As voters queue to fill out ballots on election Tuesday, some voters might notice the lines moving a bit faster, the precincts running more orderly, and as the polls close, vote totals coming earlier than in past elections. They might have new election software to thank for that. EasyVote Solutions, a Wilmington, NC company, has … Continue reading “EasyVote’s Software Promises Smoother Running Elections”
Author: Frank Vinluan
Xconomy Editor Frank Vinluan is a business journalist with experience covering technology and life sciences. Based in Raleigh, he was a staff writer at the Triangle Business Journal covering technology, biotechnology and energy before joining MedCityNews.com as North Carolina bureau chief. Prior to moving to North Carolina’s Research Triangle in 2007 he held business reporting positions at The Des Moines Register and The Seattle Times.
Chimerix Plans $105M Stock Offering to Finance Ebola Drug Trials
Antiviral drug developer Chimerix (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CMRX]]), which recently received the regulatory go-ahead to begin human tests of a potential Ebola drug, is launching a stock offering that could pay for those clinical trials. The Durham, NC company on Wednesday announced plans to sell $105 million in stock, part of a $150 million shelf offering. Chimerix … Continue reading “Chimerix Plans $105M Stock Offering to Finance Ebola Drug Trials”
Viamet Pulls IPO, Raises $60M, Spins Off Cancer Program
Viamet Pharmaceuticals has withdrawn plans for an initial public offering and has instead raised $60 million in private financing to pay for clinical trials of its lead antifungal drug candidate. Along with the Series D round of financing, the Durham, NC, company also said it would also spin out its prostate cancer program to existing … Continue reading “Viamet Pulls IPO, Raises $60M, Spins Off Cancer Program”
BioPontis, Reborn as Nonprofit, Takes On Rare Disease Drugs
Of the more than 7,000 rare diseases that each affect just a sliver of the population, an estimated 95 percent of them have no treatment. The lack of treatments is an economic problem, not a scientific one, says Barbara Handelin, CEO of the BioPontis Alliance for Rare Diseases. Large pharmaceutical companies see little financial gain … Continue reading “BioPontis, Reborn as Nonprofit, Takes On Rare Disease Drugs”
Chimerix Antiviral to Start in Ebola Clinical Trial
Chimerix (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CMRX]]) is cleared to start a clinical trial studying its antiviral drug brincidofovir in patients infected with Ebola. The Durham, NC, company announced today that the Food and Drug Administration gave the green light to test the compound in a Phase 2 trial. Chimerix gave no details on the size of the trial, … Continue reading “Chimerix Antiviral to Start in Ebola Clinical Trial”
Raleigh-Durham Roundup: Targacept, Chimerix, Red Hat, & More
Here are this week’s headlines in North Carolina tech and biotech news: —Targacept’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TRGT]]) decade-long strategic partnership with AstraZeneca (NYSE: [[ticker:AZN]]) is ending with no new drugs to show for it. Winston-Salem, NC-based Targacept quietly disclosed the end of the research and collaboration partnership in a regulatory filing, saying that the British drug giant … Continue reading “Raleigh-Durham Roundup: Targacept, Chimerix, Red Hat, & More”
Orphan Drug From Scioderm Aims to Treat Rare Skin Disease
For children with epidermolysis bullosa, the debate about whether to pull off Band-Aids quickly or peel them back slowly does not apply. From head to toe, special bandages cover skin so fragile that anything but the most slow and careful removal can rip open a wound worse than the one the dressing was protecting. Brett … Continue reading “Orphan Drug From Scioderm Aims to Treat Rare Skin Disease”
Texas Ebola Patient Gets Chimerix Drug, Clinical Trials Planned
Chimerix’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CMRX]]) lead antiviral drug candidate, which has already shown efficacy treating infections in transplant patients, is being called upon as an emergency Ebola treatment even as the company ramps up to test the drug in humans. The Durham, NC company said today its drug brincidofovir has been made available for treating Ebola, in … Continue reading “Texas Ebola Patient Gets Chimerix Drug, Clinical Trials Planned”
ZMapp Ebola Drug Production Set for Texas, Possibly North Carolina
A federal initiative to ensure that the United States can respond to biological threats at home will be put to the test in response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. A Texas site is preparing to manufacture the experimental Ebola drug ZMapp, says Robin Robinson, director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority … Continue reading “ZMapp Ebola Drug Production Set for Texas, Possibly North Carolina”
Raleigh-Durham Roundup: Tengion, IBM, Velocity, & More
Here are this week’s headlines in North Carolina tech and biotech news: —Tengion (OTC: [[ticker:TNGN]]) is looking to use its regenerative medicine technology to secure a possible deal with another company as the Winston-Salem, NC, firm tries to find a way to supplement its dwindling pile of cash. Tengion’s technology, spun out of Wake Forest … Continue reading “Raleigh-Durham Roundup: Tengion, IBM, Velocity, & More”
PPD Acquires Drug Discovery Startup X-Chem
Contract research organization PPD has acquired biotechnology startup X-Chem, buying the remaining shares of the company that it did not already own a little more than a month before its option to acquire that stake expired. Waltham, MA-based X-Chem has a drug discovery platform that includes a proprietary library of compounds, as well as drug … Continue reading “PPD Acquires Drug Discovery Startup X-Chem”
LabCorp to Acquire Diagnostics Firm LipoScience for $85M
LabCorp (NYSE: [[ticker:LH]]) has reached an agreement to acquire LipoScience (NASDAQ: [[ticker:LPDX]]) in an $85 million cash deal that the Burlington, NC, laboratory testing and diagnostics giant says will boost its efforts to offer doctors more specialized tests. For Raleigh, NC-based LipoScience, which has struggled to find market traction since going public last year, the … Continue reading “LabCorp to Acquire Diagnostics Firm LipoScience for $85M”
Cree CEO Tells Illuminating Tale of LED Bulbs, Innovation
Cree’s entry into the consumer LED light bulb market sent waves through a lighting community that knew the Durham, NC, company as a supplier, not a seller of LED lighting components. The announcement last year was also news to a smaller group intimately familiar with Cree (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CREE]])—the company’s employees. Companies often develop new products … Continue reading “Cree CEO Tells Illuminating Tale of LED Bulbs, Innovation”
Are Angel Investors Filling a VC Gap for North Carolina Startups?
Investor purse strings loosened to fund North Carolina companies to the tune of $266 million in the first half of 2014, up more than 31 percent compared to the same period last year, according to a new report. But perhaps more surprising than the dollars are the investment trends suggested by the report. Angel investment … Continue reading “Are Angel Investors Filling a VC Gap for North Carolina Startups?”
Raleigh-Durham Roundup: Liquidia, TrueBridge, Citrix, & More
Here are this week’s headlines in North Carolina tech and biotech news. —Nanotechnology company Liquidia Technologies spun out a second company and at the same time, announced a $10 million Series A round of financing for the new company. Lq3 Pharmaceuticals will focus on oral health, though the new Research Triangle Park, NC, company did … Continue reading “Raleigh-Durham Roundup: Liquidia, TrueBridge, Citrix, & More”
Pappas, Chiesi Venture Fund Joins Ranks of Pharma & VC Partnerships
Art Pappas has overseen his own firm’s venture capital investments for 20 years. Now the veteran life sciences investor is adding on a new role, scoping out investment opportunities for a pharmaceutical company’s new venture fund. Italian pharma Chiesi Group’s recently-launched Chiesi Ventures will focus on investing in companies developing treatments for rare and orphan … Continue reading “Pappas, Chiesi Venture Fund Joins Ranks of Pharma & VC Partnerships”
Cempra Milestone Highlights Experimental Antibiotic’s Potential
Cempra Pharmaceuticals’ (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CEMP]]) efforts to bring patients a next-generation antibiotic that could help address drug-resistant bacteria now has a boost from Japan. The Chapel Hill, NC, company last year licensed Japanese development and commercialization rights for its solithromycin to Toyama Chemical Co. in a deal that could pay up to $60 million in milestones. … Continue reading “Cempra Milestone Highlights Experimental Antibiotic’s Potential”
Tech Startups Take Stage at Wilmington Entrepreneurship Conference
Movie fans know Wilmington, NC, as the shooting location for many popular flicks. The pharmaceutical industry knows Wilmington as the home of contract research organization PPD. But few people realize the coastal city is also a breeding ground for entrepreneurs. The Coastal Connect Entrepreneur and Capital Conference, hosted by the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, drew … Continue reading “Tech Startups Take Stage at Wilmington Entrepreneurship Conference”
Raleigh-Durham Roundup: Sapheon, Cree, Red Hat, & More
Here are this week’s headlines in North Carolina tech and biotech news: —Covidien (NYSE: [[ticker:COV]]) added to its vascular treatments portfolio with the acquisition of Morrisville, NC medical device developer Sapheon. No financial terms were disclosed for the deal. Ireland-based Covidien, which itself is in the process of being acquired by Medtronic (NYSE: [[ticker:MDT]]), says … Continue reading “Raleigh-Durham Roundup: Sapheon, Cree, Red Hat, & More”
BioCryst Ebola Drug Awarded Funding for Tests
An experimental Ebola drug from BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BCRX]]) now has funding for tests in monkeys, a step away from testing the treatment in humans. BioCryst says it expects tests of its experimental Ebola treatment will start “within weeks.” The Durham, NC company says the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) has awarded … Continue reading “BioCryst Ebola Drug Awarded Funding for Tests”
BioKier Takes a Shot at a New Kind of Diabetes Drug
Diabetics know all too well that needle sticks are a routine part of managing their disease. Insulin injections have been part of the diabetes standard of care for decades. And in recent years, a new class of injectable drugs have emerged to help patients regulate their blood sugar levels. Chapel Hill, NC, drug developer BioKier … Continue reading “BioKier Takes a Shot at a New Kind of Diabetes Drug”
North Carolina Roundup: BioCryst, Biotech Center, Validic, & More
Here are this week’s headlines in North Carolina tech and biotech news: —BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BCRX]]) is moving toward Phase 1 clinical trials of its experimental treatment for Ebola and Marburg viruses with $4.1 million in new funding. The money from the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease is the latest award in a … Continue reading “North Carolina Roundup: BioCryst, Biotech Center, Validic, & More”
CellBreaker Kills Termination Fees in Wireless Contracts (and More)
Cell phone users think of switching carriers for all sorts of reasons, such as price or network quality. But Jon Colgan points to just one reason many consumers don’t squeeze the trigger on a switch: early termination fees. Fees that can reach $350 or more keep many consumers using phones they no longer want on … Continue reading “CellBreaker Kills Termination Fees in Wireless Contracts (and More)”
Raleigh-Durham Roundup: Windsor Circle, Salix, CED, & More
Here are this week’s headlines in North Carolina tech and biotech news: —Comcast Ventures, the venture capital arm of cable television giant Comcast, led a $5.25 million financing round for Windsor Circle. Durham, NC-based Windsor Circle has developed customer-retention software for online retailers. The startup says the new financing will help it expand and boost … Continue reading “Raleigh-Durham Roundup: Windsor Circle, Salix, CED, & More”
Novozymes’ BioAg R&D Turns to Microbials to Boost Crop Yields
Before Colin Bletsky’s work took him around the world to talk about agricultural microbials, he was using them himself in the fertile region often called Canada’s breadbasket. Bletsky, now global bioag strategic alliance director for Novozymes, still farms at his Saskatchewan home. It’s too far north for corn or soy, but he uses microbials—beneficial microorganisms … Continue reading “Novozymes’ BioAg R&D Turns to Microbials to Boost Crop Yields”
Raleigh-Durham Roundup: Targacept, Causam Energy, Merz, & Google
Targacept fails another clinical trial and suggests a possible change in course. Meanwhile, Causam Energy announces an acquisition and Merz completes one. Read about these and other headlines in this roundup of North Carolina technology and biotech news. —North Carolina biotech company Targacept (NASDAQ:[[ticker:TRGT]]) is halting work on an experimental drug to treat incontinence after … Continue reading “Raleigh-Durham Roundup: Targacept, Causam Energy, Merz, & Google”
BioCryst Bets on New Ebola Drug to Fight Bioterror, Outbreak Threats
The unfortunate few infected by Ebola learn quickly that the rare disease is a near-certain death sentence. Outbreaks have led to fatality rates up to 90 percent, according to the World Health Organization. Treatment options are limited: no approved vaccines or drugs for treating Ebola exist, the WHO says. As the current virus outbreak continues … Continue reading “BioCryst Bets on New Ebola Drug to Fight Bioterror, Outbreak Threats”
North Carolina Innovation, From Barcodes to Berries
If you’ve made a retail purchase recently, chances are good you used technology developed in Research Triangle Park without even realizing it. The modern day barcode has its origins in the 1970s research of IBM scientists Joseph Woodland and George Laurer. Their work in IBM’s RTP labs was accompanied by the scanning technology to read … Continue reading “North Carolina Innovation, From Barcodes to Berries”