Colorado BioScience Association
Colorado BioScience Association

Colorado Again Confirmed as Top Bioscience State by National Rankings & Venture Capital Funding Activity

It’s been another outstanding year for Colorado in the highly competitive state rankings arena. FierceBiotech included Colorado in its top five regions targeting biotech companies. Further, Colorado now ranks 8th in VC funding for biotech firms and 10th for medical device and equipment firms, as recently reported by Genome Technology. Colorado’s venture capital success was vividly demonstrated when Boulder-based Clovis recently launched with an impressive $145 million in start-up funding.

Denver, CO, May 29, 2009 --(PR.com)-- “It’s an exciting time to be a bioscience company in Colorado, and the state is continuing to garner the national attention it deserves for its top-notch bioscience industry,” said John Collar, President and CEO of the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA), “FierceBiotech highlighted Colorado as one of its top five biotech regions, and The Money Tree™ Report, recently released by Genome Technology, listed Colorado in its top 10 Venture Capital deals for both biotech and medical device and equipment.”

Colorado’s success at attracting venture capital was demonstrated earlier this month when Boulder-based Clovis Oncology, Inc. announced an impressive $145 million in start-up funding at its company launch. Clovis is focused on acquiring, developing and commercializing innovative anti-cancer agents in the U.S., Europe and additional international markets. The company is founded by former executives of Pharmion Corporation, which was acquired by Celgene Corporation in 2008 for $2.9 billion.

“We are so very pleased that the former Pharmion team has chosen to remain in the state and headquarter their new company here. With the experience behind them and the success of the business model from Pharmion, the bioscience industry and Colorado will be keeping a close, and proud, eye on this new start-up,” Collar says.

FierceBiotech Rankings

Colorado was selected as a top five biotech region in the “Top 5 North American Regions Targeting Biotech Companies 2009” special report from FierceBiotech in May. Each year, FierceBiotech reviews economic development reports and finds new initiatives that will have a positive impact on the bioscience industry in that region, and in 2008 Colorado was named a top 5 region along with Minnesota, Massachusetts, New York and Ontario.

FierceBiotech discussed the importance of having Nobel laureate Tom Cech return to his practice at the University of Colorado at Boulder after ten years as president of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The excitement behind Dr. Cech’s return to the state will foster talent and growth within the bioscience industry, but the article pointed out that it will take more than talent to make this happen.

Quoting from the FierceBiotech article: “And state lawmakers recognized that when they passed a bill last year that will fertilize a nascent biotech cluster with $26.5 million in state money…Now, $26.5 million can't compare to the kind of money that California, Massachusetts, Florida and others have already spent fostering biotech. But it is a cleverly designed program that has real potential to help emerging biotech companies--as well as state researchers and institutions – when they need it the most. Combined with a few more scientific recruiting coups, Colorado could start to realize its latent potential.”

The full report and information about FierceBiotech is available at http://www.fiercebiotech.com/special-reports/top-5-regions-targeting-biotech-companies-2009

Genome Technology/The Money Tree™ Report

Genome Technology’s 'BioRegion Outlook: Land-Grab End Games' report released in May showcased the 2008 Venture Capital investments in biotechnology companies. Colorado found its way to the 8th spot in VC funding for biotech firms and in the 10th spot for medical device and equipment firms, through data from The Money Tree Report by PricewaterhouseCoopers and National Venture Capital Association, based on data by Thomson Reuter. In the fourth quarter of 2008 the biotechnology industry secured two deals totaling $23.5 million. Three investments were made in the medical device and equipment industry in Colorado, totaling $12 million. The venture capital index and information about The Money Tree Report is available at https://www.pwcmoneytree.com/MTPublic/ns/index.jsp

About Genome Technology

The Genome Technology Online website and a monthly magazine with print and digital editions - reaches a global community of active scientists working in pharmaceutical and biotech companies, universities, and biomedical research institutions. Genome Technology Online is a free Web service supported by advertising. Genome Technology Magazine is a free journal for qualified subscribers and is supported by advertising. For more information visit http://www.genome-technology.com

About Colorado BioScience Association

CBSA is a not-for-profit corporation providing services and support for Colorado's growing biosciences industry. With more than 400 members, CBSA actively works to promote the growth of the industry by working for a better business environment, grow the state's biotech workforce, fight for policies that support a strong bioscience industry in the state and speak with a single voice on behalf of the industry. For more information, visit http://www.cobioscience.com

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Contacts:

Leah Kientz, Director of Public Policy & Programming, Colorado BioScience Association - http://www.cobioscience.com - 303-592-4088, lkientz@cobioscience.com

Maggie Chamberlin Holben, APR, Absolutely Public Relations – http://www.absolutelypr.com -
303-984-9801, maggie@absolutelypr.com
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Colorado BioScience Association
Maggie Holben
303-984-9801
http://www.cobioscience.com
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