MassBio Member Company News

ProteomicFx Launches Website And Groundbreaking Kinase Assay

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:00 EDT

World’s first in vivo kinase assay, delivers physiologically relevant data

MAY 17^th 2013, CAMBRIDGE MA – Today, ProteomicFx announced the launch of its new website, www.proteomicfx.com, and has begun taking orders for its Kohde Kinase Assay.

The technology was developed in Dr. Susan Lindquist’s laboratory at MIT’s Whitehead Institute and is the first of its kind to be performed inside a living cell, offering the pharmaceutical and biotech communities a physiologically relevant tool in the evaluation of target compounds. Because its “hits” are required to enter cells, bind targets, and affect folding, the data generated is more valuable than in vitro kinase assays on the market today. Additional benefits include:

the ability to screen for agonists and antagonists simultaneously without biasing towards active site compound binding,
the identification of ATP-pocket and allosteric binding compounds equivalently well as the assay is agnostic to small molecule binding location,
the capable of interrogating both full-length, mutant, and translocation-fusion proteins.

ProteomicFx uses a fully automated process to reproducibly execute small and large batch screens, providing customers with physiologically relevant data allowing investigators to better understand the properties of lead compounds and predict how these drugs will behave as a therapeutic agent inside the human body.

CEO Dr. Chris Pacheco is encouraged by the initial reaction of the pharma and biotech communities. “By flipping the traditional target-focused approach on its head and screening small molecules against 560 kinases and mutant targets, ProteomicFx unlocks powerful information about a drug company’s compounds which is otherwise hidden to them. I’m excited by the initial response to our Kohde Kinase Assay, and I’m looking forward to developing this platform for other protein:protein interactions.”

For more information, contact:

Marshall Chapin

marshall@proteomicfx.com

617-945-8704

www.proteomicfx.com

Twitter: @ProteomicFx

Ce3 Inc.'s Holly Coulter to Present at 2013 "The Inaugural Forum on Optimizing Clinical Research Performance" Conference

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:00 EDT

Guilford, CT, May 13^th, 2013 – Ce3 Inc. a Clinical Contract Research Organization, today announced that its President and CEO, Holly Coulter, will present at the 2013 “The Inaugural Forum on OPTIMIZING CLINICAL RESEARCH PERFORMANCE” Conference being held at The Marriott Boston Copley Place, Boston, MA from Sunday, May 19 to Tuesday May 21, 2013.

Ms. Coulter will present a session called “Rethinking the Investigator Brochure”: A practical approach to improving communications between sponsors and investigators, using new technologies and operational knowledge to improve patient safety and overall utility of the IB.

MS. Coulter is scheduled to present on: Tuesday, May 21, 2013: 3:25 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

For the full agenda please visit: http://www.iibig.com/conferences/P1301/agenda.html

Ce3 has provided medical writing support to the Bio-Pharma industry for the last 7 years under the leadership of our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Deborah Church. Ce3 contributions to the approval of NDAs, INDs, Regulatory documents, Pediatric Investigation Plans (PIPs) and Clinical Study Reports (CSRs) is supported by our clients’ success and their repeated requests and referrals. We provide a team of writers and document specialists skilled in writing and quality review of these documents.

For more information about the Conference or to schedule a one-on-one meeting, please contact Ce3 Director of Business Development Mennato Forgione at 203-252-7594, mforgione@ce3inc.com .

About Ce3

Ce3 is a full service contract research organization focused on providing pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with Phase 1 – 3 clinical trial execution and regulatory submission services. Our seasoned staff works across a broad range of therapeutic areas, with particular expertise in oncology and infectious disease indications. CE3 stands for Collaborative, Experience, Efficiency & Excellence which are qualities that represent our core values and serve as the foundation for all that we do. Clients benefit from our flexibility, process efficiency, value pricing, and our collaborative relationships with state-of-the-art niche providers; a competitive edge that amplifies value in this highly regulated environment. For more information on Ce3 services, please visit www.Ce3.com and/or follow Ce3 on LinkedIn.

David Gammell and Edwin Pease have joined WilmerHale's Boston office as partners in the Corporate Practice

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:00:00 EDT

David Gammell and Edwin Pease, two leading high tech lawyers, have joined WilmerHale's Boston office as partners in the Corporate Practice. Together, Gammell and Pease have more than 30 years of experience focusing on emerging companies, venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, and related matters.

Gammell, who began his legal career 16 years ago, specializes in advising start-ups and venture-backed companies, venture capital firms, buyers and sellers in mergers and acquisitions, and both private and public companies in tech transfer and licensing matters, joint ventures and partnerships. Pease focuses his practice on advising start-ups and venture-backed companies, venture capital funds, and buyers and sellers in mergers and acquisitions. Between 1997 and 2005, he was an associate with Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault, LLP.

Gammell and Pease join WilmerHale from a Boston-based law firm, where they were co-chairs of the Emerging Technologies and Venture Capital Practices.

WilmerHale’s corporate lawyers are renowned for their work in initial public offerings, venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, corporate governance matters and the representation of emerging companies. These lawyers draw on the resources of WilmerHale’s intellectual property, tax, labor and employment, employee benefits, litigation, real estate, bankruptcy and antitrust practices to provide a one-stop solution to its corporate clients. The firm’s Corporate Practice is consistently ranked by Chambers USA, having most recently been recognized in its 2012 edition as "superb" with "outstanding quality at all levels" and specifically acknowledged as a tier-one firm in the Corporate/M&A category in Massachusetts.

FDA Grants Fast Track Designation for Cubist’s Late-Stage Antibiotic Candidate

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:00:00 EDT

Fast Track Status Provided for ceftolozane/tazobactam in HABP/VABP and cUTI

LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBST) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted the Company’s late-stage antibiotic candidate ceftolozane/tazobactam (CXA-201) Fast Track status in the previously granted Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) indications, Hospital-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia (HABP)/Ventilator-Associated Bacterial Pneumonia (VABP) and Complicated Urinary Tract Infections (cUTI). The FDA granted Fast Track status for ceftolozane/tazobactam in Complicated Intra-Abdominal Infections (cIAI) in February 2013.

“We are pleased that ceftolozane/tazobactam has now received Fast Track designation in all of its potential indications,” said Steven Gilman, Ph.D., Executive Vice President of Research and Development and Chief Scientific Officer of Cubist Pharmaceuticals. “This incentive, enabled by the GAIN Act, will help us expedite the development of ceftolozane/tazobactam across many types of serious and potentially life-threatening infections.”

The QIDP designation for ceftolozane/tazobactam allows Cubist to benefit from certain incentives for the development of new antibiotics, including Priority Review, the Fast Track status designation provided, and if ceftolozane/tazobactam is ultimately approved by the FDA, a five year extension of Hatch-Waxman exclusivity. These incentives are provided under the Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now Act (GAIN Act), which received strong bipartisan support in Congress and was signed into law by President Obama in July 2012 as part of the FDA Safety and Innovation Act (FDASIA), the fifth authorization of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act.

Ceftolozane/tazobactam is currently being studied in pivotal Phase 3 trials as a potential intravenous therapy for the treatment of cIAI and cUTI caused by Gram-negative pathogens, including those caused by multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Cubist expects to initiate a Phase 3 VABP program for ceftolozane/tazobactam by mid-year.

About The GAIN Act

The GAIN Act, Title VIII (Sections 801 through 806) of the FDASIA, provides pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with incentives to develop new antibacterial and antifungal drugs for the treatment of life-threatening infectious diseases caused by drug resistant pathogens. Qualifying pathogens are defined by the GAIN Act to include multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria, including Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Klebsiella, and Escherichia coli species; resistant Gram-positive pathogens, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus; multi-drug resistant tuberculosis; and Clostridium difficile.

About Gram-negative bacteria

The diseases caused by Gram-negative bacteria include intra-abdominal infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, peritonitis, septicemia, neonatal meningitis, and burn and wound infections. In the US in 2003, Gram-negative bacteria were associated with many of the most frequent types of hospital-acquired infections, including 71% of urinary tract infections, 65% of pneumonia episodes, 34% of surgical site infections and 24% of bloodstream infections. Important Gram-negative bacteria include Pseudomonas, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella and Acinetobacter.

About Cubist

Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the research, development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products that address significant unmet medical needs in the acute care environment. Cubist is headquartered in Lexington, Mass. Additional information can be found at Cubist’s website at www.cubist.com.

Cubist Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. Any statements contained herein which do not describe historical facts, including but not limited to, statements regarding: (i) the anticipated favorable impact resulting from the FDA designating ceftolozane/tazobactam as a QIDP, including Priority Review and a five year extension of Hatch-Waxman exclusivity if ceftolozane/tazobactam is ultimately approved by the FDA, and the FDA granting ceftolozane/tazobactam Fast Track status, and (ii) the expected timing of beginning our Phase 3 program in ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia for ceftolozane/tazobactam, are forward-looking statements which involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others: clinical trials of ceftolozane/tazobactam may not be successful or initiated or conducted in a timely manner; we plan to rely, to a significant extent, on third party clinical research organizations, or CROs, to help us conduct clinical trials, so the success and timing of these trials is dependent our ability to work with such CROs and their performance; technical difficulties or excessive costs relating to the manufacture or supply of ceftolozane/tazobactam, including our ability to work with our third party contract manufacturers that manufacture and supply ceftolozane/tazobactam on our behalf; we may encounter other unanticipated or unexpected risks with respect to the development or manufacture of ceftolozane/tazobactam; and those additional factors discussed in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We caution investors not to place considerable reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this document, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any of these statements.

Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
INVESTORS:
Eileen C. McIntyre, 781-860-8533
Vice President, Investor Relations
eileen.mcintyre@cubist.com
or
MEDIA:
Julie DiCarlo, 781-860-8063
Senior Director, Corporate Communications
julie.dicarlo@cubist.com

Source: Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

NUCLEA BIOTECHNOLOGIES RAISES $4.2 MILLION IN SERIES D FUNDING ROUND

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:00:00 EDT

Pittsfield, MA – Nuclea Biotechnologies, Inc. today announced that it has raised $4.2 million in its Series D funding round. The company is planning to close the $5 million dollar Series D offering by May 31^st. The new funds will be used for the commercialization of Nuclea’s Fatty Acid Synthase (FAS) assays along with other clinical assays, including the in vitro diagnostic her-2/neu ELISA assay which forged Nuclea’s recent partnership with WILEX Inc.

Since its creation in 2005, Nuclea has raised at total of $40.3 million. The Pittsfield-based company is focused on the development, clinical validation and commercialization of novel diagnostic and prognostic assays. The new funds will be used for marketing, strengthening strategic partnerships, and building hospital relationships.

"This is a new era for Nuclea Biotechnologies," said Patrick Muraca, President & CEO of Nuclea. "Now, we move from the development stage into the commercialization stage. This is a key milestone in the trajectory of Nuclea’s growth; all of our previous successes were working towards this transition into the commercialization of our diagnostic assays."

"This round of financing puts us in a good position to capitalize on the Company’s commercial opportunities," added Nuclea CFO Robert Pierce. "We expect commercial sales to begin in the second quarter from our partnership with WILEX Inc., to be followed soon after by sales from our own lab developed tests."

Nuclea Biotechnologies, Inc. -- is headquartered in Pittsfield, Massachusetts with additional operations in Worcester, Massachusetts. Nuclea has developed and is commercializing unique diagnostic tests for colon, breast, leukemia, lung and prostate cancer. Nuclea also performs research leading to novel molecular oncology companion diagnostics for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. http://www.nucleabio.com

ARIAD Reports First Quarter 2013 Financial Results and Development Progress

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:00:00 EDT

$6.4 Million of Iclusig^® (ponatinib) Net Sales in Launch Quarter

Conference Call Scheduled Today at 8:30 a.m. ET

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May. 7, 2013-- ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARIA) today reported financial results for the first quarter, including revenue from its first cancer medicine, Iclusig^® (ponatinib), which was approved last December by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. The Company also provided an update on corporate developments.

“Today, we report Iclusig revenues for the first time,” said Harvey J. Berger, M.D., chairman and chief executive officer of ARIAD. “The first quarter shows a very strong launch for Iclusig, which demonstrates early adoption of Iclusig in all lines of treatment for adult patients with CML or Ph+ALL that is resistant or intolerant to prior TKI therapy and impressive market penetration into both the community and academic physician settings. Our commercial team has shown that it can compete effectively in this market, and we will build on this momentum as we move forward through the year. Ensuring that Iclusig is available to all resistant or intolerant Ph+ leukemia adult patients in need of this new treatment option – independent of their ability to pay – is our priority.”

2013 First Quarter Financial Results

Product Revenues

Net sales of Iclusig were $6.4 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2013.

We currently use the sell-through method for recognition of product revenues. As of March 31, 2013, we deferred revenue of $3.3 million in the U.S., representing Iclusig inventory at specialty pharmacies and distributors, which had not yet shipped to the end customer by the end of the quarter.

In addition, we shipped $2.1 million of Iclusig to patients in France through Autorisation Temporaire d’Utilisation (ATU), or Temporary Authorization for Use. Previously, in 2012, we also shipped $1.1 million of Iclusig to patients through the ATU. Shipments under the French ATU will be recorded as revenue when the list price in France is determined. We anticipate this determination to occur later this year.

Net Income/Loss

Net loss for the quarter ended March 31, 2013 was $64.7 million, or $0.36 per share, compared to net loss of $55.9 million, or $0.35 per share, for the same period in 2012.

Research and development expenses increased by $12.5 million from the first quarter of 2012 to the first quarter of 2013, predominantly reflecting further expansion of clinical development and manufacturing activities for Iclusig and AP26113.

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased by $18.2 million from the first quarter of 2012 to the first quarter of 2013, reflecting investment in the commercial launch of Iclusig in the U.S., preparations for anticipated commercial launch of Iclusig in Europe and related activities.

Cash Position

As of March 31, 2013, cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled $398.3 million, compared to $164.4 million at December 31, 2012. In January 2013, we raised net proceeds of $310 million in an underwritten public offering and sale of approximately 16.5 million shares of our common stock.

Recent Progress on Key Objectives

Global Commercialization of Iclusig

By the end of the first quarter of commercial launch of Iclusig in the U.S., there were more than 225 unique prescribers of Iclusig and nearly 200 unique accounts using Iclusig. As of March 31, 2013, more than 325 patients in the U.S. were being treated with Iclusig obtained commercially based on physicians’ prescriptions.
Approximately 65 percent of prescribers are community-based physicians, with the remainder based in the academic setting. We expect that adoption of Iclusig among community oncologists and hematologists will continue to increase as commercialization progresses further.
In March 2013, the Committee for Human Medicinal Products (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency adopted a positive opinion for full approval of Iclusig for two indications. The positive recommendation by the CHMP of Iclusig for use in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and Philadelphia-chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ALL) provides for broad use of Iclusig in resistant and intolerant patients, including many patients who have failed only one prior tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI).
When adopted by the European Commission, we expect that Iclusig will be indicated for use in CML and Ph+ALL in the second-line setting and later lines in patients who are resistant to dasatinib or nilotinib, or who have the T315I mutation of BCR-ABL. We expect to be launch-ready in Europe by July 1, 2013.
We expect approval of Iclusig in the EU in the second quarter of 2013. We also have filed a Marketing Authorization Application for Iclusig in Switzerland and expect to submit regulatory filings in Canada and Australia in the third quarter of 2013.

Broadening Iclusig Clinical Development

The global, Phase 3 EPIC trial of Iclusig, which compares Iclusig to imatinib in patients with newly diagnosed CML, is advancing towards full patient enrollment in the fourth quarter of 2013. Approximately 120 clinical sites in 20 countries are now participating in the trial, and data from an interim analysis of safety and efficacy are anticipated in the third quarter of 2014.
In Japan, we have transitioned into the Phase 2 portion of the Phase 1/2 clinical trial of Iclusig in resistant or intolerant CML and Ph+ ALL patients. The recommended dose of Iclusig in Japanese patients is the same as in the U.S. and Europe - 45 mg once daily. We are on schedule to file for regulatory approval of Iclusig in Japan next year.
We expect enrollment in the randomized Phase 3 SPIRIT 3 trial to begin in the third quarter of 2013. We are collaborating with the U.K. National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) on this trial to assess the impact of switching patients with CML being treated with a first-line tyrosine-kinase inhibitor, upon suboptimal response or treatment failure, to Iclusig. The NCRI expects to enroll 1,000 patients at approximately 172 clinical research sites in the U.K.
A Phase 2 trial of Iclusig in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) is expected to begin this quarter.

Advancing AP26113 Through Clinical Development

The Phase 1 portion of our Phase 1/2 clinical trial of AP26113 is nearing completion, and we expect to transition into the Phase 2 expansion cohorts by the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in June.
In parallel to enrollment in the Phase 2 expansion cohorts, we plan to begin a pivotal trial of AP26113 in ALK-positive NSCLC patients who are resistant to crizotinib in the third quarter of 2013.
We will present clinical updates on AP26113 at the 2013 annual meetings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in June and the European Society of Medical Oncology in September.

Upcoming Medical Meeting and Investor Briefing

American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2013 Annual Meeting, Chicago, May 31 to June 4, 2013.
Investor and Analyst Briefing at ASCO, Chicago Hilton, June 3 at 7:30 a.m. (CT)

Upcoming Investor Meetings

ARIAD management will be making corporate presentations at the following investor conferences:

Bank of America Merrill Lynch Healthcare Conference, Las Vegas, May 14, 2013
UBS Global Healthcare Conference, New York, May 20, 2013
Deutsche Bank 38^th Annual Healthcare Conference, Boston, May 30, 2013
Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference, New York, June 5, 2013
Goldman Sachs 34^th Annual Healthcare Conference, Rancho Palos Verdes, June 11, 2013
William Blair Growth Stock Conference, Chicago, June 11, 2013

Today’s Conference Call at 8:30 a.m. ET

We will hold a live webcast and conference call of our first quarter financial results this morning at 8:30 a.m. ET. The live webcast can be accessed by visiting the investor relations section of the Company’s website at http://investor.ariad.com. The call can be accessed by dialing 866-515-2914 (domestic) or 617-399-5128 (international) five minutes prior to the start time and providing the pass code 43738421. A replay of the call will be available on the ARIAD website approximately two hours after completion of the call and will be archived for three weeks.

About Iclusig^® (ponatinib) tablets

Iclusig is a kinase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of adult patients with chronic phase, accelerated phase, or blast phase chronic myeloid leukemia that is resistant or intolerant to prior tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy or Philadelphia chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia that is resistant or intolerant to prior tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy. This indication is based upon response rate. There are no trials verifying an improvement in disease-related symptoms or increased survival with Iclusig.

Important Safety Information for Iclusig^® (ponatinib)

WARNING: ARTERIAL THROMBOSIS and HEPATOTOXICITY

Arterial Thrombosis: Cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and peripheral vascular thrombosis, including fatal myocardial infarction and stroke have occurred in Iclusig-treated patients. In clinical trials, serious arterial thrombosis occurred in eight percent of Iclusig-treated patients. Interrupt and consider discontinuation of Iclusig in patients who develop arterial thrombotic events.

Hepatotoxicity: Hepatotoxicity, liver failure and death have occurred in Iclusig-treated patients. Monitor hepatic function prior to and during treatment. Interrupt and then reduce or discontinue Iclusig for hepatotoxicity.

Please visit www.iclusig.com for full prescribing information, including boxed warning.

About ARIAD

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Lausanne, Switzerland, is an integrated global oncology company focused on transforming the lives of cancer patients with breakthrough medicines. ARIAD is working on new medicines to advance the treatment of various forms of chronic and acute leukemia, lung cancer and other difficult-to-treat cancers. ARIAD utilizes computational and structural approaches to design small-molecule drugs that overcome resistance to existing cancer medicines. For additional information, visit http://www.ariad.com or follow ARIAD on Twitter (@ARIADPharm).

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” including, but not limited to, updates on clinical, preclinical and regulatory developments and commercialization plans for our product candidates and financial guidance for 2013. Forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations and are subject to certain factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, outcome of events, timing and performance to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, our ability to successfully launch, commercialize and generate profits from sales of Iclusig; competition from alternative therapies, our ability to obtain approval for Iclusig outside of the United States and in additional indications; our reliance on third-party manufacturers, and on specialty pharmacies for the distribution of Iclusig; preclinical data and early-stage clinical data that may not be replicated in later-stage clinical studies; the costs associated with our research, development, manufacturing and other activities; the conduct and results of preclinical and clinical studies of our product candidates; difficulties or delays in obtaining regulatory approvals to market products; the adequacy of our capital resources and the availability of additional funding; patent protection and third-party intellectual property claims; our failure to comply with extensive regulatory requirements; the occurrence of serious adverse events in patients being treated with Iclusig or our product candidates; risks related to key employees, markets, economic conditions, health care reform, prices and reimbursement rates; and other risk factors detailed in the Company's public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The information contained in this press release is believed to be current as of the date of original issue. The Company does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this document to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in the Company's expectations, except as required by law.


ARIAD PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

*In thousands, except per share data*		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2013			2012
		(Unaudited)			(Unaudited)
Total revenue	$	6,464		$	81
Operating expenses:
Cost of product revenue		(269	)		---
Research and development		(41,263	)		(28,774	)
General and administrative		(29,481	)		(11,288	)
Total operating expenses		(71,013	)		(40,062	)
Revaluation of warrant liability		---			(15,924	)
Other		(62	)		11
Other income (expense), net		(62	)		(15,913	)
Provision for income taxes		(59	)		---
Net loss	$	(64,670	)	$	(55,894	)
Net loss per common share:
-- basic and diluted	$	(0.36	)	$	(0.35	)
Weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding:
-- basic and diluted		178,541			160,970

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET INFORMATION

*In thousands*		March 31, 2013		December 31, 2012
		(Unaudited)
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities	$	398,328	$	164,414
Total assets	$	452,360	$	180,193
Total liabilities	$	88,384	$	67,342
Stockholders’ equity	$	363,976	$	112,851


CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS INFORMATION

*In thousands*		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2013			2012
		(Unaudited)			(Unaudited)
Net cash used in operating activities	$	(68,450	)	$	(30,561	)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities		12,720			(90,665	)
Net cash provided by financing activities		309,630			13,192
Effect of exchange rates on cash		22			---

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	$	253,922		$	(108,034	)

Source: ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Lynn Granito

Berry & Company Public Relations, LLC

57 E 11th Street

6th Floor

New York, NY 10003

T: 212 253-8881 F: 212 253-8241

lgranito@berrypr.com

www.berrypr.com

Specialty Drug Delivery Firm Integral BioSystems LLC Exhibiting at ARVO 2013 Gathering in Seattle, WA

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:00:00 EDT

Bedford, MA pharmaceutical formulation development company Integral BioSystems will exhibit and offer its drug development expertise to attendees at the ARVO Annual Meeting at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, WA from May 5, 2013 through May 9, 2013 in Exhibitor Booth #517

The 2013 Meeting of the Association for Research and Vision in Ophthalmology, being held at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, WA combines a wide range of talks from commercial and academic figures in ophthalmological science, poster presentations about recent developments in ophthalmology, and offers of ophthalmology-related products and services. Integral BioSystems LLC, led by 20+ year veteran of drug formulation development Shikha P. Barman, Ph.D. and VP of Operations/Intellectual Property Dave Karasic, Esq., will be on hand to answer questions about the firm and its capabilities, which include ophthalmological pharmaceutical formulation development and its related intellectual property issues.

Integral BioSystems’ niche is in developing nano-engineered drug delivery systems aimed at providing solutions to long-held issues in drug products, especially in low drug absorption by target tissues due to cell impermeability and insolubility. In addition to assisting drug companies in developing their dosage forms, Integral scientists are also working on novel solutions to improve the bioavailability of Class II, III and IV compounds, as well developing proprietary drug delivery platforms for both the front of the eye and back of the eye administration.

The Company has developed, and continues to develop, numerous dosage forms for ophthalmic administration routes. Integral BioSystems has a translational approach to drug development, customizing delivery systems to achieve the biologically effective objectives of the therapy. Dosage forms are customized to achieve sustained release or targeted, tissue-focused delivery or fast-release/instant delivery, depending upon the desired product attributes.

Once the drug-containing formulations are tested in preclinical models, the Company develops an integrated CMC plan to systematically transition the project to scale up and product development. As part of product development, Integral BioSystems specializes in efficiently developing a dosage form to manufacture and test in Phase I/Phase II first-in-man trials for proof-of-concept. The Company has a network of manufacturers/analytical houses for pharmaceutics that can fast-track the manufacture and release of the sterile dosage form for first-in-man trials.

The Company business model is based on the following corporate objectives: (a) to be a collaborating partner in formulation development/drug product design for start-up and small companies, taking concepts from the laboratory to the clinic, (b) to re-formulate approved drugs for better efficacy and safety profiles, (c) to be a collaborating partner with API synthesis companies to develop generic drug product formats and (d) offer corporate legal services such as contract development/negotiations, patent filings and assessment of IP portfolios.

Contact

Shikha Barman
Integral BioSystems
781-258-4039
Email

TGA Sciences, Inc. celebrating our 15th Anniversary

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EDT

(Medford, MA, April 16, 2013) - TGA Sciences, Inc. (www.tgasciences.com) is excited and proud to celebrate 15 years of providing the life science industry with a comprehensive range of contract laboratory services. Over these 15 years, we have expanded our research facilities, hired 10 employees, and worked with numerous pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic organizations in the U.S. and internationally.

About TGA Sciences

TGA Sciences, Inc. is a contract research organization (CRO) providing the Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology and Academic communities with a comprehensive range of laboratory services in support of basic research and development as well as for clinical studies. We serve clients both in the U.S. and internationally.

For further information, please contact:

Michael Settles
President, Business Development
TGA Sciences, Inc.
781-393-6910 x203
msettles@tgasciences.com

ARIAD to Host Conference Call and Webcast Discussion of First Quarter 2013 Financial Results on May 7, 2013

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EDT

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 23, 2013 ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARIA) today announced that it will report its first quarter 2013 financial results on Tuesday, May 7, 2013, before the market opens. Following the announcement, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time, company management will host a conference call and webcast discussion of the results and provide a general corporate update.

The live webcast can be accessed by visiting the investor relations section of the Company’s website at http://investor.ariad.com. The call can be accessed by dialing 866- 515-2914 (domestic) or 617-399-5128 (international) five minutes prior to the start time and providing the pass code 43738421. A replay of the call will be available on the ARIAD website approximately two hours after completion of the call and will be archived for three weeks.

About ARIAD

HEMARINA SA expands its operations to Boston U.S.A.

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EDT

Two days into the 2013 BIO International Convention in Chicago, the Massachusetts team is pleased to announce that the French company Hemarina is opening a Boston office – its first in the Americas (please see press release below).

“We enthusiastically welcome Hemarina to the Massachusetts life sciences community,” said Susan Windham-Bannister, Ph.D., President & CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, the agency charged with implementing the 10-year, $1-billion Life Sciences Initiative. “According to experts, each year the number of patients waiting to receive organ transplants exceeds the supply, causing the waiting time to increase. By improving the quality of organ preservation, Hemarina’s exciting new HEMO₂Life® product will help address this critical imbalance between demand and supply.”

"Today's announcement is a great example of the purpose of our presence at a show like the BIO International Convention-- to showcase the power of collaboration with and among Massachusetts life sciences organizations, companies, and government partners," said Robert K. Coughlin, President & CEO of MassBio. "We are thrilled to welcome Hemarina to Massachusetts and know they will find the clients and partners they seek in our life sciences supercluster."

"Mayor Menino is pleased to welcome biotech innovator Hemarina to Boston," said Boston Redevelopment Authority Director Peter Meade. "This city is a strategic location for a European company to expand its operations. We look forward to seeing them thrive and grow in Boston's strong life sciences cluster."

Hemarina Inc. will be the company affiliate for the Americas

Morlaix, France - 04/23/2013 – HEMARINA, the French based Biotechnology Company, today announced its establishment in Boston, Massachusetts USA thru the incorporation of Hemarina Inc. on March 15^th, 2013. The new affiliate will be in charge of North and South America and will allow HEMARINA to deploy its global strategy more efficiently, and will be the corporate link between its headquarters located in Morlaix, France to facilitate its partnerships in the Americas.

Seven years after its creation, HEMARINA has decided to accelerate its developments and anticipates the registration of its product HEMO₂Life® which is an additive to organ preservation solutions to enhance, and improve organ quality and preservation duration and conditions in the transplantation field. As one the world’s leading Life Sciences hubs, Boston and Cambridge, has a most flourishing and attractive environment, and therefore is a natural choice for a biotechnology company like HEMARINA.

Dr. Franck Zal, Chief Executive Officer and Scientific Executive Officer, HEMARINA commented: “The U.S. pharma and biotech markets tend to be early technology adopters, and Boston is an ideal location for Hemarina Inc. to benefit from this rich innovation ecosystem from a culture and networks perspectives. Furthermore, the new affiliate office is expected to facilitate the administrative and operational processes required for HEMARINA with its scientific and commercial partners in the United States including ongoing collaborations such as with the Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) and Naval Medical Research Unit of San Antonio (NAMRU-SA).”

The affiliate has been organized in collaboration with the law firm of Morse, Barnes-Brown & Pendleton, and ITRA Global The Stevens Group. Morse, Barnes-Brown & Pendleton will continue to act as legal counsel for Hemarina Inc. in its operations. The offices of Hemarina Inc. will be located in Ten Post Office Square, 8th Floor Boston, MA 02109.

About HEMARINA:

HEMARINA is a biotechnology start-up based in Morlaix, France; developing innovative solutions for patients and healthcare industry based on its universal oxygen carriers portfolio and pipeline products. HEMARINA has four core business programs, all of which are patented breakthrough innovations: organ transplantation and tissue conservation, blood substitutes, infections and wound healing, and bio-production. HEMARINA’s core assets and know-how are based on marine molecules, and its corporate culture, policy and social responsibility are based on a focus on large unmet medical needs, a public health issues-solving mindset, excellence in science and processes, and nature conservation and environment friendly approaches and attitudes.

For more information about HEMARINA, please visit www.HEMARINA.com

About Morse, Barnes-Brown & Pendleton:

Morse, Barnes-Brown & Pendleton focuses exclusively on the core legal services that businesses need to succeed. The firm is built on a unique business model that provides its clients with access to highly experienced counsel in the areas of corporate and corporate finance law; intellectual property; licensing and strategic alliances; employment and immigration; and tax planning and defense. While it enjoys a reputation for special competency in life sciences and other technology ventures, it represents clients in all industries and of all sizes – from startups to Fortune 1000 companies.

For more information about Morse, Barnes-Brown & Pendleton, please visit www.mbbp.com

About ITRA Global | The Stevens Group:

The Stevens Group was founded in 1980 to provide commercial real estate services to corporate clients, assisting them in the leasing, acquisition and disposition of commercial real estate. The Stevens Group’s mission is to provide its clients with the most complete, unbiased real estate advice and the most efficient systems in business real estate, combining international reach and local knowledge to obtain the best possible space at the best possible terms.

For more information about ITRA Global The Stevens Group, please visit www.thestevensgrp.com/

Contacts:

For HEMARINA & Hemarina Inc:

Phone: +33 298 880 360

E-mail: media@HEMARINA.com

Website: www.hemarina.com

Twitter: @HEMARINA

Facebook: HemarinaBiotech

For MBBP:

Phone: +1-781-697-2223

E-mail: pbarnes-brown@mbbp.com

Website: www.mbbp.com

For Stevens Group:

Phone: +1-617-886-9300

E-mail: dstevens@thestevensgrp.com

Website: www.thestevensgrp.com

Massachusetts Life Sciences Center announces new international partnership program

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EDT

Regions of Australia, Belgium, Canada and France will partner with Massachusetts companies to apply for joint life sciences R&D funding

For Immediate Release: Date: April 22, 2013

Contact: MLSC, Angus McQuilken, Vice President for Communications and Marketing Cell: 617-921-7749 Email: amcquilken@masslifesciences.com

CHICAGO, USA – The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) announced today at the 2013 BIO International Convention the launch of a new International Collaborative Industry Program (ICIP). The creation of ICIP stemmed from international demand to partner with Massachusetts life sciences companies in jointly advancing R&D efforts for new products and processes intended for commercialization.

The MLSC will partner with Victoria, Australia; the Wallonia region of Belgium; Quebec, Canada; and Alsace in France to award funding to support winning projects demonstrating innovative and collaborative research and development (R&D) in Massachusetts and in the partnering regions. The program will enable company partners from biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, diagnostics and bioinformatics to submit project applications.

Through the MLSC, Massachusetts is investing $1 billion over 10 years in the growth of the state’s life sciences supercluster. These investments are being made under the Massachusetts Life Sciences Initiative, proposed by Governor Deval Patrick in 2007, and passed by the State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Patrick in 2008.

The MLSC has a number of existing international partnerships with regions such as Israel, Northern Ireland, Catalonia and Finland. These partnerships have fostered collaborative research arrangements between both companies and academic institutions. The new program will build on these existing partnerships to promote collaboration in more of the world’s leading life sciences clusters.

“Massachusetts is a global leader in the life sciences industry because of our strong public and private investments in innovation” said Greg Bialecki, Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development. “By expanding our collaborations with the other leading life sciences clusters around the world, we are setting Massachusetts up for success in the 21st century global economy.”

An eligible project will be in late-stage R&D, and will consist of one Massachusetts company and one company from one of the four international partner regions. Winning partners emerging from this competitive process will each be funded by an agency in their own geography.

“No one country or region can address on its own the urgent health challenges that still face our global community,” said Susan Windham-Bannister, Ph.D., President & CEO of the MLSC. “In Massachusetts we believe that the life sciences breakthroughs of tomorrow will be grounded in new models of international collaboration, like the strategic alliances that we celebrate today with Victoria, Wallonia, Quebec and Alsace.”

During this inaugural round of ICIP, the MLSC Board of Directors has authorized a total of up to $1.5 million for winning Massachusetts companies. Grants will range from a minimum of $100,000 to a maximum of $500,000, and companies will match the funding that MLSC provides. The international agency will fund their local company winners. The Phase I project applications are due in September, 2013, and announcement of the winners is expected in March, 2014.

“Victoria and Massachusetts share many features, including a global reputation for excellence within life sciences,” said Victorian Minister for Technology Gordon Rich-Phillips. “This new initiative will greatly benefit the Victorian life sciences industry by providing greater opportunities to develop products, processes and services as well as by focusing on ways to grow and support our vibrant biotechnology industry.”

“The Walloon Government decided to grant a budget of 1.500.000$ to foster one of the most strategic partnerships in the field of biotechnologies and health,” said Jean-Claude Marcourt, Vice-President and Minister Economy of the Government Wallonia in Belgium. “Wallonia is a worldwide top leader in the field of life sciences. Indeed, the region is the first producer of vaccines in the world. The realization of this agreement demonstrates the political wish of Wallonia of reinforcing and globalizing its clusters, notably BioWin.”

“Research and innovation play a central role in the growth of the life sciences sector in Quebec,” said Quebec’s Minister of Finance and Economy, Nicolas Marceau. “Our participation in the International Collaborative Industry Program is thus strategic for Quebec. In fact, project funding through the Quebec Consortium for Drug Discovery (CQDM) will strengthen the innovative base of our companies and consolidate the strong links we share with Massachusetts, particularly in link with the joint declaration signed in 2009 with the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment. Quebec’s participation in this program is thus in line with the actions that our government is putting in place to adapt to the new business model of the world industry that suppose partnerships and collaborations in the field of research and innovation.”

“Alsace BioValley is particularly proud to be the French Health competitiveness cluster to partner with the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. In the current economic situation, this agreement represents new business opportunities for our companies and, thanks to our French partner OSEO (Public Bank of Investment), funding for cooperative projects. It also offers personalized access to international high-level expertise,” said Jean-Yves Bonnefoy, Alsace BioValley President.

“Congratulations to the Life Sciences Center and their partners in Victoria, Wallonia, Quebec, and Alsace,” said Tom Gradel, Acting Director of the Massachusetts Office of International Trade & Investment. “These collaborative efforts will further strengthen the innovative ecosystem in the Commonwealth and our reputation as a global destination for business.”

For more information about ICIP, visit www.masslifesciences.com/icip or email icip@masslifesciences.com.

About the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center

The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) is a quasi-public agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts tasked with implementing the Massachusetts Life Sciences Act, a 10-year, $1-billion initiative that was signed into law in June of 2008. The MLSC’s mission is to create jobs in the life sciences and support vital scientific research that will improve the human condition. This work includes making financial investments in public and private institutions that are advancing life sciences research, development and commercialization as well as building ties among sectors of the Massachusetts life sciences community. For more information, visit www.masslifesciences.com.

About the International Collaborative Industry Program (ICIP)

The MLSC’s International Collaborative Industry Program (ICIP) seeks to promote collaboration and idea exchange between life sciences companies around the world, as well as to stimulate the development of new products or processes intended for commercialization. ICIP accepts project proposals rooted in the life sciences: Biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, diagnostics and bioinformatics. Projects sponsored together by a Massachusetts life sciences company and a company from one of the participating international partner regions are eligible to apply for joint funding from the MLSC and the respective international partner agency.

About the Department of Business and Innovation, State Government of Victoria, Australia
The Department of Business and Innovation helps grow Victoria’s diverse and vibrant economy by supporting pro-business policies and programs and the development of innovative industries. This includes focusing on science policy, including biotechnology and medical research, and the implementation of related life sciences programs. For more information, visit www.biotechnology.vic.gov.au or www.business.vic.gov.au/bgb.

About BioWin
BioWin is the health competitiveness cluster of Wallonia, a region of Belgium (South of Brussels). Created in 2006, its ambition is to federate all stakeholders from Wallonia participating in innovation and training in the field of health biotechnology and medical technologies. BioWin’s objectives are to create a new culture of openness and partnership favorable to innovation in Wallonia; to train, attract and retain in Wallonia a human capital of excellence; to help the edification of collective infrastructures and technological platforms; and to promote internationally the strengths of the Walloon region in the area of health biotechnology and medical technologies. For more information visit www.biowin.org and the BioWin blog at http://win-health.org.

About the Québec Consortium for Drug Discovery (CQDM)
The CQDM is a meeting place for all stakeholders in the biopharmaceutical research whose primary mission is to fund research projects in partnership between academia and the public sector hospitals, and pharmaceutical and biotechnology private sector. Innovative initiative in Canada, CQDM has a two-fold goal: To accelerate the process of drug discovery and drug development safer and more effective. Project funding is made possible through contributions from the Quebec government and key industry players as Pfizer Canada, AstraZeneca, Merck, Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd., GlaxoSmithKline, Eli Lilly Canada Inc., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. For more information, visit www.cqdm.org.

About Alsace BioValley

As a French world-class cluster dedicated to therapeutic innovations, Alsace BioValley is the one-stop contact for optimizing any R&D development or business project in Europe. Located in the Alsace region, part of the famous French-German-Swiss BioValley and home to a unique concentration of international life sciences and healthcare players, Alsace BioValley will help any life sciences and healthcare companies interested in new projects and partnerships in Europe to search for outstanding scientific or industrial partners, to develop very innovative R&D projects, to find the best innovative technology -- patent or scientific expertise, or to set up and locate in the Alsace region. For more information visit www.alsace-biovalley.com or www.biovalley.com.
###

AstraZeneca and BIND Therapeutics announce worldwide development and commercialisation agreement for cancer nanomedicine

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EDT

AstraZeneca and BIND Therapeutics announced today that they have entered into a strategic collaboration to develop and commercialise an Accurin™, a targeted and programmable cancer nanomedicine from BIND’s Medicinal Nanoengineering platform, based on a molecularly targeted kinase inhibitor developed and owned by AstraZeneca.

The collaboration is based on emerging data suggesting that nanomedicines like Accurins selectively accumulate in diseased tissues and cells, leading to higher drug concentrations at the site of the tumour and reduced exposure to healthy tissues.

Under the terms of the agreement, the companies will work together to complete Investigational New Drug-enabling studies of the lead Accurin, identified from a previously-completed feasibility programme. AstraZeneca will then have exclusive development and commercialisation rights, while BIND will lead manufacturing during the development phase. BIND could receive upfront and pre-approval milestone payments totaling $69 million, and more than $130 million in regulatory and sales milestones and other payments as well as tiered single to double-digit royalties on future sales.

“We are excited to grow this collaboration with AstraZeneca, a leading global biopharmaceutical company committed to developing innovative medicines for patients,” said Scott Minick, President and CEO of BIND. “One year ago, BIND started several feasibility projects with major pharmaceutical companies. Our collaboration with AstraZeneca is the first one completed and had very successful results. Due to the advanced nature of this programme, we now plan to move an Accurin with optimised therapeutic properties quickly into product development.”

“AstraZeneca believes that targeted therapies which specifically address the underlying mechanisms of disease are the future of personalised cancer treatment,” said Susan Galbraith, Head of AstraZeneca’s Oncology Innovative Medicines Unit. “Our oncology teams are actively exploring a range of platforms to deliver targeted therapies, with a strategic focus on unlocking the significant potential of nanoparticles in cancer treatment. We view BIND’s targeted nanomedicines as a leading technology in this field.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Accurins™

BIND Therapeutics is discovering and developing Accurins, proprietary new best-in-class therapeutics with superior target selectivity and the potential to improve patient outcomes in the areas of oncology, inflammatory diseases and cardiovascular disorders. Leveraging its proprietary Medicinal Nanoengineering® platform, BIND develops Accurins that outperform conventional drugs by selectively accumulating in diseased tissues and cells. The result is higher drug concentrations at the site of action with minimal off-target exposure, leading to markedly better efficacy and safety.

About BIND Therapeutics

BIND Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of highly selective targeted and programmable therapeutics called Accurins. BIND’s Medicinal Nanoengineering® platform enables the design, engineering and manufacturing of Accurins with unprecedented control over drug properties to maximise trafficking to disease sites, dramatically enhancing efficacy while minimising toxicities.

BIND is developing a pipeline of novel Accurins that hold extraordinary potential to become best-in-class drugs and improve patient outcomes in the areas of oncology, inflammatory diseases and cardiovascular disorders. BIND's lead product candidate, BIND-014, is currently entering Phase 2 clinical testing in cancer patients and is designed to selectively target PSMA, a surface protein upregulated in a broad range of solid tumors. BIND also develops Accurins in collaboration with pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners to enable promising pipeline candidates to achieve their full potential and to utilise selective targeting to transform the performance of important existing drug products.

BIND is backed by leading investors Polaris Venture Partners, Flagship Ventures, ARCH Venture Partners, NanoDimension, DHK Investments, EndeavourVision and Rusnano. BIND was founded on proprietary technology from the laboratories of two leaders in the field of nanomedicine, Professors Robert Langer, David H. Koch Institute Professor of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Omid Farokhzad, Associate Professor of Harvard Medical School. For more information, please visit the company's web site at www.bindtherapeutics.com.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of cardiovascular, metabolic, respiratory, inflammation, autoimmune, oncology, infection and neuroscience diseases. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. For more information please visit: www.astrazeneca.com.

CONTACTS

Media Enquiries

Esra Erkal-Paler +44 20 7604 8030 (UK/Global)
Vanessa Rhodes +44 20 7604 8037 (UK/Global)
Ayesha Bharmal +44 20 7604 8034 (UK/Global)
Laura Woodin +1 610 999 8330 (US)

Investor Enquiries

James Ward-Lilley +44 20 7604 8122 mob: +44 7785 432613
Karl Hård +44 20 7604 8123 mob: +44 7789 654364
Colleen Proctor + 1 302 886 1842 mob: +1 302 357 4882
Ed Seage + 1 302 886 4065 mob: +1 302 373 1361

Labguru Integrates Addgene Plasmid Database

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EDT

Will help the research community better share, use, and track plasmids

TEL AVIV - 18 April 2013

BioData Ltd., producers of Labguru lab and research management software, and Addgene, a non-profit plasmid repository, announced today the integration of Addgene’s 22,000–plasmid database to Labguru. In the past year, BioData has added more than 800,000 biological products and protocols to Labguru, thereby further helping improve research labs’ productivity.

Addgene, a Boston-based non-profit biorepository dedicated to facilitating scientific discoveries by operating a plasmid library for researchers, was established in 2004 to resolve difficulties encountered in identifying and obtaining plasmids mentioned in published journal articles.

“Both Labguru and Addgene help scientists conduct research more efficiently. This partnership is a natural extension of our motivations at Addgene and our efforts to help the research community better share, use, and track plasmids,” said Melina Fan, Addgene’s co-founder.

Integrating Addgene’s data into Labguru makes it easier for researchers to maintain their lab’s plasmid inventory. As lab members add Addgene plasmids to Labguru, supporting metadata automatically appears thereby saving time on basic data entry and, more importantly, ensuring accurate and detailed recordkeeping. Each plasmid record can also be quickly adapted for one's research and assigned a location in the lab.

“Addgene integration provides researchers with more relevant information at their fingertips. As with our previous database agreements, we’re focused on our users. Plasmids available from Addgene are an excellent resource for cloning and gene expression assays; having them on Labguru makes them more easily accessible, visual, and searchable. We will continue to integrate more essential databases as Labguru evolves, based on the requests and needs of the community,” said Adam Sartiel, BioData’s CEO.

Addgene and BioData plan to extend their collaboration in the future to allow deposit of desired plasmids from inside Labguru directly to the Addgene database.

To learn more or start a free trial of Labguru, visit www.labguru.com .

About BioData

Based in Los Angeles, Boston and Tel Aviv, BioData Ltd. creates digital tools for improving productivity of academic and industrial life-science laboratories. BioData’s web-based software currently serves more than 45,000 users in over 300 academic institutes worldwide. For more information, visit www.labguru.com.

About Addgene

Addgene is a 501(c)3 non-profit biorepository dedicated to facilitating scientific discoveries by operating a plasmid library for researchers. Plasmids are DNA-based research reagents commonly used in the life sciences. Scientists need to share these reagents to collaborate and build upon the work of their colleagues. Addgene has worked with over 1,400 laboratories to assemble its current collection of 22,000 plasmids, and continues to solicit new deposits. Plasmids have been distributed to over 60 different countries and over 7,000 plasmids are shipped each month. By authenticating, storing, archiving, and distributing plasmids and their associated data, Addgene is creating a lasting resource for research and discovery scientists around the world. For more information, visit www.addgene.org.

About Digital Science

Digital Science is a division of Macmillan Publishers Ltd., launched in December 2010 to provide technology solutions for researchers. From intelligent knowledge discovery tools to software applications for the laboratory and decision-support systems for managers, Digital Science combines world-class technology with a resolute focus on scientists and those who support the research process. For more information, visit www.digital-science.com.

General Inquiries: BioData Ltd. Michal Frenkiel VP, Marketing + (972) 52-620 – 1111 michal.frenkiel@biodata.com	Addgene Melina Fan, PhD Director of Academic Outreach + (1) 617-225-9000 mfan@addgene.org
Media Contacts: Alan Zachary, Ph.D. + (1) 312-506-5220 azachary@harrisdmckinney.com Ryan Ferrell + (1) 312-506-5202 rferrell@harrisdmckinney.com

Joint Statement from Lynn Nicholas and John Erwin on behalf of the Massachusetts Hospital Association and Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals regarding the Boston Marathon

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EDT

“On behalf of our hospital community, MHA and COBTH would like to express our heartfelt sorrow and sympathy to the victims and families of yesterday’s tragic events at the Boston Marathon. Our thoughts are with those families who lost loved ones, those who were injured and those indirectly affected. We want to commend the heroic efforts of hospitals, first responders, and the local, state, and federal agencies that collaborated to ensure that the injured received care in the immediate aftermath of the event. Those on the frontline helped save lives, many without regard to their own personal safety.

In particular, we want to express our appreciation and admiration for the professional and dedicated efforts of all hospitals and their staff that worked to care for these patients under extraordinary conditions. Even as the care for victims who were gravely injured continues, hospitals are working together and collectively with the state to identify additional resources that can be extended to support the broader community both at this time and in the coming weeks.”
###

http://cobth.org/

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Menino today announced the formation of The One Fund Boston

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EDT

CLICK HERE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE ONE FUND BOSTON

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Menino today announced the formation of The One Fund Boston, the purpose of which is to raise money to help those families most affected by the tragic events that unfolded during Monday’s Boston Marathon.

“I am humbled by the outpouring of support by the business community and individuals who are united in their desire to help; The One Fund Boston will act as a central fund to receive much needed financial support,” Governor Patrick said. “At moments like this, we are one state, one city, and one people.”

According to Mayor Menino, support from the business community was immediate. “Within an hour, I had calls from business leaders and local philanthropists who, like me, were heartbroken by the impact this hideous tragedy has had on individuals, their families, and friends. And they want to do everything they can to help these people physically and psychologically in the future.”

The cornerstone donation to The One Fund Boston is a $1 million commitment from John Hancock. “John Hancock is honored to contribute to The One Fund Boston, aiding those who were affected by this terrible event,” said Craig Bromley, President. “The Boston Marathon is about courage and resilience and community. John Hancock, which has been headquartered in Boston for more than 150 years, will continue to stand by our city, the people of Boston, our community partners, the runners, and the Boston Athletic Association as we unite in recovery and in renewal of our commitment to the Boston Marathon.”

Other individuals and corporations making commitments to The One Fund Boston include Jack Connors, John Fish, CEO of Suffolk Construction, Brian Moynihan, President and CEO of Bank of America, the Managing Directors of Bain Capital, Paul Grogan, President of The Boston Foundation, Steve Pagliuca, Co-owner of Boston Celtics and Shamrock Foundation President, Larry Lucchino, CEO of the Boston Red Sox, and Mike Sheehan, CEO, and Karen Kaplan, President of Hill Holliday.

Boston law firm Goodwin Procter has volunteered to organize The One Fund Boston and has applied for 501(c)(3) status. One Fund Boston, Inc. will apply for 501(c)(3) tax exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service. Although the Fund cannot guarantee that the IRS will make a determination that the organization qualifies as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity, if approval is received within the expected time frame, the determination will be retroactive to the date of the Fund’s formation, which is April 16, 2013.

“We are one Boston. We are one community. As always, we will come together to help those most in need. And in the end, we will all be better for it,” Mayor Menino said.

To contribute to The One Fund Boston, click on onefundboston.org .

SBH Diagnostics signs exclusive license to offer the CPEP3 Assay in their CLIA-certified lab

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EDT

(Natick, MA) April 2, 2013.SBH Diagnostics, Inc. announced the signing of an exclusive licensing agreement with Mercodia AB, allowing them to offer the highly anticipated CPEP³ in the US and Canada for diagnostic testing.

C-peptide is a standard measure of pancreatic beta cell function and is used to assess the health of patients, especially those with diabetes. The CPEP³ test is highly specific, precise and offers a low Picomolar measuring range, an advantage not found with any other C-peptide assay on the market today. The ultrasensitive aspects of the CPEP³ Assay are important so as to provide a test that is highly quantitative and reliable with specificity and sensitivity that provides predictive results and minimal cross reactivity.

Various groups, including the AACC (American Association for Clinical Chemistry) and Dr. Denise Faustman, Massachusetts General, Boston MA, have highlighted the value of this assay in several peer-reviewed publications. The CPEP³ assay not only has important potential implications for patients and clinicians, it also allows for changes in inclusion criteria and monitoring during trials that assess treatments targeting those with long-term Type 1 diabetes. This can lead to interventional therapies to mitigate the life-threatening complications of diabetes.

SBH Diagnostics will include the CPEP³ in their CLIA Lab test portfolio, making it available to clinicians in addition to those conducting clinical trials and companies involved with diabetes diagnosis, management, therapeutics and devices.

SBH Diagnostics (www.sbhdiagnostics.com) is an innovative CLIA lab that is a joint-venture between SBH Sciences (www.sbhsciences.com) and GlycoZym USA (www.glycozym.com) focused on the commercialization of Laboratory Developed Tests (LDTs). Combining the laboratory disciplines and expertise of SBH Sciences with the patented biomarker technology of GlycoZym, SBH Diagnostics provides a CLIA Lab development model called EVOCC; a test is Evaluated, Validated, Optimized, Commercialized and Certified under CLIA and CAP auspices.

Mercodia AB (www.mercodia.com) is a Swedish biotech company focusing on the development of high quality immunoassays within the field of metabolic disorders. Mercodia is a world-leading supplier and provides a professional scientific support system to develop novel applications for existing products and unique diagnostics for emerging markets.

For further information, please contact:

Marvin A. Collin,
Vice President Business Development
SBH Diagnostics
617-680-9792
macollin@sbhdiagnostics.com

Procognia and SBH Sciences Join forces to Offer Services to Biotech Industry

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EDT

SBH Sciences will serve as a local center for Procognia in Massachusetts

(Natick, MA, USA and Rehovot, Israel) April 4, 2013.Procognia and SBH Sciences announced today the signing of a strategic collaboration and co-promotion agreement for the promotion of their services.

SBH Sciences, a pre-clinical CRO, and Procognia, a glycosylation analysis expert, provide complementary services to the Biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical industries. The agreement will enable joint sales and marketing activities for the complementary services offered by the two companies.

In addition, SBH Sciences will serve as a local center for the glycosylation analysis services provided by Procognia, and will be responsible for shipment of samples for analysis to Procognia's main facility in Israel.

Dr. Raphael Nir, SBH President and CSO said: "We are excited to be working with Procognia, leaders in glycobiology and glycosylation analysis. Our complementary capabilities would provide on-time exemplary customer service that will give our customers a competitive edge in the industry".

Dr. Ruth Ben Yakar, Procognia CEO said "we are looking forward to collaborate with SBH Sciences, an experienced and innovative CRO with diverse services, products and capabilities, and we believe that through this collaboration we would provide our customers with access to unique and high quality tools for efficient and successful development of their products".

About Procognia:
Procognia (Israel) established in 2000, is a world leader in glycobiology and biopharmaceutical analytics. Procognia offers solutions to major challenges in biopharmaceutical and biosimilar development and manufacturing, including comprehensive analytical services for achievement of optimal glycosylation profiles for improved efficacy, safety and biosimilarity. Procognia owns a large database of glycosylation profiles of biosimilar references. Procognia also collaborates with strategic partners for the development of high-yield biosimilar cell lines for higher productivity and lower manufacturing costs, based on proprietary molecular biology methods.

About SBH Sciences:
SBH Sciences is an innovative pre-clinical contract research organization, located in Natick, Massachusetts. SBH Sciences has been chosen by over 100 biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies for their service needs since 1997. SBH Sciences unique cell based bioassays, ELISA assays, cytokines, glycosyltransferases, and monoclonal antibodies, are applied to facilitate the process of discovery and biopharmaceutical development and assist its customers to reach their clinical development goals. SBH Sciences provides flexible, innovative and on-time services customized to the customer needs.

For further information, please contact:

Raphael Nir, PhD
President and CSO
SBH Sciences
508-650-6218 Ext. 214
rnir@sbhsciences.com

Bristol-Myers Squibb to Expand Massachusetts Biologics Facility

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EDT

Company to Invest Approximately $250 Million, Increase Workforce

(DEVENS, MA, April 11, 2013) – Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) today announced plans for an approximately $250 million expansion of its large-scale biologics manufacturing facility in Devens, Massachusetts. The expansion will introduce biologics development and clinical trial manufacturing capabilities to the site, while adding approximately 350 employees to the Devens workforce over time.

“Biologics are increasingly important in the treatment of serious diseases and are a growing part of our company’s pipeline of potential new therapies,” said Lou Schmukler, president, Global Manufacturing & Supply. “This initiative is designed to accelerate the development of new biologics medicines through the closer alignment of biologics research and development, and manufacturing.”

Bristol-Myers Squibb plans to construct two new buildings on its 89-acre Devens campus. One will be dedicated to Process Development, a group that designs processes for early production of investigational biologics medicines. A second building will house Clinical Manufacturing, where investigational medicines will be produced to support clinical trials. Both represent new capabilities for Devens, a site that in its early years has focused solely on large-scale, bulk biologics manufacturing.

“This project represents a significant expansion in both the size and mission of Devens,” said Peter Moesta, senior vice president, Biologics Manufacturing and Process Development. “We envision Devens as a center of excellence for the development and manufacture of biologics medicines, optimally organized to support our growing pipeline of investigational medicines and potential new products.”

Together, the two buildings will add approximately 200,000 square feet of laboratory and office space to the Devens site, which is now comprised of six major buildings in a 400,000-square-foot complex.

Construction of the Devens site was completed in 2009. It was Bristol-Myers Squibb’s first major facility in Massachusetts and the largest capital investment in its history – $750 million – and helped signal the company’s transformation into a next-generation biopharmaceutical company. The Devens site also was designed to accommodate future expansion, and the decision to expand reflects both the initial success of Devens and some of the factors that first drew Bristol-Myers Squibb to the region. These include the abundance of biotechnology knowledge, education and training in the Boston area, which has created a large and well-qualified workforce, as well as the inception of the state’s Life Sciences initiative.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Forward Looking Statement
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, regarding plans to expand a biologics manufacturing facility that involves substantial risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including factors that could delay, divert or change any of them, and could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from current expectations. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Among other risks, there can be no guarantee that the expansion of the facility will be completed, or if completed, will be completed on the timeline described in the release. There is also no guarantee that the completion of the expanded facility will receive the required regulatory approvals to accelerate production or that the number of employees expected to be added at the site will be so employed. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect Bristol-Myers Squibb’s business, particularly those identified in the cautionary factors discussion in Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and our Current Reports on Form 8-K. Bristol-Myers Squibb undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

About Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information about the company, visit www.bms.com or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bmsnews .

Contact:
John Patella, 732-227-6197, john.patella@bms.com

Patrick-Murray Administration Commends Bristol-Myers Squibb for Decision to Expand in Massachusetts

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EDT

Company to Invest Approximately $250 Million, add 350 jobs

(Boston, MA, April 11, 2013) – The Patrick-Murray Administration today commended Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) for its decision to invest approximately $250 million to expand the company’s large-scale biologics manufacturing facility in Devens, Massachusetts. The expansion will introduce biologics development and clinical trial manufacturing capabilities to the company’s Massachusetts operations, while adding approximately 350 employees to the Devens workforce. The company currently has approximately 400 employees working at its Devens facility.

Construction of the company’s existing Devens site was completed in 2009. It was Bristol-Myers Squibb’s first major facility in Massachusetts -- and the largest capital investment in its history at $750 million – and helped signal the company’s transformation into a next-generation biopharmaceutical company. The Devens site was designed to accommodate future expansion. According to the company, the decision to expand in Massachusetts reflects both the initial success of Devens and some of the factors that first drew Bristol-Myers Squibb to the region. These include the abundance of biotechnology knowledge, education and training in the Boston area that has created a large and well-qualified workforce, and the inception of the state’s 10-year Life Sciences Initiative.

Through the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, the State is investing $1 billion over 10 years in the growth of the state’s life sciences supercluster. These investments are being made under the Massachusetts Life Sciences Initiative, proposed by Governor Patrick in 2007, and passed by the State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Patrick in 2008. According to a recent report released by the Boston Foundation, the life sciences sectors are creating jobs in Massachusetts at a faster pace than any other industry sector in the Commonwealth, and since the launch of the Initiative in 2008 Massachusetts has overtaken all competitor states in the rate of life sciences job creation.

“Thanks to our growth strategy of investing in education, innovation and infrastructure, Massachusetts leads the world in life sciences,” said Governor Patrick. “Our economic development team worked closely with Bristol Myers-Squibb as they weighed their options for where to expand, and we look forward to them creating more jobs and economic opportunities here in Massachusetts.”

“The story of Bristol-Myers Squibb in Massachusetts highlights how investing in innovation, education and infrastructure can create economic opportunity for everyone,” said Greg Bialecki, the Secretary of Housing and Economic Development. “We are pleased to see the company continue to thrive and grow at Devens, anchoring what has become a strong cluster of life science and manufacturing companies in Central Massachusetts.”

Bristol-Myers Squibb plans to construct two new buildings on its 89-acre Devens campus. One will be dedicated to Process Development, a group that designs processes for early production of investigational biologics medicines. A second building will house Clinical Manufacturing, where investigational medicines will be produced to support clinical trials. Both represent new capabilities for the company’s facilities at Devens, a site that in its early years has focused solely on large-scale, bulk biologics manufacturing.

“This project represents a significant expansion in both the size and mission of our facilities at Devens,” said Peter Moesta, senior vice president, Biologics Manufacturing and Process Development. “We envision Devens as a center of excellence for the development and manufacture of biologics medicines, optimally organized to support our growing pipeline of investigational medicines and potential new products.”

Work on the expansion is expected to begin in late 2013 and be completed in 2015. In the interim, Bristol-Myers Squibb has leased 30,000 square feet of laboratory space in nearby Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to begin moving some biologics process development functions closer to Devens during construction. The company intends to maintain this space until construction is completed.
“Bristol Myers-Squibb is the latest in a growing list of global biopharma leaders that have chosen to make strategic investments here in Massachusetts,” said Susan Windham-Bannister, President & CEO of the MLSC. “That is one of the key reasons why the life sciences is the fastest-growing sector of our state’s economy, and why we are adding jobs in this industry faster than any other state. Nine out of the top ten pharmaceutical companies now have a presence in Massachusetts, attracted here by our talented workforce, our world-class academic institutions, our vibrant cluster of innovative early-stage companies, and the resources offered through our ten-year, $1 billion Life Sciences Initiative.”

“As a thriving business committed to the community, Bristol-Myers Squibb has been an excellent partner in the fast-moving Devens redevelopment,” said MassDevelopment President and CEO Marty Jones. “MassDevelopment is thrilled that Bristol-Myers Squibb is expanding in Devens, creating more jobs and innovation in the region and the Commonwealth.”

###

About the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center
The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) is a quasi-public agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts tasked with implementing the Massachusetts Life Sciences Act, a 10-year, $1-billion initiative that was signed into law in June of 2008. The MLSC’s mission is to create jobs in the life sciences and support vital scientific research that will improve the human condition. This work includes making financial investments in public and private institutions that are advancing life sciences research, development and commercialization as well as building ties among sectors of the Massachusetts life sciences community. For more information, visit www.masslifesciences.com.

About MassDevelopment
MassDevelopment, the state’s finance and development agency, works with businesses, nonprofits, financial institutions, and communities to stimulate economic growth across the Commonwealth. During FY2012, MassDevelopment financed or managed 280 projects generating investment of more than $2.3 billion in the Massachusetts economy. These projects are projected to create more than 12,000 jobs and build or rehabilitate 900 residential units.

Contacts:
Angus G. McQuilken, Vice President for Communications & Marketing, MLSC
(617) 921-7749 Email: amcquilken@masslifesciences.com

Jason Lefferts, Executive Office of Housing & Economic Development
(617) 788-3652 Email: jason.lefferts@state.ma.us

Kelsey Abbruzzese, MassDevelopment
(617) 330-2086 Email: kabbruzzese@massdevelopment.com

ARIAD PRESENTS NEW PRECLINICAL DATA SHOWING AP26113 INHIBITS CLINICALLY RELEVANT MUTANTS OF ALK AND ROS1

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EDT

Cambridge, MA, and Washington, April 10, 2013 – ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARIA) today announced the presentation of preclinical data on AP26113, an investigational inhibitor of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and c-ros oncogene 1 (ROS1), at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2013, in Washington. The study, “AP26113 possesses pan-inhibitory activity versus crizotinib-resistant ALK mutants and oncogenic ROS1 fusions,” shows that AP26113 inhibits clinically relevant crizotinib-resistant ALK mutants and oncogenic ROS1 fusions recently identified in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

The research conducted by ARIAD scientists was determined using cell lines harboring crizotinib-resistant mutant forms of ALK and oncogenic ROS1 fusions, tested in both in vitro studies and mouse-disease models.

“This preclinical research demonstrates that AP26113 inhibits all nine clinically identified crizotinib-resistant ALK mutations, at plasma concentrations we know to be clinically achievable,” said Timothy P. Clackson, Ph.D., president of research and development and chief scientific officer at ARIAD. “Some of these mutations were also shown to be resistant to additional ALK inhibitors other than crizotinib. This supports the potential of AP26113 to offer a pan-ALK inhibitor profile.”

AP26113 was also shown to inhibit ROS1 fusions as potently as it inhibits ALK, to retain activity against the gatekeeper mutation of ROS1, and to substantially suppress the outgrowth of resistant ROS1 cells in a mutation assay, all at clinically achievable plasma concentrations. These data suggest that AP26113 may be able to avoid the emergence of drug-resistant mutants in NSCLC patients with these oncogenic gene fusions.

About ARIAD

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” including, but not limited to, updates on preclinical developments for our product candidates. Forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations and are subject to certain factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, outcome of events, timing and performance to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, preclinical data and early-stage clinical data that may not be replicated in later-stage clinical studies, the costs associated with our research, development, manufacturing and other activities, the conduct, timing and results of pre-clinical and clinical studies of our product candidates, the adequacy of our capital resources and the availability of additional funding, and other factors detailed in the Company's public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The information contained in this press release is believed to be current as of the date of original issue. The Company does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this document to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in the Company's expectations, except as required by law.

ARIAD PRESENTS NEW PRECLINICAL DATA SHOWING PONATINIB IS A POTENT INHIBITOR OF RET AND FGFR, TWO ONCOGENIC DRIVERS OF NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EDT

Cambridge, MA, and Washington, April 8, 2013 – ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARIA) today announced the presentation of preclinical data on ponatinib (Iclusig™) , at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2013, in Washington. In separate studies, ponatinib is shown to potently inhibit RET, a clinically proven oncogenic driver of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and FGFR, which is commonly mutated in endometrial, lung and other cancers.

The first preclinical study, “Ponatinib is a highly-potent inhibitor of activated variants of RET found in MTC and NSCLC,” shows that ponatinib inhibits naturally occurring activating mutants of RET found in MTC and NSCLC at clinically achievable plasma concentrations. The potency of ponatinib was found to substantially exceed that of other approved tyrosine kinase inhibitors with RET activity. These results provide strong support for the clinical evaluation of ponatinib in patients with RET-driven cancers.

“The unique design features that allow ponatinib to overcome mutation-based resistance in CML, including the gatekeeper mutation, also apply to its activity against its other tyrosine kinase targets including RET, FGFR and KIT,” stated Timothy P. Clackson, Ph.D., president of research and development and chief scientific officer at ARIAD. “These preclinical data strongly support moving forward with evaluating ponatinib in RET-positive cancers, and we look forward to the start of a Phase 2 investigator-sponsored trial in patients with RET-positive NSCLC in this second quarter of 2013.”

In the second preclinical study, “Ponatinib potently inhibits the activity of mutant variants of FGFR commonly found in endometrial, lung and other cancers,” the ability of ponatinib to inhibit a broad panel of naturally occurring mutant variants of FGFR1, 2, 3, and 4 was evaluated. Ponatinib potently blocked a variety of mutant variants of FGFR, with particularly promising activity against mutant variants of FGFR2 that have been observed in endometrial and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the lung. Specifically, ponatinib inhibits the eight mutants that make up more than 90 percent of the mutations observed in endometrial cancer patients, and six mutants observed in SCC at clinically achievable plasma concentrations. Ponatinib also shows encouraging activity against FGFR1/3 fusion proteins found in glioblastoma multiforme. These data support clinical evaluation of ponatinib in FGFR-driven cancers, including a Phase 2 investigator-sponsored trial of ponatinib in patients with SCCs that is currently underway and enrolling patients.

About ARIAD

ARIAD Presents New Preclinical Data Showing Ponatinib Overcomes Resistant Mutations in KIT, an Oncogenic Driver of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EDT

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. & WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 9, 2013-- ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARIA) today announced the presentation of preclinical data on ponatinib (Iclusig™) at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2013, in Washington. The study, “Ponatinib, a pan-BCR-ABL inhibitor, potently inhibits key activating and drug-resistant KIT mutants found in GIST,” shows that ponatinib inhibits activated and mutated forms of KIT, a clinically proven oncogenic driver found in approximately 80 percent of patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST).

The structure of Iclusig(TM) (ponatinib) bound to KIT, an oncogenic driver found in approximately 80 percent of patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). (Photo: Business Wire)

According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 4,000 to 5,000 people develop GIST each year in the United States. Approved agents for the treatment of patients with GIST include imatinib for newly-diagnosed patients, sunitinib for patients in whom imatinib has failed, and regorafenib for patients who have failed imatinib and sunitinib. Patients can develop resistance to any of these therapies by acquiring secondary KIT mutations. ARIAD plans to begin a Phase 2 trial of Iclusig in patients with GIST in the second quarter of 2013.

“ARIAD’s development program for Iclusig focuses on its continued evaluation in patients with CML and exploration of its activity against other clinically validated targets. For the first time we were able to solve the x-ray crystal structure of ponatinib bound to KIT, rationalizing its activity in advance of the Phase 2 trial,” said Timothy P. Clackson, Ph.D., president of research and development and chief scientific officer at ARIAD. “These data provide important support for the use of Iclusig in patients with GIST who have become resistant to prior tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy.”

The research conducted by ARIAD scientists used a broad panel of cell lines harboring mutant forms of KIT. Ponatinib showed potent activity against activated forms of KIT and against a range of secondary mutations that confer resistance to imatinib and/or sunitinib. These include mutations at the T670I gatekeeper residue and mutations in the activation loop (A-loop), common mutations found in patients who have failed currently available therapies.

About ARIAD

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20130409005192/en/

Source: ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Lieutenant Governor Murray and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center announce more than $9 million in capital grant funding for Greater Boston colleges and research institutions

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EDT

Grants to hospitals, medical schools and colleges will fund lab planning, lab renovation and new equipment in the Greater Boston area

BOSTON – April 8, 2013 – Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) today announced more than $9.35 million in grants to support life-sciences-related capital projects in the Greater Boston area, including $4 million for Boston Children’s Hospital and $5 million for Harvard Medical School to fund major lab renovation projects. The MLSC has also announced grants to Bunker Hill Community College, Quincy College and Regis College for projects related to life sciences training and education.

The MLSC has funded Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education in the Greater Boston region through a variety of grants, including more than $500,000 that the Lieutenant Governor and the MLSC announced this past December for equipment and supply grants to vocational technical schools and public high schools in the area.

Through the MLSC, Massachusetts is investing $1 billion over 10 years in the growth of the state’s life sciences supercluster. These investments are being made under the Massachusetts Life Sciences Initiative, passed by the State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Patrick in 2008.

“Our Administration is committed to investing in innovation across the state, and this grant funding is an example of doing so in partnership with institutions in the Greater Boston area,” said Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray. “This funding is part of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center’s overall efforts to collaborate with academia and the business community to enhance research, workforce training and job creation in the life sciences.”

The $4 million grant awarded to Boston Children’s Hospital will help establish the Children’s Center for Cell Therapy (CCCT) and support new equipment and facility renovation that will allow additional cell culturing facilities and a robotics area designed to perform highly specialized chemical screening on stem cells. The CCCT will be a specialized center focused on developing novel stem cell therapies for untreatable or incurable diseases.

Leonard I. Zon, M.D., and George Q. Daley, M.D., Ph.D., will lead the project at Boston Children’s Hospital. “We save lives, but all too often we can’t do enough. Losing one child’s life is too many,” said Zon, who directs the Stem Cell Program at Boston Children's. “The Center for Cell Therapy will take maximal advantage of exciting new developments in cell biology to translate basic science into cures. We are grateful to have the Commonwealth as our partner in this enterprise,” added Daley, director of the Stem Cell Transplantation Program at the hospital.

With its $5 million grant, Harvard Medical School plans to create a Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology that will serve as a multidisciplinary scientific incubator with the goal of providing better clinical trial information in the drug development process. The lab aims to tackle an incredibly important problem in a new way by using multiple measurements such as proteomics and advanced imaging combined with extensive computational analyses and model building and testing to understand drug action. Visiting scientists from the FDA and local drug companies, together with investigators from Dana Farber, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Tufts, MIT and Harvard, will be involved in this novel effort.

“With receipt of this generous grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, Harvard is embarking on a bold experiment to rethink the science that guides the development, evaluation and use of new medicines,” said Peter Sorger, Director of the Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology and Professor of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School. “We will gather together the best research scientists and clinicians from Harvard hospitals and sister institutions such as MIT and Tufts and apply advanced experimental and mathematical methods to better understand today's medicines and develop tomorrow's cures.”

“A key strategy of the Life Sciences Center is to use our capital dollars to enable the creation of unique resources that are available to the Massachusetts life sciences community, and these innovate projects at Boston Children’s and Harvard Medical School are great examples of that,” said Dr. Susan Windham-Bannister, Ph.D., President & CEO of the MLSC. “High schools, and colleges like Bunker Hill Community College, Quincy College and Regis play major roles in training the next generation of our state’s life sciences workforce, and they ensure that training for innovation economy jobs is inclusive and available all across the state. Our grants help ensure that these schools can provide students with first-rate training facilities.”

Additional grants made through the MLSC’s capital program were also announced today:

Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) will receive $200,000 to support the expansion of its biotechnology program by expanding its laboratory capabilities and enriching its curriculum. “The equipment purchased with this generous grant will help us train more students for high-demand jobs in the expanding biotechnology industry in Greater Boston. Our goal is to help meet regional workforce needs while ensuring that our students will be competitive in this critical job market,” said BHCC President Mary L. Fifield.

Regis College was awarded a $50,000 grant that will allow the college to develop an analysis of needed resources and their implementation in order to maintain Regis’ cutting edge education in the life sciences. “Regis College has a long history of excellence in educating students in the life sciences,” noted Regis President Antoinette M. Hays, Ph.D., RN. “Huge developments in the sciences and the growing vitality of life sciences and biotech in Boston’s professional marketplace demand that we continue that achievement for today’s students and future generations. We are thrilled and grateful to have received the planning grant that will help us shape the transformation we envision.”

Quincy College was granted $100,000 to develop its new Certificate of Science program in Biotechnology and Compliance as well as purchasing new state-of-the-art equipment for biomanufacturing. “At Quincy College we are focused on teaching and learning one student at a time,” said Quincy College President Peter Tsaffaras. “The generous support of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, for which we are very grateful, will allow us to continue with our mission to produce well qualified graduates, ready to enter the workforce and contribute to scientific inquiry and their community.”

“As the Massachusetts innovation economy continues forward, we have to be vigilant in building our human resources from within the commonwealth. There are many talented students in our state schools and especially our community colleges,” State Senator Sal DiDomenico said. “I am extremely proud and thankful that students in my district who are interested in pursuing biotechnology and biomanufacturing jobs will have the chance to do so at Bunker Hill Community College and many other local institutions. A special thanks to Dr. Windham-Bannister and Lieutenant Governor Murray for opening up the doors of opportunity to obtain quality employment in an exciting and innovative field.”

“This is a great opportunity that comes at a great time for the City of Quincy,” said State Senator John Keenan. “With these funds, Quincy College will be giving students state-of-the-art training for new careers in biomanufacturing and biotechnology, just as other initiatives and redevelopment projects are opening the door for a range of new businesses to enter Quincy. This is yet another indication that this city is poised to thrive for many years to come.”

“I am pleased Bunker Hill Community College is the recipient of this capital grant, especially with so much competition for limited resources. The physical improvements allowed for will create a curriculum and experience that will prepare the students for the employment opportunities this region has and the requisite skills required,” stated State Representative Eugene L. O'Flaherty.

“This is an important investment in several critical resources in the Commonwealth: life sciences, technological innovation, and our workforce,” State Representative Jeffrey Sánchez said. “Anytime we can support the intersection of these areas is a win for the economy and a win for our workforce.”

As part of the MLSC’s workforce development strategy, in December 2012, Lieutenant Governor Murray and the MLSC announced a round of grants for vocational and technical high schools and public high schools in gateway cities, with the goal of furthering access to STEM education. High schools in Greater Boston received more than $500,000 towards the purchase of lab equipment and supplies. The five schools in the region, the city or town in which they are located, and the amount of their respective grants are as follows:

School	City/Town	Award Amount
Blue Hills Technical School District	Canton	$ 100,000.00
Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School District	Lexington	$ 134,137.91
Norfolk County Agricultural High School	Walpole	$ 97,612.00
Quincy High School	Quincy	$ 94,469.05
Revere High School	Revere	$ 98,176.02

About the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center

Governor Patrick to launch construction for LabCentral biotech hub with Senator Mary Landrieu today in Kendall Square, Cambridge

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EDT

The new biotech hub will provide fully-equipped shared lab space and services for 50 to 60 high-potential entrepreneurs & biotech startups

CAMBRIDGE – Thursday, April 4, 2013 – Governor Deval Patrick, joined by Senator Mary L. Landrieu, chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) – along with representatives from LabCentral’s founding partners, affiliate institutions, sponsors, and friends – will celebrate the launch of construction for LabCentral at a groundbreaking ceremony to take place later this evening at 5 p.m. at the 700 Main Street, Cambridge facility.

Slated to open in November 2013, this new hub is designed to facilitate the creation of startup biotech companies in the center of innovation located in Kendall Square. In February, the MLSC Board of Directors awarded LabCentral a $5-million capital grant to establish the facility. Funding for the grant comes from the state’s 10-year, $1-billion Life Sciences Initiative, proposed by Governor Patrick in 2007 and approved by the Legislature in 2008.

“I welcome LabCentral to Kendall Square and look forward to them growing jobs in the Commonwealth,” said Governor Patrick. “By investing in the life sciences sector, we are choosing to shape our future rather than leave it to chance. We will continue that strategy to create a stronger Commonwealth for the next generation.”

Senator Mary Landrieu commented, “Small businesses are the economic heartbeat of local communities, and they are also some of the best and brightest innovators in the world. Often times, these small companies struggle to get off the ground, because of the cost of getting a business started. By providing fully functional lab space and reducing burdensome red tape, LabCentral drastically lowers startup costs for entrepreneurs. This kind of public/private partnership creates a robust ecosystem for entrepreneurship and should become a model for the nation.”

“We founded LabCentral because we saw a critical need in the startup community,” said Founder and Executive Director of LabCentral, Johannes Fruehauf, M.D., Ph.D. “With no shared laboratory space available, entrepreneurs with potentially game-changing technology spend precious resources and time on leasing, fit-out, and permitting lab space that could be better spent on actual research – on fine-tuning the technology to prepare for clinical trials and commercialization.”

“A key strategy of the Life Sciences Center is to use our capital dollars to enable the creation of unique resources that will be available to the Massachusetts life sciences community,” said Dr. Susan Windham-Bannister, President & CEO of the MLSC. “LabCentral is a novel model that will provide startup companies with access to wet lab space in a collaborative environment using shared resources. This type of unique work space will help accelerate the pace of new company formation and the innovation pipeline that has been so important in attracting larger companies to Massachusetts.”

“What is incredibly powerful is the amount of innovation, exploration and experimentation happening right here in East Cambridge. We know that Kendall Square is the epicenter of scientific innovation, with the leading biotechnology and life sciences companies headquartered here; I’m looking forward to seeing additional companies grow and thrive,” State Senator Sal DiDomenico said. “This is more than just scientific innovation; it’s world-changing business innovation. Companies like LabCentral, organizations like the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and MassBio, working together with entrepreneurs, scientists and our universities to bring life-changing therapies to the marketplace. This will revolutionize medicine on every scale, and it will all happen right here in Cambridge. I congratulate LabCentral for their continued success, and thank Dr. Windham-Bannister and Governor Patrick for pursuing true innovation and hope this grant will encourage more entrepreneurship and job creation among our life sciences and biotechnology industry.“

“Start ups and spinouts are the life blood of the life sciences supercluster here in Massachusetts,” said Robert K. Coughin, President and CEO of MassBio, the Commonwealth’s trade association representing more than 620 organizations. “We’re thrilled to be a key supporter of LabCentral, which will ensure great new ideas have the space and resources they need to become our next generation of companies creating cures.”

“MIT is delighted to welcome LabCentral to Cambridge’s world class innovation district, where it is sure to become a core contributor to the entrepreneurial ecosystem that the Institute has worked hard to foster,” said MIT Associate Provost Martin Schmidt, responsible for overseeing MIT’s Technology Licensing Office and Office of Corporate Relations. “We have a long track record here of entrepreneurs translating technology developed at MIT into successful commercial enterprises. I’m confident that LabCentral’s facilities and services will help expedite that process for countless companies to come.”

“We are honored to become an integral part of the LabCentral team as its founding sponsor and environmental health and safety provider,” said Triumvirate Environmental President and CEO, John McQuillan. Triumvirate became LabCentral’s founding sponsor with a gift of $2.5 million. The Somerville, Massachusetts-based company will provide waste-management and environmental health, safety, and compliance services for LabCentral. Other early sponsors for LabCentral include the Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP, and MIT Investment Management Co.

According to Chuck Wilson, vice president and global head of strategic alliances for the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, “One of the great things about Cambridge is the constant flow of ideas emanating from the biotech cluster here. All new medicines start with a great idea and we believe that LabCentral will be a launch-pad for helping entrepreneurs get their ideas off the ground. We are proud to be part of the founding of LabCentral.”

“We are proud to be an early sponsor of LabCentral,” said Edwards Wildman partner, James T. Barrett. “We see the need for this kind of affordable shared laboratory environment every day in our role as legal and business advisor to start-ups, and our venture fund clients will also benefit from LabCentral as a place where they can interact regularly with entrepreneurs and learn about groundbreaking technologies in development.”

About LabCentral
A state-of-the art 27,000 square-foot facility in development in the heart of Kendall Square, Cambridge, LabCentral will become a home to 50 to 60 high-potential entrepreneurs and biotech startups. LabCentral will provide premier, fully equipped laboratory and office space, expert facility and administrative support, 24/7 access to skilled laboratory personnel – as well as the other critical services and support that start-ups need to transition from a science/technology-focus to a successful commercial-stage enterprise. LabCentral is a private, nonprofit institution, funded in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, in partnership with Triumvirate Environmental. The facility is slated to open in November 2013. For more information, visit www.labcentral.org.

About the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center
The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) is a quasi-public agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts tasked with implementing the Massachusetts Life Sciences Act, a 10-year, $1-billion initiative that was signed into law in June of 2008. The MLSC’s mission is to create jobs in the life sciences and support vital scientific research that will improve the human condition. This work includes making financial investments in public and private institutions that are advancing life sciences research, development and commercialization as well as building ties among sectors of the Massachusetts life sciences community. For more information, visit www.masslifesciences.com.

MLSC Contact: Angus G. McQuilken, MLSC Vice President for Communications and Marketing

Phone: 617-921-7749 E-mail: amcquilken@masslifesciences.com

LabCentral contact: Caroline A. Grossman

Phone: 781-771-5579 Ÿ E-mail: caroline.grossman@gmail.com

ARIAD ANNOUNCES SUPPORT OF PATIENTS WITH RESISTANT OR INTOLERANT CML THROUGH ITS DONATION TO CHRONIC DISEASE FUND

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EDT

Cambridge, MA, April 2, 2013 –- ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARIA) today announced that it had made a donation to the Chronic Disease Fund (CDF) in support of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who are resistant or intolerant to prior therapy. CDF is an independent non-profit charitable organization that helps eligible patients with chronic diseases, cancer and other life-altering conditions obtain the life-saving medications they need. Through ARIAD’s contribution, the organization will provide financial assistance to eligible patients with resistant or intolerant CML who require help paying their out-of-pocket expenses, including co-pays or co-insurance. CDF will determine the distribution of these funds and patient eligibility.

“Approximately 5,000 new cases of CML are diagnosed each year in the United States, and over time, many of these patients will develop resistance or intolerance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors,” said Marty Duvall, senior vice president, commercial operations at ARIAD. “ARIAD is dedicated to helping these refractory or intolerant patients receive the medications they need, and we are proud to support the CDF as it assists patients.”

In addition, ARIAD has a patient assistance and support program designed to help healthcare professionals or patients access, afford and adhere to treatment. Information on the ARIAD PASS™ program for patient assistance is available by calling 1-855-447-PASS (855-447-7277) or visiting www.ARIADPASS.com.

About ARIAD

The American Chemical Society's "Chemical and Engineering News" to Feature Founder of Integral BioSystems LLC

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EDT

Dr. Shikha Barman, founder of Boston area specialty pharmaceutical formulation development firm Integral BioSystems LLC and MassBio member, will be a subject in the ACS Publication "Chemical and Engineering News" April 15 Edition Article about Woman Scientist Entrepreneurs

Upon completion of her graduate studies in classical Physical and Polymer Chemistry at the University of Massachusetts - Lowell, Dr. Shikha Barman spent the ensuing 20 years of her career exploring and perfecting methods utilizing polymers in medicine, making pioneering contributions to such endeavors as sustained release drug delivery systems, targeting drugs selectively to specific cells at a specific site, enhancing drug bioavailability, and the use of polymers as “scaffolds” to grow cells and organs. After producing related novel intellectual property for a succession of startup firms owned by others, she began her own pharmaceutical formulation consultancy in 2009, Integral BioSystems LLC, which in 2012 grew to incorporate a full-capability specialty pharmaceutical development laboratory. Accordingly, the American Chemical Society publication Chemical and Engineering News will feature Dr. Shikha Barman in its “Diversity” Calendar Feature in the April 15, 2013 issue.

Integral BioSystems’ niche is in nano-engineered drug delivery systems aimed at providing solutions to long-held issues in drug products, especially in low drug absorption by target tissues due to cell impermeability and insolubility. In addition to assisting drug companies in developing their dosage forms, Integral scientists are also working on novel solutions to improve the bioavailability of Class II, III and IV compounds.

Under Dr. Barman’s leadership, Integral BioSystems has developed numerous dosage forms for ophthalmic, oral, sublingual, intranasal, IV and transdermal routes. Integral BioSystems has a translational approach to drug development, customizing delivery systems to achieve the biologically effective objectives of the therapy. Dosage forms are customized to achieve sustained release or targeted, tissue-focused delivery or fast-release/instant delivery, depending upon the desired product attributes.

Massachusetts Life Sciences Center announces $1.3 million in capital grant funding for projects in Northeastern Massachusetts

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EDT

Grants to fund lab renovations, equipment and planning for community colleges
in Northeastern Massachusetts

HAVERHILL, Mass. – April 1, 2013 – The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) today announced $1.3 million in grants for life-sciences-related capital projects in Northeastern Massachusetts. This total includes $1.24 million for Northern Essex Community College (NECC) to renovate its laboratory space to accommodate the rapidly growing enrollment of students in laboratory sciences, and a $50,000 planning grant for Middlesex Community College (MCC) to expand its biotechnology facilities. The MLSC has funded Science, Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) education in Northeastern Massachusetts through a variety of grants, including more than $500,000 that the MLSC announced this past December for equipment and supply grants to vocational technical schools and public high schools in Northeastern Massachusetts.

“Supporting innovation propels our economy forward and prepares our citizens for the 21st century global marketplace,” said Governor Deval Patrick. “Our innovation economy relies on a well-educated, well-skilled workforce, and these grants will expand opportunity and grow jobs in communities throughout the Commonwealth.”

Through the MLSC, Massachusetts is investing $1 billion over 10 years in the growth of the state’s life sciences supercluster. These investments are being made under the Massachusetts Life Sciences Initiative, proposed by Governor Patrick in 2007, and passed by the State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Patrick in 2008.

“High schools and community colleges like Northern Essex and Middlesex are training the next generation of Massachusetts’ life sciences workers,” said Dr. Susan Windham-Bannister, President & CEO of the MLSC. “We want to ensure that these schools have the first-rate training facilities they need to prepare young people to successfully compete for jobs at all levels in the life sciences. A recent study shows that the life sciences sectors are now creating jobs faster than any other sector in the state, so employers will be relying on this talent pipeline.”

With the $1.24-million grant from the MLSC, NECC plans to build a new lab at its Lawrence campus and to renovate lab spaces at both the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses. NECC offers an Associate’s degree in Laboratory Science that is focused on training laboratory technicians to work in the analytical chemistry and biotechnology fields. Since the program’s inception three years ago, enrollment has tripled. The Laboratory Science Program is currently supported by a National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education grant that enabled the purchase of equipment and supplies, the fostering of collaborations with regional industry, and partnerships with regional K-12 schools.

“This generous grant will allow us to dramatically improve lab facilities on our Haverhill and Lawrence Campuses,” said NECC President Lane Glenn. “Our students will benefit as well as the local companies which count on the college to provide employees with the very latest skills.”
“This grant will help us reach our goal of creating modern labs for our students, and we will be able to accomplish this in just three years as compared to our original plan of 10 years,” said Dr. Noemi Custodia-Lora, NECC Assistant Dean of Foundational Studies and Liberal Arts & Sciences. “The new labs will enhance the student experience, better preparing them for the next level, whether transfer to a four-year school or joining the regional workforce.”

“There is a need for laboratory technicians that are trained and educated in basic safe laboratory procedures to generate reliable quality data for the life sciences industry,” said David Legg, Vice President of Quality Assurance at Charm Sciences, Inc., in Lawrence, Mass. “With increased laboratory automation and data analysis, many laboratory processes do not require the traditional four-year degree of a Lab Analyst. Associate degree programs like NECC’s Laboratory Science Program produce graduates that can fill this need between candidates with no laboratory experience or training and those with a Bachelor’s degree.”

“As a lab science student, I know how important it is to have access to state-of-the-art labs,” said NECC Lab Science Program student April Anamisis. “That way we're well prepared for internships and/or transfer to four-year colleges and universities.”

MCC was granted $50,000 to complete a comprehensive planning study to identify the best approach for expanding its biotechnology facilities. This will include a clean room to support increased enrollment and workforce development, education and training.

“The college is thrilled with the support this grant will provide to Middlesex to allow us to utilize both industry and technical experts to review and consider updates to our facilities which will benefit our students, our business partners, and the local economy,” said MCC President Carole Cowan. “Biotech is one of the most exciting, successful and dynamic programs we have at the college, and this grant helps ensure that future graduates of the program will find continued success in this critical industry.”

Also in attendance to celebrate the announcement were State Representatives Linda Dean Campbell, Diana DiZoglio and Lenny Mirra.

“I congratulate Northern Essex Community College and the Laboratory Science Program for their award of a Massachusetts Life Sciences Center Capital Grant,” State Senator Kathleen O'Connor Ives, representing the First Essex District, which includes Haverhill, said. “This significant grant will allow for important upgrades to campus lab spaces. It's critical that the college has the support it needs to continue to be a hub for workforce development and job training in the region. In an increasingly competitive 21st century economy, this investment will help position Northern Essex students to acquire the skills necessary for this challenging economic climate.”

As part of the MLSC’s workforce development strategy, in December 2012, Lieutenant Governor Murray and the MLSC announced a round of equipment and supply grants for vocational and technical high schools and public high schools in gateway cities, with the goal of furthering access to STEM education. High schools in Northeastern Massachusetts received more than $500,000 toward lab renovation and equipment. The six schools in the region, the city or town in which they are located, and the amount of their respective grants are as follows:

Greater Lowell Regional Vocational Technical High School
Lowell
$ 89,936.15

Haverhill High School
Haverhill
$ 99,289.40

Lynn English High School
Lynn
$ 77,419.35

North Shore Technical High School
Middleton
$ 99,999.52

Northeast Metropolitan Vocational School District
Wakefield
$ 71,610.00

Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational School District
Billerica
$ 95,928.00

###

Contact: Angus G. McQuilken, Vice President for Communications and Marketing
Cell: 617-921-7749
Email: amcquilken@masslifesciences.com

PATRICK MURACA, PRESIDENT & CEO OF NUCLEA BIOTECHNOLOGIES, INC., APPOINTED TO JIMMY FUND VISITING COMMITTEE

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EDT

Pittsfield –Patrick Muraca, the president & CEO of biomarker pioneer Nuclea Biotechnologies, Inc. today announced that he has been appointed to the Jimmy Fund Visiting Committee. The Jimmy Fund Visiting Committee is one of eight prestigious “blue ribbon” committees at Dana-Farber. Each of the committees consists of individuals who are leaders in their community, in business, and in academia. The committee members are able to offer their thoughts, opinions, and strategic advice on Dana-Farber’s research, patient care, and fundraising efforts.

Over the years, Pat has been involved in supporting the Jimmy Fund in a number of capacities. Pat serves on the board of the Jimmy Fund Council of the Berkshires, which has raised over one million dollars over the past six years. Pat was the recipient of two Jimmy Fund of Berkshire County – Dana-Farber Appreciation Awards. Most recently, Nuclea established and funded Dr. Massimo F. Loda as the Paul M. Dowd Chair in Molecular Oncologic Pathology, creating Dana Farber’s first Chair of Pathology. The position will help to further advance Dr. Loda’s research into the prevention, detection, and treatment of cancer.

“I am truly honored to be appointed to the Jimmy Fund Visiting Committee,” said Pat Muraca. “Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund allow for ground-breaking cancer research to take place. As a fellow scientist in the cancer field, I am humbled by the offer and I look forward to helping in any way that I can.”

Suzanne Fountain, Director of the Jimmy Fund, said, “We are so pleased to have Pat join us as a member of the Visiting Committee for the Jimmy Fund. His contributions to this committee will be of great importance and we are grateful that he is willing to support us in this manner, as well as the myriad other ways he has already shown such generosity to Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund.”

Nuclea Biotechnologies, Inc is headquartered in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Nuclea has three lines of business, each of which is operated by a separate wholly-owned subsidiary: Nuclea Diagnostic Laboratories (“NDL”) which has developed and is commercializing unique diagnostic tests for colon, breast, leukemia, lung and prostate cancer; Nuclea Biomarkers (“NBM”) which performs research leading to novel molecular oncology therapeutics and diagnostics for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries and performs services by analyzing and testing the efficacy and validating other indications of existing therapeutics utilizing a highly characterized and consented patient database; and Nuclea Biotherapeutics (“NBT”) which develops novel therapeutics.

About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (www.dana-farber.org) is a principal teaching affiliate of the Harvard Medical School and is among the leading cancer research and care centers in the United States. It is a founding member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC), designated a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute. It provides adult cancer care with Brigham and Women’s Hospital as Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center and it provides pediatric care with Boston Children’s Hospital as Dana-Farber/Children’s Hospital Cancer Center. Dana-Farber is the top ranked cancer center in New England, according to U.S. News & World Report, and one of the largest recipients among independent hospitals of National Cancer Institute and National Institutes of Health grant funding. Follow Dana-Farber on Facebook: www.facebook.com/danafarbercancerinstitute and on Twitter: @danafarber.

About the Jimmy Fund

The Jimmy Fund (www.JimmyFund.org) solely supports Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, raising funds for adult and pediatric cancer care and research to improve the chances of survival for cancer patients around the world. This year celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Jimmy Fund and Boston Red Sox relationship, and represents one of the most remarkable partnerships between a team and a charity in the history of professional sports. The Jimmy Fund is also the official charity of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, and the Variety Children's Charity of New England. Since 1948, the generosity of millions of people has helped the Jimmy Fund save countless lives and reduce the burden of cancer for patients and families worldwide. Follow the Jimmy Fund on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thejimmyfund and on Twitter: @TheJimmyFund.

# # #

Gregory M. D’Agostino

Chief Operating Officer

4 Liberty Square, 5^th Floor, Boston, MA 02109

Office: 617.695.0369 | Mobile: 617.388.6477

greg@libertysquaregroup.com

Bach Pharma, Inc. Appoints William S. Lynn, MD as Lifetime Director Emeritus

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:00:00 EDT

North Andover, Massachusetts, USA (February 10 , 2013) – During the February 2, 2013 Meeting of the Board of Directors of Bach Pharma, Inc. held in Durham, North Carolina , Chairman of the Board Dr. Steven L. Stroup announced the appointment of Dr. William S. Lynn of Hillsboro , North Carolina to the first ever position of Director Emeritus for the Company. Dr. Lynn has held the positions of Director, Vice President and Director of Science for Bach Pharma for the past 12 years. He continues to oversee the planning, design and reporting of all of Bach’s research and intellectual property. Dr. Lynn is a recognized thought leader in clinical research, with special emphasis in the areas of oxidative stress , inflammation, metabolism, neurodegeneration and the central nervous system . Dr. Lynn has written over 130 publications and books, and coined the term of his book titled “Neuroimmuno - degeneration” with co - writer Dr. Paul K.Y. Wong in 1998.

Dr. Lynn received his undergraduate training in Alabama at Auburn University , and his MD degree at Colum bia University in New York . He completed his post doctoral fellowships at the University of Pennsylvania and Duke University . A Markle Scholar at Duke University, Dr. Lynn went on to become Professor of Me dicine and Associate Professor of Biochemistry , whe re he became a lifelong enthusiastic fan of Duke Basketball . In 1992, a fter holding professorial positions at The University of Texas, Galveston, Departments of Internal Medicine and Human Nutrition, Dr. Lynn continued on to his current position of Visitin g Scientist at the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center in Smithville, Texas.

Dr. Lynn has been a Clinical Research Physician at Cato Res earch in Durham, North Carolina since 1992, where he is responsible for managing the design, protocols, dir ection and interpretation of clinical trials and research from Phase 1 through Phase 4 of products under development. He has also coordinated reporting information to the FDA on adverse events and safety monitoring.

In his remarks to Dr. Lynn on the prese ntation of this award, Bach Pharma CEO, Mark O. Henry, detailed Dr. Lynn’s remarkable history and praised his work and integrity. “There is no one who knows more about oxidative stress in the human body,” he said. “Dr. Lynn’s knowledge has undoubtedly plac ed Bach Pharma in a leadership role in developing treatment for all manners of illness caused by oxidative stress. We are truly thankful for his association with our company and present him this award which confers a lifetime position on our Board of Direc tors.”

About Bach Pharma

Bach Pharma, Inc., based in North Andover, MA is a pharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development, and commercialization of new therapeutics for the treatment of life threatening oxidative stress related diseases as well as other serious illnesses. Bach is a member of the US - Russian Chamber of Commerce of New England and pioneered the founding of the US - Russian Scientific Exchange Forum. The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), in partnership with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) of the Russian Federation, was created as a result of the 2009 U.S. - Russia Bi - Lateral Presidential Commission, which highlighted greater coo peration in the health sciences as a key theme. The Forum promote s and facilitate s broader research collaboration in the biomedical and behavioral sciences between the U.S. and Russian scientific communities, with the goal of improving public health. Speci fically, the Forum will strengthen joint research activities related to disease control, treatment and prevention, clinical and translational research, regulatory science, and the development of new health technologies.

Incorporated in 2001, Bach develope d the proprietary manufacturing technologies for its proven phthalazinedione drug platform, and owns all of the intellectual property that encompasses this entire class of phthalazinediones as pharmaceutical agents. Monosodium Luminol is a subclass of phth alazinediones. Bach maintains one of the world’s most active monosodium luminol research programs focused on specific compound platforms and their derivates.

Bach is an enthusiastic member of the MassBio Council , Advancing Massachusetts Biotechnology fo r worldwide medical benefits, and a proud host company of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center Internship Challenge Program .

About Cato Research Ltd

Cato Research is a contract research organization (CRO) providing a complete range of services specializing in innovative development strategies for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies through all stages of the clinical development process. Cato Research has strategic offices through - out the world, including Tel Aviv, Israel, Fourways, South Africa, and Quebec, Canada. Cato Research is a strategic alliance partner and CRO for Bach Pharma with offices located in the Bay Colony Corporate C enter in Waltham, Massachusetts.

For more information about Cato Research companies please visit their main website www.cato.com , contact them by telephone 919.361.CATO (2286), or email info@cato.com .

For additional information about Bach Pharma please visit their website at www.bachpharma.com , contact them by telephone 978.794.5510, or email info@bachpharma.com .

For information about this press release please contact Dr. Norman Spencer at: normanspencer60@gmail.com .

Halfway through 10-year, $1 billion investment, report finds Massachusetts Life Sciences Center creating jobs, driving cluster growth

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:00:00 EDT

Life Sciences Initiative merits continued investment, Northeastern University researchers conclude

Boston – Nearly five years and more than $300 million in investments after its launch, Massachusetts’ ambitious Life Sciences Initiative and the Center charged with its implementation are driving employment and economic growth for the life sciences sectors in Massachusetts, according to a report released today at the Boston Foundation. The report, Life Sciences Innovation as a Catalyst for Economic Development: The Role of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, was unveiled at an Understanding Boston forum at the Boston Foundation, which featured a panel discussion and remarks from Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick.

Written by economists Barry Bluestone and Alan Clayton-Matthews of the Kitty and Michael Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy at Northeastern University, the report incorporates both quantitative data and qualitative interviews with key industry executives, leaders of related trade associations, and a number of scientists who have an intimate knowledge of the range of activities of the Center.

The researchers found that the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) is making a measurable impact on job creation, noting that since the launch of the Initiative in 2008, Massachusetts has overtaken all competitor states in its rate of life sciences job creation. The state’s life science cluster has created jobs at a faster pace than any other industry sector in the Commonwealth over the past decade.

“The Life Sciences Initiative is meeting its growth objectives and then some,” said Governor Patrick. “Because we chose to shape the future we wanted, rather than just wait to see what happens, Massachusetts is now the world's leading life sciences supercluster, and we have the jobs and economic opportunity that comes with that.”

“When the Boston Foundation first convened university leaders, educators and business representatives to discuss the life sciences cluster in Massachusetts seven years ago, it was in hopes of seeing the growth that has happened over the past decade,” said Paul S. Grogan, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation. “This report suggests that the Life Sciences Initiative has provided needed investment to move the sector forward, but it also notes the opportunity that continued investment holds for creating jobs and even greater value for our economy and the broader society.”

The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center seeks to drive job creation in Massachusetts using a portfolio of programs that includes loans to early stage companies, grants to support industry-academic research collaborations, cutting edge infrastructure investments, growth incentives, workforce training, and internships that help smaller companies access Massachusetts workers. The research found that the Center’s investments in startup companies are a strong draw to Massachusetts for larger companies, which rely on these “minnows” to help them access and develop new technologies at a faster rate. Bluestone and Clayton-Matthews find the Center’s role in helping these start-up firms gain traction in Massachusetts has been instrumental in encouraging the “larger biosciences fish” to locate and create jobs in the Commonwealth.

“Our research shows that The Life Sciences Initiative has made Massachusetts the global leader in the field, creating jobs across disciplines and education levels,” said Bluestone. “But continued investment is needed to help Massachusetts keep up with other states and countries that have their sights set on creating and strengthening their own life sciences clusters.”

Background on the Massachusetts Life Sciences Initiative and MLSC

The Massachusetts Life Sciences Initiative was announced in 2007, but its roots date back to 2005, when the Boston Foundation and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative led an effort to formalize and strengthen the ongoing conversations among the members of the Massachusetts life sciences “supercluster.” That “supercluster” included universities, research institutions, hospitals, numerous private and nonprofit organizations and the venture capital firms that often fund cutting edge work in the field. A year of work led to the creation of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Collaborative in 2006, chaired by President Susan Hochfield of M.I.T., Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust, University of Massachusetts President Jack Wilson and Henri Termeer, CEO of Genzyme.

In March 2007, at a meeting of the Collaborative, Governor Deval Patrick previewed an announcement that he would make later that year – the creation of a ten-year plan to invest $1 billion to enhance and strengthen the state’s leadership in the life sciences sectors including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, diagnostics and bioinformatics. The Massachusetts Legislature approved the funding for the Governor’s Massachusetts Life Sciences Initiative in June 2008 and charged the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center with its implementation.

Bluestone and Clayton-Matthews note that the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center made more than $301 million in investments between June 2008 and June 2012, including nearly $187 million for capital projects and $56.6 million in tax incentives to companies that meet specific hiring goals. In addition, MLSC investments included $23.3 million in academic research grants, $22.9 million in accelerator loans for early-stage companies and other types of company support, $6.9 million to fund internships at Massachusetts life sciences firms with fewer than 100 employees, and nearly $5 million in equipment and supply grants for schools and to fund other grants and competitions.

According to the MLSC FY2012 annual report, together those investments leveraged more than $1 billion in third-party investments, most often by the private sector.

Short Term Impact and Job Creation

Bluestone and Clayton-Matthews examined the impact of the Life Sciences Initiative’s tax incentives as one means of assessing short-term impact, and they find positive results. The analysis finds that participating companies that received $56.6 million in outstanding tax incentives by June 30, 2012 had created 2,537 new jobs (a cost of $22,175 per job). These jobs paid an average salary of $105,037 per year for a total of $266 million in annual salaries for the new workers. They estimate that these new workers will generate more than $93.1 million in income and sales taxes to Massachusetts over the next five years, meaning that each dollar in tax incentives awarded will generate $1.66 in added tax revenue.

Of the jobs created by companies participating in the Center’s tax incentive program, 1,843 are in the pharmaceutical sector, 481 are in the medical device sector and another 213 are in scientific research.

Bluestone and Clayton-Matthews note that the new workers come from diverse educational backgrounds – from high school or Associate Degrees to Ph.Ds. An estimated 23% of the new life sciences hires whose jobs were created by 2010 MLSC Tax Incentives had an Associate Degree or less, with over half of the new workers in the medical devices field holding less than a B.A. The jobs are high-paying, with workers holding an Associate’s Degree earning an estimated $61,285 per year, and those with a Master’s degree or higher earning well over $100,000 annually. The average salary in the life sciences industries in the Commonwealth exceeds the all industry Massachusetts average by 68 percent.

The Life Sciences Center Difference

Bluestone and Clayton-Matthews note that the MLSC has key features that make it an unusual government investment program – and which may contribute to its success. It is governed by a Board of Directors that includes industry, academic and research leaders in addition to government officials. Before coming to the Board of Directors for final approval most MLSC investments are reviewed by a multi-disciplinary Scientific Advisory Board and a Peer Review panel comprised of more than 200 experts from across the state. The Peer Review Panel and SAB both include industry and venture-capital experts who can assess the economic potential of the Center’s investments, as well as scientists who can assess the scientific potential.

The Center also insists on private sector matches and retains “clawback” options on tax incentives if job creation goals are not reached – giving the Center the ability to hold recipients accountable.

But the authors suggest another key element in the Center’s success – its embrace of a theory of growth that places innovation at the center of growth dynamics, where technology and interdependencies between new ideas and new investment provide the basis for new industries and products. This dynamic gives rise to a regional development pattern that differs from the standard one. Traditionally, small firms have tended to cluster around a major facility such as an auto assembly plant. Cities and towns that can attract one of these big facilities often benefit from having smaller companies settle nearby as part of a supply chain. But for life sciences and other innovation-driven sectors, the reverse pattern of development appears to be true – major firms are attracted to areas that have fostered the growth of small start-ups that can create breakthrough innovations at a faster rate than any one large firm. The large firms want to settle near the smaller ones in order to have a “front row seat” when it comes to acquiring cutting edge products.

“What is special about the Massachusetts Life Sciences Initiative is that it focuses explicitly on increasing the rate of innovation by encouraging more research and development (R&D) in the life sciences and helping small firms in this supercluster convert basic research into marketable products and services,” Bluestone and Clayton-Matthews write. “New growth theory posits that this activity is the very fountain of economic growth.”

In their interviews, the authors found numerous cases where the creation and support of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center provided critical capital, loans and connections that allowed small firms to translate their ideas into products, which in turn attracted larger firms to the area and additional sources of funding. The researchers found that the MLSC also provided key incentives and credits to lower the cost of doing business in the state and was successful in retaining smaller firms that might otherwise have relocated to lower-cost regions.

Whether Massachusetts can maintain that leadership position remains to be seen, but the authors note:

“Our overall conclusion is that because of its unique comprehensive approach to an entire industry supercluster and its reliance on scientific peer-reviewed procedures for awarding grants, the Commonwealth has reaped a substantial return on its life sciences initiative investment. Moreover, given the number of firms that have been attracted to the state, in large measure because of the ecosystem the Center has helped nurture, the benefits from the state’s investment in this initiative are likely to pay off bountifully in the years to come.”

In conclusion, researchers Bluestone and Clayton-Matthews note, “All of our research suggests that the state will benefit from fully funding the remaining five years of the initiative in order to maintain the lead the life sciences have established in the Commonwealth,” and that the Initiative could provide valuable lessons for other quasipublic entities in the state.

“In the end, we applaud the Governor and the Legislature for their foresight in creating the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and the $1 billion Life Sciences Initiative,” they write. “The structure put in place is fulfilling the goals set out in the original legislation and the Center’s leadership has continually assured that the structure works effectively and efficiently.”

******

The Boston Foundation, Greater Boston’s community foundation, is one of the oldest and largest community foundations in the nation, with net assets of more than $800 million. In 2012, the Foundation and its donors made $88 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and received gifts of close to $60 million. The Foundation is a partner in philanthropy, with some 900 separate charitable funds established by donors either for the general benefit of the community or for special purposes. The Boston Foundation also serves as a major civic leader, provider of information, convener and sponsor of special initiatives that address the region’s most pressing challenges. The Philanthropic Initiative (TPI), an operating unit of the Foundation, offers special consulting services to philanthropists. Through its services and its work to advance the broader field of strategic philanthropy, TPI has influenced billions of dollars of giving worldwide. For more information about the Boston Foundation and TPI, visit www.tbf.org or call 617-338-1700.