BayBio Notes

Life Sciences News in Northern California - May 2008

LINKS

Growing Civic Partnerships

President

BayBio has a long, rich tradition of working with the cities and counties that comprise our region. That tradition grows in 2008 as we add several new partnerships that will both serve our public sector allies as well as further regional goals for economic growth, real estate development and job creation. This is, in fact, what BayBio does best for you: bring people together to develop and advance a common agenda.

The first is an extension of the “BayBio Corridor” – a partnership of life sciences communities from Silicon Valley to Sacramento. Together with 5 regional organizations, BayBio will host tours of the life sciences community for international delegations visiting here on the way to BIO 2008 in San Diego this June.

NEW BAYBIO MEMBERS

Hire Hidden Biotech Talent Efficiently and Effectively at a Job Fair

From June Salvati, Director of Events and Corporate Services, BioSpace

Being a recruiter for a bioscience company is no easy task these days. While the biotech, pharmaceutical, and medical device and diagnostic industries have been thriving in recent years, competition between companies for top talent has become a battle within itself. As a result, recruiters have had to experiment with different methods of attracting qualified candidates. One method that has proven itself to be a staple over the past decade is the niche career fair. BioSpace has produced over 180 career fairs in the last ten years, and has seen consistent growth in both candidate and exhibitor interest in these events. BioSpace has figured out the best practices for running these job fairs, and continues to impress recruiters and hiring managers looking to fill various pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device and diagnostic jobs.

Ensuring Happy, Healthy and Successful Alliances

Alliances are now well and truly part of the relationship between pharmaceuti¬cal and biotechnology companies. But studies show that up to half of all alli¬ances fail before they can deliver on their promise. This article considers why so many flounder and offers practical advice on avoiding such pitfalls as well as pro¬viding case studies of real issues that have been overcome.

Alliances are now de rigueur in the biopharmaceutical world. The right partner can provide quick access to new technologies, or inroads into markets that other¬wise would be too costly or distant to serve.

But there’s a fly in the ointment – studies show that half of all alliances fail before they can deliver on their promise.
This article examines why so many alliances continue to flounder and provides practical advice on avoiding such pitfalls as well as presenting particular case studies where common issues were overcome.
The article was written by Tim Noffke, vice-president, Integrated Project Management Company. He can be contacted by email: tnoffke@ipmcinc.com

BayBio Candidate Forums

In an effort to inform and create stronger relationships at the state level, BayBio Candidate Forums provide opportunities to discuss pressing life sciences issues with candidates from various districts.

Due to term limits, there are 24 open seats in the Assembly alone. At the same time, the life sciences industry faces a host of state policy challenges. Issues such as the protection of intellectual property, tax and regulatory policy and funding for education are consistently discussed and debated in Sacramento. Candidates and legislators need to know how important these issues are for the life sciences industry and the unique ways the industry is affected by their decisions in these areas. The realities of term limits require a consistent education process as every election cycle will have a similar number of new legislators entering office.

A High School Biotechnology Student Intern in Your Lab? Summer Internships begin as early as the end of June

In 2001, Summer Daoud, a senior in San Mateo High School’s Biotechnology Careers Pathway (SMBCP), headed to UC Davis with a $2000/year scholarship from the Department of Biotechnology. "When I got the letter saying that I was admitted and offered a scholarship, I screamed," Summer explained. "After my internship, I decided that I had a future somewhere in the lab, in research." Currently, employed in the biotechnology industry, Summer has worked in the science and business sector.

What focused Summer’s educational goals was her opportunity to develop skills and competence in a laboratory setting. During Summer’s senior year in high school, she participated in an 180-hour industry internship at Applied Biosystems in Foster City. While there, she worked in quality control conducting assays on reagent products for DNA synthesizers. Since 1994, her mentor Mike Harrison hosted11 other SMBCP student interns (1 per semester) working in his lab.

MDMA's Washington Update

Wasthingtong Keeping Medical Device Makers on Their Toes.

Patent Reform Act Stalls

The Patent Reform Act continued to face increasing opposition by various stakeholders over provisions dealing with damages, post grant review and inequitable conduct. Growing concern from various labor groups, universities and healthcare industries have caused several key Senators to reconsider their position on the legislation. While some mega tech companies sought to rush the bill through the Senate, it now appears that Members of Congress are taking a more deliberate approach to make sure they address the key issues properly.

Secure Your Future with BayBio Purchasing

When it comes to business insurance, it is critical that your insurance provider has a special knowledge of the biotech industry's unique needs in general as well as your company's specific needs. BayBio participates in a national insurance coalition with William Gallagher Associates and Woodruff-Sawyer as its lead business insurance/risk management brokers.