RALEIGH, N.C., March 18, 2013 – Arbovax, Inc., a development-stage biotechnology company, has successfully demonstrated the validity of its vaccine technology in non-human primates and will now move to Phase 1 clinical trials with its unique dengue fever vaccine. “We are exceptionally pleased with the results of this pre-clinical trial,” said Malcolm Thomas, president and CEO of Arbovax, “especially in light of some of the disappointing results from recent clinical trials involving vaccines under development by others. These results show we’re on track to produce a meaningful weapon against the global increase in dengue fever outbreaks.” (more…)

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.–The first Southeast Venture Philanthropy Summit will bring some 200 leaders of regional life science companies and national disease foundations to Chapel Hill April 3 and 4 to explore alliances bearing new opportunities. The Summit will connect company leaders, academic researchers, funding specialists and executives from 30 foundations, including the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and the Bill and Melinda Gates foundations and other major philanthropic groups targeting a wide range of diseases and conditions. The Summit has been organized by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center in conjunction with BioFlorida, Georgia Bio, NCBIO, Southeast BIO and Virginia Bio. They were aided by a steering committee including members of those organizations plus leaders from the venture philanthropy, venture capital and academic communities. (more…)

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. March 5, 2013 – Life-science companies, start-ups, event sponsors, researchers and educators received $2.9 million in loans and grants from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center during the second fiscal quarter. The awards, in 10 programs, went to successful applicants across the state to support life-science entrepreneurship, technology commercialization and education. NCBiotech has been awarding this type of funding since it was established in 1984. Such awards have helped North Carolina become the nation’s third-largest biotech cluster. There are now more than 500 life-science companies in the state, with more than 58,000 employees and an average salary exceeding $78,000. (more…)

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.—Innovative online publishing and media relations firm Global Media Strategies (www.gmsinnovate.com) has launched a new publication to help technology professionals around the world get timely news and information about the life sciences, medical technology, biotech, cleantech, computers, innovation and entrepreneurs, high tech and education. Global TechWire (www.global-tech-wire.com) publishes fresh, original articles and user-submitted news items daily, reaching a great number of people locally, nationally and globally with news items that may be otherwise overlooked by larger mainstream news operations. (more…)

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.–Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) recently dedicated a new facility in Research Triangle Park (RTP), consolidating its 300-person Patient Services operation with the existing RTP campus. The new 190,000 square foot building is anticipated to achieve LEED-Gold certified status in the coming months and will accommodate increasing levels of manufacturing activity at the site. The official groundbreaking for the building was in April of 2011. (more…)

(Raleigh, N.C.) Kyma Technologies, Inc., a leading supplier of crystalline aluminum nitride (AlN) and gallium nitride (GaN) materials and related products and services, today announced their collaboration with Professor April Brown’s group at Duke University in the area of advanced nanoscale sensor technology. Professor Brown is Duke’s John Cocke Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering and Professor of Biomedical Engineering. Her research involves the synthesis and characterization of a variety of advanced semiconductors and nanomaterials for next generation electronic and optoelectronic device and sensor applications. (more…)

(Raleigh, N.C.) Myers Bigel Sibley & Sajovec, P.A. (Myers Bigel), the largest independent patent law firm in North Carolina, recently shared information and best practices in biotechnology patents at the inaugural Triangle Biotech Research Symposium held at the NC Biotechnology Center in Research Triangle Park. Patent attorney Shawna Lemon, Ph.D., J.D., delivered the presentation “Industry + University + Start-Up = RTP; Embracing Serendipity and Protecting Innovation” at the event on August 21st, addressing a packed house of biotech professionals. “What resonated with a number of people were my comments regarding patent strategy, specifically timing of filing, which will be impacted by upcoming changes to implement a first-to-file system effective March 16, 2013,” Dr. Lemon said. (more…)

(Research Triangle Park, N.C.) Venture capital investors continued their stampede away from biotech and pharmaceutical startups during the second quarter of 2012, as both the amount of money invested and the number of deals plunged from year-ago numbers. The dollar value of VC deals fell almost 52% during the second quarter from year-ago numbers, with about $696.8 million invested in a total 90 biopharma companies during Q2 ’12, compared with $1.4 billion in 129 deals during the second quarter of 2011, according to the quarterly MoneyTree Report, issued by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and the National Venture Capital Association based on Thomson Reuters data. The amount of capital poured into first-sequence investments fell nearly 79% since the second quarter of last year to $65.9 million in 14 deals—the smallest numbers in a decade—from $313.7 million in 32 deals. (more…)

(Raleigh, N.C.) DARA BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: DARA) announced today that Dr. David J. Drutz, Chief Executive Officer, will provide a comprehensive update on the company’s products and pipeline at the 2012 BIO International Convention in Boston later this month. DARA’s presentation is part of the BIO Business Forum and is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 20, Red Sox Room at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. DARA BioSciences focuses on oncology treatment and supportive care products. (more…)

(Raleigh, N.C.) Arbovax, a Raleigh based Bio-Technology Company has obtained a new round of funding from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.    Arbovax has developed the only whole virus vaccine targeted to treat insect borne diseases such as Dengue Fever, West Nile, Japanese Encephalitis and Chikungunya.  There are between fifty and one hundred million cases of Dengue Fever reported each year.  Asia, Central and South America have the heaviest cases load of Dengue Fever.  There have been outbreaks in the US and in Europe in recent years. (more…)

(Research Triangle Park, N.C.) The North Carolina Biotechnology Center has approved a $100,000 grant to explore the state’s readiness for a Center of Innovation (COI) to help capitalize on the growing field of personalized medicine. NCBiotech awarded the grant to a statewide consortium of business and academic institutions, represented by Geoffrey Ginsburg, M.D., Ph.D., Duke University professor of medicine, executive director of the health system’s Center for Personalized Medicine and director of Genomic Medicine in the Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy. (more…)

(Research Triangle Park, N.C.) Precision BioSciences, Inc., a leader in the field of genome engineering, today announced that it has filed a sixth patent infringement lawsuit against Cellectis SA and a number of its affiliates in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. The lawsuit seeks a ruling that Cellectis’ manufacture, use, sale, and importation of certain engineered meganucleases infringe U.S. Patent No. 8,133,697, which relates to Precision BioSciences’ award-winning Directed Nuclease Editor™ genome engineering technology. The lawsuit requests monetary damages as well as a permanent injunction preventing Cellectis from making, using, selling, offering for sale, or importing infringing engineered meganucleases in the United States. Precision BioSciences previously announced that it had filed suit against Cellectis for alleged infringement of U.S. Patent Nos. 8,021,867, 8,119,381, 8,119,361, 8,124,369, and 8,129,134. (more…)