A review of life science current events reported by MedCity News this week:
4 people who would be on the Mount Rushmore of med tech. In American history, four figures have emerged to have their visages forever etched on the mountains of South Dakota. The Mount Rushmore National Memorial is not only a homage to four stalwart presidents. It is also a testament to American ingenuity. Now imagine a Mount Rushmore Medical Device Memorial. Which Americans could replace the iconic figures of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt, and provide inspiration for generations to come? (Check out the readers’ take on the list in this follow-up story.)
Top 20 U.S. technology transfer programs by 2010 license income. 2010 was a bit of a bounce-back year for U.S. technology transfer programs, as licensing income inched up 3 percent to $2.4 billion, compared with the prior year.
When Investment Rhymes with Canada
Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
Meet Ohio’s angel investors (and see what they want in a company). Through a public records request to the state of Ohio, MedCity News obtained a list of investments made through the state’s Technology Investment Tax Credit (TITC) program. Under the tax credit program, investors who put money in approved companies are eligible for a tax credit of up to 25 percent of the amount they invest, with a maximum of $250,000 per investment per company eligible for the credit. The list from the state includes names of investors and the companies they’ve invested in, but omits the amounts.
Eric Topol says Cleveland Clinic ‘doing really well,’ happy at Scripps. When I met Topol at the mHealth Summit in Washington D.C. I had to ask: “How would Cleveland Clinic be different if you had run the institution?” He didn’t bite. “I’m glad the institution is doing really well and I’m having a great time at Scripps (Health),” Topol said. Instead, he focused our discussion almost exclusively on his new book.
AtriCure eyes new stroke market for AtriClip heart device. The Cincinnati-area company is planning next year to begin a clinical trial that will investigate the AtriClip for use in stand-alone procedures that involve exclusion of the left atrial appendage, a thumb-sized pouch on top of the left side of the heart from which blood clots that cause strokes often originate.
