Kite Pharma released more data this morning that it hopes will lead this year to the first commercial approval of a cutting-edge cancer treatment known as CAR-T therapy. The Santa Monica, CA, firm will soon ask the FDA for approval to use its CAR-T therapy, known as axicabtagene ciloleucel, to treat patients with desperate cases … Continue reading “With Eye On FDA, Kite Says CAR-T For Lymphoma Holds Up After 6 Months”
Category: Boston
Underscore.VC Co-founder C.A. Webb Departs Venture Firm
C.A. Webb is leaving Underscore.VC, the Boston early-stage venture firm that she helped start less than two years ago. Webb, Underscore’s co-founder and community partner, announced her departure in a Medium post on Monday. She attributed the move to the evolution of the firm, to the point that it is no longer the right fit for her. … Continue reading “Underscore.VC Co-founder C.A. Webb Departs Venture Firm”
Nonprofit Seeds Exonics to Fund Push For CRISPR Duchenne Treatment
Two newly approved drugs slow the progression of the rare and deadly Duchenne muscular dystrophy, but nothing on the market actually reverses the march of the disease. An emerging group of experimental gene therapy and gene editing treatments designed to do so are creeping towards human clinical testing, however, and one of them has just … Continue reading “Nonprofit Seeds Exonics to Fund Push For CRISPR Duchenne Treatment”
At Arrakis, Gilman Teams With Biogen Vets to Target RNA With Pills
A year after selling his latest biotech startup—the second since 2012—Michael Gilman is back. He emerged today as chairman and CEO of a two-year-old startup named Arrakis Therapeutics, which aims to use chemical drugs to go after an unlikely target: RNA, the molecules that turn our genetic blueprints into proteins. Named after the dangerous desert … Continue reading “At Arrakis, Gilman Teams With Biogen Vets to Target RNA With Pills”
Bio Roundup: Trump Backlash, Verdine Plans, Sarepta Sale & More
A short week makes for a shorter roundup. As we’ve come to expect, however, there was no dearth of health and life-sciences news from Washington, D.C. A bipartisan group of Congress members who oversee health policy countered President Donald Trump’s encouragement of vaccine skeptics; the real test will be the upcoming budget’s funding of Centers … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Trump Backlash, Verdine Plans, Sarepta Sale & More”
Boston Tech Watch: Amazon Expansion, Neurotech Acquisition & More
This week in Boston tech, we’re catching up on the latest real estate deals—including Amazon’s new digs, funding and acquisition news, and people on the move. Read on for details. Office Space —Let’s start with new office deals. The biggest one: Amazon is expanding to Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood, leasing space at WeWork’s new coworking … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Amazon Expansion, Neurotech Acquisition & More”
H3 Biomedicine Promotes Peter Smith to Chief Scientific Officer
Peter Smith has been named chief scientific officer of H3 Biomedicine. Smith is currently vice president, Drug Discovery Biology, for the Cambridge, MA-based precision medicine oncology company. Before joining H3 Biomedicine in 2011, Smith held various roles in oncology discovery for Millennium Pharmaceuticals/Takeda Oncology. He starts in his new role at H3 Biomedicine on March … Continue reading “H3 Biomedicine Promotes Peter Smith to Chief Scientific Officer”
Joi Ito With Robert Langer @ MIT Press Bookstore
From the website: The MIT Press Bookstore presents Joi Ito, Director of MIT’s Media Lab, in conversation with Robert Langer, David H. Koch Institute Professor in MIT’s Department of Biological Engineering, discussing Ito’s new book, Whiplash: How to Survive Our Faster Future, at 5:30 pm on Monday, April 3, at the Bookstore. The future will … Continue reading “Joi Ito With Robert Langer @ MIT Press Bookstore”
Insurance Marketplace EverQuote Gets $13M More as Growth Accelerates
Fast-growing online insurance marketplace EverQuote has tacked on $13 million to its previously announced Series B funding round, bringing the total amount to $36 million. The additional money comes from new investor Second Alpha and earlier backer Stratim Capital, a spokesman said in an e-mail to Xconomy. The funding update was included in a press … Continue reading “Insurance Marketplace EverQuote Gets $13M More as Growth Accelerates”
Bowery Bags $7.5M to Break Into Fast-Growing Indoor Farming Market
[Updated 2/23/2017 11:21 am] City real estate comes with premium prices, so the best way for developers to get the most out of limited space is by building skyward. The same approach holds true in urban agriculture. As vertical farms catch on in more cities, new agtech startup Bowery is entering the market backed by … Continue reading “Bowery Bags $7.5M to Break Into Fast-Growing Indoor Farming Market”
Harvard’s Verdine Aims to Retire, Become Full-Time FogPharma CEO
Harvard University chemical biologist Greg Verdine has been learning how to start and run biotech companies for almost two decades. He’s been a scientific co-founder of ten startups, worked at three different healthcare-focused venture capital firms, and even run a few biotechs in their early days before handing them off to more seasoned life sciences … Continue reading “Harvard’s Verdine Aims to Retire, Become Full-Time FogPharma CEO”
Seventh Sense Gets Initial FDA Clearance for Simple Blood-Draw Device
[Corrected 2/23/17, 12:44 pm. See below.] Seventh Sense Biosystems says it has received FDA clearance to begin marketing TAP, a device intended to make blood draws quick and painless. It’s the Medford, MA-based company’s first product approved for sale by the federal agency. Seventh Sense says its small, disposable devices can make blood collection more convenient … Continue reading “Seventh Sense Gets Initial FDA Clearance for Simple Blood-Draw Device”
Canopy Startup Session
From the event organizer: “The Canopy Startup Sessions are held once per month and feature up to six tech and life sciences focused startup companies. The focus of the event is to help early stage founders validate and iterate their ideas. (Investors also view the event as a great forum to scout for early stage … Continue reading “Canopy Startup Session”
Voysis Nabs $8M, Adds to Boston’s Growing Voice Tech Cluster
The disembodied voices are coming. You probably know Siri, Alexa, and Cortana, but in the not-so-distant future every company and brand could have its own virtual assistant that you can talk to. A startup called Voysis wants to help make that happen, and now the Dublin-based company has a lot more cash to advance its … Continue reading “Voysis Nabs $8M, Adds to Boston’s Growing Voice Tech Cluster”
Sexual Harassment Claims Add to Turbulent Times for Uber
For the second time in less than a month, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick found himself fending off critical questions from his own employees at a Tuesday company-wide meeting. The last time, Kalanick was trying to justify remaining on President Trump’s economic advisory council after Trump issued a sudden travel ban against refugees and people from … Continue reading “Sexual Harassment Claims Add to Turbulent Times for Uber”
Aiming At P53, Cancer’s Hard Target, PMV Pharma Raises $74M
PMV Pharmaceuticals is the latest startup to load up with cash in an attempt to home in on one of the toughest targets in cancer biology: the tumor suppressor protein known as p53. The company, headquartered in Cranbury, NJ, disclosed this morning that it has raised a $74 million Series B round from Topspin Biotech … Continue reading “Aiming At P53, Cancer’s Hard Target, PMV Pharma Raises $74M”
Amazon, Uber, and Bill Gates’s Robot Tax: An Automation Snapshot
As we gear up for Robo Madness 2017: A.I. Gets Real, our annual robotics and artificial intelligence conference at Google’s offices in Kendall Square, let’s connect a few dots around the topic of automation. In just the past day or two: —Uber has started testing self-driving cars in Tempe, AZ, after having its tests banned … Continue reading “Amazon, Uber, and Bill Gates’s Robot Tax: An Automation Snapshot”
Cidara Antifungal Flunks in Phase 2 Clinical Trial, Sinking Shares
Cidara Therapeutics is halting work on an experimental topical antifungal drug designed to treat vaginal yeast infections after the compound wasn’t better than the current standard of care in a Phase 2 clinical trial. San Diego-based Cidara (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CDTX]]) said in a statement on Tuesday it will now shift its resources to other compounds in … Continue reading “Cidara Antifungal Flunks in Phase 2 Clinical Trial, Sinking Shares”
Super Saver Rate Ending for Robo Madness 2017— A.I. Gets Real
Leaders across the robotics and artificial intelligence industries are coming together for our third annual Robo Madness event on March 28 at Google in Cambridge, MA. Join us for interactive talks, panels, and demos from an elite group of business leaders discussing how robotics and A.I. will reshape the economy and create new opportunities (and … Continue reading “Super Saver Rate Ending for Robo Madness 2017— A.I. Gets Real”
Cashing in On Duchenne Approval, Sarepta Sells Voucher to Gilead For $125M
Sarepta Therapeutics didn’t just get its first drug to market when the FDA approved the Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug eteplirsen (Exondys 51) last year—it got a potentially lucrative voucher from the FDA too. Today the Cambridge, MA, company cashed that in. Sarepta (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SRPT]]) this morning sold what’s known as a priority review voucher to … Continue reading “Cashing in On Duchenne Approval, Sarepta Sells Voucher to Gilead For $125M”
Boston, NY Tech Job Growth Hits 5-Year Low, as Amazon Keeps Expanding
The hiring pace among Boston and New York software companies has slowed to a crawl, amid a broader downshift in the tech industry. During the fourth quarter of last year, the two tech hubs saw their weakest job growth in the past five years. That’s according to a quarterly study compiled by John Barrett, a … Continue reading “Boston, NY Tech Job Growth Hits 5-Year Low, as Amazon Keeps Expanding”
Lumina Foundation Gives Odds For Edtech Innovation Under Trump
[Corrected 2/22/17, 9:35 am. See below.] Bipartisanship hasn’t exactly been the watchword in Washington over the past month as the new Trump administration grapples with stalled nominations, court battles over its travel ban, and investigations of campaign contacts with Russia. But deeply divided politicians may still find some common ground over education policy—in ways that … Continue reading “Lumina Foundation Gives Odds For Edtech Innovation Under Trump”
TUGG Makes Boston: 11th Annual Wine & Tequila Party
From the event organizer: “Join TUGG (Technology Underwriting Greater Good) in celebration of social innovation in our community at the biggest party in Boston tech! Over 1,500 of Boston tech’s entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and philanthropists will come together to help raise $200K+ to catalyze six local nonprofits (while enjoying wine and top-shelf tequila). Please note … Continue reading “TUGG Makes Boston: 11th Annual Wine & Tequila Party”
Boston Tech Watch: Nuance, Gamalon, Grapevine, Data3Sixty & More
Here are some notable recent deals made by Boston-area tech companies: —Burlington, MA-based Nuance Communications (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NUAN]]) has acquired mCarbon, a Noida, India-based provider of telecommunications products and services, for an estimated $36 million in cash and stock, according to a report by The Economic Times. —Boston-based Grapevine has sold a majority stake in the … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Nuance, Gamalon, Grapevine, Data3Sixty & More”
Bio Roundup: CRISPR Drama, Marathon and PhRMA, the Price of Vision & More
News may be coming out of Washington, DC, at a breakneck pace, but concrete plans regarding the future of the nation’s healthcare system, the FDA, and the pharmaceutical industry have been much slower to materialize. The consternation about President Donald Trump’s coming pick for FDA commissioner was palpable this week at the BIO CEO & … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CRISPR Drama, Marathon and PhRMA, the Price of Vision & More”
An Update on Tasktop—and the Future of Software Development
You can learn a lot from a quick breakfast meeting. I’m at a French bakery in Assembly Row in Somerville, MA, with executives from Tasktop Technologies, a software company Xconomy has covered for years. Inside, the smell of croissants and coffee. Outside, a coating of fresh snow, just enough to be dangerous. These are heady … Continue reading “An Update on Tasktop—and the Future of Software Development”
Rhythm Raises $41M to Bankroll Late-Stage Push For Obesity Drug
Rhythm, a Boston biotech developing drugs for rare, life-threatening metabolic disorders, has raised $41 million from a group of crossover investors, a signal that an initial public offering could be on the way. Rhythm plans to use the new funding to push testing of its drug, setmelanotide, into Phase 3 clinical trials for two different … Continue reading “Rhythm Raises $41M to Bankroll Late-Stage Push For Obesity Drug”
Mylestone Grabs $2.5M to Deliver Memories Via Amazon Alexa Devices
Amazon’s voice-enabled smart speakers can order a pizza, play your favorite song on command, set timers, and do plenty of other ordinary tasks. Now, Boston startup Mylestone aims to help make Alexa your personal memory bank. The company has created a new “skill” for Alexa—that’s Amazon’s term for the growing library of software tools built … Continue reading “Mylestone Grabs $2.5M to Deliver Memories Via Amazon Alexa Devices”
After $104M Round, Fuze Names New CEO, Shifts Co-Founder to Chairman
Eight days after Fuze announced a $104 million funding round, the Boston-area communications software firm has replaced its founding CEO. Steve Kokinos, who co-founded Fuze in 2005, will now serve as executive chairman. The company has appointed Colin Doherty as CEO, according to an announcement Thursday. Fuze’s other founder, Derek Yoo, will remain the company’s … Continue reading “After $104M Round, Fuze Names New CEO, Shifts Co-Founder to Chairman”
His Gene Therapy Near Approval, Spark CEO Wonders: What Price Vision?
Perhaps this year, Spark Therapeutics could be the first ever in the U.S. to win approval of a gene therapy with its one-time treatment for an inherited form of blindness. But an approval could also throw Spark into the line of fire in the U.S. fight over drug pricing that includes angry members of Congress, … Continue reading “His Gene Therapy Near Approval, Spark CEO Wonders: What Price Vision?”
Patent Judges’ CRISPR Ruling For Broad Leaves Daylight For Berkeley
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has made a decision in the patent fight over ownership of the landmark CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology. The ruling is in favor of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, whose 2014 patents were challenged by a group led by the University of California, Berkeley (UC). But the ruling … Continue reading “Patent Judges’ CRISPR Ruling For Broad Leaves Daylight For Berkeley”
With “Go,” Amazon Identifies Another Job It Can Do Better
Early last year, I “fired” talk radio along with NPR’s morning and evening editions. That same day, I “hired” Amazon Audible as my commute companion. It wasn’t a difficult decision. Audible is far better than its predecessors at doing the job I need done as I travel to and from my office – provide on-demand … Continue reading “With “Go,” Amazon Identifies Another Job It Can Do Better”
Fintech VC Backing Dipped 13 Percent in 2016, Mirroring Rest of Tech
The final numbers on 2016 fintech funding deals are in from New York-based research firm and investment database CB Insights, and venture capitalists seem to be cooling on the industry. According to a report released today, financial technology companies around the world attracted $12.7 billion in venture capital across 836 investments last year. That is … Continue reading “Fintech VC Backing Dipped 13 Percent in 2016, Mirroring Rest of Tech”
Merck Alzheimer Drug Is Latest To Fail In A Big Study
Another Alzheimer’s drug has failed a major test. Merck (NYSE: MRK) reported late Tuesday that its pill verubecestat was not helping people with significant Alzheimer’s symptoms. The drug maker announced that it halted its EPOCH study early because an oversight group said there was “virtually no chance of finding a positive clinical effect.” Verubecestat is … Continue reading “Merck Alzheimer Drug Is Latest To Fail In A Big Study”
Hologic Expands Into Medical Aesthetics With $1.4B Cynosure Deal
[Updated 2/14/17, 1:07 pm. See below.] Women’s health company Hologic has been looking for ways to enter the fast-growing medical aesthetics market, and the company has now found a way in with a deal to acquire Cynosure for $1.44 billion. It’s the second billion-dollar acquisition to be announced this week in the medical aesthetics industry. … Continue reading “Hologic Expands Into Medical Aesthetics With $1.4B Cynosure Deal”
FDA Turmoil, Biology Mystery On List Of Hurdles For Microbiome Drugs
In three years, investment has jumped more than twenty-fold in startups developing medicines that change the interactions between our bodies and the bacteria that colonize it, known collectively as the human microbiome. But as a panel of industry insiders noted yesterday at the BIO CEO & Investor Conference Monday, the field faces several challenges—including lack … Continue reading “FDA Turmoil, Biology Mystery On List Of Hurdles For Microbiome Drugs”
BIO-Europe Spring
From the event organizer: The eleventh annual BIO-Europe Spring® international partnering conference will be held in Barcelona, Spain March 20–22, 2017 at the CCIB Convention Centre Barcelona. Produced by EBD Group, the event is co-hosted by Biocat, BIOCAT, the organization that coordinates and promotes the health and life sciences sector in Catalonia, and the ACCIO … Continue reading “BIO-Europe Spring”
Katie Rae Wants MIT’s The Engine to Build “World-Changing” Companies
Katie Rae has been tapped to run The Engine, an ambitious startup-support initiative launched by MIT that combines a venture fund, an accelerator program, and access to workspace and business services. On Monday, Rae was named The Engine’s president and CEO, as well as managing partner of its venture fund. Rae is well known in … Continue reading “Katie Rae Wants MIT’s The Engine to Build “World-Changing” Companies”
Veering Off Topic With Rapid7 CEO Corey Thomas
It’s time to revive my ongoing series of executive interviews that take a bit of a left turn. Next up is Corey Thomas, president and CEO of Rapid7. Thomas has worked at the Boston-based cybersecurity firm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RPD]]) for almost a decade, and has served as its chief executive since late 2012. The 17-year-old company … Continue reading “Veering Off Topic With Rapid7 CEO Corey Thomas”
Amid Fake News, Authenticated Reality Launches “The New Internet”
Austin—At a time of fake news and “alternative facts,” it makes sense that a tech entrepreneur would try to find a way to innovate to ensure our encounters on the Internet are real. Chris Ciabarra, co-founder and CTO of Authenticated Reality, says the startup’s new browser—one that would require users to prove they are who … Continue reading “Amid Fake News, Authenticated Reality Launches “The New Internet””
Dear Tom Price: Bundled Payments Help Patients and Reduce Costs
With all the talk of repealing Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA), people have been taking a closer look at what the law has done for our healthcare system. It turns out the ACA is about a lot more than the problematic healthcare marketplaces. There’s the extension of parental insurance coverage to age 26 and … Continue reading “Dear Tom Price: Bundled Payments Help Patients and Reduce Costs”
Senate Confirms Price for HHS, But Stock Deals Still Raise Questions
The Senate confirmed Tom Price as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services early Friday morning by a 52-47 vote that, as expected, fell largely on party lines. Price is an orthopedic surgeon by training who has been a member of Georgia’s congressional delegation since 2004. He will now oversee a department that … Continue reading “Senate Confirms Price for HHS, But Stock Deals Still Raise Questions”
Visterra, Braeburn Stumble After Solid ’17 Start for Bio IPOs
Just how open is the IPO window for biotechs in 2017? After a solid start this year for life sciences offerings, two companies haven’t been able to get to market—the latest being Cambridge, MA-based Visterra. According to IPO research firm Renaissance Capital, Visterra has postponed an IPO that was supposed to net the firm $50 … Continue reading “Visterra, Braeburn Stumble After Solid ’17 Start for Bio IPOs”
Bio Roundup: Travel Ban Block, Gilead Shock, Dean Kamen Talk & More
The biotech community pushed back against President Donald Trump’s order to block travelers and refugees this week, and not much later, a federal court did, too. Patient advocates have scored big wins with recent approvals of rare disease treatments, but they’re not as happy with insurers’ coverage decisions or with Trump’s promises of massive FDA … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Travel Ban Block, Gilead Shock, Dean Kamen Talk & More”
Often Advocates Of Faster FDA, Patient Groups Wary Of Trump Deregulation
In the biomedical world, perhaps the biggest question looming over President Donald Trump’s upcoming pick for Food and Drug Administration commissioner is how drastically that person will help roll back FDA regulations. Trump said at last week’s meeting in Washington D.C., with pharmaceutical executives that he wanted to slash FDA rules by 75 to 80 … Continue reading “Often Advocates Of Faster FDA, Patient Groups Wary Of Trump Deregulation”
San Francisco Appeals Court Upholds Stay on Trump’s Travel Ban—For Now
The Trump administration’s travel ban will remain on a temporary hold under an order issued today by a federal appeals court in San Francisco, which held that the government had failed to make its case for lifting a stay won through a court challenge by the state of Washington. That means that for the time … Continue reading “San Francisco Appeals Court Upholds Stay on Trump’s Travel Ban—For Now”
CyPhy, Mitsubishi, and Soft Robotics Join Robo Madness on March 28
While Boston suffers through its first real snow day of the year, I wanted to update you on Robo Madness: A.I. Gets Real. We’re mapping out the program for our March 28 conference at Google in Kendall Square (looking forward to that spring weather). This will be our annual convention of robotics and artificial intelligence … Continue reading “CyPhy, Mitsubishi, and Soft Robotics Join Robo Madness on March 28”
Xconomy Is Growing: We Need Great Salespeople in SF, Texas, and NY
Since Xconomy’s founding nearly a decade ago, we have grown from a single bureau in Boston to having editors covering 11 innovation clusters around the United States. And over this time, we have cultivated a reputation for outstanding news coverage and events across high-tech business sectors—from information technology to life sciences and beyond. In the … Continue reading “Xconomy Is Growing: We Need Great Salespeople in SF, Texas, and NY”
Boston Tech Watch: Uber, Zipcar, MassChallenge, Adelphic, Lola & More
Here are some of the latest headlines in the Boston tech scene: Pink slips —We start this week’s roundup with some bad news: layoffs. Bedford, MA-based Progress Software (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PRGS]]) recently announced it would let 450 employees go, which is more than 20 percent of the company’s workforce. The move is part of a restructuring … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Uber, Zipcar, MassChallenge, Adelphic, Lola & More”
Acorda Touts Success in Parkinson’s Drug Study, Awaits Safety Data
Acorda Therapeutics took a calculated risk in 2014 when it bought Civitas Therapeutics in a bid to start accumulating drugs for Parkinson’s disease. But that deal has a chance to soon pay off for the Ardsley, NY, company. Acorda (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ACOR]]) said that CVT-301, its experimental Parkinson’s drug, succeeded in a 339-patient Phase 3 trial. … Continue reading “Acorda Touts Success in Parkinson’s Drug Study, Awaits Safety Data”