Category: Indiana

Novo Nordisk Diabetes Drug Beats Lilly’s Trulicity in Head-to-Head Test

A Novo Nordisk drug candidate for type 2 diabetes beat Eli Lilly’s dulaglutide (Trulicity) in reducing blood sugar and body weight in patients studied in a late-stage clinical trial, the Denmark-based company says. The results could bring strong competition to one of Indianapolis-based Lilly’s top-selling products if Novo Nordisk’s experimental drug is approved by the … Continue reading “Novo Nordisk Diabetes Drug Beats Lilly’s Trulicity in Head-to-Head Test”

Expanding Tissue and Squeezing Cells: Meet Xconomy’s Young Innovator Award Finalists

The finalists in the Young Innovator category of the 2017 Xconomy Awards show that it’s never too early in life to start a company or invent a new technology. These four individuals (30 years of age or under) share a strong drive, even a restlessness, to build new things that make a difference. Three knew … Continue reading “Expanding Tissue and Squeezing Cells: Meet Xconomy’s Young Innovator Award Finalists”

Private Equity Investors Have $740 Billion to Spend, Driving Valuations

Private equity investors have more capital at their disposal than at any time in more than a decade, which could boost prices for companies seeking acquisitions. As of Aug. 1, private equity firms in North America and Europe had secured $212.6 billion in new commitments this year, on pace to eclipse the “already stellar” fundraising … Continue reading “Private Equity Investors Have $740 Billion to Spend, Driving Valuations”

120WaterAudit Brings Data Visualization to Contaminant Testing

In most of America, people expect clean, drinkable water to pour from the tap. However, there are deep cracks emerging in the nation’s aging water infrastructure, and the Trump administration’s Environment Protection Agency has been quietly working to “roll back” clean water protections in favor of industry priorities. Municipalities with tight budgets risk making disastrous … Continue reading “120WaterAudit Brings Data Visualization to Contaminant Testing”

Dragonfly, eGenesis, Spero & More: Xconomy’s Startup Award Finalists

Startups play a critical role in the innovation economy that we chronicle at Xconomy—transforming new ideas that begin in a lab into the products and companies of tomorrow. No surprise, then, that the startup category in our first-ever Awards program was a particularly competitive one, loaded with private companies (no more than 5 years old) … Continue reading “Dragonfly, eGenesis, Spero & More: Xconomy’s Startup Award Finalists”

Genesis Innovation Raises $1.1M to Invest in Medical Device Startups

Holland, MI-based Genesis Innovation Group announced early this month that it has raised $1.1 million in capital to invest in new medical device technologies. Since its 2013 inception, Genesis has raised a total of $2.3 million. Genesis is not a traditional venture capital firm, says co-founder and CEO Rob Ball. Instead, it’s a consulting group … Continue reading “Genesis Innovation Raises $1.1M to Invest in Medical Device Startups”

Kauffman Fellows Take On VC Sexual Harassment, Bench Mentor McClure

If you’re looking for a counterpoint to the recent flurry of news stories about sexual harassment and gender bias in the tech sector, the Kauffman Fellows program isn’t a bad place to start. The Palo Alto, CA-based program, a spinoff of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, has been a gateway into the venture capital industry … Continue reading “Kauffman Fellows Take On VC Sexual Harassment, Bench Mentor McClure”

Bio Roundup: $1B Deals, Data Bumps, Acorda’s Lumps, Generic OKs & More

With President Trump holed up in New Jersey, rattling his saber at Kim Jong-un and Mitch McConnell and ignoring his own commission’s advice on the opioid crisis, there was still life sciences news from the nation’s capital. The FDA reported that generic drug approvals are set to hit a record; the agency under Commissioner Scott … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: $1B Deals, Data Bumps, Acorda’s Lumps, Generic OKs & More”

Tech Hiring Trends: Buzzwords, Trump Effect, and Gender-Pay Gap

As the tech economy continues its historic boom, here’s three views of labor market trends released this week, including the rise and fall of buzzwords in engineering job postings; the Trump Administration’s impact on U.S. companies’ interest in foreign workers; and another disappointing look at the gender-pay gap. —In the last two years, big data … Continue reading “Tech Hiring Trends: Buzzwords, Trump Effect, and Gender-Pay Gap”

Why We All Should Care About the Recent Brouhaha at Google

The issues raised by the 10-page memo on the suitability of women for certain engineering and leadership positions at Google (culminating in the firing of its author) have implications for all of us. They are as much about the requirements for success in today’s workplace—and how to identify and nurture those qualities in all employees—as they … Continue reading “Why We All Should Care About the Recent Brouhaha at Google”

Startup Builders, IPO Closers & More: Meet Xconomy’s CEO Award Finalists

There are many ways to stand out as a biotech CEO, from getting a company started in the first place to pushing its first drug over the finish line. Those differences are what we noticed when going through the nominations from you, the readers, for the top Boston biotech CEO, as part of the first-ever … Continue reading “Startup Builders, IPO Closers & More: Meet Xconomy’s CEO Award Finalists”

An Insider’s Guide to Bridging the Biotech Gender Gap

As an executive recruiter focused solely on life sciences, I’m among the first to acknowledge the industry’s gender gap. Of the 20 largest pharmaceutical companies around the world, only one has a woman at the helm—and GSK named Emma Natasha Walmsley as CEO less than five months ago. Among biotech executive leadership teams, women make … Continue reading “An Insider’s Guide to Bridging the Biotech Gender Gap”

Bio Roundup: CRISPR Advances, Obamacare Lives, FDA Nods & More

Gene editing took an important step this week when a group of U.S. researchers used CRISPR-Cas9 technology to correct a genetic error in dozens of human embryos without complications. It’s a significant achievement, but amidst the hype, it’s worth cautioning just how much work has to be done before the technology leads to a safe … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CRISPR Advances, Obamacare Lives, FDA Nods & More”

Dramatic Capital Inflows Continue in 2Q17… Trouble Ahead?

In an environment of microscopic interest rates, it is particularly interesting to read the Preqin 2Q17 Quarterly Update, which exhaustively tracks all things private equity and venture capital. At the end of June 2017 there were 1,998 funds in market raising a total of $676 billion – a staggering sum – indicative of global investors … Continue reading “Dramatic Capital Inflows Continue in 2Q17… Trouble Ahead?”

Disrupt Indy: Can Data Forge the Path to Inclusive Tech Ecosystems?

U.S. tech startups and investment firms have long been thought of as the domain of white men—because historically, they have been. Although that may be changing as more big tech corporations are pressured to release their diversity statistics and change hiring policies, one only needs to look at the statistics to confirm that women, members … Continue reading “Disrupt Indy: Can Data Forge the Path to Inclusive Tech Ecosystems?”

A.I. Chip Race Redraws Competitive Map Among Tech Firms, Chipmakers

It’s been a long time since tech’s biggest companies could be sorted into discrete buckets according to the products they pioneered—-Google, the search software giant; Apple, the computer and mobile device innovator; e-commerce leader Amazon; business software stalwart Microsoft; and social media engine Facebook. Since then, these major innovators have built on a common resource—increasingly … Continue reading “A.I. Chip Race Redraws Competitive Map Among Tech Firms, Chipmakers”

Bio Roundup: GOP Drama, Immunotherapy Setbacks, Pharma Revamps

Two failed cancer studies this week provided a fresh reminder how little researchers and clinicians understand about immunotherapy’s vagaries: why it works for some people and not for others. The results, in lung cancer and head-and neck cancer, add to recent failures in multiple myeloma and bladder cancer and splash cold water on a sector … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: GOP Drama, Immunotherapy Setbacks, Pharma Revamps”

Immunotherapy Shakeup: AstraZeneca Inks Merck Deal as Drug Combo Fails

Despite all the great progress made harnessing the immune system to fight cancer, there is still much work to be done to maximize its potential. The latest evidence: disappointing results today from a roughly 1,100-patient study called “Mystic,” a highly anticipated trial from AstraZeneca testing a combination of immunotherapies in newly diagnosed lung cancer patients. … Continue reading “Immunotherapy Shakeup: AstraZeneca Inks Merck Deal as Drug Combo Fails”

Foxconn to Build Plant in WI, Giving Support to Trump’s Jobs Pledges

After weeks of hints, rumors, and speculation, it’s now official: Foxconn, the world’s largest contract manufacturer, said it will invest $10 billion over the next three years to build an enormous plant in Southeastern Wisconsin and make electronics displays there. President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and several Wisconsin politicians, including Gov. Scott Walker … Continue reading “Foxconn to Build Plant in WI, Giving Support to Trump’s Jobs Pledges”

Eli Lilly Pays Nektar $150M Up Front For Autoimmune Drug Rights

Nektar Therapeutics has been buoyed of late by the progress of a potential pain drug, but another, much earlier program has caught the eye of Eli Lilly, which has agreed to write the San Francisco company a $150 million check to help bring the therapy through clinical testing. Depending on the progress of the drug … Continue reading “Eli Lilly Pays Nektar $150M Up Front For Autoimmune Drug Rights”

Bio Roundup: Obamacare Persists, FDA Approves, Vertex Wows & More

The attempt to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act took a major hit this week from Senate GOP holdouts who said the Better Care Reconciliation Act either tore down Medicaid too much or left too much of the ACA in place. A straight-up repeal, floated by Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, was also shot … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Obamacare Persists, FDA Approves, Vertex Wows & More”

Iron Yard, Coding School With Three Texas Campuses, Shuts Down

The Iron Yard coding school, which has campuses in Dallas, Houston, and Austin, TX, announced Thursday that it is shutting down operations. In a blog post on the school’s website, communications director Lelia King wrote that “the Iron Yard has made the difficult decision to cease operations at all campuses after teaching out remaining summer … Continue reading “Iron Yard, Coding School With Three Texas Campuses, Shuts Down”

New Frontier: Space Center Crowdfunds for Mission Control Facelift

[Updated 7/25/17 5:18 pm. See below.] Houston—Houston, Mission Control has a problem. The storied control room at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston—recognizable to many of us from 1960s news clips of the dawn of the Space Age––is in need of a face-lift. And so, Space Center Houston, the visitor’s center for the JSC, has turned … Continue reading “New Frontier: Space Center Crowdfunds for Mission Control Facelift”

Christopher Ahlberg: The Full Xconomy Voices Interview

The second episode of Xconomy’s new podcast, Xconomy Voices, features Recorded Future co-founder and CEO Christopher Ahlberg. His Somerville, MA-based cybersecurity company monitors both the public, visible Web and the Internet’s darker corners for “threat intelligence” that can help its clients prepare for, and fend off, cyber attacks. Ahlberg’s background in data analytics and his … Continue reading “Christopher Ahlberg: The Full Xconomy Voices Interview”

A.I. Prizes, Coming to Healthcare, Hit $1M Mark in Cancer Contests

This story is part of an Xconomy series on artificial intelligence in healthcare. Some of the other stories cover a genomics hackathon, A.I. and radiology, and the impact on doctors and patients. In the classic 1967 film “The Graduate,” Dustin Hoffman’s just-out-of-college character gets one word of career advice from a family friend: plastics. In … Continue reading “A.I. Prizes, Coming to Healthcare, Hit $1M Mark in Cancer Contests”

Nextech Gets Kids Interested in IT Careers Via Teacher Training

The challenge of finding skilled IT workers is a global one, but it’s arguably more acute in places like Indiana, where manufacturing brawn has historically trumped brainier sectors such as software development or biotech. As Rust Belt states strive to diversify their economies in the wake of the country’s declining industrial sector, there is simply … Continue reading “Nextech Gets Kids Interested in IT Careers Via Teacher Training”

Xconomy Voices, Episode 2: Christopher Ahlberg of Recorded Future

On our new Xconomy Voices podcast, we find the smartest, most successful entrepreneurs and innovators in Xconomy’s network of cities and regions, and we ask them to open up about what they’re working on, what they’re excited about, and why they think their company, product, or idea is going to take the world by storm. … Continue reading “Xconomy Voices, Episode 2: Christopher Ahlberg of Recorded Future”

Google Glass Upgrades to Business Class, With Enterprise Edition

When Ian Shakil co-founded a company in 2012 to deploy Google Glass in doctor’s offices, his team had never possessed a set of the computer-enhanced eyewear that Google debuted that year. Google wasn’t yet selling the augmented reality glasses, which were being touted as the next big thing in consumer electronics, not as business tools. … Continue reading “Google Glass Upgrades to Business Class, With Enterprise Edition”

What Internet Pioneer Vint Cerf Sees in San Diego (and Other Hubs)

The Internet pioneer Vinton Cerf came to San Diego recently on an unusual quest—to meet with dozens of local technology leaders and assess what the region has to offer in terms of innovation. It was Veni, Vidi, Vinti. He came. He saw. He Cerfed. The visit was unusual in part because of Cerf himself. As … Continue reading “What Internet Pioneer Vint Cerf Sees in San Diego (and Other Hubs)”

Wisconsin Sizes Up Recent, Potential Future Changes in Manufacturing

When Greg Piefer founded Phoenix Nuclear Labs, in 2005, he was not expecting that it would one day lead to the construction of a large medical isotope manufacturing facility. In the dozen years it’s been operating, Monona, WI-based Phoenix has developed particle accelerator technology with applications in areas such as weapons inspection, solar cell production, … Continue reading “Wisconsin Sizes Up Recent, Potential Future Changes in Manufacturing”

Radius Health Ramps Up for Market as FDA Rejects Rival Amgen Drug

Radius Health has tapped Novo Nordisk veteran Jesper Hoiland to become its new CEO as the company prepares to bring its new osteoporosis drug to the market. The appointment follows rival Amgen’s (NYSE: [[ticker:AMGN]]) Sunday night announcement that its own osteoporosis drug fell short of FDA approval. That rejection keeps the narrow field of approved … Continue reading “Radius Health Ramps Up for Market as FDA Rejects Rival Amgen Drug”

Bio Roundup: PDUFA Progress, BCRA Redux, CAR-T Thumbs Up, & More

Government and industry are rife with awkward acronyms. Take PDUFA, for example. First passed in 1992, the Prescription Drug User Fee Act allows the FDA to collect fees from biopharmaceutical companies when they apply for drug approval; those funds are designated for the regulator’s drug evaluation work. Congress must reauthorize the law every five years … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: PDUFA Progress, BCRA Redux, CAR-T Thumbs Up, & More”

Unanimous Advice To FDA: Approve Landmark CAR-T Cancer Therapy

The first ever approval of a new kind of cancer immunotherapy called CAR-T is one step closer. A 10-member panel of doctors and researchers who advise the Food and Drug Administration recommended with a rare unanimous vote that the agency approve a treatment for kids and young adults with a severe form of leukemia who … Continue reading “Unanimous Advice To FDA: Approve Landmark CAR-T Cancer Therapy”

Zimmer Biomet’s Dvorak Out As CEO, Successor Search Underway

Zimmer Biomet is searching for a new CEO following the departure of the executive who oversaw the merger that created the medical device giant. David Dvorak stepped down from the Warsaw, IN, company’s top post effective Tuesday, a surprise move that came as the company gave an early peek at earnings data on the low … Continue reading “Zimmer Biomet’s Dvorak Out As CEO, Successor Search Underway”

VC “Self-Correction” Continues in Second Quarter, and Top 10 Deals

[Updated 7/12/17, 8:38 am, to add MoneyTree data. See below.] U.S. venture capital investments are showing more signs of returning to steady levels. Investors pumped $21.78 billion into 1,958 companies in the second quarter, according to data from the quarterly Venture Monitor report from Seattle-based PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). The number … Continue reading “VC “Self-Correction” Continues in Second Quarter, and Top 10 Deals”

Indiana Roundup: PolicyStat, ClearScholar, IEDC Growth News & More

As we hunker down into the dog days of summer, let’s take a long overdue look at tech news from across Indiana: —Carmel-based healthcare policy management company PolicyStat has been acquired by New Jersey’s iContracts, a provider of cloud-based contract compliance and revenue management software. The financial value of the deal was not disclosed. A … Continue reading “Indiana Roundup: PolicyStat, ClearScholar, IEDC Growth News & More”

Bio Roundup: BCRA Fireworks, Shkreli Muzzled, Endo Pulls Drug & More

The Fourth of July was this week, but members of Congress didn’t need to crane their necks skyward to see fireworks. Senators returned to their districts, where local news offered blistering headlines about the potential impact of the Republican plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. Independence Day typically lets lawmakers mingle with constituents at … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: BCRA Fireworks, Shkreli Muzzled, Endo Pulls Drug & More”

With MapAnything Live, GM Aims to Turn Car into Mobile Sales Office

GM was the first automaker to enter the realm of connected cars when it launched the OnStar navigation system more than 20 years ago. However, telematics has come a long way since then, as evidenced by GM’s announcement that it will partner with location analytics startup MapAnything to offer its fleet customers a way to … Continue reading “With MapAnything Live, GM Aims to Turn Car into Mobile Sales Office”

Eli Lilly Pledges $52M to Life Sciences Partnership with Purdue

Injectable medications rank among Eli Lilly’s top-selling products. The Indianapolis drug giant is now scouting for new innovations in injectable medicine and it hopes to find them in its backyard. Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]) announced Thursday that it is committing $52 million to a five-year research collaboration with Purdue University. Lilly says it wants to improve … Continue reading “Eli Lilly Pledges $52M to Life Sciences Partnership with Purdue”

With Triage System, Companies See Toehold for A.I. in Radiology

This story is part of an ongoing Xconomy series on A.I. in healthcare. Other stories cover big-company efforts, a genomics hackathon, the impact on doctors and patients, and business models of A.I. in healthcare. Years ago, radiology underwent a radical transformation with the shift from film to widespread use of digital image displays. That set … Continue reading “With Triage System, Companies See Toehold for A.I. in Radiology”

5 Privacy Worries on 4 Wheels: Staying Safe in the Connected Car Era

As modern vehicles are upgraded to include Internet-enabled technologies designed to access, store, and transmit data for entertainment and safety purposes, consumers are presented with a double-edged sword. On one hand, these connected systems provide important convenience benefits for consumers, but on the flip side, motor vehicles are being exposed to a growing number of … Continue reading “5 Privacy Worries on 4 Wheels: Staying Safe in the Connected Car Era”

What’s the Business Model for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare?

This story is part of an ongoing Xconomy series on A.I. in healthcare. Other stories cover big-company efforts, a genomics hackathon, and the impact on doctors and patients. These are heady times for using artificial intelligence to extract insights from healthcare data—in particular, from the tidal wave of information coming out of fields like genomics … Continue reading “What’s the Business Model for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare?”

Bio Roundup: Senate Drama, A.I. Stories, Data Dives, Shkreli & More

There is no Obamacare replacement, at least not as of this writing. The Senate Republicans are fractured, with a handful of conservatives and moderates each giving a cold shoulder to their chamber’s version of healthcare reform, the Better Care Reconciliation Act. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office report Monday put the bill’s potential effects in stark … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Senate Drama, A.I. Stories, Data Dives, Shkreli & More”

Tri-D Dynamics Aspires to Print Rocket Components for New Space Age

In tech circles, amid the chatter about terrestrial innovations such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and genomics, there’s excitement building around another important emerging sector: private space travel. Tesla’s Elon Musk, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Virgin’s Richard Branson, and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen all have private space ventures underway. NASA is once again ramping up its … Continue reading “Tri-D Dynamics Aspires to Print Rocket Components for New Space Age”

New Study: DNA Tests For Healthy People Have “Uncertain Value”

Genome sequencing is becoming more common for people diagnosed with cancer. Should it become part of a healthy person’s checkup, too? A new study published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine questions the practicality of making DNA tests standard for people who don’t have a cancer diagnosis or aren’t trying to identify a mysterious … Continue reading “New Study: DNA Tests For Healthy People Have “Uncertain Value””

U.S. IPOs Surge Amid Nettlesome Risks; Top 10 Deals So Far in 2017

[Updated 6/27/17 5:00 pm. See below.] Improving economic fundamentals are stoking the IPO pipeline in the United States and elsewhere, according to a report issued Tuesday by the global consultant and accounting firm EY. Eighty companies raised a total of $22 billion on U.S. exchanges during the first half of 2017, according to the report … Continue reading “U.S. IPOs Surge Amid Nettlesome Risks; Top 10 Deals So Far in 2017”

Alder Drug Cuts Down Migraines in Study, But Still Trails Rivals

Alder BioPharmaceutical’s migraine drug successfully reduced the frequency of headaches in a key clinical trial, early results that the biotech says lay the groundwork for its plans to file for FDA approval next year. Bothell, WA-based Alder (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALDR]]) has been studying its drug eptinezumab in patients who have episodic migraine, defined as experiencing between … Continue reading “Alder Drug Cuts Down Migraines in Study, But Still Trails Rivals”

Boston Is Arguably the Heart of Biotech. But Who Makes It So? Have Your Say.

By the end of this year, for the first time, patients with certain deadly types of blood cancer might have a new option, CAR-T cell therapy, to prolong their life. Immunotherapy could further entrench itself as a mainstay of cancer treatment. Newer drugmaking methods—RNA interference and gene therapy—could get their first ever FDA reviews. Multiple … Continue reading “Boston Is Arguably the Heart of Biotech. But Who Makes It So? Have Your Say.”