Getting software to perform a new task is a matter of rewriting its code. This approach can also apply to biology, according to Tim Lu, CEO of Senti Biosciences. Tweaking a cell’s genetic code can give it therapeutic capabilities that adjust to the severity of a disease and also limit the treatment’s side effects. “This … Continue reading “Synthetic Bio Startup Senti Raises $53M to Program Cells to Treat Disease”
Category: Boston
Ten Fast Facts About Dropbox as It Seeks an Initial Public Offering
Dropbox is finally ready to enter the public market. The San Francisco-based file sharing and cloud storage company plans to raise up to $500 million in an initial public offering, according to paperwork filed with the SEC last week, after years of speculation that it might do so. Founded by two MIT students in 2007, … Continue reading “Ten Fast Facts About Dropbox as It Seeks an Initial Public Offering”
Vertex Pharma CMO Chodakewitz Retires, Kewalramani Named Successor
Jeffrey Chodakewitz, chief medical officer of Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]), is retiring. The Boston company said he will continue in an advisory role through early next year. Chodakewitz joined Vertex in 2014 as senior vice president. Reshma Kewalramani will step up as Chodakewitz’s successor effective April 1. Kewalramani joined Vertex in 2017 as senior vice … Continue reading “Vertex Pharma CMO Chodakewitz Retires, Kewalramani Named Successor”
Circle Buys Coinbase Rival Poloniex to Expand Cryptocurrency Services
[Updated 2/26/18, 11:28 a.m. See below.] Circle said it has acquired cryptocurrency exchange operator Poloniex, as the Boston-based startup gets more aggressive in its bid to become one of the key providers of enabling technologies for virtual currencies. The deal, announced Monday, was for approximately $400 million, according to Fortune, which cited an anonymous source. … Continue reading “Circle Buys Coinbase Rival Poloniex to Expand Cryptocurrency Services”
Eli Lilly’s Colleen Mockbee Joins Partner Tx as Chief Development Officer
Partner Therapeutics has appointed Colleen Mockbee to serve as chief development officer. Mockbee comes to Boston-based Partner from Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]), where she spent 20 years working in various drug development positions. Partner emerged from stealth in early February with $60 million in funding and an immune system-boosting drug it acquired from Sanofi (NYSE: … Continue reading “Eli Lilly’s Colleen Mockbee Joins Partner Tx as Chief Development Officer”
Bio Roundup: Meldonium Slip, Kratom Crackdown, Zinc Fingers & More
The 2018 Winter Olympics will end soon, and we did not skate through these games without a performance-enhancing drug allegation rearing its ugly head. This time, the drug in question was meldonium (Mildronate), a product widely available over the counter in Russia and some Eastern European countries. Though Latvian pharmaceutical company Grindeks markets meldonium for … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Meldonium Slip, Kratom Crackdown, Zinc Fingers & More”
Smart Cities Initiative Spurs “Gigabit Apps” for Next-Gen Internet
In late 2015, the National Science Foundation awarded a $6 million grant to the non-profit organization U.S. Ignite to help drive the development of next-generation “gigabit applications,” as part of a broader effort to create “smart gigabit communities” throughout the U.S. The idea was to both help cities improve local services and spur the development … Continue reading “Smart Cities Initiative Spurs “Gigabit Apps” for Next-Gen Internet”
Forget Perfume Counters: Phlur’s A.I. Is E-Commerce’s Scent Sherpa
Austin—It stands to reason that if any industry could resist the tidal wave of e-commerce, it would be the fragrance business. After all, how can you smell a perfume or cologne online to decide if you like the scent? But Eric Korman, founder and CEO of Phlur, says the startup can make it easier for … Continue reading “Forget Perfume Counters: Phlur’s A.I. Is E-Commerce’s Scent Sherpa”
Continuing Cell Therapy Push, Gilead Aligns with Sangamo for CAR-T Boost
Gilead Sciences has formed a broad alliance with Sangamo Therapeutics this morning, continuing an aggressive push into cellular immunotherapy that began late last year. Gilead (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GILD]]) will pay Sangamo (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGMO]]) $150 million up front in cash in the deal, through which Gilead will tap Sangamo’s gene editing techniques to try to develop a … Continue reading “Continuing Cell Therapy Push, Gilead Aligns with Sangamo for CAR-T Boost”
Will Fast-Growing Kallyope Stay in New York After New $66M Round?
Kallyope is unusual among biotech startups. Exclusively borne from the work of three Columbia University professors, the company started up in Manhattan, now has more than 40 employees, has gotten $110 million in venture dollars from high-profile investors, and still remains in New York City. Now the big question is: Will Kallyope stay in Manhattan … Continue reading “Will Fast-Growing Kallyope Stay in New York After New $66M Round?”
Chasing A.I. Breakthroughs: Q&A With Director of New MIT-IBM Lab
For all the progress that has been made in developing artificial intelligence technologies in recent years, the software “brains” that power machines are still nowhere near the sophistication of human minds. And advancing the field will require bold, new ideas, says A.I. researcher David Cox. Cox (pictured) has spent the past 11 years at Harvard … Continue reading “Chasing A.I. Breakthroughs: Q&A With Director of New MIT-IBM Lab”
Pfizer’s John Davis Named Magenta Therapeutics Chief Medical Officer
Magenta Therapeutics has recruited Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]) executive John Davis to serve as the startup’s new chief medical officer. Before coming to Cambridge, MA-based Magenta, Davis was Pfizer’s senior vice president and head of early clinical development. His experience also includes positions at Baxalta and Genentech. Magenta is developing treatments for bone marrow transplant patients … Continue reading “Pfizer’s John Davis Named Magenta Therapeutics Chief Medical Officer”
Zagster Gets $15M to Keep Pace in Crowded Bike-Sharing Sector
Zagster has scooped up $15 million from investors to help it ramp up its new “dockless” bike-sharing service—and compete with more heavily funded rivals. The investment, led by earlier backer Edison Partners, brings Zagster’s total venture capital haul to $32.2 million, the company said in a press release. Cambridge, MA-based Zagster’s other investors include LaunchCapital, … Continue reading “Zagster Gets $15M to Keep Pace in Crowded Bike-Sharing Sector”
Google and Stackdriver Vets Get $10M for Software Testing Tool, Mabl
When we last caught up with Dan Belcher and Izzy Azeri, they were selling their cloud-management company, Stackdriver, to Google. That Boston startup was on a fast track to acquisition, getting scooped up in 2014 after just two years and about $15 million in venture capital raised. (The purchase price wasn’t disclosed.) Now, Belcher and … Continue reading “Google and Stackdriver Vets Get $10M for Software Testing Tool, Mabl”
Boston Tech Watch: Nuance, Harvard, MIT, Jobcase, Panjiva & More
It’s time to catch up on some of the latest headlines in the Boston-area tech scene: —Nuance Communications is planning to phase out the Swype mobile keyboard apps for iOS and Android smartphones, according to a post from Xda Developers, which said it got confirmation from Burlington, MA-based Nuance (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NUAN]]). Nuance bought Swype in … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Nuance, Harvard, MIT, Jobcase, Panjiva & More”
For Latest Combo, Merck Bets $394M on Viralytics, Cancer-Fighting Viruses
The immuno-oncology combination frenzy continues. Merck this morning agreed to pay $394 million for Viralytics, an Australian developer of oncolytic viruses, which could help boost the power of the pharma giant’s cancer immunotherapy pembrolizumab (Keytruda). The deal gives Kenilworth, NJ-based Merck (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]) rights to CVA21 (Cavatak), an experimental oncolytic virus therapy in multiple early- … Continue reading “For Latest Combo, Merck Bets $394M on Viralytics, Cancer-Fighting Viruses”
Vectra Scores $36M for AI-Enhanced Cyberattack Detection
Vectra, one of the cybersecurity companies vying to beef up threat detection using artificial intelligence, announced Wednesday it raised $36 million in a Series D funding round led by new investor Atlantic Bridge. San Jose, CA-based Vectra scans the patterns of data flowing through a client’s network in a continuous, automated hunt for suspicious activity, … Continue reading “Vectra Scores $36M for AI-Enhanced Cyberattack Detection”
XRC Labs Chief Anthos: Retailers Must Adopt “Test and Learn” Culture
As college undergraduates, my roommate and I had what we called a “monowardrobe.” That’s how we described the contents of the closet that lined a wall in our dorm room. We each organized our own clothing on either side, but since we both wore the same size in clothing and shoes, we “shopped” for outfits … Continue reading “XRC Labs Chief Anthos: Retailers Must Adopt “Test and Learn” Culture”
Wave, Takeda Target RNA Technology at Neuro Diseases With $230M Pact
Wave Life Sciences this morning inked a wide-ranging alliance with Japanese pharma Takeda to develop RNA-based drugs for a variety of neurological diseases. Wave (NASDAQ: [[ticker:WVE]]), of Cambridge, MA, gets $110 million in up front cash from Takeda. The Japanese giant will also buy $60 million in Wave stock at $54.70 a share and fund … Continue reading “Wave, Takeda Target RNA Technology at Neuro Diseases With $230M Pact”
With $69M Deal, AbbVie Turns to Voyager for an Alzheimer’s Gene Therapy
At a time when uncertainty again swirls around the development of Alzheimer’s disease drugs, research continues in new ways. Through an alliance this morning, Voyager Therapeutics will team with AbbVie to try to use gene therapy tools to help attack the disease with a potential one-time, long-lasting treatment. Voyager (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VYGR]]) gets $69 million in … Continue reading “With $69M Deal, AbbVie Turns to Voyager for an Alzheimer’s Gene Therapy”
Google Buys Xively From LogMeIn, Folds In Nest to Advance in IoT
Google is ramping up its efforts in connected devices for homes and businesses as competition with Amazon, Apple, and other big tech companies heats up. Despite its prowess in machine learning and other A.I. technologies, Google may have some catching up to do in the so-called Internet of Things (IoT) sector. That’s the burgeoning market … Continue reading “Google Buys Xively From LogMeIn, Folds In Nest to Advance in IoT”
Surface Oncology Promotes Goater to CEO, Lynch Remains Chairman
Jeff Goater, chief business officer of Surface Oncology, has been appointed CEO of the company. Goater replaces interim CEO Dan Lynch, who will remain executive chairman of the Cambridge, MA, company’s board of directors. Goater joined Surface a year ago after serving as CFO of Voyager Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VYGR]]) in Cambridge. Surface, which is developing … Continue reading “Surface Oncology Promotes Goater to CEO, Lynch Remains Chairman”
Bio Roundup: Trump’s Budget, Biogen’s AD Reveal, Hugin’s Run & More
Another week of White House chaos and American gun violence. Amid it all, we tried to parse what the Trump administration’s 2019 budget proposal meant for the biomedical and life-science worlds. There was talk of tackling high drug prices in the budget document, but nothing to give Medicare direct negotiating power with drug companies or … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Trump’s Budget, Biogen’s AD Reveal, Hugin’s Run & More”
Europe’s New Data Privacy Rules Nourish U.S. Privacy Tech Sector
Take a look at this blurb for a session about data privacy at the upcoming RSA conference on cybersecurity. It sounds a polite warning: “The importance of privacy is often alluded to in generalized, value-laden terms that, while sincere, don’t necessarily help privacy be taken seriously in the enterprise risk management process.” That situation is … Continue reading “Europe’s New Data Privacy Rules Nourish U.S. Privacy Tech Sector”
MIT’s Micali Talks Algorand, Bitcoin & Society’s “Honest Majority”
Silvio Micali says he mistimed his first two technology startups. But the renowned MIT professor thinks he’s hitting the market at the right moment with his latest company, Algorand, which plans to launch a blockchain-based virtual currency and transactions system this year. Micali, a cryptographer who has won the prestigious A.M. Turing Award, previously co-founded … Continue reading “MIT’s Micali Talks Algorand, Bitcoin & Society’s “Honest Majority””
CRISPR Race 2.0: Doudna and Zhang Compete on a CRISPR Diagnostic
CRISPR pioneers and competitors Jennifer Doudna and Feng Zhang are once again locked in a CRISPR race, this time to show how CRISPR—the technology best known for its gene-editing prowess—can also be harnessed to develop a sensitive diagnostic. Today, two research groups, one led by Doudna of the University of California, Berkeley, the other by … Continue reading “CRISPR Race 2.0: Doudna and Zhang Compete on a CRISPR Diagnostic”
Algorand Nabs $4M for Blockchain Aiming to Avoid Bitcoin’s Flaws
A new startup out of MIT called Algorand has raised $4 million from investors to help it launch a blockchain-based system that the company says could address some of the technological problems dogging Bitcoin and other popular digital currencies. Pillar Companies and Union Square Ventures are the investors in Boston-based Algorand’s seed funding round announced … Continue reading “Algorand Nabs $4M for Blockchain Aiming to Avoid Bitcoin’s Flaws”
Paths of Carbonite and Mozy “Come Full Circle” in Data Backup Deal
[Updated 2/27/18, 2:29 pm. See below.] Before Dropbox and Google Drive, there was Carbonite and Mozy. Both of those pioneer firms launched in 2005, and were among the early players in online data backup services. They enabled people to pay a few bucks a month for software that automatically encrypts the information on their hard … Continue reading “Paths of Carbonite and Mozy “Come Full Circle” in Data Backup Deal”
Shipping Wars: Walmart Launches Free Delivery for Sam’s Club Members
In order to better position itself against competitors like Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ: [[ticker:COST]]) and Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]), Sam’s Club, the bulk retailer owned by Walmart (NYSE: [[ticker:WMT]]), is now offering free shipping for many items as part of a revamping of its membership programs. With a $100 annual fee—just one dollar more than the cost … Continue reading “Shipping Wars: Walmart Launches Free Delivery for Sam’s Club Members”
With IPO, BioXcel Looks to Fund AI-Fueled Drug Discovery Work
[Updated, 2/16/18, 9:10 a.m. See below.] Using software to speed up drug discovery isn’t a new idea, but it’s generating more interest thanks to artificial intelligence. BioXcel Therapeutics is trying to parlay that momentum into an initial public stock offering to fund human studies on a pair of drugs it found with the help of … Continue reading “With IPO, BioXcel Looks to Fund AI-Fueled Drug Discovery Work”
Everbridge Eyes International Expansion With UMS Deal
Critical communications software company Everbridge has made a $33.6 million cash bid to acquire Norwegian competitor Unified Messaging Systems (UMS) in a deal that would grow its overseas presence. Burlington, MA-based Everbridge (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EVBG]]) said its purchase offer represents a nearly 45 percent premium to UMS’s closing share price on Tuesday. UMS is based in … Continue reading “Everbridge Eyes International Expansion With UMS Deal”
Startups Peddle Innovative Tools to Fight Tech’s #MeToo Problem
As the last year has shown, the tech industry has a significant problem with sexual harassment and ensuring that women are treated equitably in the workplace. Now, some founders are seeking to use tech tools such as chatbots, artificial intelligence, analytics, and mobile to help clients remedy those deficiencies. One of those founders is Heather … Continue reading “Startups Peddle Innovative Tools to Fight Tech’s #MeToo Problem”
Super Saver Rate Ends Today for Robo Madness 2018: Homecoming
Experts across the robotics and artificial intelligence industries are coming together for our fourth annual Robo Madness event. It all takes place on April 12 at iRobot in Bedford, MA. Join us for interactive talks, panels, and demos from an elite group of business leaders discussing how robots and A.I. have shifted from exotic machines … Continue reading “Super Saver Rate Ends Today for Robo Madness 2018: Homecoming”
Mid-FDA Review, Tetraphase Stumbles Again on Latest Phase 3 Setback
Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals’ ups and downs have continued, as new data have clouded the future of the Watertown, MA, company’s experimental antibiotic, eravacycline, once again. Tetraphase (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TTPH]]) reported that eravacycline failed a 1,200-patient Phase 3 study called Ignite3, one of four late-stage trials the company ran to test the antibiotic against either complicated urinary tract … Continue reading “Mid-FDA Review, Tetraphase Stumbles Again on Latest Phase 3 Setback”
Bristol-Myers Bets Nearly $2B on Nektar for an Immunotherapy Boost
When it comes to spending cash on potential combinations for its cancer immunotherapy drugs, Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]) isn’t afraid of the b-word: billions. The New York-based pharma firm is paying Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NKTR]]) of San Francisco $1 billion in cash and buying another $850 million in shares, all to grab partial rights to … Continue reading “Bristol-Myers Bets Nearly $2B on Nektar for an Immunotherapy Boost”
Carbonite Buys Data Backup Competitor Mozy From Dell for $145.8M
Carbonite has agreed to buy competing online data backup service Mozy from Dell Technologies for $145.8 million, according to an announcement about the company’s 2017 financial results. Carbonite said the deal expands its customer base and the number of market segments to which it can sell. Boston-based Carbonite has been acquiring or planning to buy … Continue reading “Carbonite Buys Data Backup Competitor Mozy From Dell for $145.8M”
Fitbit Snaps Up Twine Health to Connect Dots for Patients, Doctors
Wearable device maker Fitbit is extending its reach into hospitals and doctors’ offices with the planned acquisition of Twine Health, an MIT spinout that sells healthcare coaching and collaboration software. The purchase price wasn’t disclosed in a press release announcing the deal Tuesday. The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of this … Continue reading “Fitbit Snaps Up Twine Health to Connect Dots for Patients, Doctors”
FDA’s Rachel Sherman on Right to Try, Succession Trouble & More
The opioid crisis. Right to Try legislation. The first human trials of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology. These are just a few of the many topics at the feet of the FDA this year. Speaking at the BIO CEO & Investor Conference in New York on Tuesday, principal deputy commissioner Rachel Sherman, the FDA’s second in … Continue reading “FDA’s Rachel Sherman on Right to Try, Succession Trouble & More”
E-ZPass Links With PayByCar to Advance In-Vehicle Payments
In the future, you might pay for gas or a parking spot by touching a button on your vehicle’s dashboard. Car companies are already starting to introduce these kinds of in-vehicle payments systems. But it’ll likely take years before they come standard in most new automobiles, and even longer for cars equipped with such systems … Continue reading “E-ZPass Links With PayByCar to Advance In-Vehicle Payments”
Vertex Pharma Gets FDA Approval for Combo CF Drug, Sets $292,000 Price
[Updated, 2/13/18, see below] The FDA has approved a new Vertex Pharmaceuticals cystic fibrosis drug, clearing the way for the Boston company to bring to the market its third treatment for the inherited disorder. The new Vertex (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VRTX]]) drug pairs the already approved ivacaftor (Kalydeco) with the newly approved drug tezacaftor. Vertex set a … Continue reading “Vertex Pharma Gets FDA Approval for Combo CF Drug, Sets $292,000 Price”
Trump Budget Touts Lower Drug Prices, But No Medicare Negotiation
As president-elect, Donald Trump in January 2017 slammed drug companies for “getting away with murder” and said he supported Medicare negotiation. He vowed during last month’s State of the Union speech that drug prices “will come down.” Today, his administration’s fiscal 2019 budget proposal laid out what it calls a “comprehensive” strategy to lower drug … Continue reading “Trump Budget Touts Lower Drug Prices, But No Medicare Negotiation”
Buying Shoes? Digital Stylists Use A.I. to Suggest Clothing to Match
The black skirt had multiple personas. The fact that it was made of leather gave it an edgy vibe, but its A-line fit-and-flair cut was more flirty and feminine. “I fell in love with it,” says Michelle Bacharach, co-founder of FindMine. “But as soon as I brought it home, I wondered, ‘how do I wear … Continue reading “Buying Shoes? Digital Stylists Use A.I. to Suggest Clothing to Match”
CRISPR Therapeutics’ Lundberg Steps Down as Chief Scientific Officer
Bill Lundberg is leaving his position as chief scientific officer of CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CRSP]]). CRISPR Therapeutics, which has operations in Switzerland and Cambridge, MA, said that Lundberg will continue as an advisor to the company and he is now head of its scientific advisory board. CRISPR Therapeutics develops treatments based on the CRISPR-Cas9 gene … Continue reading “CRISPR Therapeutics’ Lundberg Steps Down as Chief Scientific Officer”
Execs Talk Hurdles As Immunotherapy Combos, CAR-T Launches Progress
With multiple products on the market and many more coming, it’s easy to think that cancer immunotherapy has arrived. In reality, however, we’ve only just begun to figure out how to coax the immune system into killing cancer. That’s why a mad dash is on to expand its reach, and a panel of experts invested … Continue reading “Execs Talk Hurdles As Immunotherapy Combos, CAR-T Launches Progress”
As Trump Budget Addresses Opioid Crisis, BIO Report Reveals Scarce Pain Drug Development
[Updated 2/12/2018, 1:37pm ET, see below.] With the opioid epidemic showing little sign of letting up, new ways of treating chronic pain are desperately needed. But the development of non-addictive, non-opioid pain drugs lags far behind drug R&D for other diseases (I wrote a few months ago about why that is), and a report from … Continue reading “As Trump Budget Addresses Opioid Crisis, BIO Report Reveals Scarce Pain Drug Development”
XebiaLabs Nabs $100M+ From Accel & Others for Software Tools
Boston-area companies are cashing in on the demand for tools that can help large companies more efficiently develop and deploy software. The latest beneficiary is Burlington, MA-based XebiaLabs, which today announced it pulled in an investment of more than $100 million from a group of backers that includes Susquehanna Growth Equity and Accel. To date, … Continue reading “XebiaLabs Nabs $100M+ From Accel & Others for Software Tools”
Axovant CEO Hung, COO McCourt Resign After Brain Drug’s Failures
Axovant Sciences CEO David Hung has left the company, a move that comes a month after the firm halted development of a brain drug that failed in clinical trials. The shakeup of Basel, Switzerland-based Axovant (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AXON]]) includes the resignations of president and chief operating officer Marion McCourt, and three members of the board of directors. … Continue reading “Axovant CEO Hung, COO McCourt Resign After Brain Drug’s Failures”
Harvard Taps Former Tufts, MIT Leader Bacow as Next President
Harvard University didn’t have to go far to find its next leader. On Sunday, the school named Lawrence Bacow its 29th president. Bacow is currently working as a “leader-in-residence” at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Center for Public Leadership. He was on the Cambridge, MA-based university’s presidential search committee before stepping down in order … Continue reading “Harvard Taps Former Tufts, MIT Leader Bacow as Next President”
ClearMotion, Ori, Owl Labs CEOs Join Robo Madness April 12 at iRobot
The program for our fourth annual Robo Madness conference in Boston is almost set. In case you’ve been hiding under a rock lately (understandable), it’s all happening on the afternoon of April 12 at iRobot headquarters in Bedford, MA. We’re pleased to announce some new speakers in the program: —ClearMotion CEO Shakeel Avadhany (ClearMotion raised … Continue reading “ClearMotion, Ori, Owl Labs CEOs Join Robo Madness April 12 at iRobot”
Boston Tech Watch: Eric Schmidt’s MIT Role, CIC’s New Digs & More
[Updated 2/9/18, 3:32 pm. See below.] Here are some of the latest headlines from the Boston-area tech scene: —Humatics, a Cambridge, MA-based developer of “microlocation” and analytics software for robots, grabbed $7.2 million from investors, according to an SEC filing. The new capital arrives a few months after Humatics announced an $18 million Series A … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Eric Schmidt’s MIT Role, CIC’s New Digs & More”