University of Colorado Technology Transfer Office

Staff Changes at TTO
Biotech Licensing Associate Andrew Gano left the TTO in November to become Global Upstream Product Marketing Manager (Respiratory Health Division) at Covidien, a medical products company headquartered in Boulder. Andrew has worked at TTO for over 2 ½ years, and has been a solid citizen and productive colleague; we wish him the best in his new position.  

The CU Research Community: TTO Head Dave Allen
CU Associate Vice President for Technology Transfer David Allen explains how the CU Research Community works with leaders at all three CU Universities. “The synergy between the CU Research Community and the CU Technology Transfer Office has a tremendous effect on 'economic development' for the state of Colorado.”

Colorado Springs Incubator CEO Chock-full of Plans
Duncan Stewart serves as the volunteer chief executive of the Colorado Springs Technology Incubator and the paid executive director of the Colorado Homeland Defense Alliance, a 6-month-old affiliated group started to help companies commercialize technology used in the aerospace, defense and homeland-security industries.

UC Denver Researcher Receives AAPS Research Achievement Award in Biotechnology
On November 11 the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists presented its Research Achievement Award in Biotechnology to Professor John Carpenter of the University of Colorado Denver School of Pharmacy. Carpenter is recognized for his ground-breaking contributions to the pharmaceutical sciences, specifically his research on the mechanisms of protein stabilization during freeze-drying. (More on this technology – PDF)

Silicon Flatirons Seeking Research Fellow
Colorado Law’s Silicon Flatirons Telecommunications Program is seeking an individual to work as a Research Associate for a one-year term beginning in January 2008. This position is best suited to an individual who desires the opportunity to research in the area(s) of entrepreneurial law, community development, and/or private companies. For additional information, please contact Anna Noschese (Anna.Noschese@Colorado.EDU).

Four CU Faculty Members Elected AAAS Fellows For 2007
Four University of Colorado faculty members have been elected fellows of the prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science for 2007. The AAAS fellows are CU-Boulder Senior Research Associate John "Jack" Gosling of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, CU-Boulder Professor Henry Kapteyn of the physics department and JILA, CU-Boulder Professor Tom Ranker of the CU Museum of Natural History and the ecology and evolutionary biology department, and Kenneth L. Tyler, MD, Reuler-Lewin Family Professor of Neurology and Professor of Medicine and Microbiology at UC Denver (Anschutz Medical Campus). They were among 471 AAAS fellows elected by their peers for efforts to advance science or foster applications deemed scientifically or socially distinguished.

Do you know of a recent award, new position or transition of interest to the CU tech community? Please send information to TTOnews@cu.edu.

TTO's Learning Laboratory: The Student Connection

Bard Center BioEntrepreneurship Courses
As part of the development of the Bard Center Bioentrepreneurship Program, the UC Denver School of Business will offer 4 non-credit, non-degree courses in Bioscience Marketing, Regulatory Affairs, Product Development and Finance.  Each course will consist of four 2½ -hour evening sessions at the Bard Center in downtown Denver. The courses will be offered during spring semester 2008. For more information please go to http://www.cudenver.edu/bard.

TTO Licensing Intern Scott Norviel
In  October, junior Economics student Scott Norviel joined the team here at the TTO as a licensing intern, where he pursues a general interest in entrepreneurship, intellectual property, and law. His duties at TTO include market research in the fields of technology, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals, as well as development of marketing plans for further commercialization and development of technologies.  In addition to his B.A. in Economics, Scott is currently pursuing minors in Business Administration and Atmospheric & Oceanic.  After graduation from CU-Boulder, expected in the spring of 2009, Scott aspires to attend law school in his home state of California, focusing on patent law and intellectual property.

Spotlight On:

CU-Boulder Technology of the Month:
CU1774B – Novel Therapies for Autoimmune Diseases

UCDHSC Technology of the Month:
CU1673H – Novel Autoantigen for Type I Diabetes: Therapeutic and Diagnostic Applications

CU Company of the Month:
ARCA Discovery, Inc., a company founded by Michael Bristow, Professor of Cardiology at UC Denver, is focused on developing and commercializing genetically-targeted therapies for heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases.  The company’s first product is Bucindolol, a small-molecule therapeutic for advanced heart failure and other indications, which promises to be the first genetically-targeted cardiovascular drug. In June 2007, ARCA closed an $18M Series B preferred stock financing led by Skyline Ventures together with InterWest Partners as new investors, with participation from existing investors Atlas Ventures, Boulder Ventures and the Peierls Foundation; ARCA’s total private financing exceeds $34M. The proceeds from the Series B will be used in part to file for U.S. approval and launch Bucindolol. The company’s corporate headquarters are in Denver, and its laboratory facilities are at the Colorado Science + Technology Park at Fitzsimons.

Upcoming Events

Colorado Inventor Bootcamp & Showcase
November 15, Cable Center, Denver
This DaVinci Institute event will start with an Inventor Boot Camp covering the basics of commercializing inventions. Later, the Showcase will feature great inventions from both independent inventors and businesses. Details and registration online.

Butcher Symposium on Genetics and Biotechnology
November 16, Westin Hotel and Resort, Westminster
This Symposium brings together CU faculty in the many areas of research related to genomics and biotechnology to improve awareness of the relevant resources at CU, to spark new collaborations, and to identify means and opportunities for strategic advancement.

Symposium: Healthy People, Cities, Planet
November 19, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora
Come celebrate the intellectual life of UC Denver at the Chancellor’s Symposium, a joint effort of the Downtown Denver and Anschutz Medical campuses. A reception and tours will follow the symposium. Chancellor M. Roy Wilson, President Hank Brown, Aurora Mayor Ed Tauer, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (invited) and Governor Bill Ritter (invited).

Public Safety, New Technologies, and the Future of Emergency Response
November 28, UC Denver School of Public Affairs
Co-Sponsored by the Silicon Flatirons Telecommunications Program and the CU Denver School of Public Affairs, this conference will take a look forward at the future of emergency response, evaluating how new technologies can be adopted to enable first responders to operate more effectively.

Boulder/Denver New Technology Meetup Group
December 4, CU-Boulder Wolf Law Building
This ongoing event provides a forum for technologists and entrepreneurs to showcase the new (especially web-based) technology developing in Boulder/Denver tech community. Five companies have five minutes each to demonstrate their new technology, followed by five minutes for Q&A from the audience.

BioWest 2007
December 6 & 7, Grand Hyatt, Denver
The Rocky Mountain region’s premier bioscience expo and conference, with expected attendance over 900. This year’s program will feature author Jim Collins; AdvaMed CEO Stephen Ubl; and other Colorado Industry leaders. 

Leeds Undergraduate Business Plan Competition
December 12, CU-Boulder
The top four teams of students from Leeds’s Deming Center for Entrepreneurship will present their business plans for the judges. Presenting teams will be selected during the preliminary round December 5.

International Nano Partners Holiday Reception
December 14, location TBA
Save the date for the International Nano Partners Holiday Reception, hosted by the Colorado Nanotechnology Alliance (CNA).

Technology Transfer Sixth Annual Awards Event
January 14, Tivoli Brewery, Denver
The sixth annual TTO awards dinner will be held on January 14, 2008. This event celebrates people and companies that are illustrative of the outstanding year experienced by technology transfer at CU. Save the date – more details to come. For information about purchasing a table, please contact Lynn Pae at lynn.pae@cu.edu or 303-735-0550.

Leeds Graduate Business Plan Competition
January 22, CU-Boulder
The top four teams of students from Leeds’s Deming Center for Entrepreneurship will present their business plans for the judges. Presenting teams will be selected during the preliminary round December 6.

CBSA Presents Bio SoCo
January 22, University Center, Colorado Springs
An inside look at three Colorado Springs bio companies, hosted by the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA).

TiE-Rockies: MentorFest 2008
January 24, PPA Event Center, Denver
A chance for anyone who is working on a business concept to get their plan in front of a highly experienced group of serial entrepreneurs for review and assistance with, planning, funding, starting, operating, developing, and selling their business.

To have your event featured here, please send an email to TTOnews@cu.edu.

CU Resources

Biofuels Germinate at CU: University-level Collaboration Makes State Leader in Biofuels
Collaboration among Colorado's competing Front Range universities is already here, and it's turning the state into the nation's leading innovator in the burgeoning field of biofuels. The Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels, or C2B2, is based at CU and includes the Golden-based National Renewable Energy Laboratory along with the three schools. In late October, the 7-month-old center announced $500,000 in grants to fund 10 renewable-energy projects, including five at CU.

New Name for State’s Premier Research University
A simpler name has been given to the state’s largest research and professional education university: University of Colorado Denver. A vote October 29 by the CU Board of Regents set a permanent name for the institution that includes the Downtown Campus in Denver and Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora.

Innovation in the News

Publish or Patent – or Both
Most academic promotions are tied to the volume of scholarly publication an individual produces. But if an idea is published without any patent filing, the discoverer can lose the right to patent it -- and the current emphasis on innovation makes having a string of patents very desirable.

Patent Reform and University Research
On October 24 the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on The Role of Federally-Funded University Research in the Patent System to discuss a provision in federal patent law that requires nonprofit entities that operate federally owned labs to return funds to the government if the royalties they earn on federally licensed inventions exceed 5 percent of their annual budget.

House Passes on Generic Biotechnology Drug Legislation
The House will not have enough time this year to develop and pass legislation that would allow FDA to approve generic versions of biotechnology drugs, the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee concluded at a meeting October 31.

Court Grants Injunction Against New Patent Rules
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office from enforcing new rules that would impose some roadblocks on patent applications. The rules, scheduled to go into effect November 1, were designed to encourage greater specificity in patent applications and curb subsequent patents that are related to the original.

Roundup: University, Community, State, National and International Initiatives

• ­Colorado Governor Unveils Climate Action Plan
  In support of his New Energy Economy Initiative, Gov. Bill Ritter introduced a statewide action plan to expand renewable energy opportunities and reduce the impact of climate change. Two key components of the plan include R&D for coal, natural gas and renewable energy and fostering an educated workforce.

• ­Washington Announces First Innovation Partnership Zones
  Governor Chris Gregoire has announced the designation of 11 Innovation Partnership Zones in Washington state, geographic areas that will develop the state's regional economies and receive special access to state funding and other resources, including $4.7M in new grants.

• ­ Mayo Clinic Breaks Vertical Integration Model
  When the Mayo Clinic undertook a project to produce a magnetic resonance imaging coil under its own brand, the move provided a new business model that could challenge medical device firms' longstanding allegiance to vertical integration, as well as the technology transfer model common to non-profit research institutions.

• ­Oregon Tax Credit Supports Research Commercialization
  A 60% income tax credit is now available to Oregon taxpayers who contribute to the new University Venture Development Fund, designed to fast-track commercialization of research discoveries at Oregon’s eight public universities.

• ­$80M Nanotech Center Planned for UMass-Lowell
  In the first major move of chancellor Martin Meehan's tenure, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell announced plans October 24 for an $80M science center to enhance the college's powerhouse nanotechnology research program.

• ­Arizona Foundations Launch $45M Personalized Medicine Initiative
  Two Arizona-based philanthropic organizations have committed $45M to fund an innovative initiative to develop personalized molecular diagnostics, to be led by Nobel laureate Dr. Lee Hartwell, TGen and the Biodesign Institute at ASU.

• ­Michigan 21st Century Jobs Fund Spared in Budget Negotiations
  An agreement between Gov. Jennifer Granholm and lawmakers was reached in the early morning hours of Oct. 31, following a brief government shutdown, allocating $75M in remaining tobacco settlement revenue to continue 21st Century Jobs Fund programs, which invest in four competitive-edge technologies to grow and diversify the state’s high-tech economy.

• ­U of Minnesota Seeks Better Way to Market Ideas
  Unhappy with the slow pace of commercializing its intellectual property, the University of Minnesota has signed an agreement with private firm V2R Group, aiming to more quickly convert the school's technology and patents into viable businesses.

External Resources

Colorado’s VC Market is 'On Fire'
Nine months into the year, the amount of venture capital dollars invested in Colorado companies has outpaced the total amount of funding given to the state's firms in all of 2006, according to a report released October 20.

Equity Investment and Fundraising Reach Post-Tech Boom High
The U.S. venture and angel markets appear to have fully recovered from their slump earlier this decade. Pricewaterhouse Coopers' Moneytree Survey reports that as of the third quarter, 2007 is on track to become the most active year for venture investment since 2001.

Star Scientists, Innovation and Regional and National Immigration
This NBER paper discusses the role of ‘star scientists’ in determining where and when firms enter the biotechnology industry, which firms are most successful, how quickly they go public, and the stock market returns for particular firms. Also discusses the emergence of a ‘reverse brain drain’ reducing the number of these top scientists operating in and starting firms in the US.

Negotiating University and Institutional License Agreements (PDF)
Private companies negotiating with the tech transfer offices of universities and public institutions may find the experience more challenging than negotiating with another private company. The differences arise from laws applicable to public licensors, such as Bayh-Dole, as well as the objectives of academic research organizations. Private company licensees can optimize the value of their license-as well as their relationships with universities and institutions-if they consider the opportunities, motivations and restrictions applicable to their public licensors.

Business Week Highlights Small Schools with Big Tech Transfer Success
A new study featured in Business Week showcases 10 small schools that have produced exceptional tech transfer successes despite limited R&D budgets, selected that from a list of institutions that fall below the top 50 when ranked by research budgets, yet had high relative rankings in key metrics such as patents filed, licenses executed, or start-ups launched.

Best Practices in Patent License Negotiations
There's a lot to consider before out-licensing patent rights. In this Nature Biotechnology article (PDF), a law student and a seasoned patent attorney outline what every bioentrepreneur should know before tackling the task.

Research Parks Poised for 'Phenomenal Increase' in Life Science Jobs
North American technology research parks employ fewer life science jobs than other disciplines, but that is expected to change over the next few years as some cities develop new biomedical campuses or expand existing ones, according to a recent survey of tech park owners. (Free log-in required)

2005 Federal R&D Obligations to Universities and Colleges
The federal government made obligations of $25 billion in R&D to colleges and universities in fiscal year 2005 ­- a 4.8 percent increase from FY2004, according to new National Science Foundation (NSF) data. Overall, Colorado ranked 13th with about $581M in federal R&D obligations and 7th on a per-capital basis; the CU system, with around $366M, ranked 16th among all universities and colleges receiving federal research funding.

Parting Quotes