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October 2, 2001
Immusol has signed a five-year, oncology discovery and development collaboration with Novartis Pharma AG.
This collaboration is potentially worth $150 million to Immusol depending on the targets delivered and successful compound development by Novartis.
Also, as part of the agreement, Novartis becomes an equity investor in Immusol.
In the collaboration, San Diego-based Immusol will leverage its proprietary gene inactivation platform technology known as Inverse Genomics to discover biologically validated oncology drug targets for Novartis.
The discovery and development alliance is designed to be a joint research effort by both parties.
Immusol will focus on identifying pharmaceutically relevant drug targets from biological assays in defined cellular and in vivo systems.
Novartis will use these biologically verified targets to develop compounds for major unmet oncology indications.
"The alliance with Novartis is another confirmation of the power of Immusol's functional genomics technology to identify and validate novel drug target genes," says Dr. Tsvi Goldenberg, Immusol's chairman and CEO.
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The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District has asked Cubic Transportation Systems, a subsidiary of San Diego-based Cubic Corp., to replace fare collection equipment at the transit authority's five extension stations with Cubic's new advanced electronic ticketing system.
The $5.5 million order is added "scope" to a $31 million contract awarded to Cubic in 1999 to put new ticket vending machines and faregates in all but the newer BART stations, which went into operation in the mid-1990s.
With the latest order and other options exercised since the initial contract, the total BART order for Cubic products and services now totals $53 million.
The new agreement represents a decision by BART to have a complete Cubic solution for ticket vending machines, faregates and "add fare" machines throughout the BART system.
The new equipment uses a processing architecture compatible with Cubic's Nextfare Solution Suite for advanced integrated ticketing.
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Venetec International, San Diego-based makers of StatLock safety securement devices, has been awarded a U.S. patent on a safety-securement technology that the company says will revolutionize peripheral IV catheters used in medical procedures.
The new patent will allow a manufacturer of peripheral IVs (PIVs) to differentiate its line of PIVs with a "built-in securement" feature.
This feature, which requires only a minor external modification of the catheter, makes the catheter compatible with a StatLock anchor pad, thus guaranteeing longer dwell times and fewer complications.
StatLock safety securement devices have been clinically proven to reduce virtually all complications of vascular access.
The patent covers manufacturing modifications that can be readily made by catheter makers.
Venetec says the potential value of the patent could reach more than $100 million annually to the company and to any major manufacturer that integrates the technology into its catheter design.
"This patent for a built-in StatLock securement feature for peripheral IV catheters, and other catheters as well, will allow a manufacturer to transform its safety catheter into something more than a commodity, to the benefit of patients and healthcare workers alike," says Dr. Steve Bierman, CEO and medical director of Venetec International.
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Structural GenomiX reports that Celera Genomics, an Applera Corp. business, and SGX have entered into a multi-year marketing and distribution partnership for ModBase, SGX's database containing more than 310,000 computationally modeled protein structures.
Celera will offer ModBase as part of its Celera Discovery System, an integrated suite of technologies developed for the rapid advancement of drug discovery.
ModBase contains computationally modeled structures for domains in more than 310,000 proteins, corresponding to 58 percent of all publicly available protein sequences and representing a rich diversity of genomes.
The database was developed by Andrej Sali and his lab at The Rockefeller University.
Sali, associate professor and head of a Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics at Rockefeller, is a founder of Prospect Genomics Inc., acquired by SGX earlier this year, and a SGX Scientific Advisor.
"This relationship will allow us to leverage Celera's market presence to increase awareness and use of this unique product," says Mike Grey, SGX's chief business officer. "The scope of structures available in ModBase is unsurpassed in the industry and when used in conjunction with the suite of tools available through the Celera Discovery System, customers will have an extensive body of data to enhance their lead discovery efforts. This partnership capitalizes upon SGX's strengths in structural informatics. As we develop similarly focused third party relationships, internally, our efforts can continue to be directed towards integrating our computational and experimental technologies to build high-value programs in structure-enhanced drug design."
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ImageWare Systems Inc. of San Diego will provide high-tech, law enforcement software to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, as part of the county's efforts to enhance its law enforcement capabilities.
The $1.3 million contract award includes ImageWare's Crime Capture System and Face ID software (which utilizes the search algorithms licensed from Visionics, one of ImageWare's technology partners), as well as a countywide license for its Crime Web product, a secure, Web-based program used to conduct investigative searches and create photo lineups of suspects online.
Installation is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
"This integrated system will allow the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department to search through its database of images and text in seconds for possible suspect matches," says Jim Miller, chairman and CEO of ImageWare Systems. "It is designed to capture, store and retrieve digital images of suspects and related information and also includes a state-of-the-art facial recognition program. The system will also seamlessly integrate with the County's existing fingerprint and jail management systems, eliminating the need for duplicate data entry."
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ImageWare Systems Inc. of San Diego announced that three new security company partners utilizing ImageWare's EPIWEB technology will offer organizations the ability to produce secure identification documents via the Internet.
AAMSCO Identification Products, Integrated Precision Systems and PlastiCard Systems join IDStation.com as the only ID service bureaus offering EPIWEB, a secure, Internet-based software solution for designing, creating and purchasing identification cards and documents.
EPIWEB ID service bureaus provide organizations of all sizes a flexible and convenient solution in the identification and badging of personnel.
"Our new partners are leading security companies with well-established reputations for providing secure, high quality digital photo identification documents," says Ian Fraser, president of ImageWare Systems ID Group. "We are convinced that EPIWEB will help our new partners enter the growing online market for employee badging services,"
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Easy Wireless, an order processing and fulfillment provider to the wireless industry, Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego and San Diego County McDonald's restaurants have launched a three-month campaign to raise more than $350,000 for the local children's charity.
The organizations have teamed up to provide new San Diego AT&T Wireless customers a free Ericsson T19LX digital phone featuring two-way text messaging, silent vibrate and a handsfree kit with every minimum donation of $20 to RMHC-SD through Dec. 27.
With a new, one-year service activation, customers can choose from AT&T Wireless Digital Advantage Rate plans of $39.99 or more, featuring 2,000 free night and weekend minutes and free nationwide long distance. This special promotion package is valued at $89.
More information about the free phone offer is available at San Diego County McDonald's restaurants.
To participate and make a donation to RMHC-SD for a free phone, customers can call 1-800-995-CALL or visit www.mcdonaldsphone.com.
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Urban Miyares, president of the Disabled Businesspersons Association, based at San Diego State University, Interwork Institute, is the recipient of the 2001 Congressional Black Caucus Veterans' Braintrust Award for his exemplary national and community service on behalf of the nation's African American veterans.
The Black Caucus Veterans' Braintrust Award was established in 1990 by Gen. Colin Powell in recognition of outstanding national commitment to black veterans.
Miyares, a blinded Vietnam veteran and business person, is the founder of the Disabled Businesspersons Association, an all-volunteer organization created in 1985 to assist disabled veterans in business, nationwide.
In 1991, the organization was granted 501, tax exempt, nonprofit status.
It is dedicated to assisting America's enterprising individuals with disabilities in their vocational rehabilitation and competitiveness in the business world.
Miyares was presented the award at the 13th anniversary of the Congressional Black Caucus Veterans' Braintrust, co-chaired by Sanford D. Bishop and Corrine Brown, members of Congress at the Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C. in conjunction with the 2001 Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Weekend.
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Captiva Software Corp. reports that Minnesota Department of Revenue has selected and signed a contract for FormWare software and services as an integral part of a system designed and to be provided by SYSCOM, a leading provider of end-to-end information technology services and a Captiva Gold Channel Partner.
The solution will process more than 2.3 million individual income tax returns and correspondence documents annually.
"We’re pleased to welcome Minnesota to the growing number of tax processing sites using FormWare," says Blaine J. Owens, Captiva's v.p. of North American Sales. "Our success in this market stems from our understanding of these customers' unique needs, FormWare's ability to quickly and accurately process complex tax returns and the expertise of our staff in deploying these systems."
FormWare is Captiva's information capture software that automates data and image capture from paper and electronic forms and documents.
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Caliber Collision Centers, an Irvine-based operator of collision repair facilities in California and Texas, has acquired Beardsley's Auto Body & Paint, a collision repair service provider in Downtown San Diego.
The addition of Beardsley's Auto Body & Paint further extends Caliber's position as the largest collision repair provider in San Diego County with 12 centers in operation.
It also extends Caliber's position as the largest independently operated collision repair organization in the United States, with 61 centers in California and Texas.
Tom Coleman, Caliber’s v.p. of California operations, says that Beardsley's Auto Body & Paint is a valuable addition to the rapidly growing Caliber family.
"This acquisition further increases Caliber's presence in the San Diego area," Coleman says. "Beardsley's is an excellent addition to our other centers with strong dedicated employees and a large facility well-suited for rapid growth."
Gary Beardsley, former owner of Beardsley's Auto Body & Paint, sold his company to Caliber.
"I’m very confident that Caliber will maintain our tradition of superior quality and customer service," Beardsley says. "My former employees are excited about joining such a fast-growing, industry-leading company."
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Mama's Kitchen will host its 10th annual Tree of Life Lighting Ceremony from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m on Dec. 1 at the Village Hillcrest Retail Center.
The candlelight vigil honors those who have lost their life to AIDS and gives strength and hope to those currently affected.
Personalized ornaments commemorating loved ones will be displayed and can be purchased for $5 from any participating Village Hillcrest merchant.
The event is free and open to the public.
Refreshments will be provided by Peet's Coffee.
All proceeds benefit the clients of Mama's Kitchen. For information, call (619) 233-6262.
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