Doug Johnson

Policy

Top bioscience lawmaker calls out the University of Minnesota

Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-St. Paul) has good reason to feel a fresh spring in his step these days. He helped pass  long overdue  tax credits for angel investors and research and development spending, a feat that earned him a prime spot (second from the left) behind Gov. Tim Pawlenty when the presumed Republican presidential candidate […]

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Minnesota legislature passes historic angel tax credit

The Minnesota House and Senate Monday overwhelmingly approved a five-year, $50 million tax credit designed to spur early-stage investment in high tech start-ups, including biotechnology and medical devices. Minutes after the House passed a jobs bill, which included the angel credits, 112-20, the Senate followed suit, 58-3. The lopsided vote capped an epic, seven-year struggle […]

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University of Minnesota is open for business. Are there customers?

Quantity or quality? Like most things in life, that’s not always an either/or question. Most people would prefer both. But as the University of Minnesota starts to shop its intellectual property a little more aggressively to investors, as evidenced by its first Life Sciences Showcase event at University Enterprise Laboratories Thursday morning, it’s something to […]

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Pharma

Promising biotech start-up VitalMedix Inc. files for Chapter 7

VitalMedix Inc., a promising drug company spun out of the University of Minnesota, has shut down and will liquidate its remaining assets, according to sources and documents filed with U.S. District Court in Minneapolis. The company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy Monday because it could not attract enough investors, said CEO Bill Brown, blaming a […]

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Kudos to University of Minnesota tech transfer

Politicians, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs have long criticized the school for inhibiting innovation rather than creating it. But that criticism is getting old, or at least it should be. Under Jay Schrankler and Doug Johnson, the school's tech transfer program has made enormous strides.