Saturday, January 01, 2005
Sembiosys
Our long term strategy is to focus on protein-based pharmaceuticals where we believe the benefits of the Stratosome™ Biologics System and the Affinity Capture System give us a market advantage through flexibility and scalability of production, by enabling the production of proteins that are problematic using other transgenic systems, through lower capital costs for protein production and purification facilities and lower production costs. Initially we have chosen to focus on products where clinical efficacy has already been demonstrated, such as insulin, or where early clinical data is encouraging, such as Apo AI. For such product candidates, the key technical challenges are primarily those associated with the deployment of our technology towards the production of the target protein. As the first products move through the development pipeline, we expect to develop additional product candidates. As a complement to this long term strategy, we are developing non-pharmaceutical products, which have the benefits of lower regulatory hurdles, development costs and capital requirements, allowing us to generate revenues in the short to medium term with relatively low risk. In addition, commercialization of non-pharmaceutical products will allow us to continue developing the organizational infrastructure required to develop and commercialize protein-based pharmaceuticals.- From Sembiosys's website News Items: General: 12/15/05 - Sembiosys private placement increased by 50% 12/06/05 - Sembiosys places $10.3 million in private deal 11/29/05 - Sembiosys plant derived insulin bio-equivalent to human insulin 11/22/05 - Sembiosys uses debt financing for capital expansion 5/26/05 - Press Release - SEMBIOSYS RECEIVES LICENSE PAYMENT FROM LONZA
Financial: 7/28/05 - Press Release - SEMBIOSYS ANNOUCES SECOND QUARTER RESULTS
Meristem Therapeutics
«Medicines of the future will rely on biotechnology. It is essential to produce cost-effective pharmaceuticals without compromising quality and security in order to meet the demands of the public. It is the goal of MERISTEM Therapeutics to further advance therapeutic technology through the production of proteins in plants to provide lower cost pharmaceuticals.»-from website Website Activist activity 9/29/05 - Fear the reapers - Blogged here
Agrisoma
Patents: #6077697 - Artificial chromosomes, uses thereof and methods for preparing artificial chromosomes #6025155 - Artificial chromosomes, uses thereof and methods for preparing artificial chromosomes
Phytomedics
Controlled Pharming Ventures
4/20/05 - AScribe - Underground Crops Could Be Future of 'Pharming'
Icon Genetics
Medicago
Blogged here
6/2/05 - Press Release - Medicago and InterveXion Therapeutics Establish Alliance to Develop Antibody Therapeutics
6/7/05 - From Yahoo! - Medicago and InterveXion team up to develop drug abuse therapies New Pilot Plant: 3/22/05 - Press Release - Medicago celebrates Grand Opening of New Pilot plant Facility in Quebec City Bayer Alliance 1/31/05 - Press Release - Medicago announces research collaboration with Bayer CropScience
Large Scale Biology
Large Scale Biology Corporation's (LSBC) goal is to develop, manufacture and commercialize plant-made pharmaceutical proteins and vaccines. LSBC has successfully garnered an international reputation as an innovator in biomanufacturing. Driven by its unique GENEWARE® RNA plant viral gene expression technology, LSBC has taken integration of plant-made pharmaceuticals from gene to production further than any other company. GENEWARE® technology is complemented by a full commercial-scale capability to produce, extract, purify, finish and fill a wide range of pharmaceutical proteins.- From Large Scale Biology's Website Website News items: LSBC/Growers Research Group Collaboration: 11/22/05 - Growers Research Group and LSBC ink licensing deal LSBC/Cincinatti Children's Hospital alliance: Blogged here
8/1/05 - Press Release - Large Scale Biology Corporation Receives U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Orphan Drug Designation for Its Lysosomal Acid Lipase Product
5/2/05 - Press Release - Large Scale Biology Corporation and Cincinnati Children's Accelerate Lysosomal Acid Lipase Development Program LSBC/Planet Biotechnology alliance: Blogged here 7/12/05 - Press Release - Yahoo - Large Scale Biology Corporation and Planet Biotechnology Inc. Announce Expansion of Biomanufacturing Program Financial News: 12/22/05 - LSBC Ceases Operations 12/12/05 - LSBC announces 1 for 5 stock split 10/30/05 - LSBC Firms Up Funding 10/9/05 - LSBC Backs Out of Equity Deal? 8/9/05 - Press Release - Large Scale Biology Corporation (LSBC) Reports Financial Results for Second Quarter 2005 8/8/05 - Press Release - Large Scale Biology Corporation Secures Equity Line of Credit up to $15,000,000 From Southridge Capital Management LLC's Advised Fund, Brittany Capital Management Ltd. and Bridge Financing from CEO and Chairman 8/3/05 - Audio - Wall Street Reporter interview with Chairman of the Board Bob Irwin 8/2/05 - Press Release - Large Scale Biology to Transfer Listing of Securities from Nasdaq National Market to Nasdaq SmallCap Market Patents #6344597 - Interspecific nicotiana hybrids and their progeny RJR Reynolds documents Please note: These documents were released as part of the Master Settlement Agreement between the various big tobacco corporations and the U.S. Government. Letter from Bob Erwin to Robert DiMarco expressing interest in a business relationship
Notes from Gary Hellman to Robert DiMarco on Biosource Biosource/RJR Business Contract Another memo from Gary Hellman to Robert DiMarco regarding the proposed collaboration 1991 Biosource field trials report
Planet Biotechnology
About Planet Biotechnology:
PLANET BIOTECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED is a clinical stage company. We discover, develop and commercialize new monoclonal-antibody-based therapeutic and preventative products to meet significant underserved medical needs. Our unique antibody-based products are produced through cultivation of genetically modified green plants.-from Planet Biotechnology's website Address: Planet Biotechnology Inc. 25571 Clawiter Road Hayward, California 94545 Telephone: 1-510-887-1461 E-mail: info@planetbiotechnology.com News items: LSBC/PB alliance: Blogged here 7/12/2005 - Yahoo! - Large Scale Biology Corporation and Planet Biotechnology Inc. Announce Expansion of Biomanufacturing Program General 4/25/04 - Oakland Tribune - Cultivating Cures: Biotech industry turns to plant-bred drugs Patents: #6046037 - Method for producing immunoglobulins containing protection proteins in plants and their use #6303341 - Method for producing immunoglobulins containing protection proteins in plants and their use
Chlorogen
Chlorogen, Inc. is a biotechnology company that specializes in the expression of pharmaceutical proteins in the chloroplasts of plants. Through its patented chloroplast transformation technology, Chlorogen is committed to being a world-class producer of beneficial proteins and antibodies for human therapy. In addition to co-developing our own pharmaceutical pipeline, we are pursuing collaborative arrangements in other markets, such as food and feed, biopolymers and biodefense.- From Chlorogen's website Website News items: 10/4/05 - Plantpharma.org - Tobacco Biotech Options Weighed 8/16/05 - Plantpharma.org - Chlorogen Acquires License to Patents - Blogged here 7/27/05 - St. Louis Business Journal - Legislators, businesses take biotech fight to Capitol Hill
8/7/05 - STLtoday - Biotech startup gets tangled in SBA rule
5/20/04 - Chlorogen, Sigma-Aldrich deal to develop CTT
8/6/03 - Chlorogen’s New Method of Altering Crop Plants May Cut Drug Costs, Eliminate Pollen Drift Concerns - Good introductory article about this company. 6/20/03 - Creve Coeur Startup Develops Human Plasma from Tobacco
Intervexion Therapeutics
Agragen
Ventria
Ventria Bioscience, headquartered in Sacramento, California, is uniquely positioned to become a scientific leader in the biopharmaceutical industry. We are dedicated to developing and producing innovative, high value products that enhance and save lives. We have achieved scientific excellence through internal research and development and collaborations with world-renowned biotech and industry leaders. Together we have created a rich product pipeline with innovative products in human nutrition and human therapeutics. The market for these products exceeds $2 billion annually. In 1997, Ventria's scientists developed a breakthrough protein expression technology with unrivaled efficiency. This proprietary technology platform is called ExpressTec. ExpressTec's cost-efficiency and proven commercial scalability make it possible for Ventria to address unmet and underserved needs in human and animal health by delivering affordable treatments on a global scale.- from Ventria's website Website News items: Lacromin: 7/19/05 - Press Release - Ventria Bioscience Launches Lacromin™ a Plant-derived Growth Factor for Cell Culture Media. Budweiser conflict: 8/1/05 - Business Week - Whats So Scary About Rice Move to Missouri: 1/2/06 - Ventria's MOve to Missouri is Off 12/08/05 - Ventria's moved to Missouri is back on 11/15/05 - Ventria's Move to Missouri is on the Ropes 8/16/05 - NY Times via Plantpharma.org - Can Gene-Altered Rice Rescue the Farm Belt? - Blogged here 11/18/04 - Press Release - Northwest Missouri State University and Ventria Bioscience announce collaboration to create Northwest Missouri Center of Excellence for Plant-Made Pharmaceuticals. General: 6/30/05 - St. Joseph News-Press - Ventria chief says bioscience will amaze 12/22/04 - Press Release - Ventria Bioscience Initiates Seventh Straight Year of Production.