BOSTON ? Amid all of the excitement that comes with the biopharma industry’s largest annual gathering in Boston this week, I’m worried about the future. The U.S. has lost too much ground ? due to the obvious partisan gridlock in Washington, regulatory disincentives and the scarcity of funding ? so much that its powerful lead in developing biotech drugs will never recover. What worries me most is the passive acceptance of it all. A few examples to illustrate from BIO 2012: During Tuesday’s keynote luncheon, when two former U.S. treasury secretaries droned on about the dangers of our teetering world...

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Raise your hand if you remember receiving BioWorld Today via that curly fax paper. Seems like ages ago, right? We used a “fax blaster” in those early days – more than 20 years ago – to deliver your daily dose of biotech news. Technology advanced and 14 years ago BioWorld.com was launched. It was a pretty simple site at the start. Since then we’ve made incremental improvements and additions. Today, however, I’m thrilled to tell you that a spanking new BioWorld.com debuts. BioWorld’s indispensable, award-winning coverage of the biopharmaceutical industry continues, but now it’s bigger, better and has more. Take...

Teary-eyed mother to Michele Bachmann: Michele, my daughter took the HPV vaccine and spontaneously became mentally retarded. Michele Bachmann to the world: We must stop the use of these dangerous government-mandated vaccines which infringe on our liberties as Americans and cause mental retardation. Those aren’t direct quotes . . . but it was the gist of the exchange. I cringed when I read the news reports. It was more than a misstatement; it’s a potential death sentence for the untold number of girls and women who might be lead astray by this heinous misinformation put forth by GOP presidential hopeful,...

She’s best known as the Biogodess. A biotech insider who can recount the early days in the sector -- when the industry was first starting to attract serious biobucks. The Biogodess has helped many bridge the gap of knowledge between the science and business of this Wild West of the pharmaceutical industry. She’s tracked the sector’s roller coaster ride like few others. In the early days of the male-dominated industry, it was pretty easy to spot her in a crowd. Not just because she was a woman, but because she had a bright and effervescent fashion sense in a sea...

OK, I officially promise never to quote Barbra’s songs again . . .but, with the 2011 BIO International Convention just a mere three weeks ago – it seems like a distant memory for some of us and a blur for sleep-deprived others. BioWorld Today provided full coverage of the best breakout sessions, tweeted madly and blogged about everything from the Agony of de Feet to Four Days Later: The De-Evolution of a #2011BIO Attendee. But did you know we also shot video of your friends and colleagues along with a few high-profile folks? Check out our interview with Nigel Gaymond,...

Nigel Gaymond, Chief Executive of the BioTech Industry, UK, discusses his opinions on the future of the British biotech sector at the 2011 BIO International Convention.  Do you agree? What are you thoughts on British biotech?  Let us know in the comments section. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Xa1sunGRbQ[/youtube]  ...

With #BIO2011 just four days away, attendees and speakers alike are cramming stacks of business cards in brief cases and debating whether or not to wear the good looking shoes or the comfortable ones. The BioWorld team will gather en masse to bring you full coverage of the industry’s biggest event. In advance we provide a little tongue-in-cheek advice for speakers and moderators honing talking points and PowerPoint slides. Please consider editing your comments to avoid these groan-inducing BioClichés: Achilles heel: When used in reference to a drug that’s intended to zap the cancer cell at its one unprotected weak...

Heading to D.C. next week for BIO 2011? So are we – and we’d love to catch up with you there. Don’t miss our panel: Starting Up Biotechs in the New Normal World. 10 AM Wednesday, June 29, 2011, Room 149AB. Lynn Yoffee, Managing Editor, BioWorld Today, will present the latest statistics on funding for biotech start-ups. Susan Molineaux, President and CEO, Calithera Biosciences Inc., will discuss how Calithera was able to raise $40 million in Series A funding from VCs in 2010. Walter Ogier, President and CEO, Acetylon Pharmaceuticals Inc., will discuss how Acetylon was able to initially raise...

While attending the China track at this year’s J.P. Morgan conference in January I sat next to a gentleman who was smiling as he scanned the jam-packed penthouse meeting room. Shooting him a questioning glance, he responded with “last year I attended there were five people here.” While I find it hard to believe a session on China was poorly attended, even a year ago, biotech and pharma executives were noticeably shoulder to shoulder, jockeying for position just a few months ago. Intensity over the Chinese market has certainly ramped up, to say the least. As company after Chinese company...