The idea started with online complaints from voters in South Dakota, where applications for absentee ballots require the certification of a notary public. The response from Pat Kinsel, founder and CEO of a Boston-based online notary startup aptly named Notarize, was to offer its services for free—the same deal it made last year to hurricane-battered … Continue reading “As Midterms Approach, Notarize Lends a Hand to Absentee Voters in SD”
Category: Boston
Pre-Existing Immunity to CRISPR Found in 96% of People in Study
[Updated October 30, 12:15pm ET with further comment, see below.] The immune systems of a large majority of people could already be primed to attack and possibly even disable a key component of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing therapeutics (which are quickly moving towards their first human tests), suggests new research published today. If this finding sounds … Continue reading “Pre-Existing Immunity to CRISPR Found in 96% of People in Study”
Free of Baggage, Dicerna Cuts Another RNAi Deal and Gets $200M
It wasn’t too long ago that pharma companies were abandoning the development of RNA interference medicines. But there are some small signs that interest has been rekindled. And Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, which recently ended a long-running legal spat with the field’s leader, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, is reaping the rewards. This morning Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]) teamed with … Continue reading “Free of Baggage, Dicerna Cuts Another RNAi Deal and Gets $200M”
Novartis Exec Mitchener Joins Axcella as Chief Business Officer
Stephen Mitchener has been appointed senior vice president and chief business officer of Cambridge, MA-based Axcella Health. Mitchener’s experience includes 15 years at Novartis (NYSE: [[ticker:NVS]]), where he was most recently head of U.S. oncology strategy, partnering, and operations. In 2016, Axcella rebranded and turned its efforts toward developing drugs that treat metabolic dysregulation after … Continue reading “Novartis Exec Mitchener Joins Axcella as Chief Business Officer”
Pineapples and Bananas: Yummy to Eat, And Now Fashionable to Wear
Style trends may come and go but the apparel industry is increasingly accepting that sustainability will always be in fashion. “We have the chance to shift the environment to a cleaner, more non-toxic place,” says Greg Altman, co-founder and CEO of Silk, a Boston-area maker of a proprietary liquid silk. “That’s really our goal.” To … Continue reading “Pineapples and Bananas: Yummy to Eat, And Now Fashionable to Wear”
Boston Tech Watch: Scooter Regs, Threat Stack, iRobot, Teikametrics
Cybersecurity layoffs, higher import tariffs on robotic vacuum cleaners, funding deals, and a push for e-scooter regulations make up the pulse of technology news this week in Boston. Read on for more. —A bill proposed in the Massachusetts State House would apply the same regulatory system that oversees ride-hailing app businesses such as Uber and … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Scooter Regs, Threat Stack, iRobot, Teikametrics”
U.K. Slaps Maximum Fine of $645,000 on Facebook for Privacy Violations
The U.K.’s data privacy regulator fined Facebook $645,000 for violations that allowed political marketing firm Cambridge Analytica and other outside companies to extract 87 million Facebook profiles worldwide without adequate user knowledge or consent. The purpose of the U.K.’s enforcement actions is to change the behavior of organizations that mishandle the sensitive private information of … Continue reading “U.K. Slaps Maximum Fine of $645,000 on Facebook for Privacy Violations”
Bio Roundup: Alzheimer’s Puzzle, ESMO Assessed, Drug Prices & More
In the biotech investment and research communities this week, much of the attention was turned to Europe. Munich, Germany, hosted the annual conference of the European Society for Medical Oncology, where cancer drug developers unveiled the latest clinical data for experimental immunotherapies and drugs that treat the disease based on a tumor’s genetic signature. Also … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Alzheimer’s Puzzle, ESMO Assessed, Drug Prices & More”
Startup Developing Opioid Alternative Takes Top ‘Quick Pitch’ Honors
The winner of the largest-ever startup pitch contest in San Diego is aiming to solve a problem that is weighing heavily on the national consciousness. The same day President Trump signed a bipartisan package of measures to address the opioid epidemic, San Diego startup NeuraLace Medical won $50,000 on Wednesday at the annual John G. … Continue reading “Startup Developing Opioid Alternative Takes Top ‘Quick Pitch’ Honors”
Trump Plan Ties Medicare Drug Prices to Cheaper Foreign Ones
[Updated 5:41pm ET with analyst note, see below.] When the Trump administration announced its blueprint for lowering prescription drug prices in May, many observers said it was too soft on the biopharma industry and didn’t contain concrete initiatives that could truly cut costs. But with the U.S. midterm elections fast approaching and the high cost … Continue reading “Trump Plan Ties Medicare Drug Prices to Cheaper Foreign Ones”
Fresh Data Add More Confusion to Eisai-Biogen Alzheimer’s Drug
Three months after controversial data suggested an Alzheimer’s drug could slow the mental decline of the disease, the drug’s owners tried to bolster their argument today that the good news over the summer was not a statistical illusion. The drug in question is dubbed BAN2401, and it’s being co-developed by Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) of Cambridge, … Continue reading “Fresh Data Add More Confusion to Eisai-Biogen Alzheimer’s Drug”
89Bio Joins NASH Chase with a Teva Drug and $60M in Funding
[Corrected 10/25/18, 5:26 p.m. See below.] The competition to develop a treatment for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, a serious liver disorder, has another player. 89Bio launched Thursday with $60 million in financing and a lead compound originally developed by Teva Pharmaceutical. [Paragraph updated to correct dollar amount.] San Francisco-based 89Bio says that it has acquired a pipeline of … Continue reading “89Bio Joins NASH Chase with a Teva Drug and $60M in Funding”
Robots, A.I., and Cybersecurity Hit X·CON at Google on Nov. 6
Leaders across the robotics and artificial intelligence industries are coming together on the last day of X·CON, Xconomy’s newest interactive event focusing on technology and transformation. The full conference is happening November 4-6 across three innovation venues in Kendall Square and Boston’s Seaport District. Join us for a special morning program focusing on robotics, artificial … Continue reading “Robots, A.I., and Cybersecurity Hit X·CON at Google on Nov. 6”
Pursuing a “Crazy, Stupid” Idea & Photos From Disruptors in Boston
Michael Gilman was so close to retiring two years ago. His company, Padlock Therapeutics, was just acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]), and he was on his last week on the job. But at a board meeting, he saw an old friend, Jennifer Petter—then Russ Petter—and asked, what are you working on these days? Petter, … Continue reading “Pursuing a “Crazy, Stupid” Idea & Photos From Disruptors in Boston”
Vertex Hums Along as AbbVie Snatches Up a Rival’s CF Drugs for $45M
AbbVie has just reworked a long-running deal with partner Galapagos NV, paying $45 million up front—a small sum for the pharmaceutical giant—to gain rights to all of the Belgian company’s experimental cystic fibrosis drugs. The deal changes the competitive landscape for cystic fibrosis, a field currently dominated by Boston-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]). AbbVie (NYSE: … Continue reading “Vertex Hums Along as AbbVie Snatches Up a Rival’s CF Drugs for $45M”
Berkeley’s SkyDeck Offers Chip Design Support Worth Millions to Startups
The current land rush in chip development, spurred as new technologies such as artificial intelligence create new needs, is pitting established semiconductor companies like Intel and Nvidia against tech titans like Facebook that are building their own chips. A wave of next-generation chip companies has also entered the fray. So how much room remains for … Continue reading “Berkeley’s SkyDeck Offers Chip Design Support Worth Millions to Startups”
In E-Commerce Marketing Race, Privy Aims to Democratize Online Tools
The push by Boston e-commerce tech startup Privy to become a marketing Swiss army knife for online merchants has fueled a new $4.25 million funding round for the company. The money will be used to double its headcount and help it move into more spacious digs from its current scrappy office quarters. Founder and CEO … Continue reading “In E-Commerce Marketing Race, Privy Aims to Democratize Online Tools”
Amgen Slashes Cholesterol Drug Price 60% to Match Rival Regeneron
[Updated, 10/25/18, 12:15 a.m. See below.] Amgen is cutting the list price of its new cholesterol-lowering drug by nearly 60 percent, a move the company says is intended to make the product more affordable for more patients. The move is a shot across the bow of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:REGN]]]). The Tarrytown, NY firm recently … Continue reading “Amgen Slashes Cholesterol Drug Price 60% to Match Rival Regeneron”
Machine Learning Firm DataRobot Gets $100M to Automate Data Science
Boston startup DataRobot wrapped up a new $100 million funding round, injecting more cash into what was already one of the region’s biggest bets on machine learning and artificial intelligence. Palo Alto, CA-based venture firms Meritech and Sapphire Ventures led the Series D investment, with DFJ Growth, New Enterprise Associates, and IA Ventures also participating … Continue reading “Machine Learning Firm DataRobot Gets $100M to Automate Data Science”
Medisafe to Get Paid For Health App’s Performance
More technology startups are embracing the healthcare industry’s increasing willingness to pay for products based on how much they improve health. One of the latest examples comes from Medisafe, a Boston company that has developed an app-based system intended to help patients manage their medications. The company offers both a free and a paid version … Continue reading “Medisafe to Get Paid For Health App’s Performance”
AstraZeneca’s Kevin Horgan Joins Seres as Chief Medical Officer
Kevin Horgan has been appointed executive vice president and chief medical officer of Seres Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MCRB]]). Horgan succeeds Michele Trucksis, who will continue to consult for the Cambridge, MA, microbiome drugs developer. Seres gave no reason for Tucksis’s departure. In a securities filing, the company said that she gave notice of her resignation on Oct. 17 … Continue reading “AstraZeneca’s Kevin Horgan Joins Seres as Chief Medical Officer”
Blockchain Startup Algorand Bags $62M, Hires Fuze & LogMeIn Execs
[Updated 2/22/19, 2:14 pm ET. See below.] The blockchain and cryptocurrency industry has produced a lot of hype, but it is still working to deliver practical applications that are widely used by businesses. One of the startups trying to change that, Boston-based Algorand, said today it has scooped up $62 million in venture funding from … Continue reading “Blockchain Startup Algorand Bags $62M, Hires Fuze & LogMeIn Execs”
Baubles & Bling: Swoonery Uses Tech to Connect Shoppers With Jewelry
Jean Poh’s family has been in the jewelry business for four generations. And, for the most part, the industry has operated much the same as it always has, she says. Following a professional detour in which she worked as an attorney and angel investor, Poh made her way back to the jewelry business. She began … Continue reading “Baubles & Bling: Swoonery Uses Tech to Connect Shoppers With Jewelry”
ESMO ’18: Precision Meds, Breast, Lung, and More from the Cancer Front
[Ben Fidler co-authored this report.] The European Society for Medical Oncology is wrapping up its annual conference today, replete with clinical data from cancer’s front lines. We’ve sorted the headlines into a few big categories: immunotherapy combinations, breast cancer, lung cancer, the growing class of drugs called PARP inhibitors, and new drugs that treat tumors … Continue reading “ESMO ’18: Precision Meds, Breast, Lung, and More from the Cancer Front”
With $90M Round, Stoke Eyes a “Spinraza For Epilepsy” And a 2019 IPO
Ed Kaye stepped aside from Sarepta Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SRPT]]) last year after leading the company through one of the most noteworthy and controversial drug approvals in recent memory, for the Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug eteplirsen (Exondys 51). But his hiatus from a publicly traded biotech could be short-lived. Kaye’s new startup, Bedford, MA-based Stoke Therapeutics, … Continue reading “With $90M Round, Stoke Eyes a “Spinraza For Epilepsy” And a 2019 IPO”
Why Technology Alone Won’t Fix Education
“Artificial intelligence will transform the education system.” “Immersive technology will reshape learning forever.” These are just some of the industry rumblings about how edtech will disrupt and ultimately “fix” what’s wrong with the education system in the United States. With back-to-school season in full swing, it’s imperative that we set the record straight. The truth … Continue reading “Why Technology Alone Won’t Fix Education”
Tech Industry Lobby Proposes Data Privacy Laws; Critics Call Them Weak
The tech industry, which reaps billions of dollars by harvesting personal data and using it to sell targeted advertising and other services, opened the door to federal data privacy regulations today in a proposal by ITI, a lobbying organization for tech companies. The Information Technology Industry Council, which represents the policy interests of companies including … Continue reading “Tech Industry Lobby Proposes Data Privacy Laws; Critics Call Them Weak”
Centrexion Plans IPO to Bankroll Non-Opioid Pain Drugs
Centrexion Therapeutics is notable for focusing solely on developing non-opioid, non-addictive pain drugs—an area that biopharma companies have largely avoided. Now the Boston-based startup wants Wall Street’s help with the effort. Centrexion has outlined plans for an IPO. The company has set a preliminary IPO target of $86 million, though that figure is subject to … Continue reading “Centrexion Plans IPO to Bankroll Non-Opioid Pain Drugs”
Techstars, EdX, SoftBank Join X·CON 2018 Program, Nov. 4-6
Two weeks from today will mark a most special occasion. Xconomy is convening top business and tech leaders from Boston and beyond for a multi-day conference to tackle the most pressing questions in the innovation community. X·CON 2018 will feature talks and interactive discussions at the Institute of Contemporary Art; robotics demos and security and … Continue reading “Techstars, EdX, SoftBank Join X·CON 2018 Program, Nov. 4-6”
Google Launching Its Own Computer Science Courses on Campuses
Early next year, twenty students will have the opportunity to study machine learning for 10 weeks with Google engineers, college professors, and coaches—free of charge. Google is picking up the tab for tuition, room, and board for all students accepted into its new machine learning intensives in the inaugural year of the program, which starts … Continue reading “Google Launching Its Own Computer Science Courses on Campuses”
Boston Tech Watch: IBM, DataXu, Accion, Yottaa, CoachUp & More
[Updated 10/19/18, 5:08 pm. See below.] Rumors of a Boston adtech sale, a top-level departure at IBM’s Watson Health business, more cash to boost A.I. startups, and Boeing backing a space propulsion company dominate the Boston-area’s tech headlines from the week. Read on for more. —Boston firm DataXu is working with a New York investment … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: IBM, DataXu, Accion, Yottaa, CoachUp & More”
Entrepreneurs Thinking Inside the Box
Hackathons usually involve thinking outside of the box. But for myself and four other MIT students, brainstorming, eating, and sleeping inside a 16-foot by 16-foot glass cube on campus for four days straight in mid-September proved just as effective at getting our creative juices flowing. The experience was part of InCube 2018, a global startup … Continue reading “Entrepreneurs Thinking Inside the Box”
Bio Roundup: Prices on TV, Novartis Hearts Radio, Warp Drive’s End
Two new battlegrounds emerged this week in the nation’s ongoing drug pricing debate. The first involved television: The federal government hopes that blaring prices in TV ads will essentially pressure drug makers into lowering them, and the pharma lobby fired back. The second centered around a group of pricey new migraine drugs: The nation’s largest … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Prices on TV, Novartis Hearts Radio, Warp Drive’s End”
LogicBio Prices IPO Below Range, Raising $70M to Test Gene Therapy
LogicBio Therapeutics has joined the list of biotechs to go public this year but it had to cut the price of its IPO and sell more shares to pull it off. The Cambridge, MA, biotech priced its offering of 7 million shares at $10 apiece, raising $70 million to back human tests of its experimental … Continue reading “LogicBio Prices IPO Below Range, Raising $70M to Test Gene Therapy”
AbbVie Commits $100M to Morphic in Fibrosis Drug R&D Alliance
AbbVie is positioning itself to add fibrosis drugs to its pipeline through a new research and development partnership with startup Morphic Therapeutics. Under the agreement, AbbVie (NYSE: [[ticker:ABBV]]) will pay Morphic $100 million up front for exclusive options to license the Waltham, MA, company’s fibrosis drugs. Morphic will be responsible for preclinical research and development. … Continue reading “AbbVie Commits $100M to Morphic in Fibrosis Drug R&D Alliance”
Post-IPO Chat With CEO of Anaplan as Its Trading Price Surge Holds
Enterprise planning software company Anaplan pulled off its IPO in the middle of a broad market slump last week—raising $263.5 million—and its 43 percent share price surge on the first day of trading continues to hold while Nasdaq and the Dow have yet to fully recover their lost value. Anaplan’s (NYSE: [[ticker:PLAN]]) IPO shares, which … Continue reading “Post-IPO Chat With CEO of Anaplan as Its Trading Price Surge Holds”
Ziopharm Chief Medical Officer Francois Lebel to Step Down
Francois Lebel, chief medical officer of Ziopharm Oncology (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZIOP]]), plans to step down from his position effective Oct. 26. The Boston cancer drug developer gave no reason for Lebel’s decision to leave the company. In a securities filing, Ziopharm said Lebel gave his notice on Oct. 10. Lebel has been Ziopharm’s chief medical officer … Continue reading “Ziopharm Chief Medical Officer Francois Lebel to Step Down”
All About Talent: Takeaways From MIT’s $1B Plan to Lead Way in A.I.
In 2011, Silicon Valley investor Marc Andreessen penned a widely read essay declaring that “software is eating the world.” If he were to write an updated version today, it might proclaim that machine learning is eating the world. Advances in data analytics and artificial intelligence technologies are starting to impact virtually every industry. In the … Continue reading “All About Talent: Takeaways From MIT’s $1B Plan to Lead Way in A.I.”
In Boston, Paul Allen Aimed to Boost Bioscience’s “Tempo of Discovery”
The scientific interests of the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen led him to fund a pair of major research centers in the Boston area devoted to cracking mysteries of the human biological code—and aiming to recreate the sort of foundational work he and Bill Gates applied to personal computing in the 1970s. Allen—who died Monday … Continue reading “In Boston, Paul Allen Aimed to Boost Bioscience’s “Tempo of Discovery””
Report: Express Scripts Shuts Out Teva Migraine Drug, Prefers Rivals
[Updated 10/17/18, 2:52 p.m. See below.] Express Scripts has just exerted its influence over the emerging market battle between drug makers trying to sell a new class of migraine-preventing medicines. The pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) is excluding a new drug from Teva Pharmaceutical from coverage while favoring two rival treatments instead, according to a report … Continue reading “Report: Express Scripts Shuts Out Teva Migraine Drug, Prefers Rivals”
Spinraza Inventors Take Home $3M Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences
The inventor and developer of a drug, nusinersen (Spinraza), are among the winners of the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences. Adrian Krainer (pictured) of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Frank Bennett, senior vice president of research at Ionis Pharmaceuticals, share the $3 million award. The Breakthrough Prizes, now it their seventh year, tout themselves as … Continue reading “Spinraza Inventors Take Home $3M Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences”
SoftBank’s Arm to Include Cybereason Security Services in IoT Hub
Security-tech company Cybereason is announcing another boon flowing from close ties with its biggest investor, Japanese telecom and tech giant SoftBank. Boston-based Cybereason has formed a partnership with Arm, the dominant developer of computer chip architecture, which was acquired by SoftBank in 2016. Cybereason’s security services will be incorporated into the Arm Pelion IoT platform, a … Continue reading “SoftBank’s Arm to Include Cybereason Security Services in IoT Hub”
Citing Regulatory Uncertainty, Origin Code Academy to Close
Origin Code Academy, one of San Diego’s few coding schools—for-profit companies that offer short-term vocational training in computer programming—said this month it will shutter on Nov. 16 after about three years in business. The company opened in late 2015, offering a 12-week course for $13,500 and promising graduates a software job within 90 days of … Continue reading “Citing Regulatory Uncertainty, Origin Code Academy to Close”
Andreessen Leads $300M Bet on Devoted Health’s Senior Care Approach
If you had more than $300 million to try and fix the healthcare industry, how would you do it? For a startup called Devoted Health, the answer involves a combination of providing more home healthcare and support to the seniors it serves, as well as incorporating telemedicine and other technologies as part of a business … Continue reading “Andreessen Leads $300M Bet on Devoted Health’s Senior Care Approach”
Paul Allen’s Contributions, Far Beyond Microsoft, Touched the Brain, AI & More
Technology and life sciences leaders say they’ll remember Paul Allen, the Microsoft co-founder, philanthropist, and investor who passed away Monday at age 65, as an “inspiration” whose work will impact the fields he worked in for years to come. Allen died from complications of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, according to a statement from Vulcan, the Seattle-based philanthropy … Continue reading “Paul Allen’s Contributions, Far Beyond Microsoft, Touched the Brain, AI & More”
Rheos Medicines Names Gad Soffer Chief Operating Officer
Gad Soffer has been appointed chief operating officer of Cambridge, MA-based Rheos Medicines. Soffer most recently worked at Atara Biotherapeutics, where he was executive vice president and chief strategy officer. Before Atara, Soffer was executive director and global project leader at Celgene (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CELG]]). Rheos launched in March with a $60 million Series A round … Continue reading “Rheos Medicines Names Gad Soffer Chief Operating Officer”
Warp Drive’s Odyssey Ends with a Buyout—By Revolution, Not Sanofi
Warp Drive Bio started up in 2012 with a potential buyer, Sanofi, already in place. Six years later the Cambridge, MA, company is being acquired—by another startup, Revolution Medicines. The companies aren’t disclosing financial details of the acquisition, other than to say that Warp Drive’s shareholders will be issued Revolution stock. Third Rock Ventures founded … Continue reading “Warp Drive’s Odyssey Ends with a Buyout—By Revolution, Not Sanofi”
Tulerie Helps Users Dress Like Models, Without Breaking the Bank
Tulerie makes its debut today, joining a growing roster of online clothing rental startups. The New York-based Tulerie focuses on high-end couture—items that retail for $1,000 to $10,000—that might be worn a time or two but mostly take up space in a woman’s closet. The company is building a two-sided marketplace, with owners of haute … Continue reading “Tulerie Helps Users Dress Like Models, Without Breaking the Bank”
After Net Neutrality: How to Prepare for the Internet’s New Reality
The federal net neutrality regulation, which had guaranteed equal access to the Internet for data from all sources, is officially repealed. There are no longer federal rules ensuring that all Internet traffic must be treated equally, and no FCC protections to stop Internet Service Providers (ISPs) from engaging in blocking, throttling, or paid prioritization of … Continue reading “After Net Neutrality: How to Prepare for the Internet’s New Reality”
Fidelity’s New Crypto Startup Could Spark Wall Street Investment
Blockchain and cryptocurrency advocates have been waiting for large financial institutions to shed their wariness and begin investing meaningful amounts of money into the emerging technology. The sector may have gotten a significant catalyst on Monday, when Fidelity Investments announced it created a separate venture that will offer digital currency services to hedge funds, family … Continue reading “Fidelity’s New Crypto Startup Could Spark Wall Street Investment”