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After featuring Frankfurt airport in the last newsletter - it’s the turn of another overseas location, this time the marginally more glamorous Manhattan Island, New York. It lived up to expectations with some stunning meals. Top of the list has to be Wolfgang’s Steakhouse. This has quite simply got to be the best steak I have ever eaten, ever. And I’ve eaten in a few places claiming to be the best steakhouses in America - with a corresponding pricing strategy. Whilst this wasn’t exactly cheap I think it was better value than many. We were at the original No. 4 Park. It’s a fairly cosy, noisy venue - and on a Saturday night it was packed to the rafters. Judging by popularity (Donald Trump’s favourite steakhouse!) it’s worth booking in advance.
Our appetisers were bacon - thick rashers of well sizzled Canadian cure that we had with a salad. The garrulous waiter described the bacon as a “must have” and he wasn’t wrong. Absolutely delicious and started the saliva flowing in anticipation of the steak. The steak was served with a real sense of ‘meat theatre’. First upended saucers were placed on the table and then searing hot platters of steak were brought in and placed with one end of each platter on an upturned saucer. The melted butter they had obviously liberally poured over the steaks at the end of cooking ran down and collected at the bottom of the platter, mixing with the meat juices. The steak had been cut away from the bone in generous chunks. The waiter then speared a chunk of beef, dipped it in the butter juices, and seared it with a sizzling flourish on the edge of the baking hot platter. The smell was incredible and at this point the flowing saliva turned into a torrent.
On eating, the meat was fantastic, melting in the mouth and packed with flavour. I ate far more than my stomach could safely digest and spent the next two days walking round with what felt like about 6 pounds of undigested protein lodged in my gut. Amazing!
I would also highly recommend Aquagrill, Soho, New York. Fantastic seafood and what I believe to be an incredible raw (oyster) bar. As I refuse point blank to pour any of the slippery little suckers down my own throat, I can only judge by reputation rather than taste. The most memorable dish we had was scallops on a crab risotto. Reassuringly rich, and fantastically fresh.
I also heartily recommend The Boathouse in Central Park for Sunday brunch. Classy, cool and fabulous views out of the large windows. It must be good as Glenn Close was on the next table! They don’t take bookings and it can get very busy, but not, thankfully, on Thanksgiving weekend!
Derek Ellison
This newsletter is prepared by Eden Biodesign and comments and suggestions are most welcome.
Please address them to:
Johanne Tabern
Tel: 0151 728 1750
Eden Biodesign
National Biomanufacturing Centre
Estuary Banks
Estuary Commerce Park
Speke Road
Liverpool
L24 8RB
www.edenbiodesign.com
If you do not wish to receive this newsletter in the future, please email Johanne to be removed from the mailing list.
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Welcome to the first edition of our e-newsletter for 2008.
Last year was another great year for the company having successfully gained our manufacturing licence from the MHRA, signed contracts with over 12 new clients, and with the appointment of Roger Lias we are making good headway with our plans to develop the US business. Now that we have reached the dizzying total of 62 employees the Christmas party certainly required a lot more logistics than it used to!
Our aim for the next 12 months is to build on our status as one of the UK’s leading contract biomanufacturers and leading development partner for biopharmaceuticals, and to firmly establish Eden Biodesign in the USA.
As we reported in several of our back issues of the newsletter, 2007 was a year of transition for the global pharmaceutical industry. We have seen several pharmaceutical companies announce restructuring plans and continue making deals to build their positions in biologics. AstraZeneca acquired MedImmune but announced significant R&D and manufacturing job cuts in other areas; Bristol-Myers Squibb acquired biopharmaceutical company, Adnexus Therapeutics; GlaxoSmithKline announced a $1.5 billion programme to improve productivity; Amgen cut up to 2600 jobs to increase operational efficiencies and Novartis expanded their collaboration with MorphoSys, the biotech company specializing in fully human antibodies.
So what has 2008 brought us so far? GlaxoSmithKline has now completed their $1.65 billion cash acquisition of Reliant Pharmaceuticals. Reliant’s four cardiovascular medicines have now been added to GSK’s US portfolio.
After having licensed Cytofab from Protherics in 2005, AstraZeneca has now begun a second Phase II study of the severe sepsis candidate. The company had originally planned to go straight into Phase III trials but decided to conduct another Phase II study due to the difficulties in developing treatments for sepsis.
This month Roche have announced major investments at three of its European sites as they continue their drive to strengthen their position in the biopharmaceutical market. The Swiss company will expand capacity at three sites in Germany and Switzerland spending $391.6m.
Meanwhile, Lilly has agreed its third biotech deal this month with Belgian company Galapagos to develop novel osteoporosis targets. As part of the agreement, Galapagos will develop up to Phase IIa proof of concept, then Lilly will have the exclusive option to continue their development and commercialization worldwide.
In the last issue of our e-newsletter we reported that Abbott’s anti-TNF antibody product, Humira was waiting to be cleared for psoriasis. The product has now received FDA approval and sales of the best selling product have pushed Abbott to a fourth quarter profit of $1.2 compared with a loss this time last year of $476 million.
In other news Novartis announced that it will scale back its research operations in Japan with the planned closure of their facility in Tsukuba near Tokyo by the end of this year. Whilst Bristol-Myers Squibb has announced the closure of its Puerto Rico manufacturing plant also by the end of 2008. It comes as a result of decrease in market demand for a number of the mature products produced at the site and aligning with the company’s transformation to a biopharmaceutical company.
This year has got off to a good start with the recent signing of new contracts with iQur Ltd to develop a novel combined vaccine for the treatment of Hepatitis A and B, and also Manchester based Ai2 Ltd, to extend their projects studying anti-infective activity of a human protein called apolipoprotein E. and its derivatives. To view the latest press release please click here.
We have also successfully signed up two further clients, one is for a development and GMP manufacturing project for a UK company and the second is a long term development project with a continental European Biotech. Both these companies have opted not to have public announcements.
Towards the end of last year, we announced a management restructure which results in changes to responsibilities for three members of our executive management team. Dr Derek Ellison (Co-Founder of Eden and previously Business Development Director) has taken up the role of VP Development and Manufacturing. Dr Anita Bate, (Co-Founder of Eden) retains the title of Science Director but her role expands to lead the Consultancy and Technical Services Group, which encompasses client project management. Dr Roger Lias, President Eden Biodesign, Inc who joined Eden in November has assumed responsibility for Global Business Development. For further information click here.
Crawford Brown, Eden’s CEO & Roger Lias, Eden’s President & Group Commercial Director recently had an article entitled ‘Managing the development of innovative biopharmaceuticals’ published in December’s issue of SP2 magazine. Click here to view the article.
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