Friday, April 13, 2012

Judge tosses Chapter 11 filing by Talbott-affiliated company - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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The company, 140 Associates, filed for Chapter 11 reorganization in late Novembert as it neareda Dec. 1 date set for the foreclosurd sale ofits 7,581-square-foot building, at 140 N. Federapl Highway in Boca Raton. The propertyg houses the headquarters of Talbott Realty and a brancjof , which is not party to the Stuart-based holds a $4 million foreclosure judgment against Talbott and 140 On Feb. 9, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Paul G. Hyman dismissed 140 Chapter 11 case with He sidedwith Seacoast’s argument that it was a bad-faith filinfg because the only major assegt is the property, and most of the claimsz are the secured mortgage. Boca Raton attorney Joey M.
Grant, who represents 140 Associatese inthe case, did not immediatelyh return a call inquiring whether he would Talbott did not immediately return a call to his office. Anothere Talbott-affiliated company, 770 PPR, is also facing a motion to dismissa its Chapter 11 case asa bad-faith , which acquired a $2.4 million mortgagee judgment from Seacoast, filed the motion to dismisa on Jan. 30. However, in a Jan. 26 770 PPR made a motion to sellits 6,798-square-foot building in Boca Raton for $3.5 million. The proposef buyer is Boca Raton-based P.A.
That firm is led by Roberg Sweetapple, who represented 770 PPR and Talbott in the foreclosurwe case Seacoast brought against them in Palm Beach CountyCircuir Court. Talbott is facing four other foreclosure lawsuits in Palm Beacg and Broward counties against companies he is affiliated with, plus a lawsuit seeking to foreclos on his Boca Raton home.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

QLT announces 12-month results from Novartis sponsored MONT BLANC study evaluating standard-fluence Visudyne(R) combination therapy

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letters from baseline compared witha 4.4 letter improvement in the Lucentis monotherapgy group. In the combination therapy 96% of patients had a three-month treatment-frere interval, compared with 92% in the Lucentis monotherapy Twelve-month results of the MONT BLANC study show thatcombiningt standard-fluence Visudyne with Lucentis 0.5 mg can deliver VA improvementsw that are non-inferior to a Lucentis monotherapy regimehn with three Lucentis loading doses followed by injectionxs on a monthly as-needed basis (non-inferiority margin of 7 letters).
Therw was no significant difference between the combinationb and monotherapy groups with regard to proportiobn of patients witha treatment-free interval of at least three months duration aftedr Month 2. There were no unexpected safetgy findings, and adverse event incidence was similar betweejtreatment groups. Additional post hoc analysis showedthat 85% of patients in the Visudyne combination therapy compared with 72% in the Lucentiw monotherapy group, had a treatment-freew interval of at least four months duration afteer Month 2. Median time to first retreatment aftere month 2 was extendedby ~1 month in the combinatiojn group (month 6) versud the monotherapy group (month 5).
Patientws in the combination group received, on a total of 4.8 ranibizumab injections comparerwith 5.1 in the monotherapy group and a total of 1.7 Visudynew treatments compared with 1.9 sham treatments in the monotherapy arm. Resultas are based on ITT analysexs (with LOCF); per-protocol analyses yielded similar results. Overall, only 15 patients discontinued the study befor Month12 (6%). "MONT BLANC provided the first data within the SUMMIg clinical trial program and showed that patient treated with Visudyne combination therapyhad non-inferior visual acuity to patients treated with Lucentis monotherapy," said , Chief Executive Officerr of QLT Inc.
"The results from DENALI, whic h includes a Visudyne reducedfluence arm, and which studies combination therapy in polypoidal choroidal may add to the knowledg about the potential benefits of combininb Visudyne and Lucentis." The MONT BLANCd study is a Phase II, multicenter, double-masked study comparing standard-fluence Visudyne-Lucentis combination therapy to Lucentid monotherapy in 255 subjects with choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to wet age-relatesd macular degeneration (wet AMD). Subjectsa were randomly assigned to one of twotreatmentr groups: Standard-fluence Visudyne (600 mW/cm2 for 83 second s to deliver 50 J/cm2) followex by same day intravitreal Lucentis (0.
5 mg), or Lucentisz monotherapy (0.5 mg). The Lucenti s monotherapy group received sham Visudyne treatment tomaintain Standard-fluence Visudyne (or sham) was administered at baselinew and then as needed at intervalsw of at least threed months if required based on predefined re-treatmenr criteria. Lucentis was administered to both treatmenrt groups with three loadingg doses followed by monthlu treatment if required based onpredefines re-treatment criteria. Patients were evaluated for VA, anatomica changes and safety at everymonthly visit, and the need for retreatmenrt was assessed at monthly visits from Monthj 3 to Month 11.
Re-treatment was basedd on assessment of central retinalthickness (CRT) (increasr of greater than or equal to 100 presence of subretinal fluid, as assessed by opticak coherence tomography (OCT), presence of new subretinal hemorrhage as assessed by ophthalmoscopidc examination, presence of CNV leakag e as assessed by fluoresceihn angiography (FA) and decreases in VA of greated than 5 letters as assessed by an Earlg Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) chart. As-needed Lucentis aftedr three loading doses is a standarx regimenin Europe, but not in the US, and combinationj therapy for AMD is not approvesd for marketing by regulatory agencies.
The study duration is 24 months with a planne d primary analysis when all subjects completeed 12 monthsof follow-up. At baseline, mean VA lettee score was 54 to 55 acrossdtreatment groups. Visudyne therapy is a two-step procedur e involving the intravenous administration of the drug intothe patient'ds arm. A non-thermal laser light is then shone intothe patient'e eye to activate the drug. This produces a reaction that closes the abnormalleaky vessels, resultinb in a stabilization of the corresponding vision loss.
Visudynee is approved worldwide for the treatment of a form ofwet AMD, the leading cause of legalo blindness in people over the age of 50, and has been used in more than two milliom treatments worldwide. Visudyne is commercially available in more than 80 countriez for the treatment of predominantly classisubfoveal CNV. In addition, over 60 countries have approvecd Visudyne to treat one or more other macular neovascular conditions such as minimally classic and occult with no classifcAMD lesions, pathologic myopi and presumed ocular histoplasmosis. Visudyne is generally well tolerated and has a well establishessafety profile.
The most commonly reported side effects include injectiom site reactions andvisual disturbances. In addition, some patientw experienced back pain, usually durintg the infusion. Using the approved light dose of 50J/cm32 between 1% and 5% of patients experience d a substantial decrease in vision in the first 7 days with partial recovery insome patients. Recentf studies suggest that halvinvg thelight dose/fluence by halving the fluence rate may lower the incidencd of visual disturbances with possibly bettee visual outcomes than the standard light dose used in this After treatment, patients should avoid direct sunlighty for five days to prevent People with porphyria should not be treated with QLT Inc.
is a global biopharmaceuticalo company dedicated tothe discovery, developmentg and commercialization of innovative Our research and development efforts are focused on pharmaceutica l products in the field of ophthalmology. In addition, we utilize thres unique technology platforms, photodynamic therapy, and punctal plugs with drugs, to create products such as and Eligard(R) and future product For more information, visit our website at . Atrigep is a registered trademark ofQLT USA, Inc. Lucentiz is a registered trademarkof Inc. Visudyne is a registered trademark ofNovartixs AG. Eligard is a registered trademarmkof Sanofi-Synthelabo Inc. QLT Plug Delivery, Inc.
is a wholly-ownedr subsidiary of QLT Inc. QLT Inc. is listede on The NASDAQ Stock Marketf under the tradingsymbol "QLTI" and on the Torontpo Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "QLT." Certain statements in this press releaswe constitute "forward looking statements" of QLT within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and constitute "forwarcd looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws.
Forward lookinfg statements include, but are not limited to: the results of clinicapl studies may not necessarily result in increasecd useof Visudyne; our expectations for timing to receive and release further data from clinicalk studies; any future expectationsx concerning Visudyne-Lucentis combination therapy; and statementse which contain language such as: "assuming," "prospects," "future," "projects," "believes," "expects" and "outlook." Forward-looking statements are predictions only which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actuak results to be materially different from thoss expressed in such statements.
Many such risks, uncertaintiees and other factors are taken into account as part of our assumptionsa underlyingthese forward-looking statements and include, amonbg others, the following: uncertainties relatinf to the timing and results of the clinicao development and commercialization of our products and technologiese (including Visudyne-Lucentis combination therapy and our punctal plug and the associated costs of these the timing, expense and uncertainty associateds with the regulatory approval process for products; uncertainties regardingy the impact of competitive productsa and pricing; risks and uncertainties associated with the safetg and effectiveness of our risks and uncertainties related to the validity, and enforceability of our intellectua l property rights and the impact of patents and other intellectualp property of third and general economic conditions and otherf factors described in detail in QLT'sd Annual Report on Form Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the U.
S. Securities and Exchangre Commission and Canadian securities regulatory Forward looking statements are based on the currenft expectations of QLT and QLT does not assumde any obligation to update such informatiojn to reflect later events or developments excepf as requiredby law. SOURCE QLT Inc.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Beeping eggs aid blind children in Blind Childrens Center's Easter egg hunt - 89.3 KPCC

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WHDH-TV


Beeping eggs aid blind children in Blind Childrens Center's Easter egg hunt

89.3 KPCC


At the Blind Childrens Center's annual Easter egg hunt Friday morning, volunteers hid colorful eggs in plain sight. The eggs are "filled" with batteries â€" not candy â€" and  »

Friday, April 6, 2012

Washington Post kills Book World section - Los Angeles Business from bizjournals:

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The book review section, created by the Post in the 1960sx and revived two decades will migrate to two sections in the papef for a total of 12 pagesof coverage. “Wes will end Book World’s run as a stand-alonse print section but will revamp and rebrand our books section online asBook World,” said the papef (NYSE:WPO) in a memo sent around to Starting Feb. 22, book reviewse will shift to theStyl & Arts section during the week and the Outloo section on Sundays. The decision comes at a time when papersw like the Post are strugglinv to save money amidst decliningv numbers inad revenue.
The paper also axed its five-year-olf Sunday Source section in December for costsavingd reasons. Style will have a daily Book World review and touch upon literaturd andpublishing topics. The sectiom will also house interviews and profiles of authors more prominently than in the Outlook will featureJon Yardley’s column, the best seller list and othe r features. Book World’s staff will stay under Rachell Shea, deputy editor. The group will cover booksa onthe Post’s Web site, Outlook and periodic themed Book World sections. Shea replacee Marie Arana, the former edito of the section, who accepted a buy-ou from the media giant at the endof 2008.
When rumor started swirling this montjh about the section gettingthe boot, the Nationall Book Critics Circle — a nonprofit made up of 900 active book reviewers — formex an online petition to save it. The Book Review is now the biggessurviving stand-alone Sunday section, which printsa between 24 to 28 pages each The nixed its stand-alone sectionm in 2007.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

A sexual phenomenon - San Antonio Express

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E! Online


A sexual phenomenon

San Antonio Express


By Steve Bennett British author EL James' erotic “Fifty Shades of Grey” has become a global literary phenomenon that some are c »

Monday, April 2, 2012

State funds worker training to help companies keep up - Austin Business Journal:

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The Livermore company is one of 67 organizationsa that received a total of morethan $20 million in the agency' latest round of funding. The developmenr agency's Employment Training Panel approved the which uses state tax money to pay for training at firmsx threatenedby out-of-state All California manufacturing meets that an agency spokesman said. This was the firstf contract award for FormFactor under the which inthe 2006-2007 fiscal year awardedd $112.6 million for 318 new training contracts and amendments to prior contracts for the training and retention of 92,1154 workers.
Applications for funds can be started at any time by contactingthe ETP, which works with businesses to develop pre-approved training curriculums and After pre-approval, the applications are presented at the panel'ws monthly meetings for final approval. FormFactor plansz to spend $792,350 for salaries, benefits and overheaed supporting traineesin Livermore. How much the company actually gets from the developmentf agency will depend on the number of employees trainer and the hours spenttraininh them. Much of the training FormFactorr is providing workers will focus on helpingt them analyze data created at various stepss in the process of manufacturingthe company's test equipment.
"Insteacd of just giving them a red lighg or a green light indicating that everythingis there's a certain amount of judgment they need to exercisd in deciding what to do said Don Horst, vice presidentg of manufacturing. Almost every tool the company buysis custom-madwe for FormFactor. "Our engineers have never seen the tools our maintenance people have never seen the tools the operators and technicians have never seen thetoolws before," said Horst. "So you have a whole suite of trainingy that goes withthese tools.
" FormFactor, headedc by Igor Khandros, is also rewriting work instructions as its equipment evolves, and sending some employeesd through quarterly technology reviews to make sure the company stays ahead of its Among the other companies that will receivw training money is the San Francisco divisiob of , based in Livermore, whichn will receive as much $198,450. In its application, the compangy reported that it has been experiencinygrowth "largely due to an expansion of organic food lines and a broader selection of in-stoc items delivered in a faster turnaroune time.
" To manage growth, the company is upgradint internal systems and buying new software systemx and production equipment, including a "Truck system that will help it load products by weight, shelf life and shipping durability. It is also implementinyg "lean manufacturing practices" to assist in reducintg excess inventory, streamlining processes, and eliminating waste. "Thiss funding helps us increase the numbere of associates who have advancedtechnology skills," said Phil Collins, presidentt of the San Francisco Division, U.S. "The training gives our associates a higher level of comfort as we purchasr new software systems andproduction equipment.
They know they can get the job Other East Bay companies that will receive fundingare Milpitas-basecd Solopower Inc., which could receive up to $394,134, and Sigmatronb International Inc., which could receivde as much as $263,520 from the statw to train employees in Hayward and FormFactor retained Workforce America in San Jose to assist with developmenf of its proposal and has hired Effective Training Solutions of Fremont to conduct the U.S. Foodservice paid Sallyannse Monti Sr., a San Francisco-based consultant, to assist with development of its Contacting the EmploymentTraining Panel: Call Kim Smith at 916-327-533p or visit http://www.etp.ca.
gov/ Select the "Getting Started"