Disc Medicine appointed John Quisel as its new CEO. Quisel, most recently chief business officer at Acceleron Pharma (NASDAQ: [[ticker:XLRN]]), will start Feb. 25. Quisel will join Disc Medicine after more than a decade at Acceleron Pharma, where he held a variety of roles since joining the company in 2006. He succeeds Disc co-founder Brian MacDonald, … Continue reading “Disc Medicine Adds Longtime Acceleron Pharma Exec as New CEO”
Category: Boston
BIO Report: More Work Needed to Improve Diversity at Biotech Firms
Some companies that belong to the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), a large industry trade group, convene diverse hiring committees, seek out representation among their suppliers and vendors, and are led by executives that talk regularly about the importance of an inclusive workforce. Others have no women or people of color as employees, gather no data … Continue reading “BIO Report: More Work Needed to Improve Diversity at Biotech Firms”
With $45M, Mammoth Bio Expects Big Things From Tiny CRISPR Cas14
Mammoth Biosciences set out to develop CRISPR-based diagnostics that could be faster and cheaper than what’s available today. Those diagnostics are still on the way, but Mammoth now has a new piece in its toolbox that could broaden the reach of these tests and expand the startup into therapeutic applications. To support development of these … Continue reading “With $45M, Mammoth Bio Expects Big Things From Tiny CRISPR Cas14”
Black Diamond’s Upsized IPO Raises $201M to Advance Its Cancer Drug R&D
A little more than a year ago, Black Diamond Therapeutics unveiled technology that analyzes genetic data to discover new cancer drugs. Today the company has $201 million from an IPO to advance the development of drugs stemming from that technology. Black Diamond priced its IPO late Wednesday, selling 10.5 million shares for $19 apiece. That … Continue reading “Black Diamond’s Upsized IPO Raises $201M to Advance Its Cancer Drug R&D”
Vizgen Launches With $14M to Market New Subcellular Imaging Technique
Scientists in a Harvard University lab developed an imaging technique that allows researchers to peer deep into tissue samples to learn more about the molecules and cellular organization within. That technology now has the backing of two venture capital firms that have funded a company to commercialize the technology. The Cambridge, MA-based startup, Vizgen, debuted … Continue reading “Vizgen Launches With $14M to Market New Subcellular Imaging Technique”
Anika Therapeutics Announces Passing of CEO Joseph Darling
Joseph Darling, president and CEO of Anika Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ANIK]]), has passed away, the company announced Wednesday. The company said that Darling, 62, died unexpectedly in upstate New York. No cause of death was disclosed. Anika develops and sells joint preservation and regenerative therapies for orthopedic conditions. Darling joined the Bedford, MA-based company as its … Continue reading “Anika Therapeutics Announces Passing of CEO Joseph Darling”
Decibel Therapeutics Exec Holtzman Retires, Reid Named Acting CEO
Decibel Therapeutics CEO Steven Holtzman is retiring, the Boston-based drug developer announced Wednesday. He will continue as a business advisor to the company. Decibel appointed Laurence Reid to serve as acting CEO. Reid is an entrepreneur-in-residence at Third Rock Ventures, one of Decibel’s investors. He is also the former CEO of Warp Drive Bio, which … Continue reading “Decibel Therapeutics Exec Holtzman Retires, Reid Named Acting CEO”
Takeda’s Blanchfield Joins Lantheus as Chief Commercial Officer
Lantheus Holdings has appointed Paul Blanchfield to serve as its chief commercial officer. Blanchfield was most recently head of US immunology at Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceutical (NYSE: [[ticker:TAK]]). Before, he held several different roles at Dublin, Ireland-based Shire, which Takeda acquired in January 2019. North Billerica, MA-based Lantheus Holdings is the parent company of LMI, a … Continue reading “Takeda’s Blanchfield Joins Lantheus as Chief Commercial Officer”
Biofourmis Adds Jaydev Thakkar, Milan Shah to C-Suite
Digital therapeutics company Biofourmis has appointed Jaydev Thakkar as its chief operating officer, and Milan Shah as its chief technology officer. Thakkar joins Boston-based Biofourmis after 14 years at Amgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]), where he was most recently director of digital health and innovation. Shah joins from cybersecurity firm Uptycs, where he was co-founder and chief … Continue reading “Biofourmis Adds Jaydev Thakkar, Milan Shah to C-Suite”
Spring Bank Pharma Ends Hepatitis B Work After Death in Clinical Trial
Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals is stopping work on an experimental treatment for hepatitis B virus after serious side effects, including one patient death, were reported in a mid-stage study. The Spring Bank (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SBPH]]) drug, inarigivir soproxil, was the company’s lead therapeutic candidate. No details were released about the side effects observed in the clinical trial. … Continue reading “Spring Bank Pharma Ends Hepatitis B Work After Death in Clinical Trial”
Decibel Therapeutics Strikes a Balance, Adding Regenerative Med Focus
Decibel Therapeutics emerged four years ago aiming to build a pipeline of medicines for various forms of hearing loss. One of those drugs is in the clinic. Others were shelved. And some of the company’s resources are now focusing on regenerative therapies addressing the inner ear. The recent pipeline changes are accompanied by a corporate … Continue reading “Decibel Therapeutics Strikes a Balance, Adding Regenerative Med Focus”
Third Time’s the Charm as Acceleron Drug Shows Early Promise in PAH
Sotatercept was one of the first compounds to emerge from the labs of Acceleron Pharma, but it became a forgotten piece of the company’s pipeline. Passed over as a candidate to treat a rare blood disorder and stalled in tests in chronic kidney disease, little was expected of the drug. The drug’s prospects have changed … Continue reading “Third Time’s the Charm as Acceleron Drug Shows Early Promise in PAH”
BioIntelliSense Debuts “Sticker” Sensor to Capture Patient Data Remotely
Subtle changes can presage a worsening of a chronic condition, but symptoms may not become apparent to a patient until it’s time to call an ambulance. BioIntelliSense, a Denver-based digital health startup, has developed a wearable sensor meant to monitor patients’ vital signs remotely and provide near real-time data that clinicians can use to identify … Continue reading “BioIntelliSense Debuts “Sticker” Sensor to Capture Patient Data Remotely”
Advanced Therapies Are Reshaping Biopharma R&D: KPMG Report
Biopharmaceutical companies focused on advanced therapies are changing industry R&D, manufacturing, and supply chain models according to KPMG. The audit, tax, and advisory services firm shared details of the trend in its Healthcare & Life Sciences Outlook report, explaining that for companies developing cell, gene, and nucleic acid-based therapies, innovation is a necessity. “As pharmaceutical … Continue reading “Advanced Therapies Are Reshaping Biopharma R&D: KPMG Report”
Flagship Adds Fertility-Focused Ohana Biosciences to Biotech Family
About 7 million couples in the US have difficulty getting or staying pregnant. A new biotech is using insights into the biology of male reproductive cells—the sperm that must meet its female equivalent, an egg cell, for fertilization to occur—to develop products meant to make assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) more … Continue reading “Flagship Adds Fertility-Focused Ohana Biosciences to Biotech Family”
Quench Bio Springs From Atlas With $50M for a New Take on Inflammation
Cells die all the time in a controlled manner that’s perfectly normal. But the way cells die matters. Sometimes cell death is violent, sparking inflammation believed to contribute to disease. Quench Bio aims to develop drugs that stop the uncontrolled forms of programmed cell death, potentially halting inflammatory disease. The Cambridge, MA-based startup has come … Continue reading “Quench Bio Springs From Atlas With $50M for a New Take on Inflammation”
Life Sciences IPOs Target Collective Raise of More Than $600M This Week
So far this year four privately held companies have made the transition to trading on the public markets. By month’s end, five more are anticipated to join the class of 2020 initial public offerings—and four of those are in life sciences, according to IPO research firm Renaissance Capital. Two are clinical-stage biotechs: Cambridge, MA-based Black … Continue reading “Life Sciences IPOs Target Collective Raise of More Than $600M This Week”
Beam Therapeutics Promotes Giuseppe Ciaramella to President
Beam Therapeutics has promoted Chief Scientific Officer Giuseppe “Pino” Ciaramella to president. He will continue to serve as the Cambridge, MA, biotech’s CSO, a role he has held for nearly two years. Before joining Beam, Ciaramella was the CSO of Moderna (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MRNA]]). His experience also includes positions at AstraZeneca (NYSE: [[ticker:AZN]]) and Boehringer Ingelheim. … Continue reading “Beam Therapeutics Promotes Giuseppe Ciaramella to President”
Acceleron Pharma Exec Quisel Is Leaving to Join a Biotech Startup
Acceleron Pharma (NASDAQ: [[ticker:XLRN]]) announced Thursday that John Quisel, the company’s executive vice president and chief business officer, is leaving to become CEO of a venture-backed biotechnology startup. The startup’s name was not disclosed. Quisel was involved in numerous deals struck by Cambridge, MA-based Acceleron, including a development and commercialization agreement with Celgene (now part … Continue reading “Acceleron Pharma Exec Quisel Is Leaving to Join a Biotech Startup”
Bio Roundup: Coronavirus Concerns, Sarepta’s CRL, Eye Drug OK’d & More
Company news slowed somewhat this week, perhaps as some took the federal Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday away from the office and others recovered from back-to-back meetings and late nights at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference. However, a new coronavirus believed to stem from Wuhan, China, captured the attention of the world healthcare community. … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Coronavirus Concerns, Sarepta’s CRL, Eye Drug OK’d & More”
Epizyme’s Soft Tissue Cancer Drug Granted Speedy FDA Approval
Epizyme won accelerated FDA approval Thursday for a drug developed to treat the rare cancer epithelioid sarcoma (ES). The regulatory decision for the Epizyme (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EPZM]]) drug, tazemetostat (Tazverik), covers patients 16 or older whose ES has advanced or spread and is not eligible for surgical treatment. The drug is now the first FDA-approved treatment … Continue reading “Epizyme’s Soft Tissue Cancer Drug Granted Speedy FDA Approval”
Poxel Picks Sigilon’s Moller for Chief Scientific Officer Post
David Moller has joined Poxel as its chief scientific officer, the same position he held most recently at Sigilon Therapeutics. Moller’s experience also includes research and development roles at Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]) and Merck (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]). Lyon, France-based Poxel is developing treatments for metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Moller will … Continue reading “Poxel Picks Sigilon’s Moller for Chief Scientific Officer Post”
FDA Flags Risk of Infection, Kidney Damage for Sarepta Duchenne Drugs
[Updated 7:25 p.m. See below.] Safety concerns stymied Sarepta Therapeutics’ attempt to win FDA approval last August for golodirsen (Vyondys 53), its second Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug. But an appeal of the decision led to a surprise reversal by the regulator last month, with little explanation why. Details are now surfacing about the safety risks … Continue reading “FDA Flags Risk of Infection, Kidney Damage for Sarepta Duchenne Drugs”
Emendo Eyes the Clinic for CRISPR Therapy That Makes Single-Gene Edits
CRISPR gene editing offers the potential to selectively edit the genetic mutations causing inherited diseases, but Emendo Biotherapeutics CEO David Baram contends it’s not precise enough. A large number of genetic diseases can’t be addressed by current CRISPR approaches and the technology still raises safety concerns. Emendo is developing a way to make CRISPR gene … Continue reading “Emendo Eyes the Clinic for CRISPR Therapy That Makes Single-Gene Edits”
Of Science and Sea Urchins: Researchers Plumb Oceans for Biological Insights
The ocean is home to more biodiversity than anywhere else on the planet—making it a largely untapped source of opportunity for researchers studying marine organisms as a source of novel drug leads. “The unique adaptations of marine organisms have made them valuable models for biomedical research, enhancing our understanding of fundamental biological processes, such as … Continue reading “Of Science and Sea Urchins: Researchers Plumb Oceans for Biological Insights”
Revolution Medicines Maps Out an IPO to Reach Cancer’s Frontiers
Cancer research has revealed proteins known to play a role in the disease, but with no known way of stopping what they do. In pharmaceutical parlance, they’re “undruggable.” Revolution Medicines is trying to drug the undruggable with small molecules that block the signaling pathways these proteins use to help cancer grow and thrive. With one … Continue reading “Revolution Medicines Maps Out an IPO to Reach Cancer’s Frontiers”
Bio Roundup: EQRx’s Ambitions, Nektar No Vote, New Frazier Fund & More
Perhaps the most talked-about news at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference this week was a new startup that launched with $200 million and an ambitious claim that its first drug would be approved within five years, and 10 in total within as many years. Cambridge, MA-based EQRx contends it will be able achieve its goals … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: EQRx’s Ambitions, Nektar No Vote, New Frazier Fund & More”
Cancer Drug Developer BioNTech to Buy Neon Therapeutics in $67M Deal
Neon Therapeutics closed 2019 by curtailing its cancer vaccine programs and laying off 24 percent of its workforce, part of a corporate restructuring aimed at finding a new path for the company. That new path will now be as a division of cancer drug developer BioNTech. BioNTech announced Thursday that it has agreed to acquire … Continue reading “Cancer Drug Developer BioNTech to Buy Neon Therapeutics in $67M Deal”
Mayo Clinic Joins $60M Financing for Biomedical Software Firm nference
Startup nference has closed a $60 million Series B financing round to expand the use of its augmented intelligence platform in clinical research and drug development. Mayo Clinic and NTT Venture Capital joined previous investors Matrix Partners and Matrix Capital Management, which participated in the Cambridge, MA-based company’s Series A round in 2018. The relationship … Continue reading “Mayo Clinic Joins $60M Financing for Biomedical Software Firm nference”
Disarm Therapeutics Names Scott Holmes Chief Financial Officer
Disarm Therapeutics has appointed Scott Holmes to serve as its chief financial officer, the same position he held most recently at Kiadis Pharma. Before working at Kiadis, Holmes was the CFO of Keryx Biopharmaceuticals. Cambridge, MA-based Disarm is developing drugs neurodegenerative disease drugs that target a protein called SARM1.
FDA Panel Votes Down Nektar Opioid Painkiller, Asks for More Data
[Updated 1/15/2020, 8:51 a.m. See below.] As the nation grapples with the ongoing opioid crisis, an FDA advisory panel on Tuesday unanimously voted against recommending approval of a Nektar Therapeutics painkiller that would add a new compound to the drug class—even though it was designed to reduce the risk of abuse. Some members of the … Continue reading “FDA Panel Votes Down Nektar Opioid Painkiller, Asks for More Data”
Schrödinger Sets Course for IPO to Support Growing Internal Pipeline
Scan the landscape of experimental medicines in development today and you’ll spot Schrödinger’s handiwork. The company’s software has helped discover compounds that are now advancing in the pipelines of several drug developers. Schrödinger isn’t shying away from that work. But as it continues building its own drug pipeline, it’s now laying out plans to go … Continue reading “Schrödinger Sets Course for IPO to Support Growing Internal Pipeline”
Biogen Adds Another Neuro Drug to Pipeline in Deal With Pfizer
Continuing to make headlines in the neurodegenerative disease space, Biogen on Monday announced a deal to acquire a clinical-stage Pfizer asset that has potential applications in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, for $75 million. Cambridge, MA-based Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) could end up paying Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]) up to $635 million in potential milestone payments and royalties, … Continue reading “Biogen Adds Another Neuro Drug to Pipeline in Deal With Pfizer”
Generation Bio Pockets $110M for Next Wave of Gene Therapy, IPO Plans
JP Morgan’s annual healthcare conference convenes in San Francisco this week and Generation Bio CEO Geoff McDonough is betting gene therapy will be among the discussion topics. While such therapies now offer ways to address some rare diseases that previously had no treatment, they also have limitations. Generation Bio is among the new wave of … Continue reading “Generation Bio Pockets $110M for Next Wave of Gene Therapy, IPO Plans”
Biotech Roundup: Drug Pricing Promises, Bone Disease Data, IPO Plans & More
A letter signed by 215 people involved in the biopharma industry, including CEOs and investors, published Wednesday promised to put the “interests of patients first.” Six CEOs, including five who run public companies, co-authored the letter. Signatories agreed to what they dubbed a New Commitment to Patients, a list of “core principals and actions” promising … Continue reading “Biotech Roundup: Drug Pricing Promises, Bone Disease Data, IPO Plans & More”
Biogen Teams Up With Startup CAMP4 to Scout for New Neuro Drugs
[Updated 2:42 p.m. See below.] The next neuroscience drug that joins Biogen’s pipeline might come from the research of startup CAMP4 Therapeutics. The two Cambridge, MA-based companies are starting an alliance that will use CAMP4’s technology to find genetic targets that could lead to new drugs. Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) is paying its new partner $15 … Continue reading “Biogen Teams Up With Startup CAMP4 to Scout for New Neuro Drugs”
Solid Bio Restructures to Get Halted Gene Therapy Study Back on Track
Solid Biosciences is slashing its workforce, including two top executives, in order to devote the company’s remaining resources to its experimental gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The corporate restructuring announced Thursday comes two months after the FDA placed a hold on the study after safety problems emerged that were linked to the gene therapy, … Continue reading “Solid Bio Restructures to Get Halted Gene Therapy Study Back on Track”
Novome Lands $33M to Tweak a Gut Microbe Into a Metabolic Therapy
Food gurus tout the benefits of eating spinach and kale, but some people are better off leaving them on the plate. A molecule in these leafy greens contributes to hyperoxaluria, a condition characterized by kidney stones at first and serious organ damage later. Novome Biotechnologies is developing a gut microbiome treatment for hyperoxaluria. The company … Continue reading “Novome Lands $33M to Tweak a Gut Microbe Into a Metabolic Therapy”
Magenta’s Cooke Joins IFM Therapeutics as Chief Scientific Officer
IFM Therapeutics has appointed Michael Cooke to serve as its chief scientific officer, the same position he held most recently at Magenta Therapeutics. Before Magenta, Cooke was a founding scientist at the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, where he held several positions. Last month, Boston-based IFM raised $55.5 million to launch its third … Continue reading “Magenta’s Cooke Joins IFM Therapeutics as Chief Scientific Officer”
Apellis Rare Blood Disease Drug Tops Alexion’s in Head-to-Head Test
Apellis Pharmaceuticals wants to offer patients who have an ultra-rare blood disease another treatment option. The drug developer Tuesday revealed late-stage clinical trial data suggesting its experimental therapy works better than a blockbuster Alexion Pharmaceuticals medicine that is currently the standard of care. The Apellis (NASDAQ: [[ticker:APLS]]) drug, pegcetacoplan, is in testing as a treatment … Continue reading “Apellis Rare Blood Disease Drug Tops Alexion’s in Head-to-Head Test”
Takeda to Fund AI Projects at MIT as Part of New 3-Year Collaboration
Takeda is teaming up with MIT to advance projects intended to enhance its understanding of how to best use artificial intelligence to solve some of the biopharma industry’s biggest challenges. The Japanese company (NYSE: [[ticker:TAK]]) will fund six to 10 projects per year for three years. Financial terms of the agreement, which includes a potential … Continue reading “Takeda to Fund AI Projects at MIT as Part of New 3-Year Collaboration”
Black Diamond Lines Up IPO as Lead Cancer Drug Nears Clinic
Cancer research is leading some companies to molecular targets that have eluded new medicines. Phase 1-ready biotech Black Diamond Therapeutics hopes its approach to such cancer targets leads it to the public markets. Black Diamond filed paperwork with securities regulators late Friday for an IPO. The Cambridge, MA-based firm set a $100 million goal for … Continue reading “Black Diamond Lines Up IPO as Lead Cancer Drug Nears Clinic”
BioIntervene Raises $30M to Move Nerve Pain Drug Into the Clinic
In the past seven years BioIntervene has been working to develop “ultra-selective” compounds to target an adenosine receptor associated with pain relief. Now the San Diego-based biotech has $30 million and a chief scientific officer, Charles Cohen, to guide its lead compound, BIO-205, into human testing for neuropathic pain. The company announced the Series A … Continue reading “BioIntervene Raises $30M to Move Nerve Pain Drug Into the Clinic”
Rhythm Pharma CEO Gottesdeiner to Step Down After FDA Filing
Rhythm Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RYTM]]) announced late Monday that president and CEO Keith Gottesdiener will step down from his executive roles and from the board of directors after the company submits its lead drug for FDA review. Gottesdiener has been Rhythm CEO and board member since 2011. A search for his successor is underway. Boston-based Rhythm’s … Continue reading “Rhythm Pharma CEO Gottesdeiner to Step Down After FDA Filing”
Merck Ramps Up KRAS Chase Through Licensing Deal With Taiho, Astex
The KRAS gene has become a hot target for cancer research for a growing number of drug developers. Merck, which is already testing a KRAS vaccine candidate, is now spreading its bets with a licensing deal for small molecule KRAS drugs being developed by two Otsuka Pharmaceutical subsidiaries. Merck (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]) is paying $25 million … Continue reading “Merck Ramps Up KRAS Chase Through Licensing Deal With Taiho, Astex”
Bio Roundup: FDA Approvals, Intrexon’s Shift, Melinta Bankruptcy & More
In the week leading up to Christmas, six drugs won FDA approvals. The decisions covered insomnia, migraine, and several different forms of cancer. The FDA’s final tally for the year totaled 48 new drug approvals. If you’re keeping score, that compares with 59 approvals in 2018 and 46 in 2017. Most of the nods went to … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: FDA Approvals, Intrexon’s Shift, Melinta Bankruptcy & More”
Coughlin Takes Over as Chief Medical Officer at Rubius
Rubius Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RUBY]]) out of Cambridge, MA, has named Christina Coughlin as the company’s chief medical officer, as Chris Carpenter, who holds the position until January 6, transitions to a scientific advisory role. Coughlin is a trained oncologist and immunologist and joins Rubius from Tmunity Therapeutics, where she was the chief medical officer. Prior … Continue reading “Coughlin Takes Over as Chief Medical Officer at Rubius”
No More Fish or Fruit: Intrexon Turns SynBio Focus to Human Health
Intrexon has spent two decades designing and building DNA sequences for applications in healthcare, food, energy, and the environment. Going forward, the synthetic biology company will focus exclusively on human health under the name of a subsidiary whose lead cell therapies are now in early-stage clinical testing in cancer. Germantown, MD-based Intrexon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:XON]]) announced … Continue reading “No More Fish or Fruit: Intrexon Turns SynBio Focus to Human Health”
Roche Puts Up Historic $1.15B for Sarepta Duchenne Gene Therapy Deal
Swiss biopharma Roche is betting more than $1 billion that Sarepta Therapeutics, which recently won FDA approval for its second RNA medicine for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, will get its lead gene therapy treatment across the finish line too. The deal, one of the biggest ever US biopharma licensing agreements, gives Roche the right outside of … Continue reading “Roche Puts Up Historic $1.15B for Sarepta Duchenne Gene Therapy Deal”
Bio Roundup: Amarin’s Approval, FTC v. Illumina, a $120M Deal & More
As national politics dominates the news in the final days of the decade, we at Xconomy are wrapping up the year with some big moves by the FDA, including an approval of the first drug OK’d reduce heart risk in patients with high triglycerides who are already taking statins. Holidays don’t provide immunity to bad … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Amarin’s Approval, FTC v. Illumina, a $120M Deal & More”