Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Baxa Corporation to Sponsor Free Culture of Safety Webinar

The Webinar presentation, titled "A Culture of Safety in Pharmacy: Lessons Learned," features an industry-leading panel of professionals discussing the controversy around medication errors, error reporting and the promotion of patient safety through cultural changes in health-system pharmacies. This ACPE-accredited Webinar presentation provides participants with two CE credits and takes place on January 14, 2010.

The four-speaker panel, which brings diverse expertise to the discussion, is moderated by Dennis Tribble, PharmD, Chief Pharmacy Officer for Baxa Corporation. Program speakers are Rita Shane, PharmD, FASHP - Director of Pharmacy Services at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; Seth Eisenberg, RN, ASN, ONC®, the Professional Practice Coordinator of Infusion Services at Seattle Cancer Center; Patricia Kienle, RPh, MPA, FASHP - Director of Clinical Accreditation and Medication Safety, Quality and Regulatory Affairs for Cardinal Health Pharmacy Solutions; and John Poikonen, PharmD - the Director of Clinical Informatics at UMass Memorial Medical Center.

Link to the PR Web newswire

Monday, December 28, 2009

'Tis the week at Absolutely PR for reflecting with gratitude on all the "Good Stuff" in 2009

Absolutely Public Relations celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2009 and achieved key media placement results for clients in both the traditional and social media spaces. The yearend review is shared by Absolutely PR Owner/Founder Maggie Chamberlin Holben, APR, who says she represented Colorado Cleantech Industry Association, Bell Aquaculture, Colorado BioScience Association, Baxa Corporation, Dr. Martha Lucas/Cosmetic Acupuncture Seminars, and Holben Building Corporation in 2009.

Link to yearend review on PR Web

Saturday, December 26, 2009

New line of "pharmacy robots" serving in many US hospital pharmacies- over 30 million doses served

Baxa Corporation's IntelliFill® i.v. was featured December 22 in Ruben Dagda's Pittsburgh Medical Technology page on Examiner.com.

"As put in the words of Marian Robinson, Vice President of Marketing for Baxa, 'DoseEdge does not compete with RIVA. What makes IntelliFill I.V. compelling is that it was the first to market automated solution for IV dose filling. It is the only system with a proven track record – with more than 30 customers in the US and nearly 30 million prepared doses to date. In addition, the IntelliFill i.v. features high-speed dose automation – preparing 300 doses per hour in reservoir mode.'"

Link to Ruben Dagda's report

Monday, December 21, 2009

December BioBreakfast Featured CBSA award winners miRagen and Accera

CBSA’s final BioBreakfast of the year offered a look inside two of the Award Winners from November’s BioWest Conference: Rising Star Recipient miRagen and Company of the Year Recipient Accera.

Link to the overview

Monday, December 14, 2009

Thursday, December 10, 2009

New column: Teaching Cosmetic Acupuncture in Turkey

Denver-based Martha Lucas, PhD, LAc is now a columnist for ACUPUNCTURE Today. Her first column is in the just released January 2010 issue.

Link to Dr. Lucas' column about teaching cosmetic acupuncture in Turkey

Colorado BioScience Association Moves Offices with Two Other Associations to Columbine Place at 216 16th Street, Suite 850, Denver

"The Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) along with the Colorado Association of Manufacturing and Technology (CAMT) and the Colorado Software and Internet Association (CSIA) have moved together to a new office located in Downtown Denver. The announcement is made by John Collar, President and CEO of the CBSA, who says the three organizations previously at the World Trade Center, 1625 Broadway - Suite 950, have moved to Columbine Place, 216 16th Street - Suite 850."

Link to the Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News posting

Monday, December 07, 2009

The Denver Business Journal's Greg Avery revisits Accelr8 in the Dec 4th issue

"The Accelr8 of today isn’t the company it once was. That may be why it’s still around.

The Denver-based medical device company has survived three economic downturns since it launched in the recession of 1982, emerging with a different business model each time."

Pictured is Thomas Geimer, chairman and CEO of Accelr8 Technology Corp. Jacinta Schraufnagel is working in the lab (Business Journal photo by Kathleen Lavine).

The CBSA President & CEO John Collar had this to say in the article about the challenge of finding new funding:

"It’s a classic predicament in the medical device industry, which is filled with small companies creating technology on unpredictable budgets, said John Collar, CEO and president of Colorado BioScience Association trade group.

It’s what he calls the 'high pucker factor' of the business.

'You’re spending money you don’t have, and you probably don’t know where more will come from when you need it,' he said."

Link to the Denver Business Journal article

Baxa is showcasing its new DoseEdge Workflow Manager at the largest gathering of pharmacists in world

Baxa Corporation is featuring its complete workflow management system, DoseEdge™, during this week’s ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting (MCM). DoseEdge is a fully integrated system for improving patient safety and pharmacy efficiency through the management of IV and oral dose preparation activities. The technology fits easily into current pharmacy practice and techniques, while providing a framework for reducing medication errors and the management tools for just-in-time production and resource planning. The ASHP MCM is the largest gathering of pharmacists in the world and a great venue to demonstrate the capabilities of the DoseEdge system to the pharmacy industry.

Introduced at the 2007 MCM, DoseEdge – formerly IntelliFlowRx™ – has processed more than 1,000,000 pharmacy doses to date. Today, 1,400 health-system users are managing dose preparation and barcode tracking through the system, which has resulted in the detection and rejection of approximately 30,000 product scan errors to date.

Link to the PRWeb Newswire

Friday, December 04, 2009

CCIA helped host the German wind energy delegation last month

"Colorado caught the attention of several German companies involved in Europe’s wind energy manufacturing industry when their representatives visited the state in a mid-November scouting trip.

The reps spent a day touring the Vestas wind turbine blade manufacturing plant in Windsor, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, and the wind energy research lab in Boulder that’s operated by German company Siemans Energy Inc.

The German-American Chamber of Commerce’s Colorado chapter sponsored the group, whose members also spoke at a Nov. 13 networking breakfast. The Colorado Cleantech Industry Association and the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade sponsored the breakfast."

Link to the DBJ article: German energy companies tour Colorado

Thursday, December 03, 2009

Sunny Skies Ahead For American Solar -- article quoting CCIA's Chris Shapard

CCIA's Executive Director Christine Shapard was quoted in this national article:

“Colorado's solar manufacturers have noted that they benefit from the state's low business costs, availability existing facilities for ramp up of production, and a local workforce familiar with technologies applicable to solar manufacturing,” says Christine Shapard, executive director, Colorado Cleantech Industry Association.

Link to article posting

Monday, November 30, 2009

Denver's Baxa Corp to Sponsor ASHP Midday Symposium: Creating a Culture of Safety in Pharmacy, A Panel Discussion on Lessons Learned

Baxa Corporation is sponsoring a professional presentation discussing what “culture of safety” means in today’s pharmacy environment. The Midday Symposium presentation, “Creating a Culture of Safety in Pharmacy,” features a panel of health-system professionals discussing their experiences with culture of safety, what it takes to build a culture of safety in pharmacy and the role of technology in enabling or inhibiting safe practice. The ACPE-accredited program takes place on Monday, December 7th at American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear Clinical Meeting at the Venetian Resort-Hotel in Las Vegas. Attendees to this free, two-hour presentation will also learn how automation can help their facility ensure patient safety.

The recent conviction of health-system pharmacist Eric Cropp for a medication error heightened awareness of the cultural and operational issues around safe practice. The Baxa program features a four-speaker panel with diverse expertise, permitting discussion of the controversy around medication errors, error reporting and promoting safety through cultural changes in health-system pharmacy. Moderated by Dennis Tribble, PharmD, Baxa Corporation Chief Pharmacy Office; the program speakers are Rita Shane, PharmD, FASHP – Director of Pharmacy Services at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; Seth Eisenberg, RN, ASN, ONC®, the Professional Practice Coordinator of Infusion Services at Seattle Cancer Center; Patricia Kienle, RPh, MPA, FASHP – Director of Clinical Accreditation and Medication Safety, Quality and Regulatory Affairs for Cardinal Health Pharmacy Solutions and John Poikonen, PharmD – the Director of Clinical Informatics at UMass Memorial Medical Center.

Link to the PR Web newswire

Link to Register

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

New diggs: for CBSA and two partner associations: CAMT and CSIA

The Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) along with the Colorado Association for Manufacturing and Technology (CAMT) and the Colorado Software and Internet Association (CSIA) have moved together to a new office located in Downtown Denver. The three organizations moved from the World Trade Center at 1625 Broadway in Suite 950 to Columbine Place at 216 16th Street in Suite 850.

The large suite allows for each association to have their own office areas, a large conference room to hold meeting space, and an open area for association members to come and work while in the Denver area.

Link to the Business Wire release

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

BioWest 2009 Video Recap - Who Stood Out In The Crowd and The Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor Conference

From November 10, 2009 - Afternoon breakout session: The Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor Conference — Who Stood Out In The Crowd and The Investor Perspective. Three company presentations from the RMLIC were heard (Leap Frogg, BioAMPS and Biodesix) and experts dissected their pitches afterward. VC Expert Panel (L-R): Michael Artinger, PhD, Director, Fitzsimons BioBusiness Partners; Mark Lupa, PhD, Principal, High Country Ventures and Tango; and Harry Ross, MD, Managing Partner, Aweida Management. Holli Baumunk from the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation (MDEDC) moderated the panel. Greg Olson, Ubiquity Group, provided introductions. The MDEDC and Ubiquity co-sponsored the session.

Leap Frogg Investor Presentation Matthew J Mayer, CEO Part 1 (three parts)



BioAMPS Investor Presentation David DeLong, CEO Part 1 (three parts)



Investor Presentation BioWest 2009 Panel Discussion Part 1 (two parts)



Go to CBSA's main YouTube channel page


Monday, November 16, 2009

European Life Science Journal features Colorado bioscience industry for third time.

The Colorado bioscience industry has been featured for the third time in the European Life Science Journal with a bylined article by Leah Kientz about the recent Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor Conference. Link to the issue at: http://multi.mediapaper.nu/?PubId=B5C0ED80919A381E9511B36B243F1C09 and go to page 64.

Thank you to our friend Bertil Nordquist and the team at the European Life Science Journal!

Baxa Corporation announces the 2010 course dates for its STAR Center training programs.

Baxa Corporation announces the 2010 course dates for its STAR Center training programs. Together with the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), the company plans 10 class sessions focused on pharmacy best practices in relation to USP 797 regulatory compliance and hazardous drug handling. To meet the needs of budget-sensitive hospitals, 2010 participants will be able to register for the Aseptic Processing and Compliance Tools for USP 797 course at a newly discounted price of $1,875; a 10% discount from standard pricing. Participants earn 21 hours of CE credit.

Link to the PRWeb newswire

Sunday, November 08, 2009

11/13: the CCIA will host a breakfast for the German wind energy delegation

Latest News From the DBJ: Representatives of eight German companies involved in the global wind energy industry are coming to Denver next week, hoping to find local companies in Colorado to partner with in the future.

The companies manufacture equipment for the wind energy industry, from the bolts that hold the turbine together to the hand tools used by maintenance workers on wind farms.

. The Colorado Cleantech Industry Association will host a breakfast for the delegation, where members will make presentations about their companies, Friday morning, Nov. 13, at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade helped to put together the breakfast, Cheatham said.

For information about registering for the Cleantech association's breakfast, call the association at 303-623-2690.

Link to the DBJ posting

Friday, November 06, 2009

The Colorado BioScience Association announced the winners of the 2009 Awards Program

"The Colorado BioScience Association announced the winners of the 2009 Awards Program. The awards will be presented at a dinner Tuesday at the Grand Hyatt Denver. The winners are: Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, Partner of the Year; Accera Inc., Company of the Year; Dan Mitchell, partner at Sequel Ventures, Volunteer of the Year; Miragen Therapeutics, Rising Star award; Corinne Carlson, a biology and chemistry teacher at Rock Canyon High School in Douglas County, Educator of the Year; and Erin Silver, the Chairman's Award. Also, Lifetime Achievement Awards were given to Nobel Prize winner Thomas Cech of the University of Colorado, director of the new Colorado Initiative in Molecular Biotechnology and an investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Leslie Leinwand, interim director of the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, chief science officer of the Colorado Initiative in Molecular Biotechnology and a professor at CU-Boulder."

Link to the Denver Post Colorado Business section

Link to the 2009 BioWest site

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Recognizing the Best of Colorado’s Bioscience Industry

The Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) has released the winners of its 2009 Awards Program. The announcement is made by John Collar, CBSA President and CEO, who says the CBSA awards program showcases and honors those individuals and companies making a significant difference to Colorado’s vibrant bioscience industry this year.

Official presentation of the awards occurs Tuesday, November 10, 6:00 to 8:30 p.m., at the Denver Grand-Hyatt, 1750 Welton. Held in conjunction with the 2009 BioWest Conference & Expo, registration information is available at http://www.biowestconference.com/. BioWest is the region’s preferred venue for meeting investors, entrepreneurs, researchers, students, teachers and key industry vendors.

Eric Alexander, skier, rock climber and mountaineer will serve as the keynote speaker for the event as the Colorado Bioscience Association celebrates its sixth anniversary. In addition, Steffan Tubbs, host of 850 KOA’s Colorado’s Morning News and KBDI-TV’s “Studio 12,” will act as the Master of Ceremonies for the award presentations.

Recipients of the CBSA’s 2009 awards include:

* Partner of the Year – Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) - The CBSA, as well as Colorado’s bioscience companies, rely on numerous, highly-respected partners to be successful. Since the inception of the CBSA, the Colorado Office of Economic Development has been an outstanding partner and friend to the bioscience industry in the state. The OEDIT has been engaged with CBSA on a number of levels, from helping ensure that Colorado’s bioscience industry remains a top priority for the state to the creation of the Bioscience Discovery Evaluation Grant Program. The great success this state’s bioscience industry has seen over the years is due in great part to the dedication and hard work of everyone at the Office of Economic Development and International Trade. For more information: http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/OEDIT/OEDIT/1162927366334

* Lifetime Achievement – Thomas Cech, PhD – Dr. Thomas Cech, Nobel Laureate, Distinguished Professor for the University of Colorado, Director of the new Colorado Initiative in Molecular Biotechnology (CIMB) and Investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute has become a leader in the bioscience industry and has encouraged others to follow his path. Dr. Cech first joined the faculty of the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1978 where he became a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator in 1988 and a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry in 1990. In 1982 Dr. Cech and his research group discovered that RNA was not restricted to being a passive carrier of genetic information, but could have an active role in cellular metabolism. This discovery of self-splicing RNA provided the first exception to the long-held belief that biological reactions are always catalyzed by proteins. This year Dr. Cech returned to Colorado full-time as the University of Colorado as the Director of the Colorado Initiative in Molecular Biotechnology, coming from his post as the President of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute since 2000. For more information: http://cimb.colorado.edu/

* Lifetime Achievement – Leslie Leinwand, PhD – Dr. Leslie Leinwand, Interim Director of the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, Chief Science Officer of the new Colorado Initiative in Molecular Biotechnology, and Professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder is a true leader in the bioscience industry. Since 2003, Dr. Leinwand has lead the initiative to begin the CIMB in order to foster new research, teaching and technology development in the fields of life sciences, physical sciences, math, computational sciences and engineering which is on the cutting edge of bioscience education. She is also a co-founder of Myogen Inc., a highly successful CU spin-out that was acquired by Gilead for $2.5 billion. Following the acquisition of Myogen, she began Hiberna Corporation which is studying the Burmese python in order to develop treatments to combat cardiac hypertrophy. For more information: http://cimb.colorado.edu/

* Company of the Year – Accera, Inc. - During the past 12 months Accera has made several notable achievements at the state and national level. In March the company achieved the goal that all start-up companies are strivinv for, they successfully launched Axona, a new prescription therapeutic product for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), nationally in the US. This is the first new evidence-based therapeutic for AD in 10 years, and the first to demonstrate a powerful pharmacogenomic-based efficacy. Accera built its own commercial development capability by utilizing many Colorado-based companies for marketing, sales, manufacturing, etc. and hired new commercial employees from the local biotech market thereby putting their dollars to work in order to further grow the Colorado biotech industry. Today, Accera is the only Colorado-based company with a therapeutic product on the market. Accera is the first and only private biotech company in the US to have researched, developed and launched a prescription CNS product, and to have done it in record time – 8 years from inception to launch. For more information: http://www.accerapharma.com/

* Rising Star – miRagen Therapeutics - miRagen Therapeutics was founded in 2007 to improve patients’ lives by developing innovative microRNA based therapeutics for the treatment of cardiovascular and muscle disease. As of June 2009, miRagen has achieved several key milestones resulting in the approval of the second tranche of their 2008 Series A financing of $8 million. In addition, miRagen secured a $4 million extension of the Series A, bringing the total funding of the Series A financing to $12 million. The company also engaged three new investors Amgen Ventures, Broadview Ventures and The Peierls Foundation who join founding investors Atlas Venture and Boulder Ventures. For more information: http://www.miragentherapeutics.com/

* Volunteer of the Year – Dan Mitchell – Dan Mitchell, Partner at Sequel Ventures, sits on the board of the CBSA and is an active member of the board. His commitment to the organization is evident when we take a look back on this year’s first Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor Conference, which would not have been possible without Dan’s hard work, dedication and support. Dan was instrumental in engaging outside investors to attend the conference, and securing sponsorships for the Investor Conference. Along with the Investor Conference, Dan has been an active participant in many of CBSA’s programs and has truly given his all to see the success of this organization. For more information visit: http://www.sequelvc.com/index.php?page=partners_sub&p=4

* Educator of the Year – Dr. Corinne Carlson – Dr. Corinne Carlson is a biology and chemistry teacher at Rock Canyon High School in Douglas County. Dr. Carlson is a PhD in biochemistry and comes back to teach high school after working as a researcher and professor at the University of Colorado. Dr. Carlson returned back to teaching high school students due to her passion and desire to inspire young people into the biosciences and chemical science orientated careers.

* Educator of the Year – Dr. Todd Bergren is the Chair of the State Faculty Advisory Council (SFAC) for the community college system of Colorado and also is a full time biology professor at the Community College of Aurora (CCA) where he has taught for the last 15 years. Dr. Bergren is known by both students and teachers alike as a truly passionate and inspirational teacher. Dr. Bergren has impacted numerous students to achieve their goals and to pursue the impossible, and through his research and teachings he has inspired many students to understand and love science.

* Chairman’s Award – Erin Silver, MPH- Erin Silver has been the contract lobbyist for the CBSA since 2005. Through Erin’s commitment to the organization and to our companies, the CBSA has successfully passed each legislative initiative that they have put forth to the state’s General Assembly. The legislation has provided $26.5 million for proof-of-concept and early stage companies, tax incentives and credits which encourage bioscience companies to move to the state and remain here, and they have helped create infrastructure to support the bioscience community. Her awareness of our industry’s needs and her brilliant ability to advocate on its behalf has made the CBSA the preeminent industry organization in Colorado. For more information: http://rbwpolicy.com/principals.php?pid=2

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Expo at BioWest 2009 Showcases New Technology, Products and Services for the Region’s Robust Bioscience Industry


More than 40 exhibitors will be showcasing new technology, products and services for 700+ attendees at the 2009 BioWest Conference and Expo. The announcement is made by John Collar, President and CEO of the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA), who says the event is November 10 at the Grand Hyatt Denver, 1750 Welton.

“The companies participating in the exhibit area are each playing an important role in helping advance the bioscience industry within the region,” Collar said, “We’re very pleased to welcome them to our seventh annual BioWest event and are looking forward to yet another exciting and successful conference.”

BioWest is the Rocky Mountain region’s preferred venue for visiting and learning about the bioscience industry. Exhibitors confirmed to date include:

Biologics Consulting Group, Inc., http://www.biologicsconsulting.com
Canadian Consulate, http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/denver/index.aspx
CARE Research, Inc., http://www.care-research.net
CaridianBCT, http://www.caridianbct.com
CGL - Concert Group Logistics, http://www.cglship.com
Colorado Science + Technology Park at Fitzsimons, http://www.fitzscience.com
Compliant Logistics, http://www.compliantlogistics.com
Concrete Floor Systems, http://www.concretefloorsystems.com
Colorado Prevention Center, http://www.cpcmed.org
CRB Engineers & Builders, http://www.crbusa.com
Colorado State University Research Foundation, http://www.csurf.org/researcher.html
Diablo Sales and Marketing, http://www.diablosales.com
Evergreen Research, Inc., http://www.evergreenresearch.com
Extronex Inc., http://www.extronex.com
GEL Analytics, LLC, http://www.gel.com
HemoGenix, Inc., http://www.hemogenix.com
Howe Creative, http://www.howecreative.com
ISEC, Inc., http://www.isecinc.com
Jefferson Economic Council, http://www.jeffco.org
Keystone Symposia on Molecular and Cellular Biology, http://www.keystonesymposia.org
LABS Inc., http://www.labs-inc.org
Leeds Precision Instruments, http://www.leedsmicro.com
Leo A Daly, http://www.leoadaly.com
OEDIT, http://www.colorado.gov
Quest Product Development, http://www.quest-corp.com
Reglera, LLC, http://www.reglera.com
Sheridan Ross P.C., http://www.sheridanross.com
TDC Medical, Inc., http://www.tdcmedical.com
Technology Driven Products, http://www.tdpcorp.com
The Jackson Laboratory, http://www.jax.org
The Neenan Company, http://www.neenan.com
Ubiquity Group, http://www.ubiquity-design.com
University of Colorado Tech Transfer Office, http://www.cu.edu/techtransfer
We Work for Health, http://www.weworkforhealth.org
YSI, Inc., http://www.ysilifesciences.com

There is still exhibit space available for the Expo on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact Leah Kientz at 303-592-4088 if you are interested in being part of the 2009 Expo. Conference registration is required in order to view the Exhibitor Hall area. Complete registration details for the BioWest Conference and Expo are available at http://www.biowestconference.com.

CCIA Smart Grid Session 2 - Technical Challenges Ahead



Link to the video of the keynote by Dave Markham, Lockheed Martin, at the CCIA's Smart Grid session 2: Technical Challenges Ahead held yesterday (10/28/09) at the Denver Chamber.

Additional panel participants included: Dr. Frank Barnes, CU/Boulder; David Cohen, Infotility; and Marcia Martin, Magpie.

Dave Markham's remarks are available in three parts at the CCIA YouTube channel.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Baxa Corp. moves headquarters into Maroon V building

"Medical-device manufacturer Baxa Corp. has agreed to lease the Maroon V office building for its new corporate headquarters. . . Developed by Shea Properties, Maroon V is a 4-story, Class A office building in the Meridian International Business Center, near Centennial Airport."

Friday, October 23, 2009

Real deals: Baxa moving to Meridian office park

Denver-area medical device maker Baxa Corp. is moving its headquarters to the Maroon V office building in the southeast suburban Meridian office park, the company said Friday.

The relocation will consolidate Baxa’s executive and administrative operations, which are now in three separate locations. Baxa expects to move into its new space in May 2010.

Baxa recently signed an agreement to lease 64,000 square feet at 88,584-square-foot Maroon V, which is located at 9540 S. Maroon Circle in Douglas County, with an Englewood mailing address. The lease is one of the southeastern suburbs’ largest new leases of the year so far, according to the company.

Baxa Corporation Signs Agreement for New Corporate Headquarters Facility

Baxa Corporation, a global manufacturer of medical devices for health-system pharmacies, announces it has signed an agreement to lease the Maroon V office building as its new corporate headquarters facility. The new facility will allow Baxa to consolidate its current executive and administrative operations –currently occupying three separate building spaces –into a single facility of approximately 64,000 square feet. The move also accommodates the planned expansion of the company’s production capacity at its Grasslands facility to support business growth.

Maroon V is a 4-story, Class A office building in the Meridian International Business Center, south of Denver, Colorado. Developed by Shea Properties, the LEED-certified building will provide a state-of-the-art working environment for Baxa executive officers, product development and laboratory testing; sales, marketing and technical support activities; and accounting and finance associates.

According to Dustin Whistler of Forte Commercial Real Estate, "This transaction represents one of the top real estate deals in the metro area this year. At the time of signature, this was the largest new lease signed in the submarket in 2009." Forte provided brokerage and transaction management services for this and previous Baxa Corporation real estate projects and assisted the company with site selection and assembly of the tenant’s external team of professionals.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

BioWest 2009 Registration Opens, Rolling Out A Stellar Lineup of National Speakers

Peter Sims, co-author of best selling business book “True North” and the forthcoming book “Little Bets” will provide the keynote for the 2009 BioWest Conference and Expo. In addition to Sims, nationally acclaimed speakers Ginger Graham, former CEO of Amylin Pharmaceuticals, and Eric Alexander - skier, climber, and mountaineer - will address the BioWest audience during the November 10th event at the Grand Hyatt Denver.

Organizers expect more than 700 industry leaders November 10th for the seventh annual BioWest event, held again at the Grand Hyatt Denver, 1750 Welton.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Denver's Baxa Corp signs China marketing deal

"Colorado's Baxa Corp. said Monday it has reached a four-year distribution agreement with China's largest pharmaceutical-products distributor for sale of its products there. The Englewood-based medical device company signed the deal with Sinopharm Group.

The move into the China market comes after China's State Council recently allocated $123 billion for medical and health-care improvements, including medical technology, Baxa said."

Monday, October 19, 2009

Baxa agreement will help Chinese hospital pharmacies be more accurate, safe & efficient

Baxa Corporation, a US-based medical device company in Englewood, Colorado, has signed an exclusive four-year distribution agreement with SINOPHARM, a China National Pharmaceutical Foreign Trade Corporation, to promote sales of its products in China. While the agreement covers all Baxa products, the ExactaMix™ 2400 Automated Compounder and the Repeater™ Pharmacy Pump have been recognized as ones that will increase efficiency for the hospitals targeted by Baxa and SINOPHARM in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Due to their existing practice of manual preparation, the companies expect that more than 250 hospitals could benefit from the Baxa pharmacy automation equipment.

The partners anticipate that Baxa Corporation’s expertise in automation could greatly improve the existing processes in Chinese hospitals – making their pharmacy operations more accurate, safe and efficient. “Baxa products are used all across the world every day by thousands of pharmacies. By entering the Chinese market, patients there will access the same outstanding quality that Baxa products have provided for 35 years in other parts of the world,” states Phil Walsh, Baxa Director of International Sales.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Baxa Announces IntelliFlowRx™ to Become DoseEdge™ Dose Management System


Baxa Corporation announces the rebranding of its IntelliFlowRx Workload Management Software to DoseEdge. The name DoseEdge (pronounced “dosage”) was chosen to reinforce the product’s leading edge position in pharmacy dose management. DoseEdge streamlines the previously manual workflow for pharmacy doses through barcode drug verification; automatic dose calculation; image capture of dose creation and improving pharmacist checking activity.
“IntelliFlow Rx was originally designed for IV room workflow management,” notes Tim Kingsford, DoseEdge Product Manager. “With the launch of the new brand name DoseEdge, we are expanding the system’s capabilities beyond the IV room for more complete dose management within the health-system pharmacy.”

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Colorado Girl Scouts: Denver Women of Distinction Honors Rae Ann Dougherty



The annual Women of Distinction program is widely regarded as the one of Denver’s premier philanthropic programs, bringing together and recognizing a group of purpose-driven leaders, women in business, government and philanthropic communities; who, like the girls, are dedicated to service and leadership. My good friend Rae Ann Dougherty was one of the honorees this year.

Link to more information about the program

Link to Rae Ann's Bio at R&R Strategies

Denver Business Journal: CBSA pushes education initiatives to help attract future workers


"Biology teacher Tammy Hearty enjoyed going 'back to school' this past summer.
Better yet, she’s happy she didn’t blow up anything during her stint in the laboratory at OSI Pharmaceuticals in Boulder.

Hearty, who teaches honors biology at Fairview High School in Boulder, was part of a Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) program that connects teachers with local businesses to help them learn about their subject matter from the inside."


Baucus’ tax idea worrying makers of medical devices

Federal excise taxes on medical device sales have been proposed to help fund health care reform, prompting industry worries the $4 billion in annual fees will stifle innovation and eliminate jobs.It’s a chief concern among Colorado manufacturers — who employ nearly 11,000 people in the state — though they support reform.

John Collar, CEO and president of the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) trade group, flew to Washington, D.C., at the end of September to tell Sens. Mark Udall and Michael Bennet that the industry sees the fees proposed in Sen. Max Baucus’ leading bill as a potential disaster.

Friday, October 09, 2009

Denver-based Cosmetic Acupuncture Expert Dr. Martha Lucas Conducts Intensive Seminar Sessions for Physicians in Istanbul

Denver-based Cosmetic Acupuncture specialist and author Martha Lucas, Ph.D., L.Ac., has recently returned from a teaching tour of Istanbul. The announcement is made by Dr. Lucas, who says “The interest in safe, natural, non-invasive cosmetic procedures simply spans the globe now. MDs in Turkey are trained in acupuncture but don’t have the specialty training like I offer in cosmetic protocols.”

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Delegation Touts Colorado's Med Device & Diagnostics Strengths at AdvaMed in D.C.

For three days, representatives from the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA), Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation and the Greater Colorado Springs Economic Development Corporation will be showcasing Colorado’s medical device and diagnostics sectors during the annual AdvaMed: The MedTech Conference. The announcement is made by John Collar, CBSA Executive Director, who says more than 1,400 industry leaders – including 500+ CEOs, Presidents and C-level executives will be attending the AdvaMed: The MedTech Conference, October 12-14.

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Inviragen Merges with SingVax and Completes $15 million Series A Financing

Inviragen and SingVax have merged their complementary vaccine pipelines and their international product development capabilities to create a company that is developing a wide range of vaccines for infectious diseases prevalent in emerging economies. Concurrently with the merger, the combined company raised $15 million in a Series A equity investment from a syndicate of international venture capital investors, including Charter Life Sciences (Palo Alto, CA), Venture Investors (Madison, WI), Bio*One Capital (Singapore) and Phillip Private Equity (Singapore).

The combined company will retain the Inviragen name and will have research and corporate operations in Fort Collins, Colorado, vaccine development operations in Singapore and vaccine testing capabilities in Madison, Wisconsin. “Post-merger, Inviragen has three vaccines poised to begin human clinical trials,” noted Dr. Dan Stinchcomb, Inviragen Chief Executive Officer. “During the next 18 months, these clinical studies will test vaccine safety and measure the immune responses induced by these three vaccines to establish 'proof-of-concept' of their efficacy.”

Smart Grid Session 1 Video Recaps Now Available at the CCIA YouTube Channel



The CCIA held the first of three sessions on Smart Grid, September 30, 2009. Video recaps are now available of the first session at the CCIA's YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/COCleantech

Link to the CCIA YouTube Channel

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Baxa Addresses Health-System Capital Shortage with New Programs for IntelliFlowRx™ and IntelliFill i.v.®

Baxa Corporation announces the launch of a new program for sourcing its IntelliFill i.v. Automation and IntelliFlow Rx Pharmacy Workflow Manager products. The Baxa IntelliSource™ program offers health-system pharmacies access to the automation and software they need to ensure that each dose dispensed is safe and accurate – without making capital investments, paying one-time setup fees or signing capital leases.

“Our goal was to make it easy for health systems to improve their pharmacy operations,” notes Greg Baldwin, Baxa CEO. “We feel that patient safety improvements shouldn’t take a back seat to this economy’s capital crunch. The IntelliSource pricing model makes it easy for health systems to install the latest pharmacy technology, eliminating the need for capital investment and providing manageable monthly fees for access.”

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Denver-based Cosmetic Acupuncture Expert Dr. Martha Lucas Conducts Intensive Seminar Sessions for Physicians in Istanbul

Martha Lucas, Ph.D., L.Ac., author of Vanity Calamity, recently taught Mei Zen™ Cosmetic Acupuncture to medical doctors in Istanbul. MDs in Turkey are trained in Acupuncture but don't necessarily have specialty training like that offered by Dr. Lucas.

A physician from Antalya, Turkey, had attended one of Dr. Lucas' cosmetic acupuncture seminars in the States last year and asked if she would teach Mei Zen™ Cosmetic Acupuncture in Turkey this year. According to Dr. Lucas, it is apparent women all over the world are searching for safe, natural, non-invasive cosmetic procedures of which Cosmetic Acupuncture is becoming one of the most popular.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

The Colorado Cleantech Industry Association Announces Its Three-part "Smart Grid, Technology and Colorado" Series

The Colorado Cleantech Industry Association (CCIA) will be offering a three-part series this fall, “Smart Grid, Technology and Colorado.” The announcement is made by Christine Shapard, founding Executive Director of the CCIA who says, “We are pleased to announce the kickoff session in our series, Smart Grid: The Vision, on Wednesday, September 30, 7:30 a.m., at the Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce offices.”

The Series Kicks Off with Keynote Speaker Luke Clemente of General Electric (http://ge.ecomagination.com/smartgrid).

Registration is required, contact Shelly Curtiss at 303-623-2690 or Shelly@coloradocleantech.com – CCIA members attend free of charge; $50 for non-members. Subsequent sessions in the series are scheduled for Wednesday, October 28, and Tuesday, November 10. A breakfast buffet is provided at each of the sessions. Note space is limited and reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, visit http://www.coloradocleantech.com/events.html

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Chicago's Michael Rosen Praises Denver's Biotech Prowess

CHICAGO - In the world of biotech, the assumption is that the two poles of greatest and best activity center around San Francisco on the West Coast and Boston on the East Coast. This assumption is based on the historic role each city has played over the last 30+ years and the wealth of intellectual capital in the key research-based universities such as University of California - San Francisco and Stanford University in San Francisco and MIT and Harvard in Boston (just to name a few). It doesn't hurt that a large concentration of venture capital is located in each city/region.

True, a lot of good new medicines are coming out of each of the above regions, but good medicine, diagnostics and medical devices is not the purview of these regions only. Last week, while visiting Denver I participated in two different meetings which showed me that biotech is alive, abundant and well in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region.

IntelliFlowRx™ Upgrades Expand Pharmacy Capabilities

Denver's Baxa Corporation announces the expansion of its IntelliFlowRx Workflow Manager system to include Preparation Modes, FormularyPlus™ and TPN processing capabilities. With more than 1,200 authorized users, IntelliFlowRx has prepared nearly three-quarters of a million safe patient doses.

The system streamlines the previously manual workflow for pharmacy doses. Through barcode drug verification, automatic dose calculation, image capture of dose creation and improving pharmacist checking activity, IntelliFlowRx ensures patients get the right dose of the right medication at the right time.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Dr. Tom Cech's Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor Conference Keynote available at the COBioscience YouTube Channel



Over the last year, the State of Colorado has been anticipating Dr. Tom Cech's return to the University of Colorado Boulder and the implementation of the new Colorado Initiative for Molecular Biotechnology (CIMB). Dr. Cech provided the luncheon keynote presentation during the Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor Conference (Denver, Sept 17, 2009) and gave the audience a preview into his research and what the future holds. The CIMB will be opening its doors in December of 2011, and during Dr. Cech's presentation he discusses the collaboration and innovation that will generate from this unique project.

This is the first of four parts covering Dr. Cech's keynote at the Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor Conference Sept. 17, 2009, Ritz-Carlton, Denver.

Link to the COBioscience YouTube Video Channel

Friday, September 18, 2009

Biotech companies court venture capitalists: Medical Money

Business Reporter Andy Vuong and Photojournalist Ken Lyons took a close look at the inaugural Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor Conference - held in Denver, Sept. 17, at the Ritz-Carlton. Remarks included from Colorado Bioscience Association President & CEO John Collar:

"The event attracted 25 venture capital companies, two-thirds of which were from out of state, said John Collar, chief executive of the Colorado BioScience Association, co-sponsor of the conference.

The trade group, which has more than 400 members, initiated the conference to help improve access to capital for companies in the region at any stage of development, Collar said.

'Colorado is really seen as a developing hub of biosciences in the middle of the country as opposed to the established life-sciences industries in California and on the East Coast,' Collar said.

After their presentations, executives were provided with a private meeting room for discussions with potential investors. Now, it is up to the venture capitalists to choose which companies, if any, to support — a process that could take some time.

After speaking with some venture capitalists, Collar said he expected deals to close as a result of the conference.

He estimated that the companies, which included 15 from Colorado, were seeking a combined $150 million in funding."

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

MetroDenver: Life Science Investor Conference announces investors

"On Thursday, September 17, Denver will welcome 31 life science investors and business development professionals for the inaugural Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor Conference. This conference will showcase 30 of the region’s top life science companies to interested investors including business development professionals from large pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and diagnostic companies.

'We are excited to welcome over 30 of the life science community’s most renowned investors to the inaugural Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor Conference,' said John Collar, President and CEO of the Colorado BioScience Association. 'This will allow Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region to offer an inside look into the innovation and talent that lies in this region, and we can’t wait to see the partnerships and connections made during this conference.'"

Denver Post Editorial: Middle ground on biologic meds

Colorado BioScience Association President & CEO John Collar quoted in Sunday Denver Post editorial:

"Colorado has emerged as a center for research and development of biologics. The industry directly employs more than 21,000 Coloradans, according to John Collar, the Colorado BioScience Association's president and chief executive. Many more are employed in support jobs.

From big players like Amgen to smaller labs and medical research departments at our larger universities, biologics mean promising careers and opportunities here. As many as 650 companies, big and small, have operations in Colorado. Collar says the state now ranks fifth in the nation in attracting venture capital for biologics."

Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor Conference: two Tucson bioscience firms picked to present to investors

"Two Tucson firms are among 30 presenting companies selected to showcase their innovations to investors and industry experts at the inaugural Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor Conference to be held Sept. 17 in Denver.

The two Tucson firms are High Throughput Genomics and Medipacs. . .

The meeting will also include speeches by Tom Cech, a Nobel Laureate in chemistry, and Roy Davis, president of corporate development for Johnson & Johnson, and panels discussions."

Friday, September 11, 2009

Colorado BioScience Association: 2009 Fall Focus Newsletter

A quarterly look at Colorado's Medical Device and Biotechnology Industries. Included in this issue:


The Rocky Mountain Investor Conference

The 2009 Summer Externship Program

Letter from John Collar, CBSA President & CEO

The Fitz Bulletin Board: 2009 BioSymposium on Pulmonary Disease

Link to a pdf of the new newsletter

Colorado's Dr. Tom Cech appears on CNBC Squawk Box

Wed. Jun. 10 2009 6:15 AM ET
Joe Kernen discussing the future of biomedical research, with Thomas Cech, 1989 Nobel Laureate in chemistry.

View the video at Medical Miracles - CNBC.com

Read "the rest of the story" about Joe Kernen at the Colorado Life Science Deal Flow blog

Make plans to attend the Sept 17 Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor Conference (RMLIC), where you'll get to hear Dr. Cech in person -- http://www.rmlic.com

Link to the latest RMLIC news release posted on the CNBC website

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Investors Announced: Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor Conference

On Thursday, September 17, Denver will welcome 31 life science investors and business development professionals for the inaugural Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor Conference. The conference will showcase 30 of the region’s top life science companies to interested investors including business development professionals from large pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and diagnostic companies.

“We are excited to welcome over 30 of the life science community’s most renowned investors to the inaugural Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor Conference,” said John Collar, President and CEO of the Colorado BioScience Association. “This will allow Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region to offer an inside look into the innovation and talent that lies in this region, and we can’t wait to see the partnerships and connections made during this conference.”The 31 Investor firms and companies attending to date for the September 17 Conference include:
o Boulder Ventures, http://www.boulderventures.com
o Celgene, http://www.celgene.com
o Chart Life Scienceso Clovis Oncology
o Covidien, http://www.covidien.com
o Frazier Healthcare Ventures, http://www.frazierhealthcare.com
o Genentech, http://www.gene.com
o H.I.G. Ventures, http://www.higventures.com
o High Country Ventures, http://www.coloradofund1.com
o Hunt BioVentures, http://www.huntbioventures.com
o Johnson & Johnson, http://www.jjdevcorp.com
o Keld, LLC, http://www.keldllc.com
o KRG Capital Partners, http://www.krgcapital.com
o Lilly Ventures, http://www.lillyventures.com
o Mesa Verde Venture Partners, http://www.mesaverdevp.com
o Morgenthaler Ventures, http://www.morgenthaler.com
o NovaQuesto Novartis Venture Fund, http://www.venturefund.novartis.com
o Prairiegold Ventures, http://www.pgvp.com
o Puente Partnerso Red Script, http://www.jjdevcorp.com
o Rocky Mountain Venture Capital Association, http://www.rockymountainvca.com
o Sequel Ventures, http://www.sequelvc.com
o Skyline Ventures, http://www.skylineventures.com
o Sun Mountain Capital, http://www.sunmountaincapital.com
o Technology Partners, http://www.technologypartners.com
o Telegraph Hill Partners, http://www.thpartners.net
o vSpring Capital, http://www.vspring.com
o Yasuda Enterprise Development, http://www.yedvc.co.jp

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

ColoradoBiz TV: Andy Paliszewski of Siemens Energy at the CCIA Launch Event

Planet Profit Report

Andy Paliszewski of Siemens Energy talks about his company’s investment in renewable energy and the future of wind technology at the launch of the Colorado Cleantech Industry Association.

Monday, September 07, 2009

Colorado Cleantech Industry Association Selects Absolutely PR

"Colorado public relations consulting firm, Absolutely Public Relations (http://www.absolutelypr.com/), has been named the PR agency of record for the Colorado Cleantech Industry Association. The announcement was made by Maggie Chamberlin Holben, APR, owner/founder of Absolutely PR, who said the contract began earlier this year and two successful media relations campaigns are already yielding key media placements for the CCIA—both in traditional media outlets, as well as in the social media.

Sunday, September 06, 2009

University of Colorado to break ground on new biotech building that will house the Colorado Initiative in Molecular Biotechnology

"Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, University of Colorado President Bruce Benson, Nobel Laureate and CU Distinguished Professor Tom Cech (pictured here), CU-Boulder Chancellor Philip DiStefano and members from the entire CU-Boulder community will gather Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 4:15 p.m. on the CU-Boulder East Campus to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building. . .

'This building will solidify the University of Colorado's position as a world leader in biotechnology and biochemistry,' said CU President Bruce D. Benson. 'It will provide leading-edge facilities to help foster collaboration among our faculty researchers and students from Boulder, Denver and the Anschutz Medical Campus. It will draw on the talents of scientists and engineers from several disciplines and create an incubator where innovation and discovery thrive.'

For the first time since its formation, the Colorado Initiative in Molecular Biotechnology's research team, a "dream team" of scientists and engineers spanning eight CU departments, will be housed in one location. The team received a boost this year when Cech, 1989 winner of the Nobel Prize in chemistry, rejoined CU's faculty in spring 2009 to head up the initiative."


Upcoming opportunity to hear Dr. Tom Cech: Dr. Cech will be delivering the keynote address at the Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor Conference, Sept. 17 at the Ritz-Carton, Denver. Link to register: http://www.rmlic.com/register.html

Absolutely PR adds social media offerings

"DENVER, CO: Absolutely PR added social media PR strategy and tactics to its product offerings. After having worked with current clients the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) and the Colorado Cleantech Industry Association (CCIA) on social media outreach, the agency now offers consulting on embracing tools including news feed blogs, SEO PR, podcasting, Wikipedia, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and video channels."


Saturday, September 05, 2009

"Ovarian Cancer, Awareness Now!" - 2nd Annual Ovarian Cancer March to the Colorado Capitol - Friday, Sept 4, 2009 Arrival at the Capitol Steps

"This is the second year my husband and I participated in support of our dear friend Elaine Rueb -- we also choose to support the COCA effort financially," Maggie Holben says. "The march, however, is about awareness. It was an awesome event again this year."

Link to the Colorado Ovarian Cancer Association website

Friday, September 04, 2009

Colorado is a stand out in the Clean Energy Economy




The August 28th Wall Street Journal mentioned Colorado in a quote from the Pew Environmental Group:

"'Oregon is one of the top three states in the country in terms of growing its clean-energy economy' along with Colorado and Tennessee, said Phyllis Cuttino, director of the Pew Environment Group's U.S. Global Warming campaign, a nonprofit that is part of the Pew Charitable Trusts."

The information comes from the June 2009 Pew report entitled "The Clean Energy Economy: Repowering Jobs, Businesses and Investments Across the Country." Colorado is singled among the "large and fast growing" category. Quoting from the report:

"Large and fast growing. Three states have large and fast-growing clean energy economies: Colorado, Oregon and Tennessee. In 2007, each of these states exceeded the national averages for both the number of jobs in the clean energy economy (15,106) and the average annual growth rate for those jobs (1.9 percent). These states are geographically dispersed, demonstrating that location is not the sole factor in the success and vitality of a state’s clean energy economy. Tennessee has had success developing jobs in the Conservation and Pollution Mitigation category, which includes recycling, waste treatment and water management; more than three quarters of the state’s jobs in the clean energy economy are in this category. Colorado has capitalized on its natural wind and sun resources to stimulate job growth in Clean Energy, while Oregon has become a leader in Energy Efficiency, with a quarter of its jobs in the clean energy economy in this category."