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”
Category: Boston
Alexion to Buy Achillion in $930M Marriage of Rare Disease Drug Firms
Alexion Pharmaceuticals is acquiring Achillion Pharmaceuticals for $930 million, a deal that could strengthen its position providing treatments for a rare blood disorder. According to financial terms announced Wednesday, Boston-based Alexion (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALXN]]) will pay $6.30 per share of Achillion (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ACHN]]) stock, which is an 80 percent premium to Achillion’s closing stock price on … Continue reading “Alexion to Buy Achillion in $930M Marriage of Rare Disease Drug Firms”
Checkmate Pharmaceuticals Names Wooldridge Chief Medical Officer
James Wooldridge has joined Checkmate Pharmaceuticals as chief medical officer, the same position he held most recently at Aeglea BioTherapeutics. Wooldridge’s experience also includes more than a decade at Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]), where he held several positions in cancer drug development. Cambridge, MA-based Checkmate is developing a type of cancer drug called an oligonucleotide. The … Continue reading “Checkmate Pharmaceuticals Names Wooldridge Chief Medical Officer”
Cyteir Adds $40M for Clinical Test of “Synthetically Lethal” Cancer Drug
Cyteir Therapeutics has $40.2 million more in cash to support early-stage tests of a drug intended to treat cancer by targeting a tumor repair mechanism. The new cash that Cyteir announced Tuesday adds to a Series B round of funding it raised last year. The Lexington, MA-based company says the amount invested in the round … Continue reading “Cyteir Adds $40M for Clinical Test of “Synthetically Lethal” Cancer Drug”
Parexel’s Washburn Named Lyra Therapeutics Chief Medical Officer
Dana Washburn has been appointed chief medical officer of Lyra Therapeutics. Washburn comes to Watertown, MA-based Lyra from Parexel, where he was corporate vice president and head of global medical services. Lyra develops treatments for ear, nose, and throat diseases. Last year, the company closed $29.5 million in Series B financing to support mid-stage tests … Continue reading “Parexel’s Washburn Named Lyra Therapeutics Chief Medical Officer”
FDA OKs Lilly’s Lasmiditan, First New Acute Migraine Drug in Decades
Eli Lilly won FDA approval for a migraine drug on Friday, giving the pharmaceutical giant a second medication that addresses the condition that causes millions of people to experience severe headaches and other debilitating symptoms. The FDA approved the drug, lasmiditan (Reyvow), as a treatment for acute migraine; it’s meant to be taken after the … Continue reading “FDA OKs Lilly’s Lasmiditan, First New Acute Migraine Drug in Decades”
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”
UCB Stakes Out Autoimmune Territory With $2.1B Deal for Ra Pharma
Ra Pharmaceuticals, whose lead autoimmune disease drug candidate is viewed as a potential alternative to one of the most expensive medicines in the world, is being acquired by Belgian pharmaceuticals giant UCB in a $2.1 billion deal. According to terms announced Thursday, UCB will pay $48 in cash for each Ra Pharma share. That’s a … Continue reading “UCB Stakes Out Autoimmune Territory With $2.1B Deal for Ra Pharma”
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?”
Cue Biopharma Promotes Suri to President, Passeri Keeps CEO Role
Cue Biopharma (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CUE]]) has promoted Anish Suri to president in addition to his current duties as chief scientific officer. The additional role gives him oversight of the Cambridge, MA-based company’s corporate functions. The promotion means that Daniel Passeri’s role as president and CEO changes to only chief executive. Before joining Cue last year, Suri … Continue reading “Cue Biopharma Promotes Suri to President, Passeri Keeps CEO Role”
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”
Verve Therapeutics Names Lyndra’s Bellinger Chief Scientific Officer
Verve Therapeutics has appointed Andrew Bellinger to serve as its chief scientific officer, the same position he held at Lyndra Therapeutics. Bellinger, who is a general cardiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, will continue to serve as an advisor to Lyndra. His experience also includes positions at Cocoon Biotech. Verve is developing a way to … Continue reading “Verve Therapeutics Names Lyndra’s Bellinger Chief Scientific Officer”
Catch Duchenne Patient Power, Phil Sharp & More Next Week at The Broad
How did Phil Sharp, a kid from a small farm in Kentucky, become a Nobel prize winner and one of the godfathers of the biotech industry? How did Christine McSherry turn her youngest son’s devastating diagnosis into a crusade that aided in the approval of a drug for his disease? Sharp (pictured above) and McSherry … Continue reading “Catch Duchenne Patient Power, Phil Sharp & More Next Week at The Broad”
With $65M, Cygnal Tunes In to Nerve Signals for Drug-Making Clues
The peripheral nervous system traverses the body, connecting the brain and spinal cord to distant organs and limbs similar to the way a fiber optic network connects an Internet provider to a computer user at a far-flung home. But peripheral nerves also communicate with disease cells, according to Cygnal Therapeutics CEO Pearl Huang. Understanding this … Continue reading “With $65M, Cygnal Tunes In to Nerve Signals for Drug-Making Clues”
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”
Akcea, Fresh Off C-Suite Shakeup, Dishes Heart Drug to Pfizer for $250M
Pfizer this morning bought an experimental heart disease drug from Akcea therapeutics, the first move made by the Ionis Pharmaceuticals spinout since the company overhauled its management team last month. Pfizer will pay Akcea (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKCA]]) and parent Ionis (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IONS]]) $250 million up front for rights to AKCEA-ANGPTL3-Lrx, an RNA-based medicine currently in a … Continue reading “Akcea, Fresh Off C-Suite Shakeup, Dishes Heart Drug to Pfizer for $250M”
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”
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”
Vertex Pharma Promotes Bozic as Kewalramani’s Successor
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]) has appointed Carmen Bozic to serve as executive vice president of global medicines development and medical affairs. Bozic joined Boston-based Vertex earlier this year as senior vice president and head of global clinical development. Bozic will take on additional responsibilities as Vertex’s chief medical officer on April 1 when current CMO Reshma … Continue reading “Vertex Pharma Promotes Bozic as Kewalramani’s Successor”
Three Biotechs Raise $320M in IPOs, Two Others Pass on Wall Street
With five biotech IPOs on the calendar, this week was expected to be a big one. Three companies ended up making Wall Street debuts, raising a combined $320 million, led by Viela Bio. But two other firms didn’t like the market conditions and decided against going public for now. Here’s a recap of the week’s … Continue reading “Three Biotechs Raise $320M in IPOs, Two Others Pass on Wall Street”
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”
Dyne Appoints Brumm President & CEO, Subramanian Shifts to CSO
Joshua Brumm has been appointed president and CEO of Dyne Therapeutics. Romesh Subramanian, Dyne’s founder and former CEO, has shifted to a new role as chief scientific officer. Brumm will join Waltham, MA-based Dyne from Kaleido Biosciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:KLDO]]), where he has been chief financial officer since last year. Kaleido said Brumm’s last day will … Continue reading “Dyne Appoints Brumm President & CEO, Subramanian Shifts to CSO”
Biogen’s Ehlers Leaving for Apple Tree, Steps Into Limelight as CEO
Michael Ehlers, Biogen’s executive vice president of research and development, is leaving for a job in venture capital and an opportunity to lead a gene therapy startup. Ehlers has been appointed chief scientific officer and venture partner of New York-based Apple Tree Partners. He’ll also become CEO of one of the firm’s portfolio companies, Limelight … Continue reading “Biogen’s Ehlers Leaving for Apple Tree, Steps Into Limelight as CEO”
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”
Beam Therapeutics Preps IPO and Sheds Light on Its Gene-Editing Drugs
A number of gene-editing companies have joined the public markets in recent years. Beam Therapeutics, which is developing a CRISPR-based technology intended to offer even more precise genomic edits, aims to become the latest one. Cambridge, MA-based Beam filed its IPO paperwork with securities regulators late Friday. The company set a preliminary $100 million target … Continue reading “Beam Therapeutics Preps IPO and Sheds Light on Its Gene-Editing Drugs”
Genfit Promotes Dean Hum to President as it Preps US NASH Plans
Genfit (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GNFT]]) has promoted Dean Hum to president in addition to his duties as chief operating officer. The France-based company said Hum will relocate to its Cambridge, MA, office. Hum joined Genfit in 2000 as chief scientific officer. He became chief operating officer last year. Genfit is one of a growing number of biotechs … Continue reading “Genfit Promotes Dean Hum to President as it Preps US NASH Plans”
Kaleido Exec Brumm Is Stepping Down to Become CEO of Another Biotech
Joshua Brumm, chief operating and chief financial officer of Kaleido Biosciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:KLDO]]) since last year, will step down on Oct. 11. Lexington, MA-based Kaleido said that Brumm is leaving to become president and CEO of an undisclosed biotechnology company. Richard Scalzo, Kaleido’s corporate controller, has been appointed principal accounting officer and will assume some … Continue reading “Kaleido Exec Brumm Is Stepping Down to Become CEO of Another Biotech”
Biotech Roundup: Vaping Toll Rises, NASH News, Akcea Shakeup & More
Lung injuries linked to electronic cigarettes have topped 800 cases, including 12 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Public health officials aren’t sure whether the injuries are from legally sold products made by companies such as Juul, or from black-market items such as those that allow users to “vape” the active … Continue reading “Biotech Roundup: Vaping Toll Rises, NASH News, Akcea Shakeup & More”
Meissa Scores $30M to Test Vaccine for Dangerous Respiratory Virus
No vaccine is yet available for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which causes lung infections that, while usually mild, can be deadly for very young children. Biotech startup Meissa Vaccines, which aims to fill that treatment gap, announced today it raised $30 million to fund early-stage clinical trials for its experimental RSV vaccine. Morningside Ventures, a … Continue reading “Meissa Scores $30M to Test Vaccine for Dangerous Respiratory Virus”
Enanta Steps Forward in NASH Race, With Unclear Prospects
Enanta Pharmaceuticals late Wednesday became the latest of a number of companies to tout an emerging potential therapy for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, the fatty liver disease that is fast becoming a global epidemic. But it’s unclear whether the experimental treatment can stand out from the crowd. Enanta (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ENTA]]) said the higher of two tested doses of … Continue reading “Enanta Steps Forward in NASH Race, With Unclear Prospects”
Report: IPO Activity Picking Back Up Following Quiet, Volatile Q3
While the headlines may be dominated by news of WeWork putting its IPO on hold after reports about its questionable corporate governance, the overall initial public offering market is doing just fine. So far, 127 US companies went public in the first nine months of the year and the amount they raised already topped three … Continue reading “Report: IPO Activity Picking Back Up Following Quiet, Volatile Q3”
Catabasis Names Ex-Alkermes Exec Komjathy Chief Commercial Officer
Andrew Komjathy has been appointed chief commercial officer of Catabasis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CATB]]). He joins the Cambridge, MA, drug developer from Alkermes (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALKS]]), where he was vice president of commercial sales. His experience also includes positions at Genzyme, Shire, and Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]). Catabasis has changed its therapeutic focus several times , having pursued drugs … Continue reading “Catabasis Names Ex-Alkermes Exec Komjathy Chief Commercial Officer”
MedCo Preps for FDA Filing as Cholesterol Drug Clears Last Two Tests
The Medicines Co. this morning inched closer to bringing a twice-yearly cholesterol-lowering drug to market, touting a positive result in two more Phase 3 studies. Without providing details, MedCo (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MDCO]]) said that the experimental medicine, inclisiran, hit all of its main and secondary goals in two Phase 3 studies called ORION-9 and ORION-10. Like … Continue reading “MedCo Preps for FDA Filing as Cholesterol Drug Clears Last Two Tests”
TigerGraph Raises $32M to Extend Graph Database Use to Businesses
TigerGraph, one of the companies advancing the use of graph databases for faster analysis of the connections among people and things, announced today it raised $32 million in Series B funding round led by private equity investor SIG. The new capital brings TigerGraph’s fundraising total to $65 million. Redwood City, CA-based TigerGraph says it’s now … Continue reading “TigerGraph Raises $32M to Extend Graph Database Use to Businesses”
Forma Therapeutics Adds Kelly, Shegog, and Wadlinger to C-Suite
Forma Therapeutics has promoted Patrick Kelly to senior vice president and chief medical officer. Kelly previously led translational clinical activities for Watertown, MA-based Forma. In other moves, Mary Wadlinger was promoted from senior vice president of human resources to senior vice president of corporate affairs and chief human resources officer. Forma also named Todd Shegog … Continue reading “Forma Therapeutics Adds Kelly, Shegog, and Wadlinger to C-Suite”
Concert Pharma Names Ex-Merrimack Exec Munsie Chief Legal Officer
Concert Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CNCE]]) has appointed Jeffrey Munsie to serve as its chief legal officer. Munsie was most recently senior vice president, general counsel, and head of corporate operations at Merrimack Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MACK]]). Earlier this month, Lexington, MA-based Concert released positive Phase 2 data for CTP-543, an experimental treatment for hair loss caused by … Continue reading “Concert Pharma Names Ex-Merrimack Exec Munsie Chief Legal Officer”
Drug Pricing: Innovation, Investment, and the Public Good
The US biotech and life sciences industry has a long and proud history of driving medical innovations that have improved healthcare outcomes across a wide range of diseases and the overall quality of life for people worldwide. For too long, however, the industry’s narrative has been dominated and defined by partisans with a specific agenda … Continue reading “Drug Pricing: Innovation, Investment, and the Public Good”
Katerra To Make Ultra-Strong Wood Panels at New Factory in WA
[Updated 9/23/19, 6:29 pm. See below.] Construction tech firm Katerra, a 4-year-old Bay area startup with a big fundraising total, a big backer, and big ambitions, officially opened a big factory today in eastern Washington state. Katerra’s activities in the construction field range from project management software and design to the manufacture of pre-fabricated structural … Continue reading “Katerra To Make Ultra-Strong Wood Panels at New Factory in WA”
Omega Therapeutics Taps Ex-Macrolide Pharma Exec Karande for CEO
Mahesh Karande has been appointed CEO of Omega Therapeutics. Karande was most recently president and CEO of Macrolide Pharmaceuticals. His experience also includes positions at Novartis (NYSE: [[ticker:NVS]]). Cambridge, MA-based Omega, which was formed by venture capital firm Flagship Pioneering, is developing drugs based on epigenetics, the study of the biological mechanisms that turn genes … Continue reading “Omega Therapeutics Taps Ex-Macrolide Pharma Exec Karande for CEO”
Akcea Shakes Up Management and Shows Three Executives the Door
Akcea Therapeutics has already been struggling to turn its two products into commercial winners. Now it will have to do so during a massive management transition. Akcea (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKCA]]) said Monday that CEO Paula Soteropoulos, president Sarah Boyce and chief operating officer Jeff Goldberg have left the company. Akcea’s board of directors has appointed Damien … Continue reading “Akcea Shakes Up Management and Shows Three Executives the Door”
Flagship’s Omega Aims to Take Epigenetic Drugs a Step Further
A biotech startup called Omega Therapeutics debuts this morning touting a new approach to developing medicines based on epigenetics, a field of research that has tantalized drug makers for years but produced mixed results. Can the fledgling company surpass previous efforts and develop epigenetic drugs for a slew of different diseases? Cambridge, MA-based Omega was … Continue reading “Flagship’s Omega Aims to Take Epigenetic Drugs a Step Further”
Enough with the Insanity. We Need to Fix Cybersecurity Now
The year 2019 has been another dreadful period for cyberattacks. The most notorious lowlights include: —More than 40 municipalities, including Baltimore, Albany and 22 cities in Texas alone, have seen their computer systems crippled by ransomware attackers demanding millions of dollars. —In one of the largest data breaches ever, a hacker broke into a Capital One server with a … Continue reading “Enough with the Insanity. We Need to Fix Cybersecurity Now”
Bio Roundup: Pelosi’s Reveal, Alder’s Deal, Biogen’s Fails & More
Boston, San Francisco, and a few other metro areas might dominate the US life sciences, but some weeks, all bio-related eyes are on the nation’s capital. Health concerns about vaping continue to mount, and the feds could get involved. Meanwhile, try to find someone in the federal government who isn’t involved in the drug-price debate. … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Pelosi’s Reveal, Alder’s Deal, Biogen’s Fails & More”
Boston Tech Watch: DataRobot, IBM-MIT, Firefly, Aliro, Embr & More
More money is flowing into AI research at MIT, thanks to an expansion of the Institute’s partnership with computing giant IBM; DataRobot announces its $200 million-plus funding round; a tech startup aims to democratize access to quantum computers: these items and more in the week’s Boston tech news roundup. —Concierge medicine service Firefly Health has … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: DataRobot, IBM-MIT, Firefly, Aliro, Embr & More”
SR One’s Roberts Tapped as Chief Scientific Officer of Black Diamond
Christopher Roberts has been appointed chief scientific officer of Cambridge, MA-based Black Diamond Therapeutics. Roberts was most recently entrepreneur in residence at SR One, the investment arm of GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: [[ticker:GSK]]). Roberts’s experience also includes positions at Syros Pharmaceuticals and GSK. Roberts is succeeding Alex Mayweg of venture capital firm Versant Ventures, a Black Diamond … Continue reading “SR One’s Roberts Tapped as Chief Scientific Officer of Black Diamond”
Pelosi, Dems Unveil Price Plan: Are 25 Drugs Enough for Negotiation?
With the 2020 election just over a year away, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has unveiled the Democratic Party’s answer to public discontent over high prescription drug prices. A preview of the plan was leaked last week. Today’s announcement doesn’t stray far. The new plan would have the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services … Continue reading “Pelosi, Dems Unveil Price Plan: Are 25 Drugs Enough for Negotiation?”
Gemini Therapeutics Picks Orchard’s Jason Meyenburg for CEO
Jason Meyenburg has been appointed CEO of Gemini Therapeutics. He is also joining the Cambridge, MA, company’s board of directors. Meyenburg was most recently chief commercial officer of Orchard Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ORTX]]), a job he left last week. His experience also includes positions at Vtesse Pharmaceuticals, Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, and Alexion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALXN]]). In 2017, … Continue reading “Gemini Therapeutics Picks Orchard’s Jason Meyenburg for CEO”
Foghorn Therapeutics Adds Samuel Agresta, Allan Reine to C-Suite
Samuel Agresta has been appointed chief medical officer of Cambridge, MA-based Foghorn Therapeutics. Agresta stepped down as the chief medical officer of Infinity Pharmaceuticals last month but remains on that company’s board of directors. His experience also includes positions at Agios Pharmaceuticals, Genentech, and the University of South Florida’s Moffit Cancer Center. In other moves, … Continue reading “Foghorn Therapeutics Adds Samuel Agresta, Allan Reine to C-Suite”