funding

NSF crunches the (eroding) numbers on academic R&D

John Carroll — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 09:32:54 -0400

The National Science Foundation has once again completed its annual list of the top 20 academic institutions engaged in research work. And once again Johns Hopkins has come in at the top, with $1.55 billion in research spending in fiscal 2007. This is the 29^th year Johns Hopkins has claimed the big money prize. The money was devoted to research in science, medicine and engineering.

But the numbers this year offer a grim reminder of the steadily eroding amount of money being provided for R&D. The federal government provides the lion's share of the money; more than 60 percent of academic R&D funds for the past 36 years. While federal funds rose 1.1 percent to $30.4 billion last year, that sum amounted to a 1.6 percent decline after adjusting for inflation.

Johns Hopkins has long been a trendsetter in biotech research work. And the research has sparked a number of spin-offs in the biotech field. Amplimmune was one of the startups to get underway on campus and Iatrica was launched last year. UC San Francisco followed Johns Hopkins with $843 million in research spending while the University of Wisconsin counted $620 million in research projects. Both of the universities are centered in regions with considerable biotech activity.

- check out the NSF release
- read the report from the Baltimore Business Journal

Biotech's value creation chain starts with research link

John Carroll — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 09:51:22 -0400

What's the real value of drug research? The Scientist analyzed the payoffs earned by success in the drug development field these days. With IPOs largely shelved this year--only one biotech has pulled it off in 2008--analysts focused on the dollar value of an experimental therapy in upfronts and milestones. A Phase I drug was likely to get $5 million to $10 million in an upfront fee and about $65 million in milestone payments. A Phase III drug, though, could expect $40 million to $100 million in fees and $150 million in milestones.

But it all starts at the research level. As The Scientist notes, biotech companies start in the minds of entrepreneurial scientists in academia and industry who have a novel idea for a new therapy. The intellectual property they patent becomes the core asset of an emerging biotech company. And the enterprise almost always relies on a variety of backers, anyone from a relative to a government grant or an angel investor, who puts up the original $1 million to $5 million needed to start work.

- read the article from The Scientist

Dwindling NIH funds triggers research “crisis”

John Carroll — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 08:34:35 -0400

The drumbeat of criticism over the impact of flat-line budgets at the NIH on the U.S. research community continues to build. In a recent article for the Star-Ledger, scientists report that original grant funding for projects dropped from 30 percent in 1999 to 12 percent today. Established researchers are being forced to scramble to find the money needed for their projects while new scientists are often unable to launch projects. Research-oriented foundations are also feeling the heat. The Prostate Cancer Foundation was able to fund 63 out of 420 applications.

"There's just less and less discretionary funding," Stephen Heinig, lead science policy analyst at the Association of American Medical Colleges, tells the Star-Ledger. "I think we're going to weaken a lot of institutions. The saddest thing for me is thinking about the missed opportunities with research that never gets started. It's exceptionally frustrating."

- read the report from the Star-Ledger

Report warns of consequences of flat NIH funding

John Carroll — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:01:02 -0400

Families USA has crunched the numbers on NIH research grants, and says that several years of flat funding have crippled research efforts, damaged U.S. economic activity and threatens to pull the U.S. down from its leading role in global biomedical research efforts. Altogether, NIH provided $23 billion in research funds, creating 350,000 jobs and $18 billion in wages.

"The importance of NIH funding in communities across the nation can't be overstated," says Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA. "NIH awards to states spur vital medical research, while at the same time injecting millions of dollars into local economies, creating jobs and new wages. This should be called a win-win-win, because it helps our state economies, our nation's health, and the health of people around the globe."

Every $1 million invested by NIH creates $2.2 million in economic activity, reports the group. The five states that generated the most economic activity per dollar were Texas ($2.49), Illinois ($2.43), California ($2.40), Georgia ($2.36), and Colorado ($2.34).

- check out the release for more

Genetics pioneer to step down from federal research institute

John Carroll — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:26:54 -0400

For the past 15 years Dr. Francis Collins has been a leader of the genetics revolution in the U.S. As head of the National Human Genome Research Institute since 1993, he helped guide the Human Genome Project and fostered an outpouring of new research into the way that genetics influences disease. Last week he announced that he would be stepping down from the post, just days after President Bush signed new legislation into law that forbids insurers and employers from using genetic information to guide coverage decisions.

Collins plans to pen a new book on the impact personal genomics will play in medicine in the years to come, following a book he published two years ago chronicling his life as a leading scientist and born-again Christian. Collins conceded that budgetary constrictions have been troublesome, but said his decision to leave was not prompted by any disagreements over policy or planning. Alan E. Guttmacher, deputy director, will take the helm until a permanent replacement is found.

- read the story from the Washington Post

HHMI taps 56 scientists for $600M research effort

John Carroll — Tue, 27 May 2008 09:11:04 -0400

With an eye to sponsoring groundbreaking research, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute is funding a $600 million effort to back advanced medical research by 56 of the country's most notable scientists. At a time that the federal government has reined in research spending, the institute is pushing ahead with plans to back risky research projects that have the potential to offer major advances. The scientists' work, which was selected from more than a thousand applications, will be endowed over several years, allowing the scientists the freedom to concentrate on their work.

"We identify the best people and then free them up to do what they want to do and to be flexible and change directions and follow their noses into new fields," Hughes Institute President Thomas R. Cech told the Washington Post.

The projects that are being backed include research into the impact of global warming on infectious diseases as well as the application of engineering principles in other fields to the human immune system. The 56 selected scientists will continue to work at various universities and research institutes around the country, but will be employed by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

- check out the press release
- read the article in the Washington Post

ALSO NOTED: New chip technology replaces animal studies;ESCs developed from flawed embryos; Research points to new therapies fo

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 06:59:58 -0500

New Technology

Solidus Biosciences is one of several new companies that are out to commercialize new chip technology that can do away with the need to sacrifice thousands of rats and mice each year to study the toxicology of new therapies. Report

Stem Cell Research

Scientists at Children's Hospital Boston have developed stem cells from the flawed embryos discarded by fertility clinics. Each year clinics throw out thousands of embryos that are either flawed or considered of poor quality. The ESCs would probably have to be limited for use in research, says senior author George Q. Daley, but would be considered ethically acceptable to scientists. That argument isn't likely to carry much weight with religious conservatives, though. Article

Biologist Harry Heimberg of Vrije University Brussels in Belgium has led a team of researchers who have discovered a class of cells in adult mice that could heal an injured pancreas. If the same cells exist in humans, they may be used to create insulin secreting cells that could be used to cure diabetes. Report

New research has underscored the potential of adult stem cell therapies for stroke victims. Report

Korea's RNL Bio will advance its stem cell research at a new hub at Newcastle University in the UK. Report

The British Human Tissue Authority has granted a team of scientists approval to conduct experiments on the use of stem cell injections to repair injured hearts. Report

Researchers at Feinberg School of Medicine have launched a study to see if stem cells can improve the circulation of patients with blocked arteries. Release

Eliot Spitzer's Empire State Stem Cell Board recently awarded $14.5 million worth of research grants to 25 New York based institutions. Release

Genetics

New research points to a connection between a person's genotype and their likelihood of responding to a medication for high blood pressure. Report

An Australian research team discovered that in a portion of patients, mental retardation is caused by a twofold production of two proteins (HSD17B10 and HUWE1). The work may point the way to new therapies for mental retardation. Release

A University of Rochester scientist discovered that the toxins in cigarette smoke wipe out a gene that plays a vital role in protecting the body from the effects of premature aging. Release

A new gene therapy that spurs the creation of endorphins, natural pain killers, was able to eliminate pain in rats for at least three months. Report

Cancer Research

Oxford scientists say that the birth control pill gives women extended protection against ovarian cancer. Release

Researchers have identified a link between the diagnosis of diabetes and the onset of pancreatic cancer. Report

A team of chemists at Northwestern has shed new light on neopeltolide's structure and how it works, offering a lead to new, more-effective anti-cancer drugs. Release

Scientists have identified the cancer stem cells responsible for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Report

Researchers have identified a biomarker for early stage colon cancer. Report

More Research

Scientists at Rockefeller University and the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center have pinned down a molecule on the surface of human cells that helps keep particles of mutant strains of HIV from spreading. Release

Scientists say that bacterial nitric oxide synthase (bNOS) offers a new target for developers looking to combat anthrax. Report

Discovery of an unexpected protein-protein interaction has led University of Iowa scientists and colleagues to identify a drug that slows the progression of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in mice and nearly doubles the animals' lifespan. Release

Researchers at Imperial College London and the National Institute of Health say that similar DNA segments have the ability to recognize each other. Report

And Finally... The top 20 venture capital deal of 2007. Report

NIH doles out $438M for daring research

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 06:59:59 -0400

The NIH is opening its purse to fund $438 million in new research projects that have the potential to make groundbreaking progress against some of the world's toughest medical challenges. Dr. Alan Krensky, director of the NIH office of portfolio analysis and strategic initiatives, told the Boston Globe that they were bankrolling "knock-your-socks-off" science projects. Nine teams will each get $21 million to $25 million to tackle such projects as growing new heart valves and revolutionizing the drug discovery process with swift advancements in genomics. NIH is shucking its standard operating procedure of offering individual researchers six-figure grants, budgeting a small portion of its money for these big-picture research projects that could offer major advancements in medicine. The new strategy is being developed at a time of growing concern that the NIH is not able to fund all the projects deserving of federal support.

- check out the report from The Boston Globe

ALSO: A team of researchers at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine and the M.I.N.D. Institute, in collaboration with four allied institutions, has been awarded a five-year, $21.8 million Interdisciplinary Research Consortium grant from the National Institutes of Heath, the largest single federal award to date in support of research related to the Fragile X (FMR1) gene. Release

Related Articles:
NIH budget cuts cause alarm in research circles. Report
New NIH powers raise alarm. Report
NIH researcher charged with conflict. Report
NIH budgets $71M to study rare diseases. Report
NIH program to create academic research consortium. Report

California delivers millions for stem cell research

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 19:01:39 -0500

After seeing an ambitious $3 billion effort to back stem cell research get tied up in court, California's Institute for Regenerative Medicine finally got on track with the announcement of 72 research grants totaling $45 million for the next two years. Next month the state is expected to announce $80 million in grants, a move that will make it the single largest backer of embryonic stem cell work in the nation, far outstripping the limited federal support that flows to the field. The money is coming from both private sources and state borrowing. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced last year that he would lend $150 million to the institute to begin its work.

- see the release on the grants
- here's the report on the initiative from the San Francisco Chronicle

ALSO: New York lawmakers, meanwhile, have expressed a cool attitude to Governor Eliot Spitzer's proposal to raise $2 billion to back stem cell research projects. Report

Related Articles:
California institute outlines stem-cell strategy. Report
Wealthy supporters back Calif. stem cell research. Report
Calif. gives $150M to stem cell research. Report

Stem cells take center stage in San Diego summit

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 19:01:39 -0500

The Stem Cell Summit wrapped up two days of discussions in San Diego with a focus on some of the therapies that are either already in use or close to it. There's already a small market to use stem cells to make synthetic discs for the spine, but a lineup of companies in the adult stem cell field--led by stem cells drawn from bone marrow, blood and fat--are pushing experimental therapies that are already at mid- to late-stage development, according to Robin Young, who helped organize The Stem Cell Summit. About 300 executives took part in the summit. Burrill & Co. hosted a gathering on stem cell advances this week as well, underscoring just how much fresh attention is being given to the emerging field.

- read the San Diego Union-Tribune report

ALSO: An appeals court in California heard arguments over the case against the state's $3 billion stem cell program. Observers felt the court seemed to favor the bond program against the arguments raised against it, but look for another appeal regardless of the outcome. The state stem cell institute, meanwhile, plans to issue $24 million in research grants tomorrow. Report

Related Articles:
Scientists tout adult stem cell study results. Report
Mature stem cells prove effective in cloning. Report
Increased versatility found in adult stem cell. Report

Budget tightening raises concerns at NCI

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 19:01:39 -0500

A variety of groups are criticizing efforts by the Bush administration to slice spending at the National Cancer Institute by 1 percent. The move would represent the second year in a row for cuts at the NCI. Top researchers say that the strategy could ultimately undercut the quality of research in oncology at the same time progress in the field is cutting the number of deaths from cancer in the U.S. for the first time. The head of the NCI, John Niederhuber (photo), is concerned that he could lose up to 10 percent of his budget by ax-wielding legislators. Members of the administration, though, note that overall spending at the NCI has doubled in the past 10 years.

The latest news comes on top of a report that NIH Director Elias Zerhouni is pooling five percent of its money into a special fund supporting research that cuts across the NIH's research groups. Fears are being raised that some of the internal fiefdoms at the NIH could lose big if Zerhouni gains power over the budget.

- read the report on the NCI from USA Today

ALSO: The biomedical group FASEB is calling for enough government funds to make up for inflation in their field. Cutbacks at the NIH, they say, threaten the country's leading position in biotechnology. Report

Editor's Corner

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 19:01:38 -0500

Shell game at the NIH
There are some big changes being made in the way that the government funds research. As I reported in yesterday's FierceBiotech, NIH Director Elias Zerhouni (photo) is pooling about 5 percent of the Institute's funds to support work cutting across research fields and NIH fiefdoms. But as funding at the NIH has flattened recently, various patient advocacy groups are worried that this money will be drawn at their expense. Concerns extend to the head of the NCI (below), who has fretted about the potential loss of funds at the hands of lawmakers concerned about ongoing deficits.

The need for caution in government spending is based on a clear need to start balancing the books. But the administration has been raising fears by opting to use bureaucratic techniques to shift research funds. The debate over funding needs to take place in public, with a focus on government priorities. If spending in other areas forces us to scale down research funds, that's a choice that the electorate should be informed about. Hard choices call for serious discussion. - John Carroll

Editor's Corner

Wed, 13 Sep 2006 20:01:38 -0400

With the new flu season just ahead, there's a fresh wave of news reports about the possibility of a bird flu pandemic developing. Of course, any expert is quick to point out that no one really knows even the rough chances of H5N1 mutating into a virus that can be easily transmitted from person to person. The reality, nevertheless, is that the world is long overdue for a pandemic. New government funds are helping drive research projects like the one we report on below. And researchers are making real progress in learning new ways to combat viruses and radically more efficient methods for producing vaccines. With more time, the research community will come up with new protections. We hope they get that time. In the meantime, it would be interesting to see if the journalists writing about this topic center solely on the fears, without also covering the research work now underway. - John Carroll