California Biomedical Industry - California Healthcare Institute

Bayer HealthCare establishes U.S.Innovation CenterBayer HealthCare openedits U.S. Innovation Centerin the growing Mission Baylife sciences hub in SanFrancisco and announced anew master agreement withthe University of California,San Francisco.Through the new center, Bayer isexpanding its U.S. research strategywith a new “Science Hub” connectingU.S. life sciences firms and researchinstitutions with Bayer’s global researchnetwork to advance new medicinesto patients through collaborativedrug discovery. Bayer seeks to workwith U.S. scientists who are makingnovel discoveries — technologies,targets or product candidates — indiagnostic imaging; specialty medicinein therapeutic areas such as oncologyand ophthalmology; general medicinefields such as cardiology and pulmonarymedicine; and women’s healthcare.The U.S. Innovation Center will behome to two core research teams:••Hematology Research: Scientists areadvancing projects through one ofBayer’s deepest specialty medicinepipelines — hemostasis. Their workfocuses on evaluating potentialrecombinant therapeutic proteins(and other therapeutics) includingthe identification and evaluation ofimproved coagulation factors such aslong-acting formulations.••Biologics Research: Scientistsare responsible for identifyingand developing novel nextgenerationbiologics and providebioanalytical, pharmacokinetic andimmunoprofiling expertise andsupport for research teams aroundthe world.The Bay Area is a global center for BayerHealthCare’s biotechnology research,process development and commercialmanufacturing. Bayer is the secondlargest biotechnology employer in theSan Francisco Bay Area with operationsalso in Berkeley and Emeryville.Buck Institute: New approaches to Alzheimer’slead to industry collaborationIt is commonly thought thatplaques of the peptide betaamyloidaccumulating inthe brain is a key cause ofAlzheimer’s disease. But atthe Buck Institute for AgeResearch in Novato, DaleBredesen, M.D., and his teamare learning that the plaquebuild-up is an effect of thedisease and not a cause.Such a novel approach to the discoveryhas led to a new collaboration withNovato-based BioMarin PharmaceuticalInc. and hopes to transform theresearch many are conducting aroundthe world.Bredesen’s team focuses on Alzheimer’sdisease, including the genetic form ofthe disease that affects people ages 30 to65. The Bredesen Lab has demonstratedin multiple forms of cell culture andmice that Alzheimer’s is a disease basedon biochemical imbalance and not adisease of toxicity. In other words, thereis an imbalance in the normal signalingin the brain that leads to the disease. Apredicted and observed consequence ofthis imbalance is the build up of theseplaques. This theory has really takenoff over the last two years as moreattention is given to potential causes ofAlzheimer’s other than beta amyloid.Bredesen is one of 17 principalinvestigators and 140 support staffat the Buck Institute working ina collaborative environment tounderstand the mechanisms of agingand to discover new ways of detecting,preventing and treating age-relateddiseases such as Alzheimer’s andParkinson’s disease, cancer, stroke, andarthritis.In August 2010, the Buck Instituteand BioMarin entered into a researchcollaboration to evaluate therapeutictreatments for Familial Alzheimer’s.BioMarin has a record for developingtreatments for serious diseases andmedical conditions that have hadprofound impacts on the lives ofchildren and other small populations.Targeting Familial Alzheimer’sDisease represents a good strategic fitwith BioMarin’s core competenciesin developing therapeutics for raregenetic diseases.California Biomedical Industry 2011 Report | 87