When people think about experiments in Big Pharma, the image that comes to mind is probably that of a petri dish. But given the crisis state of pharma R&D and early-stage biotech investment, there are also a lot of experiments going on now to find ways to reform the way drug companies and venture capitalists … Continue reading “Polaris, J&J Idea to Solve Drug R&D Crisis: Work Together Early”
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 Shareholders Vent at Annual Meeting
Dendreon has had some triumphant annual meetings, where investors celebrated its work in creating the first FDA-approved drug that actively stimulates the immune system to fight cancer. This wasn’t one of them. At today’s annual meeting at the Seattle Art Museum, there was a whole lot of disappointment, frustration, and scorn in the room. Even … Continue reading “Dendreon Shareholders Vent at Annual Meeting”
InDi Unit Looks to Take PET Imaging ‘From Black & White to Technicolor’
Integrated Diagnostics is best known as the Seattle startup looking to carry out Lee Hood’s vision of spotting cancer in a drop of blood. But the company is moving ahead on another bold vision, in which it is seeking to disrupt the world of molecular imaging. InDi is announcing today it has set up a … Continue reading “InDi Unit Looks to Take PET Imaging ‘From Black & White to Technicolor’”
Igenica Pulls in $33M to Fight Cancer With Antibodies
Targeted antibody drugs are in the news on an almost daily basis, and Burlingame, CA-based Igenica is benefiting from the surge of progress. The startup antibody drug developer said today it has raised $33 million in a Series C venture financing. New investor Third Rock Ventures led the round, which included existing investors The Column … Continue reading “Igenica Pulls in $33M to Fight Cancer With Antibodies”
Acucela, Turning 10, Gears Up for Pivotal Test With Eye Drug
Any one of a thousand little decisions can trip up an experimental drug on its long journey to the marketplace. Now, after 10 years in business, Seattle-based Acucela will be making a lot of important decisions that will determine whether it someday sells a drug that could help many people from going blind. Acucela, along … Continue reading “Acucela, Turning 10, Gears Up for Pivotal Test With Eye Drug”
Ready or Not, Genomics is Coming to a Hospital Near You
First came genomics for scientists. Then came genomics for Big Pharma. But this year, at a faster pace than many industry insiders anticipated, we’re seeing genomics enter the world of real-life care for patients. This idea would have sounded like science fiction a couple years ago. It took researchers 13 years and about $3 billion … Continue reading “Ready or Not, Genomics is Coming to a Hospital Near You”
FDA Clears New Genentech Breast Cancer Drug, in Combo With Herceptin
The FDA gave Genentech the news it was hoping for late today, by giving the South San Francisco-based biotech company clearance to start selling a new drug for about one-fourth of women with breast cancer. Genentech, a unit of Switzerland-based Roche, said today it received approval from the FDA to start marketing pertuzumab (Perjeta) as a … Continue reading “FDA Clears New Genentech Breast Cancer Drug, in Combo With Herceptin”
Fred Hutch Spinoff Blaze Bioscience Pulls in $5M For ‘Tumor Paint’
Surgeons in the business of cutting out tumors have to wonder whether they are getting rid of the whole malignancy, or whether some of the cancer is being left behind to relapse someday. Now a Seattle-based biotech startup, Blaze Bioscience, has raised some significant money to develop technology that helps doctors see during surgery, in … Continue reading “Fred Hutch Spinoff Blaze Bioscience Pulls in $5M For ‘Tumor Paint’”
Genentech Eagerly Awaits FDA Word on 2nd Breast Cancer Drug
Genentech came out with the first targeted antibody drug for breast cancer almost 15 years ago, and made headlines this week with a “supercharged” version that beats the original. What fewer people may realize is that it’s also gearing up this week to start selling a new and different targeted drug for breast cancer. The … Continue reading “Genentech Eagerly Awaits FDA Word on 2nd Breast Cancer Drug”
Kineta, Playing for Bunt Singles, Builds a Biotech Company Without VC Bucks
One of the best-financed biotech startups in Seattle of the last five years hasn’t raised a dime of traditional venture capital. If Kineta can show it delivers returns without such VC backing, then it could provide an interesting alternative example of how to build a biotech company on a series of bunt singles, instead of … Continue reading “Kineta, Playing for Bunt Singles, Builds a Biotech Company Without VC Bucks”
Complete Genomics Cuts Staff, Hires Banker for ‘Strategic Alternatives’
Complete Genomics has seen its cash reserves dwindle and its stock tumble, and now it is sending a big group of its workers to the exits. The Mountain View, CA-based company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GNOM]]), which provides whole human genome sequences as a service for researchers and clinicians, said today it is cutting 55 workers. It has … Continue reading “Complete Genomics Cuts Staff, Hires Banker for ‘Strategic Alternatives’”
ASCO Wrap-Up: A Summary of This Week’s Cancer R&D Headlines
There’s so much going on in the world of cancer drug R&D that it’s hard to keep up with all the news about drugs that are changing the standards of care. And quite a few of those standards are changing, based on a quick rundown of what was new at this year’s American Society of … Continue reading “ASCO Wrap-Up: A Summary of This Week’s Cancer R&D Headlines”
Why Would a Biotech Company Go the Trouble of Changing Its Name?
[Updated 1:26 pm PT with survey results] If you’re trying to figure out what the heck a certain biotech company does, the last place to look is usually the company name. Names often don’t mean much, or at least it isn’t obvious. But sometimes you actually can learn a lot about what makes a company … Continue reading “Why Would a Biotech Company Go the Trouble of Changing Its Name?”
Genentech, ImmunoGen ‘Smart Bomb’ for Breast Cancer Blazes New Trail
Genentech has spent more than a decade developing a souped-up version of its multi-billion dollar breast cancer drug, and today it is delivering hard evidence on cancer R&D’s biggest stage that it works. The South San Francisco-based biotech company, a unit of Roche, has shown that its experimental drug trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) hit its main … Continue reading “Genentech, ImmunoGen ‘Smart Bomb’ for Breast Cancer Blazes New Trail”
Marina Biotech Runs Out of Cash, Axes 90% of Staff
Bothell, WA-based Marina Biotech ran dangerously low on cash several times over the past few years, but now it appears to have finally run out of gas. The company (OTCQX: [[ticker:MRNA]]), a developer of RNA interference-based medicines, said today it has laid off 90 percent of its remaining workers to preserve the cash it still … Continue reading “Marina Biotech Runs Out of Cash, Axes 90% of Staff”
IDRI Makes Move From Old First Hill Digs to Shiny New SLU
The Infectious Disease Research Institute is probably the least-visible global health organization in Seattle, but now it’s moving its growing staff to a place where all the cool kids in global health can’t miss it—South Lake Union. IDRI, the nonprofit global health R&D center, said this week it is moving from its long-term home on … Continue reading “IDRI Makes Move From Old First Hill Digs to Shiny New SLU”
Accelerator Looks to Expand, With an Eye on the Big Apple
Accelerator, the venture-backed biotech startup machine, has made its name over the past decade as a hotspot for financing life sciences companies in Seattle with big dreams and potential. Now it’s considering expanding its model for starting biotech companies in other life science clusters around the world, including New York. Plans are still in the … Continue reading “Accelerator Looks to Expand, With an Eye on the Big Apple”
Medivation Emerges With New Prostate Cancer Drug
San Francisco-based Medivation doesn’t quite have the brand name recognition of its rivals in the world of prostate cancer drug development, but that could be starting to change, as soon as this weekend. Medivation (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MDVN]]) has been on a big-time roll since November, when it released results from a study of 1,200 patients, called … Continue reading “Medivation Emerges With New Prostate Cancer Drug”
Kona Medical Gets $30M To Zap High Blood Pressure With Ultrasound
Ultrasound waves can be engineered to do all kinds of nifty things, from creating high-resolution images of developing fetuses to non-invasive ways of busting up kidney stones. Now a Seattle-area startup called Kona Medical has raised a load of venture capital to pursue a big dream—ultrasound that could treat millions of people with high blood … Continue reading “Kona Medical Gets $30M To Zap High Blood Pressure With Ultrasound”
Vertex Shares Drop on Mistake in Cystic Fibrosis Drug Data
Vertex Pharmaceuticals saw its stock rocket on news earlier this month that its two-drug combo treatment for cystic fibrosis showed a strong benefit in a clinical trial, but the stock is coming back down now that Vertex has come forward to report on a mistake in its own data. Shares of the Cambridge, MA-based biotech … Continue reading “Vertex Shares Drop on Mistake in Cystic Fibrosis Drug Data”
NanoString Nabs Ex-Seattle Genetics Exec to Lead Diagnostic Push
Seattle-based NanoString Technologies sees itself growing from a research tool company into a more diversified player with diagnostic tests that enable more personalized cancer medicine. Now it has hired its first sales and marketing leader to take the fruit of NanoString R&D, and turn it into this potentially large new line of business. Bruce Seeley, the … Continue reading “NanoString Nabs Ex-Seattle Genetics Exec to Lead Diagnostic Push”
Seattle Genetics Follows the Science, Taking on Rare Lymphoma No. 3
Sometimes when a drug hits the market, it can take on a life of its own. Researchers start using their imaginations—and their own grant money—to pursue applications the drugmaker itself might never have envisioned. And sometimes, those researchers make important new discoveries, which can provide the company with a running start on a potentially lucrative … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics Follows the Science, Taking on Rare Lymphoma No. 3”
Sue Siegel Leaves MDV to Run $6B GE Health Unit
Sue Siegel, one of the leading venture investors in the field of personalized medicine, is leaving her gig as a general partner at Mohr Davidow Ventures to join GE as the CEO of its $6 billion healthymagination unit, which is seeking to foster innovations that lower healthcare costs. Siegel, 52, was the president of Santa … Continue reading “Sue Siegel Leaves MDV to Run $6B GE Health Unit”
iPierian Zeroes In on Antibodies for Alzheimer’s, Neurodegeneration
iPierian used to be known as a stem cell company, when stem cells were all the rage. But now it’s taking on a new identity as an antibody drug developer that happens to use stem cells as a tool for discovery. The South San Francisco-based company is announcing today that it has found a new … Continue reading “iPierian Zeroes In on Antibodies for Alzheimer’s, Neurodegeneration”
Who’s on Biotech’s Endangered Species List? Mid-Sized Drugmakers
[Updated: 9:20 pm PT] Only a few companies have ever been successful enough to call themselves Big Biotechs. If boards and shareholders lack vision and guts, we’ll look back in a few years and wonder why the Big Biotechs went extinct. The group of Big Biotechs includes companies like Amgen, Gilead Sciences, Biogen Idec, and … Continue reading “Who’s on Biotech’s Endangered Species List? Mid-Sized Drugmakers”
CardioKinetix Clears 2-Year Study with Implant for Heart Failure
CardioKinetix has spent 10 years and $80 million in venture capital working on an implantable device for people with heart failure. Now it’s got some evidence that suggests it could be on track with a real product. The Menlo Park, CA-based company is announcing today it has passed a study of 31 patients who got … Continue reading “CardioKinetix Clears 2-Year Study with Implant for Heart Failure”
Dendreon’s Provenge Works Best for Patients With Low PSA, Scientists Say
From the moment Dendreon started in business 20 years ago, most scientists have said that if its immune-booster for prostate cancer was going to work, it would probably work best at an early stage of disease, before tumors had gotten too powerful for the immune system to contain. Today, Dendreon is offering the latest slice … Continue reading “Dendreon’s Provenge Works Best for Patients With Low PSA, Scientists Say”
Aveo Kidney Cancer Drug Shows Safety Edge in Pivotal Study
Aveo Oncology is entering a competitive world for the treatment of kidney cancer, and it made a bold bet that its drug would prevail in the first head-to-head comparison of its kind against an active drug. Now the company is preparing to enter that competition with data that says its drug has a slight advantage … Continue reading “Aveo Kidney Cancer Drug Shows Safety Edge in Pivotal Study”
Hutch, UW Scientists Find Elusive Cancers With Adaptive Diagnostic
Doctors often ask themselves, after a leukemia or lymphoma patient gets high-dose chemotherapy, whether they really wiped out every last rugged cancer cell in the patient. That’s always been a difficult question, but now a team of Seattle researchers is showing they might have found a powerful new technology to consistently deliver that answer. Scientists … Continue reading “Hutch, UW Scientists Find Elusive Cancers With Adaptive Diagnostic”
Targeted Cancer Drugs With Punch: The Next Big Class of Antibodies
[Updated: 11 am PT, 6/5/12] One of the big dreams in biotech over the past 35 years has been to make drugs that work like “smart bombs” by destroying tumors while minimizing collateral damage. Scientists have learned this is no easy thing, but now that a couple of these types of drugs have been shown … Continue reading “Targeted Cancer Drugs With Punch: The Next Big Class of Antibodies”
Theraclone Passes First Clinical Test with Flu-Fighting Antibody
Theraclone Sciences has taken its first step ahead toward showing it might have an antibody drug that could work in humans. The Seattle-based biotech company is announcing today that it passed its first clinical trial with an antibody drug designed to fight a wide variety of flu strains. The study randomly assigned 40 healthy volunteers … Continue reading “Theraclone Passes First Clinical Test with Flu-Fighting Antibody”
ASCO Preview: Eight Cancer Drugs to Watch at the Big Show
The pistons of the biggest publicity engine in cancer R&D will start firing this week. It’s time to behold the annual rite of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting, the biggest event for showing off what’s new and interesting in the treatment of cancer. This conference, officially held June 1-5 at McCormick Place … Continue reading “ASCO Preview: Eight Cancer Drugs to Watch at the Big Show”
IDRI, Aeras Team Up to Develop Tuberculosis Vaccine
A lot of people think tuberculosis is a thing of the past, but it remains one of the most deadly diseases in the world. Now the Seattle-based Infectious Disease Research Institute is getting ready to take it on with a new vaccine being prepped for clinical trials. IDRI said today it has formed a partnership … Continue reading “IDRI, Aeras Team Up to Develop Tuberculosis Vaccine”
Seattle Genetics Misses 1st Quarter Sales Estimate, But Sees $1B Future
Seattle Genetics fell short of Wall Street’s quarterly sales expectations for its new lymphoma drug, but the company boldly declared today that it sees its first drug becoming a billion-dollar blockbuster over time. The Bothell, WA-based company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGEN]]) said today it generated $34.5 million in net product sales in the first quarter, about a … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics Misses 1st Quarter Sales Estimate, But Sees $1B Future”
Sutro Biopharma Pulls in $16M for New Antibody Drugs
Sutro Biopharma is pursuing a big idea for antibody drug development, and it just got some more money to see how far it can go. The South San Francisco-based biotech company is announcing today it has received $16 million in the second tranche of its Series C financing. Skyline Ventures led the deal, which included … Continue reading “Sutro Biopharma Pulls in $16M for New Antibody Drugs”
Dendreon Meets Expectations with $82M in 1st Quarter Provenge Sales
Seattle-based Dendreon said back in February that it expected “moderate” first quarter sales growth with its prostate cancer drug, and now it’s reporting it delivered on that projection, generating just enough sales to meet Wall Street expectations. Dendreon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDN]]) said today it generated $82 million in first quarter net sales of sipuleucel-T (Provenge). That … Continue reading “Dendreon Meets Expectations with $82M in 1st Quarter Provenge Sales”
Vertex Shares Boom on Cystic Fibrosis Results
[Updated: 9:40 am ET] Vertex Pharmaceuticals wowed the cystic fibrosis community earlier this year with its new drug that improves lung function for patients with a rare form of the inherited disease. Now it’s gathering evidence that it could extend the drug’s benefits to many more people. The Cambridge, MA-based company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]) is announcing … Continue reading “Vertex Shares Boom on Cystic Fibrosis Results”
Antibiotic R&D is in Trouble: Here’s One Way to Fix It
Bacteria have been on Earth for more than a billion years, evolving in crafty ways to stay alive amid all kinds of threats. Only about 70 years ago, antibiotics came along and became one of the great triumphs of medicine, giving us the upper hand against infectious bugs. But the combination of government-funded research and … Continue reading “Antibiotic R&D is in Trouble: Here’s One Way to Fix It”
Analyst: Dendreon’s Growth Stalling With Cancer Docs as Rival Gains
Seattle-based Dendreon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNDN]]) is still struggling to get cancer physicians in the habit of prescribing its new immune-boosting drug for prostate cancer, as a competing product is gaining momentum, according to a survey by investment firm Robert W. Baird. In a survey of 100 community-based medical oncologists conducted in March, about 41 percent of physicians said … Continue reading “Analyst: Dendreon’s Growth Stalling With Cancer Docs as Rival Gains”
Genomic Health, OncoMed Team Up on Personalized Cancer Drug Work
Cancer drugmakers and diagnostics companies rarely find ways to work together early in the product development process, because corporate priorities, budgets and timelines rarely match up. But Genomic Health and OncoMed Pharmaceuticals are teaming up at an early stage to try to improve the odds they’ll come up with better ways of tailoring cancer treatment … Continue reading “Genomic Health, OncoMed Team Up on Personalized Cancer Drug Work”
The Affymetrix Alumni: Where Are They Now?
[Updated: 3:55 pm PT, 5/3/12] Affymetrix changed the way researchers thought about genetics in the mid-‘90s when it developed the original DNA microarrays, which it trademarked as “GeneChips.” The Santa Clara company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AFFX]]) attracted bright minds from all over the world to test their skills in biology and semiconductor technology. Now in its 20th anniversary … Continue reading “The Affymetrix Alumni: Where Are They Now?”
Hologic Buys Gen-Probe for $3.7B, Making Molecular Diagnostics Push
Hologic has made big-money acquisitions before, and today it’s making another sizable one. The Bedford, MA-based maker of women’s health products (NASDAQ: [[ticker:HOLX]]) said today it has agreed to purchase San Diego-based Gen-Probe (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GPRO]]), a molecular diagnostics company, for $3.7 billion, or $82.75 a share. The price represents a 20 percent premium over Gen-Probe’s … Continue reading “Hologic Buys Gen-Probe for $3.7B, Making Molecular Diagnostics Push”
Biotech IPOs Start to Show Some Modest Signs of Life
[Updated: 2:10 pm ET, 5/2/12] Something feels wrong about putting the words “biotech” and “IPO” together in a headline. This market has been lifeless for so long that few investors even play the game anymore. Biotech entrepreneurs I talk to seem to feel a bit sheepish about saying they are considering an IPO, probably because … Continue reading “Biotech IPOs Start to Show Some Modest Signs of Life”
UW Startups Look to Improve Bras, Bicycle Ads, Mental Health
The University of Washington campus is so big, with 42,000 students, that it’s impossible to get a handle on everything going on there. But this much I can say for sure: there are some very creative and enterprising students working on fighting brain tumors, improving video editing, and helping young women carry around smartphones in … Continue reading “UW Startups Look to Improve Bras, Bicycle Ads, Mental Health”
Cardeas Gears Up for Clinic, With Drug Combo for Hospital Infections
Once while reporting on a medical meeting for new antibiotics, I met a physician/researcher who said “stay in the hospital long enough, and something bad will happen to you.” Now the prolific drug developer Bruce Montgomery and his Seattle-based startup have set their sights on making new antibiotics to fight one of those bad things … Continue reading “Cardeas Gears Up for Clinic, With Drug Combo for Hospital Infections”
Cytokinetics Shows Hint of Effect With Drug for Lou Gehrig’s Disease
There has never been much innovation to brag about in the treatment of the neurodegenerative disease that killed Yankees legend Lou Gehrig. But South San Francisco-based Cytokinetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CYTK]]) is reporting today on clinical trial results that offer a hint it could be onto something for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). An experimental drug from … Continue reading “Cytokinetics Shows Hint of Effect With Drug for Lou Gehrig’s Disease”
Illumina Opens Apple-Inspired App Store for DNA Software Developers
San Diego-based Illumina has talked openly about how it is inspired by the way Apple integrates hardware and software, and now it’s taking another cue from the consumer technology colossus. Illumina, the market-leading maker of DNA sequencing instruments, said today it is creating an open platform for genomic software developers to make apps for scientific … Continue reading “Illumina Opens Apple-Inspired App Store for DNA Software Developers”
IMS Health Buys DecisionView For Programs to Speed Clinical Trials
[Update: 6:35 am PT, 4/25] IMS Health, the giant healthcare market information company based in Danbury, CT, said today it is acquiring San Francisco-based DecisionView for an undisclosed amount. DecisionView, a privately-held software company founded in 2004, has made strides the past few years with its real-time analytic programs that are supposed to help drug … Continue reading “IMS Health Buys DecisionView For Programs to Speed Clinical Trials”
George Rathmann, Founding CEO of Amgen and Icos, Dies at 84
[Updated: 9:25 pm PT] George Rathmann, the first CEO of Amgen and a pioneer who inspired a generation within the biotech industry, has died at the age of 84. He had kidney disease and lived through dialysis treatments in his final years. Rathmann was best known as the guy who bet the company at Amgen … Continue reading “George Rathmann, Founding CEO of Amgen and Icos, Dies at 84”
What Are the Hottest Targets in Biotech Today?
Hardly anybody wants new drugs that act like a sledgehammer, bashing diseased and healthy cells like old-school cancer chemotherapy. Many drugs today are supposed to be smart enough to work like laser-guided missiles that hit the diseased cells and mostly spare the healthy ones. But if your goal is to create one of these amazing … Continue reading “What Are the Hottest Targets in Biotech Today?”