterilization for liquids, media, instruments, glassware and waste.

Standard features include:� Overpressure valve � Slow and fast exhaust � Overtemperature cutoff� 316 L stainless steel chamber� Heat-insulated, double-locking door� No plumbing or hardwiring required

Tuttnauer Autoclaves are available in:� Microprocessor-controlled electronic models� Environmental lab model to meet EPA guidelines

For more information visit www.brinkmann.com

We’ve got your size.Tuttnauer® Autoclaves

www.brinkmann.com email: [email protected] U.S.A. 800-645-3050 Canada 800-263-8715

In partnership with Brinkmann

reply online at www.biobusinessmag.com

Page 18: BB OctNov07 Issue

reply online at www.biobusinessmag.com

BIOlymics brings biotechnology to elementary studentsOur Lady of Lourdes Catholic School was the champion of thisyear’s BIOlympics in London, Ontario. But winning was not reallythe goal for the 14 elementary schools that participated in theBIOlympics challenges. “We’re trying not to be too competitive,”says Amar Singh, a team leader for the event, and the generalmanager of the Biotron Institute for Experimental ClimateChange. Rather, the challenges—which included solving a crimeby translating the genetic code, building a human skeleton, and

identifying plant species commonly used in biotech research—were designed to fuel interest in biotechnology among elemen-tary students. Many people made it out to the event, includingmayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best, chief Murray Faulkner of theLondon Police Service, and the president of Fanshawe College,Howard Rundle, all of whom volunteered as team leaders. Themorning was buzzing with activity as the seventh and eighthgrade students experienced the challenges, and the excitement,of biotechnology.

NBW 2007

Page 19: BB OctNov07 Issue

October/November 2007 Bio Business 19

who could suffer from very serious cancerscould have a substantial change to theirquality of life.Those are outcomes that willprovide not only attractive returns to ourshareholders, but a sheer form of joy forour entire team and board, and that’s a verynice mix of aspirations because they’re per-fectly aligned.

Q: What are your plans for thefuture?

A: Five years from now we hope to havetwo important things done, and all thecaveats that come with forward-lookingstatements apply. Our aspiration is to haveour Shigamabs product registered in atleast its first jurisdiction, if not more, andto be treating kids with E. coli infectionsfive years from now. Second, [we aim] tobe seen as a serious player in the cancerspace,where we [currently] have two phaseII clinical programs.

Q: What advice would youprovide a growing biotech?

A: Get as much cash as you can, anddon’t take any short cuts. Because shortcuts, whether they be getting to the clinicbefore you’re ready or avoiding key pre-clinical tests that could tell you whetheror not your drug deserves to be in theclinic, inevitably come to bite you on thebehind. This is not a short-term game.

Q: How and why did you get startedin biotech?

A: I was a consultant at McKinsey &Co. and I was recruited to the role of theCEO of a true start-up founded in themid-90s and funded by angel investors.That was Bioconcept, and the businesswas essentially research discovery tool.That was my entry into biotech. MartinLeblanc and I left McKinsey & Co. andstarted this company, or commercializedthe company, and we sold it two years laterto what’s now Perkin-Elmer.That was ourtrial by fire in this industry.

Q: Can you give a brief overviewof Thallion?

A :Thallion is a drug development companyfocused on oncology and infectious dis-ease. We have three phase II or later clin-ical programs and our sole focus is ondeveloping later stage drugs in oncologyand infectious disease. We raised $45Min March of this year on the back of amerger of the two companies that createdThallion—Caprion and Ecopia. Ourmandate was to use the cash we raisedtogether with the critical mass andeconomies of scale that we got fromputting together two very synergisticcompanies for a scale play in oncology andinfectious disease.

Q: What is your personal businessstrategy?

A: In this business, you need to focus ondoing the right things that are going to getdrugs to market in the long run; yourstrategy has to be a long-run play. Youhave to do the right things in the shortterm, even if it means taking pain, becausedrugs aren’t developed in a quarter, or ayear, or even five years. The typical time-line for drug development is 10-15 yearsfrom conception, so you can’t possibly winwith a short-term strategy in the drugdevelopment game.

Q: What have been your majorchallenges?

A: I think for anybody developing later-stage drugs, the biggest challenge is alwaysa regulatory and cost one. Those twothings—the sheer cost and complexity ofdoing human clinical trials combined withthe current challenges of the regulatoryenvironment—make for a particularly spe-cial brand of CEO pain. But we have anadvantage in thinking about that pain thatmost CEOs in most other industries don’tget, and that’s that we have an absolutelynoble purpose. If we’re successful in whatwe do, kids who might otherwise die orspend months in the hospital could becured, and that has its own very specialrewards. With our cancer drugs, people

In March of this year, Ecopia Biosciences Inc. and Caprion Pharmaceuticals Inc.

amalgamated to form a new corporation called Thallion Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Former president of Caprion Lloyd M. Segal has taken on this new entity as

president and CEO. Having raised $45 million in the merger between Caprion

and Ecopia, Thallion appears to be off to a prosperous start. The company is

working on developing new treatments in oncology and infectious diseases.

Its product pipeline includes three pre-clinical drugs. Below, Segal discusses

Thallion, and provides insights into doing biotech business in Canada.

Question and answer with Thallion president and CEO, Lloyd Segal

Q&A

Page 20: BB OctNov07 Issue

20 Bio Business October/November 2007

Industry watchers will not be surprised that inPriceWaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) Canadian Life SciencesIndustry Forecast 2007, financing is ranked number one as a

critical success factor for companies in the life sciences arena.What may come as a surprise, however, is the factor close at itsheels in importance: in second place is accessing, attracting andretaining the right employees.The PwC survey asked stakeholders from corporate, aca-

demic, government and other organizations involved in the lifesciences and biotechnology industries about a variety of issuesimpacting the industry today and in the future.Over one-third of respondents named attracting and retain-

ing key employees as within the top three challenges for their

companies within the next three years, only below accessingventure or other types of capital and above finding a partner,managing the regulatory process, product development and sixother factors. Access to experienced talent pool was rankedwithin the top three critical success factors for the Canadian lifesciences and biotechnology industry by half of respondents, thelargest factor below increased Canadian venture capital.

The 2005 Statistics Canada Biotechnology Use andDevelopment Survey (BUDS)—results of which were released in2007—offers similar findings. More than 70% of respondentsindicated that lack of experience has a medium-low to medium-high impact on filling biotech-related jobs, as does a lack ofqualified candidates.

Experiencedbiotech professionals

apply here

By Catherine Muir

Page 21: BB OctNov07 Issue

October/November 2007 Bio Business 21

Business skills neededIt’s no secret that money is number one on the list of worries forCanuck life sciences firms, but with Canada’s top research andscience reputation, top-notch schools, and active R&D environ-ment, why do employment and recruitment rank a close second?The answer may lie in the relative youth of the Canadian life

sciences industry, say some authorities. In comparison to largerand more established life sciences arenas such as the UnitedStates, Canadian executives often pale in comparison to theirmore experienced counterparts.“The more experience people have working in life sciences,

clearly the more skills they develop in terms of bringing a prod-uct to market. The reality is it’s the senior level that we’re miss-

ing in Canada,” says Ryan Radke, president, BioAlberta.“In Canada we have a smaller life sciences industry, and a

smaller labour pool to draw from. There aren’t as many peoplewho’ve had biotech experience,” echoes Mark Gregory, vice-president with life sciences recruiting agency PharmahorizonsInc. “That’s why Canadian companies covet people who’veworked with a medium to large biotech company and [whohave] taken products to market—people with experience inbusiness development, financing, and commercialization. But itwill come in time—we’re still a very young industry.”The people most in demand are those individuals with a

solid understanding of both the science and business sides ofthe industry, according to Barry Gee, director, operations andcommunications with LifeSciences British Columbia.“Particularly those with a track record of successfully managinga product through the full drug development process and nego-tiating the regulatory systems.”A lack of time-proven business acumen is perhaps most evi-

dent in the province of Alberta. “In Alberta, [the life sciencesmanagement personnel] don’t have the same depth and level ofexperience as executives that have been through the trials andtribulations that many energy companies go through. For thissector, we are still missing that senior management to executivetype level,” says Radke.The relative old age of the Canadian population may also

have something to do with this need as well, especially in thetechnical arena. “We’re faced in Canada, and in the widerindustrial world, with an aging population. We’re seeing the

labour pool shrink, and that is particularly affecting companiesin the area of technical skills. For example, employees withexperience in clinical and quality assurance are becoming hard-er and harder to find. There’s the demand both for seasonedmanagers in the area of business development, regulatoryaffairs, financing, operations—and also on the technical side,”says Gregory.According to the PwC 2007 forecast, recruiting experienced

senior management is seen as the most important action indus-try can take to improve Canada’s ability to compete globally.The idea that people make the difference in effectively access-ing capital and executing business plans was also shown in thePwC 2006 forecast. Both the 2006 and 2007 surveys indicatedthat the senior management positions that are particularly dif-ficult to hire are directors of regulatory affairs, CEOs, VPs ofbusiness development and directors of clinical development.

Experts fromCanada’s lifesciences industryweigh in on howthe sector is dealingwith a shortage ofexperiencedmanagement

“I think moving forward, focus will be more

around talent management versus talent

recruitment.”

Business Management

Page 22: BB OctNov07 Issue

22 Bio Business October/November 2007

The 2007 survey also shows VP of manufacturing being a posi-tion that is most difficult for Canadian life sciences firms to fill.The current issue of gaining skilled and experienced employ-

ees seems to grow in importance when the growth of the indus-try is taken into account. The 2005 BUDS details a 13%increase in the number of employees with biotechnology-relat-ed responsibilities from about 11,900 employees in 2003 to over13,400 in 2005.Colette Rivet, executive director at BioTalent, a non-profit

national organization dealing with human resource issues inCanada’s life sciences industry, has seen the gap between whatis needed and what exists in terms of talent in the industrywiden in recent years, and predicts it will only get wider in thenext few years. “We’re not talking about just needing researchscientists. Our companies are evolving, and getting bigger.

They’re definitely going to need people in manufacturing,and commercialization.”Rivet names a number of challenges facing recruitment prac-

tices and employment in the life sciences sector in the comingyears. “It’s become much more competitive—we now have tocompete globally. There are more companies than in the past.Also, technologies in this sector can change overnight,” she says.“We still have a long ways to go. We definitely have a big

shortage of skilled and experienced workers coming up.”Rich Pennock, business unit leader at Kelly Scientific

Resources, agrees. “We’re going to be seeing a talent crunch inthe next couple of years. The number of recent scientific andengineering grads is going to be declining over the next fewyears, and the number of people retiring over the next few yearsis going to be increasing, so we’ll have more and more compa-nies looking at how they create and manage talent.”Gregory cautions against blanket statements about the state

of employment within the industry. “The sector is growing, andthere are opportunities,” he says. However, he adds, “there are anumber of factors that affect this growth.” He explains changesto the pharmaceutical industry within the past few years such asmergers and acquisitions, the expiry of patents, and the short-age of new discoveries means that big pharma companiesaround the world are shrinking, especially in the sales and mar-keting and operations areas. So in some ways there is even “acontraction in the industry,” Gregory says. “I think there areopportunities in the sector, but on the recruitment side, both inthe industry and those looking to get into the industry have tobe pragmatic and really do their homework to focus in on wherethe opportunities actually are.” Like his colleagues, Gregorysees the areas of commercialization, business development, andregulatory affairs as key places to seek job opportunities.

Managing growth and talentPennock sees several ways companies can manage talent.He sug-gests retiree pools or contingent labour opportunities (like usinga company like Kelly Scientific) can add additional labour to acompany’s current talent pool. “I think moving forward, focus willbe more around talent management versus talent recruitment.”George Adams, president and CEO of Amorfix, says, “We

are looking for a vice-president of research and development,and we’ve gone to a service to help us identify people, becausewe really haven’t been able to find anybody who’s available.”Each player in the life sciences industry arguably has a role

to play in the talent management issue. According to Pennock,matching education with the industry’s needs makes sense. “Atthe university level, industry needs to work closer with acade-mia to make sure that the training that’s being offered at theBSc and the MSc level is developing the skills that industry isgoing to need moving forward. Some of these programs weredeveloped thirty years ago, and while the fundamentals haven’tchanged, the industry has really shifted in techniques requiredwithin the industry,” he says.

“The reality is it’s the senior level that we’re

missing in Canada.”

-Ryan Radke, president, BioAlberta

Business Management

Page 23: BB OctNov07 Issue

October/November 2007 Bio Business 23

According to Gregory, there has been a greater awareness inrecent years of the changing needs of the industry, and educa-tional institutions are starting to pay attention. He says organi-zations such as Montreal In Vivo are already working closelywith technical schools in the Montreal area to encourage thedevelopment of graduates in the areas that they know theindustry specifically needs. They are also trying to get the mes-sage out to universities that they need to generate more gradu-ates with business skills in the life sciences.Professional development for those already in the workforce

is also important, says Gregory. “At pharmahorizons, we haveabout 25 industry-specific programs and a number of them arespecific to management skills.” Another initiative Gregoryplaces importance on is the development of internships andmentorships for students within life sciences companies, “so wesee more managerial skills moving into the industry.”Similarly, Pennock has also been following this industry

trend: “We’re seeing more and more companies looking at howthey manage talent, instead of how they recruit talent. Andwe’ve seen more and more of our clients look at creating intern-ships to give recent grads and current students the opportunityto gain skills.”

Foreign-trained professionalsA recent study by BioTalent Canada looked at a problem spe-cific to talent management in Canada’s life sciences industry.Recognizing Talent: Capitalizing on the Skills of Foreign-TrainedProfessionals for a Vital Bio-Economy, explored the “humanresource realities” of Canada’s biotechnology sector, and pre-sented initiatives for supporting the entry of foreign-trainedprofessionals into the Canadian life sciences industry—an issueupheld by BioTalent as a pressing one in today’s industry.The study states that to fuel the process of biotechnology

research, development, manufacturing and commercialization,Canadian institutions and companies require an abundant sup-ply of qualified, skilled talent—a demand that cannot be met bythose trained in Canada alone—and that can be satisfied bylooking to the abundant talent of professionals trained abroad.According to the 2005 BUDS, the demand for foreign-

trained professionals within Canadian biotech companies isthere: 1,668 employees were hired from outside Canada to workin innovative biotechnology firms in Canada in 2005.Internships are one tool suggested by BioTalent to help har-

ness the talent of foreign-trained professionals, in order to pro-vide these professionals with Canadian experience, English andbusiness competency, and evaluation of skills and experience.Rivet says BioTalent has secured funding from the Foreign

Credentials Program Department of Human Resources SkillsDevelopment Canada (HRSDC) for an internship model thatwould help to get internationally trained professionals integrat-ed into the sector. Funding has also been secured for a way ofpractically assessing skills such as lab techniques in a priorlearning and recognition sort of model that would allow prior

Q: How do you recruit top talent?Recruiting talent is easily the most important thing that aCEO has to do once a good strategy is in place and [hisstrategy] is aligned with his board and his investors. I thinkthere are a couple of things you can do to recruit top tal-ent. First, you need to give it the time required, to go afterthe best possible people in any given senior leadershiprole, and that means constantly having an eye open forgreat talent and people who can help the company meetits goals. Secondly, you have to be prepared to compen-sate people in a world-class way.

Q: How do you compensate employees?Great people who can develop drugs or who can do busi-ness development for our technologies can work anywhere:they can work in Boston, they can work in San Francisco,they can work in London, they can work in Geneva. Ifthey’re truly world-class people you can’t ignore the factthat their compensation opportunities are global, and youneed to make sure that your package reflects that. Eventhough it means short-term pain, [it works] towards a verylong-term view when you get the right people. You have toreward them not just in the short-term, but in the long-termas well, and make sure they have upside in the success ofthe company and in their own personal missions in the con-text of the corporate mission.

Q: How do you retain talent?Finally, once you get them, it’s not just attracting great tal-ent, it’s retaining them. You have to do a package of thingsthat ensures that you’ve got a great team for the long-run.That means giving them great challenges, giving them thefreedom to meet those challenges, giving them the encour-agement and the tools they need to get the job done, andsupport and resources and the environment that’s going tokeep them motivated. That all sounds like very rudimenta-ry stuff, but when you lose great people, inevitably you’vedropped the ball on one or more of those things.

Q&A with Lloyd Segal, president and CEO of

Thallion Pharmaceuticals, on his success at

recruiting and retaining top employees

A&Q

Page 24: BB OctNov07 Issue

24 Bio Business October/November 2007

experience in the biotech or even other sectors to be transferredinto the Canadian life sciences sector.Other BioTalent projects under way include a labour market

information survey that will assess employment figures withinthe life sciences industry with regard to foreign trained profes-sionals. On-line self-assessment modules (funded by theOntario government and the University of Guelph) for interna-tionally trained professionals allow them to look at some typi-cal examples of what they are going to be facing, then ratethemselves. BioTalent is also trying to get funding to do aninstructional language course relating to the life sciences sectorto help in communications with regulatory bodies.Another initiative underway is BioTalent’s career focus pro-

gram, where the organization subsidizes a third of the salary ofa new graduate from university or college, to go and work forthe first time in the biotechnology sector. “Out of the peoplethat finish the program, almost 100% get employed. So we needto take that model and use it for internationally trained profes-sionals and Canadian graduates.”According to Rivet, BioTalent is trying to be a broker

between industry and federal or provincial/territorial govern-

ments and the universities and institutions: “an organizationthat can facilitate relations between these groups and the peo-ple who are trying to work in the industry.”Pennock sees managing talent as a global issue across politi-

cal boundaries separating life sciences sectors. “One of thethings we’re starting to look at is the concept of global mobili-ty of talent, and how we can ease talent across borders.We needto continue to work with different regulatory bodies to makesure that we’re really addressing key scientific issues, versus wor-rying about where talent is coming from. This could mean aperson actually coming to a country or being able to harnessthat talent through the use of websites or other types of collab-orative systems.”“Typically, companies are leery about the length of time it

takes to bring people here and the cost,” adds Gregory. “It’smuch easier to focus on areas where there might be less of acommunications gap, less of a cultural gap, and look at NorthAmerica and Central America.”Pennock concurs. “We do see quite an influx going back and

forth between Canada and the U.S. with the NAFTA agree-ment, which has made it easy for talent to move across borders.”Gregory offers another reason for life sciences talent head-

ing north. “There’s also a lot of Canadians who have gone toschool in the U.S. and are working in the U.S. Some Canadiancompanies are always looking to connect with Canadian ex-patriots, especially if they have in-demand skills.”

“We’re seeing a bit of a reversal of the ‘brain drain’, whereexpatriates in the U.S. are expressing a little greater interest inreturning to Canada”, says Gregory. “Most of them are in the45-55 age range and are looking at coming home for retirementbecause of the differences in quality of life and healthcare inCanada. There are some things in our favour.”Gregory also states that 10% of Pharmahorizons’ candidates

are outside of Canada, mainly in the U.S. “Of this, we mostlyget U.S. talent looking to emigrate to a Canadian company.”Radke offer a unique perspective on where to look for talent

to fill employment gaps in the Canadian life sciences industry,especially given Alberta’s recent surge in employment due togrowth in the energy sector. “I think there are people with theneeded skills—they might just be involved in other sectors ofour economy. Perhaps there is someone with business develop-ment, marketing, or regulatory skills that is working in theenergy industry, or the agriculture industry.”As these sectors become more integrated with growth in the

life sciences industry seen in such areas such as biofuels andbioenergy, “people in these sectors may have experience to bringto the table. For example, people who have been involved in theICT industry. People who have been involved in other technol-ogy companies can be adaptable into the realm of healthbiotech or drug development.”

Revisiting GrowthThe life sciences industry in Alberta will indeed have talentgaps to fill in the near future, if growth statistics are any indica-tion. According to BioAlberta, the number of jobs in theprovince’s life sciences industry increased an astounding forty-five per cent from 2004 to 2006. For 2007, it is expected that anadditional 212 jobs will be created—an increase of approxi-mately six percent from 2006. “With today’s labour market, it isno surprise that attracting new, skilled employees proves to beof concern for this sector,” says Radke.Figures in other regions across the country echo consistent

growth in the industry, and therefore, a need to fill biotech posi-tions. Montreal International is projecting a growth of 2000jobs per year for the next few years for the city, one of the largestbiotech clusters in the country, with the skills needed rangingfrom technical to know-how in IP and patenting. The LifeScience Association of Manitoba estimates an increase of 150-200 new jobs in the sector within the next year.Change is inevitable, as those in the biotech industry know.

How this change is managed is perhaps the most crucial factorin the future of the industry. Gregory is positive about employ-ment issues in the industry as a whole now and in the future:“Life sciences companies continue to be attractive employers ofchoice. Within the life sciences industry, we have some world-class employers in this country. Many of the companies areextremely well respected and in their hunt for talent they are notjust prepared to pay for it—they are trying to create a culture forthe workforce of the future, so that they hold on to and retainBB

“Recruiting talent is easily the most

important thing that a CEO has to do”

Business Management

Page 25: BB OctNov07 Issue

reply online at www.biobusinessmag.com

Page 26: BB OctNov07 Issue

26 Bio Business October/November 2007

Arecent decision of the Federal Court of Canada has causeda ripple of dissent throughout the pharmaceutical andbiotechnology world.The cause of this dissent relates to an

aspect of the decision that may impact the disclosure require-ments for patentees trying to obtain patent protection for newlyinvented chemical compounds. As a result of the decision, thevalidity of many Canadian patent specifications that are directedto such “selection” inventions may be in question.While this is only a decision of the trial division of the Federal

Court, it could have significant ramifications for those trying toobtain such patent protection in Canada if unchallenged onappeal. If the decision is left to stand, it may be necessary for pat-entees to reconsider whether there is adequate support in theirCanadian patents for pharmaceutical and/or biological inventions.

BackgroundIn the June 6, 2007 decision in Eli Lilly v. Novopharm, theFederal Court was faced with considering whether the Canadianpatent directed to the drug olanzapine, an antipsychotic sold inCanada under the brand name ZYPREXATM, was valid. Morespecifically, the Court was tasked with trying to determinewhether the patent directed to olanzapine constituted a valid“selection patent”.In very general terms, there are two broad types of chemical

patents in Canada. The first class relates to patents where the

invention is directed to a new process, compound, use thereof oran improvement thereto. The second more narrow patent type iswhere the patent covers one or more previously unknown com-pounds that have been “selected” from a group of known com-pounds based on some unexpected advantage of the selectedmembers over the previously known group members.This secondclass of patents can be referred to as “selection patents”. In otherwords, the invention in a selection patent relates to the discoveryof a new compound or subgroup of compounds having improvedcharacteristics over the previously existing group of compounds.In order to avoid objections that any such invention would be

obvious in view of the previously existing group of compounds,patentees must establish that this “selection” of the new subgrouphas unidentified characteristics and based on such characteristics,these compounds provide some advantage over the existing groupmembers.The inventive step in a selection patent lies in the iden-tification that one or more members of the previously knownclass possess some advantage that could not be predicted.Selection patents exist, therefore, to reward and encourageresearchers to invent new “second generation” compounds thatare, for example, more effective or exhibit less clinically signifi-cant side effects than those of the larger previously known classof compounds. By requiring this special advantage (e.g. improvedactivity, less clinically significant side effects, etc.), potential pat-entees are stopped from obtaining a selection patent merely byascertaining the properties of the members of a group or class ofcompounds. By allowing patent protection for such compoundsthat do have such a special advantage, on the other hand, thepublic benefits through the availability of an ever-improvingpanel of available drugs.Until recently, however, there has been little judicial consider-

ation of selection patents in Canada. The few Canadian casesdealing with the validity of selection patents have relied heavilyon more developed U.K. law. More attention will likely now bepaid to selection patents and the decisions related thereto as manyof the patents covering important blockbuster drugs may soon beexpiring in Canada; many of the patents directed to the secondgeneration of these pharmaceutical compounds are protected viaselection patents. As such, the Eli Lilly decision could have a sig-nificant impact on the validity of many of these patents.

The Eli Lilly DecisionAs with many pharmaceutical patent cases in Canada, the

SUPPORTING YOUR SELECTIONHAS THE FEDERAL COURT OF CANADA INCREASED THESUPPORT REQUIREMENTS FOR SELECTION PATENTS?

Page 27: BB OctNov07 Issue

October/November 2007 Bio Business 27

IP & Patenting

Eli Lilly case involved a dispute between Eli Lilly Canada Inc.and the generic drug manufacturer, Novopharm Limited underthe Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance (NOC))Regulations. While a detailed discussion of the NOCRegulations is beyond the scope of this article, they can be sum-marized as follows. In order for a generic manufacturer toobtain a NOC to market its drug product in Canada where thatdrug is covered by a patent, the generic manufacturer (i.e.Novopharm) must argue that the patent covering the drug willnot be infringed and/or is invalid. In the Eli Lilly case,Novopharm argued, inter alia, that the patent covering the drugolanzapine was an invalid selection patent.Olanzapine was selected from a genus of previously known

compounds and the patent was directed to the selection of olan-zapine based on it having “…special properties, and [lacking] cer-tain detrimental properties that make it useful in the treatment ofdisorders of the central nervous system.” In essence, olanzapinewas a better drug candidate because in a clinical situation it hada better profile than prior known antipsychotic agents (e.g.flumezapine, haloperidol and clozapine) since it had a higherlevel of activity in humans and, it was alleged to have less clini-cally significant side effects. Olanzapine, while not specificallydisclosed in earlier patents and therefore novel, would have beenencompassed by earlier patents directed to drugs having the samegeneral chemical backbone. In comparison to those previouscompounds, however, olanzapine provided improved characteris-tics. On this basis the Canadian patent was granted.

Criteria for Selection PatentsUnder Canadian patent law, it is required to fully describe theinvention in such a manner that a person skilled in the relevantart can operate or perform the invention.While it is generally notrequired to state the advantages of a particular invention withinthe patent, Canadian patent law requires that if the patentee istrying to obtain patent protection for a “selection”, the basis ofthis selection, namely the advantages, must be disclosed. When,however, is the advantage(s) adequately described and supportedin the patent specification?According to Justice Hughes in Eli Lilly, the criteria for a

valid selection patent are more specifically defined as follows.First, a valid selection patent may be obtained where the inven-tion lies in selecting a member or members from a previouslydisclosed group where the member or members selected possessa particular advantage or avoid a particular disadvantage notpreviously found or predicted in a large number of members ofthe class by a person skilled in the art. Second, the advantage oravoided disadvantage must be clearly set out and supported in

the specification. The important aspect of the Eli Lilly decisionfocused on this second aspect.The Court in Eli Lilly found that “…[w]here you have to

rely on the presence or absence of an effect or an advantage, itmust be clearly stated in the specification.” Eli Lilly provided inits patent specification that there were advantage(s) and specif-ically enumerated the advantages, namely greater activity andreduced side effects. The question in the Eli Lilly case waswhether this disclosure sufficiently described and supported the“selection” of olanzapine and the basis for it. The more specificquestion for the Court to consider in Eli Lilly, therefore, was towhat extent does a patentee need to support the advantageobtained or disadvantage avoided by the selection.

Comparative Data Required to Properly Support SelectionPatentIn order to properly determine whether the advantages have beenproperly stated, it is necessary to first determine what the advan-tages, namely what could not be predicted by a person skilled inthe relevant art, are.The evidence in Eli Lilly provided that in the1980s, Eli Lilly was concerned with identifying compounds thatwere as effective as previously known and used compounds, with-out the known clinically significant side effects. According toJustice Hughes, no comparative data was given to support Lilly’sstatement that olanzapine has “surprising and unexpected prop-erties by comparison with flumezapine and other related com-pounds.” Hughes went on to say that “…rhetoric in the use ofadjectives such as ‘mild’ and ‘lower’ is all that is given.”

In conclusion, the Court found that the patent failed to pro-vide sufficient support in the patent specification on what basisolanzapine should have been “selected” from a previously dis-closed group of compounds. The invention in selecting olanza-pine is the so called “surprising and unexpected” properties ofolanzapine in “comparison with flumezapine and other relatedcompounds”. No such comparison is made anywhere in thepatent and no data was given to support the claims of theadvantages. Simply stating that there is a “high level of efficien-cy” and “mild and transient” and “lower” side effects is not suf-ficient according to Justice Hughes. According to the Court inEli Lilly, some kind of comparative data establishing the “spe-cial advantages” would appear to be required in order to ade-quately support the claimed selection.More importantly, this support must be provided in the speci-

fication itself. Evidence provided by way of affidavit or othermaterial external to the patent specification per se appears to beinsufficient. While Lilly provided the patent examiner furtherdata to support its patent claims during prosecution of the patent

Simply stating that there is a “high level of efficiency” and “mild and transient” and “lower”

side effects is not sufficient according to Justice Hughes.

Page 28: BB OctNov07 Issue

reply online at www.biobusinessmag.com

before the Canadian Intellectual Property Office, this was inade-quate in the Court’s view since the prosecution history, also knownas the “file wrapper”, is not admissible in construing a patent inCanada.What was at issue was the sufficiency of the disclosure inthe patent itself, not any disclosure to the patent examiner.

Going ForwardWhile Eli Lilly has appealed the decision of Justice Hughes, itwould appear that until that appeal is finally determined, the

Federal Court of Canada may have raised the bar as to what isnow required in Canadian patent disclosures for selectionpatents. If patentees wish to obtain patent protection forso-called selection patents, it would appear necessary that whendrafting these cases, the full advantages and the basis for theseadvantages should be provided (e.g. evidence supporting theselection, for example, in the form of comparative data).For example, it may now be necessary to clearly and explic-

itly define how the new product meets the requirement of the“special advantage”. If the new drugavoids certain side effects or shows supe-rior results, it will be necessary to pro-vide substantive examples in the way ofactual data. It may no longer be suffi-cient to indicate that there is such a“special advantage”. That special advan-tage may have to be defined in relationto members of the previously knownclass of compounds. It is therefore nec-essary to state (a) what the advantage(s)are, namely what could not be predictedby a person skilled in the relevant art;and (b) provide support, such as, forexample, by way of comparative data.Merely providing statements in thenature of the advantages appear to be nolonger sufficient.While the Eli Lilly decision has been

appealed, it may be necessary to nowconsider further whether there isadequate support in current patentspecifications for any such selectionpatents. Given, however, that amend-ments to add additional matter into thespecification (e.g. comparative data) isnot possible, the validity of many ofCanadian patent specifications that aredirected to such “selection” inventionsmay be in question if they do notmeet the requirements provided in theEli Lilly case.

Mark D. Penner is a partner with theTechnology and Intellectual Property Groupof Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP. Hehas an M.Sc. in Immunology, a B.Sc. inBiochemistry and is a registered Canadianpatent and trade-mark agent with expertisein the acquisition and enforcement of intellectu-al property rights in the chemical, pharmaceuti-cal and biotechnology fields. He can be reachedat 416-868-3501 or via e-mail [email protected].

BB

IP & Patenting

Investing in Saskatchewan gives you ready access to more assets and raw product than any other province.

Our province offers a young and vibrant workforce, ready and willing to take on new challenges and build careers.

The Saskatchewan government offers attractive incentives such as the SaskBIO program, an 80 million dollar program for new and expanding biofuel facilities.

Saskatchewan is a leader in biofuels. In fact, we were the first province in Canada to mandate 7.5 per cent ethanol blend in gasoline.

1

2

3

4

Four ExcellentReasons WhySaskatchewan’s Biofuel Potentialis Worth Your Consideration

To learn more about biofuels investmentopportunities in Saskatchewan, visit www.saskatchewan.ca

Page 29: BB OctNov07 Issue

October/November 2007 Bio Business 29

IP & Patenting

Effective protection and commercialization of IP strikes a bal-ance between objectives, yielding a resource that cannot beutilized by others without providing benefit to the owner.

There are numerous ways in which a company can allow for bothprotection and exploitation of IP: the IP may be sold to a thirdparty, joint ventures, collaborations, joint-development, strategicalliances and licensing.A licensing arrangement may be appropriate and desirable.

Indeed, licensing arrangements are common and widely utilized,but they do come with their own host of challenges.

About LicensesAt its most basic level, a license is an authorization by one person(licensor) to another (licensee) allowing such person to use a rightwhich, without the license, they would not have. In exchange forsuch right, the licensee pays a fee, often in the form of a royalty.However, at a more sophisticated level, licenses take various formsand typically include common fundamental provisions, includingthe following: grant rights, including scope and geographical range;restrictions on use; term of license; termination of license and effectof termination on rights granted; fees payable; representations andwarranties relating to the licensed product, including IP ownership;indemnities and limitation of liabilities; confidentiality.It should be noted that the license may and can include other

provisions.The licensor should pay particular attention to the scopeof the grant rights and limitations of use. Indeed, the balance mustbe achieved between the rights that the licensor wishes to grantand the rights the licensee wishes to receive. Whether the rightsgranted are exclusive, sole or non-exclusive may have a materialimpact on the licensor’s business.Exclusive licences ensure that only the licensee can use the IP.

Under an exclusive licence not even the licensor, the inventor ofthe IP, can commercially exploit their ideas. Employing an exclu-sive license has the advantage for the licensee that he will not haveto compete with the licensor within the market place. These typesof agreements will usually be employed where actually harnessingthe licensed IP for commercial benefit will require a substantialcapital outlay. However, when contemplating the use of an exclu-sive license, a companymay wish to include a clause which sets outa minimum royalty requirement. A clause of this nature should beincluded to anticipate a situation where the licensee does noteffectively commercialize the IP. In this way, if the licensee can-not make the minimum royalty payments required under thelicense, they would have to contribute to reach the minimum level.

By way of contrast, sole licenses allow both the licensor andlicensee to use the licensed property, to the exclusion of all others.These types of licenses are used relatively infrequently. Non-exclu-sive licenses, on the other hand, are extremely common. A non-exclusive license allows the licensor to employ the IP and licensethe property to third parties as well. In this way, any potentiallicensee should factor into account potential competition fromboth the licensor and other parties. Moreover, a potential licenseewould be well advised to ensure that the license agreement containsa “most favoured” clause. The inclusion of one of these clausesensures that if ever the licensor grants more favourable licensingterms to another licensee then those terms would be extended tothe licensee wielding a “most favoured” clause. As a result, a licens-ee can ensure that the competition does not gain any unfair advan-tage when it comes to using the licensed property.

The Advantages andDisadvantages of Licensing IPFor the licensor, one of the greater advantages of licensing is thecreation of a royalty base, resulting in a steady or defined revenuestream. In addition, the licensor may avoid or reduce the costs offurther developing the IP, although often times retaining the rightto use the IP further developed by the licensee. Further, the licen-sor does not invest the time and resources in the commercializationand sale of the IP. Finally, and more importantly, the licensor con-tinues to retain ownership of the IP, continues to have the ability toleverage such IP as an asset of his business and often has the abil-ity to further develop his IP and other related technology.While royalties provide a continuing system of payments, in con-trast to a sale, the profit generated by the licensed property will nec-essarily be limited to the income generated from those payments.As a result, if the licensed property becomes widely successful, themain beneficiary will ultimately be the licensee, not the licensor.Asa corollary, when issuing a license, the licensor effectively loses‘control’ of its property. This raises concerns over an increasedpotential of pirating and the consequences of this for the licensor.

About theAuthor: Pierre-Paul Henrie is a partner in the businesslaw group of Ogilvy Renault LLP, and is based in the firm'sOttawa office. The author would like to acknowledge the contri-bution to this article made by Aaron Shull of Ogilvy Renault.

The purpose of this document is to provide information as to developments in thelaw. It does not contain a full analysis of the law nor does it constitute an opin-ion of Ogilvy Renault LLP or any member of the firm on the points of law dis-cussed. The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the author.

LICENSING: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE IPCompanies that create IP find themselves in an interesting predicament. Theypossess an intangible resource with value, but how do they protect and exploit it?

By Pierre-Paul Henrie

Page 30: BB OctNov07 Issue

30 Bio Business October/November 2007

Itwas September 11, 1978. Georgi Markov, a Bulgariancommunist defector, was walking across WaterlooBridge in London when a man passing by lightly jabbedhis thigh with the tip of an umbrella. Markov passed

this off as an accident and continued to his home, where he devel-oped a fever later that evening. Three days later, he was dead.This was one of the most notorious Cold War assassinations

planned by the Soviet Union’s KGB. The tip of the umbrellahad actually held compressed gas, which shot a tiny pellet lacedwith approximately 0.28 milligrams of the deadly ricin toxindirectly into Markov’s bloodstream.One of the many problems with the ricin toxin is the fact that

it is readily available to almost anyone.The toxin is easily extract-ed from the waste left over from processing of castor beans, andmillions of tons of castor beans are processed annually worldwide.Its toxicity and availability make it a significant bioterror threat.In 2003, the Canadian government contracted Twinstrand

Therapeutics, Cangene, and Defense Research andDevelopment Canada (DRDC) Suffield to develop an antidoteto ricin. The project wrapped up about two years ago, butTwinstrand has continued to receive funding from the U.S.Department of Defense and U.S. National Institute of Allergyand Infectious Disease for programs to develop medical coun-termeasures to ricin. Twinstrand is expecting to begin a humanclinical trial concerned with one of these programs this fall andanticipates that some of the drugs they are working on will beavailable for emergency use towards the middle or end of 2008.For Twinstrand Therapeutics, biodefense research is simply

a spin-off of the company’s main program, which is the devel-opment of therapeutics for cancer and infectious disease. Theyhave been working with genetically engineered versions of ricin,which they have targeted for diseased cells.“In that sense, we’re very narrowly focused on molecules

such as ricin and abrin (a similar toxin to ricin), which are twopotential bioterror agents,” explains Thor J. Borgford, presidentand CEO of Twinstrand.Developing therapeutic ricin-like molecules has given

Twinstrand the ability to control the toxicity of these molecules.

Their ability to control the activity of the molecules means theyare able to also create very benign or inactive forms of the mol-ecules. According to Borgford, they are able to create moleculesthat look like ricin, have all the immunological properties ofricin, but have none of its toxicity.As a consequence, Twinstrand makes toxoids—the inactive

versions of molecules such as ricin and abrin. Those toxoids canthen be used as vaccines or immunogens in humans and otheranimals. Administration of the toxoids can protect people eitherby virtue of the immune response elicited by the proteins, orimmunoglobulins that recognize ricin could be collected fromthe animals or humans and transferred to affected people.Cangene is undergoing a variety of biodefense R&D programs

with the Canadian and U.S. governments, involving Burkholderiabacteria, Ebola and Marburg viruses, acute radiation syndrome,and ricin toxin (it has created humanized anti-ricin monoclonalantibodies). According to president and CEO John Langstaff, interms of its dealings with the U.S. government, Cangene is cur-rently the largest contractor in the biodefense arena in the world.Although smallpox might not conjure the same ideas about

bioterrorism as anthrax or ricin, in 2002 the U.S. governmentconsidered launching a smallpox vaccination program in theUnited States, due to the danger that Iraq posed for usingsmallpox in germ warfare. Cangene’s first biodefense product tobe licensed by the FDA was intended to treat potentially life-

By Erica Tennenhouse

Agents of biodefensein Canada

One of the many problems with the ricin

toxin is the fact that it is readily available

to almost anyone.

Page 31: BB OctNov07 Issue

October/November 2007 Bio Business 31

threatening reactions that some people have to the vacciniavirus (the virus used to make the smallpox vaccine). TheVaccinia Immune Globulin (VIG) product, which is rich inantibodies against vaccinia, is currently the only known antidoteto complications of the smallpox vaccination.The potential threats of botulism, anthrax, and SARS, to

name a few, are also addressed by Cangene’s extensive biodefenseproduct pipeline.Within the Biotechnology Section at DRDC Suffield, vac-

cines for a number of biological agents are being examined. LesNagata, head of the biotechnology section at DRDC Suffieldsays they have had promising results using recombinant aden-ovirus vector systems against alphaviruses. The alphaviruses arean interesting group of viruses that include the westernencephalitis virus, which was responsible for major epidemics ofmosquito-transmitted encephalitis (acute inflammation of thebrain) in western Canada and the western United States in the1940s. The viruses can also be transmitted through an aerosolroute, making them potential agents of bioterrorism.A second area of research at DRDC Suffield focuses on

broad-spectrum and virus-specific nucleic acid-based therapeu-tics. “One of these products, Oncovir’s Hiltonol (poly-ICLC),induces broad-spectrum protection against a number of virusesincluding influenza, ebola, and the alphaviruses when tested inanimal models,” says Nagata.Dr. John Cherwonogrodzky, a researcher at DRDC Suffield,

conducted the test and evaluation of the anti-ricin antibodiesproduced by Cangene in a mouse model. The results werepromising, but further research is still required before a treat-ment for ricin intoxication is ready for the market.The CBRNResearch andTechnology Institute (CRTI),which

is sponsored by the Canadian government, is responsible for seed-ing many biodefense projects (such as the ricin project) that wouldnot otherwise get off the ground. Nonetheless, it is a difficult areato work in, since there is not the same marketplace for products asexists for a therapeutic. “With a therapeutic, you can establish thebreadth of use of the molecule you’re developing by virtue of howmany people have a particular disease,” explains Borgford.“In the case of these bioterror agents, you typically don’t

have very many customers, and those customers are governmentagencies. Unfortunately, government agencies don’t alwaysknow their own requirements ahead of time.” It is very impor-tant for a small company like Twinstrand that the governmentagencies, which would eventually procure these molecules, alsoprovide funding to allow their development.Nagata also expresses that the Canadian biotechnology

industry has been hard-pressed to find the resources necessaryfor the transition from research to products: “Cutting-edgeequipment and facilities in the biotech field are expensive toacquire and maintain, but are essential [if we are to remain] aplayer in this arena.” He adds the CRTI initiative has been awelcome addition to providing funds for projects in this area.For Langstaff, the main problem with Canadian biodefense

has been the absence of a program to stockpile products: “Wherethey would agree to fund some of the research and development,they did not have a plan in place to stockpile these products after-wards.” In many cases, this meant the research and developmentwould be done in Canada, and the stockpiling would be done inthe United States. However, he explains that there have beentalks about this changing in the near future.The 21st century has seen biological warfare pose a growing

threat to public safety. However remotely some people perceivethe danger to themselves, preparedness remains essential. Asthe biotechnology sector continues research and developmentof new vaccines, people become safer against the very real threatof bioterror.

Discoveries

left: Thor J. Borgford, presidentand CEO, Twinstrand Therapeutics

right: John Langstaff, presidentand CEO, Cangene

BB

Page 32: BB OctNov07 Issue

32 Bio Business October/November 2007

With the location of world-class life sciences researchinstitutions, Florida is poised to become a major mar-ket for the life sciences industry,” said Brenda

Workman, director of business retention for Enterprise FloridaInc., the state’s lead economic development organization.Florida’s life sciences sector is growing, and people are begin-

ning to take notice. The momentum generated by The ScrippsResearch Institute in 2004 accelerated the building of a life sci-ences cluster that led to other distinguished life sciences organi-zations coming to Florida. Among them are the BurnhamInstitute for Medical Research and Torrey Pines Institute forMolecular Studies. The foundation is in place for a strong long-term position in the life sciences industry, with Florida becomingmore competitive against leading states such as California andMassachusetts.“Florida is interested and motivated and they seem to really get

it,” said Richard Houghten, president and CEO of San Diego,Calif.-based Torrey Pines, in a May 2007 interview with the St.Petersburg Times. “The message is: Florida is ready to go.”As a result of advanced research capabilities, a collaborative

environment and pro-business climate, Florida’s life sciencesbusinesses are thriving.Their contributions represent innovationsin a variety of fields, such as neuroscience and degenerative dis-eases. Furthermore, the state has earned a notable reputation inmarine biotech, bioinformatics, medical devices and clinical tri-als. And, on the local and regional as well as the state level,Florida is building an environment that will enable life sciencescompanies of the future to innovate and succeed.Florida universities and research centers continuously are

expanding the breadth and depth of their scientific investigationsin the life sciences fields. In fact, Florida universities took tophonours in the Milken Institute’s research studyMind to Market:A Global Analysis of University Biotechnology Transfer andCommercialization. The University of Florida was named as oneof the top five tech transfer and commercialization universities inthe U.S. and Canada, and also among the top universities in theworld for biotechnology patents. Florida is also home to nation-ally recognized university-based tech incubators. The Universityof Florida’s Sid Martin Biotechnology Development Incubator isranked number one for technology in the United States accord-ing to the National Business Incubation Association. Florida’s lifesciences industry has the potential to develop a robust innovation

pipeline that links universities and research institutions withincubators, intellectual property firms, and venture capital.Biotechnology is large component of life sciences. Ranking

second in the nation for number of bioscience start-ups andthird for number of new bioscience branches, Florida is the num-ber one region for effective economic development initiatives forthe biotechnology industry. One of Florida’s success stories is theScripps Research Institute, one of the world’s largest non-profitresearch institutes, which opened its second major research facil-ity in Florida in 2005. Located in Palm Beach County, the facil-ity focuses on basic biomedical science, drug discovery, and tech-nology development. Xcovery, Scripps Florida’s first private drug-discovery start-up, has been named one of the world’s mostpromising biotech companies.

In addition, Florida has one of the country’s largest medicaldevice sectors. More than 20,000 Floridians work in this indus-try where a majority of the companies are located along theFlorida High Tech Corridor in Central Florida, the Jacksonvillearea, and in the South Florida region. Mako SurgicalCorporation, based in Fort Lauderdale, developed a revolutionaryrobotic medical device for knee-surgery. Medical device manu-facturers are able to maintain a competitive edge in productdevelopment through industry organizations such as FloridaMedical Manufacturers’ Consortium and resources such as

Southern biotech cluster gaining momentum

Building Florida’s lifesciences hub of the future

“The message is: Florida is ready to go.”

The Clinical Research Building which houses the Miami Institute forHuman Genomics. Photo courtesy of the Beacon Council

Page 33: BB OctNov07 Issue

October/November 2007 Bio Business 33

Florida’s commercialization offices and technology incubatorsto help them succeed.Pharmaceuticals are another important sector. The state is

home to developers of treatments for cardiovascular and respirato-ry diseases, generics, nutraceuticals, over-the-counter drugs, and awide array of other products.Organizations such as BioFlorida, theFlorida High Tech Corridor, and the South Florida BioscienceConsortium provide support for the more than 90 companies thatmanufacture, fabricate and process medicinal substances into fin-ished pharmaceuticals. Florida is home to Nanotherapeutics,which was voted “Most Promising” pharmaceutical company bythe American Society of Mechanical Engineers.Florida has a large and vibrant health care sector as well.More

than 626,000 employees work in the sector, which includes oneof the largest and most sophisticated health care systems in thecountry. Some of the world-renowned research hospitals andcenters in Florida include the Cleveland Clinic, FloridaHospital, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Instituteat USF, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic, MountSinai Medical Center, Shands Healthcare, and University ofMiami Jackson Memorial Hospital.Given all the life sciences-related excitement and activity

around the state, it is evident why Ernst & Young ranked Floridaas a Top 10 State for Biotechnology. Florida is the right place for

Regional Profile

Life Sciences Workforce

Profession/Position Total in Florida

Agricultural, food and nutritionscientists and technicians 710Biomedical and biochemical scientists and engineers 400Medical and clinical lab technicians 20,700Biological scientists and technicians 6,060All other life scientists 420TOTAL 28,290

Source: Occupational Employment Statistics, 2004

Florida’s Business Advantages

Florida offers an attractive business climate. One of the most “tax friendly” states, it has no state personal income tax and a corpo-rate income tax rate of just 5.5 percent.

Florida offers:

No sales tax on R&D equipment No state personal income taxNo state-level property tax No corporate income tax on limited partnershipsNo corporate income tax on subchapter S-corporations,as guaranteed by constitutional provision No corporate franchise tax on capital stockNo property tax on goods-in-transit for up to 180 days No sales and use tax on goods manufactured

or produced in Florida for export outside the stateNo sales tax on raw material purchases incorporated in a finalproduct for resale, including non-reusable containers or packaging

Source: Enterprise Florida www.eflorida.com

A Scripps Florida scientist. Photo courtesy of theBusiness Development Board of Palm Beach County

The Kalypsys robot at Scripps Florida in Jupiter, FL.Photo courtesy of the Business Development Boardof Palm Beach County

both the science of discovery and the promise of business growth.“We got a terrific reception,” Ed Schons, director of econom-

ic development at the University of Central Florida, told the St.Petersburg Times in May. “We are beginning to get noticed. ...People are saying, ‘My goodness what’s happening there?’”

Source: Enterprise Florida, www.eflorida.com

Page 34: BB OctNov07 Issue

34 Bio Business October/November 2007

and Phase 1, 2, and 3 clinical trials. With over 14 years experience as anindependent contract manufacturer, Plantation-based Goodwin hasworked with companies of all sizes, from small university spin-offs tomajor research institutes, government agencies and large establishedbiopharmaceutical companies.

We also have Nova Southeastern University, where a 208,000 sq ft$30 million research centre is planned consisting mainly of wet labsfor use by NSU’s research programs such as osteopathic medicine,dentistry, oceanography and pharmacology.

I think the collaboration between the universities and also the tri-county area that’s building this cluster—it’s pretty significant. There isa lot of investment being made across the board, from Palm Beach allthe way down to Miami-Dade. The life sciences activity in SouthFlorida is supported by the public sector, but there’s a lot of privatesector activity as well. There are a lot of private sector parties that arereally working to make sure the sector is supported both on the privateand the public sectors.

Nero: The current development we’re seeing in the life sciencesindustry in Florida was an initiative of former Florida governor JebBush, who decided that when the state of Florida diversified its econo-my, one of the areas that he would concentrate on would be the bio-sciences area. He really created the initiative, and directly recruitedScripps (for the Scripps Research Institute). There were heavy incen-tives from the government to get facilities built in Florida, and that hascontinued with our current governor. Florida has created what is calledan innovation fund, to serve as an incentive package for high-impactinnovation projects. And the funds are matched by the local govern-ments. And it’s not just for the big guys; it’s also for smaller researchfirms.

Grossman: Establishing Canadian-Floridian partnerships in the lifesciences is a natural, since the Canada-Florida connection has alreadybeen established on many levels. Canada is currently Florida’s numberone overall economic partner. It is the number one source of in-boundtourism—over 2.2 million Canadians visits to Florida on an annual basis,many of which are long-term snowbird population, putting over 2 billiondollars into the local economy every year. Canada is also the numberone source of foreign direct investment in Florida with corporate invest-ments valued at over US$5 billion. Canada is also the number onesource of real estate investment—also valued at $5 billion, in personalresidences, commercial structures, condos and construction projects.

South Florida’s up-and-coming lifesciences sector

Frank Nero, president and CEO, The Beacon Council (an economic devel-opment agency that oversees Miami-Dade County); James P. Tarlton,

president and CEO, The Broward County Alliance; Andrew Duffell, seniorvice president, The Business Development Board of Palm Beach County; andMarcy Grossman, consul general of Canada in Miami, spoke to Bio Businessabout the South Florida life sciences cluster, encompassing Miami-Dade,Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Nero: The three counties that make up what is commonly referredto as South Florida have over the past dozen years been concentratingon developing the biosciences as one of a few targeted industries.We’ve been heavily recruiting but are also trying to develop strengthswithin our regions. We have collaborated in our efforts throughEnterprise Florida.

In Miami Dade, the most exciting thing going on in the area of lifesciences is what is going on at the University of Miami. The Universityof Miami Miller School of Medicine is in the midst of a $1 billion dol-lar expansion in the life sciences. What we are doing is similar towhat MaRS is doing in Toronto—to try to develop the commercializa-tion of research. We’re also developing a new medical school atFlorida International University.

Duffell: A major focus of the life sciences industry in Palm BeachCounty is the Scripps Research Institute, a biomedical research insti-tute located in Jupiter, Florida on the campus of Florida AtlanticUniversity (FAU). Researchers at Scripps Florida focus on basic bio-medical science and drug discovery. Currently more than 170researchers and support staff are working in two temporary facilities(74,000 square feet of lab space) at FAU. An expansion into a 350,000square foot, three-building permanent complex that will house a mini-mum of 545 staff members is projected for early 2009. Scripps Floridahas a projection of 6,500 new jobs and a $1.6 billion economic impactover the next 15 years.

Also, the non-profit research organization Max Planck Institutefrom Germany is looking at locating a major research facility in Florida.The Max Planck Society received conceptual approval in September2007 to establish its first U.S. research institute in Palm Beach County.It is now applying to the State for additional funds.

And of course there are collaborations between the institutions inall three counties. Scripps and Max Planck are talking about rela-tionships with the University of Miami. What we’re seeing is a clus-ter. If you look at the life sciences industry in Florida, it’s really locat-ed in these three counties.

Tarlton: For more than 30 years, life science companies have flour-ished in Broward, including many start-ups that have grown to becomesuccessful businesses. For example, Sunrise-based Bioheart has devel-oped an innovative approach to repairing damaged heart muscle byusing the body’s own cells. Clinical studies are well underway onBioheart’s MyoCell products. Another life science company is GoodwinBiotechnology, a fully integrated cGMP contract manufacturing organi-zation of monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins for preclinical

Photo courtesy of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County

Regional Profile

Page 35: BB OctNov07 Issue

October/November 2007 Bio Business 35

The life sciences sector of Miami-Dade is 50 years old.Home-grown companies include Beckman Coulter (develop-

ers of the blood counter, started in 1950s) and Cordis Corp(established in the 1960s, now part of Johnson & Johnson),Noven Pharmaceuticals and IVAX (now part of the Israeli com-pany TEVA).Major life sciences companies with operations in Miami-

Dade County include Shering-Plough and Boston Scientific.Novartis Latin America has its Latin American RegionalHeadquarters in Miami-Dade County.The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine is in the

midst of a $1 billion expansion on its medical campus.Newly con-structed and planned buildings include a Clinical ResearchBuilding, (336,000 sq ft), a Biomedical Research Institute(182,000 sq ft), and the Miami Bioscience Center (240,000 sq ft).Major research institutions at the University of Miami are

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, the Sylvester ComprehensiveCancer Center,TheMiami Project to Cure Paralysis,TheNationalParkinson Foundation, and The Diabetes Research Institute.New at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

are the Miami Institute of Human Genomics, and a newInterdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute. The Miller School ofMedicine has more than 1,300 ongoing research projects that arefunded by nearly $200 million in external grants and contracts toUniversity of Miami faculty.Florida International University is in the process of establish-

ing a new medical school.Local universities and colleges, including the University of

Miami, Florida International University, Miami Dade College,and Barry University train students for the life sciences field, cre-ating a skilled workforce.

There are close to 470 life sciences companies in Miami DadeCounty. They employ close to 9,000 people.

Number of Number ofCompanies Employees

Pharmaceutical Manufacturers 84 2,841Medical Device Manufacturers 89 3,363Research Institutions 133 1,406Medical Laboratories 165 1,300Total 471 8,910

Source: The Beacon Council

Existing Canadian-Floridian partnershipsin the life sciences:

Research collaborations:• Agreement between Memorial University Marine Institute in

Newfoundland and the NOAA Tampa Bay PhysicalOceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS) at the Universityof South Florida College for Marine Science. As a result ofthe Team Canada Atlantic Mission Ocean TechnologiesRoundtable held in the fall of 2006, Memorial UniversityMarine Institute in NL signed an agreement to collaborate onfuture projects with the NOAA Tampa Bay PhysicalOceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS) at the Universityof South Florida College for Marine Science.

• Agreement between NRC’s Institute for Marine Biosciencessatellite laboratory in Charlottetown PEI (NRC-Institute forNutrisciences and Health) and Florida Atlantic University(FAU). As a result of researchers from NRC’s Institute forMarine Biosciences satellite laboratory in Charlottetowntraveling to Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton Campus,and participation in a research symposium that focused onmarine compounds and their benefit to human and animalhealth, a MOU was signed between the two organizations.The Director of the Florida Centre of Excellence forBiosciences and Marine Biotechnology based at FAU subse-quently relocated to PEI.

Canadian companies with investments in Florida:• Haemacure Corporation, a Canadian company specializing in

products for the acute surgical wound care market, marketsHemaseel, the first fibrin sealant product approved by theU.S. FDA. The company was founded in Montreal, Quebec in1991 by Mr. Marc Paquin, President. Since the 1990s Mr.Paquin has had links with the Florida medical community, themedical devices industry and the Sarasota Memorial hospi-tal. Haemacure first opened an office in Sarasota essen-tially to build a sales force in order to sell in the U.S. In 2005the company announced that they decided to manufactureHemaseel themselves, investing $10 million in a newmanufacturing plant. They will occupy 50,000-square-feet ina building located north of the Sarasota-BradentonInternational Airport.

• Ontario-based Allied Research International (ARI) hasopened a 132-bed clinical phase 1 research facility in MiamiGardens. ARI does FDA-approved research for pharmaceuti-cal and biotechnology companies.

Spotlight onMiami-Dade County

Page 36: BB OctNov07 Issue

36 Bio Business October/November 2007

Microcentrifuges optimize airflow and reduce noise levelsEppendorf North America introduced two microcentrifuges. Models5418 and 5424 include standard aerosol-tight rotors that hold 18 or24 microcentrifuge tubes, respectively. They have unique, patented liddesigns for optimized airflow and reduced noise levels—practicallydown to background level. Operation is quiet, even for runs that donot use the rotor lid. Additional optional rotors for Model 5424 includea 4 x 8-tube PCR strip rotor and 18 x miniprep spin column/filter rotor.

reply online at www.biobusinessmag.com

reply online at www.biobusinessmag.com

reply online at www.biobusinessmag.com

Optimal ventilation for very small animalsThe HSE-HA MicroVent, from Harvard Apparatus, providesoptimal ventilation for prenatal mice, birds and other verysmall animals. Small in size, it can be placed close to theanimal, resulting in minimal dead space volume, which isintegral to proper ventilation. This is especially true in prenatalmice and other small animals, as larger volumes introducegreater system compliance and affect the accuracy of thetidal volume delivery. The unit can be connected to anesthesiafor surgery, the Harvard Apparatus nebulizer and multigasadapter for aerosol drug delivery, or can be used alone forstraight ventilation. The MicroVent provides breathing ratesfrom 60 to 400 breaths/minute and has a stroke volume from0 to 130 µl. The stroke volume may be adjusted while theventilator is running.

Neurite outgrowth neurotoxins screening kitMillipore launched the Neurite Outgrowth Assay. Using high contentscreening for imaging and analysis of neurite outgrowth and neuronalcell morphology, the kit offers a complete solution for specificity labelingand neuronal cell bodies for high content imaging. The kit utilizes high-quality, validated, target-specific detection reagents for profiling in a vari-ety of species, including human, mouse and rat. Large-scale screening issimplified through the assay reagents’ 24-hour stability at room temper-ature. Its primary antibody is immunofluorescence-based to specificallylabel neurites and neuronal cell bodies in heterogeneous cell popula-tions. High sensitivity-generating images with high signal-to-backgroundratios facilitate subsequent high content analysis, making the kit ideal forscreening both inducers and inhibitors of neurite outgrowth neurotoxins.

reply online at www.biobusinessmag.com

New kit-based small RNA cloning systemIntegrated DNA Technologies announced the availability of its new miRCat small RNA cloningsystem. The unique kit-based resources make the creation of small RNA (including miRNAs,piRNAs and endogenous siRNAs) libraries from any primary RNA source time and cost efficientwith peerless flexibility and consistency. The new miRCat system permits cloning of very raresmall RNAs and takes into account the natural variability in structure and sequence betweenspecies. It is compatible with most existing standard laboratory protocols for processes such asRNA extraction, purification and cloning. The miRCat cloning system consists of three sequentialprotocols: RNA isolation and enrichment, followed by cloning linker attachment, and ending withan amplification and cloning phase.

Page 37: BB OctNov07 Issue

October/November 2007 Bio Business 37

Products

reply online at www.biobusinessmag.com

reply online at www.biobusinessmag.com

reply online at www.biobusinessmag.com

Fully automated system for gel electrophoresisLab901 launched the ScreenTape system, a fully automated, walk-away solution for gel electrophoresis. The ScreenTape system compris-es the TapeStation (that carries out liquid handling, electrophoresisand imaging), ScreenTape (a consumable that containsthe pre-cast, pre-packaged gel and running buffer) and bespoke soft-ware. With no gel or buffer preparation and no system priming, evenuntrained operators can rapidly generate accurate and reproducibledata. The first ScreenTape consumables are optimised for the analysisof DNA fragments up to 800 bp, for use with multiplex or simplexPCR analysis, genotyping, QC of Q-PCR products and QC of DNAprior to microarray printing. Efficient and safe data storage isachieved through integrated bar-coding and the generation of securefile formats for the analysed data. Labs using gel electrophoresiscan obtain full traceability and GLP compliance.

Single-use aseptic filling system improves liquid dispensing ofbiopharmaceuticalsFlexicon America has a new solution for the dispensing of biopharma-ceutical liquids. The DAFPA (Disposable Aseptic Filling Path) is a dispos-able tube set assembly system. The all-disposable USP 29 Class VI DAFPAsystem includes pharmaceutical grade silicone tubing and single usedisposable plastic filling needles in a ready-to-use pre-assembled andgamma irradiated kit. The aseptic system features a simplified “set upand go” efficiency that improves process staging, raw materials man-agement and reduces the number of steps within the filling and valida-tion processes. The DAFPA system simplifies and speeds the validationprocess and reduces validated changeover protocol requirements. Thepre-assembled sealed system saves on assembly component procure-ment, parts management and human error, and offers no equipmentclean-up, no autoclaving and no risk of product cross contamination.

New high-fidelity PCR master mixNEB, in conjunction with its partnerFinnzymes, announced the release ofPhusion Flash High-Fidelity PCR MasterMix. It has been designed for fast PCR,with extension times of 15 secondsper kilobase (or less). The fidelity ofthe polymerase is 25 times higherthan Taq, and provides high yieldsin reduced time.

Chemistry system for high volume testing labsSiemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics introduced the ADVIA 1800chemistry system, offering new productivity benefits, including fasterand more reliable ISE test module and easy sample and reagent load-ing. The ADVIA 1800 incorporates easy automation connectivity tothe ADVIA WorkCell or ADVIA LabCell Network Solutions withoutrequiring additional interface hardware. Direct sampling preventsdetaining tubes at the analyzer and reduces aliquoting. Redundantsample loading is included for built-in backup and easy handling ofnon-routine samples. The ADVIA 1800 is capable of conducting upto 1800 tests per hour,or 200 basic metabolicpanels per hour. Sampleintegrity checking,microvolume sampling,and short sample andclot detection, all reducethe need for manualintervention and facili-tate testing routine andlow-volume samples.

reply online atwww.biobusinessmag.com

L I S T O F A D V E R T I S E R S & W E B S I T E S

Brinkmann ..............................Page 17 ..................www.brinkmann.com

Buffalo Niagara........................Page 6 ................www.buffaloniagara.org

Eppendorf................................Page 4, 11, 40 ........www.eppendorf.com

Fisher Scientific ......................Page 2............................www.fishersci.ca

Government ofSaskatchewan ........................Page 28 ..www.saskatchewan.ca/biofuels

Pittcon ....................................Page 13 ..........................www.pittcon.org

LSAM ......................................Page 12 ..............................www.lsam.ca

Sound Insurance ....................Page 18 ............www.soundinsurance.ca

Technology Vision ..................Page 25....................www.techvision.com

VWR........................................Page 39 ..............................www.vwr.com

Page 38: BB OctNov07 Issue

38 Bio Business October/November 2007

Melanie Huntley is a computa-tional biologist who currentlyholds an NSERC postdoctoral

fellowship and is a postdoctoralassociate at Cornell University. Sherecently won the Academies of Arts,Humanities and Sciences of Canada(RSC) Alice Wilson Award for 2007.The award honours the memory ofAlice Evelyn Wilson, FRSC, a world-renowned palaeontologist, one ofCanada’s foremost geologists, andthe first woman elected to RSC in1938. The award is given to awoman of outstanding academicqualifications who is entering acareer in scholarship or research at the postdoctoral level.

Huntley’s research focuses on the biology, function, and evo-lution of amino acid repeats within protein sequences, a topic atthe forefront of genetics research, as amino acid repeats withinproteins were virtually unheard of when she first began researchin this area. Amino acid repeats are associated with several dis-eases of the human nervous system (such as Huntington’s dis-ease), making it research that could prove to be highly relevantin understanding the origin of neurodegenerative diseases.

Where repeats within proteins were once thought to be theprotein equivalent of “junk DNA”, they are now being recog-nized as functionally and evolutionarily significant sequence fea-tures. Huntley says one paradigm that seems to be most affect-

ed by the findings is the sequence,structure, function paradigm:amino acid repeats tend not toform consistent 3D structures, andare instead rather flexible, mobileand “disordered”. But what makesHuntley’s research so relevant togenetic research is that this inher-ent mobility appears to serve amajor function in the day-to-daybiology of cells, and therefore, life.

Huntley began her science stud-ies at McMaster University, whereshe completed an Honours under-graduate degree in Biology andMathematics in 2001 and spentsummers in the university’s bioinfor-

matics and molecular evolution research lab. A PhD at McMasterfollowed, under Dr. Golding, and was completed in August 2006.The postdoctoral fellow position is one Huntley has held since thecompletion of her PhD, at Cornell University’s Dept. of MolecularBiology and Genetics, under Dr. Andrew G. Clark.

Huntley hopes to apply her research in the broader areas ofgenetics, and contribute to a larger scientific understanding ofthe process of development. She has a vision that scientists willone day be able to trace and understand exactly how an organ-ism goes from the genetic information and cellular compositionof a single celled zygote, to a fully developed adult organism,and further through aging. This could have far reaching conse-quences for health related research.

Melanie HuntleyYoung genetics researcher awarded with RSC honour

In Person

BB

Page 39: BB OctNov07 Issue

No matter where you are in your research or production process, your suppliershould be right there with you. VWR is always there with carefully developed,end-to-end solutions that are based on our long and extensive experience servingcustomers worldwide.

Meeting the needs of the life science market is one of our priorities. VWR is consis-tently at the forefront with the latest products and services for efforts rangingfrom drug discovery to the latest stem cell research.

And you can rely on our network of life science specialists for start-to-finish sup-port. They’ll help you match the right instrument with the right consumables andthe right service for your applications.

In the end, there’s only one choice. We call it the “Power of 1” and it’s VWR. For more information, call 1-800-932-5000 or visit vwr.com now.

end.Your scientific

products suppliershould be there...

beginning-to-

beginning

©2007 VWR International, Inc. VWR, forms of VWR and the VWR logo and/or design are either registered trademarks or trademarks of VWR International, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.

P

reply online at www.biobusinessmag.com

Page 40: BB OctNov07 Issue

C97

00-A

128B

©20

06E

pp

end

orfA

G

� Mastercycler® ep realplex real-time PCR system

� epMotion® 5070 automated pipetting system

� Highly precise pipetting tools

� Comprehensive software for optimized data analysis

www.eppendorf.com • Email: [email protected] • Application hotline: 516-515-2258In the U.S.: Eppendorf North America, Inc. 800-645-3050 • In Canada: Eppendorf Canada Ltd. 800-263-8715

Your local distributor: www.eppendorf.com/worldwide • Application Hotline: Phone +49 180 366 67 89

Practice of the patented polymerase chain reaction (PCR) process requires a license. The Eppendorf® Thermal Cycler is an Authorized Thermal Cycler and may be used with PCR licenses available from Applied Biosystems. Its use with Authorized Reagents also provides a limited PCR license in accordance with the label rights accompanying such reagents. This is a Licensed Real-Time Thermal Cycler under Applera’s United States Patent No. 6,814,934

and corresponding claims in non-U.S. counterparts thereof, for use in research and for all other applied fields except human in vitro diagnostics. No right is conveyed expressly, by implication or by estoppel under any other patent claim.

Eppendorf Automation and Real-time Systems (ARTS™) combine the most accurate and reproducible pipetting with the fastest and most sensitive real-time cycling.

That means you get highly consistent and reproducible results within and across experiments. You can even perform reactions in lower volumes —and with fewer replicates, so you will also save significantly on reagents!

Mastercycler ep realplex� Real-time PCR in less than 30 minutes� User-friendly software� Highly sensitive optical system

epMotion 5070 automated pipetting system� Easy operation via control panel or PC� Preinstalled, validated applications/consumables� High-precision pipetting from 1 µl to 1,000 µl

Visit: www.epmotion.info or www.realplex.com

Automated qPCR that pays for itself. Precision pipetting • Reproducible results • Affordable automation

reply online at www.biobusinessmag.com


Top Related