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December 19, 2001
Cubic Applications Inc., a subsidiary of San Diego-based Cubic Corp., has received a contract with a potential value of $63 million to provide technical and general services for the United States Joint Forces Command Joint Warfighting Center in Suffolk, Va.
The award, a subcontract from TRW Inc., is a follow-on to a five-year, cost-plus-award-fee contract that the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command awarded in 1997.
"This is a significant win for CAI, as U.S. Joint Forces Command work represents a major piece of our base business," says Jack Walker, CAI's president and CEO. "Furthermore, its evolution from inception to one of our largest contracts makes this award particularly important to our future growth."
"We recognized the benefit of joining forces with TRW, the Joint Forces Command's other prime contractor, to compete for this new support contract. By mutual agreement, CAI became TRW's major subcontractor and partner," Walker says.
CAI has approximately 160 employees providing development, production and assessment support for design, development, planning, preparation and execution of joint and combined exercises.
CAI has responsibility for joint training, joint doctrine, modeling and simulation-related missions, and hardware/software requirements. CAI directly supports the operational and technical requirements of the Joint Staff, Commanders in Chief, and is responsible for development, management and implementation of all phases of the Joint Training System.
CAI also provides doctrine and simulation development, leadership education and training, exercise planning and execution, and armed forces restructuring support.
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San Diego-based Maxim Pharmaceuticals announced that clinical investigators have commenced treating patients in a Phase 2 trial of Ceplene (histamine dihydrochloride) in triple-drug combination therapy for the treatment of patients infected with hepatitis C who failed to respond to prior therapy (nonresponder patients).
The randomized, controlled Phase 2 study is designed to compare the treatment of nonresponder hepatitis C patients with a triple-drug combination of Ceplene, Peg-Intron (peginterferon alfa-2b) and Rebetol (ribavirin, USP) versus treatment with Peg-Intron and Rebetol combination therapy alone.
The study will include up to 282 patients who failed to respond to prior therapy with the combination of interferon-alpha and ribavirin. The first 50 patients participating in the study will be enrolled and treated for 12 weeks, with the remaining 232 patients to be enrolled after an evaluation of the 12-week safety results for the initial 50 patients.
Patients will be treated for up to 48 weeks and followed for an additional 24 weeks after completion of treatment.
The primary measures of efficacy in the study will be viral response and biochemical response (normalization of the liver enzyme ALT, a standard measure of liver function). The trial is being conducted in Western Europe and Israel.
"This new clinical trial is a key step in the development of Ceplene as it is being administered for the first time in combination with the new gold standard for the treatment of hepatitis C," says Kurt R. Gehlsen, Maxim's senior v.p., development and chief technical officer. "Nonresponder patients comprise a large population with a critical need for more effective treatments, and we are pleased with the interest and enthusiasm expressed by the clinical investigators leading this trial."
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Wireless technology infrastructure company SMS.ac Inc. says that in the first week since launch more than 100,000 unique users have registered to use its short message service and other features offered at www.sms.ac.
The early-adopter site was launched on Dec. 10 after a brief beta testing period and serves as a Web showcase for the company’s new technologies.
The company’s objective is to provide these technologies to wireless network operators for branded integration into their existing infrastructures.
Until the introduction of the company’s MMSbox last week, with few exceptions, U.S. wireless subscribers were not able to send short messages to subscribers on a competing network.
SMS use in Europe today accounts for as much as 10 percent of network operator revenues.
Michael Pousti, SMS.ac chief executive officer warns that as next-generation wireless technologies make their way into the international marketplace, they will likely face the same obstacles that currently hinder adoption of communication offerings like SMS in the U.S.
Pousti says that his company’s offerings are enjoying early consumer acceptance, proving that there exists a significant demand for wireless data that was previously obstructed by a lack of interoperability.
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Cardiff Software Inc., a supplier of XML-based eBusiness and eGovernment automation software, says that the FAA is using Cardiff’s TELEform Adobe portable document format and Oracle to manage the Federal Air Marshal paper-based application process.
Recent events compelled the FAA to re-activate its program to find, screen and hire qualified air marshals as quickly as possible.
From Sept. 19 to Nov. 15, the FAA received about 81,000 paper applications — about 973,000 pages — before converting to a total online process in mid-November.
To meet security deadlines, FAA decision makers turned to advanced forms processing technology to accelerate the processing of paper applications.
Cardiff experts worked with the FAA to fine-tune the process, which will soon be capable of processing more than 4,000 applications per day — more than 48,000 pages.
"We needed to balance the urgency of our security concerns with the cost of processing tens of thousands of paper applications," says Susan Bounds, manager of the FAA's Aviation Careers Division. "Our system had to make it easy to apply yet make it possible to collect the pages of personal information required to process applicants. The solution was a combination of Cardiff TELEform, Adobe PDF and Oracle."
Prospective air marshals accessed and printed an Adobe PDF application at jobs.faa.gov. Once completed, the 12-page application was sent to the Aviation Careers Division at the FAA's Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City using postal mail services.
For all processed applications, the form's data seamlessly passes to an Oracle database within the FAA, where it is immediately available to hiring officials.
"Cardiff is proud that our products can help as the country responds to the threats to our security and safety," says Dennis Clerke, co-founder, president and CEO of Cardiff Software. "We applaud the FAA on its ability to apply know-how and technology to quickly respond to our country's needs and to get its mission accomplished."
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GeneFormatics Inc., an innovator in the field of structural proteomics, has raised $22 million in its third round of financing.
New investors are Bruker AXS Inc., Bruker BioSpin Corporation, Bruker Daltonics Inc., TaKaRa Shuzo Co., and China Development Industrial Bank. They joined GeneFormatics’ earlier investors, Perseus-Soros BioPharmaceutical Fund LLP, Merrill Lynch Ventures, Orbimed Advisors LLC, Burrill & Company, GeneChem Inc., Inglewood Ventures, and Moss Forest Venture in supporting this round.
“Securing this substantial financing is a testament to the value of our unique ‘function first’ approach to identifying and prioritizing protein targets against which pharmaceutical, agricultural, or industrial products can be developed,” says John Chiplin, CEO of GeneFormatics. “‘Function first’ enables us to rapidly identify protein structure and function information that cannot be determined by other methods, and also provides a platform to generate a unique and valuable intellectual property estate that includes thousands of druggable targets.”
In addition to its equity investment in this third financing round, Bruker AXS, Bruker BioSpin, and Bruker Daltonics formed a strategic partnership with GeneFormatics earlier this month, encompassing the development of next-generation technologies for the experimental analysis of three-dimensional protein structures and the supply of various research infrastructure systems.
In other company news, IBM and GeneFormatics announced the signing of an agreement that may allow for more efficient drug discovery.
Through the agreement, IBM becomes GeneFormatics' preferred information technology and services partner. IBM will provide a range of hardware and software products and services to support GeneFormatics' cutting-edge work in rapidly discovering the functions and structures of thousands of proteins, including hundreds of human proteins that may be associated with various diseases.
IBM also is participating in GeneFormatics’ third round of equity financing.
"Understanding proteins is key to the future of drug discovery, and GeneFormatics is on the cutting edge of proteomics research," says Caroline Kovac, g.m. of IBM Life Sciences. "This agreement will enable GeneFormatics to expand its work, building on a rock-solid IT foundation that can easily manage the complexity and volume of proteomic data involved."
GeneFormatics is transforming structural proteomics by employing a unique and cost-effective "function first” approach to protein analysis. Using a combination of proprietary computational and experimental technologies, GeneFormatics’ “function first” approach identifies the functions of proteins before using resource-intensive methods to determine the high-resolution structures.
"The relationship with IBM validates the significance of GeneFormatics' "function first" approach to proteomics research and will enable us to further develop and commercialize our technologies and products,” says Chiplin. "IBM's IT infrastructure combined with GeneFormatics’ engineering and scientific expertise will allow us to use and offer unique tools to help researchers identify and prioritize potential protein targets for new drugs."
GeneFormatics is an innovator in the field of structural proteomics. It integrates proprietary computational and experimental technologies to rapidly discover novel protein function and structure information on an unprecedented scale.
Company scientists have made more than 10,000 proprietary structural and functional discoveries. This information accelerates drug discovery and product development by enabling more efficient target prioritization leading to pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals.
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F & F National City Associates, an investment holding company, has sold a 79,400-square-foot industrial building for $4.7 million to 131 W. 33rd Street LLC. The building is fully percent leased.
John Lanza and Jim Marsh of Voit Commercial Brokerage's San Diego office represented F & F National City Associates in the property sale.
"131 W. 33rd Street LLC has acquired a centrally located industrial building with remaining upside potential," says Lanza.
Built in 1980, the industrial building is located at 131 W. 33rd Street with convenient freeway access and visibility from the Interstate 5 and State Route 54 Freeways. The two tenants occupying the building are Exhibitron, a company that creates exhibits for trade shows and Solar, a division of Caterpillar Incorporated.
Jim Casale, Rob Miller and Mike Mossmer of Grubb & Ellis represented the buyer, 131 W. 33rd St.
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Property earmarked for the Downtown low-income senior housing development, Market Square Manor, has officially closed escrow.
The Center City Development Corp. donated the land, located at the intersection of 14th and Market, to Senior Community Centers for a 200 handicap accessible unit complex for low-income seniors. The project is estimated to cost up to $18.7 million to build.
The Center expects that grading of the land to begin in January 2002 with construction starting in February. The estimated completion date is mid 2003. Market Square Manor’s construction comes at a time when housing for San Diego’s seniors is sparse and inadequate.
The facility will provide seniors with an affordable housing option that will allow them to live safely and independently.
Rent for qualifying seniors will be $350 per month and the facility will include a central kitchen, dining room, recreation rooms, outdoor courtyards, a park and administration space. The waiting list for interested seniors is already 400 people long.
For more information on Senior Community Centers visit www.servingseniors.org.
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Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. has submitted a regulatory application to market its anti-cancer medicine ONZAR in the European Union for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma patients.
As a result of achieving this milestone, Ligand will receive a $1 million payment from its European marketing and distribution partner Elan.
Ligand also announced that ONZAR has been granted orphan drug designation by the European Commission. This designation currently provides, upon approval, 10 years of market exclusivity for the treatment of CTCL.
"We expect to work closely with the European regulatory authorities toward an efficient review and availability of this important new therapeutic for patients with CTCL," says David E. Robinson, Ligand's chair, president and CEO. "ONZAR is our largest-selling product in the United States, where it is marketed as ONTAK. If approved in Europe, ONZAR will join Targretin capsules and Panretin gel, which were launched this quarter, and Targretin gel, whose MAA is under review, as we bring our U.S. product line to Europe."
The U.S. FDA approved ONTAK in the United States in February 1999. In the United States, clinical studies are being conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ONTAK in large-market diseases, including T- and B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
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The Federal Aviation Administration, during a recent aviation conference and safety program in San Diego, presented Jet Source Inc. with the Aviation Maintenance Technician Corporate Diamond Award for 2001. The Diamond Award is the highest award achievable under this FAA program.
The AMT Awards Program recognizes avionics and maintenance technicians who actively participate in recurrent and initial training, which focuses on FAA regulations, policy, and maintenance training.
The program was developed by the FAA in 1992 to further advance aviation safety in the workplace. During the year, a significant number of Jet Source's employees attended additional training thus qualifying the company to receive the prestigious Diamond Award. The program reinforces and fosters continual learning while also promoting a high level of professionalism within the aviation industry.
"This is an outstanding accomplishment and we are extremely pleased to receive this years Diamond Award from the FAA," says David Barker, the company’s senior v.p. "The high level of participation in this program is a reflection of the commitment Jet Source and our employees are making to provide the highest level of professional aviation services to our many aircraft owners, operators, and especially to our charter customers.
Located at Palomar-McClellan Airport in North San Diego County, Jet Source ranks among the nation's leading full-service aviation firms with an extensive fleet of aircraft available for charter.
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Motorola has selected San Diego-based HNC Software Inc.’s Falcon Fraud Manager for Merchants to enhance its fraud detection capabilities on Internet transactions originating around the world.
Falcon Fraud Manager for Merchants provides credit card fraud detection and risk-management capabilities that lower fraud losses and increase revenues for online merchants and service providers.
"HNC has extensive experience detecting payment fraud patterns from around the world," says Michael Schutter, Motorola's planning manager. "HNC's Falcon Fraud Manager will allow Motorola to provide a high level of fraud protection to consumers worldwide, while minimizing order cycle time and fraud risk."
Meridian Research projects annual online fraud to rise to US$9 billion by 2001 and $60 billion by 2005. In addition, a study by Datamonitor found that almost 50 percent of all credit card fraud occurs online.
"We developed Falcon Fraud Manager for Merchants to provide real-time detection of fraudulent payment activity regardless of the originating locale," explained Michael Chiappetta, group v.p. of HNC's risk suite of products. "Motorola's selection of HNC further confirms our ability to provide a worldwide solution to global companies with customers on every continent."
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