Last week was a mixed one for Boston-area life sciences firms—Biogen Idec got the news the market’s been dreading, while several of its neighbors announced pipeline progress. —Shares of Cambridge, MA-based Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) and Ireland’s Elan (NYSE: [[ticker:ELN]]) took a big hit on the news that two multiple sclerosis patients taking the companies’ … Continue reading “Vertex Cystic Fibrosis Program on the Rise, Biogen and Partner Fall on Tysabri News, Alnylam Stakes RNAa IP Claim, & More 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.
Two Cleantech Firms Plan IPOs, In-Q-Tel Backs Software Security Firm, Forrester Lands JupiterResearch, & More Deals News
A pair of New England tech firms sparked up an otherwise slow summer week by announcing their intentions to go public in a market that’s scared off virtually everybody else. —Not one but two New England cleantech firms filed for IPOs. Wind-farm developer First Wind of Newton, MA, registered for an offering worth up to … Continue reading “Two Cleantech Firms Plan IPOs, In-Q-Tel Backs Software Security Firm, Forrester Lands JupiterResearch, & More Deals News”
Icahn’s Nominee to Yahoo’s Board Winds up on Biogen Idec’s, Epix CEO Steps Down, Caliper Comes to Drugs’ Rescue, & More Life Sciences News
The theme of the week in New England life sciences news was tools and diagnostics. —Fresh off a proxy-battle win against activist investor Carl Icahn, Cambridge, MA-based Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) named former hedge fund manager Brian Posner to its board of directors. Posner was one of 10 people Icahn nominated to the board of … Continue reading “Icahn’s Nominee to Yahoo’s Board Winds up on Biogen Idec’s, Epix CEO Steps Down, Caliper Comes to Drugs’ Rescue, & More Life Sciences News”
GT Solar Pulls Off IPO, Esther Dyson and Tim O’Reilly Back Good Data, BioEnergy Bonds with OmniGene, & More Deals News
On the up side, the IPO drought was broken by a New England company. On the down side, the stock took a bit of a tumble. That and the rest of last week’s deals news below. —GT Solar (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SOLR]]) raised about $500 million for its parent company, which sold 30.3 million shares of the … Continue reading “GT Solar Pulls Off IPO, Esther Dyson and Tim O’Reilly Back Good Data, BioEnergy Bonds with OmniGene, & More Deals News”
GT Solar Sees Partly Sunny Stock-Market Debut
Shares of GT Solar headed south after their debut this morning on the NASDAQ exchange ([[ticker:SOLR]]). Of course, making it to the public market at all is an accomplishment in this economic climate; the Merrimack, NH-based manufacturer of equipment for producing photovoltaic panels is the first venture- or PE-backed firm in the whole country to … Continue reading “GT Solar Sees Partly Sunny Stock-Market Debut”
Genzyme Pursues Multiple Sclerosis Market, Biogen Reports Progress in Same, BG Medicine Swallows $40 Million Cash Bolus, & More Life Sciences News
Lots of news from the bigger players (think Genzyme and Biogen Idec) in the Boston-area life sciences arena last week, plus a peep here and there from the startups. —Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]), a developer of RNAi-based drugs in Cambridge, MA, extended its collaboration with pharma giant Novartis (NYSE: [[ticker:NVS]]) through October 2009; the deal … Continue reading “Genzyme Pursues Multiple Sclerosis Market, Biogen Reports Progress in Same, BG Medicine Swallows $40 Million Cash Bolus, & More Life Sciences News”
Yet Another $1 Billion for Evergreen Solar, Alnylam and Novartis Extend Alliance, & More Deals
I’m running out of “green” jokes to use in headlines describing the steady march of cash toward Evergreen Solar’s coffers. The latest example of that, plus a surprising number and variety of venture financings and other deals for one summer week, below. —Evergreen Solar (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ESLR]]) announced yet another large, long-term order for the photovoltaic … Continue reading “Yet Another $1 Billion for Evergreen Solar, Alnylam and Novartis Extend Alliance, & More Deals”
Peptimmune Picks Up $8.9M
Peptimmune has finished an $8.9 million second close of its Series D financing, the Cambridge, MA-based firm announced today. The funding, led by New Enterprise Associates, MPM Capital, Hunt Ventures, Boston Medical Investors, and Silicon Valley Bank Capital, will be used to further development of Peptimmune’s treatment for multiple sclerosis.
BG Medicine Raises $40M
BG Medicine, a molecular diagnostics firm in Waltham, MA, announced today that it has closed a Series D financing round worth $40 million. Legg Mason Capital Management, GE Asset Management, and SMALLCAP World Fund, participated, as did existing investors Flagship Ventures, Gilde Healthcare Partners, Humana, Stelios Papadopoulos. BG pulled a planned IPO back in January; … Continue reading “BG Medicine Raises $40M”
Vericept Closes New Financing
Waltham, MA-based Vericept, a provider of so-called data leakage prevention (DLP) products, announced it has closed a financing of up to $8 million. The deal was led by Sigma Partners, according to Vericept, which provides more that 800 companies and organizations with tools to aid compliance and protect against data breaches.
MIT and Startup Sue Affymetrix, Enlight Garners Big Pharma Backers, Genocea Targets Cheaper Vaccines, & More Life Sciences News
Perhaps nostalgic for his days poring through the documents in the iRobot case, Bob uncovered what could wind up being a doozy of a patent dispute—this time involving gene chips rather than battle bots. Here’s that, and the rest of the week’s life sciences news. —MIT and E8 Pharmaceuticals—a startup founded by MIT and Harvard … Continue reading “MIT and Startup Sue Affymetrix, Enlight Garners Big Pharma Backers, Genocea Targets Cheaper Vaccines, & More Life Sciences News”
GT Solar Sees Brighter IPO Skies; Pfizer, Merck, and Eli Lilly Back Boston Startup; GSI Group Beams out $360M for Excel Technology & More Deals News
Last week must have been a good one, because I’ve got more than $100 million worth of venture financings, along with a couple of other deals, to tell you about. —Merrimack, NH-based GT Solar expanded its 15-month-old IPO plans. Originally targeting a $200 million offering, the manufacturer of solar-cell-making equipment is now aiming for an … Continue reading “GT Solar Sees Brighter IPO Skies; Pfizer, Merck, and Eli Lilly Back Boston Startup; GSI Group Beams out $360M for Excel Technology & More Deals News”
Boston Scientific Wins Stent Approval, Resolvyx Moves Closer to Fish-Oil Drug Trials, Codon Cuts Algae Fuel Deal, & More Life Sciences News
One of the things I find most interesting about New England life sciences firms is the diversity of the technologies they are commercializing. This week’s news from the sector illustrates that nicely. —Boston Scientific (NYSE: [[ticker:BSX]]) won FDA approval for a new type of drug-coated artery-propping stent. The device, called Promus, is manufactured by Abbott … Continue reading “Boston Scientific Wins Stent Approval, Resolvyx Moves Closer to Fish-Oil Drug Trials, Codon Cuts Algae Fuel Deal, & More Life Sciences News”
.406 Ventures Backs Open-Source Video Firm, Thermo Fisher Boosts RNAi Efforts, Cubist Bonds with AstraZeneca, & More Deals News
My favorite deal from last week was the last one, but it’s a little hard to capture the idea of core-sampling frozen sperm in a headline. (Or at least a headline suitable for a family publication such as our own.) —Castile Ventures of Waltham, MA, led a $13 million Series B investment in Sunnyvale, CA’s … Continue reading “.406 Ventures Backs Open-Source Video Firm, Thermo Fisher Boosts RNAi Efforts, Cubist Bonds with AstraZeneca, & More Deals News”
CVS Teams with Microsoft, Epix Makes Another Bid at Approval, Thermo Ups RNAi Ante, & More Life Sciences News
OK, “& more” is stretching it this week. But with the long weekend looming, Boston-area life sciences firms can be forgiven if they’re taking things a little easy. —The biggest prescription drug provider in the United States, Woonsocket, RI-based CVS Caremark, teamed up with Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) to offer consumers Web-based health information management tools. … Continue reading “CVS Teams with Microsoft, Epix Makes Another Bid at Approval, Thermo Ups RNAi Ante, & More Life Sciences News”
$37 Million for Nanotech Insulation, $25 Million for ImmunoGen, $325 Million for Evergreen Solar, & More Deals News
Aren’t things supposed to slow down in the summer? There was lots of dealmaking happening in New England last week, across life sciences and high-tech fields. —Northborough, MA-based Aspen Aerogels, which makes nanotech-based insulation, raised $37 million from Arcapita Ventures, Lehman Brothers Venture Partners, Reservoir Capital Group, and RockPort Capital Partners. —Waltham, MA-based ImmunoGen (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “$37 Million for Nanotech Insulation, $25 Million for ImmunoGen, $325 Million for Evergreen Solar, & More Deals News”
Lessons From a Year of (Our) Startup Life
You know how, in the excitement of a new relationship, you often find yourself celebrating dozens of little “anniversaries?” The day you met, first date, first… You get the idea. Building a company is like that, with so many milestones to be passed and, a year hence, commemorated. First business plan. First viable business plan. … Continue reading “Lessons From a Year of (Our) Startup Life”
Evergreen Solar Plans $300M Note Sale
Evergreen Solar (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ESLR]]) of Marlboro, MA today announced it plans to sell $300 million worth of senior convertible notes to help fund the completion of its Devens, MA, plant and to begin construction of a new manufacturing facility. Much of the capacity at the Devens plant is now spoken for, thanks to a recent … Continue reading “Evergreen Solar Plans $300M Note Sale”
Health 2.0 Firms in the Spotlight, Biogen Board in the Clear, Alnylam in Asia, & More Life Sciences News
New England’s public life sciences firms were feeling particularly newsworthy this last week, it seems. But plenty of private firms are represented in this first item: —Wade uncovered yet another thriving New England tech cluster: The thirty-odd “Health 2.0” firms using the Web to deliver various kinds of healthcare services. The next day he profiled … Continue reading “Health 2.0 Firms in the Spotlight, Biogen Board in the Clear, Alnylam in Asia, & More Life Sciences News”
RXi Plans $8.7M Stock Sale
RXi Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RXII]]) inked a deal to sell just over a million shares of its common stock to institutional investors for a total of some $8.7 million. The Worcester, MA-based firm, whose stock debuted in March, plans to use the proceeds of this private placement to build its pipeline of RNAi-based drugs, among other … Continue reading “RXi Plans $8.7M Stock Sale”
IRobot Hired to Make Shape-Shifting Robots, Alnylam Forges Asian Connection, Navic Scooped Up By Microsoft, More Orders for Evergreen Solar, & More Deals News
Last week was a good one for New England tech and life sciences startups trying to raise cash. But first, the shape-shifting robots. —IRobot (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IRBT]]) of Burlington, MA, won a $3.3 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the U.S. Army Research Office to develop “soft, flexible” robots that can shimmy … Continue reading “IRobot Hired to Make Shape-Shifting Robots, Alnylam Forges Asian Connection, Navic Scooped Up By Microsoft, More Orders for Evergreen Solar, & More Deals News”
Alnylam Inks $93M Japanese Deal
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]) announced it has forged an alliance with Japan’s Kyowa Hakko Kogyo to commercialize the Cambridge, MA-based firm’s RNAi-based treatment for respiratory syncytial virus in Japan and other major Asian markets. The deal calls for Kyowa Hakko to pay Alnylam $15 million upfront, with as much as $78 million in development and … Continue reading “Alnylam Inks $93M Japanese Deal”
Genzyme Seeks Dual Approval, Google Health Picks Another Massachusetts Partner, Biogen Shareholders To Provide Closure (Maybe), & More Life Science News
Seems like most of the Massachusetts life sciences industry is out in San Diego at BIO this week—along with Governor Patrick—plugging the newly signed $1 billion funding bill. But those left in town had a few bits of interesting news to share as well. —Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts became the first health insurer … Continue reading “Genzyme Seeks Dual Approval, Google Health Picks Another Massachusetts Partner, Biogen Shareholders To Provide Closure (Maybe), & More Life Science News”
Will CombinatoRx Be the Next Cambridge Biotech Put on the Block?
Millennium Pharmaceuticals. Sirtris Pharmaceuticals. Maybe Biogen Idec (or maybe not). Will CombinatoRx (NASDAQ:[[ticker:CRXX]]) be next on the list of Cambridge, MA, biotech firms scooped up by a Big Pharma buyer? That’s the question raised by Bloomberg’s Kelly Riddell, who noted on Monday that several fund managers recently boosted their holdings in the eight-year-old firm. Riddell … Continue reading “Will CombinatoRx Be the Next Cambridge Biotech Put on the Block?”
$8 Million for JazzD Markets
Stealthy online directory firm JazzD Markets of Brookline, MA, completed a $8 million in Series A financing round from investors including Commonwealth Capital Ventures and Pilot House Ventures, according to PE Hub, which cites a regulatory filing.
IRobot Dives into Underwater Robotics, American Superconductor Inks a Supersized Wind Power Deal, BCBSMA Insures Members’ Google Health, & More Deals News
Deal-making took New England tech firms all over the map last week. Let’s start with Beijing. —Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKAM]]) of Cambridge, MA, announced it will partner with New York’s The NewsMarket to provide journalists covering the Beijing Olympics with quick and reliable video-clip downloads. —And speaking of Beijing, a firm there, Sinovel Wind Corporation, … Continue reading “IRobot Dives into Underwater Robotics, American Superconductor Inks a Supersized Wind Power Deal, BCBSMA Insures Members’ Google Health, & More Deals News”
Vertex Moves Hepatitis Drug Forward, Merrimack Rakes in $60M, Biogen and Icahn Trade Barbs, & More Life Sciences News
Much of the week’s life sciences news was dominated by the bickering of Biogen Idec and billionaire investor Carl Icahn. A few other interesting things happened, though. Those first: —Merrimack Pharmaceuticals of Cambridge, MA, revealed it had raised a tidy $60 million in a Series F round from Credit Suisse First Boston Next Fund, Crocker … Continue reading “Vertex Moves Hepatitis Drug Forward, Merrimack Rakes in $60M, Biogen and Icahn Trade Barbs, & More Life Sciences News”
Turbine Confirms $40M Round, Nuance Prices Secondary Offering, Sirtris Completes GSK Deal, & More Deals News
New England software firms had a busy week, it seems, and there were a couple of key biotech deals too. Here’s the rundown: —Boston-based OpenAir, a provider of Web-based services automation software for business groups, was acquired by Silicon Valley’s NetSuite for $26 million. —Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]) sold the rights to its royalty stream … Continue reading “Turbine Confirms $40M Round, Nuance Prices Secondary Offering, Sirtris Completes GSK Deal, & More Deals News”
Vertex Cashes Out HIV Drugs, FDA Smiles on Infinity and Frowns on Indevus, Alnylam Makes Cross-Border Investment, & More Life Sciences News
Boston-area life sciences firms had mixed success navigating regulatory waters this week. Here’s the skinny on that and the rest of the week’s biomedical news. —Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]) sold the rights to its royalty stream on two HIV drugs for $160 million; the Cambridge, MA-based firm plans to use the cash to help bring … Continue reading “Vertex Cashes Out HIV Drugs, FDA Smiles on Infinity and Frowns on Indevus, Alnylam Makes Cross-Border Investment, & More Life Sciences News”
$400M Contract for Foster-Miller, 65K Order for OLPC, $1B In, $5M Out for Alnylam, & More Deals News
Sheesh, maybe it was the sheer volume of the last week’s deals that made the equipment at our Web hosting company explode. Check it out: —The U.S. military awarded Foster-Miller its biggest robot contract yet, for $400 million worth of the Waltham, MA-based firm’s TALON robots and spare parts. The robots will be used to … Continue reading “$400M Contract for Foster-Miller, 65K Order for OLPC, $1B In, $5M Out for Alnylam, & More Deals News”
Xconomy Forum: The Promise and Reality of Cloud Computing **SOLD OUT**
What is cloud computing? Is there one cloud, or many? Where are they, who owns them-and what are the differences between cloud computing, utility computing, grid computing, and software as a service? What can the cloud do for you now, and what lies over the horizon? Find out from an elite group of cloud-computing experts … Continue reading “Xconomy Forum: The Promise and Reality of Cloud Computing **SOLD OUT**”
Takeda and Alnylam Join Forces, Carl Icahn Makes His Case, New England Biotech is Hot (Duh), & More Life Sciences News
Japan’s Takeda took another bite out of Boston-area biotech this week, while Ernst & Young’s numbers showed just how juicy that apple is. Here’s more on that, and the rest of the week’s life sciences news. —Not long after its $8.8 billion acquisition of Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Japanese drug giant Takeda Pharmaceutical Company forged an agreement … Continue reading “Takeda and Alnylam Join Forces, Carl Icahn Makes His Case, New England Biotech is Hot (Duh), & More Life Sciences News”
Evergreen Rakes in the Green, NxStage Plans Two-Stage Deal, Atlas Places Big Bet on MicroRNA, & More Deals News
Smaller deals were the rule last week, but this first one marked an exception. —Evergreen Solar (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ESLR]]) of Marlboro, MA, inked about $1 billion worth of new long-term sales deals. The company, which was formed in 1994 to commercialize “string ribbon” solar-cell manufacturing technology invented at MIT, now has long-term agreements with eight customers … Continue reading “Evergreen Rakes in the Green, NxStage Plans Two-Stage Deal, Atlas Places Big Bet on MicroRNA, & More Deals News”
Shares of Evergreen Solar Shine After $1 Billion Contract News
Evergreen Solar (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ESLR]]), a solar-power-product manufacturer that Xconomist Bill Aulet calls one of the poster children for clean-energy success, got a nice bump on the stock market this morning after announcing it has inked about $1 billion worth of long-term sales deals The Marlboro, MA-based firm, which went public in 2000, yesterday announced an … Continue reading “Shares of Evergreen Solar Shine After $1 Billion Contract News”
A Diagnostics Non-Profit Takes the 100K Prize, Greenfuel Gets a $13.9M Bump for Algae Bioreactors, Beth Israel Teams With Google, and More Life Sciences News
For-profit firms are the bread and butter of the New England biotech startup scene, but it was nice to see a new non-profit getting a little love last week. Here’s that and the rest of the week’s life sciences news. —A non-profit venture aimed at providing cheap, portable, easy-to-use diagnostics tools for healthcare workers in … Continue reading “A Diagnostics Non-Profit Takes the 100K Prize, Greenfuel Gets a $13.9M Bump for Algae Bioreactors, Beth Israel Teams With Google, and More Life Sciences News”
OLPC Teams With Microsoft, Wired Bonds with Ars Technica, Greenfuel Gets More Green, & More Deals News
There was a steady flow of Boston-area deals last week—not to mention a couple of nice ones for our fellow tech-media companies. —The One Laptop Per Child Foundation forged an agreement with Microsoft to make versions of the foundation’s XO laptop that run Windows XP (even as former OLPC president of software and content Walter … Continue reading “OLPC Teams With Microsoft, Wired Bonds with Ars Technica, Greenfuel Gets More Green, & More Deals News”
Introducing Greg. He Rocks.
Astute readers will have noticed a new byline cropping up on Xconomy for the last week or so. It’s our new Seattle editor, Greg Huang. Seattle? Yeah, that’s what I said—more on that very soon. But Greg is filing stories from the Boston home office before he heads west so we thought you should know … Continue reading “Introducing Greg. He Rocks.”
OmniGuide Pulls Off Planned $25M Financing Round
Yoel Fink was a hard man to get a hold of back in March when Neil interviewed the OmniGuide CEO. Fink explained at the time that he was busy courting potential investors in a Series E round of funding for his Cambridge, MA-based medical device company, and that he hoped to raise $25 million to … Continue reading “OmniGuide Pulls Off Planned $25M Financing Round”
BSX Meets With Much Approval, Biogen and Icahn Set the (Showdown) Date, Fate’s Fate Revealed, Win Free Stuff, & More Life Sciences News
Each week I round up the latest news from the New England life sciences cluster, but this week I also want to offer you, gentle reader, the opportunity to share your views on the cluster, as part of a survey we’re helping PricewaterhouseCoopers conduct. Participating in the survey is a great chance to help key … Continue reading “BSX Meets With Much Approval, Biogen and Icahn Set the (Showdown) Date, Fate’s Fate Revealed, Win Free Stuff, & More Life Sciences News”
Elixir Pulls IPO, Mascoma Runs With Marathon, InnoCentive Gets an Incentive, Novartis Ups Alnylam Stake, & More Deals News
New England’s corporate attorneys must have been working overtime, because the last week saw an unusual amount of deals activity—particularly in public and private stock offerings. —Citing market conditions, Elixir Pharmaceuticals pulled its IPO. The Cambridge, MA-based firm, which is developing treatments for diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic diseases, had already postponed the offering back … Continue reading “Elixir Pulls IPO, Mascoma Runs With Marathon, InnoCentive Gets an Incentive, Novartis Ups Alnylam Stake, & More Deals News”
With An Offering Worth Up to $80.5 Million, Gomez Could Help Revive the Moribund IPO Market
“IPOs: Back from the Dead?” BusinessWeek asked this morning—and, as if to answer, Lexington, MA-based Gomez filed for an offering worth up to $80.5 million. (And if that combination of events bizarrely fills your head with images of the dancing zombies from the “Thriller” video, well, you’re not alone.) In its filing with the SEC, … Continue reading “With An Offering Worth Up to $80.5 Million, Gomez Could Help Revive the Moribund IPO Market”
Concert Strikes a Chord With Investors, Abiomed Scores a Win with Medicare, Epix Snags $7.5M from GSK, & More Life Sciences News
Is it Wednesday again already? Must be time for some life sciences news… —Lexington, MA’s Concert Pharmaceuticals raised $37 million in one of this year’s biggest Series C rounds in New England biotech. The deal was led by an unnamed public equity investor and joined by Adage Capital Management, SR One, Mediphase Venture Partners, Westfield … Continue reading “Concert Strikes a Chord With Investors, Abiomed Scores a Win with Medicare, Epix Snags $7.5M from GSK, & More Life Sciences News”
Mascoma Teams with GM, Moldflow Melds with Autodesk, Concert Scores Some Heavy-Duty Cash, & More Deals News
Last week saw several very large financing deals. Perhaps those depressing Q1 numbers gave investors a little kick in the rear? —Concert Pharmaceuticals of Lexington, MA, raised a hefty $37 million to support its work on drugs incorporating deuterium, a heavier form of hydrogen. The Series C round was led by a “leading public equity … Continue reading “Mascoma Teams with GM, Moldflow Melds with Autodesk, Concert Scores Some Heavy-Duty Cash, & More Deals News”
Three Luminaries, Two Third Revolutions, and One Nice Suit: An Xconomy Forum on the Future of Life Sciences in New England
Leave it to a Nobel Laureate to out-quip the famously quippy Noubar Afeyan. It happened while Bob was in the middle of his (probably unnecessary) introductions of the three luminaries who had joined us Tuesday evening to lead a discussion about the future of the life sciences in New England: Flagship Ventures co-founder Afeyan, Harvard-Partners … Continue reading “Three Luminaries, Two Third Revolutions, and One Nice Suit: An Xconomy Forum on the Future of Life Sciences in New England”
InfraReDx Gets FDA Nod for Artery-Imaging Tool
Ten-year-old InfraReDx of Burlington, MA, has gotten clearance from the FDA to market a catheter-based tool that lets doctors peer into the plaques on the walls of coronary arteries and determine which ones have lipid cores. Such fatty plaques may be more prone to rupture and form blood clots, a common cause of heart attacks, … Continue reading “InfraReDx Gets FDA Nod for Artery-Imaging Tool”
ZS Genetics Enters the X Prize Fray, Biogen Falls on Rituxan News, Acusphere Takes a Step Toward Clinical Finish Line, & More Life Sciences News
While we were gearing up to discuss the future of life sciences in New England (more on that soon), here’s what was happening in the present. —Cambridge, MA-based Constellation Pharmaceuticals picked up $32 million in a Series A financing round co-led by Third Rock Ventures, The Column Group, and Venrock. Third Rock and Millennium Pharmaceuticals … Continue reading “ZS Genetics Enters the X Prize Fray, Biogen Falls on Rituxan News, Acusphere Takes a Step Toward Clinical Finish Line, & More Life Sciences News”
iRobot v. Robotic FX, Redux
Mine-detecting robots, Delorean-driving trade-secret-swiping engineers, dumpster-diving detectives. Ring any bells? When last we wrote about the iRobot-Robotic FX case, just before Christmas, Burlington, MA-based iRobot (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IRBT]]) was riding off into the sunset with a $286 million Army contract, a bunch of assets handed over by its vanquished Alsip, IL-based rival, and a promise that … Continue reading “iRobot v. Robotic FX, Redux”
Retail Convergence Meets Up With Some Cash, TheStreet Takes to Geezeo, GSK Lifts a Glass to Sirtris, & More Deals News
It was a big week for Boston-area life sciences (especially for Sirtris and Resolvyx), but a couple of local Internet firms closed some sweet deals as well. —Newly formed Boston-based e-commerce firm Retail Convergence—which owns bargain retailers Smart Bargains and RueLala—raised $25 million from New England Development, Breakaway Ventures, Mugar Enterprises, General Catalyst, and other … Continue reading “Retail Convergence Meets Up With Some Cash, TheStreet Takes to Geezeo, GSK Lifts a Glass to Sirtris, & More Deals News”
Startup Seals Deal With MIT on Wound-Sealing, Self-Assembling, Nanoscale Technology
A super-stealthy MIT spinoff is poking its head out today to announce that it has finalized a licensing agreement with the Institute. The pact gives Arch Therapeutics rights to a family of clear liquids developed by research scientist Rutledge Ellis-Behnke that stanch or prevent bleeding after an injury or during surgery. Ellis-Behnke and his colleagues … Continue reading “Startup Seals Deal With MIT on Wound-Sealing, Self-Assembling, Nanoscale Technology”
GSK Takes Sirtris and Taps Alnylam Venture, FDA Deals Genzyme Drug a Blow, Resolvyx Finances Fish-Oil Drugs, & More Life Sciences News
Spring has definitely sprung for New England life sciences firms—there are new financings, partnerships, acquisitions, and the like cropping up all over. Let’s start with the big one. —Sirtris Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SIRT]]) of Cambridge, MA, was snapped up for a cool $720 million by pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: [[ticker:GSK]]). The company will continue to operate … Continue reading “GSK Takes Sirtris and Taps Alnylam Venture, FDA Deals Genzyme Drug a Blow, Resolvyx Finances Fish-Oil Drugs, & More Life Sciences News”