We recently reached our 15 year anniversary as a member of Biocom, a life science association. Biocom is an organization that supports the life sciences on many fronts and in multiple locations. While Biocom is primarily based in California, they also have locations in Washington D.C. and Tokyo. From their website, “Biocom harnesses the collective power and experience of the most innovative and productive life science clusters in the world, with powerful advocacy and transformative programs to help companies in their quest to improve the human condition. Biocom provides the strongest public voice for research institutions and companies that fuel the California economy.”

As a member-driven organization, Biocom provides life science companies with the opportunities and resources they need to fulfill business goals. Biocom is great for networking and connecting companies in the San Diego area. Local area members include businesses in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, genomics, diagnostic, medical device, connected health, agriculture, and bio-renewable energy fields. Their website states, “With 23 years in San Diego, Biocom is well known for its collaborative spirit and integral role in ensuring the life science ecosystem of San Diego has the support it needs to thrive, including infrastructure, networking, professional development, and business-friendly government regulations.”

VetStem CEO, Dr. Bob Harman, has a long history as a Biocom member. In the early 90s, Dr. Harman ran HTI Bio-Services, a contract research company, and regularly networked with other local biotech CEOs and entrepreneurs. Regarding those early days as a Biocom member, Dr. Harman stated, “These were exciting times not only because of technical innovation, but also because we were forming a community that helped to advance medicine and create a vital segment in the local and regional economy.”

VetStem endeavors to stay at the forefront of the field. Founded in 2002, VetStem is the first US-based commercial veterinary adipose stem cell company. We have processed fat tissue from nearly 14,000 patients resulting in over 30,000 stem cell treatments. In 2018, we utilized our over 15 years of experience and data in veterinary medicine to spin out a human stem cell company, Personalized Stem Cells, Inc. We also just announced the launch of our contract cell manufacturing business, which we will discuss in an upcoming blog. We are very proud to be a longtime member of Biocom and of our contributions to the biotech community.