Amplyx Pharmaceuticals, a San Diego-based drug developer, has raised an initial round of $1.5 million in financing. The investors included Golden Seeds, Life Science Angels, and Tech Coast Angels. The company, led by CEO Elaine Heron, is developing technology to improve existing drugs by controlling their concentration and time they hit their targets, according to … Continue reading “Amplyx Pharma Nabs $1.5M”
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.
Dendreon Hires Roche Sales Boss
Dendreon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDN]]), the Seattle-based developer of an immune-stimulating drug for prostate cancer, said today it has hired Varun Nanda to be its senior vice president of commercial operations. Nanda was formerly the senior vice president and head of global oncology for Roche, the world’s largest maker of cancer drugs, with hits like rituximab (Rituxan), … Continue reading “Dendreon Hires Roche Sales Boss”
San Diego Life Sciences 2030 Photo Gallery
NEXT IMAGE >> The sun was just starting to set during the first 30 minutes or so of lively networking before the program began at Biogen Idec’s campus in San Diego. From left to right, that’s Oanh Dang, Deborah Jondall, and Nancy Davis. photo by Bob Buderi
San Diego Life Sciences 2030, in Pictures
It’s hard to believe, but eight days have zipped by since we held the big Xconomy event on the 20-year outlook for life sciences in San Diego. Sure, I already wrote up a little summary of what our great panel of speakers had to say at this event, but I admit I have been a … Continue reading “San Diego Life Sciences 2030, in Pictures”
Sage Bionetworks On a Roll, Allon’s Foray into Alzheimer’s, Frazier Bets on Antibiotics, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
The Seattle biotech scene had a smattering of blurbs this week from a few of the lesser-known names. But at least one local organization is clearly starting to emerge. —Sage Bionetworks, the Seattle-based nonprofit seeking to spark an open source movement for biology, secured a $5 million grant from the state’s Life Sciences Discovery Fund. … Continue reading “Sage Bionetworks On a Roll, Allon’s Foray into Alzheimer’s, Frazier Bets on Antibiotics, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Fate Therapeutics Expands its Stem Cell Empire Into Canada
The Fate Therapeutics mini-empire already extends from coast to coast, and now it’s expanding northward. The San Diego-based developer of stem cell technologies has agreed to acquire Ottawa, Canada-based Verio Therapeutics to grab a few more bright minds, and some clever techniques for developing drugs that spark the body to regenerate damaged tissue. Financial terms … Continue reading “Fate Therapeutics Expands its Stem Cell Empire Into Canada”
Frazier, Arch Join $56M Antibiotic Deal
[Correction: 8:30 am Pacific, 4/7/10] Seattle-based Frazier Healthcare Ventures is leading a $56 million Series C venture investment in San Francisco-based Achaogen, a developer of new antibiotics that fight multi-drug resistant infections. Alta Partners also participated in the financing, along with existing investors Arch Venture Partners, 5AM Ventures, Domain Associates, Venrock Associates, Versant Ventures, and … Continue reading “Frazier, Arch Join $56M Antibiotic Deal”
Illumina CEO Jay Flatley on the Future of Genomics, Part 2
Yesterday, we ran the first installment of a wide-ranging interview with Illumina CEO Jay Flatley. He talked a bit about some of the major competitors he sees emerging in the fast-paced world of gene sequencing, and how he hopes San Diego-based Illumina (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ILMN]]) can maintain an innovative edge, even as it grows into a … Continue reading “Illumina CEO Jay Flatley on the Future of Genomics, Part 2”
Sage Bionetworks, UW, Fred Hutch Secure $15M Grants from State Life Sciences Fund
Sage Bionetworks, it can now be said unequivocally, is on fire. The Seattle-based nonprofit that aims to spark an open-source movement for biology, has secured one of three $5 million grants that were announced this afternoon by the state’s Life Sciences Discovery Fund. The state’s biotech fund, which suffered a deep round of budget cuts … Continue reading “Sage Bionetworks, UW, Fred Hutch Secure $15M Grants from State Life Sciences Fund”
Stratos Genomics Adds Roche Vet
Stratos Genomics, the Seattle-based developer of low-cost gene sequencing technology, said today it has has added Heiner Dreismann, the former CEO of Roche Molecular Diagnostics, to its board of directors. Dreismann, 57, is known for pushing for wide adoption of polymerase chain reaction technology as a basic research tool in the 1990s. Dreismann said in … Continue reading “Stratos Genomics Adds Roche Vet”
Illumina CEO Jay Flatley on How to Keep an Edge in the Fast-Paced World of Gene Sequencing
San Diego-based Illumina (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ILMN]]) is without a doubt one of the bigger success stories in biotech of the past decade. It makes biological research tools that significantly boost the efficiency of high-speed gene sequencing, instruments that spot subtle variations in long stretches of DNA, and products that analyze important ways in which genes can … Continue reading “Illumina CEO Jay Flatley on How to Keep an Edge in the Fast-Paced World of Gene Sequencing”
Allon Treads Into the Great Unknown, Alzheimer’s Disease, With New Kind of Drug
It must take real guts, or maybe hubris, to try to do what Allon Therapeutics is attempting. This Vancouver, BC-based biotech company has designed a drug that is made to work unlike anything else on the market against some of the world’s major neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s. Scientists don’t really know what causes Alzheimer’s, and … Continue reading “Allon Treads Into the Great Unknown, Alzheimer’s Disease, With New Kind of Drug”
Kineta Nabs $600K NIH Grant
Kineta, the Seattle-based developer of treatments for autoimmune diseases, said it has received a two-year, $600,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to do work that could enable clinical trials of a new drug for Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases. Kineta said it plans to start clinical trials on the … Continue reading “Kineta Nabs $600K NIH Grant”
MDRNA Gets Research Deal With Pfizer
MDRNA (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MRNA]]), the Bothell, WA-based developer of RNA interference therapies, said today it has formed a research agreement with Pfizer. MDRNA will be responsible for taking oligonucleotides from Pfizer, and formulating them in amino acid packages that MDRNA has developed for RNA interference. The smaller company will also be asked to design and synthesize … Continue reading “MDRNA Gets Research Deal With Pfizer”
Selecta Biosciences, a Bob Langer Creation, Raises $15M For Nanoparticle Vaccines
Boston’s prolific bioengineering professor, Bob Langer, is at it again. Selecta Biosciences, the Watertown, MA-based vaccine developer with ties to the Langer lab at MIT, has raised another $15 million in venture capital to make nanoparticles that it says are the key ingredients in a new generation of more effective vaccines. Selecta collected the cash, … Continue reading “Selecta Biosciences, a Bob Langer Creation, Raises $15M For Nanoparticle Vaccines”
The Great iPad Debate Begins, Hookit Taps Growing Market, Four Under the Radar Deals, & More San Diego BizTech News
This week’s tech news was dominated by a certain new device from Apple, but we found quite a few other things to write about on the San Diego tech scene. —Our in-house gadgetphile, Wade Roush, previewed the market introduction of Apple’s iPad with a survey of Xconomy readers, and followed it up with a story … Continue reading “The Great iPad Debate Begins, Hookit Taps Growing Market, Four Under the Radar Deals, & More San Diego BizTech News”
San Diego Biotech in 2030: A Center for Stem Cells, Genomics, Software, Neuroscience
The image of the double helix has captivated the public imagination for a long time. But biotechnology today actually requires what you might call a triple helix of money, people, and ideas, according to John Mendlein, the chairman of San Diego-based Fate Therapeutics. All three ingredients were in one place Wednesday night for Xconomy’s event … Continue reading “San Diego Biotech in 2030: A Center for Stem Cells, Genomics, Software, Neuroscience”
Isis Snags Glaxo Deal, Orexigen Heads to FDA, Cyntellect Pockets $3M & More San Diego Area Life Sciences News
This week I traveled here for Xconomy’s big event on the 20-year future for San Diego’s life sciences cluster. My wrap-up on that event is probably going to have to wait until Friday, but there was plenty of other news from San Diego biotech to keep the site buzzing. —Carlsbad, CA-based Isis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ISIS]]) … Continue reading “Isis Snags Glaxo Deal, Orexigen Heads to FDA, Cyntellect Pockets $3M & More San Diego Area Life Sciences News”
The Dendreon Alumni Directory, Sage Snags Merck Deal, Adaptive TCR Nabs $4.5M & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
There was a lot of variety in Seattle biotech this week, with stories on vaccines, diagnostics, an open-source biology, and an interesting new research service business that emerged from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. —Dendreon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDN]]) is staking its claim as Seattle’s biotech anchor tenant in the making. One of the things anchor … Continue reading “The Dendreon Alumni Directory, Sage Snags Merck Deal, Adaptive TCR Nabs $4.5M & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Orexigen Seeks FDA OK for Obesity Drug
Orexigen Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OREX]]), the San Diego-based developer of weight loss drugs, said today it has turned in its application for FDA approval of its first marketed product in the U.S. The drug, a combination of bupropion and naltrexone (Contrave), has been studied in more than 4,500 patients, the company said. If approved, Orexigen could … Continue reading “Orexigen Seeks FDA OK for Obesity Drug”
Isis Nabs $35M Payment From Glaxo
Isis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ISIS]]), the Carlsbad, CA-based company that uses antisense technology to make targeted drugs, will receive a $35 million upfront cash payment from GlaxoSmithKline as part of a new collaboration announced today. The deal covers research into rare disorders and infectious diseases, in up to as many as six programs. Isis is eligible … Continue reading “Isis Nabs $35M Payment From Glaxo”
See You Tonight at San Diego Life Sciences 2030
The Xconomy team will soon be heading over to Biogen Idec for our big evening event on the 20-year outlook for the San Diego life sciences cluster. This sold-out gathering will bring together some life sciences visionaries to share their thoughts on San Diego biotech that go way beyond next month or next quarter. The … Continue reading “See You Tonight at San Diego Life Sciences 2030”
The Dendreon Alumni: Where Are They Now?
[Updated: 3:12 pm, 9/27/10] Dendreon CEO Mitchell Gold has said for years he wants his company to morph into the anchor for Seattle’s biotech community, the prominent role once filled by Immunex in the 1990s. The notion is that Dendreon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDN]]) could become profitable, stable, and exciting enough to be a magnet that draws … Continue reading “The Dendreon Alumni: Where Are They Now?”
Sage Bionetworks Snags Deal with Merck, Second Major Pharma Partner
Stephen Friend has, you might say, a mutually beneficial relationship with his former employer. Friend, the former senior vice president of Merck’s cancer research division, has secured another round of support for his fledgling open-source biology movement from Merck. Sage Bionetworks, the nonprofit collaborative Friend co-founded a year ago in Seattle, has formed a multi-year … Continue reading “Sage Bionetworks Snags Deal with Merck, Second Major Pharma Partner”
Dicerna Inks Deal With Ipsen, Second RNAi Partnership of 2010
Dicerna Pharmaceuticals kicked off the New Year with a splashy partnership, and it didn’t have to wait long for an encore. The Watertown, MA-based developer of RNA interference drugs is announcing today it has formed a new alliance with Paris-based Ipsen. Financial terms of the deal aren’t being disclosed, although it ends up being “net-neutral” … Continue reading “Dicerna Inks Deal With Ipsen, Second RNAi Partnership of 2010”
Avila Teams With Leukemia Society
Avila Therapeutics, the Waltham, MA-based drug developer, is announcing today it will receive as much as $3.2 million from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to support development of a new therapy for B-cell related cancers. The drug, AVL-292, is designed to form a tight covalent bond to hit a target on immune system B-cells, called … Continue reading “Avila Teams With Leukemia Society”
Lee Hood’s Startup for Personalized Medicine, Integrated Diagnostics, Hires First CEO
Integrated Diagnostics, the Seattle-based company seeking to carry out biotech pioneer Leroy Hood’s vision for personalized medicine, has hired its first CEO. The company’s new leader is Albert Luderer, a veteran diagnostics executive who ran Woburn, MA-based BioTrove until that company was acquired last November by Carlsbad, CA-based Life Technologies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:LIFE]]) for an undisclosed … Continue reading “Lee Hood’s Startup for Personalized Medicine, Integrated Diagnostics, Hires First CEO”
Young Scientists, Engineers Strut Their Stuff on Stage Where Sonics Used to Roam
Seattle’s KeyArena was rocking this morning. I walked in around 9 am, and heard the Guns N’ Roses hard rock anthem “Welcome to the Jungle” blaring from the speakers. Referees in pinstriped uniforms monitored every move of the gladiators on display. School mascots led the crowd in clapping, stomping, and cheering. “RO-bots! RO-bots! RO-bots!” You … Continue reading “Young Scientists, Engineers Strut Their Stuff on Stage Where Sonics Used to Roam”
Nine Years in the Making, Seattle BioMed’s Malaria Vaccine On Verge of First Human Trial
In just a few weeks, the folks at Seattle Biomedical Research Institute will start gathering precious bits of evidence on whether they’ve discovered something truly valuable over the past nine years. The global health nonprofit is on the verge of starting its first human clinical trial of a malaria vaccine, which it hopes will someday … Continue reading “Nine Years in the Making, Seattle BioMed’s Malaria Vaccine On Verge of First Human Trial”
Adaptive TCR, a Fred Hutch Spinoff, Nabs $4.5M to Uncover Immune System Secrets
Seattle experts in computer science and immunology are rallying around a new spinoff company from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Seattle-based Adaptive TCR has nailed down a $4.5 million round of angel investment to get up and running, Xconomy has learned. The basic concept is to provide scientists with a high-speed, high-resolution look into … Continue reading “Adaptive TCR, a Fred Hutch Spinoff, Nabs $4.5M to Uncover Immune System Secrets”
Dyax Raises $51.8M in Stock Deal
Dyax (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DYAX]]), the Cambridge, MA-based maker of a drug for a rare inflammatory disease, said today it has raised $51.8 million in a stock offering. The company sold 17 million shares at $3.25 apiece in a deal underwritten by Jefferies & Company and Needham & Company. Dyax plans to use the money on the … Continue reading “Dyax Raises $51.8M in Stock Deal”
FDA Panel Slams Cell Therapeutics, Oncothyreon Slumps, Biotech’s Healthcare Victory, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
The days are getting longer, spring is in the air, and hope is springing eternal for the Mariners. But a couple of Seattle biotech companies got clobbered this week. —Seattle-based Cell Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CTIC]]) suffered a humiliating public beatdown this week at a long-awaited FDA advisory panel. The FDA committee voted 9-0 against the company’s … Continue reading “FDA Panel Slams Cell Therapeutics, Oncothyreon Slumps, Biotech’s Healthcare Victory, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Nathan Myhrvold, Lee Hood Forge Longstanding Partnership at Nexus of IT and Biology
Individuals in today’s world, Nathan Myhrvold once observed, are sort of like single B-cells in the immune system who go about their business oblivious to what’s happening in an entire human organism with 1 trillion cells. Biology, Leroy Hood often likes to say, is becoming an information science built on units of A, C, G, … Continue reading “Nathan Myhrvold, Lee Hood Forge Longstanding Partnership at Nexus of IT and Biology”
OncoGenex Adds New Chairman
OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OGXI]]), the Bothell, WA-based developer of cancer drugs, said today it has named Jack Goldstein as its new chairman, and H. Stewart Parker as a member of its board of directors. Current board members Dwight Winstead and Michael Martino plan to step down at the company’s upcoming annual meeting on June 8. … Continue reading “OncoGenex Adds New Chairman”
MDRNA Down to $1.7M Cash
[Updated: 5:58 pm Pacific] MDRNA (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MRNA]]), the Bothell, WA-based developer of RNA interference drugs, said today in its fourth quarter financial report that it had just $1.7 million of cash and investments left in the bank heading into 2010. That’s about half as much as the company had at the same time a year … Continue reading “MDRNA Down to $1.7M Cash”
RXi Raises $16M in Stock Deal
RXi Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RXII]]), the Worcester, MA-based developer of RNA interference treatments, said today it has raised $16.2 million through a stock offering. Investors have agreed to buy 2.7 million shares at $6 apiece, plus warrants to buy another 540,000 shares. The investors got a 26 percent discount on the stock, based on RXi’s closing … Continue reading “RXi Raises $16M in Stock Deal”
Alnylam Gets $20M From Takeda
Cambridge, MA-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]) said today it has earned a $20 million milestone payment from Japan-based Takeda Pharmaceuticals for handing over certain RNA interference documents, materials and know-how. The payment is part of the partnership between the two companies, first formed in May 2008, which could be worth more than $1 billion over … Continue reading “Alnylam Gets $20M From Takeda”
Oncothyreon Stock Plummets as Side Effect Emerges in Cancer Patient, Trials Halted
[Updated: 6 pm Eastern] Bad news out of Seattle-based Oncothyreon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ONTY]]) today. The company’s partner, the Merck Serono unit of Germany-based Merck KGaA, has halted clinical trials of an immune-boosting treatment for cancer after it saw an unexpected inflammation of the brain in a patient who joined an exploratory trial. Shares of Oncothyreon fell … Continue reading “Oncothyreon Stock Plummets as Side Effect Emerges in Cancer Patient, Trials Halted”
Cell Therapeutics Looks to Pick up the Pieces After FDA Smacks Down Lymphoma Drug
It’s time to talk about survival strategy if you’re Seattle-based Cell Therapeutics. The company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CTIC]]) suffered a humiliating public beatdown yesterday from an FDA advisory panel, which said unanimously that the company’s lymphoma drug, pixantrone, isn’t ready for the U.S. marketplace. Even though the FDA doesn’t have to make a formal decision on this … Continue reading “Cell Therapeutics Looks to Pick up the Pieces After FDA Smacks Down Lymphoma Drug”
Former Targanta CEO Leuchtenberger Lands New Gig at Rib-X, Another Antibiotic Company
The CEO of a Boston biotech company that crashed a little more than a year ago is getting a second chance in the antibiotic business. Mark Leuchtenberger, 53, the former CEO of Cambridge, MA-based Targanta Therapeutics, has been hired as president, CEO, and a member of the board at New Haven, CT-based Rib-X Pharmaceuticals. The … Continue reading “Former Targanta CEO Leuchtenberger Lands New Gig at Rib-X, Another Antibiotic Company”
Cell Therapeutics Shares Crash as Lymphoma Drug Gets Shot Down by FDA Panel
[Updated: 4:35 pm Eastern] Cell Therapeutics’ new lymphoma drug failed to win a recommendation today from a panel of cancer experts who advise the FDA. Shares of the company fell by 48 percent on the news. The crash came after FDA’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 9 to 0 today against the Seattle-based company’s application … Continue reading “Cell Therapeutics Shares Crash as Lymphoma Drug Gets Shot Down by FDA Panel”
FDA Cancer Drug Boss Slams Cell Therapeutics Application For Lymphoma Drug
[Updated: 10:05 am Eastern, 3/22/10] The chief of cancer drug reviews at the FDA, Richard Pazdur, laid out a harsh critique this morning of a new drug that Cell Therapeutics is hoping will win approval for the U.S. market. The company’s case for pixantrone (Pixuvri) is being heard this morning in front of the Oncologic … Continue reading “FDA Cancer Drug Boss Slams Cell Therapeutics Application For Lymphoma Drug”
The Genetics Institute Alumni: Where Are They Now?
[Updated: 11:50 am, 8/27/12] Genetics Institute stopped making biotech headlines a long time ago. But almost 15 years after it was acquired, this high-flier from the industry’s first big wave in the 1980s is still having a ripple effect on the Boston biotech scene. It was one of the key companies that recruited, inspired, and … Continue reading “The Genetics Institute Alumni: Where Are They Now?”
Theraclone Raises $1.5M
Theraclone Sciences, the Seattle-based developer of antibody drugs, has raised another $1.5 million in equity financing, according to a regulatory filing. The new equity comes after Theraclone received $29 million in venture capital in March 2007 from Arch Venture Partners, Canaan Partners, Healthcare Ventures, Amgen Ventures, MPM Capital, and Alexandria Real Estate Equities. The company … Continue reading “Theraclone Raises $1.5M”
Cell Therapeutics FDA Panel Primer: Take Two
Seattle-based Cell Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CTIC]]) is getting ready, one more time, for its make-or-break moment. The big East Coast snowstorm of mid-February postponed this day of reckoning a few weeks, so the company is now getting ready to make its case in front of a committee of cancer drug experts on Monday, March 22. For … Continue reading “Cell Therapeutics FDA Panel Primer: Take Two”
Innovation Northwest Wrapup: Alder, Tekmira, Acucela, & Other Emerging Little Biotechs
The best reporters are always gathering string, as we like to say in the journalism trade. It means we gather lots of facts and observations in our notebooks, which might not be news at first glance, but can become part of a contextual mosaic that we can rely on later when news breaks. There wasn’t … Continue reading “Innovation Northwest Wrapup: Alder, Tekmira, Acucela, & Other Emerging Little Biotechs”
Somaxon Shares Boom on FDA Approval for Insomnia Drug
After three tries, Somaxon Pharmaceuticals has won FDA approval for its insomnia drug. The San Diego-based biotech company said today it has gotten clearance to start selling doxepin (Silenor) in the U.S. for patients with short term and chronic insomnia. The news sent shares of the company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SOMX]]) up by 60 percent to $6.20 … Continue reading “Somaxon Shares Boom on FDA Approval for Insomnia Drug”
Burrill on How Dx Will Beat Rx, VCs Rip Into Pols, Tekmira Strikes Pfizer Deal, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
I was happy to meet many regular readers during a two-day frenzy of networking, reporting, and writing at the Life Sciences Innovation Northwest meeting. Sleep is now moving up the priority list, so my conference wrap up will have to wait a few more hours. But until then, here’s a recap on the last week … Continue reading “Burrill on How Dx Will Beat Rx, VCs Rip Into Pols, Tekmira Strikes Pfizer Deal, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
How Will Information Technology Transform Healthcare? Xconomy Seeks Answers May 12
Entrepreneurs have been trying to kill off pen and paper with software for the healthcare industry for at least a decade. But it has really only leaped toward the top of the U.S. political agenda since January 2009, when President Obama said he wanted the nation’s health records to go electronic within five years. A … Continue reading “How Will Information Technology Transform Healthcare? Xconomy Seeks Answers May 12”
VCs On Politics: Officials Who Say They Love Innovation Are Actually Suffocating It
An idea virus swept through Washington DC and state capitals around the U.S. like a pandemic last year. Every elected official in front of a microphone suddenly wanted to spur innovation. Then they started pushing policies that will greatly undermine it. Bob Nelsen, the managing director of Arch Venture Partners, didn’t pull any punches during … Continue reading “VCs On Politics: Officials Who Say They Love Innovation Are Actually Suffocating It”