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.

Tuning In to Global Health, Lisa Cohen Hopes to Amplify Seattle as Research Hotspot

The global health bug bit Lisa Cohen in 2001. She was a producer at KING5-TV in Seattle at the time, and along with anchorwoman Jean Enerson, she traveled through Africa for two weeks in a delegation with Patty Stonesifer, who was then running the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “That trip inspired me to get … Continue reading “Tuning In to Global Health, Lisa Cohen Hopes to Amplify Seattle as Research Hotspot”

Breast Cancer’s Hidden Side Effect: ImpediMed Aims to Spot Slow-Emerging Lymph Disorder

One of the ugly side effects of breast cancer treatment is lymphedema. This condition can happen when surgeons cut out a tumor in the breast, then move on to the nearby lymph node in the armpit which is the first place tumors usually spread. If the surgeon carves out too much healthy tissue, then it’s … Continue reading “Breast Cancer’s Hidden Side Effect: ImpediMed Aims to Spot Slow-Emerging Lymph Disorder”

Obesity Drug From Orexigen Helps Patients Lose Weight in Pivotal Study, Shares Fall Anyway

Updated: Jan. 8, 2:40 pm Pacific–see below: San Diego-based Orexigen Therapeutics said today that a final-stage clinical trial of its experimental obesity drug reached its main goal of helping patients lose weight. The problem is that meeting the goal may not be good enough. The study, the first of four trials examining the effects of … Continue reading “Obesity Drug From Orexigen Helps Patients Lose Weight in Pivotal Study, Shares Fall Anyway”

Anadys Shares Boom on Hepatitis C Finding

Anadys Pharmaceuticals is skyrocketing today. Shares in the San Diego-based biotech shot up more than 80 percent after it reported its experimental hepatitis C drug was able to wipe out more than 99 percent of the virus from the blood in the first 72 hours. As we described today in an interview with CEO Steve … Continue reading “Anadys Shares Boom on Hepatitis C Finding”

Intel Writes Off $950M on Clearwire

Intel is taking a $950 million asset impairment charge from its investment in Kirkland, WA-based Clearwire, because of the declining value of Clearwire’s stock, according to this report in GigaOm. Clearwire, the brainchild of wireless pioneer Craig McCaw, is building a national WiMAX network to improve broadband wireless connections. Clearwire (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLWR]]) stock closed yesterday … Continue reading “Intel Writes Off $950M on Clearwire”

Hepatitis C Drug From Anadys Shows Quick Virus-Killing Punch

An early peek at data from Anadys Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ANDS]]) suggests the company may have a promising new drug in the works for hepatitis C. The San Diego-based biotech is announcing results today from the first eight patients with the chronic liver infection, which shows its drug has more viral killing pop in the first … Continue reading “Hepatitis C Drug From Anadys Shows Quick Virus-Killing Punch”

Stopping Alzheimer’s Cold: Satori Raises $22M to Pursue Its Vision

Satori Pharmaceuticals has a dream of being the world’s first company to stop the progressive loss of memory and cognition caused by Alzheimer’s disease. Today, Cambridge, MA-based Satori will announce it has raised enough money to put its vision to the test, with $22 million in venture capital to develop drugs that halt the disease … Continue reading “Stopping Alzheimer’s Cold: Satori Raises $22M to Pursue Its Vision”

Zymo Boss Sees Immunex Parallel, Arch Startup Bags $7M, Northstar Folds, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News

The news cycle for Seattle biotech is revving up again, after everybody but the lab mice took a rest during the holidays. We found some predictable doom and gloom (the shutdown of Northstar Neuroscience) to go with a more upbeat exclusive about a cancer drugmaker emerging in town (Qwell Pharmaceuticals.) Here are the past couple … Continue reading “Zymo Boss Sees Immunex Parallel, Arch Startup Bags $7M, Northstar Folds, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”

OrthAlign Raises $7.2M

OrthAlign, a medical device company in Laguna Beach, CA, said today it has raised $7.2 million in a Series A financing. The round was led by Research Corporation Technologies and Okapi Venture Capital, and included some of the company’s seed investors, Ronald Yagoda, Ned Scheetz, and CEO Pieter Wolters. The company is developing computer-assisted surgical … Continue reading “OrthAlign Raises $7.2M”

Omeros Nabs Michael J. Fox Grant

Omeros, a Seattle-based drug developer, said it has received a $465,000 grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. The grant will pay for research of a new target on brain cells discovered by Omeros scientists, which has been linked to movement disorders like Parkinson’s and Restless Leg Syndrome.

La Jolla Pharma Inks BioMarin Deal

La Jolla Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ: [[ticker:LJPC]]) has formed a partnership to co-develop its experimental drug for lupus of the kidneys, Riquent, with Novato, CA-based BioMarin Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BMRN]]). La Jolla will receive a $15 million upfront payment, and could stand to get $289 million in cash and equity from BioMarin if the drug reaches certain development … Continue reading “La Jolla Pharma Inks BioMarin Deal”

Drug Manufacturing in Bioengineered Goats: FDA Says It Looks Safe

Would you take a drug made from the milk of a genetically modified goat? A committee of expert advisers to the FDA will take a swing at that question, weighing the safety and effectiveness of such a treatment on Friday. The U.S. drug regulator is seeking advice on whether to approve an application from Framingham, … Continue reading “Drug Manufacturing in Bioengineered Goats: FDA Says It Looks Safe”

Qwell Pharmaceuticals, Backed by Arch, Raises $7M for New Cancer, Inflammation Drugs

Xconomy has learned that Qwell Pharmaceuticals, a Seattle-based drug developer in stealth mode, has raised $7 million in a Series A financing. The investment was led by Arch Venture Partners and the Wellcome Trust, the world’s second-biggest charitable foundation for biomedical research. Qwell’s goal is to develop a new family of small-molecule drugs, derived from … Continue reading “Qwell Pharmaceuticals, Backed by Arch, Raises $7M for New Cancer, Inflammation Drugs”

Indevus, Maker of ‘Male Menopause’ Drug, Agrees to $370M Takeover by Endo

Indevus Pharmaceuticals has reached the end of its road. The Lexington, MA-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IDEV]]) said today it has agreed to be acquired by Endo Pharmaceuticals for $370 million, or $4.50 a share in cash. The acquisition, approved by the boards of both companies, also has a sweetener clause which could kick in another … Continue reading “Indevus, Maker of ‘Male Menopause’ Drug, Agrees to $370M Takeover by Endo”

Northstar Neuroscience Shuts Down, Ending Experimental Depression Trial

Northstar Neuroscience is toast. The Seattle-based medical device company, which failed to develop an electrical stimulation machine that would enable stroke patients to regain arm movement, said today its board has decided to shut down the company and liquidate its assets. The company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NSTR]]) will lay off most of its remaining employees as it … Continue reading “Northstar Neuroscience Shuts Down, Ending Experimental Depression Trial”

Biogen Idec Takes Aim at New Parkinson’s Paradigm

Biogen Idec will get an early glimpse next week into whether it has created an important new innovation for Parkinson’s disease. If the company’s drug candidate lives up to its promise, it could be one of the early movers in a new class of medicines that minimize the secondary symptoms and keep standard therapy from … Continue reading “Biogen Idec Takes Aim at New Parkinson’s Paradigm”

ZymoGenetics’ New Boss Sees Parallels to Dark Days at Immunex

ZymoGenetics is enduring one of the ugliest stretches in its 28-year history. Now the Seattle-based biotech company is hoping that Doug Williams, an executive who lived through both the darkest days and finest moments at Immunex in the 1990s, will be able to engineer one more turnaround. Williams, 50, took over as CEO of ZymoGenetics … Continue reading “ZymoGenetics’ New Boss Sees Parallels to Dark Days at Immunex”

Oregon’s Top Tech Stories

The Oregonian’s Mike Rogoway posted his list of the top tech stories of 2008 today. He highlights the emergence of Portland’s social-networking startups, as well as a few lowlights like Hewlett-Packard’s cutbacks in Vancouver, WA and Corvallis, OR, and the death of Portland’s municipal Wi-Fi network. Check out the full story here.

Procrastinating On Giving? A Last-Minute Guide to Seattle-Area Innovation Charities

Lots of people put off giving to charity until the last couple days of the year when you can still get the tax deduction (including some of us here at Xconomy). We know this year has been rough, but for those of you who can still give, we put together a list of organizations that … Continue reading “Procrastinating On Giving? A Last-Minute Guide to Seattle-Area Innovation Charities”

Washington’s Life Sciences Ambassador, Jack Faris, Exits the Stage

From the minute he took the job as Washington state’s biotech ambassador, Jack Faris had a dream of making this mysterious business a little less intimidating, a little more embraceable, for the general public. Faris, a career ad man who helped Boeing airplanes capture the public imagination, wanted to do the same thing for an … Continue reading “Washington’s Life Sciences Ambassador, Jack Faris, Exits the Stage”

AVI Gets Green Light for Ebola Trial

AVI Biopharma, a Portland, OR-based drug developer, said it has “verbal clearance” from the FDA to start clinical trials against the deadly Ebola and Marburg viruses. AVI expects to get a formal written go-ahead from the FDA in early 2009, the company said. Shares of the company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AVII]]) shot up 63 percent to 80 … Continue reading “AVI Gets Green Light for Ebola Trial”

Biotech Vets Herd Cats at the UW, Hutch, and Children’s For “Translational Research”

Some of the stories Lynn Rose told me the other week made me laugh out loud, and want to cry in mercy. One story was about the academic researcher who ran a single experiment in an animal species that panned out. This scientist, who shall remain nameless, figured it was time to call up the … Continue reading “Biotech Vets Herd Cats at the UW, Hutch, and Children’s For “Translational Research””

Imaging Agent for Early Detection of Heart Disease, From Molecular Insight, Reaches Goal

Cambridge, MA-based Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals said today that its experimental imaging agent, when combined with standard diagnostic tests, reached its goal in a clinical trial of detecting early signs of cardiac ischemia—or reduced blood flow to the heart–which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Molecular Insight (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MIPI]]) said the Phase II study … Continue reading “Imaging Agent for Early Detection of Heart Disease, From Molecular Insight, Reaches Goal”

Archemix Secures Partnership with Glaxo to Develop Drugs for Inflammatory Diseases

(Update: The first paragraph includes information that seven drugs are subject to the partnership, and the final paragraph includes comment from Archemix about this deal’s impact on its proposed merger.) Archemix scored one of the biggest biotech deals of the year just in time for Christmas. The privately held Cambridge, MA-based drug developer secured a … Continue reading “Archemix Secures Partnership with Glaxo to Develop Drugs for Inflammatory Diseases”

Alnylam Pushes First RNAi Drug That Circulates Through Body Into Human Test

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, one of the leaders in developing drugs through RNA interference, has achieved another big first for the emerging field. The Cambridge, MA-based drug developer (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]) is announcing today that it has filed an application with the FDA to start the first clinical trial of an RNAi drug that can circulate throughout the … Continue reading “Alnylam Pushes First RNAi Drug That Circulates Through Body Into Human Test”

Outsourced Chemistry Shop, BioBlocks, Sees Growth in San Diego and Hungary

Peter Pallai has an unusual take on outsourcing. In his view, it might be the way to bring some stability to the volatile world of biotechnology. Pallai, a Hungarian-born medicinal chemist, is carrying out this vision through a contract-chemistry shop in San Diego called BioBlocks. Pallai started this outfit in 2002 after spending more than … Continue reading “Outsourced Chemistry Shop, BioBlocks, Sees Growth in San Diego and Hungary”

KaloBios Gets $12M Genzyme, Baxter

KaloBios Pharmaceuticals, a South San Francisco-based biotech company, said today it has raised $12 million in the second closing of a $32 million Series D round of venture financing. Baxter International, Genzyme Ventures, and Mitsubishi UFJ Capital were among the investors in the round. The company is developing a human antibody fragment to fight bacterial … Continue reading “KaloBios Gets $12M Genzyme, Baxter”

Epix Wins FDA Approval of Vasovist

Epix Pharmaceuticals, a Lexington, MA-based biotech company, said today it has received FDA clearance to market gadofosveset trisodium (Vasovist) as a new contrast agent to help doctors interpret magnetic resonance scans of narrowing arteries. Epix originally asked for FDA approval in December 2003. Shares of the company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EPIX]]) more than doubled on the news, … Continue reading “Epix Wins FDA Approval of Vasovist”

Google’s Kirkland Site to Shrink, Microsoft Layoffs May Be Looming

Since my tech-savvy colleague Greg is off today, I’m scanning the web for the local tech news. Be warned, this isn’t good for holiday cheer. Here goes: —Google is giving up some of its office space at its new campus in Kirkland, according to this report by Brier Dudley in The Seattle Times. The Internet … Continue reading “Google’s Kirkland Site to Shrink, Microsoft Layoffs May Be Looming”

Life Technologies Buys VisiGen for $20M

Life Technologies, the Carlsbad, CA-based maker of lab supplies created by the merger of Invitrogen and Applied Biosystems, has acquired Houston-based VisiGen Biotechnologies for about $20 million. VisiGen, a spin-off from the University of Houston, is working on a new process to sequence individual genomes for as little as $1,000, according to its website.

Seattle Docs, Via Qliance, Aim to Revolutionize Health Care By Freezing Out Insurance

One of the simplest—and most disruptive—business ideas I’ve heard for U.S. health care reform is gaining momentum in downtown Seattle. It’s with a small group of primary care doctors at a company called Qliance, who don’t accept health insurance payments of any kind. I made a beeline over to the Qliance office after hearing about … Continue reading “Seattle Docs, Via Qliance, Aim to Revolutionize Health Care By Freezing Out Insurance”

Quidel Aims for a Piece of the Colorectal Cancer Screening Market

No matter how many times Katie Couric reminds folks that detecting colon cancer early can be a lifesaver, most people are pretty squeamish about the tests involved—not only the invasive ones like colonoscopy but even the less-invasive ones like those that look for traces of blood in the stool. So I was intrigued to hear … Continue reading “Quidel Aims for a Piece of the Colorectal Cancer Screening Market”

Cepheid, Maker of Test to Spot MRSA Staph Infections, Builds Growing Presence in Washington

Lots of innovation is happening inside nondescript office buildings in Bothell, but this activity gets little attention because it takes place at branch operations of companies headquartered elsewhere. Cepheid, the maker of molecular diagnostic tools based in Sunnyvale, CA, is one of those companies. So I jumped at an opportunity to interview CEO John Bishop … Continue reading “Cepheid, Maker of Test to Spot MRSA Staph Infections, Builds Growing Presence in Washington”

Amgen Seeks FDA Nod For Bone Drug

Amgen, the world’s largest biotech company, said today it has applied for FDA clearance to sell denosumab for women with osteoporosis and to treat and prevent bone loss for certain patients with prostate or breast cancer. The drug showed in clinical trials it can lower the risk of spinal fractures, a finding that analysts say … Continue reading “Amgen Seeks FDA Nod For Bone Drug”

ArQule Snags $60M From Daiichi Sankyo

ArQule, a Woburn, MA-based cancer drug developer, said today it will receive a $60 million payment through a partnership with Tokyo-based Daiichi Sankyo. The companies will co-develop ARQ-197, a drug designed to block a target on cancer cells called c-Met. Separately, ArQule (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARQL]]) said Swiss pharma giant Roche declined an option to develop another … Continue reading “ArQule Snags $60M From Daiichi Sankyo”

Tysabri Patient Dies of Brain Infection, First Death Since Drug Re-Introduced

A patient taking Biogen Idec’s fastest-growing multiple sclerosis drug has died from a rare brain infection. The patient, a woman in the U.S., was diagnosed in October with the PML brain infection after taking natalizumab (Tysabri) for her neurodegenerative disease, said Naomi Aoki, a spokeswoman for the Cambridge, MA-based biotech company. The death represents the … Continue reading “Tysabri Patient Dies of Brain Infection, First Death Since Drug Re-Introduced”

Helicos Raises $18M in Private Financing

Helicos Biosciences, the Cambridge, MA-based maker of genetic analysis tools, said today it has reached an agreement to raise $18 million in a private offering of common stock and warrants to buy shares. Helicos (NASDAQ: [[ticker:HLCS]]) didn’t say how much longer the cash infusion will allow it to operate. The company reported a net loss … Continue reading “Helicos Raises $18M in Private Financing”

Novocell Forms Deal with Pfizer to Research Stem Cells for Diabetes

The world’s largest drugmaker is turning to a San Diego-based biotech company to jumpstart its foray into the world of stem cell research. Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]) has agreed to form a two-year collaboration with Novocell to advance the biotech’s work, which concentrates on turning human embryonic stem cells into pancreas cells that might one day … Continue reading “Novocell Forms Deal with Pfizer to Research Stem Cells for Diabetes”

Oncothyreon Sells Off Stimuvax, Cuts Jobs, Facilities To Preserve Cash

Seattle-based Oncothyreon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ONTY]]) made a series of strategic moves today to preserve its remaining cash, and find a way to survive on its own as a developer of cancer drugs. Some investors liked the decision, as shares more than doubled from 73 cents to $1.70 in after-hours trading. First, the company said it agreed … Continue reading “Oncothyreon Sells Off Stimuvax, Cuts Jobs, Facilities To Preserve Cash”

Insilicos Nabs $900K Grant From NIH

Insilicos, a Seattle-based company that makes software for drug researchers, said today it has won a $900,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health. The money will be used to study “ensemble learning,” which uses a blend of statistical models to make a more accurate prediction about a biological experiment than a single model. Insilicos … Continue reading “Insilicos Nabs $900K Grant From NIH”

3Tier Raises $10M in Venture Round to “Remap the World” for Alternative Energy

Seattle-based 3Tier Group has raised $10 million in venture financing to drive its quest to help developers and financiers spot the best places in the world to build renewable energy facilities. Good Energies led the venture round, which will be used to establish offices in Europe and Asia, as first reported this morning by John … Continue reading “3Tier Raises $10M in Venture Round to “Remap the World” for Alternative Energy”

Ligand Cuts Another Deal With GlaxoSmithKline

San Diego-based Ligand Pharmaceuticals has formed another sizable partnership with the world’s second-biggest drugmaker, GlaxoSmithKline. Today, Ligand (NASDAQ: [[ticker:LGND]]) said it granted an exclusive, worldwide license to Glaxo to develop a drug for thrombocytopenia, a disease in which people lack enough platelet cells in the blood to form clots. Under the deal, Glaxo will pay … Continue reading “Ligand Cuts Another Deal With GlaxoSmithKline”

CMC Icos Biologics Postpones Expansion

CMC Icos Biologics is putting the brakes on its big expansion plan. The Bothell, WA-based operation, which manufactures biotech drugs under contract to other companies, said today it is postponing its growth plan announced in September because of the deepening recession. “With the current challenges of the global economy, we must carefully manage our resources … Continue reading “CMC Icos Biologics Postpones Expansion”

Gates Foundation Gives $7M to IDRI

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded a three-year, $7 million grant to the Seattle-based Infectious Disease Research Institute to develop improved ways to diagnose and care for patients in Africa infected with visceral leishmaniasis. The infection, caused by a parasite, affects about 500,000 people each year and is deadly in about one in … Continue reading “Gates Foundation Gives $7M to IDRI”