The folks at Redmond, WA-based Mobisante have what entrepreneurs sometimes call a “high-class problem.” The startup is getting more attention for its ultrasound-on-a-smartphone product than it really wants in its infancy. Mobisante, a startup founded in 2007, started turning heads back in February, after Xconomy reported that it was the first company to win FDA … Continue reading “Mobisante Sees Early Demand for Ultrasound on a Smartphone, Before It’s Really Ready to Roll”
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.
Genomics 2.0: Ten Years After the Bubble, it’s Getting Really Interesting Again
What do 10,000 people with autism, 50,000 people in some remote islands in the North Atlantic, and 1,000 healthy old folks in southern California have in common? They are on the front edge of one of the most exciting stories in science today, and their contributions will have a huge impact on our long-term understanding … Continue reading “Genomics 2.0: Ten Years After the Bubble, it’s Getting Really Interesting Again”
Sofinnova Ventures Defies the Grim Mood, Raises $440M For Biotech-Only VC Fund
Talk to biotech VCs, and you’ll hear a lot of moaning about how tough the FDA has become, how grim the IPO markets are, and how hard it is get insurers to pay for new products. Nobody in this club can brag about backing investment supernovas like Facebook or Zynga. But none of that has … Continue reading “Sofinnova Ventures Defies the Grim Mood, Raises $440M For Biotech-Only VC Fund”
Where Big DNA Meets Big IT: Computing in the Age of the $1,000 Genome
It takes a lot of revenue to move the needle for multi-billion organizations. That’s partly why you haven’t seen them pay much attention to a field devoted to open-source technologies, like computing for genomics. But that’s changing in a hurry, as one market research firm said it expects bioinformatics to grow at a 25 percent … Continue reading “Where Big DNA Meets Big IT: Computing in the Age of the $1,000 Genome”
Pathway Medical’s Future in Seattle Uncertain as Bayer’s Medrad Lets Lease Option Expire
Pathway Medical Technologies, the Kirkland, WA-based medical device company acquired in August for $125 million by Bayer’s Medrad unit, is sending signs that it may soon be leaving the Northwest. Pathway currently has a lease on a 50,000 square foot facility, with room for its 170 employees, in Kirkland. Pathway’s lease on the building extends … Continue reading “Pathway Medical’s Future in Seattle Uncertain as Bayer’s Medrad Lets Lease Option Expire”
Patricia Beckmann, Co-Inventor of Enbrel, to Join “The Immunex Impact” Dec. 1
Patricia Beckmann has covered lots of bases in biotech—science, venture capital, entrepreneurship, and state officialdom. But once an Immunoid, always an Immunoid. So I’m excited to have her join Xconomy as one of the speakers at our next big Seattle life sciences event, “The Immunex Impact,” on Dec. 1. For those who may have lost … Continue reading “Patricia Beckmann, Co-Inventor of Enbrel, to Join “The Immunex Impact” Dec. 1″
Amgen Mulls R&D Cuts, Thong Le Named WBBA Chairman, NanoString’s Version 2.0, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
The Seattle biotech community got an energetic new leader this week, but there was also some more grim news about budget cuts coming at one of the biggest local life sciences employers. —Amgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]), the Thousand Oaks, CA-based biotech giant, is looking to “improve focus” and “re-allocate resources” in its $2.9 billion R&D budget, … Continue reading “Amgen Mulls R&D Cuts, Thong Le Named WBBA Chairman, NanoString’s Version 2.0, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Amgen Looking to Improve Focus and “Re-allocate Resources” for R&D, Say More Oct. 24
Amgen, the world’s largest biotechnology company, just sent a signal to its staff that cuts could be coming soon to its R&D operations. Amgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]) is based in Thousand Oaks, CA, and has R&D operations in Seattle, South San Francisco, and Cambridge, MA. News of potential cuts to Amgen’s R&D operations were reported earlier … Continue reading “Amgen Looking to Improve Focus and “Re-allocate Resources” for R&D, Say More Oct. 24″
NanoString Rolls Out Souped-Up DNA Analysis Instrument at Genetics Confab
[Update: 7:45 am Pacific 10/13] NanoString Technologies has spent much of the last year talking about its foray into diagnostic applications for its basic genetic analysis tool, but today it’s talking to researchers simply about getting some more oomph out of the machine. Seattle-based NanoString said today, in an announcement at the International Congress of … Continue reading “NanoString Rolls Out Souped-Up DNA Analysis Instrument at Genetics Confab”
Pfizer, deCode Genetics Strike Deal To Look For New Lupus Drug Targets
Companies like Pfizer that constantly need to develop new drugs never got much return on the investment in genomics a decade ago. But Pfizer is showing some renewed interest in genomics through a partnership being announced today with deCODE Genetics, the Iceland-based genomics company. deCODE, a 15-year-old operation which Arch Venture Partners and Polaris Venture … Continue reading “Pfizer, deCode Genetics Strike Deal To Look For New Lupus Drug Targets”
How Will Your Doctor Use Your Genome? Ask Our Panel Oct. 24
When you can sequence an entire human genome for less than $5,000, and the price is diving fast to $1,000, what kinds of questions will your doctor be able to ask about you? Once all the DNA sequences get generated, and software companies start figuring out better ways to analyze/interpret/visualize all the data, then the … Continue reading “How Will Your Doctor Use Your Genome? Ask Our Panel Oct. 24”
Onyx Gets $160M in Settlement With Bayer for Cancer Drug, Royalty Stream on Next Treatment
Onyx Pharmaceuticals has snapped up a $160 million upfront payment as part of a legal settlement with Bayer, its longtime partner. South San Francisco-based Onyx (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ONXX]]) said today it has restructured its partnership with Bayer for the marketing of their existing drug sorafenib (Nexavar) for kidney and liver cancers, while striking a new agreement … Continue reading “Onyx Gets $160M in Settlement With Bayer for Cancer Drug, Royalty Stream on Next Treatment”
UCSF Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann “Shapes an Empire,” Says NYT
Susan Desmond-Hellmann joked to me a couple weeks back in an interview about how UCSF doesn’t quite have the national profile it deserves, partly because it doesn’t have a football team. But this week, at least, UCSF got some major national attention, as the UCSF chancellor got a lot of ink in the New York … Continue reading “UCSF Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann “Shapes an Empire,” Says NYT”
The Genetics Institute Impact: Join Mark Ptashne, Tom Maniatis & Gabe Schmergel on Dec. 14
Quite a few people study genetics in Boston. But there was—and can only be—one true “Genetics Institute.” Even though 15 years have gone by since the company was swallowed up in a corporate merger, the people who made “GI” one of the biotech industry’s pioneers in the ’80s are still making waves throughout the Boston biotech … Continue reading “The Genetics Institute Impact: Join Mark Ptashne, Tom Maniatis & Gabe Schmergel on Dec. 14”
Cleave Biosciences Nabs $42M, Veteran Execs, to Chase Personalized Cancer Therapies
Some big money is being put behind big names at a new biotech company called Cleave Biosciences. The company in Burlingame, CA, founded in the summer of 2010, is emerging from stealth mode today with a $42 million Series A financing from US Venture Partners, 5AM Ventures, Clarus Ventures, OrbiMed Advisors, and Astellas Venture Management. … Continue reading “Cleave Biosciences Nabs $42M, Veteran Execs, to Chase Personalized Cancer Therapies”
Qliance Medical Names Erika Bliss New CEO
Seattle-based Qliance Medical Management, the company Jeff Bezos, Michael Dell and Drew Carey have supported to deliver primary care medical services in a new way, has shuffled around its executive team. Erika Bliss, one of the primary care physicians who founded Qliance in 2006, has been promoted to become president and CEO, while co-founder Norm … Continue reading “Qliance Medical Names Erika Bliss New CEO”
Five Things Industry Can Do to Support True FDA Reform, and Restore Public Confidence
The FDA is one of the easiest punching bags in American politics. Depending on your point of view, it’s either too hard on business with its unreasonable demands, or too soft on those predatory drug companies seeking to profit off Grandma’s illness regardless of whether the products are safe. When it does its job well, … Continue reading “Five Things Industry Can Do to Support True FDA Reform, and Restore Public Confidence”
Report: Tolerx Folds Its Tent, After $150M in Investment and a Failed Diabetes Drug Trial
Tolerx, a once promising Boston biotech with a novel drug in development for diabetes, has reached the end of the road. The Cambridge, MA-based company is winding down operations, according to a report today in FierceBiotech. The company, which raised more than $150 million in a decade in business, hit the rocks back in March … Continue reading “Report: Tolerx Folds Its Tent, After $150M in Investment and a Failed Diabetes Drug Trial”
Illumina Stock Dives on Weak Quarterly Sales Report
Illumina shareholders are having a rough day today. The San Diego-based maker of genome sequencing tools (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ILMN]]) fell $12.85 a share, or 32 percent, to $27.08 at 11:45 am Eastern time today. The drop came after Illumina released a dismal third-quarter sales report, in which it reported $235 million in revenue on an unaudited … Continue reading “Illumina Stock Dives on Weak Quarterly Sales Report”
When Will Software for the Genome Take Off? Find out Oct. 24
Illumina CEO Jay Flatley memorably called the bioinformatics industry “road kill” in an interview with Xconomy about 18 months ago. But have new opportunities started to emerge for genomic software startups now that scientists are really, Really, Really! crying out for better software to manage the data deluge? After all, isn’t the genomic data going … Continue reading “When Will Software for the Genome Take Off? Find out Oct. 24”
Thong Le Named New Chairman of WBBA, Replacing Tom Clement
Thong Le, the well-wired venture investor at Seattle-based WRF Capital, is stepping up to become chairman of the Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association, the state’s trade organization that represents biotech and medical device companies. Le will formally replace medical device entrepreneur Tom Clement in the volunteer chairmanship at the WBBA’s annual meeting, which coincides with … Continue reading “Thong Le Named New Chairman of WBBA, Replacing Tom Clement”
Light Sciences Stumbles, Cardiac Dimensions Gets EU OK, Immune Design Pockets $11M, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
This week had a smattering of pretty significant updates from companies that tend to (try anyway) to keep a pretty low profile. —Seattle-based Immune Design, the developer of vaccine technology, said it has pulled in another $11 million through the second tranche of its previously announced Series B venture financing. The company is backed by … Continue reading “Light Sciences Stumbles, Cardiac Dimensions Gets EU OK, Immune Design Pockets $11M, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Immune Design Rakes In Another $11M From Prior VC Round
Seattle-based Immune Design has quietly pulled in another $11 million in venture capital. That new cash represents the second installment of a Series B financing that the company announced last July, when it was said to be worth as much as $32 million total. Immune Design, the developer of new vaccine technology, disclosed the new … Continue reading “Immune Design Rakes In Another $11M From Prior VC Round”
Tweetchat on RNA Interference Upstages iPhone (Not Really, but It Was Still Fun)
Who says you can’t be smart, witty, or say anything of substance in 140 characters or less? Alnylam Pharmaceuticals CEO John Maraganore had a zinger ready yesterday as Apple’s dog-and-pony show was happening during the first Xconomy “Tweetchat,” on the latest ups and downs in RNA interference. “RNAi vs iPhone, RNAi better for patients” is … Continue reading “Tweetchat on RNA Interference Upstages iPhone (Not Really, but It Was Still Fun)”
Agios Pulls in $20M From Celgene, Under Extended Cancer Metabolism Partnership
Cambridge, MA-based Agios Pharmaceuticals struck a lucrative partnership with Celgene last year that just got more lucrative. Agios, the developer of drugs that seek to starve tumors to death by blocking metabolic pathways they rely on, said today it has extended its exclusive partnership with Summit, NJ-based Celgene (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CELG]]) from three years to four, … Continue reading “Agios Pulls in $20M From Celgene, Under Extended Cancer Metabolism Partnership”
FDA, After Taking Heat, Offers Up Reforms to Support Pharma, Biotech & Device Innovation
The FDA has spent decades talking about how its job is to make sure all kinds of U.S. medical products are safe to use, and effective. Now it’s coming out with a new strategic outline on how it intends to do all that same stuff, while also spurring the development of more innovative drugs and … Continue reading “FDA, After Taking Heat, Offers Up Reforms to Support Pharma, Biotech & Device Innovation”
Marina Biotech Ends Bothell Lease on Nasal Spray Building, Coughs up Shares to Landlord
Marina Biotech, the developer of RNA interference drugs, has been running low on cash for a while, and now it has found a way to send less cash every month to its landlord. The Bothell, WA-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MRNA]]) said today in a regulatory filing that it has terminated the lease on its lab … Continue reading “Marina Biotech Ends Bothell Lease on Nasal Spray Building, Coughs up Shares to Landlord”
Light Sciences Oncology Stumbles in Clinical Trial, Layoffs Loom
Light Sciences Oncology, the Bellevue, WA-based developer of an unusual drug/device combo treatment for cancer, has failed in a pivotal clinical trial and is preparing to make deep cuts, including layoffs, Xconomy has learned from sources familiar with the situation. The privately-held company has raised well over $130 million since its founding in 1995, from … Continue reading “Light Sciences Oncology Stumbles in Clinical Trial, Layoffs Loom”
Join Us at 1 pm Eastern/10 am Pacific for RNAi “Tweetchat” with Alnylam’s John Maraganore
Here’s just a quick reminder that we’re doing the live Tweetchat today with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals CEO John Maraganore. This chat, which anyone with a Twitter account is free to join, will be held today at 1 pm Eastern/10 am Pacific. The best way to follow the questions and answers will be to follow the live … Continue reading “Join Us at 1 pm Eastern/10 am Pacific for RNAi “Tweetchat” with Alnylam’s John Maraganore”
Complete Genomics, Scripps To Sequence 1,000 Old Folks’ Genomes to Find Secret to Long Life
Nobody a year ago could have realistically imagined sequencing 1,000 genomes of old, healthy people just to see what might be their secret to long and healthy life. But Mountain View, CA-based Complete Genomics and the Scripps Health system in San Diego are looking to take advantage of the advances in super-fast, super-cheap sequencing to … Continue reading “Complete Genomics, Scripps To Sequence 1,000 Old Folks’ Genomes to Find Secret to Long Life”
Sangamo Fails Diabetic Neuropathy Study, Falls Back on HIV, Other Programs
Sangamo Biosciences’ lead drug candidate has flunked its biggest test yet in clinical trials, and the company said this morning that it’s time to move on to other programs. The Richmond, CA-based company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGMO]]) said today that SB-509 failed in a study of 170 patients that randomly assigned patients with diabetic neuropathy to a … Continue reading “Sangamo Fails Diabetic Neuropathy Study, Falls Back on HIV, Other Programs”
Why Universities Are Key to the Future of Biotech, and How UCSF’s Chief is Showing the Way
These are hard times at universities in America. State support is dwindling, tuition is booming, and federal research dollars are in jeopardy. Morale has taken a beating. But U.S. academic research centers are still the driving force for innovative new medicines, like always. And anyone who cares about U.S. universities should pay attention to what’s … Continue reading “Why Universities Are Key to the Future of Biotech, and How UCSF’s Chief is Showing the Way”
Geron Names Chip Scarlett, Former Proteolix, Tercica Boss, as New CEO
Geron has found a new CEO as it moves ahead in the new world of clinical trials with embryonic stem cells. Menlo Park, CA-based Geron (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GERN]]) said that biotech veteran John “Chip” Scarlett has been named the company’s new CEO and member of the board. Scarlett, an endocrinologist by training, is best known for … Continue reading “Geron Names Chip Scarlett, Former Proteolix, Tercica Boss, as New CEO”
Genomic Health Wins Medicare Coverage for High-Priced Colon Cancer Test
Health insurers usually aren’t wild about paying big bucks for diagnostic tests, and things probably won’t get easier for diagnostic companies as Medicare’s budget comes under increasing pressure. But Redwood City, CA-based Genomic Health has found a way to persuade that very big insurer that its test for predicting the risk of colon cancer recurrence … Continue reading “Genomic Health Wins Medicare Coverage for High-Priced Colon Cancer Test”
Cardiac Dimensions Wins EU Approval for Heart Failure Device, Aims for Market in 2012
Kirkland, WA-based Cardiac Dimensions, after 10 years of developing a new device to tighten up leaky heart valves in heart failure patients, is now ready to roll with its first product approved for sale in Europe. Cardiac Dimensions said today it has been granted permission by European Union regulators to start selling its Carillon Mitral … Continue reading “Cardiac Dimensions Wins EU Approval for Heart Failure Device, Aims for Market in 2012”
3Tier Cuts Deal With Bloomberg to Bring Wind Energy Tool to Wall Street
Seattle-based 3Tier, the company that uses supercomputers to map the best spots in the world for setting up solar and wind energy projects, has found a way to put its tool in front of a lot more people with money to bankroll the work. 3Tier said today it has formed a partnership with Bloomberg New … Continue reading “3Tier Cuts Deal With Bloomberg to Bring Wind Energy Tool to Wall Street”
Knome Moves Beyond the Mega-Rich With Genome Analysis Service
There just aren’t that many rich people who want to do scientifically adventurous things like fly in outer space or get their entire genomes sequenced. Fortunately for Cambridge, MA-based Knome, it has found a way to keep its genomic analysis business alive by doing something more than appealing to the curiosity, or vanity, of the … Continue reading “Knome Moves Beyond the Mega-Rich With Genome Analysis Service”
UW Scores $40M for Biofuels, Cocrystal’s Fight Against HepC, The Women’s Biotech Network, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
We had an unusual mix of headlines this week on RNA interference, biofuels, and a quiet little startup in Bothell with Icos pedigree. —There weren’t any major life science company financings to report this week, but the state’s academic centers had something to crow about with $80 million in new federal grants going to the … Continue reading “UW Scores $40M for Biofuels, Cocrystal’s Fight Against HepC, The Women’s Biotech Network, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
UW, WSU Get $80M Federal Grants to Spur Biofuels Industry
We have a lot of biomass here in the Northwest (i.e., trees) and a lot of smart scientists at the University of Washington and Washington State University. Now the federal government is kicking in some money to see what the Northwest can do to combine the biomass and the brain mass to produce the kind … Continue reading “UW, WSU Get $80M Federal Grants to Spur Biofuels Industry”
Onyx Turns in FDA Application for Second Cancer Drug
Onyx Pharmaceuticals was delayed a bit in its quest to start selling another cancer drug in the U.S., but now it has gotten its application together and hit the ball into the FDA’s court. South San Francisco-based Onyx Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ONXX]]) said today it has turned in its application to start selling carfilzomib in the … Continue reading “Onyx Turns in FDA Application for Second Cancer Drug”
Join Us for a Live ‘Tweetchat’ on the Future of RNAi, With Guest John Maraganore of Alnylam
Usually when I want to chat with someone, I still pick up that 19th century contraption called the telephone or sometimes meet in person. Each of those communications methods has its merits, but you can bring a lot more voices to a conversation through a real-time chat like the ones happening now on Twitter. So … Continue reading “Join Us for a Live ‘Tweetchat’ on the Future of RNAi, With Guest John Maraganore of Alnylam”
Siluria Pockets $20M For Making Cleaner Plastics, Fuels
San Francisco-based Siluria Technologies has raised another $20 million to build on its early lab work, in turning one of the most abundant substances on the planet into a renewable resource for making plastics, fuels, and specialty chemicals. Siluria said today it has raised $20 million in a Series B financing led by The Wellcome … Continue reading “Siluria Pockets $20M For Making Cleaner Plastics, Fuels”
Complete Genomics, PacBio CEOs to Lead Off “Computing in the Age of the $1K Genome” Oct. 24
Complete Genomics and PacBio are two of the companies pumping out huge volumes of DNA data that needs to be kept on computers somewhere. So I figured it would be cool to get the leaders of both companies to sit down and talk about what they are doing to deal with one of their big … Continue reading “Complete Genomics, PacBio CEOs to Lead Off “Computing in the Age of the $1K Genome” Oct. 24″
AdverseEvents.com Seeks to Keep Track of Drug Side Effects the Way the FDA Never Could
Some powerful people in the pharmaceutical industry would like to see Brian Overstreet and his startup fall flat. Big pharma companies, on a few occasions, have told him to stop his spiel immediately, because they were afraid they could be put in a legally and ethically dubious position by hearing one more word. When I … Continue reading “AdverseEvents.com Seeks to Keep Track of Drug Side Effects the Way the FDA Never Could”
Elevation Pharma Pulls in $17M to Advance Lung Drug Trial
San Diego-based Elevation Pharmaceuticals made headlines when it raised $30 million in January 2010, but it actually needed to hit some clinical goals to get all the money. Now it has hit one of those goals, and has earned the right to push further with a new aerosol drug for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Elevation … Continue reading “Elevation Pharma Pulls in $17M to Advance Lung Drug Trial”
200 Women and 5 Men: How Women in Bio’s Network Could Close the Gender Gap
Women have come a long way in the biotech business the past couple decades, no doubt. But if you have any illusions that the industry is nearing gender balance in 2011, then you haven’t seen what I witnessed a few days ago in a hotel lobby in Seattle. The gender balance issue jumped out at … Continue reading “200 Women and 5 Men: How Women in Bio’s Network Could Close the Gender Gap”
Genentech, ImmunoGen’s Souped-Up Antibody for Breast Cancer Passes Key Test
The evidence is mounting to prove the point that Genentech’s scientists have been trying to make for years—that a souped-up version of its top-selling antibody drug for breast cancer can be more effective in some cases than the original. Genentech, the South San Francisco-based unit of Roche, and its partner, Waltham, MA-based ImmunoGen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IMGN]]), … Continue reading “Genentech, ImmunoGen’s Souped-Up Antibody for Breast Cancer Passes Key Test”
Ambrx Grabs $24M Upfront in New Diabetes, Heart Failure Research Deal With Bristol-Myers
There’s lots of interest in the protein drug engineering crowd to come up with new-and-improved forms of biotech drugs, and today we’re seeing another example in a new partnership between San Diego-based Ambrx, and New York-based Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]). Under the deal, Ambrx said today it will get $24 million upfront, plus undisclosed milestone … Continue reading “Ambrx Grabs $24M Upfront in New Diabetes, Heart Failure Research Deal With Bristol-Myers”
Cocrystal, Led by Icos Vets and Stanford Nobelist, Hunts for Next Big Thing for Hepatitis C
One of the older tricks in biotech is to sign up a Nobel Laureate as a scientific advisor, and hope some of his or her credibility impresses investors. Never mind if the renowned scientist only shows up for a company meeting a couple times a year. But Gary Wilcox, the CEO of Cocrystal Discovery, didn’t … Continue reading “Cocrystal, Led by Icos Vets and Stanford Nobelist, Hunts for Next Big Thing for Hepatitis C”
Eleven Biotherapeutics Dials Up New CEO, Primes Lead Eye Drug for Clinic Next Year
There’s a running joke at Cambridge, MA-based Eleven Biotherapeutics. It shouldn’t be a surprise, since the company draws inspiration for its name from the 1984 rock mockumentary “This is Spinal Tap” in which one of the dim-witted members of the band cranks up the amplifier to 11, because that’s louder than 10. At Eleven Biotherapeutics … Continue reading “Eleven Biotherapeutics Dials Up New CEO, Primes Lead Eye Drug for Clinic Next Year”