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.

Plexxikon, Roche Drug Extends Lives in Patients With Deadly Skin Cancer

Good news just crossed the wire from one of the Bay Area’s emerging cancer drug developers. Berkeley, CA-based Plexxikon said its experimental drug for a deadly form of skin cancer met its goal of helping keep tumors from spreading, and helping patients live longer, when compared directly to standard chemotherapy. Plexxikon, which is developing PLX4032 … Continue reading “Plexxikon, Roche Drug Extends Lives in Patients With Deadly Skin Cancer”

Theraclone Strikes $632M Deal With Pfizer to Discover Antibodies for Cancer, Infections

[Correction: 6:38 pm] Theraclone Sciences just got a very big break. The Seattle-based biotech company has enticed Pfizer, the world’s largest drugmaker, to pay as much as $632 million over time for the right to co-develop antibody drugs based on Theraclone’s technology. Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]) is getting access to the Theraclone technology to hunt for … Continue reading “Theraclone Strikes $632M Deal With Pfizer to Discover Antibodies for Cancer, Infections”

Ironwood, One of the Big Boys Now, Strikes Deal With Tiny Protagonist Therapeutics

Ironwood Pharmaceuticals has shown it is one of those rare biotechs that can take a new drug all the way through clinical trials, and entice investors to buy into an IPO in an economic downturn. Now the Cambridge, MA-based company is flexing its new muscle to not just discover its own drugs, but also to … Continue reading “Ironwood, One of the Big Boys Now, Strikes Deal With Tiny Protagonist Therapeutics”

Arzeda Hits Milestone in Pioneer Deal

Arzeda, the Seattle-based company that creates new enzymes, said it has reached a technical milestone as part of collaboration with DuPont’s Pioneer Hi-Bred business unit. Arzeda, a University of Washington spinoff from the lab of biochemist David Baker, has developed a novel enzyme that Pioneer says is “showing activity toward a trait of interest” in … Continue reading “Arzeda Hits Milestone in Pioneer Deal”

Cheezburger, With Dreams of Domination in Internet Humor, Grabs $30M From Foundry Group, Madrona, Avalon, SoftBank

Cheezburger became a viral Internet success story on little more than the moxie of its founders and a shoestring budget. But now it has opted to take big-time venture capital to pursue its dream to become a much bigger, more lucrative empire for humor on the Internet. The Seattle-based company that runs a network of … Continue reading “Cheezburger, With Dreams of Domination in Internet Humor, Grabs $30M From Foundry Group, Madrona, Avalon, SoftBank”

Ekos Wins European Approval for Ultrasound Clot Buster in the Lungs

Ekos, the Bothell, WA-based maker of an ultrasound-based technology for dissolving blood clots, has won approval to market its device against life threatening clots in the lungs among patients in Europe. The Ekosonic system, which we wrote about in these pages a year ago, has won approval from regulators in the European Union as a … Continue reading “Ekos Wins European Approval for Ultrasound Clot Buster in the Lungs”

Sanford-Burnham Strikes Deal With J&J, Second Big Pharma Alliance in a Month

The Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute has struck its second big deal with a Big Pharma company in the past month. The San Diego-based nonprofit is announcing today it has formed a new collaboration with Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a unit of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: [[ticker:JNJ]]), to discover new drugs for Alzheimer’s disease and major psychiatric disorders. … Continue reading “Sanford-Burnham Strikes Deal With J&J, Second Big Pharma Alliance in a Month”

Seattle Genetics Gets Some Love on National TV, as Cancer Drug Nears Market

One emerging biotech company in Seattle gets a lot of national attention, and it isn’t Seattle Genetics. So while the regional drama king (Dendreon) grabbed headlines again today by raising $540 million, the lesser known folks at Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]) took their turn in the limelight this week, in an appearance on CNBC. The … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics Gets Some Love on National TV, as Cancer Drug Nears Market”

Scenes from JP Morgan 2011: The Photo Gallery

The marathon biotech schmoozefest known as the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference is officially over, and I’ll say two things first off. Wow, it was fun. And wow, I’m glad to be home. Xconomy’s bookkeeper will surely get a chuckle out of what my Amex card says about my activity this week in San Francisco’s Union … Continue reading “Scenes from JP Morgan 2011: The Photo Gallery”

Dendreon Rakes in $540M to Seize Opportunity for Provenge in U.S., Europe

Seattle-based Dendreon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDN]]) said today it has pulled in $540 million in new capital, through a debt offering that can be converted into stock. Dendreon, the maker of an immune-boosting therapy for prostate cancer, will have to pay back the debt, plus about 2.9 percent interest, by January 2016, although the debt can be … Continue reading “Dendreon Rakes in $540M to Seize Opportunity for Provenge in U.S., Europe”

Dendreon Seeks $500M Debt Deal

Dendreon, the Seattle-based maker of an immune-boosting therapy for prostate cancer, said today it plans to raise $500 million in a convertible debt financing. The company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDN]]) said it  plans to use the money to seek approval of sipuleucel-T (Provenge) in Europe, build a factory in Europe, continue investing in its U.S. manufacturing plants, … Continue reading “Dendreon Seeks $500M Debt Deal”

San Diego’s Quest to Fight the “Diabesity” Epidemic, Coming Jan. 27

California may have more than its share of fit and healthy people when you look at the public health stats, but it’s also ground zero for the fight against the closely related lifestyle epidemics that threaten to bankrupt our healthcare system—diabetes and obesity. Many of the most innovative ideas for fighting these conditions are emerging … Continue reading “San Diego’s Quest to Fight the “Diabesity” Epidemic, Coming Jan. 27″

Dendreon’s European Plan, Williams Heads East, Allozyne Passes Clinical Trial, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News

Biotech leaders from around the country gathered this week at San Francisco’s Union Square, and it sure seemed like folks had a little more spring in their step than they did a year ago at this same get-together. We’ll just have to see whether the hope translates into good actions in the year ahead. —Seattle-based … Continue reading “Dendreon’s European Plan, Williams Heads East, Allozyne Passes Clinical Trial, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”

State Awards Global Health Grants

Washington state has awarded its two grants to support global health technologies. SIGN, a nonprofit in Richland, WA, and Israel-based CircMedTech each received grants worth $150,000 from the state’s new Global Health Technologies Competitiveness Fund. SIGN, which was profiled by Xconomy in September 2008, has developed technology to help doctors in developing countries properly fix … Continue reading “State Awards Global Health Grants”

615 Human Genomes? Another Cheap, Fast Sequencing Machine? Complete Genomics, Illumina Steal Show at Healthcare Meeting

Most of the major life sciences reporters in the U.S. are gathered this week in San Francisco, so you know what that means—most of us missed the big story. While pretty much everyone here at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference—me included—was listening and learning about the latest hot new drug or device, the real news … Continue reading “615 Human Genomes? Another Cheap, Fast Sequencing Machine? Complete Genomics, Illumina Steal Show at Healthcare Meeting”

NextWave Pharma Snaps Up $45M

NextWave Pharmaceuticals has raised some big bucks to support making new drugs for cardiovascular disease and neurological conditions. The Cupertino, CA-based drug developer said today it has raised $45 million in a Series C financing. The investment was co-led by Panorama Capital and Bay City Capital, and included Kearny Venture Partners, Aisling Capital, Fidelity Biosciences, … Continue reading “NextWave Pharma Snaps Up $45M”

Rib-X Raises Another $20M, Led by Warburg Pincus, to Develop Late Stage Antibiotics

New Haven, CT-based Rib-X Pharmaceuticals has rounded up another sizable investment to carry out its antibiotic R&D. The company said today it has raised $20 million in a financing led by Warburg Pincus, the giant private equity firm. Rib-X didn’t say in its statement who else invested, or whether it represents debt or equity financing. … Continue reading “Rib-X Raises Another $20M, Led by Warburg Pincus, to Develop Late Stage Antibiotics”

PHP Fog Raises $1.8M

Portland, OR-based PHP Fog said today it has raised $1.8 million from Madrona Venture Group, First Round Capital, Founder’s Co-op, and other prominent angel investors. The company, founded by developer Lucas Carlson, was established a year ago to make it easier to deploy and scale up applications of PHP, the popular programming language, via cloud … Continue reading “PHP Fog Raises $1.8M”

Bayer Nuzzles Up Even Closer to UCSF, Strikes 10-Year Master R&D Agreement

Bayer said last year it was moving into San Francisco’s Mission Bay district to be close to the big biology brains at UCSF, and now the German pharmaceutical giant is taking another step to weave itself into the local life sciences cluster by striking a 10-year master R&D agreement with the university. The agreement establishes … Continue reading “Bayer Nuzzles Up Even Closer to UCSF, Strikes 10-Year Master R&D Agreement”

Epizyme Nabs $650M Deal With Glaxo To Hunt for Epigenetic Drugs

Cambridge, MA-based Epizyme has found its first big partner to help support its work in hunting for new drugs based on the emerging science around epigenetics. Epizyme said today it has formed a new alliance with pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline. The deal calls for the big company to pay a $20 million upfront fee, plus research … Continue reading “Epizyme Nabs $650M Deal With Glaxo To Hunt for Epigenetic Drugs”

Allozyne Passes First Clinical Trial, Dreams Big About a Once-Monthly Multiple Sclerosis Drug

Allozyne can’t be accused of thinking too small. The Seattle-based startup, after taking a hard look at its first clinical trial, is daring to push ahead with a frontal attack on the world’s largest maker of multiple sclerosis drugs, Weston, MA-based Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]). The challenger’s experimental treatment, a long-lasting injection for multiple sclerosis, … Continue reading “Allozyne Passes First Clinical Trial, Dreams Big About a Once-Monthly Multiple Sclerosis Drug”

On-Q-ity Strikes Deal With LabCorp To Help Researchers Spot Rare Tumor Cells

On-Q-ity is betting that it can help improve cancer research and treatment by spotting the rarest of tumor cells circulating in the blood. Now the startup’s technology has found an important new benefactor in Laboratory Corporation of America (NYSE: [[ticker:LH]]). Waltham, MA-based On-Q-ity is announcing today it has formed a strategic alliance with LabCorp in … Continue reading “On-Q-ity Strikes Deal With LabCorp To Help Researchers Spot Rare Tumor Cells”

See You at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference

Techies gathered last week for the annual show-and-tell/schmoozefest known as the Consumer Electronics Show. Now it’s the biotechies turn to have their big conference of the year. The madhouse known as the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference officially starts today, for the 29th year, at San Francisco’s Union Square. I’m here as always, looking forward to … Continue reading “See You at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference”

23andMe Adds $9M to VC Round

23andMe, the Mountain View, CA-based maker of consumer-oriented genetic tests, said today it has raised another $9 million to top off its Series C venture round at a total of $31 million. MPM Capital joined the investment round, and MPM’s Ashley Ledbetter Dombkowski is joining the company’s board in connection with the financing. 23andMe said … Continue reading “23andMe Adds $9M to VC Round”

Sutro Strikes Deal With Pfizer

Sutro Biopharma, the South San Francisco-based developer of biotech drugs, said today it has formed a multi-year partnership with Pfizer to develop peptide-based treatments. Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, although it involves an upfront cash payment, ongoing research support, milestone payments for success in development, and royalties on future product sales. We wrote … Continue reading “Sutro Strikes Deal With Pfizer”

Emerald Expands UCB Alliance

Emerald BioStructures, a biotech research firm on Bainbridge Island, WA, said today it has achieved the second milestone in a collaboration with Belgium-based UCB. The milestone, in which Emerald and UCB were able to identify new drug candidates to interact with some undisclosed protein structures, prompted the two sides to expand their collaboration, Emerald said. … Continue reading “Emerald Expands UCB Alliance”

Infinity Says Cash Stretches to 2014

Infinity Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:INFI]]) said today in its financial forecast that the company has enough cash on hand, and committed research funding, to run its R&D operation into 2014. The Cambridge, MA-based developer of cancer drugs said it enters this year with $345 million in committed capital, which includes slightly more than $100 million of … Continue reading “Infinity Says Cash Stretches to 2014”

Dendreon Plans to Go It Alone in Europe, Build Provenge Factory in Germany

Dendreon took a big leap ahead last year when its new immune-boosting therapy for prostate cancer hit the U.S. market. Now in 2011, it is mapping out plans to take this new mode of treatment into the European Union for the first time. The Seattle-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDN]]) said today that it plans to … Continue reading “Dendreon Plans to Go It Alone in Europe, Build Provenge Factory in Germany”

E-Commerce Pioneer Sets Up Cancer Commons, Affymax Hires New Boss, Plexxikon Opts In, & More Bay Area Life Sciences News

The biotech year doesn’t really start until the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference gets underway in San Francisco next week, but there were a few small news items that hit this week. See you next week in Union Square. —Affymax (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AFFY]]), the Palo Alto, CA-based developer of an experimental anemia drug, said it has hired … Continue reading “E-Commerce Pioneer Sets Up Cancer Commons, Affymax Hires New Boss, Plexxikon Opts In, & More Bay Area Life Sciences News”

Affymax Hires New CEO, Former Genentecher, to Complete FDA Push With Anemia Drug

Affymax (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AFFY]]), the Palo Alto, CA-based developer of an experimental anemia drug, said today it has hired John Orwin as its new CEO, to replace Arlene Morris. Orwin was formerly the senior vice president of marketing and sales for Genentech before he joined Affymax last April as president and chief operating officer. Morris, who … Continue reading “Affymax Hires New CEO, Former Genentecher, to Complete FDA Push With Anemia Drug”

SAP Cuts Deal With Intellectual Ventures

Intellectual Ventures, the Bellevue, WA-based invention and patent licensing firm, said today it has reached an agreement in which it has granted SAP a long-term license to the IV patent portfolio for “defensive use.” Germany-based SAP (NYSE: [[ticker:SAP]]) is one of the world’s largest software companies, specializing in business applications. The deal essentially provides SAP … Continue reading “SAP Cuts Deal With Intellectual Ventures”

Allon Starts Trial for Brain Disease

Allon Therapeutics, a Vancouver, BC-based developer of drugs for neurological disorders, said today it has started enrolling patients in a pivotal clinical trial of its lead drug candidate. The trial will look at whether Allon’s davunetide offers any benefit for patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare and deadly brain disease. Allon has also … Continue reading “Allon Starts Trial for Brain Disease”

Plexxikon Opts to Co-Promote with Genentech

Berkeley, CA-based Plexxikon, the developer of a novel treatment for a deadly skin cancer, said today it has exercised its right to co-promote the drug in the U.S. with Genentech, the South San Francisco-based unit of Roche. This means that Plexxikon plans to set up its own specialty sales force to help pitch PLX4032, a … Continue reading “Plexxikon Opts to Co-Promote with Genentech”

Seattle Genetics Gets $8M From Pfizer

Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]) said today it has licensed its technology for making “empowered antibodies” to Pfizer, the world’s largest drugmaker. Seattle Genetics will receive an $8 million upfront payment, could get more than $200 million in milestone payments, and stands to collect royalties if Pfizer can develop a product. In exchange for the cash, … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics Gets $8M From Pfizer”

Biogen Idec’s New R&D Boss, Doug Williams, Spurns Corner Office for a Return to Big Science

Doug Williams spent more than 20 years working his way up from bench scientist to CEO, and long after reaching the top, a realization hit. What he wanted most was to go back to his true passion—getting his hands dirty in a big and strong R&D organization with potential to create new drugs. “Having done … Continue reading “Biogen Idec’s New R&D Boss, Doug Williams, Spurns Corner Office for a Return to Big Science”

The Immunex Alumni, Hood Wins Russ Prize, Williams Grabs Biogen Gig, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News

‘Twas the week before JP Morgan and all through the house…OK you get the idea. Not much biotech news was stirring this week as everybody is prepping for the big industry confab next week in San Francisco. I’ll be reporting there as always. —We rang in the New Year on the biotech desk with a … Continue reading “The Immunex Alumni, Hood Wins Russ Prize, Williams Grabs Biogen Gig, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”

Biogen Idec Nabs Doug Williams as R&D Head, Steve Holtzman as BD Chief To Fill Out Management Team

Biogen Idec, after a long search, has found a new scientist to spearhead its R&D group—Doug Williams, the former CEO of Seattle-based ZymoGenetics. The Weston, MA-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]), the world’s largest maker of multiple sclerosis drugs, also added another heavy hitter from the Boston biotech scene to its management team—Steve Holtzman, the former … Continue reading “Biogen Idec Nabs Doug Williams as R&D Head, Steve Holtzman as BD Chief To Fill Out Management Team”

Omeros Gets Drugs for Bleeding

Omeros (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OMER]]), the Seattle-based biotech company, said today it has obtained an exclusive license from the University of California to a series of new drug candidates for controlling traumatic bleeding and surgical bleeding. The compounds, which are known as antifibrinolytic agents, are supposed to be safer than Bayer’s aprotinin (Trasylol), which was withdrawn from … Continue reading “Omeros Gets Drugs for Bleeding”

Oren Etzioni, Leading UW Computer Scientist and Entrepreneur, Comments on “Cyber Stalking” Suit

Oren Etzioni, the Internet search expert at the University of Washington and founder of Farecast, has been sued by a Seattle attorney who accuses him of cyber stalking in connection with a divorce case, according to a report by The Seattle Times. Etzioni sent a series of anonymous e-mails to attorney Mabry DeBuys, who represented … Continue reading “Oren Etzioni, Leading UW Computer Scientist and Entrepreneur, Comments on “Cyber Stalking” Suit”

AVI Partners With Karolinska

AVI Biopharma (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AVII]]), the Bothell, WA-based developer of RNA-targeted therapies, said today it has formed a collaboration with leading scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden to find new treatments for extensively drug resistant forms of tuberculosis known as XDR-TB. Funding and research support is provided by both parties, and intellectual property resulting from … Continue reading “AVI Partners With Karolinska”

Zafgen Weight Loss Drug Shows Promise in First Human Test

People working on new drugs for obesity had a pretty crummy 2010 on the whole, but now an intriguing startup in Cambridge, MA, called Zafgen is starting the new year with a bang. Zafgen is announcing today that its experimental weight loss drug for severe obesity was well-tolerated, and able to help people lose about … Continue reading “Zafgen Weight Loss Drug Shows Promise in First Human Test”

Genentech Licenses AMRI Compounds

AMRI (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMRI]]), the Albany, NY-based pharmaceutical service provider, said today that biotech giant Genentech has taken a license to a number of drug candidates AMRI has derived from natural product sources. Genentech, the South San Francisco-based unit of Roche, will get exclusive rights to develop multiple antibacterial product candidates, which an AMRI spokeswoman says … Continue reading “Genentech Licenses AMRI Compounds”

Skytap, Fresh Off Boston-Led $10M Financing, Seeks to Make Cloud Computing Work Better

[Update: 3:45 pm] Turn on a TV, and you’ll see Microsoft running commercials touting something few men on the street know much about—cloud computing. So if the concept is starting to go mainstream, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that one of Seattle’s early movers in the space, Skytap, has already made some serious headway … Continue reading “Skytap, Fresh Off Boston-Led $10M Financing, Seeks to Make Cloud Computing Work Better”

Xoma Nabs $35M Upfront Deal

Xoma (NASDAQ: [[ticker:XOMA]]), the Berkeley, CA-based developer of targeted antibody drugs, said today it will receive a $35 million upfront fee from France-based Les Laboratories Servier for the right to co-develop a new anti-inflammation treatment. Xoma could receive as much as $470 million in milestone payments through the partnership, and a “mid-teens” percentage cut of … Continue reading “Xoma Nabs $35M Upfront Deal”