Epogen and Aranesp: A court date is set for next November in the copyright suit filed by drug maker Amgen Inc. that alleged Swiss drug maker and competitor Roche copied its anemia drugs Epogen and Aranesp to create a new drug, Mircera. Amgen is asking that the government not allow the drug to be imported to the states. If Amgen loses the case, it could make Mircera a major competitor to Amgen, which has had the anemia treatment market cornered for years. KCBS-KCAL Studio Center Complex: The new CBS affiliate complex opens in March on the back lot of the CBS Studio Center in Studio City. It means lots of jobs are coming from Hollywood, which is good for businesses and eateries nearby. But for neighbors, it could also spell a major headache with all those live trucks coming in and out (through the Colfax Avenue gate?). Another thing: will the studio have a heliport? 3D Films: Two Valley-based firms expected to have 3D films in theaters in 2007. In-Three, located in Agoura Hills, reportedly has used its dimensionalization process on the first “Star Wars” that will be released in May to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the first film in the series. North Hollywood-based 3ality, formerly known as Cobalt Entertainment, worked on a 3D concert movie with rock group U2 slated for release this year. Legends at Cascades: Cascades Park Properties will be opening its 250-acre Sylmar project featuring 634 townhouse condominium units. Models for the project should open by early April and the first of the completed units should be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2007. Legends at Cascades, which will front Balboa Boulevard, will also feature an 18-hole golf course, walking and equestrian trails and a park. “Sylmar as a residential community is being greatly upgraded by our project as well as others going on there,” said Mark Armbruster, who, with Tom Clark, is developing the project. “Instead of first time homeowners going out to Santa Clarita or Newhall or Lancaster, we’re offering a product that is going to be priced well with all these recreational amenities, and I think that is definitely an upgrade to that community.” Prices have not yet been determined for the townhouses. Woodbury University School of Business: Construction is expected to finish this spring on a new, 22,000-square-foot building housing the school of business. The new building will include teleconferencing capabilities, state-of-the-art classrooms and a 250-seat auditorium. Fundraising for the project started this summer. It is hoped that the new facility will help Woodbury gain accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Palmdale Air Service?: The city’s board of airport commissioners is trying once again to get commercial air service at LA/Palmdale Regional Airport starting in 2007. LAWA, the city of Palmdale and Los Angeles County have also pooled money to fund a $2.05 million revenue guarantee agreement to mitigate the business risk an airline faces in entering a new, unproven market. Palmdale, LAWA and other partners are also providing $2.56 million in contributions, including terminal rent abatements, advertising, marketing, promotional support and staff time. Universal City: Expect loads of contentious issues surrounding the $3 billion plan by NBC Universal to remodel its theme park and back lot. A master plan is expected to be released in mid-2007, with city and county approvals as early as fall. (The project won’t break ground until at least spring of 2008.) Glendale Adventist Medical Center: The hospital’s new patient care tower is expected to finish in early 2007. The seven-story facility features additional patient rooms, operating suites, radiology departments and more cardiovascular care. It also doubles the size of the emergency room and adds 33 percent more beds. The tower is the centerpiece of the hospital’s master campus plan. Panorama Place: Following hearings which should take place this summer, Maefield Development will break ground on a 500-unit condominium complex and retail center in a central Panorama City community that has languished since Montgomery Ward closed on the site. Panorama City was the subject of a study about four years ago that sought to revitalize the area by designing a plan for housing, retail and other commercial uses as well as parks and open spaces. Maefield’s development is just what the Urban Design Assistance Team, a volunteer group of architects, historians and planners, had in mind when they set their sites on the area. Web Checks: Though not exactly new, the use of Web checks has been growing dramatically, and, thanks to increased use of Internet shopping, is expected to expand even more in 2007. Camarillo-based Electronic Clearing House Inc. was among the first companies to offer technology and services enabling Internet retailers to accept Web checks, and last year, received a patent for its Internet Based Check Cashing and Clearing services. The company’s services include authorization using its proprietary database as well as processing of payments for the merchant. “It comes down to giving consumers the options,” said Greg Imlay, marketing director of ECHO. “There’s a significant number of people who don’t want to use a credit card or don’t have one.” According to NACHA-The Electronic Payments Association, Web check transactions grew nearly 31 percent to $342 million in the third quarter of 2006 compared to the third quarter of 2005. Transportation: A contract is expected to be awarded for the preliminary engineering and environmental clearance for the extension of the Orange Line busway on Canoga Avenue north to the Metrolink station in Chatsworth.
