San Diego-based BioAtla Redefining the Business of Drug Discovery

Online, November 10, 2010 (Newswire.com) - BioAtla, a San Diego-based protein therapeutics services provider, wants drug discovery companies worldwide to know one thing about operating in today's business climate - there is hope. While biotechnology companies tackle the traditional complexities of scientific discovery, they must also navigate amidst increasing business pressures fueled by rising costs and scarce funding. That's where BioAtla thrives.

BioAtla helps biotechnology companies propel drug development forward by bringing a pioneering spirit that welcomes unique collaborations, backed by an expanding global infrastructure. Their business philosophy is simple: empower biotech firms with the scientific expertise they need, at a cost they can afford. How BioAtla achieves this is part art, and definitely part science.

"We offer leading-edge, comprehensive protein engineering services performed in China, which gives our clients cost-efficient access to technologies that would otherwise be unaffordable," says Dr. Jay M. Short, Founder, Chairman and CEO of BioAtla. "Our corporate policy is to assign 100% ownership of products resulting from BioAtla services to our customers. And our technologies are proprietary, strengthening our clients' intellectual property portfolios along the way. We help your organization create it, make it and own it."

Dr. Short is no stranger to innovation. He's the Founder and former CEO, President and CTO of Diversa Corporation (now British Petroleum and Verenium), where he achieved the largest biotech IPO at the time. He also served as President of Stratacyte, and VP of R&D and Operations for Stratagene Cloning Systems (now Agilent). With BioAtla, Dr. Short continues to push the envelope of innovative and proprietary technologies in the field of protein therapeutics. BioAtla's CIAO!™ (Comprehensive Integrated Antibody Optimization™) technology platform for protein expression can select molecules in a manner that mirrors both the body's environment and the host that will be used for final manufacturing of the drug - reducing downstream drug risk from early in the discovery process. And the company is pioneering "Only at BioAtla" services such as its recently launched Native Target DiscoveryTM platform.

While the company is garnering attention for its comprehensive scientific expertise, BioAtla is also making business collaborations that accelerate drug development a real art form. "Financial collaborations are rapidly replacing traditional drug discovery business models that simply are not longer financially sustainable. We're not only willing, but highly interested in establishing a financial partnership to accelerate your company's success," says Dr. Short. One such collaboration is the partnership between BioAtla and Femta Pharmaceuticals; the two companies share a technology platform with BioAtla fulfilling the role of a services company while Femta seeks to develop therapeutic candidates.

Recently, BioAtla has taken their unique business approach to the web. Their newly branded website (http://www.bioatla.com) is organized to educate the user not only about the services the company is offering, but where the industry is headed. There is hope for a better drug discovery process. BioAtla calls it BioAcceleration™ and they are proving it works. The website was custom created for BioAtla by San Diego-based brand communication firm, Miriello Grafico. Some unique features of the site include a section about global collaboration, illustrating how the company works with their internationally located facilities to ensure quality and transparency, as well as an educational appendix section. In celebration of the website launch, BioAtla is offering visitors the opportunity to register-to-win a free 3G iPad with pre-loaded apps valued at $100. The contest runs through November 30, 2010.

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