This has been a big week for healthcare and biotech.
The JP Morgan Healthcare Conference 2012 took place this week in San Francisco, as did the 2012 Biotech Showcase and OneMedPlace's annual healthcare conference, the OneMedForum SF 2012.
At the OneMedForum, Crystal Research Associates' CEO Jeffrey Kraws was selected to participate in a panel on Chronic Diseases, Wellness, & Patient Engagement. He was joined by Dr. Gunnar Weikert, MD, PhD, Chairman, CEO, and Founder of Inventages Venture Capital Investments, and Leslie Ziegler of Rock Health, a San Francisco-based incubator for early stage digital health start ups. As part of the panel, Mr. Kraws discussed some of the innovative new approaches for managing chronic disease.
Several of the pharma/biotech companies under our coverage also presented at the Biotech Showcase and OneMedForum conferences this week, including...
GenSpera, Inc. (GNSZ-OTCBB)
InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. (NVIV-OTCBB)
Neuralstem, Inc. (CUR-AMEX)
Peregerine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (PPHM-NASDAQ)
and Advaxis Inc. (ADXS-OTCBB)
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This Week in Company News
Also this week, we saw key announcements from InVivo Therapeutics (NVIV-OTCBB), MedPro Safety Products, Inc. (MPSP-OTCBB), and General Cannabis, Inc. (now SearchCore, Inc. [SRER-OTCPK]), as summarized below.
Since Geron Corp.’s (GERN-NASDAQ) November 2011 announcement to discontinue further development of its stem cell programs (including its clinical program for spinal cord injury), InVivo has gained investors’ attention for its position at the forefront of spinal cord injury research. Capitalizing on Geron’s announcement, InVivo is expanding awareness of its biocompatible polymer-based scaffold platform for treating spinal cord injuries at investor conferences across the U.S. On Tuesday, January 10, 2012, InVivo’s CEO Frank Reynolds presented NVIV’s most recent breakthroughs and provided a business update to potential investors during the Biotech Showcase (as part of the Regenerative Medicine Insight Track in the section on CNS, Ophthalmology, and Spinal Injury). InVivo is awaiting FDA approval for its first human clinical study for acute SCI treatment, expected to begin in 2012. InVivo is also scheduled to present at BOCEMb 2012 Equity Conference at the Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, Florida, on Wednesday, January 18th at 9:00 am EST.
As well, Mr. Reynolds was featured on KTXL-TV’s FOX40 Live on Wednesday, January 11 during the 8:00 AM (PST) newscast to discuss NVIV’s therapeutic approach for spinal cord injury treatment. He is also scheduled to appear on Minneapolis’ ABC affiliate, KSTP-TV, on Sunday, January 15th during the 8:00 AM (CST) newscast as well as on the Minneapolis’ FOX affiliate, KMSP-TV, on Monday, January 16th during the 8:00 AM (CST) newscast to discuss paralyzing injuries to local high school hockey players.
MedPro is strengthening its senior management team to support the company’s plan to expand its development focus to include all devices that enable greater patient safety. On January 12, 2012, MPSP appointed George J. Kostas to serve as the executive vice president of finance and Peter Forceville as vice president of business development, Europe and Asia. As well, MedPro announced its plan to open offices in New York City, where Mr. Kostas will be located, and in Brussels, Belgium, where Mr. Forceville will be based.
As of January 6, 2012, General Cannabis, Inc. changed its corporate name to SearchCore, Inc. to reflect its expansion into new industries beyond medical cannabis. SearchCore has thus repositioned itself as a technology-based Internet marketing services company, capitalizing on the scalability and success of its proven business model (established through General Cannabis). SearchCore’s business model includes Internet verticals in various niche markets, custom management software, and technology-focused business services.
SearchCore has also acquired MMJMenu, LLC, a provider of seed-to-sale collective management and point-of-sale software for the medical marijuana industry, through its WeedMaps Media, Inc. subsidiary. SearchCore plans to integrate MMJMenu's proprietary software, which supports the traceability of products, into its system.