Every so often an undeniably important technology emerges resulting in the consolidation of IP and the alignment of thought leaders around a few main players. The new battleground is stem cells. And though the two heavy hitters in the promising induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell space, Ipierian and Fate Therapeutics, are perhaps less aggressive in publicly asserting their dominance, they've positioned themselves as leading competitors in the still-nascent but rapidly advancing area of cellular reprogramming.

As part of a bid to connect the dots between its own product offerings, Philips Healthcare acquired InnerCool Therapies, maker of surface and endovascular cooling devices for the management of cardiac patients. InnerCool fits into the company's broader "care cycle" strategy, the point of which is to provide a continuum of care to patients in the diseases Philips serves. Specifically, Philips' strategy is to connect diverse care settings to its product markets, in this case, cardiac resuscitation. The combination marks a change in how sudden cardiac arrest is regarded, from an isolated episode focused on a stopped heart to a larger strategy of patient management.

Arcion Therapeutics is focusing its development efforts on an existing chemical entity, clonidine, but its theory is more novel: that much or all of the abnormal pain signaling associated with neuropathic pain occurs in the skin. Thus it is trying to develop a topical form of clonidine, an alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonist already marketed for high blood pressure. Arcion has uncovered a variety of mechanisms by which clonidine may relieve pain and hopes to soon begin a Phase IIb trial in diabetic neuropathy. The goal: a product that is easy to use and avoids many of the side effects associated with current treatments.