Applying the Venture Capital Model to Public Companies: Hugh Cleland
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report   (11/15/12)
Hugh Cleland has been testing his theory that life sciences companies can be had cheaper as stocks than as private venture capital investments—and that theory has been working out for him quite well over the past two years. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Cleland, portfolio manager and executive vice president at Toronto-based BluMont Capital, talks about his best small- and micro-cap ideas and also shares the "core/farm team" approach that he takes in his smaller, more conventionally structured fund. More >

Analyst Scott Power Finds the Upside in Biotech Down Under
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (11/8/12)
If you're looking for fresh international names in biotech and medtech, but need the comforts of end markets on U.S. soil, the best ideas of RBS Morgans Ltd. Senior Analyst Scott Power might be for you. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Australia-based Power makes a case for important life science names with Australian origins and a U.S. presence that could present investors with huge upside. More >

Election Roundup: News from the Healthcare Front
Source: Tracy Salcedo-Chourre of The Life Sciences Report  (11/8/12)
With the reelection of President Barack Obama, the biggest reforms to hit healthcare in nearly a century are positioned to come online. Some provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) have already taken effect, but those remaining are likely to have significant impacts on the business of life science. Whether the reforms bode good or ill for biotech and medtech investors has yet to be seen. We've provided a few beats of the media and blog pulse below, and will keep you informed as developments unfold. More >

10 Top Women in Biotech 2012
Source: Fierce Biotech  (11/8/12)
"Too few female professionals rise to senior executive roles in the biopharma industry, making the accomplishments of these women all the more exceptional." More >

Top 10 Best-Selling Drugs of the 21st Century
Source: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News  (11/6/12)
"GEN has put together a list of the top 10 best-selling drugs between 2000 and 2011. Are any of these in your medicine chest?" More >

A Capital-Efficient Prescription for New Drugs: Raghuram "Ram" Selvaraju
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report   (11/1/12)
The small biotech companies that have survived the last five years have learned to be lean, mean and efficient with shareholder capital. In this exclusive interview with The Life Sciences Report, Aegis Capital's Managing Director and Head of Equity Research Raghuram "Ram" Selvaraju discusses companies that have mitigated risk by giving new life and higher margins to products previously relegated to the dustbin of commoditized generics. He also highlights some very new and exciting developments in the realm of stem cell technologies and monoclonal antibodies that engage never-before-targeted molecules. More >

Our Next President and Healthcare Policy
Source: BioSpace, Karl Thiel  (10/30/12)
"Both candidates paint this as a vitally important election between leaders with starkly different views of policy and governing. So if the fate of the life sciences potentially hangs in the balance, what are we likely to see in the months ahead?" More >

Patheon Nabs Mexican Beachhead with $255M Banner Buyout
Source: Fierce BioPharma, Tracy Staton  (10/30/12)
"Drugmakers from big pharma to much smaller companies have been striking partnership deals with companies in South America and other emerging markets—and buying up drugmakers and consumer health companies—to capture a share of that growth." More >

The Age of Personalized Medicine Is Near
Source: Chris Wood, Casey Research  (10/29/12)
"Biomarkers have the potential to accelerate product development and cut costs because they can help identify those drug candidates that are likely to fail sooner, and can predict drug efficacy faster than conventional clinical endpoints—giving life to the concept of 'fail early, fail cheap.'" More >

Cancer Fight Stalls Amid Push for Profits, Doctors Say
Source: The Guardian, Sarah Boseley  (10/28/12)
"The excitement generated by targeted drugs, which interfere with specific molecules involved in tumor growth and suppression, has been short-lived." More >

Flu Vaccine Jab Can Halve Cardiac Risk
Source: Daily Mail  (10/28/12)
"The flu vaccine provided an approximate 50% reduction in the risk of a heart attack or stroke compared with a placebo after one year of follow-up." More >

Out of the Red and into the Black: John McCamant on Investment in Blood Cancer Companies
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (10/25/12)
Hematological cancers present special opportunities for investors. In this exclusive interview with The Life Sciences Report, John McCamant, editor of the Medical Technology Stock Letter, comments on several companies in the hematology/oncology space, describing the challenges and successes that influence investment in the sector. In the case of two companies with very different valuations, McCamant makes his preference clear. More >

Qsymia Uptake Slow, Steady, but Will It Win Obesity Race?
Source: Catherine Shaffer, BioWorld  (10/23/12)
"Dark horse Contrave has gained some ground through faster patient accrual and negotiations by its maker, Orexigen Therapeutics Inc., with the FDA for faster resubmission of its new drug application." More >

AstraZeneca, Ironwood Partner on IBS Drug in China
Source: Associated Press  (10/23/12)
"The agreement calls for AstraZeneca to give an upfront payment of $25M to Ironwood. The companies will split net profits and losses in China on the drug." More >

Exercise Makes You Smarter
Source: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News  (10/23/12)
"It seems the increase in blood flow to the brain that accompanies exercise can directly boost brain function." More >

Aspirin May Slow Decline in Mental Capacity Among Elderly Patients, Swedish Study Suggests
Source: ScienceDaily  (10/22/12)
"In addition to preventing heart disease, acetylsalicylic acid has been shown to be effective against cancer according to several scientific studies. It is common practice in many countries to treat women at risk for heart disease with a small dose of acetylsalicylic acid." More >

Adult Stem Cells: Cashing in on the New Fountain of Youth
Source: Michael Robinson, Money Morning  (10/22/12)
"I believe we are not far from the day when we could all live to 100. . .and, more to the point, enjoy it." More >

Q3 Biotech Venture Investing Makes a Boisterous Leap
Source: FierceBiotech, John Carroll  (10/19/12)
"Using the figures provided by Thomson Reuters, the quarterly report concluded that total life sciences venture deals topped $1.7B in 181 deals in the third quarter—a bit more than a quarter of all investments tracked during the period." More >

Fat Cells Help Tumors Grow
Source: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News  (10/17/12)
"Understanding the major mechanisms through which obesity drives cancer risk is important to coming up with therapeutic strategies on how to break these links, says Dr. Mikhail Kolonin." More >

Cancer Stem Cells: Just Hype or Hope for New Therapies?
Source: Peter Winter, BioWorld  (10/15/12)
"The panelists said that cancer stem cells have moved well beyond hype, with meaningful and positive early-stage clinical results being reported. The early data point to the prospect of exciting new future cancer therapies." More >

Personalized Genomic Medicine: How Much Can It Really Empower Patients?
Source: ScienceDaily  (10/15/12)
"Genomic medicine's stakeholders—including direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies, private research centers, and the National Institutes of Health—are deeply invested in promoting how this information will benefit patients." More >

Casey Analyst Forecasts Explosive Biotech Growth
Source: Streetwise Staff  (10/11/12)
The myth of technology, whether for smartphones or cancer treatments, is that the next big thing appears suddenly and magically. Casey Research Analyst Alex Daley sets the record straight in this exclusive interview with The Life Sciences Report. While the science of genetic medicine has accelerated the process of turning magical thinking into practical medicine, Daley cautions investors in biotech and medical device companies to be patient, and names companies with innovative technologies poised for explosive growth. More >

Special Report: Highlights from BioX
Source: Rahul Jasuja, Noble Financial Capital Markets  (10/10/12)
The first BioX Life Sciences Exposition, hosted in late September by Noble Financial Capital Markets, included a slate of seminars that explored innovation in the biotech industry, including the fields of regenerative medicine, targeted oncology and immunotherapy. Rahul Jasuja, managing director of biotechnology research with Noble Financial, moderated the targeted oncology and immunotherapy panels, and provided these exclusive summaries to The Life Sciences Report. More >

BIO Investor Forum: The New Kids on the Biotech Block
Source: BiotechNOW, Marissa Maybee  (10/10/12)
"The panel highlighted companies that have secured financing from creative sources, like patient advocacy groups and venture philanthropists, as well as companies that have negotiated nondilutive financing from traditional pharmas and VCs using innovative deal strategies." More >

How a Mosquito’s Sting Could Spread Health
Source: Josh Grasmick, Penny Sleuth  (10/9/12)
"How in the world could this little pest affect your life, other than whiz in your ear, suck your blood, inflict an itchy bite, transfer a deadly disease. . .or meet a justified smack? And how could it play a role in the marketplace?" More >