This Week’s Biotech Highlights

This week in biotech, everyone was trying to find a way through.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is trying to find a way through to new treatments, and has created a whole funding program to do so. This week they pumped $3.2 million into a clinical program at Avila Therapeutics; and three other companies last year were able to start clinical trials with LLS funding. These biotech-foundation collaborations are win-win arrangements that you can expect to see more of.

Canadian Flax growers are trying to find a way through to use Roundup-resistant varieties without alienating the European Union (their biggest customer). Cibus Global has a technology that may develop the desired traits with a technique that’s more like “traditional” breeding than genetic modification and falls outside the EU’s GM-food regulations.

Generic drug makers are always trying to find a way through to market their products before patents expire. Statistics from Health Canada show that although only 1% of products get the consent of the patent-holder, 67% of the generics that decide to challenge patents record a win.

At The Cross-Border Biotech Blog and on Twitter @crossborderbio, we’ll be trying to find a way through the crowds at the annual BIO conference next week. Last year, highlights included global biotechnology rankings, the Premier’s breakfast, and a high-profile panel on heath care reform.