CBSA Applauds ‘Colorado Companies to Watch’ for Honoring Five Local Bioscience Companies

Colorado BioScience Association congratulates the five local bioscience companies included in this year’s class of ‘Colorado Companies to Watch’ and applauds the program for showcasing 50 of Colorado’s outstanding second-stage companies. Announced at a Gala held June 20th at the Denver Marriott City Center, those bioscience companies featured in the 2014 Class were: Eldon James Corp., Denver; JustRight Surgical LLC, Boulder; MedKeeper, Westminster; Sharklet Technologies Inc., Aurora; and UrgentRx, Denver.

The announcement is made by CBSA President and CEO April Giles, who says, “This is a great honor for these growth stage companies to be recognized for developing and commercializing vital products in the bioscience industry and creating quality jobs in the state to fuel economic growth.”

More about the bioscience companies included in Colorado Companies to Watch Class of 2014:

* Eldon James Corp., Denver - Eldon James manufactures plastic tubing and connectors for the medical, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, industrial and automotive industries.  The business opened its new 75,000-square-foot headquarters in Denver last year—building a 10,000-square-foot cleanroom and creating a new product line of PVC- and BPA- free tubing.  Visit, http://eldonjames.com

* JustRight Surgical LLC, Boulder - JustRight Surgical, a micro-laparoscopic medical device company, "right-sizing" existing technologies for the operating room. Their sealing instrument is 4 times smaller than any sealer available today. The company has received 510 (k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its JustRight™ 5mm Stapler. Visit, http://Justrightsurgical.com

* MedKeeper, Westminster - MedKeeper provides mobile and Web-based applications to help hospital pharmacies manage operations more efficiently. Visit, http://medkeeper.com

* Sharklet Technologies Inc., Aurora - Sharklet Technologies is a biotechnology company that develops surface technologies that are designed to inhibit microorganism growth to make the world a healthier, environmentally safer and better place. Inspired by the microbial-resistant properties of sharkskin, Sharklet™, the company’s core technology, is the world’s first micro-texture developed to control bacteria including Staph a., MRSA, VRE, E. coli and a host of others. Visit, http://Sharklet.com

* UrgentRx, Denver - UrgentRx produces a line of fast-acting, over-the-counter medications for today’s on-the-go consumer. The company’s trademarked Fast Powders come in convenient, single-dose packets for easier portability and accessibility. Visit, http://urgentRx.com

The bioscience industry plays a key role in Colorado’s Advance Industry clusters with more than 600 pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, diagnostics, and ag-bio companies. Currently, the state employs 27,000 people in its bioscience companies, creating over 122,000 direct and indirect jobs, translating into over $10 billion in payroll.

Link to the Business Wire newswire

Link to the PitchEngine social media release

CBSA Releases Annual Bioscience Colorado Magazine at BIO International Convention in San Diego

Colorado BioScience Association is releasing its annual edition of Bioscience Colorado, this week, at the BIO International Convention in San Diego, CA. The announcement is made by CBSA President & CEO April Giles, who says, “In this issue we are looking at the intersection of people and data, and how it benefits human health. Big Data is now playing a critical role within the bioscience industry—from the personal devices on our wrists monitoring our bodies, to electronic medical records housing our health histories—data is valuable.”

Bioscience Colorado is a key resource for companies, investors and economic developers, and has become the go-to source for the industry. With a total audience of over 8,000, including online impressions, this publication is one of the industry’s greatest voices—locally, nationally and internationally.

This new issue, Drawing People & Data Together to benefit human health, includes:

* Mobile Health in Colorado: Where “Big Data” Sparks Big Ideas
* Biodesix Harnesses Machine Learning and Analytics to Tackle Multivariate Diagnostics
* Bioscience in Colorado Continues to Shine with U.S. Senator Michael Bennet
* Colorado Life Science Assets: A Sophisticated Repertoire of Clinical-Stage Therapeutic, Device and Diagnostic Products
* Boettcher Investigators: Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program
* Found in Translation: Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Institute Translational Research Programs Focus on Innovative Treatment of Eye Diseases
* Tech Transfer Offices Connect the Dots between Research and the Marketplace, Stimulate State’s Economy
* Colorado by the Numbers: Financing and Acquisitions
* Grant Programs: Innovation Engines
* Colorado Bioscience Industry Directory

The complete flip book of the issue can be found online at: http://www.cobioscience.com/magazine2014flip-book/

Download the pdf at: http://www.cobioscience.com/Magazine%202014/CBSA_magazine_061314-lowres.pdf

Link to the Business Wire newswire: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20140623005344/en/Colorado-BioScience-Association-Releases-Annual-Bioscience-Colorado#.U6hmXPldV8E

Link to the PitchEngine Social Media Release: http://www.pitchengine.com/pitches/3306fc01-d1ee-4132-90f5-7e67013448cf

Aurora Sentinel: 'Man with a plan: Fitzsimons redevelopment guru bringing DTC drive to Aurora’s Anschutz'

Quoting from today's posting by Brandon Johannson:

"FRA last week announced the hiring of longtime Denver real estate developer John Shaw to oversee its real estate projects in the district. 

Shaw, who oversaw the Denver Tech Center in the 1980s and worked on the redevelopment that saw the Fitzsimons Army Medical Center morph into Anschutz, said he looks forward to what the future holds for the area.

'It is absolutely staggering the amount of activity that has occurred at Fitzsimons,' he said. 'But the wonderful part is that we have 150 acres now to complete that park. And we have the opportunity to really think through how it should be developed.'

The FRA’s land includes much of the land north of East Montview Boulevard, including the old Fitzsimons golf course. The group’s development plans have called for turning that land into a thriving business park where bioscience and other high-tech companies mingle with researchers and other academics from the medical campus across Montview."

Link to the full article at AuroraSentinel.com

(Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel) - Link to the posting

Boettcher Foundation Announces 2014 Boettcher Investigators; Celebrating Fifth Class of Colorado's Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program

Seven early-career scientists are joining the ranks of Boettcher Investigators in the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program, with today’s announcement from Theodore F. Schlegel, M.D., Chairman of the Boettcher Foundation Board of Trustees.

“The Boettcher Foundation Board is pleased to celebrate our fifth class in this very specialized and important niche of biomedical research,” Schlegel said. “Our investigators now number 29, and several of our early Investigators are already achieving significant advancements in their areas of research.”

The 2014 Class of Boettcher Investigators in the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program includes:

* Kunhua Song, PhD, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Assistant Professor of Medicine - Regenerative medicine and heart development/disease

* Roger A. Bannister, PhD, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Cardiology Division - Skeletal and cardiac muscle physiology

* Subhajyoti De, PhD, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Personalized Medicine - Cancer genomics; lung cancer; somatic mutations; DNA damage and repair; algorithm development; optimization

* Loren Hough, PhD, University of Colorado Boulder, Assistant Professor of Physics - Structural biology of order and disordered proteins

* Christopher L. Gentile, PhD, Colorado State University, Assistant Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition - Molecular causes of vascular dysfunction

* Amy B. Dounay, PhD, Colorado College, Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry - Medicinal chemistry for African Sleeping Sickness

* Rachel L. Zemans, MD, National Jewish Hospital, Assistant Professor of Medicine - Resolution of Alveolar Epithelial Permeability after Lung Injury

“The new class of Boettcher Investigators represents some of the finest scientific minds in the state, and we are honored to have the opportunity to support their research, which has the potential to have significant impacts on human health,” said Tim Schultz, President and Executive Director of the Boettcher Foundation. 

Boettcher Investigators are awarded grants of $225,000, covering up to three years of research with a goal for these early-career scientists to establish themselves and become competitive for major awards from federal agencies and private foundations. With the addition of the 2014 Class, there are now 29 Boettcher Investigators conducting research in the following Colorado institutions: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University, National Jewish Health, Colorado School of Mines and Colorado College.

The Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program was created in 2008, as the result of an innovative agreement among the Boettcher Foundation, the Webb-Waring Foundation for Biomedical Research and the University of Colorado. Through the program, the Boettcher Foundation now invests more than $1.5 million each year into efforts to increase Colorado's competitiveness in biomedical science.

Link to the full release

Link to the related Business Wire release

Well-Known Denver Real Estate Developer John M. Shaw to Oversee Properties in the Colorado Life Science District at Fitzsimons

Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority (FRA) has selected John M. Shaw as a consultant to oversee its real estate projects in the Colorado Life Science District at Fitzsimons. The announcement is made by Steve VanNurden, FRA President & CEO, who says, "John brings more than three decades of leadership and experience in successful real estate development, operational management and civic engagement to FRA’s projects.”

Over his career, Shaw has managed the development of more than 20 million square feet of commercial properties throughout the western United States. He recently left his position as Executive Vice President of McWhinney, a Colorado-based development company with significant assets in Loveland, Broomfield and Denver.

Further, VanNurden says, “John’s extensive track record of successful real estate development projects makes him the ideal partner to continue the FRA’s vision to build a world class life science district at Fitzsimons.”

Link to the PitchEngine posting

Recent Groundbreaking: Bioscience 2 Building 

In April, FRA in conjunction with the University of Colorado broke ground on the new Bioscience 2 building. Quoting VanNurden from the March 26th release: “The new Bioscience 2 building will not only be home to the University’s innovative bioengineering program, it will provide a unique opportunity for commercial bioscience companies to interact on a daily basis with highly talented students from the university.” For more information, visit: http://www.ucdenver.edu/about/newsroom/newsreleases/Pages/Bioscience-2-opening-new-idea-new-building.aspx.

People On The Move: Dustin Whistler, New CBSA Director

Quoting from the May 12th posting:

"Dustin Whistler, Principal, Forte Commercial Real Estate (Denver) www.fortecre.com was appointed to the CBSA board in April and introduced to the membership at the 2014 All-Member meeting. He is Chair of the CBSA Membership Committee.

Link to the Denver Business Journal

InnovatioNews: Boggs, Whistler are newest Colorado BioScience Association board members

Quoting from the May 9th posting:

"Marcus Boggs, founder of Colorado Springs-based CEA Medical Manufacturing, and Dustin Whistler, Denver-based Forte Commercial Real Estate principal, are the two newest Colorado BisoScience Association board members.

The new board members were introduced to the board at CBSA’s 2014 Annual All-Member meeting recently held at the Omni Interlocken Resort."

Link to InnovatioNews

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