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.

Exclusive: Pathway Medical Technologies To Be Acquired by Bayer’s Medrad Unit for $125M

[Update:8:25 am PT] Pathway Medical Technologies, the Kirkland, WA-based maker of a device that clears out blood vessel blockages in the legs, has agreed to be acquired for $125 million by Medrad, a Warrendale, PA-based medical device unit of Bayer Healthcare, Xconomy has learned. The acquisition hasn’t yet been announced by either company, and the … Continue reading “Exclusive: Pathway Medical Technologies To Be Acquired by Bayer’s Medrad Unit for $125M”

Xconomist of the Week: Tony Coles’ Journey from Mass General Doctor to SF Biotech CEO

Tony Coles was about nine years old when he decided to become a doctor. His father, a government accountant and a minister, told him that medicine and law were great professions. The younger Coles, a fan of math and science, opted for medicine. And even when teachers underestimated him, placing Coles in a math class … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Tony Coles’ Journey from Mass General Doctor to SF Biotech CEO”

Genentech, Plexxikon Cancer Drug Gets FDA OK

Genentech, the South San Francisco-based unit of Roche, and its Berkeley, CA-based Plexxikon, a unit of Daiichi Sankyo, said today that the FDA has approved their new drug for certain patients with melanoma that has spread through the body. The FDA said the companies can now start selling vemurafenib (Zelboraf) for patients who have mutations … Continue reading “Genentech, Plexxikon Cancer Drug Gets FDA OK”

Scientists Spot New Antibodies Against HIV, Opening Up Potential Path to AIDS Vaccine

Scientists have never been able to make an effective AIDS vaccine, largely because the HIV virus is crafty, always finding ways to mutate and escape the body’s immune defenses. But now a national team of scientists has found antibodies that zero in on newly identified weak spots in the virus, potentially opening up promising new … Continue reading “Scientists Spot New Antibodies Against HIV, Opening Up Potential Path to AIDS Vaccine”

Seattle Children’s Gets $2.3M from Gates

Seattle Children’s Hospital said today it has received a two-year, $2.3 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to continue development of its low-cost ventilator for premature infants that need help in order to breathe. More than 1 million infants die every year because of inadequate lung function, and the Children’s device aims … Continue reading “Seattle Children’s Gets $2.3M from Gates”

Computing in the Age of the $1000 Genome: Xconomy to Convene Next Big SF Event Oct. 24

An amazing innovation story has been unfolding the past few years in the field of gene sequencing, which is creating one of today’s biggest computing challenges. New DNA sequencing tools are improving at such a rapid pace that scientists say it will soon be possible to generate the 3-billion-letter signature of an individual’s DNA for … Continue reading “Computing in the Age of the $1000 Genome: Xconomy to Convene Next Big SF Event Oct. 24”

AVI Starts Duchenne Trial

Bothell, WA-based AVI Biopharma (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AVII]]) said today it has started dosing patients in a mid-stage trial of eteplirsen, an experimental RNA-based therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The study is expected to enroll 12 patients at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH. Patients will get once-weekly intravenous infusions of the new drug, or a placebo, … Continue reading “AVI Starts Duchenne Trial”

ZeaChem Teams With Chrysler on Ethanol

ZeaChem, the developer of cellulosic ethanol technology, said today it has agreed on a memorandum of understanding, the first step toward a strategic alliance, with Auburn Hill, MI-based Chrysler Group. Terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed. ZeaChem, which runs an R&D facility in Menlo Park, CA, said one of the goals will be “to strengthen … Continue reading “ZeaChem Teams With Chrysler on Ethanol”

Time to Cure Cancer or Stash Cash Under the Mattress?

If you dared to flip the channel to CNBC any time during the past week, it would have been hard to stay calm. The market was whipsawing all over the place, up one minute, down the next. Fear of government defaults and the potential for another recession were topics of endless debate. Fund managers were … Continue reading “Time to Cure Cancer or Stash Cash Under the Mattress?”

Dendreon’s Blow-Up, Epigenomics Leaves Town, Presage Adds $1.5M, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News

Just when I thought things were going to quiet down in August, and I’d catch up on planning for the fall, all hell broke loose on the Seattle biotech beat. —Seattle-based Dendreon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDN]]), the region’s most valuable biotech company of the past couple years, started last week worth more than $5 billion, and ended … Continue reading “Dendreon’s Blow-Up, Epigenomics Leaves Town, Presage Adds $1.5M, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”

Bydureon FDA Deadline Set

San Diego-based Amylin Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMLN]]), Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]), and Waltham, MA-based Alkermes (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALKS]]) said today that the FDA has set a deadline of Jan. 28 to complete its review of the newly updated application for exenatide once-weekly (Bydureon). The companies are seeking FDA clearance to start marketing the new product as … Continue reading “Bydureon FDA Deadline Set”

Gilead HIV Drug Gets FDA OK

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GILD]]), the world’s largest maker of HIV drugs, said today that the FDA has approved a new once-daily pill the company has developed for patients with HIV. The drug is a combination of three antivirals—emtricitabine/rilpivirine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate—that will be marketed under the name Complera. This is the second once-daily HIV pill from … Continue reading “Gilead HIV Drug Gets FDA OK”

Presage Adds $1.5M

Seattle-based Presage Biosciences, a spinoff from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, has raised $1.6 million out of a new equity financing that could be worth as much as $10.5 over time, according to a regulatory filing. The document doesn’t say who is backing the company, although it says the round includes 20 investors. Presage, … Continue reading “Presage Adds $1.5M”

Second Genome Pockets $5M to Uncover the Secrets of Bugs, Good and Bad, in Your Gut

There are trillions of bacteria living in everyone’s guts, and there’s an incredible diversity and delicate balance of species in there. What’s going on in the genetics of those bugs is mostly a mystery, but now a company, Second Genome, has come along to analyze the genomes of those microorganisms in a new angle on … Continue reading “Second Genome Pockets $5M to Uncover the Secrets of Bugs, Good and Bad, in Your Gut”

Cooley Adds IP Lawyers From Seed

Cooley, the national law firm that serves tech, cleantech, and biotech companies, said today that three new attorneys have joined its Seattle office as partners in its intellectual property practice. Bill Christiansen, Emily Wagner, and Carol Laherty moved over to Cooley from Seed IP, where they represented many of the West Coast’s leading biotech companies.

Dendreon Wounds Are Self-Inflicted, Not the Start of a Biotech Industry Virus

Dendreon has made its share of mistakes before. But last week, the Seattle cancer drug developer achieved the biotech equivalent of fumbling the ball on the 1-yard line with time running out on the clock. The failure was so painful, so shocking, it erased two-thirds of the company’s stock value—about $3 billion. It even started … Continue reading “Dendreon Wounds Are Self-Inflicted, Not the Start of a Biotech Industry Virus”

OncoGenex Drops on Trial Delay

Bothell, WA-based OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OGXI]]) saw its stock tumble $3.25, or more than 26 percent, to $8.90 in mid-day trading today after issuing its quarterly financial update. The company reported yesterday that a pivotal clinical trial of its lead prostate cancer drug candidate, custirsen, has been dogged by slow patient enrollment. OncoGenex said it … Continue reading “OncoGenex Drops on Trial Delay”

Acceleron, Celgene Take Aim at Amgen’s Multibillion-Dollar Anemia Market

Amgen became the biotech industry’s biggest company largely because of a drug it developed in the 1980s for treating anemia. Plenty have tried, and failed, to knock Amgen off that pedestal ever since. But now a deepening alliance between Summit, NJ-based Celgene (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CELG]]) and Cambridge, MA-based Acceleron Pharma is taking one, and possibly two, … Continue reading “Acceleron, Celgene Take Aim at Amgen’s Multibillion-Dollar Anemia Market”

PacBio Hits Goal in Debut Quarter With New DNA Sequencer, Stock Tanks Anyway

[Updated: 8:15 am PT] Pacific Biosciences’ investors could have been excused for chewing on their pencils, waiting for more bad news at the end of a horrible day for stocks. But that would have been overdoing it, as the Menlo Park, CA-based company met expectations in its maiden quarter with its new DNA sequencing instrument. … Continue reading “PacBio Hits Goal in Debut Quarter With New DNA Sequencer, Stock Tanks Anyway”

Complete Genomics Stock Falls on Sales Decline, as Sequencing Gets Cheaper

[Updated: 2:24 pm PT] Complete Genomics picked a bad day to have a bad day. The Mountain View, CA-based company that sequences entire human genomes lost more than one-fourth of its value today after it reported a decline in second-quarter revenue, partly driven by price decreases in its service, and a delay in getting enough … Continue reading “Complete Genomics Stock Falls on Sales Decline, as Sequencing Gets Cheaper”

IDRI Adds Dealmaker

The Seattle-based Infectious Disease Research Institute said today it has hired Erik Iverson, a former associate general counsel for global health at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to fill a newly-created position of executive vice president of business development and external affairs. Iverson will work to create proprietary programs, and form partnerships, to advance … Continue reading “IDRI Adds Dealmaker”

Dendreon Takes Huge Hit, Stock Tanks 60% on Sales Shortfall

Dendreon failed to live up to expectations for its new prostate cancer drug, and now it is facing some brutal consequences. The Seattle-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDN]]) saw its stock plummet about 60 percent in after-hours trading today after it issued a surprisingly bad second-quarter financial report. The loss, if it holds up in tomorrow’s … Continue reading “Dendreon Takes Huge Hit, Stock Tanks 60% on Sales Shortfall”

Dendreon Misses Street Expectations, Plans Layoffs, Backs Away from Bullish Forecast

Dendreon is now more than a year into the product launch of its new prostate cancer drug, and it fell short of investors’ expectations today in a pretty big way. The company is now backing away from its 2011 sales forecast, and says it plans to cut expenses and make layoffs to cope with the … Continue reading “Dendreon Misses Street Expectations, Plans Layoffs, Backs Away from Bullish Forecast”

Amyris Expands Deal With Total

Emeryville, CA-based Amyris (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMRS]]) said today it has expanded a partnership with Brazil-based Total, in which Total will pay for more research and development, and provide capital to acquire and build production facilities for renewable diesel. Amyris made the announcement along with its quarterly earnings report. Amyris said it had a net loss of … Continue reading “Amyris Expands Deal With Total”

Arena Passes Small Study, in Bid to Answer FDA Questions About Obesity Drug

[Updated: 9:50 am ET] San Diego-based Arena Pharmaceuticals faces a lot of questions that need to be answered before it can hope to win FDA clearance to sell its obesity pill. Now the drug developer says it has at least one piece of the puzzle it hopes will satisfy U.S. drug regulators. Arena (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARNA]]) … Continue reading “Arena Passes Small Study, in Bid to Answer FDA Questions About Obesity Drug”

Merck Submits Ariad Drug to EU

Cambridge, MA-based Ariad Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARIA]]) said today that its partner, Merck (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]) has submitted an application to the European Union for clearance to start selling ridaforolimus as a new treatment for sarcomas. Merck plans to submit its application for FDA approval soon, Ariad said. Data on a pivotal clinical trial for the new … Continue reading “Merck Submits Ariad Drug to EU”

What I Learned About Healthcare as a Patient: The Delivery System Has Got to Change

You can read all the books and news stories you want on the U.S. healthcare system, and conclude it’s profoundly messed up. But sometimes there’s nothing so enlightening as first-hand experience. I’ve been thinking about how awful U.S. healthcare is the past couple weeks, based on my latest experience as a patient. It’s made me … Continue reading “What I Learned About Healthcare as a Patient: The Delivery System Has Got to Change”

Merck Shuts Down RNAi Research Center in SF, Cutting 50 Jobs

Merck has decided to close down the RNA interference research facility it obtained through its $1.1 billion acquisition five years ago of San Francisco-based Sirna Therapeutics, the company said late today. About 50 jobs are being eliminated, while about 10 people are being offered transfers to other Merck (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]) facilities on the East Coast … Continue reading “Merck Shuts Down RNAi Research Center in SF, Cutting 50 Jobs”

Codexis To Make Household Cleaners

Redwood City, CA-based Codexis (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CDXS]]), the maker of industrial enzymes from renewable sources, said today it has formed a collaboration with Italy-based Chemtex to develop sustainable alcohols for use in household detergents. The companies said they plan to develop new detergent alcohols from cellulosic biomass sources, in hopes of taking a piece of the … Continue reading “Codexis To Make Household Cleaners”

Vertex Smashes Wall Street Sales Expectations In Hepatitis C Drug Debut

Vertex Pharmaceuticals is off to a running start in the marketplace with its brand new hepatitis C drug. The Cambridge, MA-based company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]) said today that it generated $74.5 million in sales of telaprevir (Incivek) in the quarter that ended June 30. That’s an especially big number as far as new pharmaceutical rollouts go—Wall … Continue reading “Vertex Smashes Wall Street Sales Expectations In Hepatitis C Drug Debut”

Bydureon Sent Back to FDA

San Diego-based Amylin Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMLN]]), Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]), and Waltham, MA-based Alkermes (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALKS]]) said today that they have re-submitted an application to the FDA, for clearance to start marketing exenatide once-weekly (Bydureon) as a new treatment for diabetes in the U.S. The agency turned down an earlier application, asking the companies … Continue reading “Bydureon Sent Back to FDA”

PacBio, Following Fast Behind Rivals, Seeks Answers for Germany’s E.Coli Outbreak

Scary headlines about the E.coli outbreak in Germany have faded, but scientists are still looking to learn about the DNA sequence of this new bacterial invader, and how it evolved to become deadly. Super-cheap, superfast sequencing has made it easier than ever to dig into these kinds of questions, and today, researchers will have an … Continue reading “PacBio, Following Fast Behind Rivals, Seeks Answers for Germany’s E.Coli Outbreak”

Trius Strikes Antibiotic Deal With Bayer, Pockets $25M

San Diego-based Trius Therapeutics, the developer of a new antibiotic, said today it has secured its first big commercial partnership to market the experimental drug around the world. Trius (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TSRX]]) said today that it has provided an exclusive license to Germany-based Bayer to develop and market torezolid phosphate in China, Japan, Africa, Latin America, … Continue reading “Trius Strikes Antibiotic Deal With Bayer, Pockets $25M”

Illumina Sales Climb 36%, Profits Flat

San Diego-based Illumina (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ILMN]]), the market-leading maker of gene sequencing instruments, said today that its sales climbed 36 percent, to $287.5 million, in the quarter that ended June 30. The company turned a profit of $30.6 million in the quarter, a 2.7 percent increase compared with the $29.8 million profit in the same period … Continue reading “Illumina Sales Climb 36%, Profits Flat”

Bristol-Myers Acquires Amira Pharmaceuticals for $325 Million, Scoops Up Lung Drug

The people in San Diego who discovered a multi-billion dollar asthma drug for Merck have captured the attention of Big Pharma once again. Amira Pharmaceuticals, a privately held company in San Diego, has agreed to be acquired by New York-based Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]) for $325 million in cash upfront, plus additional milestone payments of … Continue reading “Bristol-Myers Acquires Amira Pharmaceuticals for $325 Million, Scoops Up Lung Drug”

SeaGen Passes FDA Panel, Ken Stuart’s Journey to Seattle Biomed, the Latest M&A Obsession, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News

This was the week Seattle Genetics passed an important milestone on its way to bringing its first product to the U.S. market. —Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]) won unanimous endorsement from an FDA advisory panel for its new drug for rare lymphomas, brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris). The FDA’s committee of cancer drug experts voted 10-0 in favor … Continue reading “SeaGen Passes FDA Panel, Ken Stuart’s Journey to Seattle Biomed, the Latest M&A Obsession, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”

Biogen Idec Moving HQ Back to Cambridge, Constructing Two New Buildings at Kendall Square

Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) has confirmed what the biotech community has been buzzing about for a couple months—it is moving its headquarters back to Cambridge, MA. The company is now planning to build two new buildings in Cambridge to house 530 employees who will move from the current headquarters in Weston, MA, according to a … Continue reading “Biogen Idec Moving HQ Back to Cambridge, Constructing Two New Buildings at Kendall Square”

Ken Stuart, the Working Class Kid Who Built a Global Health Hotspot at Seattle Biomed

One of Seattle’s leading scientific entrepreneurs grew up in a working-class home in which neither parent went to college. Ken Stuart‘s family didn’t have enough money to send him to one of the many universities in his hometown of Boston. When he graduated high school, he had no idea what would come next. “I wasn’t … Continue reading “Ken Stuart, the Working Class Kid Who Built a Global Health Hotspot at Seattle Biomed”

Ensemble Therapeutics Builds Super-Sized Library of Mid-Sized Drugs

The pharmaceutical business tends to split into a couple of camps: Either molecules ought to be small, or large. But some interesting work these days is happening in the middle, where Cambridge, MA-based Ensemble Therapeutics has been carving out its niche. Ensemble has been toiling away since 2004, based on work in David Liu’s lab … Continue reading “Ensemble Therapeutics Builds Super-Sized Library of Mid-Sized Drugs”

LS9, HCL Clean Tech Snag $9M Grant

South San Francisco-based LS9, the developer of renewable fuel technology, said today it has awarded a $9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, along with its partner, Oxford, NC-based HCL Clean Tech. The money will be used to convert cellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars and then diesel and other chemical products, LS9 said. … Continue reading “LS9, HCL Clean Tech Snag $9M Grant”

Stop the M&A Obsession: Biotech Needs More Companies to Stay Independent

Given what investment bankers did to the financial system just a couple years ago, it surprises me how many people still accept what they have to say at face value. But quite a few people in biotech are still lapping up all sorts of short-sighted, destructive advice from the financial powers that be. The latest … Continue reading “Stop the M&A Obsession: Biotech Needs More Companies to Stay Independent”

Seattle Genetics Lymphoma Drug Gets Second Green Light from FDA Panel

Seattle Genetics batted a clean 2-for-2 today in its appearances in front of an FDA advisory committee. The FDA’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 10-0 to recommend that Seattle Genetics’ brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris), be cleared for sale as a new treatment in the U.S. for anaplastic large cell lymphoma. That decisive vote came after a … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics Lymphoma Drug Gets Second Green Light from FDA Panel”

Seattle Genetics Wins Unanimous OK for Lymphoma Drug from FDA Panel

Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]) passed its first big test with an FDA advisory panel today with flying colors. An FDA panel of cancer drug experts recommended in a 10-0 vote that the company’s drug for Hodgkin’s lymphoma should be cleared for sale in the U.S. The vote came this morning by the FDA’s Oncologic Drugs … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics Wins Unanimous OK for Lymphoma Drug from FDA Panel”