We’ve seen some big executive moves, funding announcements, and strategy updates at New England area life sciences firms this week.
—A blog post revealed Partners HealthCare chief information officer John Glaser would be living his role to become CEO of the hospital software division of Siemens, who confirmed the report later Monday afternoon. The news comes less than a week after Ryan chronicled his interview with Glaser. Glaser will be taking the position previously held by Janet Dillione, who left Siemens to head up Burlington, MA-based Nuance’s healthcare software unit.
—Ryan wrote about Tesaro, a Waltham, MA-based company out to buy cancer therapies still in development and bring them to market, which scored a $20 million Series A venture round in May. The cash comes from the company’s founders and New Enterprise Associates, whose general partner David Mott was formerly CEO of MedImmune, a firm purchased by AstraZeneca for $15.6 billion three years ago.
—Cambridge, MA-based BIND Biosciences raised $12.4 million in Series C funding, which included backing from Endeavour Vision. Arch Venture Partners, DHK Investments, Flagship Ventures, NanoDimension, and Polaris Venture Partners returned for the third round for BIND. The company is making treatments using drug-carrying nanoparticles whose outer surfaces are studded with molecules that target specific cells in the body. The newest cash will go to a Phase 1 clinical trial for BIND’s nanoparticle drug for treating solid tumors, which is loaded with a chemotherapy drug called docetaxel.
—Boston venture firm SV Life Sciences announced it had raised $523 million for its Fund V, which will target companies in the therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics, healthcare services, and health IT spaces. The SV fund is the second-largest healthcare-focused fund to close in 2010, following OrbiMed Advisors’ $550 million fund, and will makes investments between of $5 million and $35 million.
—Ryan wrote about how Keas, a San Francisco startup with Boston roots, has revamped its business plan to bring in more cash. Boston-area tech veteran George Kassabgi and
