The Bio Report

Incubators and accelerators have been proliferating in California, but little has been done to track their activities and analyze their performance. The California Business Incubation Alliance recently released a study of the performance of incubators and accelerators in California, the contribution they make to the state’s economy, and whether they deliver value to the entrepreneurs that use them. We spoke to Matt Gardner, CEO of the California Technology Council and lead author of the report, about its findings, why gathering data about incubators and accelerators is so challenging, and why the findings include a word of caution to entrepreneurs. As a matter of full disclosure, Matt is a friend, client, and partner and I served as an editor on this report.

The growing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the evolution of next-generation sequencing technology is giving rise to new approaches to combat what’s become a serious global health threat. Epibiome, which describes itself as a precision microbiome engineering company, is working to develop cocktails of bacteriophages to use in animal and human health. We spoke to Nick Conley, CEO of Epibiome, about the urgent need for new therapeutics, the renewed interest in phages, and Epibiome’s unique approach to address the problem.

The ability to find and tumor cells and DNA fragments shed by tumors circulating in the blood has given rise to liquid biopsies. This emerging area of diagnostics promises to improve cancer care, better monitor patient response to a therapy, personalize care, and provide earlier evidence of recurrence. We spoke to Andre de Fusco, CEO of Cynvenio, about the company’s liquid biopsy rare cell isolation platform, and its implications for changing how cancer patients

KaloBios, a biotech best known for a series of disastrous events including failed clinical trials, a bankruptcy filing, lawsuits, and the arrest of its CEO, is being reborn. In the process, it may provide a valuable contribution to the ongoing discussion over drug pricing. In April, the development-stage company unveiled a pricing plan based on transparency, affordability, and reasonable profit. We spoke to Cameron Durrant, CEO of KaloBios, about his efforts to clean up the mess he inherited, turnaround the fortunes of the company, and introduce an innovate pricing model that could reshape the way industry thinks about pricing its products.

Despite a rapid advance of technology there’s been little change in the preclinical drug development process. Vium is hoping to change that by using sensors, automation, and bioinformatics to change the way data is gathered in the preclinical process to fuel better and faster decisions about the potential value of an experimental drug. We spoke to Tim Robertson, co-founder and CEO of Vium and Joe Betts-Lacroix, co-founder and CTO of Vium, about the company, how its hoping to change the preclinical drug development process, and why that’s essential.

The biotechnology industry continued to post record numbers, attract significant investment, and won approval for a solid number of new drugs in 2015. Nevertheless, EY in its new Beyond Borders report warns that there’s a deceleration within the industry that points to threats that could undermine the robust growth it has enjoyed. We spoke to Glen Giovannetti, EY Global Biotechnology Leader, about the new report, the need for the industry to innovate pricing models for new drugs, and why as companies seeks to demonstrate the value of a product they will need to consider the unique perspective of each payer.

Wall Street’s attention will turn to Chicago as the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology gets underway June 3 to June 7. Though this is a scientific conference, it is one closely watched by investors, who have been pouring through the abstracts that have been available and keeping an eye open for late-breakers that could move stocks. We spoke to Jon Gardner, deputy news editor for EP Vantage, about the ASCO meeting, what the early abstracts say, and who will likely be making headlines at this year’s meeting.

Lupus is an often misunderstood and misdiagnosed autoimmune disease. While some 1.5 million people—mostly women—have lupus, it can take years for someone with the disease to get a correct diagnosis. We spoke to Susan Manzi, medical director of the Lupus Foundation of America and Co-founder and director of the Lupus Center of Excellence at Allegheny Health Network, about the disease, why there are so few treatments available today, and why she holds out hope for the pipeline of new therapies moving through the clinic.

Global innovation activity experienced broad gains across industry sectors last year, according to Thompson Reuters newly released 2016 State of Innovation report. We spoke to Anthony Trippe, senior patent analyst for Thomson Reuters about the report, its upbeat outlook, and what it says about the direction of innovation in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medical device sectors.

The Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing, a coalition of healthcare stakeholders, thinks that the rising cost of prescription drugs can be addressed through a series of market-based solutions that will strike a balance between preserving innovation and ensuring affordability. Its recently released plan outlines steps to increase transparency, competition, and value. We spoke to John Rother, executive director of the Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing, about the organization, its focus on market-based solutions, and what it will take to make them a reality.