From the event organizer: The West Coast Chapter of the PDA would like to invite all professionals working in the life sciences industry to celebrate a fantastic year with the best of the Bay Area’s life sciences community. This is the place to catch up with former colleagues, have the opportunity to meet new connections, find solutions for … Continue reading “Parenteral Drug Association West Coast Life Science Holidays Party & Expo”
Category: San Francisco
Neuroscience Is Taking the Spotlight at Xconomy’s Bay Area Xchange
These are heady times for neuroscience research. Startups developing new approaches to brain disorders are raising money to advance their discoveries toward clinical trials. One failed neuro drug is getting another shot. On Nov. 19 in San Francisco, we’ll hold the latest in our Xchange event series. What’s Next in Neuroscience Therapies will take a … Continue reading “Neuroscience Is Taking the Spotlight at Xconomy’s Bay Area Xchange”
Looking to Level Up in NASH, Novo Nordisk Licenses Ube Drug Candidate
Danish diabetes giant Novo Nordisk took another step this week in its efforts to establish a presence in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH, a metabolic disorder closely related to diabetes that is anticipated to become the leading cause of liver transplants in the US in coming years. The company Thursday announced it had inked a deal … Continue reading “Looking to Level Up in NASH, Novo Nordisk Licenses Ube Drug Candidate”
Bio Roundup: Feds Sue Gilead, Biogen Eyes China, CRISPR’d Kidneys & More
During the state of the union address this year, President Trump pledged to end HIV transmission within the next decade. A key part of that plan is an HIV prevention drug made by Gilead Sciences. That drug has now become the center of a patent dispute between the Foster City, CA, drug maker and the … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Feds Sue Gilead, Biogen Eyes China, CRISPR’d Kidneys & More”
Gilead’s Luisa Stamm Named Assembly Biosciences Chief Medical Officer
Luisa Stamm has joined Assembly Biosciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ASMB]]) as chief medical officer. Stamm comes to South San Francisco-based Assembly from Gilead Siences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GILD]]), where she was executive director in the liver diseases therapeutic area, as well as executive director in the HIV and emerging viruses therapeutic area. Assembly is developing drugs for hepatitis B … Continue reading “Gilead’s Luisa Stamm Named Assembly Biosciences Chief Medical Officer”
Arkuda Unveils $44M and a Protein Restoration Approach to Dementia
The onset of one of the most devastating forms of dementia often comes with a misdiagnosis. Personality and behavioral changes in a patient can spark a hypothesis of depression or psychosis. Memory problems rouse suspicion of Alzheimer’s disease. By the time a physician determines frontotemporal dementia as the cause, the disease is well on its … Continue reading “Arkuda Unveils $44M and a Protein Restoration Approach to Dementia”
AI Can Unlock Health Data’s Potential, But Access Is Still Difficult
When Mark Bakken formed the healthcare technology investment firm HealthX Ventures nearly five years ago, he says hospitals, insurers, and other potential buyers of digital health products were less open to conversations with the kinds of early-stage healthtech startups Bakken’s firm wanted to back. At the time, healthcare organizations’ top priority was installing electronic medical … Continue reading “AI Can Unlock Health Data’s Potential, But Access Is Still Difficult”
3 Changes We Should Make to Address the Gender Pay Gap in Medicine
Women in medicine earn about 20 percent less than men. That is a problem for multiple reasons. It is, of course, not fair to the women who go through the same training and have the same skills as their male counterparts. Worse still, if well-qualified women are discouraged from entering the profession because of this … Continue reading “3 Changes We Should Make to Address the Gender Pay Gap in Medicine”
AstraZeneca Chooses China for R&D and AI Centers, $1B Biotech Fund
AstraZeneca says it will establish centers for drug research and artificial intelligence development in China. The pharmaceutical giant has also set up a $1 billion fund to foster biotech innovation in that country. The move—which was announced at the China International Import Expo this week—will see AstraZeneca found a global R&D center in Shanghai’s central … Continue reading “AstraZeneca Chooses China for R&D and AI Centers, $1B Biotech Fund”
GE Healthcare Opens Startup Labs at Former AstraZeneca UK R&D Site
The doors have opened at a GE Healthcare-supported open-access lab for startups at AstraZeneca’s former global center for oncology research and development at Alderley Park, the largest bioscience research campus in the UK. The AstraZeneca (NYSE: [[ticker:AZN]]) site in Macclesfield, UK, housed 3,500 staff and was instrumental in developing a number of its cancer drugs … Continue reading “GE Healthcare Opens Startup Labs at Former AstraZeneca UK R&D Site”
Gilead’s Sung Lee Joins Sangamo Therapeutics as CFO
Sangamo Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGMO]]) has appointed Sung Lee to serve as executive vice president and chief financial officer. Lee joins Brisbane, CA-based Sangamo after 14 years at Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GILD]]), where he was most recently a senior vice president leading financial planning and analysis, and investor relations. Sangamo and partner Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]) are … Continue reading “Gilead’s Sung Lee Joins Sangamo Therapeutics as CFO”
Biotech Roundup: Novartis on Hold, AMAG Vote, Neuro News & More
The brain has stymied many efforts to develop new neuroscience drugs, leading a number of big pharmaceutical companies to pull back on such R&D work. This week, Amgen joined them. Amgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]) is ending its research and early development programs in neuroscience, the company announced during a conference call to discuss third-quarter financial results. … Continue reading “Biotech Roundup: Novartis on Hold, AMAG Vote, Neuro News & More”
FDA Halts Novartis Gene Therapy Study Amid Animal Safety Concerns
Novartis must stop enrollment of a clinical trial testing its gene therapy for a rare, muscular disorder after safety concerns surfaced in data from an animal study. The FDA put a partial clinical hold on a Phase 1/2 study testing the therapy, Zolgensma, Novartis (NYSE: [[ticker:NVS]]) announced Wednesday. The decision doesn’t halt the study entirely; … Continue reading “FDA Halts Novartis Gene Therapy Study Amid Animal Safety Concerns”
Acerta Pharma’s Ed Tucker Joins Mirum as Chief Medical Officer
Mirum Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MIRM]]) has appointed Ed Tucker to serve as its chief medical officer. He was most recently the chief operating officer of AstraZeneca (NYSE: [[ticker:AZN]]) subsidiary Acerta Pharma. His experience also includes positions at Bayer, Janssen Pharmaceutica, and Genentech. Foster City, CA-based Mirum Pharma, which launched late last year, is developing drugs for … Continue reading “Acerta Pharma’s Ed Tucker Joins Mirum as Chief Medical Officer”
Assembly Bio Taps Gilead’s Thomas Russo as Chief Financial Officer
Thomas Russo has left Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GILD]]) to become chief financial officer of Assembly Biosciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ASMB]]). Russo held a number of positions during his seven years at Gilead, and was most recently vice president and head of commercial finance. His experience also includes posts at Robert W. Baird & Co. and Merck (NYSE: … Continue reading “Assembly Bio Taps Gilead’s Thomas Russo as Chief Financial Officer”
With Ex-Medivation Exec Hung at Helm, Nuvation Nabs $275M for Cancer
Nuvation Bio peeked out from stealth mode Monday to reveal $275 million in financing and an executive team stacked with biotech veterans. The cancer drug developer, which has offices in New York and San Francisco, is led by founder, president, and CEO David Hung, the former chief executive who steered Medivation to a $14.3 billion … Continue reading “With Ex-Medivation Exec Hung at Helm, Nuvation Nabs $275M for Cancer”
UK Regulator Has “Competition Concerns” Over Illumina-PacBio Tie-Up
Nearly one year after DNA sequencing machine maker Illumina announced plans to acquire smaller rival Pacific Biosciences, antitrust regulators in the UK say the merger could stifle competition in the region and reduce industry innovation. The Competition and Markets Authority has been eying the proposed $1.2 billion tie-up since April. The regulator’s in-depth review, which … Continue reading “UK Regulator Has “Competition Concerns” Over Illumina-PacBio Tie-Up”
Atara Bio’s Chief Scientific Officer Haqq Departs for Another Company
Atara Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ATRA]]) is losing two executives to private companies. Christopher Haqq, Atara’s first employee and its chief scientific officer since 2012, is leaving to join a firm that “aligns with his other scientific interests and the current needs of his family,” the South San Francisco-based company announced late Friday. Haqq will continue to … Continue reading “Atara Bio’s Chief Scientific Officer Haqq Departs for Another Company”
Bio Roundup: Biogen’s Reversal, FDA Moves Fast, a CF Cocktail & More
Earlier this year, it seemed that companies testing Alzheimer’s disease treatments based on a long-held hypothesis as to its cause—brain deposits of a protein called beta amyloid—were giving up the ghost. Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) was among them. The drug maker had stopped testing of a drug developed to target amyloid plaque after a Phase 3 … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Biogen’s Reversal, FDA Moves Fast, a CF Cocktail & More”
Champions Oncology’s San Francisco Translational Oncology Symposium: Bridging the Gap between Cancer Research and the Clinic
From the event organizer: Cancer’s complexity is more apparent with every discovery made in the field. At this event, learn from industry leaders about critical successes and challenges that they face in this ever-changing therapeutic area, and gain insights on how to support your translational oncology and immuno-oncology programs from the bench to the clinic. … Continue reading “Champions Oncology’s San Francisco Translational Oncology Symposium: Bridging the Gap between Cancer Research and the Clinic”
Bio Roundup: Ichnos Emerges, Beyond CAR-T, BridgeBio Bails & More
New brand-name drugs typically grab the life science headlines. A venture capital firm will invest tens of millions to develop one and a pharmaceutical company hopes to recoup hundreds of millions by selling it. But a shortage of one particular chemotherapy is showing the crucial role generic drugs play in healthcare. This week, The New … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Ichnos Emerges, Beyond CAR-T, BridgeBio Bails & More”
CytomX Taps BeiGene’s Amy Peterson for Chief Development Officer
Amy Peterson has joined CytomX Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CTMX]]) as executive vice president and chief development officer. Peterson was most recently chief medical officer of immune-oncology at BeiGene (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BGNE]]). Her experience also includes positions at Medivation and Roche subsidiary Genentech. South San Francisco-based CytomX is developing antibody drugs that treat cancer.
Plexium Debuts With $28M and a New Take on Protein Degradation Drugs
Even as researchers discover more links between specific proteins and human disease, it’s still hard to find small molecules or antibodies that can bind to those drug targets. San Diego biotech Plexium is the latest addition to the growing number of startups aiming to use technology to devise new drugs that can target those currently … Continue reading “Plexium Debuts With $28M and a New Take on Protein Degradation Drugs”
Healx Bags $56M to Advance Affordable, AI-Based Orphan Drugs
Atomico, a European venture capital firm, has helped persuade Cambridge, UK-based Healx to return to the capital market a year earlier than anticipated. The biotech has just raised $56 million in Series B funding to bankroll its mission to use AI and machine learning to create affordable rare disease treatments. It is not surprising that … Continue reading “Healx Bags $56M to Advance Affordable, AI-Based Orphan Drugs”
Nuance & Microsoft Team Up on Conversational AI for Doctors’ Offices
Nuance Communications’ plan to lighten the clerical burden on physicians is coming into focus, and it involves an assist from tech giant Microsoft. Nuance (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NUAN]]), the 27-year-old speech recognition technology pioneer, in February revealed it’s developing a device that would sit in exam rooms and listen to conversations between doctors and patients. The system’s … Continue reading “Nuance & Microsoft Team Up on Conversational AI for Doctors’ Offices”
ArsenalBio Launches With $85M for “Programmable” T Cell Therapies
Cell therapies are made by tinkering with a patient’s immune cells so that they can better recognize and destroy cancer cells. These drugs give patients another treatment option for certain cancers that haven’t responded to anything else. ArsenalBio CEO Ken Drazan aims to take cell therapy even further. Arsenal is developing technology that adds capabilities … Continue reading “ArsenalBio Launches With $85M for “Programmable” T Cell Therapies”
Eli Lilly Drug Acquired in Armo Deal Fails Pancreatic Cancer Test
An experimental drug that was the centerpiece of a $1.6 billion Eli Lilly acquisition last year has now failed a pivotal test in pancreatic cancer. Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]) said Wednesday that patients treated with its drug candidate pegilodecakin, plus chemotherapy, did not live longer than patients treated with chemotherapy alone, falling short of the … Continue reading “Eli Lilly Drug Acquired in Armo Deal Fails Pancreatic Cancer Test”
Second Genome’s McClure Joins Aligos as Chief Medical Officer
Matthew McClure has been appointed executive vice president and chief medical officer of South San Francisco-based Aligos Therapeutics. He was most recently the chief medical officer of Second Genome. McClure’s experience also includes time at InterMune, which was acquired by Roche in 2014. Preclinical-stage Aligos is developing treatments for liver diseases and viral infections.
Revance CEO Browne Resigns, Board Member Foley Appointed Successor
Dan Browne has stepped down as president and CEO of Revance Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RVNC]]) due to what the company describes as “a misjudgement in handling an employee matter.” The Newark, CA-based drug developer gave no other details. Browne has also resigned from Revance’s board of directors. In a securities filing, Revance said Browne’s departure was … Continue reading “Revance CEO Browne Resigns, Board Member Foley Appointed Successor”
What’s Next in Neuroscience Therapies – Xconomy San Francisco Life Science Forum – Nov. 19, 2019
Brain and neurological disorders are among the toughest conditions to diagnose and treat, but new approaches and technologies are on the horizon that could change how researchers and clinicians approach them. Join Xconomy on Tuesday, Nov. 19 for our life science forum at QB3 at UCSF Mission Bay. The event features scientists, entrepreneurs, and biotech … Continue reading “What’s Next in Neuroscience Therapies – Xconomy San Francisco Life Science Forum – Nov. 19, 2019”
Vir Bio’s IPO Brings In $143M for Tests of Hepatitis B Drug and More
Vir Biotechnology has joined the public markets, raising $142.9 million to support clinical tests of its infectious disease drugs. The San Francisco firm offered 7.1 million shares priced at $20 each, which was the low end of the $20 to $22 range that it had planned. Vir shares are expected to start trading later today … Continue reading “Vir Bio’s IPO Brings In $143M for Tests of Hepatitis B Drug and More”
Bio Roundup: Nobel Prizes, Placebo Effect Rises, ICER’s Fire & More
Congrats to this year’s Nobel Prize winners in medicine… although, we have to ask: For the US researchers who are honored, isn’t there something crushing about a call in the middle of the night from Sweden, interrupting a dream about the perfect protein-protein interaction? Wouldn’t it be more logical for the committee to wait until … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Nobel Prizes, Placebo Effect Rises, ICER’s Fire & More”
The Placebo Effect Is Hobbling New Psychiatric Drugs. What Can Stop It?
Sixteen years ago, Kim Witczak’s husband died by his own hand, turning her world upside down. He had just begun taking an antidepressant off-label for insomnia, and she believes an undisclosed side effect of the drug drove him to suicide. Compelled to act, she became an advocate for tougher safety standards. Witczak now sits on … Continue reading “The Placebo Effect Is Hobbling New Psychiatric Drugs. What Can Stop It?”
Jazz Pharma’s Matthew Young to Join Grail as COO & CFO
Matthew Young has been appointed chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Grail. He will start his new job at the Menlo Park, CA-based liquid biopsy developer on Oct. 28. Young is coming to Grail from Jazz Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:JAZZ]]), where he is executive vice president and chief financial officer. His new appointment is … Continue reading “Jazz Pharma’s Matthew Young to Join Grail as COO & CFO”
Five Years After Y Combinator First Admits Biotechs, They’re Dug In
Five years ago, the big tech incubator Y Combinator started to welcome life sciences companies into its sizable startup classes, which had previously nurtured entrepreneurs in information technology almost exclusively. That opening to biotech startups in 2014 was controversial at the time. Some observers simply wondered what kind of guidance a deeply tech-focused accelerator could … Continue reading “Five Years After Y Combinator First Admits Biotechs, They’re Dug In”
BioMarin Promotes Lon Cardon to Chief Scientific Strategy Officer
Lon Cardon, who has served as chief scientific officer at BioMarin Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BMRN]]) the past two years, has been promoted to a newly created position: chief scientific strategy officer. San Rafael, CA-based BioMarin says in the new role Cardon will be responsible for building the company’s drug pipeline. Before joining BioMarin, Cardon worked at … Continue reading “BioMarin Promotes Lon Cardon to Chief Scientific Strategy Officer”
Tempest Therapeutics Taps Stephen Brady for Chief Operating Officer
Stephen Brady has been appointed president and chief operating officer of Tempest Therapeutics. Brady was most recently executive vice president of strategy and finance at Immune Design, which was acquired by Merck (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]) earlier this year. South San Francisco-based Tempest, a spinout of venture capital firm Versant Ventures, raised $70 million in Series B … Continue reading “Tempest Therapeutics Taps Stephen Brady for Chief Operating Officer”
Genentech’s Merdad Parsey to Join Gilead as Chief Medical Officer
Merdad Parsey has been appointed chief medical officer of Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GILD]]). The Foster City, CA-based company said Parsey will start his new role on Nov. 1. He will join Gilead from Roche subsidiary Genentech, where he is senior vice president of early clinical development in the company’s Research and Early Development Group. His … Continue reading “Genentech’s Merdad Parsey to Join Gilead as Chief Medical Officer”
LabFellows Looks to Become “Operating System” For Life Sciences Cos.
[Updated 7:21 p.m. 10/11. See below.] Scientists, no matter how sexy the research they’re conducting, aren’t immune from the administrative minutiae of office life. Such tasks steal time away from researchers’ main objectives. However, that wasn’t the problem San Diego startup LabFellows was looking to solve when it launched in 2014. Founders Julio de Unamuno … Continue reading “LabFellows Looks to Become “Operating System” For Life Sciences Cos.”
Nobel Prize in Medicine Goes to 3 Who Showed How Cells Sense Oxygen Levels
Oxygen’s importance in cellular processes has long been known. But the work to understand how cells sense and adapt to changes in oxygen levels has led to medical insights and potential treatments for anemia, cancer, and more—and today, it has turned into the 2019 Nobel Prize in Medicine. William Kaelin Jr., Sir Peter Ratcliffe, and … Continue reading “Nobel Prize in Medicine Goes to 3 Who Showed How Cells Sense Oxygen Levels”
Unpack Digital Health’s Progress & Pitfalls at X·CON on Oct. 22
Digital health is having a moment, thanks to a convergence of increasingly sophisticated computing technologies, a more favorable regulatory environment, and growing buy-in from hospitals, insurers, and patients. But plenty of challenges and questions remain. Join Xconomy on Oct. 22 for an elite conference that will help industry stakeholders better understand the most promising opportunities … Continue reading “Unpack Digital Health’s Progress & Pitfalls at X·CON on Oct. 22”
Fetch Rewards Grabs $25M, Plans to Double Staff as Growth Accelerates
Fetch Rewards’ pivot seems to be paying off. The Madison, WI-based mobile app startup has pulled in $25 million from investors to help it capitalize on a surge of new users and business partners. The fresh funding was revealed in a document filed this week with the SEC. The money comes from Greycroft and E.ventures, … Continue reading “Fetch Rewards Grabs $25M, Plans to Double Staff as Growth Accelerates”
Bio Roundup: PARP Progress, A New Commish, IPO-Palooza & More
It’s been a strange up and down ride for PARP inhibitors, a relatively new class of cancer drugs. Named for the tumor protein they target, PARPs rebounded after a big clinical setback in 2011 and have been at the center of many buyouts and big alliances—Pfizer and Medivation, GlaxoSmithKline and Tesaro, AstraZeneca and Merck. Four … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: PARP Progress, A New Commish, IPO-Palooza & More”
Nektar Promotes Zalevsky to Chief R&D Officer, Labrucherie to COO
Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NKTR]]) has promoted Jonathan Zalevsky to chief research and development officer. Zalevsky joined the San Francisco drug developer in 2015 and has been its chief scientific officer since 2017. Nektar also announced that Gil Labrucherie has been promoted to chief operating officer in addition to his duties as chief financial officer. Nektar’s … Continue reading “Nektar Promotes Zalevsky to Chief R&D Officer, Labrucherie to COO”
Icosavax Lands $51M to Bring Vaccine for Respiratory Virus to Clinic
Many vaccines are made from either a weakened virus or a protein taken from a virus. But so far, scientists haven’t had much luck developing such vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which causes an infection that is typically mild but can become deadly in infants and older adults. Icosavax is taking a different route … Continue reading “Icosavax Lands $51M to Bring Vaccine for Respiratory Virus to Clinic”
Nuance Spinout Cerence Vies With Tech Giants in Voice-AI for Auto
A new mobility company, Cerence, is making its public-market debut Wednesday, and its first CEO, Sanjay Dhawan, says he’s been meeting with more than 50 investors in recent weeks to talk up its prospects. Cerence is a spinout from pioneering speech recognition company Nuance Communications (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NUAN]]), and it will carry on the work of … Continue reading “Nuance Spinout Cerence Vies With Tech Giants in Voice-AI for Auto”
Sangamo Taps Cytokinetics Exec Cockroft for Chief Medical Officer
Sangamo Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGMO]]) has appointed Bettina Cockroft to serve as senior vice president and chief medical officer. Cockroft comes to Brisbane, CA-based Sangamo from Cytokinetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CYTK]]), where she was vice president of clinical research, neurology. Her experience also includes positions at Merck Serono, Novartis Consumer Health, and Menarini Ricerche. In July, Sangamo and … Continue reading “Sangamo Taps Cytokinetics Exec Cockroft for Chief Medical Officer”
Can Ford’s Self-Driving Car Business Improve Austin’s Traffic Woes?
Austin — There are so many great things about working from home. Spending all day with your pets is up there, but not having to commute is probably the best. It’s particularly nice to avoid commuting by car in a city like Austin, TX, that’s notorious for its heavy traffic. The situation is so bad … Continue reading “Can Ford’s Self-Driving Car Business Improve Austin’s Traffic Woes?”
We’re Beginning to Realize the Cloud’s Full Potential at the Edge
Amazon Web Services (AWS), the first “public cloud” offering third-party data storage and compute services, launched in March 2006, and by 2012, there were multiple credible competitors. The hype was strong. Back then, cloud evangelists were predicting that essentially everything in the enterprise data center would migrate to one of just a few public clouds. … Continue reading “We’re Beginning to Realize the Cloud’s Full Potential at the Edge”
ESMO 2019: PARP and Prostate, SeaGen’s Win, KRAS Update & More
The European Society for Medical Oncology meeting has wrapped up in Barcelona, the last major clinical cancer conference until December’s annual ASH meeting for blood diseases. We’ve highlighted a few top stories for you. Amid all the fuss over cell, gene, and immunotherapies these days, an old-fashioned small-molecule class of drug called PARP inhibitors have … Continue reading “ESMO 2019: PARP and Prostate, SeaGen’s Win, KRAS Update & More”