Amgen Tries to “Personalize” Drug, VLST Snags Deal, Tobacco Money Backs Research, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News

a couple of clinical trials in Australia and Germany. All existing investors chose to re-up.

—Xconomy hosted its first event in Seattle, focused on the emerging opportunities to develop vaccines. If you couldn’t make it out on a cold December night, here’s a recap of what panelists Todd Patrick, Steve Reed, Chris Elias, and Denise Galloway had to say.

—ZymoGenetics CEO Bruce Carter, former Targeted Genetics chief Stewart Parker, and Gilead Sciences executive Bruce Montgomery shared some fascinating insights into the secrets of entrepreneurial success this week at a “fireside chat.” Luck, as it turns out, is no small factor.

—Redmond, WA-based Healionics raised $2.6 million from a syndicate of local angel investors. The company, which has its roots in work at the University of Washington, is working on technology to promote healing around implanted medical devices.

Author: Luke Timmerman

Luke is an award-winning journalist specializing in life sciences. He has served as national biotechnology editor for Xconomy and national biotechnology reporter for Bloomberg News. Luke got started covering life sciences at The Seattle Times, where he was the lead reporter on an investigation of doctors who leaked confidential information about clinical trials to investors. The story won the Scripps Howard National Journalism Award and several other national prizes. Luke holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and during the 2005-2006 academic year, he was a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT.