A One-Year Ban on Consulting

Ted Agres, "NIH Proposes a One-Year Ban on Consulting: Potential conflicts of interest prompt the move; some say patients could suffer" (8 Nov 2004, The Scientist, Vol.18, p.37-38)
Leading text: "A proposed ban on consulting at the National Institutes of Health might make it more difficult to translate basic research findings into new drugs and therapies, according to pharmaceutical and biotech companies, who say they will need to tap new sources to provide expert help in ongoing research. The NIH announced in September that it would seek to ban its scientists from all outside paid consulting activities with drug and biotech companies for at least one year, while the agency reviews its procedures and develops more effective oversight systems..." [FullText] [FullText at BMC]

How to Launch a Biotech Success?

Christoph H. Westphal, "How to Launch a Biotech Success: While the current focus is on later-stage companies, early-stage endeavors will most likely be the success stories of tomorrow" (8 Nov 2004, The Scientist, Vol.18, p.39-40)
Leading text/Excerpt: "Most people say this is an industry driven by how much money a drug, such as Lipitor, can bring in. I would argue that Lipitor is a great molecule, but it's the people who made the molecule the number-one selling drug on the planet. It took a talented team of chemists, clinicians, marketing executives, and regulatory experts to drive it to $4 billion in sales. The original discovery of a target is a small part of the value chain; you need to have world-class people all along to make your company a success. In addition to a great team, you need intellectual property that takes a unique approach and is something investors will want to buy into..." [FullText]

War footing drives Israeli business

Nevil Gibson, "War footing drives Israeli business" (13 Aug 2004, Nat Business Review, New Zealand)
Leading text: "A chance social meeting between a retired Israeli rocket scientist and a gastroenterologist has created a billion-dollar pinup for Israel's burgeoning high-tech sector. The scientist inquired about the biggest problem facing the medical specialist. He was told only limited invasive diagnostic tools were available for the small gastrointestinal tract and many painful digestive complaints could not be diagnosed without surgery. The scientist, Gavriel Iddan, thought back to his work on miniaturised optical navigation systems for rockets when he was working at the Israel Defence Force's scientific establishment, Rafael..."[FullText]

An example of how a small country can launch innovative global businesses

Nevil Gibson, Editor-in-chief, "Editor's insight: You read it here" (23 Nov 2004, The Nat Business Review, New Zealand)
Excerpt: "...You need look no further than Israel for an example of how a small country can launch innovative global businesses. When I wrote about it earlier this year after a visit, one company that stood out was Given Imaging. It has developed a microscopic pill-camera that is now used around the world, including New Zealand, to diagnose gastrointestinal complaints. It was a remarkable story, both technologically and financially. This little-publicised company has now been given a huge boost in profile with its choice as the runner up in the Wall Street Journal's annual technology innovation awards..." [FullText]

Open Access: Google Scholar Focuses on Peer-Reviewed Content

Barbara Quint, contributing editor for NewsBreaks, editor-in-chief of Searcher, and a columnist for Information Today, "Google Scholar Focuses on Research-Quality Content" (22 Nov 2004, Information Today)
Leading text: "Despite all the warnings from experienced information professionals, many scholars, researchers, and students continue to make Google their first stop for locating research information. Google has now introduced a beta service called Google Scholar that segregates research quality sources and provides special search features and result displays to accommodate scholars’ information needs. While not removing any sites from the main Google service, Google Scholar enables specific searches of scholarly literature, including peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, pre-prints, abstracts, and technical reports. Content includes a range of publishers and aggregators with whom Google already has standing arrangements, e.g., the Association for Computing Machinery, IEEE, OCLC’s Open WorldCat library locator service, etc. Result displays will show different version clusters, citation analysis, and library location (currently books only). Although claiming coverage "from all broad areas of research," early evaluation seems to show a clear emphasis on science and technology, rather than the arts, humanities, or social sciences..." [FullText] [Open Access Initiatives in Israel]

Pharmos announces results for clinical study of dexanabinol

Name, Institute, "Pharmos: Good results for clinical study of dexanabinol in coronary artery bypass graft patients. The trial provides supportive evidence of the neuroprotective effect of dexanabinol in the human brain" (22 Nov 2004, Gobes online)
Leading text: "Pharmos today announced the results of its exploratory Phase IIa clinical study of dexanabinol in coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients.
Dexanabinol is a synthetic non-psychotropic cannabinoid invented by Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, and licensed by Pharmos from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Pharmos's double blinded, placebo controlled, randomized trial enrolled 202 patients undergoing elective CABG surgery at six medical centers in Israel..."[FullText]

EU to launch sanctions against Israeli IP infringement

Hadas Manor, "EU to launch sanctions against Israeli IP infringement: The EU will apply bilateral and multilateral sanctions against "priority countries" (15 Nov 2004, Globes online)
Leading text/Excerpt: "EU to launch sanctions against Israeli IP infringement..."[FullText]

Why is there only one Teva?

Joseph Morgenstern, "Why is there only one Teva? How Israeli pharma came to be, and why it may be hard to emulate the Teva model today.
" (11 Nov 2004, Globes online)
Leading text: "Why is there only one Teva with annual sales of more than $4.0b? Why has Serono closed down InterPharm? What role do Government support programs play in nurturing a multinational?
Teva Pharmaceuticals was the result of the merger of three companies: Assia, Zori and Teva. The development of this group reflected the rise of the pharmaceutical industry in Israel. The first milestone was a warehouse for drugs established in Jerusalem in 1901 by Haim Solomon and Moshe Guttel Levin. The initiative to establish a local pharmaceutical industry arose in the early 1930s..." [FullText] [Comment at MyRehovot.Info]

FDA warning on Depo-Provera could hit Teva sales

Globes Gorrespondent, "FDA warning on Depo-Provera could hit Teva sales. The contraceptive will now carry a "black box" warning because of the risk of bone weakening" (18 Nov 2004, Globes online)
Leading text: "Yesterday, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning that about contraceptive Depo-Provera that could affect sales by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Nasdaq:TEVA; TASE:TEVA), which produces a generic version of the drug. The FDA warned that long-term use of Depo-Provera can cause irreversible weakening of bones. The drug will now carry a "black box" designation, meaning that it should be prescribed only with great care..." [FullText]

XTL, Cubist complete first review of Phase 2 clinical trial of hepatitis B drug

Globes correspondent, "XTL, Cubist complete first review of Phase 2 clinical trial of hepatitis B drug: The monitoring board for HepeX-B, developed by XTL Biopharmaceuticals and Cubist Pharmaceuticals, recommended the trial continue." (23 Nov. 2004, Globes Online)
Leading text: "Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (CBST) and XTL Biopharmaceuticals (LSE:XTL) today announced the completion of the first scheduled review of the first group of 15 patients enrolled in an ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial. The trial is the second of two planned Phase 2 trials. Based upon a review of the data provided by XTL, a data and safety monitoring board convened by Duke Clinical Research Institute at Duke University, has recommended continuation of the trial. Patients are currently being enrolled in the trial in the U.S. and in Israel. Centers in several Western European countries will be opened shortly..." [FullText]

TCS ties up with Israel's BioStrx

BS Corporate Bureau in Mumbai, "TCS ties up with Israel's BioStrx" (5 Nov 2004, Rediff.com)
Leading text: "Information technology major Tata Consultancy Services, as part of its life sciences initiative, has tied up with the Israel's biotech company BioStrx to offer structured-based drug discovery services to pharmaceutical and biotech firms across the globe. M Vidyasagar, executive vice-president of TCS, said that as per the tie-up the company would provide optimised leads for targeted proteins. There are three stages involved in this process which, includes protein crystallisation, structure determination and material synthesis. The first two will be carried out by BioStrx and TCS will give it the final touch...."[FullText]

Evogene Announces Soybean Collaboration With Mertec, LLC

"Evogene Announces Soybean Collaboration With Mertec, LLC" (16 Nov 2004, Business Wire)
Leading text: "REHOVOT, Israel--Nov. 16, 2004--Evogene Ltd. announced today an agreement with Mertec, LLC for the development and marketing of soybean seeds with improved traits. The two companies will bring newly developed traits from Evogene to the market in soybean varieties developed by Mertec. Mertec will market the co-developed soybean varieties using their strong industry channels. Financial terms were not disclosed..." [FullText]

Hadassah Medical Center to create a biotech park in partnership with the Hebrew University

Victor Chemtob at the Consulate General of Israel in New York, "Economic & Hi-Tech Briefs" (15 Nov 2004, Israel Line, Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Excerpt: "Hadassah Medical Center is planning to create a biotech park in partnership with the Hebrew University, THEMARKER.COM reported. The park will function as a greenhouse for life sciences startups. Hadassah and the Hebrew University have started an equal partnership company called UNIHAD to launch the venture. "Both Hadassah and the Hebrew University generate many startups, and the park can be a home for them," said Doctor Rafi Hofstein, managing director of Hadasit Medical Research Services." [FullText]

Pharmos Journeys to Center of the Mind

Adam Feuerstein, "Pharmos Journeys to Center of the Mind" (15 Nov 2004, TheStreet.Com, NewYork, NY, USA)
Leading text: "Can marijuana -- or at least a derivative of the drug -- protect your brain? It sounds crazy, but this is the medical question, in very simplistic terms, being explored by Pharmos (PARS:Nasdaq - news - research), a small drugmaker with dual headquarters in Iselin, N.J., and Israel. Pharmos is developing a drug that is synthesized from cannabinoid compounds (in other words, a chemical cousin of marijuana) that aims to protect the brain in patients suffering from severe head injuries..." [FullText]

Teva's new drug nears EU approval

Zev Stub, "Teva's new drug nears EU approval" (18 November 2004, Jerusalem Post)
Leading text: "Teva Pharmaceutical Industries' Parkinson's disease (PD) treatment Azilect (rasagiline) has been recommended for market approval in the European Union. The announcement should help boost Teva's stock, as it indicates that market approvals for the highly-touted drug may be closer than expected, said David Moskowitz, an analyst for Friedman, Billings, Ramsey in Arlington, Virginia..."[FullText]

Israeli Companies Increasingly Taking World Stage

"Israeli Companies Increasingly Taking World Stage Says White & Case Lawyer: Latest round of Israeli-related deals handled by firm reflect sophisticated market" (18 November 2004, Yahoo News Press Release, PRNewswire)
Leading text: "Despite continuing political unrest in the Middle East, Israeli companies are playing an increasingly larger role on the world stage, says a lawyer from White & Case who has been actively involved in Israeli-related transactions.

"Israel has more companies listed on NASDAQ than any country outside North America. Israel is a large sophisticated market as represented by the growing number of Israeli-related deals White & Case has handled in the past year," said Joshua Kiernan, head of White & Case's Israel practice..."[FullText]

Noteworthy: Israel Science Foundation Grant Programs 2005

"Individual Research Grants" (last viewed 14 November 2004, isf.org.il)
Leading text: "The Israel Science Foundation’s main activities and budget is are dedicated to channeling individual grants in all fields of research: Exact sciences and technology, life sciences and medicine, and Humanities and Social sciences. The grants are given to a single researcher, or at the most, to a group of up to two principle investigators and two cooperating investigators, on the basis of excellence and competitiveness, for a period of up to four years. The percentage of success granted proposals is 36%. ,the average annual budget for a grant in Exactexact sciences and technology stands at 176,000 NIS, in Llife sciences and medicine at 203,000 NIS and in Humanities humanities and social sciences at 108,000 NIS..." [Note: that there are two weeks to meet the application submission deadline of 1 Dec 2004 for the majority of programs] [FullText]

Israel is seeking ways to narrow the growing digital divide

Leora Eren Frucht, "Global democracy: Israel spearheads drive to open the information society to all" (14 November 2004, israel21c.org)
Leading Text: "What divides the world's 'haves' from the 'have-nots'? It used to be access to food, health care and education, but nowadays it's just as likely to be access to the Internet. The growing digital divide could lead to what some have called gigantic 'cyber ghettos' - pockets of the world where millions of people are cut off from the emerging information society. Israel hopes to play a leading role in bridging this digital divide - and last week held an international workshop to share strategies for doing just that..."[FullText]

Science news: Marie Curie winners 2004 announced

Stephen Pincock, "Marie Curie winners announced. Second annual €50,000 prizes given for work including fMRI and sustainable development " (8 November 2004, The Scientist Daily News)
Excerpt: "...Gadi Rothenberg, from Israel and attached to the University of Amsterdam, won his prize for research that focuses on combining advanced computational and experimental methods to discover new catalysts and materials for sustainable development..."[FullText]

U.S.-Israel Biotech Summit 2004

"U.S.-Israel Biotech Summit Fostering U.S.-Israel Biotechnology Alliances A Strategic Biotechnology Roundtable June 7, 2004, BIO2004 Convention, San Francisco" (last viewed 12 Nov 2004, The United States-Israel Science and Technology Foundation, usistf.org)
Excerpt: "Program overview. This half-day invitational event provides an interdisciplinary approach to address the complex issues associated with building a viable biotechnology cluster in Israel to advance strategic alliances between the United States and Israel. Working groups of leading American and Israeli experts will conduct interactive discussions that will address the issue of how to attain the critical mass necessary to establish a cohesive biotechnology cluster in Israel. The working groups will focus on strategies needed to catalyze a biotech hub that promote research and development (R&D) and commercialization activities between the US and Israeli biotechnology sector..."[FullText .PDF | FullText .HTML Cache]

Israeli Biotech Abides Amid Bombings?

By Sam Jaffe, "Israeli Biotech Abides Amid Bombings" (Vol. 17, p.40, 27 Jan 2003, The Scientist)
Excerpt: "...Thanks to a large pool of science workers and generous government support, Israel has a growing biotech industry... Israel's biotech revolution hinges on broad government financing for startups. A longstanding incubator program has spawned more than 700 companies in the last five years, and nearly one-fifth are biotech related. Each startup receives as much as $300,000 from the government for its first two years of operation, in addition to free office and lab space..."[FullText]

Is Israeli biotech a child?

John K Borchardt, "Israeli biotech - a child with great promise" (26 Sept 2004, The Scientist Daily News)
A bit outdated, but still noteworthy. Leading text: "...The Israeli biotech industry is still in its infancy but heavy investment, an aggressive technology sector and a supportive academic community should ensure some big growth spurts. The nascent Israeli biotech industry boasts brilliant technology but remains in the early stages of commercial development..."[FullText]

Bio-Tech Israel 2005

"The Israel Bio-Medical technolgies" (last viewed 12 Nov 2004, kenes.com)
Excerpt: "...Both the Bio-Tech Conference and the Exhibition will be held at the David-Intercontinental Hotel, Tel Aviv, May 24-26, 2005..."[FullText]

Flourishing Israel Biotech?

Ketaki Sood, Larta Institute Research Economist, "Israel's Flourishing Biotech Industry" (10 May 2004, Larta.org)
Excerpt: "...Today, the life sciences represent 35 per cent of Israel's civilian research activity, and the country is recognized worldwide for its revolutionary academic research and scientific infrastructure. Moreover, Israel has a large number of graduates in mathematics, physics and computer sciences, and this talent pool has contributed to the solidification of its scientific and technological base..."[FullText]

Serono and Israel

Shlomo Maital, "Spelling "Serono" wrong: Why foreign investors have become hesitant about Israel" (22 Sep 2004, Globes Online).
Excerpt: "If someone can’t spell, we say, he writes “Noah” with seven mistakes. How many ways are there to drive away the world’s third largest biotechnology firm, and the largest in Europe, Swiss-based Serono? Israel used them all, and invented new ones. We spelled “Serono” with 10 mistakes. Serono has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Israel since it first came in 1978. Serono’s global sales were $557 million in the first quarter of this year, and net profit was $106 million, up from $60 million. a year ago. In 2003, it made $390 million in profit on sales of $2 billion. Its success was driven by sales of Rebif, Serono’s multiple sclerosis drug, developed with the help of Israel’s InterPharm. Serono is locked in a fierce battle with American biotech firm Biogen, whose rival MS drug is Avonex, like Rebif an interferon-based drug..." [FullText]