William A. Burga, former president of the Ohio AFL-CIO, penned an article at Cincinnati.com on the emergence of bioscience as the industry that deserves the most attention from state and federal legislators.

The RISE to the Top: David Siteman Garland interviews Mark Suster, general partner at GRP Partners.
In this interview, they discuss:

The ins and outs of raising money
The basics of venture capital
Mistakes startups make
How entrepreneurship has changed …

The Ohio Third Frontier Commission today recommended more than $4.9 million in funding through the Ohio Third Frontier Biomedical Program. The companies receiving awards are expected to leverage nearly $11 million of additional investment in Ohio. The awards are contingent upon State Controlling Board approval.

Akebia Therapeutics, Inc., a pharmaceutical discovery and development company focused on anemia and vascular disorders, has successfully completed a phase 1b study for AKB-6548 in healthy volunteers. Akebia also announced it has completed the second tranche of the Series A $16 million financing round announced in July 2009.