The Sunday Feb 17 issue of Biospectrum Asia http://www.biospectrumasia.com/content/150208CHN5535.asp
had the following announcement.
"SurExam commercializes ovarian cancer detection technology in China
Singapore, Feb 15, 2008: The Yale University Office of Cooperative Research has granted an exclusive license to Chinese biopharmaceutical company SurExam Life Science & Technology for the commercialization of the university's blood testing technology for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). "
For those who are interested in expanding their reach from University TTOs and those interested in simultaneously doing some good in the world this is a very strong wake up call. Congratulations to the Yale TTO team! (Lita are you still there?) It shows us again that there may be great value to what is done in early research in the right markets. The traditional thinking is simply out the window! It is all the more ironic to me to see this article since the CECR grants were announced only DAYS ago and I came to hear that Peter Singer et al from the University of Toronto, who had proposed to do VERY similar things along these lines for all of Canada, were turned down. No doubt more informed minds than mine have made that decision but to me this was very confusing. Your comments are always welcome.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Saturday, February 2, 2008
McMaster develops Viral Diagnostic
Today's newswire announcement that McMaster's star researcher James Mahoney's diagnostic panel had received FDA approval
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080128165659.htm
was, for me, a bit of a bittersweet piece of news. On the one hand it showed AGAIN how Canadian researchers take their rightful place at the top of the pyramid of creativity and innovation. Viral diagnosis is such a common problem that I would venture to guess that there is not a single reader of this column who has not, at some point or another, had a persistent cold, gone to the doctor, and been told that they cannot easily pinpoint what the cause is (even whether it is viral or bacterial sometimes) and therefore prefer not to precsribe some medication or course of action that can take care of the problem. Diagnosis traditionally took so much time and cost so much that the infection would likely be over before it was diagnosed.
Along comes a researcher from Canada (eh?) and finds a way to do this quickly and inexpensively. How wonderful!! Here's the pinacle of the glory now ... wait for the drumroll! The work is commissioned by a (then) CANADIAN company TM Biosciences.What a great story of how we can make a difference and make money at the same time. Now the "bitter..." part. JUST before this could happen the company - strapped for cash and unable to get its CANADIAN VCs to support it - was sold for pennies on the dollar to a larger US conglomerate Luminex. Today this is Luminex's success story. Don't get me wrong; I'm happy that it got out there and I CERTAINLY congratulate Luminex for its vision in seeing the potential and having the GUTS to back it. I am just sad that such guts don't exist in our country. Canadians can be happy about our inventivness and our innovation bt we should be embarrassed by our VC community.
Your thought s would be most welcome.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080128165659.htm
was, for me, a bit of a bittersweet piece of news. On the one hand it showed AGAIN how Canadian researchers take their rightful place at the top of the pyramid of creativity and innovation. Viral diagnosis is such a common problem that I would venture to guess that there is not a single reader of this column who has not, at some point or another, had a persistent cold, gone to the doctor, and been told that they cannot easily pinpoint what the cause is (even whether it is viral or bacterial sometimes) and therefore prefer not to precsribe some medication or course of action that can take care of the problem. Diagnosis traditionally took so much time and cost so much that the infection would likely be over before it was diagnosed.
Along comes a researcher from Canada (eh?) and finds a way to do this quickly and inexpensively. How wonderful!! Here's the pinacle of the glory now ... wait for the drumroll! The work is commissioned by a (then) CANADIAN company TM Biosciences.What a great story of how we can make a difference and make money at the same time. Now the "bitter..." part. JUST before this could happen the company - strapped for cash and unable to get its CANADIAN VCs to support it - was sold for pennies on the dollar to a larger US conglomerate Luminex. Today this is Luminex's success story. Don't get me wrong; I'm happy that it got out there and I CERTAINLY congratulate Luminex for its vision in seeing the potential and having the GUTS to back it. I am just sad that such guts don't exist in our country. Canadians can be happy about our inventivness and our innovation bt we should be embarrassed by our VC community.
Your thought s would be most welcome.
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