MVA newsletter no 08, September 2005

: MVA HIGHLIGHT: UK-Medicon Valley collaboration places Medicon Valley in the top league of global biotech
by Stig Jørgensen, Managing Director, Medicon Valley Academy



As newly appointed Managing Director of Medicon Valley Academy, I am very pleased to take up the challenge and responsibility to lead the Academy in its effort to facilitate the development of Medicon Valley into one of the worlds most innovative Life Science regions.

One of the very distinct features of the Medicon Valley region, compared to other clusters in the world, is that it explores and utilises the best from two different research traditions and cultures. This effort is easier said than done. Just naming a biotech cluster based on the historical position of many research institutions and building a physical bridge between two countries is not enough to really achieve synergy.

The Medicon Valley region has reached a mature stage compared to some of the emerging regions in the Far East, the Baltic countries and Eastern Europe, but still the region has the potential for further development in terms of innovation and technology transfer. Further initiatives has to be taken, if the region wants to take the full potential of its research base and transform all the knowledge into businesses. The powerful partnership between the UK and Medicon Valley, named the UK-Medicon Valley Challenge Programme, is one of these initiatives.

Last week, Medicon Valley Academy and UK Trade & Investment brought together leading British, Swedish and Danish technology transfer experts to exchange experiences and discuss best practices and future needs. Focus was on two specific topics: Innovation in the healthcare system and Proof-of-concept funding.

A tighter collaboration and hereby access to knowledge regarding the UK technology transfer system and its experience with commercialisation of public scientific output into companies will be of benefit to the Medicon Valley actors. Opportunities for business development, alliances and the attraction of international venture capital are also key issues. On the other hand, the high level of scientific research and production of ideas in Medicon Valley can be of great interest and very attractive to UK investors and companies.


: NEWS INDEX

> MVA news
> Medicon Valley news
> Business highlights from www.mediconvalley.com
> Jobs in Medicon Valley
> Funding opportunities
> Future life science events
> New MVA members


: MVA NEWS


MVA seminar: How to approach Drug and Device Development
19 September 2005 / Lund / Sweden
Medicon Valley Academy invites to a seminar introducing the Medicon Valley Drug and Device Development Guide including presentations and debate on: "Where the end is the beginning - drug development based on eCTD" and "Rethinking Clinical Information Management; A new mindset for solving your future problems today".

Interview with / debate contribution by Stina Gestrelius, MVA, regarding the latest years drug and biotech development in Sweden (in Swedish)
Download the interview broadcasted on Radio Sweden 26 August 2005 and the debate contribution published in Ny Teknik 17 August 2005.

7th Medicon Valley - Hepatocyte User Group Meeting
28 September 2005 / Copenhagen / Denmark
The Medicon Valley - Hepatocyte User Group Meeting (MV-HUG) invites to an afternoon meeting with presentations on: Cytonet, a new European source for fresh human hepatocytes; CYP induction screening in human hepatocytes with high predictive value; and Single experiment combining Caco-2 cells and cryopreserved hepatocytes to predict oral bioavailability.

Medicon Valley exhibition at BioTech Forum + ScanLab 2005
11-13 October 2005 / Stockholm / Sweden
Medicon Valley Academy is organising a Medicon Valley exhibition area at the BioTech Forum trade fair. Medicon Valley Academy's exhibition booth will be surrounded by a wide range of the region's companies and organisations, and will make the region very visible at the trade fair. New for this year is that you can also choose to be a co-exhibitor in the Medicon Valley booth.

Food as Drugs - Focus on Gastrointestinal Diseases
12 October 2005 / Stockholm / Sweden
One-day seminar presenting talks and discussion on Diet and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Nutrigenomics, Dietary Fibers, Probiotics, Gluten Intolerance, Lactobacillus Reuteri, Functional Food Applications, Healthy Oat Products and Industry in between Food and Drugs. The seminar is organised by Medicon Valley Academy and Øresund Food Network, and is part of the BioTech Forum 2005 Conference Programme.


New international Medicon Valley website
This week, the new www.mediconvalley.com website is launched. The site is created by the regional investment promotion agencies Copenhagen Capacity (covering the Danish capital region Copenhagen) and Position Skåne (covering Skåne, the southern region of Sweden) in collaboration with Medicon Valley Academy. The purpose of the site is to promote Medicon Valley internationally and to create business contacts between life science companies in Medicon Valley and companies around the world.

Medicon Valley newsletters
In relation to the launch of www.mediconvalley.com, Copenhagen Capacity, Position Skåne and Medicon Valley Academy wish to collaborate on the production and coordination of newsletters. In addition to this newsletter "MVA newsletter", you can also subscribe to "Medicon Valley Biomedical Newsletter" bringing you news regarding business opportunities, companies and life science in the Medicon Valley region. Subscribe here.

MVA biostatistics network course: An Introduction to Applied Statistics for Non-Statisticians
16 November 2005 / Lund / Sweden
The course includes: Basic statistical measurements such as measures for location and variability; Randomisation and blinding; Statistical hypotheses and tests, including p-values and confidence intervals (t-test, analysis of variance, chi-squared test, non-parametric methods, etc.); and Sample size calculations, level of significance and power.


: MEDICON VALLEY NEWS

Abstract from breakfast meeting Theme Biotechnology at MALMÖ-SKÅNE Louis Vuitton Acts 6&7 of America's Cup
The seminar developed into a discussion about development and implementation of new therapies and therapeutics, and what it takes to start new companies and keep successful biotech and pharma companies in Scandinavia.

PhaseOneTrials completes phase II study for GlaxoSmithKline
The Danish contract research clinic, PhaseOneTrials has completed their first phase II study for GlaxoSmithKline. The study was a 12-week randomised, multi-centre, double-blind, placebo controlled, fixed dose, parallel group study within psychiatry.

Former CEO of Amersham Biosciences Per-Erik Sandlund new CEO of SwedenBIO
SwedenBIO has appointed Per-Erik Sandlund, former CEO of Amersham Biosciences, as new CEO. He will be succeding Dr. Hans Nyctelius who has recently been appointed as COO of Q-med, one of the largest biotech companies in northern Europe.

Managing Director appointed for the High Technology Fund in Denmark (in Danish)
Carsten Gaarn-Larsen, former chief of department in Danish TDC, has been appointed as new Managing Director of the High Technology Fund in Denmark.

Two new pharma companies in Medicon Valley
The two pharma companies, British Prostrakan and Japanese Astellas, are establishing their Nordic headquarters in the Medicon Valley region, according to Sydsvenska Dagbladet.


: BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS FROM WWW.MEDICONVALLEY.COM

> MIP Technologies (Sweden) raises capital
> DiLab (Sweden) enters distribution agreement with Bio Research Center (Japan)
> Symphogen (Denmark) and Cambridge Antibody Technology sign patent licensing agreement
> Nanosep (Sweden) receives novel patent
> Trial Form Support acquires Clinical Data Care (Sweden) and becomes the largest CRO in Scandinavia

More business news at www.mediconvalley.com


: JOBS IN MEDICON VALLEY

Visit Medicon Valley Academy's job site
View the latest job descriptions in the region from ALK-Abelló, Coloplast, GE Healthcare, H. Lundbeck, Hartmanns, Novo Nordisk, Novozymes, Statens Serum Institut, Synarc and Zealand Pharma. 


: FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Swedish Research Council grants for stem cell research (in Swedish) - deadline for application: 3 October 2005


EU FP6: Call for proposals for Marie Curie Research Training Networks - deadline for application: 28 September 2005
EU FP6: Call in the area of life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health - deadline for application: 9 November 2005


: FUTURE LIFE SCIENCE EVENTS - see all events

> Innovation in biotech (in Swedish) 14 September 2005 / Uppsala / Sweden
> Course in the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technology (in Danish) 14- 15 September 2005 / Copenhagen / Denmark
> BioLogue Kick Off Conference 15 September 2005 / Copenhagen / Denmark
> Course in how to write a good application for EU's 6th framework programme (in Danish) 16 september 2005 / Tåstrup / Denmark
> East Midlands life sciences seminar: Looking for business opportunities in the UK? 19 September 2005 / Ideon / Lund / Sweden
> Course in toxicology and cytotoxicology (in Danish) 20-22 September 2005 / Copenhagen / Denmark
> Parenteral Drug Administration (PDA) Basel Training Courses 2005 21 - 22 September 2005 / Basel / Switzerland
> The European eHealth Dimension - Challenges & Solutions 26 September 2005 / Copenhagen / Denmark
> Nordic Venture Summit 4 October 2005 / Copenhagen / Denmark NB! Medicon Valley Academy members receive 15% discount on the registration fee
> 4th ScanBalt Forum: Campus - Research and Educational Excellence 3-4 November 2005 / Oslo / Norway
> The Sixth European Biotechnology Symposium 13-15 November 2005 / Copenhagen / Denmark NB! Medicon Valley Academy members receive a special discounted rate


: NEW MVA MEMBERS - see complete membership list

Colloidal Resource AB offers expertise in chemistry, especially physical chemistry, to developing companies. Through a good collaboration with departments at Lund University they offer solutions including the use of advanced instruments, e.g. NMR, light scattering, rheology, sorption balance, mass spectrometry, x-ray spectroscopy and electron microscopy. Moreover, Colloidal Resource gives courses based on the specific situation and needs of a research group. Contact: Anna Stenstam, +46 702 599 755.

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