Lerner juxtaposes these paradigms against the composition of U.S. university TTOs — most of which are steeped in the transactional/legalistic business culture, he asserts. “Most university administrators place great importance and faith in the opinions and judgment of their Office of General Counsel, and with good reason,” he observes. “Universities are often at the economic, cultural, and educational nexus of entire cities and must protect their interests and reputation, not to mention their endowments.” Since university tech transfer was only born in 1980 as a result of the Bayh-Dole Act, commercialization activity has been layered over an existing culture in most schools.

Nevertheless, TTOs should understand the distinction between licensing IP to large, existing companies and licensing IP to a fledgling entity that is being formed for the express purpose of commercializing that IP, Lerner maintains. “A small start-up comprised sometimes by nothing more than a courageous entrepreneur, a laptop, and some meager seed money can hardly wait six months to ink a deal with a university,” he writes. “Nor is it reasonable to expect such a person to pay large up-front licensing fees, immediately reimburse patent expenses incurred long before he/she entered the picture, or submit to massive and arcane paperwork.” Instead, TTOs should take their cues from the investment and entrepreneurial community, using these foundational steps:

• Assign a seasoned entrepreneur and investor as the dedicated point person for the TTO’s entrepreneurial/venture activities. This individual must come from and have the confidence and respect of the early stage entrepreneurial community.
• Shed as much of the “transactional/legal” paradigm as possible from the venture operation and adopt the business paradigm based on trust/reputation and community. The entrepreneurial and investment community will immediately recognize this as major progress.
• As an equity partner, treat start-ups in the TTO’s portfolio as partners, not simply licensees. Work with partners to facilitate success and delay compensation and upside revenues to the back end as much as possible.
• Streamline license and stock purchase agreement templates to speed up and facilitate deals.
• Keep deal terms fair and simple. Commercialization “is not about what you can ‘get’ from the entrepreneur along the way,” Lerner writes. “Rather, it’s about enabling them to win in what is an exceptionally difficult endeavor. An eventual sale or IPO of the company should be the shared goal — nothing else.”

Source: peHUB

• changes to improve patent quality, including allowance for third parties to comment on pending patent applications;
• a first-window post-grant review proceeding to weed out patents that should not have issued;
• the gatekeeper compromise on damages;
• the compromise on venue;
• fee-setting authority for the USPTO to address its backlog problem;
• amendments to best mode;
• the new district court pilot program; and
• increased incentives for government labs to commercialize inventions.

The proposed reform would largely eliminate the first-to-invent priority system in the U.S. The bigger deal is that the proposal would eliminate the one-year grace period unless the inventor was the “first-discloser.” A “derivation” proceeding would replace interferences. The proposed reform also would eliminate the right of “any person” to file a false marking claim. Rather, those claims would be limited to individuals who have “suffered a competitive injury.” This change would apply to eliminate standing of already-filed cases.

The damages revision is less significant than previous iterations. Under the proposed revision, a court would be required to “identify the methodologies and factors that are relevant to the determination of damages, and the court or jury shall consider only those methodologies and factors relevant to making such determination.” The parties also would be required to “state, in writing and with particularity, the methodologies and factors the parties propose for instruction to the jury in determining damages … specifying the relevant underlying legal and factual bases for their assertions.” The provision generally creates a better situation for accused infringers but does not necessarily limit damage awards. The managers’ amendment provides these additional changes:

• Shortens the first-window post-grant review from 12 to nine months and raises the threshold for instituting a proceeding to a showing that it is “more likely than not” that at least one claim is unpatentable.
• Slightly raises the threshold for instituting an inter partes review (IPR) to a “reasonable likelihood” that the challenger would prevail in invalidating a claim of the patent, creates additional safeguards to prevent a challenger from using the administrative process to harass patent owners, and inserts “reasonably could have raised” estoppel to prevent a challenger from raising in court an argument that could have been raised during an IPR instituted by the challenger.
• Codifies recent case law that requires willfulness to be demonstrated by clear and convincing evidence that the infringer acted with objective recklessness and adds substantive and procedural safeguards for alleged infringers.
• Removes the provision that would have required the federal circuit to accept interlocutory appeals of claim construction determinations.
• Requires that the USPTO reduce fees by 50% for small entities and by 75% for the new classification of “micro-entities” created by the bill.
• Permits a patent holder to provide additional, potentially material prior art regarding the patent to the USPTO. If the USPTO considers the information and determines it has no effect on patentability, that information cannot later serve as the basis for an inequitable conduct claim in court.

Sources: Intellectual Property Watch and Patently-O

To help you tap into these industry resources and funds, Technology Transfer Tactics’ Distance Learning Division has partnered with a TTO executive who has made it his mission to offset tight money constraints by forging corporate partnerships and utilizing industry funding to further the office’s aims and bolster its budget. Mike Rondelli, Director of Technology Transfer and Commercialization, has successfully led San Diego State University’s TTO to consistent high performance in the ratio of research dollars spent to licensing revenues earned. Find out how SDSU’s secrets of success by joining us on April 8th for Stretch Your TTO’s Budget: Tap Into Industry Resources and Partnerships, a 90-minute distance learning event that will offer first-hand advice on how to offset tight budget constraints by forging partnerships, utilizing industry resources, and more. CLICK HERE for full details or to register.

PLUS, coming March 30th: The Bilski Decision: Expert Strategies to Manage Its Impact on University IP

Minnesota, traditionally a land of scarce early-stage capital, has seen a burst of recent activity. Affinity Capital Management in Minneapolis is partnering with Triathlon Medical Ventures in Cincinnati to create a $10 million seed/early-stage fund. Coordinate Capital LLC, backed by veteran biotech investor Steven Burrill, is trying to raise $25 million partly to finance start-ups that will incubate at the planned Elk Run BioBusiness Center outside Pine Island, and UMN is collaborating with private real estate developers to launch a $20 million fund to back new companies housed at a planned accelerator adjacent to the school’s Biomedical Discovery District. In addition, Twin Cities Angels recently raised an estimated $50 million for its second fund, and the Minnesota legislature is close to passing a $40 million, four-year angel investment tax credit.

The activity couldn’t come at a better time. A weak economy and tougher regulatory requirements have scared away investors, leaving some of Minnesota’s most promising medical start-ups to cut back or wither away. Since December, Transoma Medical, Leptos Biomedical, and Disc Dynamics have shut down. Plymouth-based Lumen Biomedical, Inc., sold one of its two clot-removing devices to boost its balance sheet, and VitalMedix, Inc., a drug company spun out of UMN, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The dearth of early stage money is especially acute at academic research institutions that have great IP but lack financial resources to commercialize the technology. “Every tech transfer office has gotten more aggressive,” O’Reilly says. “They haven’t had the success they had in the past.”

Upwind plans to create companies based on near market-ready IP that can deliver liquidity in a relatively short period of time through a sale or licensing. While VC firms typically fund one or two potential blockbusters over several years, Upwind will generate modest returns from developing many less ambitious companies in a lot less time. “We’re looking for lots of singles and doubles, not necessarily home runs,” O’Reilly says. Upwind’s limited partners will own 70% of the fund and also will receive a pro-rated percentage of each company in the portfolio. For example, a $1 million investment in a $7 million Upwind fund earns an investor a 10% equity stake in the fund and 10% in each of the two or three start-ups it launches every year.

Source: MedCity News

But the option pool is always a key point of negotiation for start-ups during initial funding rounds with venture capitalists. It’s a push-pull scenario because funders want the company to keep this pool fluid while the initial stock holders don’t want their investments diluted. The pool “is usually in the 10% to 20% range. A lot of times the investors want to see that because it’s a way to attract highly qualified employees and be

competitive. What usually happens during valuation is that the entrepreneurs think they have a lot of shares. But once you account for 10% to 20% after it’s financed, they see their ownership percentage declines,” says Tom Taulli, author of seven financing books including The Complete M&A Handbook, and an advisor to technology companies. It’s important for technology transfer professionals to orient new entrepreneurs to the concept

and process of option pools as a part of valuation so that the company founders clearly understand the value of their stakes, Taulli stresses. A detailed article on navigating option pool provisions appears in the February 2010 issue of Technology Transfer Tactics. To view the entire article and begin a subscription, plus gain access to the entire 3-year archive of how-to articles and best practices, CLICK HERE.

Currently, the Council includes representatives from UTSA, Southwest Research Institute, Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, San Antonio Technology Accelerator Initiative, Biomed SA, South Texas Technology Management, The Small Business Development Center, and AT&T. “UTSA recognizes the potential of establishing a campus-based technology incubator for San Antonio entrepreneurs that have direct ties to the university,” Hallam explains. “By working with promising new companies that are aligned with the university’s research strengths, we create a win-win partnership that benefits the university through increased research funding and IP licenses while providing start-ups with connections to the support they need to become successful freestanding enterprises.”

Biopharmaceutical firm ViroXis Corp. will be the first start-up to occupy space in the NVI. The company aims to identify and patent botanically derived compounds for use in infectious disease and cancer therapies. Over the next two to three years, ViroXis will work to develop a rapid, cost-effective, and proven botanical prescription drug targeting human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes skin and genital wart infections and is the leading cause of cervical cancer.

Source: Earth Times

UNMC researchers reversed the neurodegenerative effects of alpha synuclein by changing immune responses to it. The vaccine strategy trains the immune system to elicit neuroprotective responses in damaged brain regions. In mice with an experimental form of Parkinson’s, injection of the vaccine produced cells that were able to reverse the disease. After receiving the treatment, these mice were found to have a similar number of dopamine-producing nerve cells and fibers as mice without Parkinson’s. The findings appear in the Journal of Immunology. “We believe this could be a revolutionary means for Parkinson’s disease therapeutics,” says Howard Gendelman, MD, professor and chair of UNMC’s department of pharmacology and experimental neuroscience (PEN).

Gendelman and R. Lee Mosley, PhD, associate professor in the PEN department, led the research team, which found that the vaccine enabled T-cells in the treated mice to migrate to the damaged area of the brain and triggered a neuroprotective response that reduced disease-linked reactions in the brain. “The identical immune deficits seen in mice are being looked at in humans with Parkinson’s disease,” Mosley says. “Early results are encouraging. This should pave the way for researchers to begin follow-up studies on the Parkinson’s treatments and open up new opportunities to realize an immunization approach for other neurodegenerative disorders.” Human studies are being conducted at the University of Alabama-Birmingham and UNMC to determine if the immune deficits seen in mice also are present in humans with Parkinson’s. UNeMed, UNMC’s TTO, has filed a patent application on the vaccine and will soon commence discussions with commercial partners on bringing the vaccine to the clinical setting.

Source: Medical News Today

• Keep track of competitors and new product concepts
• Identify white space in specific therapy areas
• Guide research and drug development priorities
• Assess likely licensees and partners
• Understand the IP landscape for specific indications
• Gain critical market intelligence to guide allocation of resources and investments

Therapy Area Pipeline Reports provide comprehensive detail on the full pipeline status for the specific therapeutic indications you’re most interested in. Each report provides specific, up-to-date information on deals and alliances, research activity, licensing, marketing, competition, and the latest news and developments for each specified drug therapy. For details and to view a list of the reports offered by therapy area, CLICK HERE.

During mouse studies, all untreated animals died while all of those treated with the aerosolized, nano-sized, silver-based antibiotics survived an infection of Pseudomona aeroginosa — a common bacteria that infects the respiratory tract in humans, especially those who are immunocompromised, on mechanical ventilator support, or afflicted with cystic fibrosis. Treatment with the SCC-loaded nanoparticles also minimized weight loss and the bacteria burden in the lung, while also reducing the spread of bacteria from the lung through the blood stream to the spleen. The researchers are commercializing the technology through the UA Research Foundation start-up Akron Research Commercialization Corp. They plan to file a U.S. Food and Drug Administration application for Investigational New Drug status for their first product offering, called Silvamist.

Source: The Universtiy of Akron News

Alani has teamed with heat transfer expert Cila Herman, professor of mechanical engineering in JHU’s Whiting School of Engineering, who is developing new ways to detect subsurface changes in temperature. Because cancer cells divide more rapidly than normal cells, they typically generate more metabolic activity and release more energy as heat. Herman uses a highly sensitive infrared camera to detect subtle temperature differences between cancerous and healthy skins cells. The researchers cool a patient’s skin with a harmless one-minute burst of compressed air, then immediately record infrared images of the target skin area for two to three minutes. Cancer cells typically reheat more quickly than the surrounding healthy tissue, and the difference can be captured by the infrared camera and viewed through sophisticated image processing.

“The system is actually very simple,” Herman says. “An infrared image is similar to the images seen through night-vision goggles. In this medical application, the technology itself is noninvasive; the only inconvenience to the patient is the cooling.”

In the pilot study, dermatologist-identified lesions undergo thermal scanning with the new system, then a biopsy is performed to determine whether melanoma is actually present. “We, at this point, are not able to say that this instrument is able to replace the clinical judgment of a dermatologist, but we envision that this will be useful as a tool in helping to diagnose early-stage melanoma,” Alani says. The researchers envision a hand-held scanning system that dermatologists could use to evaluate suspicious moles. The technology also might be incorporated into a full-body scanning system for patients with a large number of pigmented lesions. The skin cancer scanning system is protected under an international patent application submitted by JHU’s TTO, which has engaged in talks with investors and medical devices firms concerning possible licensing deals.

Source:  EurekAlert!

The targeting probe can be used for in vitro applications as well as for in vivo molecular imaging. “We believe this technology has the potential to target myocardial ischemia, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and bacterial infections,” says Chris Pak, president and CEO of MTTI, which develops medical imaging products for the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Initially, MTTI will launch a range of fluorescent versions of the phosphatidylserine (PS) targeting molecule for research applications. Products are expected to be available in spring 2010 under the name PSVue.

Source: Inside INdiana Business

Molecularly imprinted polymer materials can be used in commercial applications to detect numerous chemicals, including harmful pesticides in agricultural products, such as DDT; contaminants in drinking water, such as HCH; toxins in seafood, such as histamine; leaked poisonous gas; and Tributyltin (TBT), a harmful substance in marine coatings that can damage the auditory systems of dolphins. CityU’s Knowledge Transfer Office is applying for a patent on the technology.

Source: Nano Patents and Innovations

In December 2009, Rib-X expanded its license agreement with Yale in the area of ribosomal antibiotic structure and function. Under the agreement, Rib-X will further explore the high-resolution crystal structure of new ribosome technology elucidated by Steitz’s team. “It’s very exciting to continually add to our knowledge of the ribosome,” says Steitz, who was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work determining a high-resolution crystal structure of the 50S subunit of the ribosome, which has proved to be a major target for antibiotic development. “These structures of viomycin and capreomycin bound to the ribosome allowed us to identify an important new ribosome binding site and to better understand how these antibiotics inhibit ribosome function.” Rib-X has a pipeline of antibiotics targeting multi-drug-resistant infections in the $25 billion antibiotics market. The foundation of its product portfolio is its proven discovery technology, the Ribosome Antibiotic Binding (RAB) platform.

Source: Business Wire

FCI Commercialization Fund I LP will focus on nanotechnology/microtechnology and information assurance, also known as cyber security. Fundraising began in October 2009 and the fund has raised close to $10 million, according to Buseck. Investing will begin once the fund hits the halfway point of $15 million, which Buseck expects to occur around June. FCI, which has strong relationships with some two dozen major corporations, will concentrate on identifying new technologies to fill gaps in the product offerings of these firms, according to Buseck. FCI would serve as a matchmaker between the startups it funds and the large companies. In addition to commercializing university technologies, FCI is looking to invest in what Buseck calls “orphan companies” — young nanotech or cyber security companies that previously received VC support. There are “an overwhelming number of opportunities” in today’s market, Buseck says.

Marc Malandro, director of Pitt’s Office of Technology Management, says he had discussions with Buseck when the fund was in the concept stage and believes that early stage funding is a crucial need. “If you’re going to commercialize technology and that’s the goal of your fund, you have to make sure you’re in the right place at the right time,” Malandro says. “While all money is a good thing, funding after the product is developed isn’t as helpful to a university in terms of rolling things out.” FCI’s focus is “an eclectic mix [that addresses] an underserved set of technology from our standpoint.”

“Our region has a long history of expertise in materials and nanotech,” adds Rich Lunak, CEO of Innovation Works, a state-funded economic development entity. He cites Penn State - also among the schools FCI plans to tap - and CMU as having national reputations in these disciplines. “Our region also has a history with information security,” Lunak says. “It’s good when funds build expertise and have sector focuses. They can develop a tight investment thesis and the expertise to develop companies.”

Source: Pittsburgh Business Times

While ASU has partnerships with many international and U.S. universities, this is JTG’s first formal collaboration with a U.S. university, says Taro Yaguchi, president of JTG, which is based in Philadelphia with offices in Tokyo. JTG represents technologies from Nagoya, Waseda, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Kumamoto, and Iwate Universities as well as Tokyo University of Science and Nara Institute of Science and Technology. “AzTE has a proven technology licensing record as well as an extensive network of domestic and international companies and universities on their roster,” Yaguchi says. “It is extremely beneficial to foster friendly ties with an established entity such as AzTE.” The two groups also will seek joint research opportunities, Yaguchi adds.

Source: Phoenix Business Journal

• Low cost and no-cost strategies for branding your TTO
• Going guerrilla: It’s the little things that count
• Best practices for web-based marketing:
  - Social media
  - E-mail strategies
  - Video clips and instructional videos
  - Online listings, and more
• How to engage faculty in your marketing efforts
• Internal and external PR efforts that work wonders
• Marketing collaborations with other universities
• Avoid these resource-draining no-cost efforts — they’re just not worth it!
• Leveraging campus resources such as MBA programs, entrepreneur-in-residence, etc. as partners in your marketing push
• Web analytics: They’re not just for gauging campaign results anymore. We’ll review a case study from the U of British Columbia that saved the TTO thousands of dollars and resources
• Platform marketing vs piecemeal strategy: which is best?
• How to engage web-savvy VCs and Angels

This how-to session also features an optional 30-minute add-on web forum for idea sharing. For complete details and to register, CLICK HERE.

The upcoming distance learning schedule also features:

• The Bilski Decision: Expert Strategies to Manage Its Impact on University IP — Tuesday, March 30, 2010
• Stretch Your TTO’s Budget: Tap Into Industry Resources and Partnerships — Thursday, April 8, 2010

Source: Your Story

The 10 steps offered in the report, entitled “The Power of Innovation,” include greater flexibility in federal grant policies for technology commercialization, improved allocation of the $25 billion in R&D spent internally in federal labs, and new connections between federal researchers and the private sector. The plan also supports pending federal legislation that would provide seed funding to create or expand research park infrastructure and calls for “cash for commercialization” - federal grants to encourage researchers to commercialize their work. In addition, the report recommends tax policy changes that would make it easier for the private sector to license IP from universities. The report is available here.

Source: PhysOrg.com

Now, the Army also is introducing combat veterans into critical junctures in the development of new equipment. “We will have senior noncommissioned officers who have three, four, five combat tours under their belts,” Justice explains. “They are not coming to be subject matter experts but to partner with my directors and my scientists and engineering officers in uniform. Engineering is about detail, and there’s no better place to look at detail than in our non-commissioned officer ranks.” Bringing soldiers into the system is appropriate because changes to the research, development, and engineering community are driven by changes in the field. “No longer do we look to buy an end device,” Justice points out. “Now we look to buy an integrated solution. And we need to design to modernize, not design the perfect product today. We know the requirements are going to change, so we need to build change into our products and into the Army organizations that produce those products.”

Source: United States Army

The CAV Software gives TTOs and other users a single, straightforward method for determining IP value. Created by nationally recognized IP law expert Ted Hagelin, the CAV tool yields clear and logical valuation results through a single program platform for effective negotiation, planning and reporting. The easy-to-use system includes detailed explanations and instructions for each step of the process, and over 75 research resources to obtain the information needed for valuation. For complete details and to order, CLICK HERE.

The PPV platform, based on validated experimental data incorporated into a proprietary computational rational design algorithm, has successfully predicted hepatitis B virus peptide binding with close to 100% accuracy. In comparison, the accuracy of other methods used in vaccine prediction ranges from 60% to 70%. Additionally, the technology can be used to create vaccines capable of universal coverage and eliminate the non-responder effect, which occurs in 10% to 20% of people who receive a conventional vaccine. Rhapsody is in talks with two major pharmaceutical companies to develop vaccines based on the PPV platform. “We are focused on areas of unmet need in both prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines and will begin working with leading vaccine development companies later this year,” says Richard Kivel, Rhapsody’s chair and CEO.

Source: A*STAR

The simulators are designed to offer two levels of training. One level covers basic operations, such as using the controls and improving hand-eye coordination. The devices also come with training software geared toward specific types of surgery. The RoSS will likely be most widely used to train surgeons in urological surgery, which comprises the largest share of robotic surgery. Other specialties include obstetrics and gynecological surgery, cardiac surgery, and nephrology, according to Thenkurussi “Kesh” Kesavadas, the company’s co-founder and chief technology officer. The system is being tested at four medical schools, including Detroit’s Henry Ford Hospital and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ. The company expects to introduce the RoSS units early next year at a price of about $100,000 each.

Robert Genco, vice provost at UB and director of the Office of Science Technology Transfer and Economic Outreach, says the company is the first spinoff formed jointly between UB and another entity. “It’s an interesting company,” he says. “All aspects of the technology are covered, plus the business expertise. It has great potential.” The State University of New York Research Foundation and Health Research, Inc., the technology transfer arm of Roswell Park, jointly licensed the technology to Simulated Surgical Systems.

Source: Buffalo Business First and The Buffalo News

Wiley uses hollow protein cages made by a heat-loving bacterium that sets off an immune response in the lungs. The nanomaterial approach is based upon activating inducible Bronchus-Associated Lymphoid Tissue, or iBALT, in the lung. iBALT is a naturally occurring tissue that is made in the lung as part of the normal immune response to an infection. Wiley and colleagues described the technology in PLoS One. Their findings show that the presence of iBALT accelerated the recovery of infected mice without causing lung damage or other harmful side effects. The acceleration effect of the treatment disappeared gradually after one month. Currently, the team is testing its iBALT-based therapy in animal models, whose response to influenza is close to that seen in humans. MSU has a patent on the technology, which could be used to prevent or treat a range of pulmonary diseases, including influenza, and to counter bioterrorism threats, such as airborne microbes. The protein cage technology is available for licensing from MSU.

Source: MSU News Service

Wetting coal dust makes it heavier and takes it out of the air. This happens at a very small scale, with tiny droplets of water colliding with tiny dust particles. Often, however, the dust and water fail to come into contact or the water fails to adhere to the dust particle. Chugh’s system improves on this concept by not only wetting the dust but also using the spray to create a sort of water curtain that seals the dust at the face of the machine, away from the operator. The spray also pushes the fine dust near the roof back into the water spray area, increasing its “residence time” in that area and thereby giving it a better chance to contact water and drop out of the air. The system uses this hydraulic spray seal technology to form a curtain from the roof of the mine down, greatly reducing dust rollback. The curtain’s design forms a kind of “window” for the machine operator to clearly see the cutting drum’s work, while additional nozzles around the center of the cutting drum and coal pan at the front of the machine wet the coal further before it enters the conveyer system, cutting down further on dust.

At least two mines — Viper in central Illinois and Sunrise Mining Co. near Terre Haute, IN — are using the systems, while other mines are testing it. Chugh is working with SIUC’s Technology Transfer Program to license and market the technology. he hopes to market the system as both an after-market add-on to existing machines and a standard item on newly manufactured equipment.

Source: West Kentucky Star

The Hebrew-U system uses Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to record the location of people for a desired period of time. During the tracking period, participants carry a small GPS unit. The tracking data is then analyzed, using a proprietary time/space analysis engine, to derive a map indicating the routes taken by each participant and the length of time spent in each location. The data obtained using tracking technologies can be analyzed in real time, creating virtual “radar” of the activity of visitors throughout a destination. The system was recently assessed in PortAventura theme park in Spain. “Urban tourism is a growing sector with profound effects on the city’s layout and economy,” says Yaacov Michlin, CEO of Yissum. “This tool provides important information that is impossible to gather in traditional ways, such as locating areas that are under-visited by tourists and have unrealized potential and determining the effects of time, weather, and other parameters on tourist mobility and activity.”

The tracking and analyzing system also has medical applications for detecting the mobility of patients after surgery and measuring their recovery. Patients carry a GPS unit after surgery. Future development will integrate additional sensors that will allow the combination of GPS data with physiological data, such as heart rate and blood pressure. The system has been licensed to Location Based Intelligence, Inc., for further development and commercialization in the medical arena.

Source: Your Story

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“ERI cannot have it both ways,” according to STC’s complaint. “If its products are covered by the ‘852 patent, royalties are owed to STC. Alternatively, if its products are not covered by the ‘852 patent, its products are unpatented articles with respect to the ‘852 patent, making its claim that its products are protected by the ‘852 patent intentionally false statements.” STC is a nonprofit corporation formed and owned by the University of New Mexico Regents to support UNM and its partners in IP protection, TT, and commercialization of inventions by faculty, students, and other entrepreneurs. ERI officials did not comment publicly on STC’s complaint.

Source: New Mexico Business Weekly

The survey’s 191 respondents reported 2,092 full-time licensing employees — an average of 11 FTEs per office. Many university TTOs still operate lean programs, however. Approximately 44% of university respondents (69 of 155) reported three or fewer staff members. Survey participants reported $51.47 billion in total research expenditures — an increase of $2.7 billion, or 5.5%, over FY 2007. Federal government sources accounted for $32.7 billion, or 63%, of total research dollars, compared to $31.7 billion in 2007 — an increase of 3.2%. Industry-sponsored research grew by 9%, to $3.73 billion.

Of the 20,115 disclosures filed by AUTM survey participants during FY 2008, the therapeutic/medical category accounted for 27% (5,393), followed by computer/electronic at 9% (1,890), research tools at 8% (1,562), and finance/education/art/music and plant at 1% each. “Other” disclosures accounted for 14% (2,771), while 40% (7,995) were unclassified. Institutions reported that 9% (1,885) of the disclosures received in FY2008 were closed, compared to 10% (1,932) in FY2007.

The number of annual patent filings by U.S. TTOs has nearly doubled over the past decade, according to AUTM, from 9,557 in 2000 to 18,949 in 2008. Although the number of U.S. patents issued has been relatively constant — 3,280 in FY2008 compared to a low of 3,255 in FY2006 and a high of 3,933 in FY 2003 — “this has not prevented licensing professionals from continuing to outlicense technology,” the report points out. Not surprisingly, U.S. patent applications (12,072) greatly outpaced non-U.S. patent applications (848), which continued to fall from a high of 1,403 in FY 2006.

Licensing to small companies was the dominant licensing transaction for U.S. TTOs, representing 48.2% of licensing activity during FY2008. Licensing to start-ups and large companies represented 15.8% and 35.1% of transactions, respectively. Total license income for survey respondents was $3.4 billion, up 26% from $2.7 billion in 2007. The increase was due in large part to income reported by Northwestern University from the licensing of the technology underpinning Pfizer’s epilepsy and pain drug Lyrica, according to AUTM. University standouts in licensing activity, with 100 or more licenses and options executed during FY 2008, included North Dakota State, Stanford, the UC system, University of Georgia, and University of Washington. University TTOs with $100 million or more in FY2008 licensing revenue included Columbia, NYU, Northwestern, and the UC system.

Although the level of TTO activity in Canada was predictably smaller, the pace was healthy. Thirty-nine companies were formed in Canada during FY2008 as a result of university research, according to the AUTM Canadian Licensing Activity Survey: FY2008. Of these, 37 were principally located in the institution’s home province. Discoveries at Canadian institutions also spawned 52 commercial products during FY2008. All told, 608 start-ups launched by Canadian institutions were operating at the end of FY2008.

Canadian institutions totaled $5.52 billion in research expenditures during FY2008 — a 7.8% increase over the previous year. Research expenditures funded by the federal government rose by 3.4% over the previous fiscal year, to $2.43 billion, while industry-sponsored research grew by 33.4%, to $610 million. Thirty-five institutions reported 1,820 disclosures in FY2008, compared to 1,844 disclosures by 39 institutions the previous year, with three institutions — the universities of Guelph, British Columbia, and Toronto — leading the pack. As with U.S. institutions, therapeutic/medical device led the categories, with 25% of FY2008 disclosures, followed by plant at 17%, computers/electronics at 11%, research tools at 6%, and finance/education/art/music at 2%. Sixteen percent of disclosures fell into the “other” category, and 22% were uncharacterized.

Patent activity increased at Canadian institutions, with 1,029 total patent applications filed and 890 new patent applications filed by participating institutions. On the human resources side, institutional TTOs saw a shift during FY2008. Overall numbers of licensing staff increased but there was an equivalent decrease in the numbers of administrative staff, maintaining the overall staffing at the survey’s 37 reporting institutions at 365 FTEs.

Sources: AUTM and AUTM

U-Utah performs well not only in creating companies but also in filing patents (119), patents awarded (33), and generating revenue from licensing technology ($26.2 million), according to the AUTM report. Since 2005, when U-Utah established its TTO, the university has spun off 83 companies that employ 400 people and have attracted $240 million in capital, according to Jack Brittain, vice president for technology venture development. All but five of the companies are still operating. “These are the real deal,” Brittain says. “We are creating a future in Utah for really good jobs,” with an average salary of $85,000. Outside reviewers credit the support U-Utah provides entrepreneurial faculty to shepherd their ideas to the marketplace. Joe Tanous, who heads Oregon State University’s TTO, contends that U-Utah is the nation’s most successful institution in translating research expenditures into economic growth. According to data he has compiled, the university spins off one company for every $15 million in research grants it attracts, while the national average is one company for every $104 million.

Catheter Connections formed after IP lawyer Vicki Farrar, now the company’s CEO, introduced Mercer and Howlett’s ideas to U-Utah’s department of biomedical engineering to evaluate their marketability and develop them into commercial products. The university assisted with viability studies, helping to secure VC, and patenting issues. The new company donated the Mercer-Howlett patents to U-Utah, which then licensed them back under terms that helped Catheter Connections to flourish, Farrar says. FDA approval is near for a device that company officials hope to have on the market in the coming months.

Source: The Salt Lake Tirbune

Critics of the Bayh-Dole Act postulate that universities and TTOs are inefficient obstacles to the formation of start-up companies. In reality, American universities create more than two start-ups each working day, according to AUTM’s new licensing survey. Such start-ups have longer life spans and raise more capital than non-university affiliated start-ups. In addition, technology licensing offices obtain patent protection and are rapidly implementing programs that include entrepreneurial training, product proof of concept support, and seed stage or gap funding. “If universities did not undertake these financial risks, the number of patents, licenses, and start-up companies emanating from academic research would drop off dramatically,” Pradhan writes.

In the Harvard piece, Kauffman leadership claims “technology licensing offices are underperforming,” he adds. The example they provide is that “although funding from [NIH] has mounted over the years … the output in terms of new FDA-approved drugs has been falling.” There is no correlation between NIH-funded basic university research and the FDA approval process, Pradhan points out. The drug approval process is the responsibility of industry and takes place well after the technology is licensed. “To suggest a connection between technology transfer performance and the rate of FDA approvals indicates a lack of understanding of the complex dynamics at play and the role of university technology transfer offices,” he writes. Moreover, the “free agent” system advocated by Kauffman would create serious conflict of interest and personal benefit issues and potentially generate unrelated business income for the agent,” he adds, noting that historical analysis shows that neither inventor ownership nor “free agency” have succeeded. “A university’s mission is to serve its faculty,” Pradhan points out. “It would be inappropriate for the university to handle technology from outside inventors.”

Other than a few faculty members who report issues with their respective institutions, there is no evidence that university TTOs are doing a poor job, he maintains. “The true rate-limiting factors in entrepreneurship and commercialization are threefold: 1) the significant gap between the nature of research funded by the federal government and the product development needed to obtain private investment; 2) the challenge of finding early-stage venture funding and experienced startup company management; and 3) competing priorities and intensive time commitments of faculty related to writing competitive grants, securing tenure, publishing, and teaching,” Pradhan writes. “With that in mind, it is clear that the critics again demonstrate a significant misunderstanding of the primary mission of universities and the nature of faculty’s interest in commercialization and entrepreneurship. If we really want to take the next step in spurring technology-based economic development, let us identify where the real stumbling blocks are and concentrate effort and resources in addressing them rather than opining without data.”

Source: Business Week

The data also show that the number of licenses issued to manufacturers or developers has risen significantly, from an average of 33 per year before the TTSI initiative to 102 last year. “These new figures are hard evidence that supporting university-based research works, and that it can result in the formation of sustainable, viable corporate entities,” says John Scanlan, director of the Office of Commercialization at NUI Maynooth. Of the 35 spinouts established last year, about half are in the information technology space and half in the bioscience/food arena. Examples include Analyze IQ Limited, an NUI Galway spinout that creates technologies used to analyze complex mixtures of illegal drugs, pharmaceuticals, and contaminants. Other spinouts include the mobile software company Cauwill Technologies, launched by the University of Limerick, and Trezur Limited, a digital music application developer backed by the Dublin Institute of Technology and Enterprise Ireland.

Source: Silicon Republic

The more comprehensive Guide to Intellectual Property Valuation, authored by expert Mike Pellegrino, is also available. For details, CLICK HERE.

Following therapy, patients have reported significant improvements in their sight, giving them increased navigational skills, helping them to carry out everyday activities such as crossing the road, and being able to concentrate longer. Patients are required to complete the computer-based exercise, which takes around 30 minutes, once or twice a day over six months. Most who have used the therapy have found it so successful that they have extended its use, according to researchers.

Source: Science Business

In November, Miromatrix hired medical technology veteran Robert Cohen as CEO. After hammering out the business and legal terms of the agreement with officials from U-Minnesota’s OTC, Cohen hopes to close an initial round of financing for the company in coming months and to commercialize a “series of products” based on Taylor’s research “as efficiently as possible.”

In the meantime, The University of Minnesota Law School and the OTC received a gift of royalty-bearing patents from 3M, based in St. Paul. The patents, with an estimated value of $760,500, are expected to generate revenue approaching $2 million over the next five years, which will be divided between the Law School and the OTC. At the law school, the newly established 3M Fund for Law, Science, and Technology will support various programs and initiatives in teaching and research. Alumni Raymond Eby (’98), a manager in 3M’s Corporate Development Group, and Mike Geise (’05), Office of Intellectual Property counsel, were instrumental in securing the gift. “We believe that great legal scholarship and high-quality legal education are critical to sound policy and best practices for the future,” Eby says. “Investing in legal excellence and technology is vital to ensure Minnesota’s role as a national leader in the years to come.”

Sources: Star Tribune and UM News

What changed? The most obvious is the simple law of supply and demand, according to Grainger. A decade ago, most universities had not bought into the idea of attempting to monetize early stage IP. When a few groundbreaking academics in the U.S. and Europe broke the mold, university discoveries like restriction enzymes, gene cloning, and polymerase chain reaction were catapulted into commercial success through the formation of spinout companies. “Initially, these highly visible successes drove a bubble in the market for ideas: every technology investor wanted a piece of ideas like this, yet the number of commerce-savvy academics was tiny,” he writes. “Voracious demand and limited supply lay the foundations for the ‘good idea is worth a million’ concept.” As prices climbed and the number of attractive deals multiplied, every institution geared up to exploit its pot of gold.

It didn’t take long for a tipping point to occur. The dot-com bust starved technology investing of capital just as the tech transfer supply pipes were turned on to full volume, Grainger says. “Ideas came pouring out of institutions — revered and mediocre alike — and the result was predictable: prices crashed.” But unlike other bubble markets, the bubble market in ideas was less visible, he adds. Often, the details of these transactions were not released publicly. Worse still, licenses and acquisitions often were financed using fiendishly complex agreements with royalties, milestones, and other delayed considerations that made it almost impossible to assess the sale value. As a result, university tech transfer professionals were just as slow to recognize the crash that had occurred as they had previously been to see the potential in selling academic IP. Because TTOs are relatively “non-selective,” the average quality of available IP also declined rapidly, Grainger maintains. Thus, prospective buyers had the nearly impossible task of wading through knee-deep piles of “one-page teasers” to find the one idea in 10,000 that might actually have commercial value. Almost all such investors have withdrawn from the market altogether, leaving university TTOs “lined up like desperate men at a singles party almost entirely lacking in girls,” Grainger writes.

The take-home messages? Tech transfer professionals must be more selective about the ideas they take on and promote, he suggests. Institutions also should change their success metrics to focus on the number of deals done with genuine third parties rather than the number of technologies discovered. To do that, TTOs need better access to expert assessors. “Even if the tech transfer professional asks the inventor for help finding an external assessor (and most don’t even ask), any names they get will be colleagues who think the same way as the inventor,” Grainger writes. “Worse still, almost all inventors and many tech transfer professionals think from the technology solution towards a product, rather than from a product need to a technology solution. The lack of rigorous external assessment and a technophile tendency lead to over-optimism about the value of the idea.”

The solution lies in more rigorous assessment of early stage ideas, Grainger maintains. “The lack of definitive data does not preclude a proper assessment of the potential for an idea to make money,” he writes. “The market risk is amenable to conventional assessment even before the first experiment has been designed.” Why will anybody buy this product? How many will they buy? And at what price? If the concept passes muster on the market test, it’s still possible to make a worthwhile guess at the technical risk posed by the development path between idea and product, he asserts.

“Success in the next decade will follow the most selective technology owners - or rather those who are able to make the best selections at the lowest cost,” Grainger comments. “The market for unqualified ideas and opportunities will rightly remain rock-bottom. The challenge for all owners of early stage assets is to properly qualify their offerings so that quality rather than quantity becomes the benchmark. Then, once again, there will be realizable value in invention.”

Source: pharmaphorum

Also coming in March:

• Tuesday, March 9: Tech Transfer Marketing on a Shoestring: Guerilla Tactics in a Budget-Cut World

The agreement represents the first major collaboration SMDC has formed with an industry partner, according to Jim Wells, PhD, who founded the center in 2005 and serves as its director. “What is transformative about this agreement from the university’s perspective is that it is a true collaboration between UCSF and Genentech scientists with the intent to generate drug candidates. This is different from a standard outlicense or simple research collaboration,” says Wells.

The collaboration builds upon an existing master agreement between Genentech and UCSF that allows the two to collaborate in a streamlined manner. “To date we have entered into more than 15 research collaborations with UCSF across several therapeutic areas,” says Marc Tessier-Lavigne, PhD, executive vice president for research and chief scientific officer of Genentech. “We believe that this latest agreement with SMDC enhances our relationship with the university and creates a new model for important industry-academic drug development partnerships.” The partnership also coincides with the UCSF School of Pharmacy’s goal of shaping the future of pharmacy science by working in fresh, collaborative ways, according to Mary Anne Koda-Kimble, PharmD, dean of the UCSF School of Pharmacy. “This is a tremendous new partnership and one that fits perfectly with one of the school’s major strategic goals,” she says. “Our work with QB3 is a great example of how we are doing this. We believe the new UCSF partnership with Genentech takes this to a whole new level.”

Source: PR Web

“By using flexible photoluminescent nanofiber technologies for light management, RTI has opened the door to the creation of new designs for solid-state lighting applications,” says Lynn Davis, PhD, director of RTI’s Nanoscale Materials Program. “This new class of materials can provide cost-effective, safe, and efficient lighting solutions.” Additionally, the technology produces an aesthetically pleasing light with better color rendering properties than is typically found in CFLs. The technology has demonstrated color rendering indices in excess of 90 for warm white, neutral white, and cool white illumination sources. “Because lighting consumes almost one-fourth of all electricity generated in the United States, our technology could have a significant impact in reducing energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions,” Davis says. RTI is continuing development of the technology and actively pursuing commercialization opportunities.

Source: PhysOrg.com

“These challenges are due to requirements of measuring and analyzing tiny oscillation amplitudes that are about the size of a hydrogen atom,” explains co-developer Nickolay Lavrik, a member of the Department of Energy lab’s Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences Division. Such traditional approaches require sophisticated low-noise electronic components such as lock-in amplifiers and phase-locked loops, which add cost and complexity. The new type of sniffer works by deliberately hitting the microcantilevers with relatively large amounts of energy associated with a range of frequencies, forcing them into wide oscillation, or movement. Lavrik likens the response to a diving board’s movement after a swimmer dives. “In the past, people wanted to avoid this high amplitude because of the high distortion associated with that type of response,” adds Datskos, a member of the Measurement Science and Systems Engineering Division. “Now we can exploit that response by tuning the system to a very specific frequency that is associated with the specific chemical or compound we want to detect.” The researchers expect the technology to be incorporated into a handheld instrument that could be used by transportation security screeners, law enforcement officials, and military personnel, with additional applications in biomedicine, environmental science, homeland security, and analytical chemistry. A prototype could be available in six to 18 months.

Source: Chemical Online

The missive went on to theorize that TTO underperformance was evidenced by a declining rate of new drug approvals. “We have a massive bottleneck of innovation on our campuses. Even though federal funding from the National Institutes of Health has more than doubled over the past 15 years, the number of new drug approvals has fallen from 40 to 50 a year down to 12,” says Mitchell. “As the federal government dedicates billions of dollars in research funding to clean energy, we cannot let this pattern be repeated.” Litan and Mitchell propose a “simple” solution to the problem they perceive: a free market for licensing university-developed technologies that allows the inventor to comparison shop for commercialization assistance.

The response from tech transfer professionals has been swift, vociferous, and often emotional. AUTM responded with a point-by-point refutation of the Kauffman claims — and Sen. Birch Bayh himself co-authored a piece in Life Sciences Law & Industry, responding with a succinct “Nonsense!” to claims that free agency for faculty inventors was precisely what Bayh-Dole envisioned.

Perhaps none of the Kauffman claims drew more fire than its attempt to draw a line from TTO activity to the pace of FDA approvals. “This is so naïve it surprises me,” says Wes Blakeslee, JD, executive director with Johns Hopkins University Technology Transfer. “First, even if there was any possible linkage between those two things, it takes years and years and hundreds of millions of dollars to develop a drug. All you have to do is look at how many licenses have been done this year versus 15 years ago, and it’s probably seven times as many; there is just no nexus with the number of drugs being approved.” Lesley Millar, technology transfer director at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, agrees. “To even suggest that … is nothing short of astonishing,” she says. An in-depth article examining the proposal and the debate it has sparked appears in the February issue of Technology Transfer Tactics. To begin a subscription and get the entire article, plus access to three years of archived back issues filled with tech transfer best practices, CLICK HERE.

Keeping many of the 1,700 to 2,000 local scientists and skilled technical workers who have been laid off in recent months is a high priority, adds Steve Johnson, senior vide president of the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association. “You don’t want to dehumanize people, but those are marketable assets for the region,” Johnson says. The scientists could help lure medical and technology firms to St. Louis, seed start-ups, and help launch research groups at local universities, he points out. In the meantime, SLU has started writing an application for a federal stimulus-funded research grant to help launch its Center. “We’ll see if we cannot make this viable,” Tait says. “Over time, we suspect we will get some intellectual property, but intellectual property is not the lifeblood.”

Source: stltoday.com

CLIMB would provide a network of resources to help the best ideas get off the ground. Specifically, Duncan wants to see young entrepreneurs look into the possibility of an air taxi service and new ways to transport and use natural gases. He has enlisted the assistance of attorneys, VCs, and university licensing and tech transfer professionals. CLIMB participants will have access to the Missouri Innovation Center, MU’s Small Business Development Center, and Columbia’s Regional Economic Development, Inc. (REDI). “We’ll focus as much of our resources as available to support the University of Missouri as it builds this economic climate,” says REDI President Mike Brooks.

Source: Columbia Daily Tribune

• Keep track of competitors and new product concepts
• Identify white space in specific therapy areas
• Guide research and drug development priorities
• Assess likely licensees and partners
• Understand the IP landscape for specific indications
• Gain critical market intelligence to guide allocation of resources and investments

Therapy Area Pipeline Reports provide comprehensive detail on the full pipeline status for the specific therapeutic indications you’re most interested in. Each report provides specific, up-to-date information on deals and alliances, research activity, licensing, marketing, competition, and the latest news and developments for each specified drug therapy. For details and to view a list of the reports offered by therapy area, CLICK HERE.

“There are thousands of other applications and network protocols putting IT infrastructure at risk of misuse or malware infections,” explains Kostas Anagnostakis, PhD, former research scientist at the A*STAR Institute and founder and CTO of Niometrics. ”The CUB4 engine can already identify more than 4,000 different applications, including a growing number of applications and Trojans that actively try to conceal themselves through encryption or obfuscation. With recent high-profile incidents and the resulting concerns of attacks and insider threats that slip past traditional defenses, the importance of beefing up the enterprise security arsenal becomes even more evident.” The company is in talks with IT managers in financial institutions, government agencies, and manufacturing companies as well as leading system integrators and service providers in Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and the United States.

Source: Exploit Technologies

Qiagen already markets a PI3K test for research use and last September acquired DxS, a personalized medicines company that specializes in the development of molecular diagnostics to help select the most appropriate therapies for cancer patients. That deal included a $95 million up-front cash payment and up to $35 million in additional fees dependent upon meeting certain milestones. Since then, DxS has inked an agreement with Pfizer to develop a test for the tumor-specific epidermal growth factor receptor variant III (EGFRvIII) as a companion diagnostic for CDX-110 - Pfizer’s Phase II immunotherapy vaccine for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme. DxS’ product portfolio also includes both clinical and research-use tests to determine the mutation status of cancer-related genes. The company signed a collaborative agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb and ImClone Systems to provide a companion diagnostic for use with the EGFR inhibitor Erbitux and negotiated a partnership with AstraZeneca to develop a companion diagnostic for use with lung-cancer drug Iressa.

Sources: Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News and PharmaBiz.com

The cells could be used for allogenic cartilage replacement therapy, in which cells derived from donors are used to grow a tissue bank of cartilage that is stored and ready for insertion into patients with acute knee injuries, when and as needed. The technology promises a more cost-effective cell therapy than current autologous approaches, where cells are removed from a patient, expanded, and then returned to the patient. The successful development of a cartilage cell bank also could pave the way for treatment of degenerative cartilage damage such as that seen in osteoarthritis. “Although this is an early-stage project, an allogeneic approach has been described as the holy grail of cartilage repair,” says David Baynes, CEO of Fusion IP. “We believe that Professor Archer’s discovery may be the key. As such, it has the potential to revolutionize the way we treat acute knee injuries.”

Source: Science Business

A handful of OSU faculty and students working on the pilot have assessed more than 70 inventions from Battelle’s national security unit, ranging from wave communication technology to soybean-based flame retardants. Michael Camp, academic director for Fisher’s entrepreneurship center, says the school is looking at potential deals with other Battelle divisions beyond its national security group. Based on a monthly fee arrangement, Battelle is set to pay about $112,800 over the two-year partnership, according to Camp. In the meantime, OSU is poised to benefit from products that make their way onto the market. Battelle has the option to hand over the reins on licensing inventions and split royalties if a product becomes marketable. OSU hasn’t asked to control licensing but opportunities could emerge down the road, Camp says.

Source: Columbus Business First

Wayne A. Marasco, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine at Dana-Farber and Harvard Medical School, Robert Liddington, PhD, professor and director of the Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center at Sanford-Burnham, and colleagues demonstrated that the newly identified antibodies attach to the stem region of the viral proteins (hemagglutinin) rather than to the head region — the standard target of current influenza vaccines. Binding to the highly conserved stem region prevents changes in the protein that are necessary for viral entry into the host cell, thereby inhibiting further infection of host cells and the rise of escape mutants. Standard influenza vaccines that consist of an attenuated, or killed, virus typically stimulate antibodies against the protein’s head. These vaccines are less effective as the head region is prone to change, leading to the rise of forms of the virus that can evade neutralizing antibodies. The researchers reported their discovery in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology.

Source: Medical News Today

• Performing Market Research Studies: Testing the Waters to De-Risk Your IP Investments — Next Wednesday, February 24, 2010
• Tech Transfer Marketing on a Shoestring: Guerilla Tactics in a Budget-Cut World — Tuesday, March 9, 2010
• The Bilski Decision: Expert Strategies to Manage Its Impact on University IP — Tuesday, March 30, 2010

• Aremon, established to provide validation of clinically relevant and qualified diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers, initially in the areas of neurodegeneration and cancer.
• BioPlastech, which is commercializing a process to convert waste materials to a biodegradable plastic.
• Capstan Healthcare, a veterinary health care company that provides technology and product development services to the veterinary pharmaceutical market.
• Crop Research, which evaluates the efficacy of agrochemicals for use in agriculture, particularly the use of fungicides to control crop diseases.
• Darius Medical, which is developing a low-cost, non-invasive medical device for early detection of coronary artery disease.
• Equinome, which is developing genetic tests to optimize decision-making in the breeding and racing of thoroughbred horses and has launched a genetic test to identify the optimum racing distance for individual Thoroughbred horses.
• Future Buildings Consulting (trading as ERG Consulting), which provides specialty services in sustainable building design and construction to the Irish and European building industries.

In addition, NovaUCD filed 47 patent applications in 2009 — a 25% increase over the previous year. “We should recognize that the conversion to license deals, new companies, and much needed employment takes time,” says Pat Frain, director of NovaUCD. “One major issue is the need to ensure that early-stage campus companies have access to finance.” In that respect, the international success achieved by UCD companies is particularly important, he adds, citing the $60 million sale of NovaUCD spinout ChangingWorlds to U.S. technology firm Amdocs, the €6 million investment in BiancaMed led by pan-European VC firm Seventure Partners.

Source: Biotechnology Ireland

“When used in combination with existing antiretroviral drugs, prostratin may one day help treating physicians eradicate all virus from the body — a feat not yet possible using existing therapies,” adds Stephen J. Brown, MD, medical director at AIDS Research Alliance. Current therapies suppress but do not completely eradicate the virus from the body, he explains. Some viral particles lay dormant in pockets or ‘reservoirs,’ avoiding the reach of anti-HIV drugs. When treatments are interrupted, the HIV reservoir floods the body with new virus, re-igniting infection. The Alliance has been studying how to flush virus from the HIV reservoir for more than a decade. If approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, prostratin would become the first in a new class of drugs and introduce a novel treatment for HIV/AIDS, according to Carlburg.

Source: PR Web

During studies of the human heart, researchers in the Cardiac Mechano-Electric Feedback Group in Oxford’s department of physiology, anatomy, and genetics used sophisticated imaging and computer technologies to create an animated model of the heart that can be viewed from all angles. They combined information about heart structure and function using powerful computers and advanced optical imaging tools — a process that requires a combination of speed and detail, which is difficult to achieve using current photographic techniques. Gil Bub, PhD, senior research fellow on the team, developed a solution that joins high-resolution still images and high-speed video footage at the same time on the same camera chip “by allowing the camera’s pixels to act as if they were part of tens, or even hundreds, of individual cameras taking pictures in rapid succession during a single normal exposure,” he explains. The pixels are divided into groups and programmed to take their part of the bigger picture in well-controlled succession during the time normally required to take a single snapshot. “The trick is that the pattern of pixel exposures keeps the high resolution content of the overall image, which can then be used as-is to form a regular high-res picture or be decoded into a high-speed movie,” Bub adds. The researchers described the technology in Nature Methods.

The concept already has attracted the attention of Cairn Research, a U.K.-based scientific instrument manufacturer, and may soon move from the optical bench to a consumer-friendly package. Mark Pitter, senior research fellow in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Nottingham, U.K., plans to compress the technology into an all-in-one sensor that could be placed inside normal cameras. “The use of a custom-built solid state sensor will allow us to design compact and simple cameras, microscopes, and other optical devices” that may be used for applications such as consumer cameras and security systems, Pitter says. Isis Innovations, Oxford’s TTO, has patented the technology and is seeking commercial partners.

Source:  Science Daily

Technology Transfer Tactics,
Vol. 4, No. 2 (pp 17-32) February 2010

• Kauffman proposal for ‘free agent’ faculty draws strong reaction from TTO execs. It was the shot heard round the tech transfer world; in fact, it was interpreted by many tech transfer professionals as a shot across the bow, if not a full-force slap in the face. In a brief one-page treatise in the January/February edition of the Harvard Business Review that the stalwart publication cited as one of the top 10 “breakthrough ideas” of 2009, Robert E. Litan, the Kauffman Foundation’s vice president for research and policy, and Lesa Mitchell, vice president for advancing innovation, set tongues wagging and blood pressures rising.
• Keep your eye on the option pool during initial valuation. Successful negotiation of start-up funding leaves most new entrepreneurs flush with excitement. But investors will almost always slip an option pool into the equation, which means the share value to the founding group can sink in a flash. It can be a throttling experience for the uninitiated.
• Engineering institute’s contract work builds corporate links to aid long-term tech transfer results. Giving engineering students hands-on training in product development techniques and real-world experience working with industry is the core mission of the Institute for Industrial Innovation created by the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The Institute’s ability to do contract engineering research projects for industry isn’t expected to reap immediate technology transfer benefits in terms of expanding or monetizing UWM’s portfolio of intellectual property. However, building industry contacts via the Institute is a vital component in UWM’s long-term efforts to develop a sustained technology transfer strategy.
• Incubators adapt to changing conditions, but remain a solid option for start-ups. Start-up incubators have been hammered by the same economic forces that have buffeted the entire commercialization pipeline, and several have run into severe distress that poses an extra challenge for the fledgling technology start-ups they are designed to nurture. Still, the sector as a whole is in fine shape, and incubators remain a key option for technology transfer offices looking to support new ventures.
• A sign of the times? RPI shuts down campus incubator. In a move that reflects the changing landscape for high-tech incubators as well as the potential hazards for start-ups housed within them, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute announced in early February that it is closing its on-campus business incubation center. Ironically, RPI’s incubator is one of the oldest and most successful, having spawned several major companies over its 30-year existence.
• Pre-incubation program offers fledgling companies an official address and valuable support. Incubators are great for nurturing early-stage companies that are at the point where they need staff and space to fuel growth. However, what about those very early-stage companies that have great ideas and IP, but they need funding and further development before they will be ready to hang out a shingle?

The School: The University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science was founded in 1836. It is the second oldest engineering school in the country and the first at a public university. The mission of the School is to educate men and women to be leaders in technology and society that contributes to the well-being of our citizens through the creation and transfer of knowledge. The School has an enrollment of approximately 2,200 undergraduate and 650 graduate students supported by 146 academic faculty. Most undergraduates complete advanced degrees in engineering as well as in business, law, and the life sciences. The School’s development staff provides essential private funds for student financial aid, faculty support, capital projects, and alumni relations. Read more about the School at www.seas.virginia.edu.

Qualifications: Candidates must be committed to advancing the School of Engineering and Applied Science and should possess the following:

Required:

• Entrepreneurial approach to promoting the School’s needs and ambitions;
• Management and leadership experience with the ability to motivate and inspire;
• Bachelor’s degree, Master’s preferred (degree from the University of Virginia a plus);
• Demonstrated strong verbal communication skills;
• Demonstrated ability to write clearly and persuasively;
• Significant business or educational development, marketing or sales experience.

Preferred:

• Ability to develop relationships with leaders in broad range of business and professional fields, including engineering and science;
• Interest in engineering and science and ability to explain the School’s curricula, programs, and projects to friends and alumni.

How to apply: Please prepare and upload a cover letter stating your interest in the position, along with a CV and three references, to: https://jobs.virginia.edu and search posting number 0605107 under the University Staff category. If nominating an individual for this opportunity, please include the nominee’s contact information and send electronically to: executivesearch@virginia.edu.

The position will remain open until filled and the search will be carried out with full confidentiality; candidates will be notified before references are contacted. For further information, please contact Gary Helmuth or Meredith Manson at (434) 982-4900 or (434) 924-4454; email at: executivesearch@virginia.edu.

The University of Virginia is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

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Description

This position is responsible for developing and managing the technology development strategy for EMD Bioscience business in concert with and under the direction of the Director of Business Development and Licensing. This position is responsible for technology in-licensing and out-licensing for EMD Biosciences. This position performs complex specialized intellectual property licensing work on all areas of the Bioscience market and develops a strong “innovative science” image of the company through collaboration with high level global research institutes, pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Identifies, presents, and evaluates technical, market and financial aspects of a technology opportunity in conjunction with the R&D and Product Management groups. Acts as primary contact and negotiates licensing terms with external parties. Works with legal to develop contract and negotiate deals and partnerships to accomplish the corporate strategy.

Duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Make significant contributions to the Bioscience strategy for innovative technologies to develop into solutions for our customers and contribute to the bioscience growth.
• Scout for technologies that support the bioscience strategy.
• Identify, present to the organization, and coordinate the in-licensing of technologies.
• Identify and evaluate bioscience companies for acquisition targets.
• Act as primary contact with potential licensors.
• Develop and negotiate Confidential Disclosure Agreements (CDA) and Material Transfer Agreements (MTA).
• Licensing contracts and collaboration agreements.
• Work with internal resources (Product Management, R&D, and Legal) to develop business models to support investment in technologies and licenses.
• Manage EMD’s scientific advisory board for the bioscience business.
• Work with Product Management and R&D to evaluate commercial potential of relevant technologies by defining markets, market size, competing technologies, etc. and new markets for growth.
• Have a strong understanding of intellectual property and provide primary assessment of such.
• Work with the Legal Department to evaluate the intellectual property status of technologies under consideration for licensing.
• Utilize and update contact database for all opportunities identified and evaluated.
• Act as a liaison between EMD Biosciences and Merck KGaA, Darmstadt business development, R&D and Corporate acquisition team.

Qualifications

A Ph.D. or Master’s degree in Molecular Biology, Proteomics or related field is required. MBA preferred. At least 7 years experience in technology assessment and product development. Experience in the business aspect of life science company, research and development and commercialization. Experience in negotiation of licensing technology deals and acquisition target evaluations.

This position is open to: For local candidates only.

To apply for this position, please click here.

EMD Chemicals, Inc.
10394 Pacific Center Court
San Diego, CA 92121
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SACGHS task force member Brian Stanton, PhD, a consultant on IP management and policy, former director of the Division of Policy at the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Technology Transfer, said the committee’s report shows “no evidence of harm, and yet it still calls for changes.” The change that has garnered the most attention is a proposal to exempt gene patents from infringement liability. While Stanton acknowledged that the task force identified isolated instances of harm that need to be addressed, it also determined that “the court systems and the systems of checks and balances that are built into the fabric of the patent system were more than capable of addressing problems on a case-by-case basis.” He also observed that the report contains a letter of dissent from the only three members of the full committee who have direct experience in business and law with respect to IP and private sector development of products and services.

The Bayh-Dole Act “transformed the entire way that we, as universities, interact with the commercial sector,” and helped to create a whole new industry, added Jon Soderstrom, PhD, managing director of the Office of Cooperative Research at Yale University. According to its annual survey, Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) members have gone from issuing dozens of licenses before passage of the Act to issuing thousands of licenses each year — more than 5,000 licenses in 2009 alone, according to Soderstrom. Over the past 20 years, patents licensed by AUTM members have led to the development of more than 10,000 new products, he added. Prior to Bayh-Dole, not a single drug was developed using Yale’s patented technology. Since passage of the Act, five drugs based on Yale patents have made it to market and 18 more are in clinical trials. The SACGHS recommendations could set the clock back, creating “essentially a reconstitution of the world as is it existed before 1980,” Soderstrom warned. BIO has made a podcast of the press conference available here.

Source: Patent Docs

A pilot initiative, IMPACT would invest a small amount of federal funding — $2 million per program at 10 demonstration sites — to identify best practices for coaxing breakthrough ideas out of universities and to develop objective metrics for measuring results. The ultimate goal is to expand the program to all eligible universities, creating jobs in newly created businesses for Americans who are eager to work. “At the University of Southern California, through the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation, we have already seen how a renewed focus on accelerating innovation can impact the economy,” Holly writes. Two dozen USC-bred businesses are in operation. In 2009, just seven of those start-ups reported combined revenues exceeding $30 million. In the last two years, 16 of the spinoffs raised at least $148 million in financing. Importantly, the companies employ approximately 500 full-time employees — more than half in Los Angeles. “We hope to see IMPACT, or its key initiatives, in the nation’s fiscal year 2011 budget so we can create a scalable model to turn more ideas into jobs as soon as possible,” Holly concludes.

Source: CNN

Royalty Rates for Trademarks & Copyrights, 4th Edition, features 30% more transactions and benchmark rates than previous editions. Along with an unrivaled set of benchmarks and real-world rates from transactions completed through 2009, this edition also shows how to implement financial models for the derivation of royalty rates. Details are included on rules of thumb, profit differential calculations, investment rate of return analyses, and discounted cash flow analysis, along with examples that can be used as a template for your specific applications. For details, a table of contents, sample pages, and to order, CLICK HERE.

With Royalty Rates for Technology: Medical Devices and Diagnostics Edition, we’ve created a targeted reference by deriving all medical device and diagnostics entries from the more comprehensive — and more costly — technology edition of this unique benchmarking series. If your interest is focused primarily on the medical device industry, you can access this valuable data at a much lower price than the larger volume. It reports all available compensation terms from scores of completed medical device license agreements, gathered from more than 20 years of Mr. Parr’s research. You’ll find details on fixed royalty rates, per unit royalties, scaled royalty rates, and license fees. CLICK HERE for more information and to order.

All editions in the series provide more than just rates and data — you get context as well. For each transaction you’ll find:

• A description of the licensed technology
• Compensation terms including royalty rates and license fees
• Identity of the licensor and licensee
• Transaction background and history
• Market analysis and benefits of the licensed technology

The Minnesota Science Park represents a watershed moment for the University of Minnesota, which developed the Biomedical Discovery District to combine the school’s most prized biomedical assets, including its McGuire Translational Research Facility and Center for Magnetic Resonance and Research. The park would add private sector muscle to the school’s intellectual know-how, according to Tim Mulcahy, UMinn’s vice president of research. “The development of this public-private partnership represents recognition of the value of our innovations,” he says. The park will follow the best practice standards developed by the Association of University Research Parks — mainly proximity to a major research university in a dense urban area, experienced developers, and a dedicated venture fund. Under Bianco’s plan, the developer and university each will invest in the venture fund.

Major obstacles remain, however. Facing state budget cuts, the university has limited financial resources. For construction to start, the school must lease a good portion of the commercialization center and commit tech transfer and research assets to the facility. So far, the university and developer have not reached an agreement. “At this moment, we have alignment on wanting to do it but the economy presents a challenge in that we need agreement from the major stakeholders to move forward,” Bianco says. “If we get this agreement, it would likely be nine months to having a spade in the ground.”

Source: MedCity News

“It’s a competitive world in that space, and this investment — and the collaboration that can take place — is required for UW-Madison to stay competitive with the big institutions on the two coasts,” says Jay Bayne, executive director of the Milwaukee Institute and former chief technology officer at Johnson Controls, Inc., in Glendale, WI. “In that regard, it’s a strategic move and it’s a very impressive one.” The Institutes will serve as a collaborative hotbed for many of UW-Madison’s top researchers. Already university faculty have been selected to lead research in five areas: epigenetics, tissue engineering, functional nursing, systems biology, and optimization. Researchers from other institutions around the world also may be invited to hold five-year appointments with the Institutes, says Andy Cohn, a WARF spokesman. The research center was funded with $50 million each from the state and from John and Tashia Morgridge, plus $105 million from WARF.

Source: Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel

Nobody expects UC Davis to duplicate the success of Stanford University, which perfected the art of tech transfer and helped build Silicon Valley. But business leaders say UC Davis has the ability to do much more than it has so far. “There is significant opportunity to increase the number of companies coming out of campus,” says Meg Arnold, a former UC Davis TTO official who now runs the Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance. For example, the university’s science research budget hit $643 million in 2008 — 16th largest in the nation, according to the National Science Foundation. However, Davis has spawned just two dozen tech companies since 2003 — about one-third as many as UC San Diego. The Davis campus didn’t open a TTO until 1999, and the culture has changed slowly. “A significant amount of the entrepreneurial activity has to come from UC Davis,” says Oleg Kaganovich, a partner in the Sacramento office of DFJ Frontier venture capital. “If that doesn’t happen, we will never grow significantly beyond where we are now.”

David McGee, a former biotech executive who runs UC Davis’ TTO, InnovationAccess, says red tape is being slashed at every turn. Licensing contracts, which used to run 46 pages, have been cut in half. “We have shown we can start up companies,” says McGee, who has run the program since 2004. One reason for optimism is green technology. VCs have fallen in love with the industry, and green companies are clustering around Sacramento to be near the lawmakers and regulators in charge of California’s war on global warming. Green tech is a UC Davis strength; the campus operates research centers devoted to such fields as biofuels and wind power. “We’re getting a lot more interest from investors and entrepreneurs,” says Andrew Hargadon, director of the university’s Center for Entrepreneurship. “People are starting to want what UC Davis has always been producing.”

Source: The Sacramento Bee

The University Funds will build a portfolio of technology-based start-up companies; provide experienced management teams and legal, accounting, administrative, and operational support; and direct funding to projects deemed to have the best chance of success, according to Len Jessup, the company’s executive vice president for university relations. Jessup, a former tenured faculty member in the IU Kelley School of Business, says both IU and The University Funds stand to gain from a relationship designed to remove roadblocks that might hamper innovative researchers from starting companies or licensing discoveries. The company has similar agreements with 10 public universities in the western U.S.

Source: The Indianapolis Star

WaveConnex expects its products to serve as replacements for metal-to-metal interconnections currently used in nearly all electronic systems, with the potential to overcome current limitations in terms of performance, reliability, and size. Among potential applications are improved pocket-sized “smart cards” with embedded integrated circuits that can store and process large amounts of data without coming into direct contact with another device. “Imagine you have a credit card-sized smart card in your wallet that contains all of your medical history and records in encrypted form, including medications, X-rays, and MRI results,” Chang says. “The technology has the potential to enable any doctor to access, with permission, your accurate medical profile, giving them detailed information for the prescription of treatments and enabling them to update your profile.”

Source: PhysOrg

And don’t miss these outstanding upcoming sessions:

• Performing Market Research Studies: Testing the Waters to De-Risk Your IP Investments — Wednesday, February 24
• Tech Transfer Marketing on a Shoestring: Guerilla Tactics in a Budget-Cut World — Tuesday, March 9
• The Bilski Decision: Expert Strategies to Manage Its Impact on University IP — Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Growth of the technology has been limited due to the absence of integrated design automation tools for such circuits. NioCAD’s technology addresses that shortcoming by offering an integrated architecture catering to schematic and cell-based design, circuit analysis, optimization, and physical design. The integration of physical and schematic design through a unifying data model is entirely new, Gerber says. The technology offers the advantage of instantaneous forward and backward propagation of changes between the two environments and enables simultaneous circuit extraction and verification. “For the first time, circuit optimization can be done on the actual physical layout rather than symbolic models, making it possible to model critical components much more accurately,” Gerber points out.

The NioCAD technology was developed in a lab at Stellenbosch’s electrical and electronic engineering department, whose chair, Willem Perold, PhD, headed the research team and serves as company co-founder. InnovUS, the Stellenbosch University-owned entity responsible for the university’s tech transfer program and IP management, provided incubation support to NioCAD and assisted in its spinout. The company is currently selecting distribution channels, producing user and training materials, establishing support lines, and devising licensing models.

Source: NioCAD

Using advanced fuel treatment devices, EPS has developed a proprietary, multi-phase process using engineered flow patterns to restructure fuel hydrocarbons. The process increases fuel efficiency and produces a cleaner burn during the engine’s combustion cycle. “EPS has a proven track record of securing investment for business and product development,” says Rick Swatloski, PhD, licensing associate in UA’s OTT. “We are excited about working with EPS to further develop this technology and transition it into a commercial product.”

Source: Yahoo! Finance

The Princeton team is the first to successfully combine silicone and nanoribbons of lead zirconate titanate (PZT), a ceramic material that is piezoelectric — generating an electrical voltage when pressure is applied. Of all piezoelectric materials, PZT is the most efficient, able to convert 80% of the mechanical energy applied to it into electrical energy. The researchers first fabricated PZT nanoribbons — strips so narrow that 100 fit side-by-side in a one-millimeter space. In a separate process, they embedded these ribbons into clear sheets of silicone rubber, creating what they call “piezo-rubber chips.” Because the silicone is biocompatible, it’s already used for cosmetic implants and medical devices. “The new electricity-harvesting devices could be implanted in the body to perpetually power medical devices and the body wouldn’t reject them,” says Michael McAlpine, PhD, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Princeton. In addition to generating electricity when flexed, the material also flexes in response to electrical current — a property that opens the door to other applications, such as use in microsurgical devices, McAlpine says.

Source: Science Daily

Eligible start-up companies — including those that operate out of university incubators across Missouri — will be required to obtain an investment, raised or invested directly by the founder(s), at a level that shows a commitment to the company’s success, according to Forsee. Additional consideration will be given to start-ups with funding from Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and/or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants and/or matching funds from other sources. Start-ups that apply for the funds also must have licensed a U-Missouri technology, must be located and licensed to do business in Missouri, and must be committed to commercializing IP owned by U-Missouri. In addition, the start-ups must agree to grant the university an equity interest in the venture with a fair market value equivalent to the amount of the university’s financial investment and accept funding installments based on achievement of agreed-upon milestones.

Source: St. Louis Business Journal

Also coming soon:

• Patent Prosecution: Best Practices for Reducing Costs While Improving Patent Quality — Next Tuesday, February 9, 2010
• Performing Market Research Studies: Testing the Waters to De-Risk Your IP Investments — Wednesday, February 24, 2010
• Tech Transfer Marketing on a Shoestring: Guerilla Tactics in a Budget-Cut World — Tuesday, March 9, 2010

“We must find new ways to encourage and grow innovation and entrepreneurship,” says David Johnston, president of U-Waterloo. “This initiative brings together enterprising students who, with the support of a leading university, [will] learn how to collaborate with the technology incubator, start-up, and venture capital communities.” At the conclusion of the BootCamp, students will be eligible for additional seed funding through a new entrepreneur program managed by the Ontario Centres of Excellence Centre for Commercialization of Research. VEB is open to any post-secondary student in Canada. In addition to a resume, applicants must submit an overview of their start-up and a YouTube video promoting the idea.

Source: Marketwire

One of the program’s founders, vice provost for entrepreneurship Duncan Moore, has started a few companies of his own during his tenure at U-Rochester using technology that he helped develop. Many academics aren’t comfortable in industry, Moore says, making it difficult for potentially job-creating technologies incubated in universities to enter the marketplace. Local engineers need to learn to start their own companies, he adds — especially in Rochester, where traditional large, high-tech companies are struggling and engineering jobs are leaving the city. The university also has a financial incentive to use some of its dormant patents, adds Jack Fraser, deputy director of U-Rochester’s OTT. The university pays roughly $15,000 in attorneys’ fees to file a patent. When a patent sits unused, that money is not recouped.

Source: University of Rochester News

Although vaccines are commercially available against meningitis A and C strains, the meningitis B strain is not addressed by current vaccines and presents a significant disease burden. Meningitis B vaccines have been elusive for two main reasons, according to Novartis. Unlike other serogroups, MenB polysaccharide produces a poor response from the immune system, and some MenB antigens are similar to glycoproteins found in humans, prompting concerns about autoimmunity. The vaccine outlicensed from Imperial Innovations has the potential to produce an enhanced immune response, which may confer greater protection than other vaccines currently in development. Completing the deal with Novartis “provides the finance to move the research towards clinical development,” says Susan Searle, CEO of Imperial Innovations. “If successful, such a product could provide a significant royalty stream to Imperial Innovations.”

Sources: Science Business and Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

With proof of principle nearly complete, the company plans to carry out an array of follow-up experiments to determine exactly how the gene works and how to develop a therapy from it. NellOne estimates a potential market of more than $3 billion. To continue the work, the company plans to pursue a Series A round of funding — likely $12 million to $20 million, says Tracy Warren, NellOne CEO and general partner at Battelle Ventures. In addition to the ORNL licenses, which establish NellOne’s platform discovery, the company is pursuing other potential applications of the genetic research. NellOne may commercialize some therapies on its own while partnering with outside companies on others, according to Warren. “We hope to have some announcements this summer,” she says.

Sources: Knoxville News Sentinel and Newswise

Goldschmidt says Antimicrobial Technologies Group is excited about the sock line and by the potential to apply the research in other product areas. The company was created in April 2009 specifically to commercialize research conducted at USD. “It’s been a long-time dream of our founder and Dr. Sun to see these technologies actually get out there in products that will help people,” Goldschmidt says. The company also is working to manufacture Sun’s antimicrobial paint, which would kill germs and make environments such as hospitals, kitchens, and locker rooms cleaner and safer. Although many antimicrobial paints are on the market, Sun says his contains specific agents that are more practical, durable, and easier to monitor.

Source: The Volante

Sonsino and colleagues have devised a better solution: low vision eyeglasses. The glasses combine the three factors needed for clearer reading: magnification to enlarge the image, prisms to keep the eyes straight and focused, and LED lighting for bright illumination. The glasses are powered by rechargeable batteries and designed so that when the bows are opened, the light automatically turns on. In a small clinical trial, users reported an 89% improvement in their reading ability. With the assistance of Vanderbilt’s TTO, Sonsino is working with a manufacturer to produce the glasses, which are expected to be available later this year for about the same price as a pair of bifocals.

Sources: 6abc.com and WSOC Charlotte

“We’re trying to do a better job of preparing our opportunities so our outside partners are willing to take the risk,” says Kenneth Nisbet, executive director of U-M Technology Transfer. At the same time, entrepreneurs and VCs outside the university can look to the center for a portfolio of start-up concepts with the talent, development funding, and connections needed for market success. All individuals seeking help in venture creation will now begin at the same “hub,” and then be directed to the appropriate services “spoke.” One of the main drivers behind the new center, says Nisbet, was operational efficiency. “By integrating a number of programs that had operated independently, we will become more effective and efficient,” he notes. “This integration will allow better sharing of talent and resources across our projects, resulting in higher quality and more timely assistance.” A detailed article on the new center appears in the January issue of Technology Transfer Tactics. To get the complete article and become a subscriber, including access to the entire archive of back issues, CLICK HERE.

To develop the technology, Dalibor Sames, PhD, associate professor in Columbia’s department of chemistry, and David Sulzer, PhD, professor of neurobiology at Columbia University Medical Center, created several fluorescent false neurotransmitters (FFNs) — a class of highly efficient optical imaging probes that fluoresce sufficiently to provide resolution at the individual synaptic level but at concentrations that do not interfere with normal synaptic function. “We believe that FFN511 has the potential to become an essential research tool for neuroscientists studying the synaptic transmission of dopamine as well as for drug discovery efforts seeking to identify improved blockers and enhancers of dopamine transporter activity,” Sulzer says. “Blocking of dopamine active transport proteins has been shown to ameliorate symptoms in preclinical models of Parkinson’s disease, and drugs that target dopamine transporters and receptors are used to treat ADHD, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.”

Source: News Blaze

Source: Cloud Computing Journal and EE Times

RPX established the Defensive Patent Aggregation service 14 months ago to reduce patent assertion and litigation initiated by non-practicing entities (NPEs). These so-called “trolls” cost technology developers around the world billions of dollars annually by acquiring patents solely for the purpose of offensive licensing and litigation. RPX counters this problem by acquiring patent rights and providing them as a defensive patent aggregation for its member organizations, which pay annual fees ranging from $35,000 to $4.9 million, depending on size. To date, RPX has invested $130 million to acquire more than 1,000 U.S. and international patents and patent rights in the mobile, Internet search, telecommunications, networking, consumer electronics, and eCommerce sectors. In 2009, one out of every five of the 470 NPE cases filed involved software defendants.

Source: Enhanced Online News

Required: Bachelors or Master’s degree in an IT, Communications or Computer Science-related field with 10-12 years of industry and/or hands-on technology licensing experience. Strong leadership, research/analytical, organizational and problem solving skills required. The ability to positively and proactively interact with Lab inventors, Lab management and commercial contacts along with being able to maintain and further develop a user-friendly reputation for the OTT function with both APL and industry customers is required. Proven ability to generate deals, negotiate and close on reasonable terms and conditions for licensing (more) rights, knowledge of licensing business and/or patent law and up-to-date technical knowledge and ability to conduct technical assessments. Demonstrated leadership and project management skills including excellent written and oral communication skills and the ability to deliver high quality and quantity output on several complex projects at once. Desired: Advanced technical degree and/or MBA. Prior direct supervisory or program management experience.

Applicants selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet the eligibility requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility requirements include US citizenship.

APL offers a comprehensive benefits package including a liberal vacation plan, a matching retirement program, significant educational assistance, a scholarship tuition program for staff with dependents, and competitive salaries commensurate with skills and experience. For more information about our organization, please visit our web site at www.jhuapl.edu. To apply for this position, click Employment Opportunities and apply for job 030131.

Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer that complies with Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, as well as other applicable laws, and values diversity in its workforce.

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• Discovery: A research institute that focuses on new discoveries.
• Definition: A company that invests in defining the initial product(s) from the research-based discoveries in a given field of expertise.
• Development: A company with responsibility for funding and advancing product development.
• Delivery: A company with a significant marketing and distribution channel.

“Our model is fundamentally different than previous models in that it focuses on these independent groups to collectively contribute to advancing products from research discovery to commercialization,” Roth explains. Two key enabling elements of the proposed model include 1) the formation of a new type of company called a product definition company (PDC) to address the “Valley of Death” bottleneck; and 2) more efficient use of infrastructure and product development expertise provided by professional service providers (PSP). PDCs would focus on translating a portfolio of research discoveries into an early, development stage product managed by an experienced entrepreneurial team with significant operating experience in a given field. The PDC business model calls for selling the product or technology assets to VCs or distribution companies after the initial product definition phase for further product development and, eventually, delivery to the market. Potential PDC investors include angels, large corporations, VCs, and foundations, and investor focus would be on their field of interest and the expertise of the operating team.

Instead of investing in infrastructure — the norm for the VC start-up company model — the translational experiments to reach “proof of relevancy” would be contracted to PSPs to perform the key development activities. By transferring the product development and technology to the PSPs, acquirers will not be dependent on the PDC management team for expertise. Following acquisition, the product development company could operate in a virtual mode with a small group of key managers by simply continuing to fund the PSPs. Hence, the vast majority of investment in this model is focused solely on advancing the product or technology rather than on start-up infrastructure and associated operating and maintenance costs. “We believe the distributed partnering model offers a rational framework for a new approach to risk-adjusted financing of innovation,” Roth concludes.

Source: Xconomy

• A description of the licensed technology
• Compensation terms including royalty rates and license fees
• Identity of the licensor and licensee
• Transaction background and history
• Market analysis and benefits of the licensed technology

This new edition is available for immediate download. For more detail and to order, CLICK HERE.

In addition to the TTO name change, UW’s LaunchPad Services is changing its name to UWC4C New Venture Group, with Clement and Rick LeFaivre, managing director of OVP Venture Partners in Kirkland, joining the team to bring a large additional dose of real world start-up experience to the office. Both will report to Rhoads. LeFaivre will split his time evenly between the university and OVP, while Clement is expected to work full-time at UW for about 18 months. Janis Machala, who has spearheaded the LaunchPad since Rhoads hired her in November 2008, is leaving UW at the beginning of February to return to consulting. Machala says she feels “great” about the progress made in stirring more commercial activity in 2009. “New VCs are also engaging from the Bay Area and other locales now that they are seeing commercial progress” coming from UW research, she says.

The hiring of two individuals with deep expertise in high tech, cleantech, and life sciences is a recognition that UW needs specialized talent on staff to help nurture more start-ups, Rhoads says. The UW conducted more than $1 billion worth of research in 2008 — funded mostly by the federal government, charitable foundations, and corporations — and ranks second in federal research funding nationally behind Johns Hopkins University. Yet before Rhoads and Machala came aboard, business leaders complained that UW was mediocre at best in transforming that research into start-ups or useful products. Recruiting experienced industry talent to mentor scientists and engineers about business operations is a key part of bridging that gap. “This takes a lot of expertise,” Rhoads says. “There’s a lot of domain expertise required in knowing the safety and efficacy requirements, regulatory issues, [and] product reimbursement.”

Sources: TechFlash and Xconomy

As vice-provost, Norris will help develop strategies for the licensing and commercialization of IP developed at U-Rochester, foster corporate collaborations, and assist in establishing start-up companies that use technology developed at the university. As the new OTT director, Farewell will continue to provide guidance to university researchers on all aspects of protecting and commercializing innovations. She’ll also offer strategic direction for the licensing and commercialization of the university’s patent portfolio and work with the business community to identify technology needs and negotiate transfers of technology to meet those needs. For instance, students in the department of biomedical engineering senior design class have been working with the OTT to protect IP generated in the class and to produce real products from these discoveries. Farewell also plans to explore novel marketing channels such as social networking and Internet video to publicize research developments that are ready for commercialization and, in collaboration with U-Rochester’s Medical Center OTT, to establish a venture capitalist-in-residence program.

Source: University of Rochester News

The UD agreement with AutoPort stands to benefit not only the owners of electric cars but also the regional economy and the university, which will gain R&D experience as the technology goes into real-world use. If the initial test is successful and V2G vehicles are subsequently manufactured, the university would receive a royalty for each vehicle sold with V2G equipment. During the next year, AutoPort plans to retrofit the first 100 V2G cars as a proof-of-concept demonstration of the technology, which was developed by Willett Kempton, PhD, a professor in UD’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, and UD research fellow Jasna Tomic, PhD.

AutoPort will work with major companies in the area to demonstrate the V2G concept, according to Dick Johnson, the company’s director of business development. A minimum of 60 vehicles is needed to produce one megawatt of power when the vehicles are plugged into the grid. AutoPort is presently completing four vehicles for the State of Delaware and expects to have the first 100 vehicles produced in the next 12 to 18 months, according to Johnson. “We believe there is a great potential to increase the number of conversions from hundreds to thousands of vehicles, and this means a significant growth of jobs for Delaware,” he says. “The estimate for additional jobs at a thousand conversions is approximately 250. So as the numbers increase, so do jobs for Delaware.”

Source: Innovations Report

The tests indicate the potential preservative is stable at most temperatures and appears to have a long shelf life — two characteristics in its favor, Olson says. It degrades when heated, so it’s not considered a harmful addition to food. The compound could potentially either be injected into food or sprayed onto external food surfaces prior to packaging. UA has obtained a provisional patent on the product and has a utility patent pending.

Source: dialog

Because downstream funding requirements for drug development are so much greater now, he continues, “there is much more reticence with venture folks to fund therapeutic companies. The prospects of going out and raising $50 million to $100 million are much more difficult now, and [VCs] don’t want to get involved in a deal that will run out of water before it crosses the desert.”

Ashley J. Stevens, D.Phil. (Oxon), executive director of technology transfer and senior research associate in the ITEC School of Management at Boston University, describes a typical VC’s criteria in the current economic climate: “If you want to fund a drug discovery company, they are comfortable with coming in about one year pre-clinical — and that is a very difficult standard for an academic institution to meet. I’m not saying that in a specific case they won’t consider coming in at an earlier stage, but that’s their current starting point.”

But Mark Lupa, PhD, a principal at High Country Venture, LLC, in Boulder, CO, cautions against painting all VCs with a broad brush. “It depends what [your fund] is focused on,” he says. “We are focused on an earlier stage; I think we are earlier than most VC firms, but I would not call us unique.” In short, he offers, “there are a large enough number of venture firms that will get into pre-clinical stage deals.” Lupa concedes that “every VC would prefer to get into later deals from which more of the risk has been removed, but that’s not always realistic or practical. We certainly look at pre-clinical deals. He also stresses that the general VC freeze which came in reaction to the global recession is now thawing. “There was a period from when the market imploded until last summer where it was very difficult for anyone to raise capital — a recessionary black hole. Since then it has opened up, but it is more difficult than it was two to five years ago.” A detailed article on the what it takes for TTOs to attract venture funding in the current economy appears in the January issue of Technology Transfer Tactics. To get the complete article and become a subscriber, including access to the entire archive of back issues, CLICK HERE.

Nanoemulsions are superfine mixtures of soybean oil and water, stabilized by surfactants and blended at very high speeds so that the resulting droplets are less than 400 nanometers in diameter. Nanoemulsion droplets fuse with a microbe’s outer membrane, disrupt the membrane, and kill the organism. Under the agreement, New Jersey-based GSK will pay NanoBio an up-front fee of $14.5 million for licensing rights to the nanoemulsion product, called NB-001. NanoBio is eligible to receive additional milestone payments of up to $40 million plus high single-digit royalties on future sales. Baker believes that the GSK-NanoBio partnership will “enable the development and commercialization of NB-001 to its fullest potential and validate the promise of our proprietary platform technology and its potential use in a wide range of dermatological and anti-infective applications.”

In a separate development, GSK is partnering with scientists at the Emory Institute for Drug Discovery (EIDD) in Atlanta and with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals on research to develop new drugs for neglected tropical diseases in underdeveloped countries. Emory signed a Memorandum of Understanding with GSK as the first university to join the company’s new “intellectual property pool,” consisting of hundreds of patents and patent applications, scientific reports, and analyses. Under the MoU, Emory will have access to GSK scientists who can provide information about the history and current development of selected compounds targeting 16 neglected diseases identified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration: tuberculosis, malaria, blinding trachoma, buruli ulcer, cholera, dengue/dengue haemorrhagic fever, racunculiasis, fascioliasis, human African trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil transmitted helminthiasis, and yaws.

The patents in the IP pool are not generally filed in the least developed countries, and the new initiative is designed to encourage R&D of new medicines for these countries, as defined by the United Nations. The MoU states that, once the EIDD identifies technologies or selected compounds to pursue, Emory and GSK will develop a license agreement and additional collaborative research aimed at advancing the development of new medicines. The independent group BIO Ventures for Global Health will administer GSK’s IP pool. GSK also will collaborate with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and the South African company iThemba Pharmaceuticals, using the IP pool, to encourage R&D into new medicines to treat tuberculosis. iThemba, founded in 2003 by Dennis Liotta, PhD, professor of chemistry at Emory, and research partners in the United Kingdom, the United States, and South Africa, is developing new and affordable medicines for infectious diseases of the poor.

Sources: zikkir Technology News and Health News Digest

• Performing Market Research Studies: Testing the Waters to De-Risk Your IP Investments, on Wednesday, February 24, 2010, features a high-powered roundtable of four marketing pros and an IP attorney, who’ll focus on improving triage using market research tools and strategies. CLICK HERE for full faculty and program details.
• Tech Transfer Marketing on a Shoestring: Guerilla Tactics in a Budget-Cut World, on Tuesday, March 9, 2010, will deliver a treasure trove of inventive, clever, out-of-the-box ideas to move your innovations to market without busting your budget, and also features a 30-minute idea-sharing add-on session. CLICK HERE for complete information and to register.

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• IN TWO WEEKS, Tuesday, February 9: Patent Prosecution: Best Practices for Reducing Costs While Improving Patent Quality.

Their device holds the tiny early-stage embryos in a thimble-sized funnel. The bottom of the funnel is lined with microscopic channels that allow fresh nutrient-rich fluid to flow in and waste products out. The funnel sits on rows of Braille pins that are programmed to pulse up and down, pushing the fluids in and out of the channels. The current generated simulates flows that occur in the body due to muscle contractions and the motion of hair-like cilia that line the oviducts. In the body, these motions help to push fertilized eggs to the uterus and flush out the eggs’ waste products. Compared with mouse embryos grown in a static dish, those incubated in the new dynamic device were healthier and more robust after four days. Approximately 77% of the rocked mouse embryos led to ongoing pregnancies, compared with 55% of the statically grown embryos. In a control group of mouse embryos conceived naturally and grown within the oviduct, 83% led to ongoing pregnancies. In humans, IVF currently has a success rate of about 35%. “If we could increase that, even just to 45%, that’s significant,” Smith says. Takayama and Smith founded the company Incept Biosystems, which has initiated human clinical trials of the device.

Source: Science Daily

Taylor and her team successfully grew the rat’s heart in a jar by stripping the cells off a dead rat’s heart and injecting cells from a live rat into the organ. In addition, Taylor designed a bioreactor that could successfully nurture the nascent heart with blood and oxygen in a sterile environment. More importantly, the technology creates matrix structures that can deliver the right number of cells to an injury, attract new cells, and keep the cells alive so they develop into tissue and, eventually, organs that the patient’s body will more readily accept. “The cells itself are not the whole solution,” Taylor says.

It’s difficult to overstate Miromatrix’s importance to Minnesota. If successful, some say the company could spark a biotechnology boom in the state the same way Earl Baaken’s homemade pacemaker launched Minnesota’s dominance in implantable heart devices 40-plus years ago. State leaders who once paid little attention to homegrown start-ups are now scrambling to craft a package of financial incentives to ensure that Miromatrix stays local. To generate sales, Miromatrix CEO Robert Cohen says the company will operate two businesses: one to develop the core technology and the other to sublicense Taylor’s work to other companies. The first product launch will likely be biological cardiac patches that can repair diseased heart tissue after a heart attack. As for sublicensing, Taylor envisions other biotech companies will use her technology to develop skin grafts for burn victims or cosmetic applications such as breast reconstruction after mastectomy. “It’s exciting to see this moving forward but it’s also a little scary,” Taylor says. “There’s a lot of science yet to be done.”

Source: Med City News

Inventions related to business methods are typically claimed as a series of steps, with one or more steps often performed using a computer. The decision rendered by the Federal Circuit in Bilski set forth that processes must satisfy at least one prong of the M-or-T test to be eligible for patent protection. The Federal Circuit, however, expressly declined to comment in Bilski on whether a computer could meet the definition of a particular machine or apparatus.

“The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) recently published New Interim Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Examination Instructions (”SME Instructions”) [that] embrace the Federal Circuit’s Bilski decision,” Harper and Weed write. The SME instructions require that, to be eligible for patent protection, process claims must either: 1) be machine implemented or 2) transform a particular article. The SME Instructions also set forth two corollaries to the M-or-T test: 1) the machine or transformation must impose a meaningful limitation in the invention as claimed and 2) the particular machine or transformation must involve more than insignificant “extra solution activity.” In the PTO’s view, it is no longer sufficient to insert a step such as presenting a result on a display. However, the SME instructions provide guidance on the recitation of a computer in a process claim, stating that a “general purpose computer may be sufficiently ‘particular’ when programmed to perform the process steps,” the attorneys write.

In view of that interim guidance, consider ways in which the business method may be characterized to transform articles or how a particular machine such as a computer may be incorporated into the business method in order to satisfy the M-or-T test, Harper and Weed suggest. Second, provide support for the transformation and/or particular machine in the specifications of newly filed applications and consider filing a continuing application to add such support to existing applications. Finally, incorporate features necessary to satisfy the M-or-T test into the claims of the application.

Though most observers have focused attention on the case’s impact on software patents, innovations in the diagnostics space are also affected, the attorneys note. Patent applications claiming methods of diagnosis typically recite the basic steps of gathering data from a patient sample, comparing the data with a standard, and generating information about or diagnosing the patient based on the comparison, Harper and Weed add. The Federal Circuit addressed the question of whether such medical diagnostic methods can constitute patent-eligible subject matter on two occasions post-Bilski. In Classen Immunotherapies, Inc. v. Biogen Idec, the Federal Circuit affirmed a district court’s grant of summary judgment that certain claims were invalid as directed to ineligible subject matter. The claims covered a method for determining whether an immunization schedule affects the incidence or severity of a chronic immune-mediated disorder, and included a step of immunizing a patient in accordance with an immunization schedule, followed by interpreting the incidence, prevalence, frequency, or severity of a chronic immune-mediated disorder compared with a control group. The Federal Circuit found that such claims were not tied to a particular machine or apparatus and did not transform a particular article into a different state or thing, thereby failing the M-or-T test. More recently, the Federal Circuit held in Prometheus v. Mayo that claims directed to a method of optimizing therapeutic efficacy for treatment of an immune-mediated gastrointestinal disorder satisfied the M-or-T test and thus represented patent-eligible subject matter. The claims included a step of administering a drug to a subject followed by determining the level of the drug’s metabolite in that subject.

“Although the SME instructions issued by the PTO do not specifically discuss medical diagnostic method claims, they do advise examiners to reject method claims if they do not tie at least one step to a particular machine or if they do not confer a different function or use on the data they manipulate,” Harper and Weed write. “Thus, one possible solution to the problem of patenting medical diagnostic methods is to include claims that specify that a comparing step is carried out using a computer programmed to compare gathered data with a standard. An alternative solution may be to include a step of treating a specific condition in the patient consistent with a diagnosis. Still another approach, as suggested by Mayo, is to include in the claims a step where either a drug or other substance is administered to a patient in connection with diagnosing the patient and/or a step where a sample from the patient is analyzed in some way.”

Source: Ratner Prestia

Konneker founded Diagnostic Hybrids with former OU professors Joseph Jollick and Thomas E. Wagner. The foundation invested $1 million, or about $2.17 million in inflation-adjusted 2009 dollars. “There are faster ways to make money for a university through tech transfer than investing in start-ups, such as licensing technology to companies around the world,” says OU chancellor Eric D. Fingerhut. “But there is only one way to create jobs in Ohio, and that’s what OU is doing. This is a model we are following across the state.”

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

The RPCI tumor imaging technology also shows potential as an anti-cancer treatment agent, according to Hua Bai, president and CEO of Zhejiang Hisun. “We believe a drug with these properties would be extremely valuable for patients in China,” he says. “It may play a significant role in improving treatment options for people with cancer and will greatly enrich Zhejiang Hisun’s growing oncology drug pipeline.”

Source: Newswise

The deal is a major coup for Burdica and for the university, which helped to launch the company in 2007 through its Edinburgh Pre-Incubator Scheme (EPIS). EPIS provided Burdica with space at the university as well as business mentoring support and an interest-free loan. “This is a huge success for Burdica and the university,” says Adrian Smith, program director of EPIS. “It shows that supporting innovation can have real results, with substantial financial consequences for Scottish companies and the economy.”

Source: EPIS

Crispin used data from U-Utah’s Financial and Business Services to estimate the economic role of research spending on jobs, earnings, gross state product, and tax revenue. The analysis, conducted during the fall of 2009, is based on research expenditures during the university’s 2008 fiscal year. Crispin estimates that every $1 million spent on sponsored research at the university supports 20 jobs in Utah, generates approximately $849,450 in earnings for Utah workers, contributes $1.4 million in GSP, and provides $86,135 in state and local tax revenue. “This new study makes it easy to translate the power of [research] funding, not only for students and research outcomes on campus but also on the economy of the entire state,” says Tom Parks, the university’s vice president for research.

Source: University of Utah News Center

“This licensing deal is just one example of the innovative ways that MRCT is now exploiting both its antibody humanization and drug discovery capabilities,” says Dave Tapolczay, PhD, CEO of MRCT. “We can collaborate with other technology transfer organizations, on a shared risk basis, to develop novel antibodies and targets with therapeutic potential. When the resulting clinical candidate is subsequently licensed, both parties will not only accomplish their translational research aims but also share in its commercial success going forward.” MRCT receives an exclusive worldwide license to the related IP rights of the universities. MRCT and both universities will receive downstream payments dependent on successful development and out-licensing of the antibody.

Source: Healthcare Industry Today