Stem cell discovery promises health care revolution
Scientists are using a new stem-cell technique that may someday revolutionize care for disorders as diverse as diabetes, Alzheimer’s
disease and muscular dystrophy.
Life Science & Biotech
Articles
Life sciences stand to gain from stimulus spending
Indiana and Purdue universities are well-positioned to take advantage of the $11.5 billion available for life sciences and
biotech research from the federal stimulus package.
Indiana playing trailblazing role in drive to tailor pharmaceuticals to genetic makeup of individuals
Indiana is becoming not only a hotbed of “pharmacogenomics” research, but also a trailblazer in finding practical ways to
use it on the practitioner level.
Linking specialties is key to life sciences
The Indiana Innovation Alliance will bring together researchers from both IU and Purdue and keep much intellectual property innovation in Indiana.
Executives make many trips to Washington to argue for 14 years of sales exclusivity for new drugs made from cells
Eli Lilly & Co. executives are making many trips to Washington to argue for 14 years of sales exclusivity for new drugs made
from cells.
Medical, tech entrepreneurs launch matchmaking effort in life sciences
Three entrepreneurs from the medical and software realms are herding angels to invest in upstart life sciences companies in
Indiana.
Attorneys with doctorates in high demand
Lawyers holding doctorates in biotech, biology, chemistry and computer sciences are in high demand by firms with strong intellectual
property practices.
Dow may need to sell Indy’s Dow AgroSciences
Financially strapped Dow Chemical Co. acknowledges it may sell Indianapolis-based Dow AgroSciences LLC, the ag-chemicals-and-biotech
firm that’s one of the biggest jewels in the city’s life sciences crown.
Advanced energy next focus for economic development
The Central Indiana Corporate Partnership—the parent of the BioCrossroads, TechPoint and Conexus industry cluster initiatives—let it be known last month that there would be a fourth leg to its economic development stool: clean technology.
NASA contracts soaring
NASA begins to award more grants to Indiana firms and universities.
Biotech push may help offset generic competition; some analysts skeptical
Lilly executives want to make biotech their top focus.
Grants will shrink, life sciences leader predicts
Last fall, BioCrossroads named Leonard J. Betley—chairman of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, the Regenstrief Foundation
and the Walther Cancer Foundation—its inaugural Life Sciences Champion of the Year. IBJ recently caught up with Betley to get his thoughts on the latest life sciences developments and gauge the climate
for fund raising.
Lilly makes $6.5B acquisition
Eli Lilly and Co. CEO John Lechleiter played a game of pharmaceutical poker with former Lilly Chief Financial Officer Jim
Cornelius—and won.
Firm off to a FAST start: Investors backing company’s kidney assessment technology
FAST Diagnostics quickly is becoming one of the more promising companies in Indiana University’s efforts to commercialize its discoveries. Incorporated in November 2006, it is developing a method to measure kidney function faster and more accurately than existing techniques can. While FAST represents speed, the name actually stands for functional assessment and surveillance technology. The fledgling firm so far has attracted more than $4 million from investors, including $2 million from the state’s 21st Century Fund. BioCrossroads, Rose Hulman Ventures…
VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: Avoid a royalty mess by reviewing your patent license
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Quanta Computer v. LG Electronics left LG stuck in “a royalty mess” that should inspire local businesses to review their patent licenses. More specifically, the decision raises important questions about the extent to which-and the cir cumstances under which-patent owners can collect royalties from more than one party in the distribution chain. Although the case arose out of the IT industry, its lessons could significantly impact Indiana life sciences companies. Collecting downstream In…
IU makes plans to hatch more businesses: Incubator in Bloomington hopes to duplicate success of local Emerging Technologies Center
Ground should be broken late this month or in early November, with completion expected by summer. Cost of the 40,000-square-foot facility-4,000 square feet smaller than the one here-is estimated in the $8 million to $10 million range. While it may be a bit smaller in size, the scope is broader. The new incubator will promote both life sciences companies and information technology firms. That goal differs from the mission of the existing IU Emerging Technologies Center on 10th Street, which…
Arcadia banking on DailyMed: Company hopes product sales can help it escape debt, lift stock
When Arcadia Resources Inc. moved from Southfield, Mich., to Indianapolis last fall, the Indiana Economic Development Corp. crowed with pride. In exchange for incentives worth more than $6 million, the state had landed the headquarters of a publicly traded life sciences firm with more than 5,000 employees. Even better, the company was ready to launch an innovative new product that promises to improve home health care while simultaneously reducing its cost. A year has passed, but investors still aren’t as…
ON THE RECORD:
O N T H E R E C O R D First Merchants Corp. of Muncie announced Sept. 3 that it has agreed to buy Lincoln Bancorp of Plainfield for about $75 million. The acquisition expands First Merchants’ presence in the Indianapolis area from the northern suburbs into other fast-growing suburbs on the west and south sides. Announcement of the deal sparked a 37-percent runup in the value of Lincoln shares. Elanco, the animal-health division of Eli Lilly and Co.,…
VIEWPOINT: Advancing manufacturing is key to future
We’ve all heard it: Our economy is creeping to a crawl. Skyhigh oil prices, a weak housing market and the struggling U.S. dollar are discouraging consumers and business owners alike. Fears about our nation’s fiscal health are shaking broader confidence in the banking industry, the system of global trade, and even our public image abroad. In the face of such adversity, it’s helpful to remember that Americans have faced daunting challenges in the past. In tougher times, such as the…
VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: China, higher education and our economic future
In mid-September, I’ll be traveling to China’s Liaoning province as part of a delegation led by Indiana State University, hosted by Liaoning University. We’ll arrive in the country too late for the Olympics, but we’ll be there to talk about another form of global competition-economic development. It’s appropriate that the two universities are co-hosting a conference on economic development issues, given the importance of human capital in our economy. It’s especially appropriate for China, where higher education has become a…