This two-day, interactive, instructor-led workshop was attended by Rimon’s Senior Scientist Allison Brown from April 27-28^th, 2006 at the Toronto offices of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG).  The course was hosted by the Biotechnology Human Resource Council (BHRC), Canada’s leading source for human resource information and biotechnology skills development.  Facilitated by Patent Agents from BLG, the workshop provided attendees with an overview and “how-to” framework for patent protection in Canada and abroad.  For Allison, the course provided a valuable foundation for future involvement in Rimon’s IP strategies. 

Five valuable things that she took away from the course were:

1.  The importance of developing a strong Intellectual Property Strategy within an innovative, start-up company such as Rimon;

2.  An understanding of the criteria that determines what can be patented in the context of the Biotechnology/Life Sciences Industry;

3.  A thorough understanding of the patent granting life cycle and the role of the patent agent or attorney during the various stages of the patenting process;

4.  Effective techniques and available resources for performing prior-art searches;

5. Knowledge of the components, functions, and rules of the Patent Application. This included hands-on experience writing descriptions and claims for sample inventions.

“Over the next decade, medical technology innovations will fundamentally transform health care and delivery systems, providing new solutions with medical devices that will challenge existing paradigms and revolutionize the way treatments are administered.”

The FDA’s announcement in May of this year outlined its intentions to implement ground-breaking alterations in the way the FDA operates and to its place in the development of new treatments. In addition, as demonstrated in the quote above from its official web site, the FDA acknowledges that medical treatment is changing and development of medical devices is leading the way into a new era.

Rimon is part of what the FDA refers to as the “unfolding pattern of ‘smart’ technologies that integrate engineering and biological approaches” that enable “precise clinical interventions”. In the treatment of wound care, Rimon’s primary product, the MI-Sorb™dressing (now in clinical trials), is on the front line of this development. Rather than acting as a passive dressing, providing protection and absorption of exudates, the MI-Sorb™ dressing actively works to counter the damaging effect of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) produced by the body, and by doing so, allows for healing to occur.

As a Class I device, MI-Sorb™ operates with drug-like margins, but benefits from the shorter device timelines. The announcement by the FDA to implement changes intended to facilitates the movement of “smart” devices from research to market could further reduce the timeline for MI-Sorb™ to be introduced to patient care and the costs involved in doing so.

“Rimon Therapeutics has been built on the strength of its partnerships…the grants, programs and people at the Ontario Centres of ...   more »

As part of the Wound Healing Society's 16th Annual meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona in May of this year, Daniel Martin gave a presentation on the application of biomatierals and its effect on healing in diabectic wounds in mice.

Other presentations were given by Rimon staff on our three key technologies: MI Theramer™, AM Theramer™, and Angiobeads™. 

To veiw Daniel's presentation, click the attachment below.

Everyone asks... "What is the origin of the name Rimon?"

The son of co-founder Michael Sefton, came up with the name for our company.

When Michael was describing to his family the stunning and unexpected network of blood vessels that were growing around plastic beads implanted into lab rats, his son exclaimed that it reminded him of the inside of a pomegranate. The association is strengthened in the pomegranate's imagery. It is ancient symbol of re-birth, springtime, fertility and [for us especially] of health and healing.

Rimon is Hebrew for pomegranate.

The pomegranate reminds us of the serendipitous experimental observation that seeded the idea of the "therapeutic polymers" as well as our ultimate goal of developing products that advance human health over the shortest possible timelines.

Ottawa (May 26) - BIOTECanada is pleased to announce the recipients of its annual National Biotechnology Awards. The winners will be honoured at the National Presidents’ Awards Dinner in Toronto on June 19, in conjunction with CANMEDBIO 2006. Rimon Therapeutics is one of two companies selected to win the Promising Early Stage Company Recognition award. Winners in this category are poised to take off and have distinguished themselves from their peers with demonstrated leadership and significant achievement.

For more information see: http://www.biotech.ca/canmedbio/CMB-news-May2606.html

Rimon employees attended the 16th annual meeting of the Wound Healing Society (WHS) in Scottsdale, Arizona from May 14 - 17, 2006. The meeting draws the leading academic, clinical, industrial, and government players in wound healing science. For Rimon, it was an opportunity to convey what we have learned through our own dedicated research efforts and discover new advancements in wound healing as presented by fellow attendees.  Rimon gave two presentations at the conference and funded work that was nominated for the Young Investigators Award.  Our three key technologies were represented: MI Theramer™, AM Theramer™, and Angiobeads™.  Rimon’s products drew attention from both large and small industrial colleagues.

Rebecca Ho of Rimon Therapeutics gave a presentation at this year's conference. To view the presentation, click the attachment below.

Dr. Alastair Glass, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Research and Innovation, Government of Ontario, asked poignant questions: “How did Rimon Therapeutics start? How does the technology work? What are the challenges the team faces? How does it participate in the sector? Does the company intend to stay in Ontario?” Rimon's President and COO, Michael May, responded frankly about the company, its accomplishments and plans.  
 
Dr. Glass served as the first Director of Information and Communications Technology for Science Foundation Ireland, a board responsible for making science and technology funding decisions for the Irish government. In this role he helped establish programs to fund the best Irish scientists and engineers, to attract outstanding researchers from universities and industry to Ireland and to brand Ireland as a premier research location. Dr. Glass then came to Ontario to join the newly established Ministry of Research and Innovation as its first deputy minister. In this capacity he will help develop and lead an integrated and coherent innovation agenda to foster a culture of innovation excellence and showcase Ontario nationally and internationally as an innovation-based economy and society.
 
Mark Romoff, President and CEO, Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), brought Alastair to Rimon to see first-hand how the company is engineering its success and contributing to the Ontario biotechnology sector. The OCE, a not-for-profit corporation, delivers the “Ontario Centres of Excellence” program, which is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation. The OCE supports the commercialization of research, industrial and academic collaboration, and technology transfer. It also facilitates the research and education of Ontario’s best and brightest students at universities, colleges and research hospitals.
 
Rimon and the OCE have had a long relationship, starting with research grants and continuing with networking and training. Dr. Michael V. Sefton, ScD, Rimon’s Chief Scientific Officer and one of its directors, spoke recently at a major OCE conference on the company’s entrepreneurial trajectory. At the conclusion of the meeting, Michael May pointed out the importance of home-grown biotechnology jobs to the growth of the sector in Ontario. University graduates who get their first jobs in Ontario, he said, will be more likely to stay, set down roots, grow businesses and contribute to biotechnology here.  The OCE, Michael said, helped him do just that—and Rimon, he added, will continue to work with the OCE to make that same opportunity possible for others in the Ontario biotechnology sector.  
 
For more on information on Alastair’s work at the Ministry of Research and Innovation see http://www.mri.gov.on.ca/english/about/DMBio.asp
 
For more information on Mark’s work at the Ontario Centres of Excellence see  http://www.oce-ontario.org/
 In attendance from right to left:
Howard Oliver - Principal, What If What Next™ - PR
Mark Romoff - President and CEO, Ontario Centres of Excellence
Michael May - President, and Director, Rimon Therapeutics
Steve Johnston - Director Business Development, Rimon Therapeutics
Alastair Glass - Deputy Minister, Ministry of Research and Innovation, Government of Ontario
Gary Skarja - Director, Research & Development, Rimon Therapeutic
Allison Brown - Senior Scientist, Rimon Therapeutics
Kerry Cathers - Office Manager, Rimon Therapeutics

Toronto, May 3-4, 2006 - Through the two days of the event (http://www.biofinance.ca)  over one hundred (mostly) CEO’s give half-hour presentations on their company's technology, team, progress to date and go-forward plans. Specialty panels by investors at breakfast and lunch framed each day.

BioFinance 2006 is the Canadian Life Science industry's leading investor conference. The meeting brings together key industry players to consider investment opportunities and issues affecting companies in biotechnology, medical devices, diagnostics and research tools. Participants include senior life science executives, institutional and venture capital investors, industry analysts, corporate finance executives and experts from the scientific and medical communities in Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia.

Michael H. May spoke on day two of the conference which took place at the Toronto Mariott.

These blog entries summarize what we heard and experienced, with some interpretation and analysis. Rimon Therapeutics engaged us to "blog the event" as part of their ongoing PR program to promote their company and the Canadian Biotechnology sector. 

Thanks to Michael Stinson, Executive Director, BioFinance 2006 for inviting us to attend the event as "Citizen Journalists".

Click on the BioFinance 2006 on the top left to read more. We welcome your comments.

Howard Oliver for Rimon Therapeutics

www.whatifwhatnext.com

We have uploaded an unedited recording of Michael's presentation. If you would like to review the slides please contact us.