Yesterday we told you that Boston Scientific (NYSE: [[ticker:BSX]]) had got its new family of advanced pacemakers approved for sale in Europe, but that these were not available in the United States. Well, that has changed overnight. Today the Natick, MA, medical device company announced that the FDA have followed in the footsteps of the … Continue reading “New Approval for Boston Scientific—Europe Sets the Pace for FDA”
Author: Erik Mellgren
Erik Mellgren is a Swedish journalist who worked for Xconomy Boston in 2008 as part of the Stanford Innovation Journalism Fellowship program. He is a 26-year veteran of Ny Teknik, a leading technology and innovation magazine in Sweden.
Boston Scientific Picks Up the Pace
Boston Scientific of Natick, MA, will start selling a new line of advanced pacemakers in the European Union. The company announced today that the devices have received the CE Mark of approval from European regulators. The pacemakers, which are intended for patients whose hearts beat too slowly, are not yet approved in the United States.
Mobile Marketing: Who’s on First, What’s on Second, and I Don’t Know What’s on the Third Screen
If you still think that e-mail and Internet are things you get on your computer, then you’re probably my age. Or maybe half my age. I got a taste of the new generation gap yesterday at Boston’s Mobile Monday event, when an audience member pointed out that for people younger than himself, the mobile phone—the … Continue reading “Mobile Marketing: Who’s on First, What’s on Second, and I Don’t Know What’s on the Third Screen”
Let the Epic Curing Begin: Epix and Curis Earn Milestone Payments
Two Boston-area biotech companies have reached clinical milestones that will earn them a total of $10.5 million from their industry partners. Epix Pharmaceuticals of Lexington, MA, announced today that it has begun phase 2b clinical trials of its new drug for treating Alzheimer’s disease. This key step will earn the firm $7.5 million from its … Continue reading “Let the Epic Curing Begin: Epix and Curis Earn Milestone Payments”
Take Two Blueberry Jelly Beans and Call Me in the Morning: Cambridge Biotech’s Best and Brightest on Show (or Not)
I went to the Museum of Science yesterday, to see “Cambridge’s premier companies show-off their latest research and products, revealing what makes them world leaders in science!” At least, that was what the program for the city’s ongoing science festival touted. Evidently, though, just three companies reckon themselves to be among the city’s best and … Continue reading “Take Two Blueberry Jelly Beans and Call Me in the Morning: Cambridge Biotech’s Best and Brightest on Show (or Not)”
Heavyweight Hydrogen Takes $37 Million Prize for Concert Pharmaceuticals
Concert Pharmaceuticals may have found a way to help established drug substances pack a better punch. By substituting a few normal hydrogen atoms with the heavier form, deuterium, the company believes it is possible to create new chemical entities with greater efficacy and fewer side effects. And since these entities are based on proven drugs, … Continue reading “Heavyweight Hydrogen Takes $37 Million Prize for Concert Pharmaceuticals”
Constellation Off to a Stellar $32 Million Start, Helmed (For Now) By Ex Millennium Boss
Constellation Pharmaceuticals, a new drug-discovery company based in Cambridge, MA, today announced that it has raised $32 million in Series A financing. One of the lead investors in the deal is Boston’s Third Rock Ventures, which was launched last year by former Millennium boss Mark Levin. The Newbury Street firm is focusing on early stage … Continue reading “Constellation Off to a Stellar $32 Million Start, Helmed (For Now) By Ex Millennium Boss”
Ambient Charged Up by $3 Million
Ambient of Newton, MA, develops technology that makes it possible to use the existing electric power grid as a lightning-fast broadband network. The company today announced that it has secured $3 million in new financing from Vicis Capital Master Fund. One application of Ambient’s technology is automated reading of electricity meters and similar equipment by … Continue reading “Ambient Charged Up by $3 Million”
$25 Million Raised for Bargain Shopping
Retail Convergence, an e-commerce corporation based in Boston, today announced it has raised $25 Million from a number of investors, including New England Development, Breakaway Ventures, Mugar Enterprises, and General Catalyst. The newly formed corporation owns two online bargain retailers, both with headquarters in Boston: SmartBargains and RueLaLa. The latter, which launched just two weeks … Continue reading “$25 Million Raised for Bargain Shopping”
ZS Genetics Enters Race for Genomics X Prize
A gang of outsiders just arrived in town. Yesterday, at a conference in San Diego, ZS Genetics announced that it is the seventh team to be accepted into the race for the $10 million Archon X Prize for Genomics. “We have been thinking about this for a while and started talking to the X Prize … Continue reading “ZS Genetics Enters Race for Genomics X Prize”
Resolvyx gets $25 Million in Financing to Turn Fish-Oil Science into New Drugs
Back in November, David Stipp wrote about how Resolvyx Pharmaceuticals of Bedford, MA, is aiming to turn the science of fish oil into treatments for a host of inflammatory diseases, from rheumatoid arthritis to dry eyes. Today, the company announced that is has received $25 million in new financing from both existing and new investors, … Continue reading “Resolvyx gets $25 Million in Financing to Turn Fish-Oil Science into New Drugs”
Cambria Pharmaceuticals Reaps $5.4M Financing
Cambria Pharmaceuticals of Woburn, MA, has received $5.4 in a Series A round joined by Biogen Idec New Ventures, CommonAngels, and several individual investors, the company announced today. Cambria aims to find new treatments for neurological disorders, especially ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
With New Machine, Helicos Brings Personal Genome Sequencing A Step Closer
In the future, your doctor might map your whole genome as a routine diagnostic test. Helicos BioSciences, a five-year-old biotech company in Cambridge, MA, has set out to make that happen in the not-too-distant future—by developing an extremely powerful gene-sequencing technology. The instrument is the size of a refrigerator. A 3,000-pound refrigerator, built on a … Continue reading “With New Machine, Helicos Brings Personal Genome Sequencing A Step Closer”
Alnylam Joint Venture Regulus Inks Deal with GSK Worth up to $600 Million
Last year Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]) of Cambridge, MA, joined forces with Isis Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ISIS]]) in Carlsbad, CA, to form a new affiliate, Regulus Therapeutics. All three companies are doing research on new different types of RNA-based drugs. Today the giant British pharma company GlaxoSmithKline and Regulus announced a new alliance. They will work … Continue reading “Alnylam Joint Venture Regulus Inks Deal with GSK Worth up to $600 Million”
Radius Health is Betting on a Better Treatment for Osteoporosis
Radius Health, a biotech company in Cambridge, MA, has a lot hanging on its clinical trial of a new treatment for osteoporosis. Two weeks ago all the patients were enrolled in the study of the drug, which actually helps bones grow stronger again, rather than just slowing down their decay. As Xconomy has reported, passing … Continue reading “Radius Health is Betting on a Better Treatment for Osteoporosis”
$50 Million Serono Expansion to Create 100 New Massachusetts Jobs
The pharmaceutical company EMD Serono today announced that it is investing $50 million in building a new research center in Billerica, MA. Construction will begin early next year. When the center is ready in 2010 it will house 200 scientists doing research in cancer and fertility as well as in medicinal chemistry and protein engineering. … Continue reading “$50 Million Serono Expansion to Create 100 New Massachusetts Jobs”
Codon Devices to Engineer Protein Drug for Merrimack Pharmaceuticals
Two local biotech companies have joined forces to develop a new protein drug. The agreement, between Codon Devices and Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, both of Cambridge, MA, was made public today. Merrimack focuses on cancer and autoimmune disease. It has one drug already in clinical trials for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and the eye disease uveitis. … Continue reading “Codon Devices to Engineer Protein Drug for Merrimack Pharmaceuticals”
TouchStone Software Sold for $18 Million
Phoenix Technologies of Milpitas, CA, said today that it will acquire TouchStone Software, the North Andover, MA-based maker of tools for diagnosing and updating Windows personal computers. Touchstone stockholders will get $1.48 for each share, making the total value of the deal roughly $18 million. TouchStone’s core product is a yearly service that gives customers … Continue reading “TouchStone Software Sold for $18 Million”
Explosives Detection Company Gets $20 Million
Reveal Imaging, a Bedford, MA-based maker of explosives detection devices, said Tuesday that it has collected $20.3 million from a group of investors led by BBH Capital Partners III. The fund, managed by Brown Brothers Harriman of New York, put up $18.75 million, while the rest of the new money came from Reveal’s existing investors, … Continue reading “Explosives Detection Company Gets $20 Million”
New England Private Equity Fundraising Way Up—but Venture Capital Segment Down
New England’s private equity firms raised nearly $7 billion during the first quarter of 2008, more than twice the amount raised in the same period of 2007. That’s far stronger growth than in the nation as a whole. The bad news for entrepreneurs trying to get startups off the ground is that the trend is … Continue reading “New England Private Equity Fundraising Way Up—but Venture Capital Segment Down”
American Ambassador Promotes Swedish Cleantech Firms to New England Investors
The U.S. ambassador to Sweden, Michael Wood, wants American investors to put their money into Swedish cleantech. This week he presented his case to New England investors and venture capital firms. “During my two years as ambassador, I have been emphasizing cooperation between Sweden and the U.S.A. in cleantech. I call this my one big … Continue reading “American Ambassador Promotes Swedish Cleantech Firms to New England Investors”
No Patent Reform: Court Blocks New Patent Rules
Last summer, the US Patent Office issued a package of new rules for patent applications. On Monday, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia decided to permanently block the changes. The reactions from patent lawyers are mainly upbeat. “We are still dancing—it came out yesterday and we thought it was a cruel … Continue reading “No Patent Reform: Court Blocks New Patent Rules”
New England’s Cyber Economy Growing, Even as Manufacturing Shrinks
New England’s high-tech economy netted 7,600 jobs in 2006, as all six states in the region gained over the previous year. But the growth nowadays comes mainly from software and engineering services, as tech manufacturing jobs become harder to find. These were some of the major trends contained in Cyberstates 2008, a report released today … Continue reading “New England’s Cyber Economy Growing, Even as Manufacturing Shrinks”