Edinburgh BioQuarter Newsletter 04 | Spring 2012
2
THE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FROM EDINBURGH BIOQUARTER ISSUE 01 SPRING 2012 W: WWW.EDINBURGHBIOQUARTER.COM T: 0131 242 9249 E: [email protected] LOCATE AT BIOQUARTER MORE ABOUT EDINBURGH CONTACT US p01 In January, I attended the Biotech Showcase that runs alongside the JP Morgan Biotech investment conference in San Francisco, where one investor described 2011 as “the worst year ever” for biotech investment. Whilst it’s true that 2011 was a year fraught with challenges for our industry, there have also been opportunities – and I’m pleased that we’re able to report some real successes as 2012 dawns. i2eye Diagnostics Ltd has just launched with private equity backing, whilst Aquila BioMedical, a Contract Research Organisation spun out of BioQuarter, has hired a Chief Operating Officer and is currently undertaking market diligence and talking to its first potential customers. In mid-January we also received the great news that we have been designated an Enterprise Area by the Scottish Government, a status that will confer tangible benefits to all the companies that choose to locate here. Mike Capaldi Commercialisation Director, Edinburgh BioQuarter Queens’ Medical Research Institute, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ i2eye Diagnostics is commercialising the world’s first visual field analyser for young children, invented at the University of Edinburgh. The instrument is a generation ahead of anything else on the market and uses the child’s natural reactions to movement and light to objectively map their visual fields. One of the first applications for the instrument is to improve the outcome for children with brain tumours by helping to optimise the design and monitoring of treatment plans. Because this is the first visual field analyser that does not require the patient’s considered input, it will also benefit pre-term babies, the frail elderly, stroke victims and head injury patients. The device has already been successfully tested in the clinic and interest has been received from medical centres in the UK, the Middle East and North America. Chief Executive Officer Peter Estibeiro said, “We are delighted with the response from the market. Our instrument will be available in the US and Europe from the middle of this year and we are already placing units for evaluation at some of the world’s leading paediatric centres. This is an excellent opportunity for Edinburgh and Scotland to deliver a genuine health benefit to young children and other patient groups around the world.” i2eye Diagnostics has signed an agreement with Kelvin Capital and others for investment to support its launch. OUT OF THE VALLEY OF DEATH… LOOKING GOOD: The visual field analyser goes through testing BioQuarter launches first major spin-out company MEET THE NEW EXECUTIVES As our work to commercialise medical research from the University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian gathers pace, we are pleased to welcome four new colleagues to the BioQuarter team. Dr Giles Dudley and Dr Steve Ewing join our Business Creation team from Edinburgh Research and Innovation, whilst Dr Amy Lam and Tracy Weightman have joined our Business Development team from Scottish Enterprise and Aptuit, Inc respectively. Dr Diane Harbison, Head of Business Development at Edinburgh BioQuarter, said: “These new members of our team will help us respond to the growing number of requests we’re receiving from both academics and industry.” Dr Giles Dudley Dr Steve Ewing Tracy Weightman Dr Amy Lam In mid-January, Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney announced that Edinburgh BioQuarter would be one of four locations in Scotland to benefit from “Enterprise Area” status. Similar to the designation of an “Enterprise Zone” (EZ) in England and Wales, this status recognises BioQuarter’s potential as a future engine of growth for Scotland’s economy, and offers a range of benefits for companies choosing to locate here, which will be outlined by the Scottish Government in April 2012. Commercialisation Director Dr Mike Capaldi said: “Our Designation as an Enterprise Area is great news for companies seeking to locate here.” IT’S E-Z WHEN YOU KNOW HOW… More about i2eye diagnostics
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The Quarterly Newsletter from Edinburgh BioQuarter. Spring 2012 issue
Transcript of Edinburgh BioQuarter Newsletter 04 | Spring 2012
THE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FROM EDINBURGH BIOQUARTER ISSUE 01 SPRING 2012W: WWW.EDINBURGHBIOQUARTER.COM T: 0131 242 9249 E: [email protected]
LOCATE AT BIOQUARTER
MORE ABOUT EDINBURGH
CONTACT US
p01
In January, I attended the Biotech Showcase that runs alongside the JP Morgan Biotech investment conference in San Francisco, where one investor described 2011 as “the worst
year ever” for biotech investment. Whilst it’s true that 2011 was a year fraught with challenges for our industry, there have also been opportunities – and I’m pleased that we’re able to report some real successes as 2012 dawns.
i2eye Diagnostics Ltd has just launched with private equity backing, whilst Aquila BioMedical, a Contract Research Organisation spun out of BioQuarter, has hired a Chief Operating Officer and is currently undertaking market diligence and talking to its first potential customers.
In mid-January we also received the great news that we have been designated an Enterprise Area by the Scottish Government, a status that will confer tangible benefits to all the companies that choose to locate here.
Mike CapaldiCommercialisation Director, Edinburgh BioQuarter
Queens’ Medical Research Institute, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ
i2eye Diagnostics is commercialising the world’s first visual field analyser for young children, invented at the University of Edinburgh. The instrument is a generation ahead of anything else on the market and uses the child’s natural reactions to movement and light to objectively map their visual fields.
One of the first applications for the instrument is to improve the outcome for children with brain tumours by helping to optimise the design and monitoring of treatment plans. Because this is the first visual field analyser that does not require the patient’s considered input, it will also benefit pre-term babies, the frail elderly, stroke victims and head injury patients.
The device has already been successfully tested in the clinic
and interest has been received from medical centres in the UK, the Middle East and North America. Chief Executive Officer Peter Estibeiro said, “We are delighted with the response from the market. Our instrument will be available in the US and Europe from the middle of this year and we are already placing
units for evaluation at some of the world’s leading paediatric centres. This is an excellent opportunity for Edinburgh and Scotland to deliver a genuine health benefit to young children and other patient groups around the world.”
i2eye Diagnostics has signed an agreement with Kelvin Capital and others for investment to support its launch.
OUT OF THE VALLEY OF DEATH…
LOOKING GOOD: The visual field analyser goes through testing
BioQuarter launches first major spin-out company
MEET THE NEW EXECUTIVESAs our work to commercialise medical research from the University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian gathers pace, we are pleased to welcome four new colleagues to the BioQuarter team. Dr Giles Dudley and Dr Steve Ewing join our Business Creation team from Edinburgh Research and Innovation, whilst Dr Amy Lam and Tracy Weightman have joined our Business Development team from Scottish Enterprise and Aptuit, Inc respectively.
Dr Diane Harbison, Head of Business Development at Edinburgh BioQuarter, said: “These new members of our team will help us respond
to the growing number of requests we’re receiving from both academics and industry.”
Dr Giles Dudley
Dr Steve Ewing
Tracy Weightman
Dr Amy Lam
In mid-January, Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney announced that Edinburgh BioQuarter would be one of four locations in Scotland to benefit from “Enterprise Area” status.
Similar to the designation of an “Enterprise Zone” (EZ) in England and Wales, this status recognises BioQuarter’s potential as a future engine
of growth for Scotland’s economy, and offers a range of benefits for companies choosing to locate here, which will be outlined by the Scottish Government in April 2012.
Commercialisation Director Dr Mike Capaldi said: “Our Designation as an Enterprise Area is great news for companies seeking to locate here.”
IT’S E-Z WHEN YOU KNOW HOW…
More about i2eye diagnostics
THE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FROM EDINBURGH BIOQUARTER ISSUE 01 SPRING 2012W: WWW.EDINBURGHBIOQUARTER.COM T: 0131 242 9249 E: [email protected]
LOCATE AT BIOQUARTER
MORE ABOUT EDINBURGH
CONTACT US
p02
Fios Genomics for Nine
Fios Genomics is a leading bioinformatics company providing biomarker analysis services for applications in drug discovery & development, diagnostics and human health for pharmaceutical companies and Contract Research Organisations (CROs).
Virginia Herriot, Property Lead at Scottish Enterprise, who are landlords of the building, said: “We are pleased to welcome our first
tenants to Nine, which we regard as an outstanding opportunity for both new and established life science firms to locate at the heart of the Scottish life sciences industry. We are in advanced discussions with a wide range of other companies regarding tenancies in this building, and expect to make further tenancy announcements in the months ahead.”
Read more on this story here
Clare Doris has been appointed Chief Operating Officer of Aquila BioMedical, a new Contract Research Organisation that is being spun out from Edinburgh BioQuarter this year. Clare has joined Aquila from Aptuit, a global Contract Research Organisation.
Aquila BM has received grant funding from Scottish Enterprise’s SMART scheme for a market validation study of its MBP Tracker
technology, a new methodology that delivers better data on candidate drugs for therapies relating to conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis and other immunological disorders. Speaking about her new appointment, Clare said: “It’s great to be able to join a start-up at such an exciting stage in its development. We are already in discussions with some potential
customers from Europe and Asia regarding our new drug development methodologies, which we believe will save customers time and money by identifying failed drug compounds at an earlier stage than previously possible.”
BIOQUARTER’S STOCK RISES
AQUILA BIOMEDICAL TESTS THE MARKET
Fios Genomics is one of the first companies to sign a lease at Nine, the BioQuarter, our multi-occupancy building on the BioQuarter site.
The results of the latest commercialisation tracker survey have shown increased awareness of BioQuarter’s work. The study, which analyses attitudes to commercialisation among medical researchers at the University of Edinburgh, benefitted from a 55% increase in participation compared to the previous year.
Awareness of Edinburgh BioQuarter as a source of commercialisation expertise had increased from 40% to 52% -- the only source to show an increase. Researchers were also more satisfied with the help they received from the BioQuarter team in helping them to commercialise their ideas than they were before the team’s arrival: compared to 2009, overall satisfaction with commercialisation advice increased from 51% to 62%, whilst those expressing themselves as “very dissatisfied” decreased from 9% to 3% of respondents.
Commenting on these figures, James Wood said: “These results demonstrate a growing interest in commercialisation across the research community, and are great news for us.”
“We are already in discussions with some potential customers from Europe and Asia regarding our new drug development methodologies.” More about Aquila Biomedical
