NYC Bioscience Bulletin provides the latest news on the thriving bioscience cluster in New York City. Visit www.nycbiotech.com for more information on how NYCEDC can assist your business.

J&J Buys Omrix for $483M

Omrix has been purchased by Johnson & Johnson and will operate as a stand-alone entity through their Ethicon unit, which sells a range of surgical products. Omrix is based in NYC and is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and markets protein-based biosurgery and passive immunotherapy products.

Manhattan Pharma Completes $1M Financing

NYC-based Manhattan Pharmaceuticals recently completed a $1M round of financing. This specialty pharmaceutical company acquires and develops novel, high-value drug candidates primarily for the treatment of dermatologic disorders. The company has a pipeline consisting of four clinical stage product candidates.

Pfizer Funding Small Biotech Drug Research

Pfizer has shown a greater interest in providing venture capital and investing in promising companies in need of funding. This emphasis on investing in smaller biotech firms is consistent with the recent actions by several other large pharmaceutical companies, including Johnson & Johnson and GlaxoSmithKline.

NYU Gets Record Contributions of Over $500M in 2008

NYU's Langone Medical Center has received two gifts totaling $260M, bringing 2008's total fundraising to a record $506M. The total philanthropic giving in 2008 is believed to be the highest amount ever raised by an academic medical center in a single year. The donations will support major expansion of both the hospital and the medical school's midtown campus along the East River in Manhattan.

Bloomberg Heralds Opening of AIDS Vaccine Lab in Brooklyn

NYC Mayor Bloomberg honored the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new AIDS Vaccine Design and Development Laboratory. The 38,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility is located in the planned new bioscience center at the historic Brooklyn Army Terminal. IAVI's lab is the only facility in the world dedicated exclusively to the design and development of an AIDS vaccine. Additional coverage of the story can be found at NY1.

Call for NYC Bioscience News and Events

If your NYC-based company or organization has funding news, scientific achievements or upcoming events, please email Joseph Fonte. And to stay informed with the latest NYC bioscience activities and events, subscribe to NYC Bioscience Initiative calendar.

New York Biotechnology Association's Holiday Networker
Consolidated Edison Building

Organ Toxicity in Drug Development: Biomarkers and Novel Approaches
The New York Academy of Sciences

Tau and Beyond: Phosphorylation in Neurodegenerative Disorders
The New York Academy of Sciences

Pfizer/Center for Advanced Information Management at Columbia University Medical Informatics Update
Pfizer Headquarters

Genome Integrity Discussion Group
The New York Academy of Sciences

New York Structural Biology Discussion Group- 4th Winter Meeting
The New York Academy of Sciences

Accelerating Drug Development with Innovative Discovery Platforms
The New York Academy of Sciences

Audubon Incubator at Columbia University Medical Center

BioBAT at Brooklyn Army Terminal

Commercial Synthetic Chemistry Facility at SUNY Downstate Biotechnology Park

East River Science Park

Incubator at SUNY Downstate Biotechnology Park

For more information on the latest Bioscience activities in New York City and how NYCEDC can assist your business, visit us at www.nycbiotech.com or contact Lenzie Harcum at 212-312-3806.