The past week saw substantial cuts at two of New England’s biotech firms, but a thorough analysis of the financial reporting for most companies in the sector shows the news isn’t all bad. That and more below. —Luke delivered the second installment of his Biotech Survival Index, which assesses the financial health of more than … Continue reading “Funding Pool Deep for Still River, Cuts in the Offing for Epix and Synta, FDA Approvals Granted for Hologic, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Author: Rebecca Zacks
Rebecca is Xconomy's co-founder. She was previously the managing editor of Physician's First Watch, a daily e-newsletter from the publishers of New England Journal of Medicine. Before helping launch First Watch, she spent a decade covering innovation for Technology Review, Scientific American, and Discover Magazine's TV show. In 2005-2006 she was a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT. Rebecca holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Brown University and a master's in science journalism from Boston University.
$8M for NKT Therapeutics
NKT Therapeutics, a Newton, MA-based startup built around technology from Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Massachusetts General Hospital, announced it has raised $8 million in a Series A financing led jointly by SV Life Sciences and MedImmune Ventures. NKT, whose website says the financing closed in December 2008, is developing … Continue reading “$8M for NKT Therapeutics”
$20M for Surface Logix, $5M for Veracode, $14M for Stemgent, and More Boston-Area Deals News
It’s all about smallish venture deals and acquisitions of indeterminate size this week. Maybe next week New England’s tech and life sciences companies will only announce partnerships? —Vitalize Consulting Services, a Reading, MA-based manager of IT implementation projects for big healthcare companies, acquired Santa Ana, CA-based r3 Health Partners for an undisclosed sum. —Surface Logix … Continue reading “$20M for Surface Logix, $5M for Veracode, $14M for Stemgent, and More Boston-Area Deals News”
ImmunoGen Drug Nears Finish Line, Surface Logix Latches Onto $20M, Athenahealth CEO Bush Talks Stimulus, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
It was nice to see a little venture activity among New England’s biotechs this past week, but overall things have been relatively quiet. —Regulus Therapeutics, a Carlsbad, CA-based spinoff of Cambridge, MA-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:[[ticker:ALNY]]), took a step toward greater independence with $20 million in Series A financing from Alnylam and Carlsbad’s Isis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:[[ticker:ISIS]]), … Continue reading “ImmunoGen Drug Nears Finish Line, Surface Logix Latches Onto $20M, Athenahealth CEO Bush Talks Stimulus, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Vertex Puts up $375M for ViroChem, Nuance Finally Nabs Zi, Proteon Procures $38M, & More Boston-Area Deals News
This week saw news of two interesting acquisitions and a couple of huge venture financings, among other deals cut by New England tech and life sciences firms. — Burlington, MA-based Nuance Communications (NASDAQ:[[ticker:NUAN]]), after a series of unsuccessful offers begun last summer, has finally convinced the board of the Canadian firm Zi (NASDAQ:[[ticker:ZICA]]) to accept … Continue reading “Vertex Puts up $375M for ViroChem, Nuance Finally Nabs Zi, Proteon Procures $38M, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
Synta Melanoma Drug Trial Halted, Drug Regulators Hand Genzyme Mixed Bag, Ariad and ImmunoGen Reach Milestones, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
It was a bit of a rollercoaster for New England’s biotech firms this last week, with Synta Pharmaceuticals taking the worst dip. —Clinical Data (NASDAQ:[[ticker:CLDA]]) of Newton, MA, has raised $50 million in a convertible debt financing aimed at supporting late-stage development of its depression drug, vilazodone, and its cardiac imaging agent apadenoson (Stedivaze). —There … Continue reading “Synta Melanoma Drug Trial Halted, Drug Regulators Hand Genzyme Mixed Bag, Ariad and ImmunoGen Reach Milestones, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Ariad Arranges for Another $24.3M, Dismal Economy Doesn’t Stop Aveksa and Apparent Networks, Selecta Biosciences Chooses to Reveal Itself, & More Boston-Area Deals News
It was a mixed week for New England’s tech and life sciences firms, with several sizeable venture deals closed and a few less happy transactions as well. —Ariad Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:[[ticker:ARIA]]) cut a $24.3 million deal with new and existing institutional investors, who bought 14.37 million shares of the Cambridge, MA-based firm’s common stock. Ariad’s lead … Continue reading “Ariad Arranges for Another $24.3M, Dismal Economy Doesn’t Stop Aveksa and Apparent Networks, Selecta Biosciences Chooses to Reveal Itself, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
Pogo Jet Withdraws IPO
Eleven months after delaying its planned IPO, Chicopee, MA-based Pogo Jet has officially withdrawn the deal. The charter jet service provider, what has yet to launch its fleet of VLJs, or very light jets, had hoped to sell 7 million shares of its common stock at between $12.50 and $16.50 per share.
Alnylam’s Spinoff Strategy, Genzyme’s Gaucher-Business Future, Adimab’s Antibody Ambitions, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
If you’re a fan or follower of New England’s life sciences industry we’ve got lots for you this week, thanks to some great in-depth reporting by Ryan and Luke. —Luke gave a fascinating look at the strategy of Cambridge, MA-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[[ticker:ALNY]]), a pioneer in the field of RNA interference, or RNAi. Alnylam … Continue reading “Alnylam’s Spinoff Strategy, Genzyme’s Gaucher-Business Future, Adimab’s Antibody Ambitions, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Vertex’s $320M SPO, Verenium and BP’s Joint Venture, Genocea’s $23M Series A, & More Boston-Area Deals News
We’ve got several different venture deals to talk about this week, as well as an acquisition, a sizeable secondary offering, and other interesting transactions from New England’s tech and life sciences firms. —Cardiac implant maker HeartWare International (ASX: [[ticker:HIN]]) of Framingham, MA, agreed to a $282 million acquisition offer from Pleasanton, CA-based Thoratec (NASDAQ: [[ticker:THOR]]). … Continue reading “Vertex’s $320M SPO, Verenium and BP’s Joint Venture, Genocea’s $23M Series A, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
Alkermes Aims for Big Time, Partners Launches Blood Pressure Tracker, Synta Gets GSK Payday, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
It seems like some of New England’s life sciences firms might have headed off for February vacation a little early this year, but a few of them still had news to report. —Ryan took the pulse of SmartBeat, a new Web-based blood-pressure-management system developed by Partners HealthCare’s Center for Connected Health. Partners plans to use … Continue reading “Alkermes Aims for Big Time, Partners Launches Blood Pressure Tracker, Synta Gets GSK Payday, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Happy Birthdays Misters President
Xconomy will be off today in honor of the birthdays of George and Abe. (And while we’re at it we’ll probably lift a belated glass to Charles as well.) For those of you embarking on school-vacation-week adventures, bon voyage! To the rest, we’ll be back tomorrow with all the high-tech and life-sciences news you can … Continue reading “Happy Birthdays Misters President”
Backchannelmedia Opens Revenue Channel, GSK to Shell Out Up to $450M for Idenix Drug, GI Dynamics Packs On $15M, & More Boston-Area Deals News
Once again, New England’s tech and life sciences firms have managed to eek out a few notable deals despite the daunting climate. —Idenix Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IDIX]]), a maker of infectious-disease treatments in Cambridge, MA, forged an alliance with GlaxoSmithKline potentially worth about $450 million. The deal, which will bring Idenix $34 million up front, as … Continue reading “Backchannelmedia Opens Revenue Channel, GSK to Shell Out Up to $450M for Idenix Drug, GI Dynamics Packs On $15M, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
Deux Deals for Dyax, Au Revoir for Vertex’s Boger, Grande Alliance for Idenix and GSK, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
This week’s life sciences news was dominated by New England’s public companies—starting with three developments from Dyax. —Last Wednesday, an FDA advisory committee voted by a margin of just 6-5 to recommend approval of ecallantide from Cambridge, MA-based Dyax (NASDAQ:[[ticker:DYAX]]). The drug, a treatment for the rare blood disease hereditary angioedema, is the lead drug … Continue reading “Deux Deals for Dyax, Au Revoir for Vertex’s Boger, Grande Alliance for Idenix and GSK, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Idenix Inks HIV-Drug Deal with GSK Worth up to $450M
Shares of Idenix Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IDIX]]) jumped in pre-market trading this morning on the news that the Cambridge, MA-based developer of treatments for infectious diseases has inked a deal with pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline potentially worth some $450 million. GSK will pay Idenix $34 million upfront—half as cash and half via a purchase of its stock … Continue reading “Idenix Inks HIV-Drug Deal with GSK Worth up to $450M”
Biogen and Dyax Expand Relationship, Nuance Persists in Zi Pursuit, Draper Lab Locks In On $146M From the Navy, & More Boston-Area Deals News
The flow of deals from New England’s tech and life sciences companies was sluggish this week but not completely frozen. Acquisition news predominated. —Cambridge, MA-based Charles Stark Draper Laboratory won a $146 million contract from the U.S. Navy to work on guidance systems for the Trident II nuclear missile. —Burlington, MA-based speech technology giant Nuance … Continue reading “Biogen and Dyax Expand Relationship, Nuance Persists in Zi Pursuit, Draper Lab Locks In On $146M From the Navy, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
Harvard Researcher to Helm Merck’s Cancer Research, Genzyme Acquires Certain Exact Sciences Assets, NeurAxon Out to Axe Migraines, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences
New England life sciences firms gave us a little breather on the fast-breaking news this past week, so we had some time to take a closer look at some of the most interesting new companies and projects in the field. —Luke interviewed Tom Hughes, the CEO of Zafgen, and learned more about the startup’s plans … Continue reading “Harvard Researcher to Helm Merck’s Cancer Research, Genzyme Acquires Certain Exact Sciences Assets, NeurAxon Out to Axe Migraines, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences”
Exact Teams With Genzyme, Shrugs off Sequenom; Virtual Computer Reels in $15M; Beacon Power Inks National Grid Agreement; & More Boston-Area Deal News
Plenty of deals to discuss from all areas of technology and life sciences this week—including a couple of M&A switcheroos. —Diagnostics maker Exact Sciences (NASDAQ:[[ticker:EXAS]]) of Marlborough, MA, sold its assets related to prenatal and reproductive health to Cambridge, MA-based Genzyme (NASDAQ:[[ticker:GENZ]]) for $24.5 million. In response, San Diego-based Sequenom (NASDAQ:[[ticker:SQNM]]) ended its attempted takeover … Continue reading “Exact Teams With Genzyme, Shrugs off Sequenom; Virtual Computer Reels in $15M; Beacon Power Inks National Grid Agreement; & More Boston-Area Deal News”
Atlas Venture Closes New Fund with $283M, Does the Staffing Shuffle
Boston- and London-based Atlas Venture announced today that it has closed its eighth fund with $283 million committed by existing limited partners Kisco Management, The Kresge Foundation, Paul Capital, and others, and new limited partners such as Franklin Park, Industriens Pensionsforsikring A/S, and Meketa Investment Group. The fund’s first investment was in Waltham, MA-based CloudSwitch, … Continue reading “Atlas Venture Closes New Fund with $283M, Does the Staffing Shuffle”
Regulus Strikes Out On Its Own, J&J Seeks “Enlight”-enment, Synta Awaits Melanoma Data, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
There were some interesting M&A developments this past week involving or potentially affecting Massachusetts life sciences firms. Those, and the rest of the week’s news, below. —Regulus Therapeutics, a joint venture of Cambridge, MA-based Alnylam (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]) and Carlsbad, CA-based Isis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ISISI]]), unveiled plans to raise “a very respectable amount” of capital from … Continue reading “Regulus Strikes Out On Its Own, J&J Seeks “Enlight”-enment, Synta Awaits Melanoma Data, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Omni and Enztec Join, Raise $4.8M
Medical device makers Omni Life Science of Raynham, MA, and Enztec of Christchurch, New Zealand, announced that they have reorganized to become wholly owed subsidiaries of a new holding company called Orthopaedic Synergy, based in Raynham. The new firm also raised $4.8 million of a Series A financing from Pioneer Capital Partners of Auckland, New … Continue reading “Omni and Enztec Join, Raise $4.8M”
J&J Teams With Enlight, eIQnetworks Secures $10M, Riverbed Makes Off With Mazu for $25M, & More Boston-Area Deals News
Many of New England’s IT firms were heard from this past week. Those, and the rest of the week’s tech and life sciences deals, below. —The Scuderi Group of West Springfield, MA, raised $20 million in private funding from undisclosed investors. The firm is developing a fuel-efficient internal combustion engine. —The year-end data on U.S. … Continue reading “J&J Teams With Enlight, eIQnetworks Secures $10M, Riverbed Makes Off With Mazu for $25M, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
See You At The Show!
Folks in Xconomy’s Boston office are gathering our business cards and dancing shoes for tonight’s second annual Battle of the Tech Bands. Tickets are dwindling fast, but you can still get yours before 4:00 pm online here, or at the door at the Middle East Restaurant & Nightclub. Doors open at 7:00 pm—hope to see … Continue reading “See You At The Show!”
Vertex Stays Put, Hydra Handed $22M, Sequenom Still Pursuing Exact Sciences Acquisition, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
[Corrected 1/21/09, see the item on Cynosure] The New England biomedical industry was on the quiet side this past week, but there are still a few tidbits to report. —California-based Sequenom (NASDAQ:[[ticker:SQNM]]) said it would press ahead with its effort to acquire Exact Sciences (NASDAQ:[[ticker:EXAS]]) even though the board of the Marlborough, MA-based diagnostics maker … Continue reading “Vertex Stays Put, Hydra Handed $22M, Sequenom Still Pursuing Exact Sciences Acquisition, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Taking Monday On
Posting will be light between now and Tuesday as we’ll be observing Monday’s King Day of Service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who would have turned 80 yesterday. If you’d like to do some volunteering to mark the occasion, or if you’re hosting a service event and need volunteers, President-elect Obama has … Continue reading “Taking Monday On”
$55M for Boston-Power, Sequenom Plows Ahead with Exact Sciences Takeover Attempt, Nuance Announces $175M Stock Sale, & More Boston-Area Deals News
Everything else around here is frozen solid this week (hello, minus two degrees real-feel!), but the tech and life sciences deals are flowing. —Two Massachusetts firms—Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]) of Cambridge and Cubist Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CBST]]) of Lexington—inked a marketing deal focused on Alnylam’s RNAi-based treatment for respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. Under the terms … Continue reading “$55M for Boston-Power, Sequenom Plows Ahead with Exact Sciences Takeover Attempt, Nuance Announces $175M Stock Sale, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
Harvard Touts Its Economic Impact
Harvard University today released a report from New York-based research firm Appleseed detailing the university’s impact on the regional economy. The Boston Globe points out that the report, which credits Harvard with directly and indirectly accounting for some $4.8 billion in Boston-area economic activity in fiscal 2008, comes just as “Boston officials seek to squeeze … Continue reading “Harvard Touts Its Economic Impact”
Cubist and Alnylam Tackle RSV, Exact Sciences Fends Off Sequenom, An FDA Panel Backs GTC Biotherapeutics’ Goat-Milk Drug, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
New England’s life sciences firms unveiled some big deals and big plans this week. —Satori Pharmaceuticals raised $22 million from investors including InterWest Partners, Prospect Venture Partners, New Enterprise Associates, and PureTech Ventures (which launched the firm). The Cambridge, MA-based startup told Luke about its vision of becoming the first company to stop the progressive … Continue reading “Cubist and Alnylam Tackle RSV, Exact Sciences Fends Off Sequenom, An FDA Panel Backs GTC Biotherapeutics’ Goat-Milk Drug, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
$35M+ for Kolltan Pharma
Yale University Medical School spinoff Kolltan Pharmaceuticals of New Haven, CT, announced that it has closed a Series A financing round worth over $35 million. Kolltan is developing cancer treatments based on the work of Yale’s Joseph Schlessinger, a cofounder and director of the startup and its chief scientist. The company also named Michael Schmertzler … Continue reading “$35M+ for Kolltan Pharma”
For Your Listening Pleasure, a Battle of the Tech Bands MP3 Preview
It seems like a good day for some music, so we thought we’d give you a little preview of the tunes you’ll hear at our rapidly approaching second annual Battle of the Tech Bands. (Tickets are going fast—get yours now.) So behold MP3s from four of the six bands that are readying themselves to rock … Continue reading “For Your Listening Pleasure, a Battle of the Tech Bands MP3 Preview”
Archemix Partners with GSK, EMC Acquires SourceLabs Assets, Satori Raises $22M to Take on Alzheimer’s, & More Boston-Area Deals News
New England tech and life sciences firms have cut many a deal since last we rounded up. Here are some of the most interesting ones. —Cambridge, MA-based Semprus Biosciences, a spinoff from the famed Langer Lab at MIT, closed an $8 million Series A round of venture capital co-led by 5AM Venture and Pangaea Ventures. … Continue reading “Archemix Partners with GSK, EMC Acquires SourceLabs Assets, Satori Raises $22M to Take on Alzheimer’s, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
Forma Emerges With Well-Formed Cancer-Drug Strategy, Biogen Idec Preps for Parkinson’s Drug Data, Endo Buys out Indevus, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
We’ve got some M&A activity, some board-room drama, and some cool new companies and drug-development strategies–the year’s off to an interesting start for New England’s life sciences firms. —Forma Therapeutics, flush with $25 million from the likes of the Novartis Option Fund and Singapore’s Bio*One Capital, emerged from stealth mode to unveil its strategy for … Continue reading “Forma Emerges With Well-Formed Cancer-Drug Strategy, Biogen Idec Preps for Parkinson’s Drug Data, Endo Buys out Indevus, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
A Different Type of Tech Giving Guide
It’s an unofficial tradition in my family to spend the last few days of the year—often New Year’s Eve itself, I’m embarrassed to admit—deciding what charities we’d like to support before the tax-deduction clock resets for another year. So for any of you who are thinking along the same lines this week, and who are … Continue reading “A Different Type of Tech Giving Guide”
A Totally Cool $45M for Konarka, a $24M Boost for Momenta, IPO Woes for TransMedics and BioTrove, & More Boston-Area Deals News
A couple more IPOs bit the dust this last week. But elsewhere in the Boston area, tech and life sciences firms were having reasonable luck raising money and cutting deals. —Konarka raised $45 million from Total and inked an R&D agreement with the Paris-based international oil and gas conglomerate. Based in Lowell, MA, Konarka is … Continue reading “A Totally Cool $45M for Konarka, a $24M Boost for Momenta, IPO Woes for TransMedics and BioTrove, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
BioTrove Shelves IPO Plans
Eight months after bucking the trend by filing to go public in a very unhospitable market, Woburn, MA-based BioTrove has evidently thought better of things. The MIT spinoff, which is developing tools for genomic analysis and drug discovery, today pulled the planned offering, which was to have been worth up to $75 million. BioTrove might … Continue reading “BioTrove Shelves IPO Plans”
Genzyme and Boston Scientific Get Good News From the FDA; Acusphere and Targanta Not So Much; TransMedics Pulls IPO Plug; & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
New England’s life sciences firms got a lot of news from the FDA this past week—not all of it good. Here’s more on that, and the rest of the week’s news from the sector. —Ryan caught up with the CEO of Targanta Therapeutics (NASDAQ:[[ticker:TARG]]) the day after the FDA has decided to not to approve … Continue reading “Genzyme and Boston Scientific Get Good News From the FDA; Acusphere and Targanta Not So Much; TransMedics Pulls IPO Plug; & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
TransMedics Pulls IPO
TransMedics has nixed plans for an IPO worth up to $86 million, citing unfavorable market conditions. The Andover, MA-based firm, which first filed for the offering in September 2007, develops systems for transporting organs for transplant.
Tick Tock. The Deadline to Enter the Battle of The Tech Bands is Midnight Tonight
Just a friendly reminder to all of you who trade pipettes, protractors, and powerpoints for whammy bars and hi hats at the end of the day: The deadline to enter Xconomy’s second annual Battle of the Tech Bands is midnight tonight. It’s shaping up to be a spectacular show and the prizes are pretty sweet, … Continue reading “Tick Tock. The Deadline to Enter the Battle of The Tech Bands is Midnight Tonight”
GSK Pays Synta $15M
Lexington, MA-based cancer drug developer Synta Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SNTA]]) announced it has earned a $15 million milestone payment from GlaxoSmithKline. The pyament is part of a deal inked last October and worth up to $1.1 billion that focuses on Synta’s elesclomol, which is currently in Phase 3 testing as a treatment for metastatic melanoma.
Boston-Power Gets a Charge Out of HP, Semprus Seizes $8M, Alnylam Expands Patent Position, & More Boston-Area Deals News
How about half a dozen venture deals to brighten a dreary New England week? Those, and the rest of the Boston-area deals news, below. —Several Boston-area firms helped funnel $40 million into cellulosic ethanol startup Coskata of Warrenville, IL. The Series C round was led by the new Cleantech Venture Fund of Blackstone Group, which … Continue reading “Boston-Power Gets a Charge Out of HP, Semprus Seizes $8M, Alnylam Expands Patent Position, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
Novartis Deal Could Boost Ascent by $200M, Ariad’s Boardroom Drama Comes to Light, Targanta Takes Another Hit, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
Boston-area life sciences firms made a good showing at two important meetings this week. Luke and Ryan gave the rundown on those, and took a look at a couple very interesting startups. —Ryan checked in with Frank Reynolds, spinal-cord-injury survivor and CEO of InVivo Therapeutics, about the progress of his company’s Cambridge, MA-based effort to … Continue reading “Novartis Deal Could Boost Ascent by $200M, Ariad’s Boardroom Drama Comes to Light, Targanta Takes Another Hit, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
EMC Secures Microsoft Alliance, Polaris Backs Infinite Power Solutions, ExtendMedia Extends its Balance Sheet by $10M, & More Boston-Area Deals News
Nope, it’s not Monday again already. We just moved the Boston deals roundup from Monday to Friday to make room for the brand-new San Diego deals roundup. So Boston readers are getting a bonus roundup this week. It’s a good thing, too–there’s much to discuss: —Oak Investment Partners of Westport, CT and Palo Alto, CA … Continue reading “EMC Secures Microsoft Alliance, Polaris Backs Infinite Power Solutions, ExtendMedia Extends its Balance Sheet by $10M, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
Alkermes Regains Vivitrol Rights, Biogen Idec Heads for the Burbs, A Peek at Partners Innovation Fund’s Portfolio, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
Several of the Boston area’s public life sciences companies were making news this week. But first… —Ryan delved into the strategy and portfolio of Partners Innovation Fund, which was launched last year by Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s hospitals to invest exclusively in startups with science from the two Harvard-affiliated hospitals. Among the startups … Continue reading “Alkermes Regains Vivitrol Rights, Biogen Idec Heads for the Burbs, A Peek at Partners Innovation Fund’s Portfolio, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Pocket Communications Pockets $100M From Battery Ventures And Others, Nuance Makes New Bid for Zi, Xconomy Closes Second Round, & More Boston-Area Deals News
Dealmaking ebbed last week as the gravy flowed, but Boston-area tech and life sciences companies still managed to serve up a few morsels of news. —Waltham, MA- and Menlo Park, CA-based Battery Ventures led a $100 million venture round for San Antonio, TX-based Pocket Communications Northeast. Pocket is putting together a new cellular network that … Continue reading “Pocket Communications Pockets $100M From Battery Ventures And Others, Nuance Makes New Bid for Zi, Xconomy Closes Second Round, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
Resolvyx Closes in on Clinical Trials, Radius Health Reels in $15M, Luke Zeros in on Public Biotechs’ Bottom Line, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
All was far from quiet on the Boston-area life sciences front this past week. Behold… —Luke did a massive analysis of the finances of public Boston-area life sciences firms, looking at how much money each one has in the bank—and how fast that cash is going up the chimney. Bottom line: Boston companies are overall … Continue reading “Resolvyx Closes in on Clinical Trials, Radius Health Reels in $15M, Luke Zeros in on Public Biotechs’ Bottom Line, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
SunEthanol Picks Up $25M, New Name; Infinity Pharma Pairs with Purdue Pharma; In-Q-Tel Taps Two Local Firms, & More Boston-Area Deals News
Half a dozen Boston-area tech and life sciences startups have something to be thankful for heading into this week’s holiday, all of them having managed to close venture deals in a very tricky environment. A few public companies cut some interesting deals as well. —ReGen Power Systems, a Salem, MA-based firm developing a power-producing external … Continue reading “SunEthanol Picks Up $25M, New Name; Infinity Pharma Pairs with Purdue Pharma; In-Q-Tel Taps Two Local Firms, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
RXi Tackles RNAi Delivery, Pfizer Launches A Two-Cambridge Stem Cell Effort, Archemix Plows An Alternative Path to the Public Market, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
The news was mostly good for Boston-area life sciences firms this past week, with some money raised, some deals done, and some intriguing new technologies unveiled. —Luke talked to Tod Woolf, CEO of RXi Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RXII]]), about the tremendous challenge of delivering RNAi-based drugs—and how the Worcester, MA-based firm plans to overcome it. Its … Continue reading “RXi Tackles RNAi Delivery, Pfizer Launches A Two-Cambridge Stem Cell Effort, Archemix Plows An Alternative Path to the Public Market, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”
Brightcove Bonds with Conde Nast, BSX Backs Brain-Implant Firm, $8 Million Shared With PeerApp, & More Boston-Area Deals News
The theme for the week was definitely video, with four different deals cut around different aspects of the technology (five, if you count all the video-playing gizmos that cycle through Second Rotation’s reselling system). Those, and the rest of the week’s Boston-area tech and life sciences deals news, below. —Second Rotation circled $6 million in … Continue reading “Brightcove Bonds with Conde Nast, BSX Backs Brain-Implant Firm, $8 Million Shared With PeerApp, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
ZafGen Scores $14M Series B
Anti-obesity drug developer ZafGen closed a Series B financing worth $14 million, PE Hub reports, citing a regulatory filing. Third Rock Ventures and Atlas Venture supplied the funding for the Cambridge, MA-based startup, which Luke profiled in September.
Shire Settles TKT Suit, Roche and Ensemble Together Again, BSX Backs Neuromodulation Startup, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News
Will “stapled peptides” be the next RNAi? This and other highlights from the last week in Boston-area life sciences news below. —Former shareholders of Cambridge, MA-based Transkaryotic Therapies (TKT) reached a $567.5 million settlement with Irish drug maker Shire (LSE:[[ticker:SHP]]). The shareholders had originally objected to Shire’s 2005 takeover of TKT because they thought the … Continue reading “Shire Settles TKT Suit, Roche and Ensemble Together Again, BSX Backs Neuromodulation Startup, & More Boston-Area Life Sciences News”