Cell Therapy HiLites 2008-11-07

I'm not going to turn this blog into a news service by any means, particularly since I wouldn't want to compete with what I already created in Cell Therapy News - still the single best news source for this sector. I'm going to aim, however, to put out a brief weekly email highlighting what I believe to be some of the key content I noticed during the week (news or otherwise).

For what it's worth, here's what I noted this week.

Athersys, Progenitor Cell Therapy, NeuroNova, Stem Cell Sciences, and Amorcyte featured in GEN article on regenerative medicines. GEN Oct 15 2008 (Vol. 28, No. 18)

Onyvax publishes data supporting the notion that the intersection of biomarkers, personalized medicine, and cell therapy is just around the corner and it will turn medicine on its head. They believe they have identified a biomarker profile that could be predictive of response to cancer vaccines.

Science Direct's Top25 Hottest Articles for 2008 Q2 have a very high ratio stem cell-related publications.

It was a big week for BioLife Solutions with several new adoptions of their preservation and storage media as well as the filing of their second MasterFile with the FDA.

On the economic front, the Genzyme-Osiris deal (worth a potential $1.4B) was obviously great news for a sector so keen to see signs that investors aren't shunning the field but on the other hand is something of a confirmation that companies will have to get creative to survive what Burrill projects will be a lengthy dry-spell in terms of biotech investment.

Invitrogen & Applied Biosystems resurrect the Life Technologies brand as the new name for their merged entity.

Sartorius Stedim relieves us of the confusion of having two Wave Biotech's out there with single use bioreactor systems (SUBs) by purchasing the European Wave Biotech AG. (full story)

The FDA takes a new approach to the annual HCT/P Establishment Registration Updates. (link)

Finally, if you haven't checked out www.biobusiness.tv yet you really must. Jean-Loup Romet-Lemonne has created a valuable biotech business video content channel that promises to focus a great deal on cell-based therapies because of Jean-Loup's experience in and passion for cell therapies.

Until next week...