Aurora Sentinel: CID4 'bioscience boss in Aurora stepping down'

Quoting from this morning's posting by Quincy Snowdon:

"The leader of the Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development is stepping down at the end of 2014.

After helping to launch the life science-focused nonprofit in 2009, Kevin Smith, CEO of CID4, is retiring from his post as a part of a planned retirement.

'I’ve invested about seven years of my life into this project and I’m really proud of where we are,' Smith said. 'I’m indebted to the all of the people involved.'

Smith cited wanting to spend more time with his family and the end of the organization’s first five-year plan as the central reasons for his resignation."

Link to the Aurora Sentinel

Kevin Smith, president and CEO of the Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development, poses at his office Aug. 29, 2011, near the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. (Heather L. Smith/Aurora Sentinel)

Media Coverage: 'Kevin M. Smith to Retire as President & CEO of CID4; Search Committee Formed to Hire Smith’s Successor'

Coverage overview:

"The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4) has begun a search for a new Executive Director, as Kevin M. Smith leaves as part of a planned retirement."
Link to BioPortfolio

"Kevin M. Smith will step down from his position as president and chief executive of the Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development, also known as CID4, on Dec. 31. The nonprofit bioscience charity has formed a search committee to find a new CEO, CID4 board Chairman Steve Orndorff said. Smith will be available through February to assist during the transition." Link to BizWest

TechFlash: 'Colorado bioscience organization searches for new leadership'

Quoting from today's Denver Business Journal posting by Greg Avery:

"The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development is looking for a new CEO in advance of the retirement of Kevin Smith, the nonprofit group's current leader.

Smith is a co-founding executive of the Aurora-based nonprofit, known as CID4, that was started to help fill a gap in funding for bioscience startups. CID4 identifies and helps fund early-stage Colorado bioscience companies that have the potential to grow and create local jobs.

Smith, a former president of Gambro U.S.A., a Lakewood-based medical device company, plans to retire Dec. 31. He'll be available to the organization through February to help in the transition, the organization said. The CID4 board has formed a CEO search committee."

Link to the Denver Business Journal

InnovatioNews: 'Kevin Smith to retire from leadership of Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development on Dec. 31'

Quoting from this morning's posting:

"Kevin M. Smith, president and CEO of the Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4) since 2010, will retire from his post on Dec. 31.

Steve Orndorff, chairman of the CID4 board and president and CEO of Micobiome Therapeutics, said the board has formed a search committee and that Smith will remain available through February 2015 to assist in a smooth transition for CID4’s new executive director...

...CID4 said all inquiries should be directed to the CID4 Search Committee at jobs@cid4.com. Deadline to apply is Dec. 20."

Link to InnovatioNews

DeviceSpace: 'Kevin M. Smith To Retire As President & CEO Of The Colorado Institute For Drug, Device And Diagnostic Development; Search Committee Formed To Hire Smith’s Successor'

Quoting from this morning's posting:

"Kevin M. Smith, President and CEO of the Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4) since 2010, will retire from his position as Chief Executive Officer on December 31, 2014. The announcement is made by Steve Orndorff, PhD, Chairman of the CID4 Board and President & CEO of MicroBiome Therapeutics, who says the CID4 Board has formed a search committee and that Smith will be available through February 2015 to assist in a smooth transition for the new Executive Director."

Link to DeviceSpace

Well-known Life Science Executive Kevin M. Smith to Retire as President/CEO of Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development; Search Committee Formed to Hire Smith’s Successor

Kevin M. Smith to Retire as President & CEO of the Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development; Search Committee Formed to Hire Smith’s Successor

The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4) has begun a search for a new Executive Director, as Kevin M. Smith leaves as part of a planned retirement. Mr. Smith will remain with CID4 through February 2015 to ensure a smooth and successful transition for CID4’s new leader.

Aurora, CO November 24, 2014 – Kevin M. Smith, President and CEO of the Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4) since 2010, will retire from his position as Chief Executive Officer on December 31, 2014. The announcement is made by Steve Orndorff, PhD, Chairman of the CID4 Board and President & CEO of MicroBiome Therapeutics, who says the CID4 Board has formed a search committee and that Smith will be available through February 2015 to assist in a smooth transition for the new Executive Director.

“With the ongoing changes in the healthcare and life science sectors, CID4 is revisiting how it can best support our industry,” Orndorff said. “CID4 is well positioned for its future and we believe the new Executive Director position will strengthen our alignment with the State of Colorado in our mutual quest to create new jobs and business opportunities within the dynamic life science sector of advanced industries.”

All inquiries should be directed to the ‘CID4 Search Committee’ at jobs@cid4.com. The deadline for applications is December 20, 2014. Principals only need apply, please.

About Kevin M. Smith, CID4 President/CEO

Smith was part of the team that founded CID4 in 2009. Prior to CID4, Smith was President of Gambro, Inc., the U.S. holding company for Gambro AB, the Sweden-based medical device and healthcare services company. He started his career with Arthur Young in New York and was a partner with Ernst & Young, leading the development of their Colorado life science practice at the time he left to join Gambro.

“While I will no longer be leading CID4, I will stay active in the Colorado life science community through my Board responsibilities at the Colorado BioScience Association, Donor Alliance and AlloSource, my service on the Centura Health Audit and Corporate Responsibility Committee and my investment activities at KMG Capital Partners LLC,” Smith said. “CID4’s success is grounded in the excellent technologies that are being developed in Colorado. We have invested approximately $3 million into nine early stage companies. Those firms have gone on to create 85 new jobs and raise an additional $30 million to support the commercialization of their patient-focused technologies. I am proud to have played a role in this process.”

About the Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development

Founded in 2009, the Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization whose mission is to advance the Colorado bioscience ecosystem through company creation and job growth. Active business management and capital work in tandem to help bridge the gap between discovery and product development. CID4 works to identify, fund and actively manage emerging life science technologies. This aim is achieved via an ongoing technology solicitation process augmented by additional deal flow sourcing through networked relationships. Active due diligence is provided by CID4 management in consultation with members of the CID4 Technical and Business Advisory Committee. For more information visit http://CID4.com. 

Contacts:

Kevin M. Smith, President/CEO CID4, http://CID4.com - kevin.smith@cid4.com, (720) 859-4047

Maggie Chamberlin Holben, APR, http://www.absolutelypr.com - maggie@absolutelypr.com, (303) 984-9801 or (303) 669-3558

Link to the PitchEngine social media release

Link to the PR.com posting

Pharmiweb: 'Colorado Institute for Drug Device and Diagnostic Development Awards Funding & Management Assistance to Sapphire Technology'

Quoting from October 7th:

"The Colorado Institute for Drug Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4) is awarding $200000 to Denver-based Sapphire Technology LLC for funding and management assistance in developing its proprietary dental instruments. The announcement is made by Kevin M. Smith CID4 President and CEO.

As part of CID4's management support Jonathan Thorne a member of the CID4 Board for the past two years will join Sapphire Technology's Founder Alan Wong DDS and CEO H. Steven Rosen on the Company's Board of Managers."

Link to pharmiweb.com 

Additional coverage:

Link to Yahoo! Finance

Link to Google

Link to Topix

Link to Bing

Link to Red Orbit

DrBicuspid: 'Sapphire Technology gets funding for filling instruments'

Quoting from the October 8th posting:

"The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4) announced it is awarding $200,000 to Denver-based Sapphire Technology for funding and management assistance in developing its proprietary dental instruments. 

Unlike current dental filling instruments, which typically use metal for their tips, Sapphire's SGS instrument line will employ highly polished and optically clear sapphire tips instead. The use of sapphire is intended to significantly reduce composite pullback as experienced with current metal instruments, which in turn is expected to provide a reduction of voids in the composite material and improve the bond between the filling material and the patient's natural tooth, according to the company."

Link to the DrBiscuspid.com

Denver Post: 'Denver-based Sapphire Technology gets funding for gemstone-tipped dental instruments'

Quoting from yesterday's posting by Laura Keeney:

"Your dental visit may soon have a lot more bling.

Denver-based Sapphire Technology LLC on Tuesday was awarded $200,000 from the Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development, or CID4, for continued development of its dental instruments made with sapphires.

Sapphire, which is a gemstone variety of corundum, ranks at the top of the Mohs scale of mineral hardness — the universal standard to measure the hardness of gemstones and minerals.

The gemstone has been in the news recently amid speculation that Apple might use highly scratch-resistant glass made of sapphires for its new iPhone screens.

But what does this have to do with dental work?"

Link to the Denver Post

Bioscience: 'CID4 awards $200K to Sapphire Technology to advance development of dental instruments'

Quoting from today's posting:

"The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4) awarded $200,000 to Denver-based Sapphire Technology LLC to develop the company’s proprietary dental instruments.

Sapphire is a development-stage dental device company advancing proprietary sapphire-tipped instruments for use in dental procedures involving photo-cured, resin composite filling and restoration materials.

'We are extremely excited about our investment and involvement in Sapphire Technology,' said Kevin Smith, CID4 president and CEO."

Link to InnovatioNews

CID4 Awards Funding and Management Assistance to Sapphire Technology

The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4), is awarding $200,000 to Denver-based Sapphire Technology, LLC, for funding and management assistance in developing its proprietary dental instruments. The announcement is made by Kevin M. Smith, CID4 President and CEO, who says, “Sapphire Technology is a development-stage dental device company, advancing its proprietary sapphire-tipped instruments for use in dental procedures involving photo-cured resin composite filling and restoration materials.”

As part of CID4’s management support, Jonathan Thorne, a member of the CID4 Board for the past two years, will join Sapphire Technology’s Founder Alan Wong, DDS, and CEO H. Steven Rosen on the Company’s Board of Managers.

“We are extremely excited about our investment and involvement in Sapphire Technology,” Smith said. “Not only will Sapphire Technology’s proprietary devices address a recognized problem in the dental instrument market as the movement toward composite filling and restoration materials continues to grow, but Sapphire Technology’s use of Colorado-based contract manufacturers should contribute significantly to the advancement of the State’s life science industry.”

Unlike current dental filling instruments, which typically utilize metal for their tips, Sapphire Technology’s SGS® instrument line will employ highly polished and optically clear sapphire tips instead. The use of sapphire is intended to significantly reduce composite pullback as experienced with current metal instruments, which in turn is expected to provide a reduction of voids in the composite material and improve the bond between the filling material and the patient’s natural tooth. Voids and poor bonds in dental fillings can trap bacteria, provide opportunity for further tooth decay, and provide micro-leakage pathways for post-filling hot and cold sensitivity issues.

Link to the PR Newswire Release

Link to the PRWeb Newswire

Link to the PitchEngine Social Media Release

Anschutz & Aurora: 'Aurora groups score grants to help move science from research to market'

Quoting from the article by Brandon Johansson:

"Last month, the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade announced more than $3 million in grants aimed at helping academic researchers and bioscience companies take research from labs like those at Skaggs to market...

...At CID4, which stands for Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development, the grant totaled more than $1.3 million. The agency helps early stage bioscience companies get their companies off the ground and, according to OEDIT, the money will “support operations and the development and management of life-science discoveries.”

Kevin Smith, CID4’s executive director, said the grant shows that the organization, which now has eight companies in its portfolio, is having success...

...April Giles, president and CEO of the Colorado BioScience Association, said that from the industry’s perspective, the grants are hugely important because they can bridge that gap between the research lab and the market place."

Link to the Aurora Sentinel

GEN on Fort Collins-based VetDC: 'Firm Finds New Uses for Drugs, Diagnostics, and Devices in Companion Animals'

Quoting from the Biobusiness Profile in Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News by Carol Potera:

"Companies spend billions of dollars annually on the development of human drugs, devices, and diagnostics. Yet many promising products fail to reach the marketplace and their value is never realized. VetDC was started in Fort Collins, CO, last year to repurpose discarded and shelved technologies for veterinary use. The company in-licenses emerging, underexploited technologies from human biotechnology companies, then develops and commercializes them for dogs, cats, and other companion animals."

Link to genengnews.com

VetDC is a portfolio company of the Colorado Institute for Drug Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4) in Aurora, CO. Link to learn more.

VetDC was a presenting company at the 2011 Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor & Partnering Conference (RMLIPC) in Denver. Link to the RMLIPC presenting company list.

LifeScience Aurora: 'All CID4 portfolio companies presenting at upcoming RMLIPC in Denver'

Quoting from LifeScience Aurora:

"The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4) will have all four of its portfolio companies — Sophono, PeptiVir, VetDC and Flashback Technologies — presenting and participating in discussions at the 2011 Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor and Partnering Conference Sept. 21-23 in Denver.

The four CID4 companies were announced in mid-August as part of 30 from the across the country that were hand-selected by a national committee of life science investors and business development executives for the three-day RMSLIPC conference at the Brown Palace Hotel, which draws venture capital funds, corporate venture funds and business development leaders from the largest global biopharmaceutical and medical device companies."

Link to the article

Feature: 'Venture capital drought affecting Colorado's crop of medical inventions'

Quoting from the Aurora Sentinel:

"Kevin Smith, who runs CID4, said the organization looks similar to a grant-writing agency that might fund research or some early-stage investment in a bioscience company. But that’s not really their goal, he said.

'Our mission is not just to give the money to a researcher and hope he or she comes up with something interesting, but to actually take an already identified or discovered technology and get it developed,' he said.

Smith said CID4 works with start-ups that are often in a phase of their development known is the industry as the 'valley of death.'"

Link to AuroraSentinel.com

CID4 Awards Funding and Management Assistance to Longmont's Flashback Technologies - "Advanced Patient Monitoring To Predict Patient Outcome"

Quoting from this morning's news release: "The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4has selected Longmont, Colorado-based Flashback Technologies, Inc. to receive funding and management assistance. Flashback is advancing development of their proprietary learning framework for the real-time analysis of physiological data.

Hemorrhage is the number one cause of potentially preventable death on the battlefield and in civilian trauma settings. Work under development includes a device powered by software that quickly and reliably detects and estimates blood loss volume and predicts a time to cardiovascular collapse.

Discoveries at the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Department of Surgery, the University of Colorado, Boulder, Department of Computer Science, and the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research have revealed several previously unknown hemodynamic relationships leading to a patent-pending platform technology for the real-time analysis of human vital sign data. A set of algorithms, collectively termed the Cardiovascular Reserve Monitor (CRM), is under development with funding from the U.S. Army. The CRM takes as inputs non-invasive physiological sensor data that in real-time: 1) Detects the early onset of hypovolemia (blood loss) 2) Estimates blood loss volume, and 3) Predicts a patient's individual risk for cardiovascular collapse."

Link to the Pitch Engine social media release

BCBR: "CID4 seeks bioscience project to fund"

Quoting from today's article by Beth Potter:

"AURORA - A nonprofit bioscience funding group that has given money to two Boulder County companies is looking to give a grant of up to $600,000 to a new project.

Companies should submit requests to the Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development, or CID4, which so far has committed $1.25 million to four projects. The deadline to ask for money is Friday, Aug. 5. For details on the selection process, go to http://cid4.com."

Link to the Boulder County Business Report

Deadline: CID4 Sets Aug 5 Cut-off for Inclusion in Fifth Project Funding Review

Aurora, CO July 22, 2011 – The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4), a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit entity focused on advancing the Colorado life science ecosystem through company creation and job growth, is seeking its fifth project. A review date of Friday, August 5th has been selected as the cut-off for submitting material to CID4.com for consideration.

Link to the related CID4 blog post

Link to the Pitch Engine posting

CID4 Blog: "When is a New Website Not Just A Website?"

There's a new website in town...CID4's:

"When is a new website not just your run of the mill website? Well … when that website happens to be CID4’s new website.

Launched on 1 July 2011, the new CID4.com is a virtual 'office in the cloud' that enables the management team to maximize efficiencies while catalyzing the growth of the early-stage Colorado life science community. How can a website do all that, you ask? Good question, here is a closer look at some of the new functionality."

Link to the CID4 Blog

DBJ Premium Content: "With VCs quiet, nonprofit helps fund biotech startups"

Quoting from the July 8th Denver Business Journal:

"The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4) is playing a role left vacant in biotech because of a lack of venture capital in the state these days.

CID4 is pushing to direct the attention of national biotech investors to discoveries from state researchers forming new companies — a role area VC firms used to play.

“We’re trying to replace the early-stage buzz that we’ve lost in the decline of venture capital and create our own buzz about innovation coming out of Colorado,” said Kevin Smith, president and CEO of CID4."

Link to the article at the DBJ website