Chip Scarlett's skills may pay off — again — at Geron

A lot of biotech executives may be underwater in terms of their stock options, but new Geron Corp. CEO Chip Scarlett takes underwater to an extreme.
Scarlett is well known around the Bay Area biotech world for his 25-year career, including stints at the helm of Tercica Inc. and Proteolix Inc. Both companies scored big buyout deals, and Scarlett swam on to help South San Francisco startup Vega Therapeutics.
Scarlett might be equally well known for his stunning underwater photography. His work has appeared in Outside, Scuba Diver and Nature’s Best Magazine, to name a few.

Genomic Health colon cancer test wins Medicare coverage

Medicare will cover Genomic Health Inc.’s Oncotype DX colon cancer recurrence test.
The Redwood City medical diagnostics company (NASDAQ: GHDX) said Friday that Columbia, S.C.-based Palmetto GBA, which administers Medicare health insurance for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, established a formal coverage policy for all Medicare patients with stage II colon cancer.
The coverage is effective for claims as of Sept. 18.

Finalists for 2nd Lawrence Berkeley Lab campus push for deal

Six development teams continue pushing to be selected for Lawrence Berkeley National Lab’s proposed 2 million-square-foot second campus — a project that has the potential to transform the site and city where it lands.
Not only would the lab’s facilities and jobs be a huge boost to any community, the potential for spinoff companies and additional real estate development has cities and developers eager for a decision.

One-on-one with former Merck strategy officer Merv Turner, on the BioExec Institute

It’s pretty clear from its name — the BioExec Institute — that the University of California, Berkeley, program is for biotech industry executives.
The program of three two-day modules — Oct. 5-6, Nov. 2-3 and Dec. 7-8 — aims to connect vice president-level biotech managers with proven life sciences and venture capital industry veterans. Among the speakers this year are Merv Turner, the recently retired Merck & Co. chief strategy officer, as well as Kristin Peck, executive vice president of worldwide business development and innovation at Pfizer Inc.; and James Topper, general partner of Frazier Healthcare Ventures.
Turner’s perspective, for one, is particularly sought after. He started at Merck Research Laboratories in 1985, eventually becoming senior vice president of worldwide licensing and external research and Merck’s first chief strategy officer.
I spoke recently with Turner about the BioExec program and his views, from the comfort and safety of Big Pharma retirement, of the drug-development industry.

Geron, StemCells trials tackle different approaches to spinal cord injuries

Two groundbreaking spinal cord trials led by Bay Area companies, both of which hit milestones in September, could make or break commercial stem cell therapies.
Although the trials are different in many ways, both are closely watched by stem cell advocates and opponents and could have implications for California’s stem cell research funding agency.

Threshold cancer-fighting drug enters critical Phase III trial

Threshold Pharmaceuticals Inc. is set to launch a second Phase III trial of its cancer-fighting drug as it waits for critical data from another study in pancreatic cancer.
Results of the initial study, expected as soon as the end of the year or early 2012, are important for the Redwood City-based drug developer. It is the first randomized, controlled trial of Threshold’s signature drug, TH-302.

Geron hires John 'Chip' Scarlett as new CEO

Geron Corp. said Thursday its board of directors has named John Scarlett as its new chief executive officer and to its board of directors.
Scarlett was previously the CEO of biotechnology Proteolix, which was acquired by Onyx Pharmaceuticals in November 2009 for $276 million.

Onyx submits multiple myeloma drug for FDA approval

Less than two years after buying Proteolix Inc. and its lead drug candidate, carfilzomib, Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. is asking federal regulators to approve the experimental multiple myeloma treatment.
South San Francisco-based Onyx (NASDAQ: ONXX) said it submitted a completed new drug application to the Food and Drug Administration, seeking accelerated approval for carfilzomib. Onyx, which had already won fast-track status for carfilzomib, had been submitting the application on a rolling basis since January.
Analysts have said that carfilzomib could hit $1 billion in annual sales.

Transcept resubmits middle-of-the-night sleep drug to FDA

Transcept Pharmaceuticals Inc. resubmitted its middle-of-the-night sleep drug to federal regulators, two months after the drug was rejected, the company said Tuesday.
The Richmond company (NASDAQ: TSPT) earlier this month said that it planned to resubmit the drug, called Intermezzo, by the end of September. The Food and Drug Administration has said its review of the new application could take as little as two months.

Spine specialist SpineGuard nabs $6.2M in late-stage funding

SpineGuard, a San Francisco-based maker of hand-held devices designed to improve spine-fusion surgery outcomes, said Tuesday it’s won $6.2 million in late-stage funding from various investors.
They include prior investors Crédit Agricole Private Equity, Innoven Partenaires, A Plus Finance, and Delta Partners, which provided $11 million in funding in the spring of 2009.

Joint BioEnergy Institute scientists ID new type of biofuel

Researchers at the Joint BioEnergy Institute in Emeryville identified a possible new type of biofuel that could replace diesel.
The JBEI, run by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, engineered the new fuel, called bisabolane, from two microbes -- a bacteria and a yeast.
Fuel made this way, the lab said, would be “clean, green, renewable and produced in the United States.”

NeurogesX chief medical officer resigns, heads to Jazz Pharma

Dr. Jeffrey Tobias, chief medical officer of pain drug developer NeurogesX Inc. since 2005, will resign effective Oct. 16
It is the second high-level departure this year for San Mateo-based NeurogesX (NASDAQ: NGSX). President and CEO Anthony DiTonno said in April that he would retire by the end of the year.

Medical device maker Si-Bone raises $16 million

Si-Bone Inc., which makes a medical device to treat the sacroiliac joint, raised $16 million.
Montreaux Equity Partners of Menlo Park led the round and put John Savarese, M.D., on Si-Bone’s board of directors as part of the investment.

Quark Pharma pulls IPO plans again

Quark Pharmaceuticals Inc., which develops RNA interference drugs, withdrew initial public offering plans to raise up to $20 million.
The company reportedly did not obtain favorable terms and could raise additional private funding, according to a Dow Jones VentureWire story.

Brian Ward hired as diaDexus CEO

Medical test maker diaDexus Inc. hired Brian Ward, who works on its board of directors, as chief executive officer, starting at once.
James Panek, who was the South San Francisco company’s interim CEO, will remain on its board of directors. He was once CEO of VaxGen Inc., which eventually merged with diaDexus.