Dash for diet drug Date: January 31, 2010 Client: Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Summary: For decades, the pharmaceutical industry has chased an elusive target, a drug that will make you lose weight without putting your health at risk. For a brief period in the 1990s, the two-drug combo known as Fen-phen achieved blockbuster status — before potentially fatal side effects knocked it off the market. More recently, the risk-benefit profile of the leading diet drug Meridia has come under scrutiny, with European authorities deciding to ban it this month. Now, three California biotechnology companies are trying to convince the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that they’ve found drugs that are effective and safe. Not only that, they say the drugs can help with conditions that often accompany obesity, such as high cholesterol or blood pressure.
		T. Denny Sanford Donates $50 Million to Burnham Institute for Medical Research Date: January 26, 2010 Client: Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute Summary: LA JOLLA, Calif., January 26, 2010 – Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham) announced today that philanthropist T. Denny Sanford has pledged $50 million to support and further expand and accelerate the Institute’s leading-edge medical research. To honor Sanford, Burnham, has been renamed the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute. This is the second gift Sanford has made to Burnham. In 2007, he directed $20 million through Sanford Health to create the Sanford Children’s Health Research Center at Burnham.
		Well-Funded Amira Focuses on New Drug Discoveries Date: January 25, 2010 Client: Amira Pharmaceuticals Summary: Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. Inc. withdrew its research laboratories from San Diego five years ago, but some of its top scientists kept their heels dug into the sands of biotech beach.
		Clinical Data Presented at Asia PCR/Sing LIVE Demonstrate Benefits of OrbusNeich’s Genous™ Bio-engineered R stent™ in Challenging Patient Subsets Date: January 23, 2010 Client: OrbusNeich Summary: SINGAPORE, Jan. 23, 2010 – OrbusNeich announced that clinical data presented today at Asia PCR/Singapore LIVE 2010 demonstrated the benefits of the Genous Bio-engineered R stent in the treatment of two challenging patient subsets.
		GlobeImmune Announces $17.5 Million Series E Financing Date: January 19, 2010 Client: GlobeImmune Inc. Summary: LOUISVILLE, CO, January 19, 2010 – GlobeImmune Inc., a company developing novel therapies for patients with cancer and infectious diseases, today announced a Series E Preferred Stock financing of $17.5 million. The round was led by new investors Generali Financial Holding and BSI SA. Advisory for the new investors was BSI Healthcapital SA of Lugano, Switzerland. Existing investors in GlobeImmune also participated in the financing.
		CEMPRA COMPLETES ENROLLMENT OF PHASE 2 PORTION OF PHASE 2/3 CLINICAL TRIAL OF TAKSTATM (CEM-102 OR SODIUM FUSIDATE) FOR TREATMENT OF ACUTE BACTERIAL SKIN AND STRUCTURE INFECTIONS Date: January 19, 2010 Client: Cempra Pharmaceuticals Inc. Summary: Chapel Hill, N.C., Jan. 19, 2010 – Cempra Pharmaceuticals today announced completion of enrollment of the Phase 2 portion of its Phase 2/3 clinical trial of TAKSTA (sodium fusidate; CEM-102) for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections.
		Pluristem Therapeutics Announces Interim Results from PLX-PAD Clinical Trials Date: January 11, 2010 Client: Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. Summary: HAIFA, ISRAEL, Jan. 11, 2010--Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. (NasdaqCM: PSTI; DAX: PJT) today announced interim results from their Phase I clinical trials utilizing their placenta derived cell therapy product, PLX-PAD, for the treatment of critical limb ischemia (CLI), the end-stage of peripheral artery disease (PAD). Data suggested that PLX-PAD is safe and potentially efficacious.
		Regulus Therapeutics Appoints Zachary A. Zimmerman, Ph.D., Director of Business Development Date: January 11, 2010 Client: Regulus Therapeutics Summary: CARLSBAD, Calif., Jan 11, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Regulus Therapeutics Inc., a company developing microRNA therapeutics, today announced the appointment of Zachary A. Zimmerman, Ph.D., as director of business development. Dr. Zimmerman will be responsible for business development and licensing, as well as managing external collaborations and communications.
		Cempra Pharmaceuticals Names Donald C. Olsen Executive Vice President Of Business Development Date: January 8, 2010 Client: Cempra Pharmaceuticals Inc. Summary: Chapel Hill, N.C., Jan. 8, 2010 - Cempra Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced the appointment of Donald C. Olsen as executive vice president of business development. Mr. Olsen will oversee the business development and partnering activities for the company's two clinical-stage anti-infective programs, CEM-101 and Taksta™ (CEM-102) as well as the company's preclinical Inflammation and gastrointestinal programs that have emerged from Cempra's macrolide library.
		Ambrx, Saying Thanks to its Rivals, Rides Wave of Interest in “Empowered” Antibodies Date: January 6, 2010 Client: Ambrx Inc. Summary: There’s no denying that Ambrx CEO Steve Kaldor is a competitor. Still, when I visited him in his San Diego office a few weeks ago, Kaldor was happy to tip his cap to a couple of trail-blazing competitors who have done a lot over the past year to make his life easier.
		Alder Rises From Ashes of Layoffs to Become Seattle Biotech Force Date: January 4, 2010 Client: Alder Biopharmaceuticals Summary: Nobody would have guessed the seeds for one of Seattle’s most promising biotech companies were being planted just before Thanksgiving in 2003. That’s when Randy Schatzman had the depressing task of firing all 90 people who worked for him, and closing the doors at Celltech R&D in Bothell, WA.
		Celling cardiotox in a dish Date: January 4, 2010 Client: Cellular Dynamics International Inc. Summary: Cellular Dynamics International Inc. has overcome a technical hurdle that has now prevented the use of stem cell technologies to develop high throughput cell-based screens for preclinical toxicity studies. The company believes its iCell Cardiomyocytes, launched in December, will provide a more accurate in vitro model for cardiac toxicity than testing in animal models.