Category: News

Case Western Reserve University has granted an 18-month, exclusive option to Cleveland, OH, start-up Thermalin Diabetes, Inc., for a portfolio of insulin analogs. The company must reach certain milestones to exercise its option to obtain an exclusive license on therapies designed to help patients with diabetes. The potential to improve the treatment of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes results from the work of Michael Weiss, PhD, who chairs the biochemistry department at Case Western Reserve’s School of Medicine. His insulin analogs are faster-acting with fewer side effects, stable without refrigeration, and long-acting with lower potential cancer risks than conventional treatment, according to a university release. The insulin analogs will offer attractive alternatives for patients and may revolutionize the use of insulin pumps, according to Joseph Jankowski, Case Western Reserve’s associate vice president for technology management in the university’s TTO. “This is one of the coolest technologies that we’ve seen because of the potential to serve mankind,” Jankowski says. Thermalin Diabetes has closed more than $275,000 in seed financing from individual investors and received a $254,000 Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer Grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to support the development of one of the insulin analogs through large animal testing.

Source: PhysOrg.com

During a December 15 interview with Fox Business Network, Peter Gray discusses what has been happening in Copenhagen and how the talks there could change the way companies do business in the US.

To watch the interview, please visit: http://video.mww.com/ftpupload/FTPinbox/15/FoxBiz-Gray-12-15-09.wmv.

A research team at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha has developed a mouthwash formulation that may provide long-term protection against tooth decay. Led by Dong Wang, PhD, associate professor of pharmaceutical science in the UNMC College of Pharmacy, the team developed a drug delivery system to carry antimicrobial agents directly to teeth. A major contributing factor to dental cavities is overpopulation of acid-producing bacteria in biofilm present on the tooth surface, eventually causing dental decay. Wang’s formulation would bind to the tooth surface and gradually release antimicrobials against cavity-forming bacteria such as Streptococcus mutans. “The beauty of this design is the simplicity,” he says. “All one may have to do is their routine oral hygiene procedure and then rinse with the formulation that we have developed. It could protect the teeth over a long period of time.” A study demonstrating the formulation was published in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

Such a product also could have far-reaching implications for older adults in nursing homes who don’t have good access to dental care and for those at increased risk of heart disease. A Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) patent application has been filed on the technology through UNeMed, the technology transfer arm of UNMC. Wang and colleagues are seeking funds to support a clinical trial and a cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practice) facility to manufacture the formulation.

Source: Health News Digest

PhoneArena has published a screen grab reportedly showing an online training session for Palm and webOS for Verizon. According to the tipster this is one element of Verizon’s campaign to get its employes up to speed on Palm’s latest operating system. Combined with all the previous rumors, fcc docs and executive statements, this adds another bit of concrete info to Verizon’s plan to offer a webOS device next year.

The leaked screenshot shows what appears to be the intro slide to a 20 minute online training session. Entitled “Why Palm? What is webOS?” the course aims to “re-introduce Palm and describes the new webOS platform.” The training dates are listed as 12/15/09 through 1/4/2010.

SAN FRANCISCO – Phil Angelides, chairman of the Apollo Alliance, today released the following statement praising President Obama’s decision to expand the Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit by $5 billion, a move the administration expects will support an additional $15 billion in total capital investment in domestic clean energy manufacturing:

“The president’s decision to boost domestic job growth by expanding tax incentives for clean energy manufacturing facilities is another welcome sign that this administration is committed to making America a leader in the global clean energy economy.

“The Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit program, which supports the building and equipping of factories to make the products of the green economy, has been wildly successful since its inception. This much-needed influx of funds will help maximize private sector investment in clean energy production facilities while generating tens of thousands of new jobs in construction and manufacturing.

“Given that 70 percent of America’s clean energy components and systems are currently manufactured abroad – which means valuable, well-paying jobs that should be filled by American workers are instead going overseas – we need to seize every opportunity to enhance our ability to make the products of the clean energy economy in America and bring those jobs back home.

“We also encourage the president and Congress to make a long-term commitment to the country’s clean energy manufacturing sector by including the provisions of U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown’s Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology Act in any jobs creation package. By doing so, we can ensure that America’s manufacturers have the funds they need to become more energy efficient and expand into the global clean energy marketplace.”

In early December, the Apollo Alliance released a clean energy investment plan that, if enacted, would create up to 1.2 million domestic jobs while increasing U.S. energy security and climate stability. The 5-point plan, meant for inclusion in a larger Congressional and administration strategy to spur economic recovery and create jobs, focused on several areas the president has identified as key to short-term job creation, including transportation infrastructure, energy efficiency and renewables, and domestic clean energy manufacturing.

For more information, visit ApolloAlliance.org.

###

The Apollo Alliance is a coalition of labor, business, environmental and community leaders working to catalyze a clean energy revolution that will put millions of Americans to work in a new generation of high-quality, green-collar jobs.

Dave Poulsen, PhD, research associate professor, and his employer, the University of Montana in Missoula, hope to make a lot of money on meth. You read that right. Poulsen’s methamphetamine application, co-developed with Nick Chandler, MD, a former Missoula neurosurgeon, could generate millions in royalty payments for the university while extending and improving the quality of life for stroke victims and those who suffer traumatic brain injuries. Pharmaceutical-grade meth — not the kind cooked up from household cleaning products by addicts or street dealers — is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drug that has been used for decades to treat ailments such as narcolepsy, attention deficit disorder, and obesity. Poulsen, who is licensed to use the compound for research, discovered the meth is something of a miracle drug for rats that have suffered strokes, effectively protecting brain cells from dying off and returning the animals to near-normal function. Poulsen believes the same could be true for humans, and FDA-approved human clinical trials based on his findings begin early next year. Poulsen is so confident about his research that “if I ever had a stroke or traumatic brain injury, I’d want to be treated with this stuff,” he says.

Source: MATR News

Despite AT&T’s low key approach to the LG eXpo LG is pushing out the boat on its launch, recruiting television personality Kristin Adams to promote the smartphone.

Above is her short review, and apparently she will be wandering around with the pico-projector permanently in place.

Hopefully we will see a lot more of Kristin and the LG eXpo over the next few weeks.

Markets may be down in the U.S., but TTOs can find ample licensing opportunities abroad. A case in point: Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), in Buffalo, NY, recently licensed its photodynamic therapy (PDT) technology to pharmaceutical companies in India and China. “We’ve found that, overall, the capacity for risk tolerance is higher in Asia than in the U.S. or Europe,” says Richard Matner, PhD, MBA, director of technology transfer & commercial development at RPCI. “Assets or free capital move projects forward, and there’ a higher level in China and India. Right now China’s got $2 trillion in the bank and a straightforward mission from the Premier to bring various therapeutics into China. We’ve been a little ahead of the curve in that we’ve been negotiating in Asia for some time.”

Tapping into this new terrain for licensing deals requires an entirely different approach than what’s used in the U.S. or Europe. Even in India, Matner explains, the licensing environment is not much different than the norm, but not so in China and other Asian countries. India, he says, “is more like the U.S. in terms of commercial thinking. We’ve found that companies in India are full of ex-patriots. They have a really good handle on the FDA process there. But because of that, you don’t get as good a deal as you might in China.”

Making the right connections is the key to securing international licensing deals, he adds, and in China personal contact and relationship-building is perhaps even more critical than anywhere else on the planet. One connected individual on the ground can be more effective than hundreds of calls, e-mails, and other marketing efforts. “Our contact essentially makes all the [subsequent] contacts for us in China, which gives us a quick [path to licensees]. Essentially, then we could go directly into China and meet with the right people immediately. It’s not like Europe; in China, it’s all about a personal relationship. That’s the way they do business. A contract on paper is one thing, but it’s more important to have a personal relationship and face-to-face meetings.” A detailed article on tapping into Asian licensing markets appears in the November issue of Technology Transfer Tactics. For subscription information, CLICK HERE.

Scientists at Stanford University are harnessing nanotechnology to produce ultra-lightweight, bendable batteries and supercapacitors in the form of everyday paper. Coating a sheet of paper with ink made of carbon nanotubes and silver nanowires makes a highly conductive storage device, according to Yi Cui, PhD, assistant professor of materials science and engineering. “These nanomaterials are special,” Cui explains. “They’re a one-dimensional structure with very small diameters.” The small diameter helps the nanomaterial ink stick to the fibrous paper, making the battery and supercapacitor very durable. The paper supercapacitor may last through 40,000 charge-discharge cycles — at least an order of magnitude more than lithium batteries. The nanomaterials also make ideal conductors because they move electricity more efficiently than ordinary conductors, Cui maintains.

Cui previously created nanomaterial energy storage devices using plastics. His research shows that a paper battery is more durable because the ink adheres better to paper. Crumpling or folding the paper battery — even soaking it in acidic or basic solutions — does not degrade its performance, allowing for many clever applications. “This technology has the potential to be commercialized within a short time,” says Peidong Yang, professor of chemistry at the University of California-Berkeley. “I don’t think it will be limited to just energy storage devices.” Cui’s work was reported online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Source: Science Daily

Howard Dean said on CNBC this morning that it would be a good move for investors to buy health insurance stocks if the so-called “reform” passes, implying the whole thing was becoming a gigantic giveaway to entrenches business.

Well, too late.

Investors picked up on that awhile ago.

Bespoke points out that several healthcare-related ETFs have been on fire. Here’s just one, the Health Care Providers (IHF) ETF.

Just think, there were some people who sold their shares, say, in late September and early October, because they actually thought that our government would turn the screws to huge, private companies. Ha!

See more charts at Bespoke >>

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See Also:

• Lieberman Threatens To Go GOP In 2012, Torpedoing All Hopes Of Getting To 60 On Healthcare
• Senators Forced To Fly Blind To Beat The Christmas Healthcare Deadline
• Howard Dean: You May Want To Buy Health Insurance Stocks If This Thing Passes

A Cornell University researcher has created an efficient transistor from a material that may soon replace silicon as king of semiconductors for power applications. Junxia Shi, a graduate student in the laboratory of Lester Eastman, PhD, the John Given Foundation professor of engineering, developed the patent-pending device, which could form the basis for the circuitry in products from laptops to hybrid vehicles to windmills and other power electronic systems. The basic electrical switch is constructed from the compound gallium nitride, a material with unique electrical properties that Eastman and colleagues have been studying for more than a decade. The transistor’s on-resistance — or measure of resistance to electric current — is 10 to 20 times lower than today’s silicon-based power devices. It also has a high breakdown voltage — a measure of how much voltage can be applied across a material before it fails. Research on the device was published in Applied Physics Letters.

At the heart of improving electronics is the ability to make devices that can switch electricity from high voltage to high current while minimizing power loss, according to Eastman. “Power has to go from A to B in a machine with a high voltage transmission line to minimize power loss,” he says. “Before now, there were no electronic devices that could handle both high current and the high voltage, but our device can do it.” The transistors might one day power everything from hybrid electric vehicles to Navy destroyers. In fact, the U.S. Navy first funded Cornell’s research into gallium nitride transistors more than 10 years ago and is a major funder of Eastman’s research today. Shi and Eastman have a provisional patent on their device. The New Jersey-based company Velox and Motorola spinoff Freescale helped fund the research with the hope of producing the devices on an industrial scale.

Source: Innovations Report

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A University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) investigator who is an expert marksman has found a more intuitive way to aim a pistol. Timothy Kraft, PhD, associate professor in UAB’s Vision Science Research Center, has developed a gunsight design that relies on subconscious ability. Opti-sight, a UAB-protected innovation, updates a pistol-aiming device that has remained unchanged for more than a century. The innovation promises to reduce the time law enforcement, professional, and amateur shooters need for target practice to improve marksmanship. Opti-sight is a precision-milled half-triangle shape that replaces the traditional pistol gunsight. The design relies on subjective contours — an optics principle that explains how the subconscious mind fills in the blanks when the eye sees half of a familiar shape like a circle, square, or triangle.

The rear opti-sight notch looks like an incomplete triangle sitting atop the gun barrel. When a shooter peers through the notch, the brain tells the eye where the missing triangle apex should appear, and that apex is the precise point of aim, Kraft explains. “This triangular shape that I’ve created allows the brain to visualize concentric triangles whose imaginary apexes focus the shooter’s attention on the exact target bulls-eye,” he says. “Opti-sight makes shooting intuitive by allowing gunsight alignment to become subconscious.” Kraft worked with members of the U.S. Olympic pistol team to test the Opti-sight design.

Source: Newswise

A bunch of folks have sent in this story of former South Dakota state Rep. Ted Alvin Klaudt, who was convicted of raping his two foster daughters a couple years ago, and who is now claiming that his name is covered by copyright, so no one can report on it. More specifically, he’s trying to claim a “common law copyright.” Unfortunately for Mr. Klaudt, except in extremely limited circumstances, the US does not recognize “common law copyright.” He’s demanding written permission to use his name in a news report, and has apparently demanded anywhere from $500,000 to $2 million for each “unauthorized” use. Apparently Klaudt, despite having been a former lawmaker, is unfamiliar with the basics of the law. Perhaps he can use his time in prison — where he will most likely be for quite some time — to study up.

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For Immediate Release: December 16, 2009
Contact: Phil Kloer; (404) 679-7125; [email protected]
FFS #R4RB

Washington, DC. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has awarded a contract of $1,281,000 to Linc Government Services, LLC through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

Under the contract, Linc will incorporate several important design elements into the planned Visitor and Environmental Education Center at Mammoth Spring National Fish Hatchery in Mammoth Spring, Ark. The project will now include an environmental education classroom, retail sales space, additional office space, interpretive exhibits and outdoor features such as a display pond and viewing areas.

“This new state-of-the-art center will be something that the community can be proud of, a place where people, and especially children, can connect with nature and learn about conservation and environmental issues,” said Secretary Salazar. “In addition, it will provide a boost to the local economy, creating new jobs with stimulus funds.”

The new ARRA contract will be coordinated with a previous contract, both of which are with Linc. The Mammoth Spring center received $1.2 million through a Congressional appropriation in 2005 to be used for the design and initial construction of the building. With the ARRA funding, the project can now move forward. “We’re excited,” said hatchery manager Richard Shelton. “We’ve been promoting the idea of an environmental education center at Mammoth Spring for years, and we are finally about to make it a reality.”

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed earlier this year gave $3 billion to the Department of the Interior. The ARRA funds represent an important component of the President’s plan to jumpstart the economy and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so the country can thrive in the 21st century. Under the ARRA, Interior is making an investment in conserving America’s timeless treasures – our stunning natural landscapes, our monuments to liberty, the icons of our culture and heritage – while helping American families and their communities prosper again. Interior is also focusing on renewable energy projects, the needs of American Indians, employing youth and promoting community service.

“With its investments of Recovery Act funds, the Department of the Interior and its bureaus are putting people to work today to make improvements that will benefit the environment and the region for many years to come,” Secretary Salazar said. Secretary Salazar has pledged unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability in the implementation of the Department’s economic recovery projects. The public will be able to follow the progress of each project on www.recovery.gov and on www.interior.gov/recovery.

Secretary Salazar has appointed a Senior Advisor for Economic Recovery, Chris Henderson, and an Interior Economic Recovery Task Force to work closely with Interior’s Inspector General and ensure the recovery program is meeting the high standards for accountability, responsibility and transparency set by President Obama.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For questions, comments or concerns email us at [email protected]. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov and http://www.fws.gov/mammothspring/.

On January 27, serial inventor and innovation expert Nicholas Webb will headline a distance learning event you won’t want to miss: “Shrink Wrap” Your University’s Technologies for Industry: Packaging Your Innovations to Minimize Corporate Risk and Extract Optimum Licensing Value. He’ll show participants how to present IP with a solid, in-depth market analysis and adopt proven analytical methods used by corporations to identify and plug any holes that could affect valuation. Attendees will gain unique insights into how to meet and exceed corporate expectations, and de-risk IP for a faster, smoother and more lucrative deal. CLICK HERE for full details.

Also, join us on January 6 for Successful Outsourcing for Tech Transfer Organizations. Our expert faculty will focus on how to implement an effective outsourcing strategy to reduce your backlog of invention files, get more deals done, and boost faculty relations. A detailed case study of Texas Tech University’s outsourcing experience will provide valuable takeaways and lessons learned. CLICK HERE for full details.

In his blog, VC Deal Lawyer, corporate transactional attorney Christopher McDemus observes that everyone in the venture community can share a horror story about a start-up or emerging growth company that stumbled early. Sometimes these blunders can be fixed, but often they represent a death blow, says McDemus, who offers this list of 15 common mistakes that high growth start-ups should avoid:

1. Making poor hires early and not firing fast enough. Avoid the “C-level hire” with an incredible Fortune 500 resume but zero start-up or emerging growth experience. “Never hire someone solely on the basis that listing their former employer on your pitch slides looks great,” McDemus writes. In addition, beware the hire who claims to bring strategic assets that can only be realized after joining the company. If someone professes to have the contacts to help you raise $3M or land the 10 largest clients in your target market, condition his or her compensation on delivering that promise. If you do hire someone who isn’t working out, move on quickly. “It may cost you, but not as much as it would in the long run,” McDemus says.
2. Failing to assemble the correct management team. Invest in the jockey over the horse. “Investors don’t want you learning on their nickel,” McDemus points out. Demonstrate that you have talent that knows the space and can make lemonade out of lemons, if necessary.
3. Promising equity to individuals up front. Never strike a deal for a lead employee to work “for 10% of the company.” Instead, ask hard questions: What kind of stock does the employee think he or she is getting? When and how is the 10% measured? Is the number of shares represented by the 10% calculated on a fully diluted basis or not? And get the deal in writing.
4. Failing to properly structure founder shares. If a founder receives all of his or her shares up front and fully vested, there’s no incentive to stick around and help build the company. Vest founder shares gradually and issue them as restrictive stock grants — for example, 400,000 shares of common stock, vesting annually/monthly/quarterly over four years. If the founder stays four years, he or she keeps all of shares. If the founder leaves early, he or she keeps some and the company buys back the remainder at the same price the founder paid.
5. Selecting the wrong type of business entity and structuring early ownership 50/50. If you plan to seek outside investors, go with a corporate structure, McDemus advises. “You avoid the issue of VC funds requiring blocking entities — a result of some of their limited partners being non-profit companies — and the possible need to convert your limited liability company to a corporation at a later date.” In ventures with two founders, “find some difference between yourselves to rationalize one person taking 51% of the ownership,” he adds. Absent complicated provisions to break a deadlock, 50/50 deals result in a standoff the minute the founders disagree.
6. Failing to consult experienced advisors at the beginning. Avoid many novice mistakes simply by hiring experienced start-up and emerging growth attorneys and accountants from the get-go. You’ll save time and money in the long run because you’ll eliminate an expensive clean up down the road.
7. Not having a clear business plan. Focus, focus, focus. If you try to become all things to all people, you’ll end up being nothing to nobody.
8. Raising too much or too little money. Too much money buys complacency — along with many of the mistakes cited here. Too little money cuts short your runway before you can launch your product. “Look into the future as best you can and consider how much money you will need to reach the next fundraising stage,” McDemus says.
9. Failing to properly document early agreements. Hire experienced counsel to help you prepare shareholders’ agreements between the founders; founder share agreements and possible 83(b) elections; non-competition, non-solicitation, confidentiality, and invention assignment agreements for employees; and appropriate equity compensation, or stock option, plans. Seek guidance on external agreements such as customer contracts, service agreements, licensing agreements, and office leases to ensure they contain appropriate protections.
10. Raising early money without complying with securities laws. No matter how you slice or dice it, if you sell a stake in your company — from the issuance of founder shares to the issuance of stock to VC funds — you must comply with federal and state (blue sky) securities laws. Poorly structured transactions can derail future fundraising or cost the company tens of thousands of dollars to rectify.
11. Poor cash management and spending money on the wrong things. California Historic Landmark No. 976 — the modest “garage” where Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard started Hewlett-Packard in 1939 — epitomizes boot-strapping. Think about every dollar that goes out the door and what you receive in return. Show investors you have the discipline to manage your cash to reach positive cash flow.
12. Failing to identify a market for the product or service. Don’t invest time and money into building a product or service before you’ve considered who will buy it, and don’t focus on product capabilities without considering whether potential customers need them.
13. Failing to re-invent on the go. “Improvise, adapt, and overcome” is the perfect mantra for an early stage start-up, McDemus says. Have the ability to turn the ship on a dime and take a different tack on a problem.
14. Getting stuck on valuation rather then getting committed funds. Place a higher negotiating priority on liquidation preference and dilution than on valuation. Don’t let hang-ups over valuation stifle your chance of closing on committed funds. “Without funds, there is no business,” McDemus points out.
15. Failing to build a sustainable business around the IP. The only way to monetize IP is to build a sustainable business around it. This is the gap university TTOs try to overcome on a daily basis by partnering with entrepreneurs who can license the IP and take it to market.

Source: VC Deal Lawyer

Ever wonder how much the PS3 and Wii have sold so far in Japan? Enterbrain, the publisher behind the weekly Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu, has the answers.