Yesterday, we covered the launch of the biggest Biotech event worldwide, currently taking place in Philadelphia. And you guessed it, we’re not going to leave you in the dark of this incredible convention, so get comfy and catch up with a few of the highlights of the second day.
Wednesday started off with an interesting conversation on the patenting differences between the US and Europe. You’re probably quickly running the pros and cons of both regions through your mind and come up with the following conclusion: the US is a patent give-away zone, whereas patience appears to be a true virtue in Europe… Right? Think again! The morning discussion reviewed recent US court decisions, which didn’t exactly describe the US as a patenting paradise… Don’t be fooled, courts are finding it difficult to understand and apply the US Patent Code, Section 101. If you thought all was white and black between the US and Europe, turns out that patience is just as essential to the patent procedure on both sides of the Atlantic.
In our previous article on the opening of the BIO2015 Convention, we summed up a conference led by famous names and acknowledged personalities of the Biotech industry. However, BIO2015 also gives the opportunity to new up-comers to stand under the spotlight. This was the case of Chris Guiffre, CEO of Cerulean Pharma, whose company develops nanoparticular-drug conjugates that combine with other oncology medication. Chris is a crying example of the many people in the industry searching to expand their business, privileging open sources rather than exclusive deals with a considerable upfront. Chris’ name may not appear in lights rights now, and chances are, it never will, but this is also the whole point of BIO2015! Giving the little guy a chance to shine, and not only leaving the red carpet to celebrities!
On a completely different topic, and with the general good mood throughout the event, we discovered the arrival of Sirion, a Germany-based viral vector provider to Boston. As you can probably recall, the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center suffered quite a drawback after being restricted in its budget. Yet, all hope isn’t lost for the Center as the arrival of Sirion demonstrates the capacity of the former to attract foreign companies to the Boston area, the unquestioned biggest Biotech hotspot.
On this happy note, the second day of the Bio2015 Convention closed. But there’s no need to despair, there’s still a final day to come, and yes, we will deliver you the news on a golden plate 😉 So stay tuned!