Wipro, a Bangalore-based IT services firm, announced today that it has signed an agreement to fork over $500 million to acquire Appirio, an Indianapolis-based cloud services company. Established in 2006, Appirio has more than 1,200 employees spread across five global offices and counts Coca-Cola, Facebook, and Home Depot among its customers. According to an article … Continue reading “Wipro Splashes Out $500M to Acquire Appirio in Cloud Services”
Category: Indiana
Eli Lilly Wins FDA Nod for New Soft Tissue Sarcoma Drug
An Eli Lilly drug for treating soft tissue sarcoma has received accelerated FDA approval, the first new drug to win the regulator’s approval for this type of cancer in more than 40 years. Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly’s (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]) olaratumab (Lartruvo) is an injectable product approved for used in combination with doxorubicin, a chemotherapy drug used … Continue reading “Eli Lilly Wins FDA Nod for New Soft Tissue Sarcoma Drug”
All In One Place: A New Immuno-Oncology Trial Resource
More than 100 years ago, New York bone surgeon William Coley began to suspect that bacterial infections might be improving the outlook for patients also suffering from cancer. The infections were turbo-charging the immune system. Coley (pictured) would be gratified to see that in 2016 a growing array of immune-boosting cancer treatments are helping some … Continue reading “All In One Place: A New Immuno-Oncology Trial Resource”
The Power of the Cloud for Life Science R&D
“In the new world, it is not the big fish which eats the small fish, it’s the fast fish which eats the slow fish…” — Klaus Schwab, Founder/Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum Over the past decade, the nature of innovation has changed—even as the pace has substantially increased. One of the reasons has been the ability … Continue reading “The Power of the Cloud for Life Science R&D”
Eli Lilly Commits $15M More to Seattle Institute’s TB Drug Search
Eli Lilly unveiled plans today to expand its work treating disease in the developing world, pledging $90 million to improve access to healthcare for 30 million people worldwide by 2030. Nestled in Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly’s (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]) plan is $15 million earmarked for the Infectious Disease Research Institute in Seattle. Though that sum is a … Continue reading “Eli Lilly Commits $15M More to Seattle Institute’s TB Drug Search”
After “Hubris” and Its HCV Collapse, Can Vertex Avoid Same Mistakes?
Five years ago, in November 2011, a company from Princeton, NJ, called Pharmasset shared news that would have an impact on millions of people around the world with hepatitis C. Its experimental drug PSI-7977 had quickly cleared the virus from 40 patients, with minimal side effects, and they had stayed infection-free. If the data held … Continue reading “After “Hubris” and Its HCV Collapse, Can Vertex Avoid Same Mistakes?”
$4M Grant Aims to Boost Minority Representation in Informatics
A new $4 million grant National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to the School of Informatics and Computing at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and Ivy Tech Community College seeks to introduce the state’s economically disadvantaged and underrepresented minority students to informatics, a computer science field that involves information processing and the engineering of information systems. … Continue reading “$4M Grant Aims to Boost Minority Representation in Informatics”
Weeks After Deal, FDA Slaps Clinical Hold on Regeneron/Teva Pain Drug
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has seen its share of ups and downs over the years developing a drug for chronic pain that could represent an alternative to addictive opioids. And another roadblock just emerged this morning. Regeneron (NASDAQ: [[ticker:REGN]]) and partner Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE: [[ticker:TEVA]]) said this morning that safety issues have prompted the FDA to … Continue reading “Weeks After Deal, FDA Slaps Clinical Hold on Regeneron/Teva Pain Drug”
ApeX Therapeutics Names Steve Carchedi President and CEO
Cancer drug developer ApeX Therapeutics has appointed Steve Carchedi president and CEO of the Indianapolis, IN-based company. He succeeds David Broecker, who will continue to serve on the company’s board of directors. Carchedi comes to ApeX from Cranbury, NJ-based Cornerstone Pharmaceuticals. His experience also includes various roles at Covidien, Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]), Eli Lilly … Continue reading “ApeX Therapeutics Names Steve Carchedi President and CEO”
Xenex CEO Miller Starts Tectonic Ventures With Boston Investor
San Antonio—Texas entrepreneur Morris Miller has created a new venture capital firm, Tectonic Ventures, with a Boston-based financier who has invested in at least two of Miller’s companies. Newton, MA-based Tectonic was incorporated in 2016 of this year by Matthew Rhodes-Kropf, an associate professor of finance at MIT and venture capital investor, according to an SEC … Continue reading “Xenex CEO Miller Starts Tectonic Ventures With Boston Investor”
Bio Roundup: Bristol & Illumina Blues, Sickle Cell News & More
On Aug. 4, shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb closed at $75.32. Today, shares are worth just over $50. That means in three months, Bristol has lost a third of its value, equivalent to about $40 billion in market capitalization. The reason? One failed clinical trial has left rival Merck in the lead position to have what … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Bristol & Illumina Blues, Sickle Cell News & More”
Zylo Obtains $3,300,000 Seed Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=74f5c2f3-60a7-4f47-b08c-ebb1edf6148f Date 10/14/2016 Company Name Zylo Mailing Address 55 Monument Cir. Indianapolis, IN 46204 USA Company Description Organizations are adopting SaaS subscriptions and cloud apps faster than ever, but have no visibility into what they pay for and use. Zylo provides visibility and control into one of your biggest investments. Website http://www.zylo.com … Continue reading “Zylo Obtains $3,300,000 Seed Financing Round”
Silicon Valley VCs, Software Experts Contribute $3.3M to Zylo
Zylo, an Indianapolis-based startup working on cloud optimization software, today announced that it has raised a $3.3 million seed round. Both institutional and individual investors contributed to the round. They include High Alpha Capital, GGV Capital, SV Angel, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) industry leaders such as Interactive Intelligence founder and CEO Don Brown, ExactTarget co-founder Peter … Continue reading “Silicon Valley VCs, Software Experts Contribute $3.3M to Zylo”
Life Science Leaders Who Feel the Right Kind of Fear
In the world of betting on the future, life sciences find themselves in a storm, with huge opportunities, like CRISPR gene editing, and immense obstacles, such as soaring drug prices, that call for leaders of extra intensity who are imbued with a sense of crisis. Most people agree that the life sciences today, more than … Continue reading “Life Science Leaders Who Feel the Right Kind of Fear”
How Doctors Think About Drug Prices
There are a lot of factors involved in drug pricing that don’t enter my head when I’m seeing a patient. The three letters “PBM,” for example (pharmacy benefit manager), have never crossed my mind when I’m writing a prescription. Nor has the word “rebate.” Or the phrase “pay for delay.” Or “marketing exclusivity.” Basically, I … Continue reading “How Doctors Think About Drug Prices”
Under Former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Purdue Pumping Out Startups
[Editor’s note: This is part of a series of stories examining tech transfer and innovation initiatives at Indiana colleges and universities.] During the 2012-2013 school year, Purdue University counted eight new startups built on technology licensed from the school. The next year, that number tripled. That’s a significant increase in university spinouts almost overnight, and … Continue reading “Under Former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Purdue Pumping Out Startups”
Checkpoints In Lung Cancer, and Other Oncology News From Europe
The European Society for Medical Oncology’s annual conference wraps up in Copenhagen today. We’ve seen updates on heavyweight immunotherapy programs, potential options for patients with advanced breast cancer, and more. Here’s a quick roundup of the major news. LUNG CHECKS ESMO provided more evidence that the treatment of lung cancer is changing fast. Going into … Continue reading “Checkpoints In Lung Cancer, and Other Oncology News From Europe”
Roundup: Purdue Patents, Knight Challenge, Remy International, More
Here’s a look at innovation news from around Indiana: —Last week, the Purdue Research Foundation announced that in 2016, the number of startups spun out of university-owned intellectual property had grown to a record-breaking 27. This year’s class was bigger than any of the previous years, “contributing to Purdue’s third straight year of record-breaking startup … Continue reading “Roundup: Purdue Patents, Knight Challenge, Remy International, More”
Defying Patient Pressure, Anthem Says No to Sarepta’s Duchenne Drug
A few weeks ago, Xconomy spoke with analysts and patient advocates who considered it unlikely that insurers would balk at a potential price of $300,000 a year for eteplirsen (Exondys 51), the first approved drug for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. That’s largely been the case so far, but today a significant outlier emerged—Anthem, one of the … Continue reading “Defying Patient Pressure, Anthem Says No to Sarepta’s Duchenne Drug”
How Augmented Reality Is Transforming the Manufacturing Industry
For many Americans, the manufacturing industry brings to mind images of Industrial Revolution-era factories, World War II assembly lines, or perhaps even outsourced workshops overseas. But that picture is outdated. The truth is that the advanced technologies that are changing modern life are also revolutionizing the manufacturing industry in ways that are not yet widely … Continue reading “How Augmented Reality Is Transforming the Manufacturing Industry”
Bio Roundup: Theranos Cuts, Alnylam Stops, Nobel Eats Its Own & More
[Updated, 11:50 a.m. ET, see below] With the Caribbean and now the southeast U.S. coast bearing the brunt of Hurricane Matthew, we send our thoughts and more to those who have more pressing matters to worry about this week. But the show must go on. The biotech industry saw its own storms pass through, with … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Theranos Cuts, Alnylam Stops, Nobel Eats Its Own & More”
Indiana Biosciences Research Institute Hires Chief Scientific Officer
In 2013, the state’s government teamed up with Indiana-based biotech companies and university officials to unveil the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute (IBRI), what organizers call the first industry-led collaborative life sciences research institute of its kind in the country. Since then, the IBRI has been busy raising funds and hiring a management team to get … Continue reading “Indiana Biosciences Research Institute Hires Chief Scientific Officer”
Indiana VC Activity Down for Third Quarter, Up for the Year
According to a new quarterly report put together by Seattle-based PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association, Indiana’s VC and angel investment activity was down in the third quarter of 2016. A total of 19 funding deals worth $22.7 million were logged by Indiana companies during Q3 of 2016, according to PitchBook data. That’s a … Continue reading “Indiana VC Activity Down for Third Quarter, Up for the Year”
Third-Quarter Report Shows Slowdown in VC Activity, & Top 10 Deals
Venture capital activity is gradually easing from last year’s peak, according to a new quarterly report put together by Seattle-based PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association. VC firms invested $14.99 billion in 1,810 U.S. deals (1,796 companies) during the third quarter that ended September 30, according to the inaugural “Venture Monitor” report released today. … Continue reading “Third-Quarter Report Shows Slowdown in VC Activity, & Top 10 Deals”
With New Program, DARPA To Encourage Safety “Brakes” For Gene Editing
[Updated 10/6/16, 12:17 p.m. See below.] Drugs that use molecular scissors to snip out or replace defective genes. Altered mosquitoes meant to sabotage entire disease-carrying populations. Both are potential uses of genome editing, which thanks to the CRISPR-Cas9 system has spread throughout the world’s biology labs and is now on the doorstep of the outside … Continue reading “With New Program, DARPA To Encourage Safety “Brakes” For Gene Editing”
Is Your Organization Ready to Become an Ecosystem Driver?
[This article is co-authored by Stephanie Woerner.] Dominating business-to-consumer sales, Amazon seems ready to take over the world of business-to-business too. In its first year, Amazon Business generated $1 billion in sales. However, there is still room for competition. It’s not yet an ecosystem driver in B2B, although the longer it takes for other business … Continue reading “Is Your Organization Ready to Become an Ecosystem Driver?”
Elanco Reaches $885M Deal for Boehringer’s Pet Vaccines Portfolio
Elanco, the animal health division of Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]), is filling out its pet products portfolio with a deal to acquire some dog and cat vaccines made by Boehringer Ingelheim. Greenfield, IN-based Elanco said Wednesday that it will pay $885 million for the U.S. cat, dog, and rabies vaccine portfolio of Vetmedica, the animal … Continue reading “Elanco Reaches $885M Deal for Boehringer’s Pet Vaccines Portfolio”
Realync Turns Apartment Hunting Into a Real-Time Video Experience
For most people looking to buy or rent property, the search starts online. Real estate firms and leasing agents adorn their websites with photos that show their properties in the best light. But to consumers browsing these websites, photos can’t replace the experience of seeing a site in person. Matt Weirich, CEO and co-founder of … Continue reading “Realync Turns Apartment Hunting Into a Real-Time Video Experience”
WellFount Obtains $1,351,465 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=fac775b5-ccbb-405d-bdc7-b0334c754196 Date 10/5/2016 Company Name WellFount Mailing Address 5751 W 73rd St. Indianapolis, IN 46278 USA Company Description The InSite Remote Dispensing System is the first medication management system designed to meet the unique challenges of long-term care facilities like yours. It enables timely, pharmacist-approved, on-demand medication dispensing right at your facility. … Continue reading “WellFount Obtains $1,351,465 New Funding”
Phytoption Aims to Solve Solubility Problems in Drugs and Food
Most people don’t think about how well an ingredient dissolves in a drug or a nutritional supplement but to the companies that make these products it can be a big problem. If an active ingredient or nutrient dissolves poorly into the product, much of it literally ends up flushed down the toilet. Phytoption wants to … Continue reading “Phytoption Aims to Solve Solubility Problems in Drugs and Food”
Bio Roundup: CAR-T & Migraine Races, Intra-Cellular, Rockefeller & More
The presidential race captivated millions of TV viewers this week as the first debate took place in Hofstra. But biotech watchers had other races on their mind. Who will be first to market with a new type of cancer treatment known as CAR-T? Who will break free of the pack of companies developing drugs meant … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CAR-T & Migraine Races, Intra-Cellular, Rockefeller & More”
Tech Giants’ Partnership To Explore Ethics, Societal Impacts of AI
With public interest in artificial intelligence technologies on the rise, five of the world’s largest corporations—vying against each other in so many spheres—are banding together to support research on the ethical and societal issues raised by machines with increasingly human-like capabilities. The Partnership on AI, formally unveiled Wednesday, includes Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, IBM, Google and … Continue reading “Tech Giants’ Partnership To Explore Ethics, Societal Impacts of AI”
Tend.ly Aims to Improve Communication Between Caregivers, Families
Caitlin Coffman’s two oldest children were in school by the time she figured out a way to avoid the frustration that plagued her during their day care years: The daily “activity reports” sent home with her kids didn’t provide a clear enough picture of what was happening while she was at work. “I wanted more … Continue reading “Tend.ly Aims to Improve Communication Between Caregivers, Families”
Kenji App Looks to Match Small Businesses and Attorneys for Hire
Ken Minturn, the founder of Indianapolis-based Kenji, says one of the biggest challenges facing attorneys is finding new business that matches their expertise, and then getting paid on time for the work they do. Complicating matters is the legal industry’s resistance to digital innovation. Minturn says lawyers lag behind other professions when it comes to … Continue reading “Kenji App Looks to Match Small Businesses and Attorneys for Hire”
Bio Roundup: Mylan Grilled, Duchenne Kids Thrilled, Zuck-Chan & More
Another biopharma executive went before Congress to explain drug price hikes. Unlike Martin Shkreli, Mylan CEO Heather Bresch actually answered questions. Taking heat over the EpiPen scandal, she tried to stick to her script, getting testy when legislators brought up a USA Today story about her mother helping market the life-saving anti-allergy injection to schools. … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Mylan Grilled, Duchenne Kids Thrilled, Zuck-Chan & More”
Indiana Roundup: IU Patents, eText, Conexus Interns
Here’s a look at innovation news from around Indiana: —Conexus Indiana, the state’s advanced manufacturing and logistics initiative, said in a press release that its internship program experienced major growth last year. Now in its second year, the Conexus Interns Program reached 230 Indiana high school students interning at 79 Indiana companies, a 170 percent increase … Continue reading “Indiana Roundup: IU Patents, eText, Conexus Interns”
Announcing Xconomy’s Agtech and Food Channel
A core tenet of Xconomy—and the reason behind our broad coverage across information technology, life sciences, energy, and more—is that the most interesting and important innovations often arise from the intersection of different disciplines. One of the most important intersections today is between agriculture, the life sciences, and information technology—as evidenced by the growing field … Continue reading “Announcing Xconomy’s Agtech and Food Channel”
Doxly Raises $2.25 Million Seed Round and Plans Public Launch
Doxly, the Indianapolis-based legal tech startup, announced Monday that it has raised a $2.25 million seed round. Investors include Nextlaw Labs, the business accelerator associated with Dentons, the world’s largest law firm; High Alpha Capital, and Hyde Park Ventures. Doxly founder Haley Altman says the company did a soft launch last month with pilot customers, … Continue reading “Doxly Raises $2.25 Million Seed Round and Plans Public Launch”
Regeneron, in Pain Drug Race With Pfizer & Lilly, Gets $250M From Teva
Millions of people in the U.S. suffer from chronic forms of pain, but the treatment options aren’t great. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is locked in a race with Eli Lilly and Pfizer to develop an alternative, and today the Tarrytown, NY, company just got a big chunk of cash to speed the way forward. Teva Pharmaceutical (NYSE: … Continue reading “Regeneron, in Pain Drug Race With Pfizer & Lilly, Gets $250M From Teva”
Pharmaceutical Price Controls Might Be Closer Than You Think
Amid the hue and cry over the Mylan EpiPen pricing debacle, Hillary Clinton unveiled her “Plan to Respond to Unjustified Price Hikes for Long-Available Drugs.” Clinton’s plan calls for “dedicated oversight to protect consumers.” To that end she would “convene representatives of federal agencies…to create a dedicated group charged with protecting consumers from outlier price … Continue reading “Pharmaceutical Price Controls Might Be Closer Than You Think”
Doxly Lands $2,250,000 Seed Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=87065f95-714c-4a73-b5c3-f20981cda934 Date 9/20/2016 Company Name Doxly Mailing Address 55 Monument Circle 2nd Floor Indianapolis, IN 46240 USA Company Description Doxly was built with one simple vision: transform the archaic, chaotic process of managing legal transactions into a streamlined, efficient process. Built by lawyers, for lawyers, the Doxly platform exists to remove frustrations … Continue reading “Doxly Lands $2,250,000 Seed Funding Round”
Workforce Trends, Economy, & More: Q&A With Alexandria’s Joel Marcus
Think “innovation” and you might picture some scrappy entrepreneurs toiling away in a kitchen or garage, hoping the landlord doesn’t notice what they’re up to. But the reality is that turning science into big business often requires far more sophisticated infrastructure—and the landlord who provides that infrastructure sometimes has one of the best windows into … Continue reading “Workforce Trends, Economy, & More: Q&A With Alexandria’s Joel Marcus”
Report: Indianapolis Tech Office Growth Among Highest in Nation
Indianapolis made the top 10 in a new report that looked at 45 U.S. cities and measured an area’s attractiveness to tech companies based on how much space those companies are leasing. The report, commissioned by commercial real estate company Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) and titled “U.S. Technology Office Outlook,” found that tech companies signed … Continue reading “Report: Indianapolis Tech Office Growth Among Highest in Nation”
Biotech Roundup: CRISPR’s 3rd IPO, Gender Diversity, Buyouts & More
Across the nation, and even looking back into the past, health was in the headlines this week. Our presidential candidates were either recovering from pneumonia or talking up their health records. New documents came to light that showed the sugar industry paid for studies downplaying the ties between sugar and heart disease. And the drug-price … Continue reading “Biotech Roundup: CRISPR’s 3rd IPO, Gender Diversity, Buyouts & More”
What Startups Can Do About Cyber Attacks
A cybersecurity report by Ponemon Institute, in association with Keeper Security, found that in the 12 months leading up to June 2016, 55 percent of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) experienced a cyber attack, while 50 percent encountered data breaches involving customer and employee information. These statistics belie the common notion that cybercriminals attack only … Continue reading “What Startups Can Do About Cyber Attacks”
How to Teach Computational Thinking
Computational thinking is going to be a defining feature of the future—and it’s an incredibly important thing to be teaching to kids today. There’s always lots of discussion (and concern) about how to teach traditional mathematical thinking to kids. But looking to the future, this pales in comparison to the importance of teaching computational thinking. … Continue reading “How to Teach Computational Thinking”
Zimmer Biomet Gets Hip to 3D Imaging with Clinical Graphics Deal
Zimmer Biomet, aiming to improve the way physicians see hip injuries, has acquired 3D-imaging technology startup Clinical Graphics. Warsaw, IN-based Zimmer Biomet (NYSE: [[ticker:ZBH]]) disclosed no financial terms for the deal. Clinical Graphics, based in the Netherlands, will join Zimmer Biomet’s hip preservation portfolio, the company said. Clinical Graphics says its technology is based on … Continue reading “Zimmer Biomet Gets Hip to 3D Imaging with Clinical Graphics Deal”
Fund Worth Up To $100M Seeks to Increase Diversity in Tech Workforce
A first-of-its-kind fund has launched with the mission to increase diversity in the tech industry by removing financial barriers and increasing access to tech education for anyone interested in pursuing it. The Tech Opportunity Fund is a partnership between the Iron Yard and Code Fellows, which offer tech training, and the financial literacy organization Operation … Continue reading “Fund Worth Up To $100M Seeks to Increase Diversity in Tech Workforce”
Eli Lilly Names Levi Garraway to Oncology Post
Levi Garraway is joining Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]) as senior vice president, global development and medical affairs, of the company’s oncology unit. Garraway is currently director of the Joint Center for Cancer Precision Medicine at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, and the Broad Institute. He is also a professor of … Continue reading “Eli Lilly Names Levi Garraway to Oncology Post”
Octiv Snags Backing from GE Ventures, Plans to Continue Expansion
Octiv, the Indianapolis-based startup working on productivity tools for sales teams, announced last week that it has secured investment capital from GE Ventures, which has offices in Boston, San Francisco, and other cities across the country. The amount contributed by GE Ventures, the venture capital arm of General Electric (NYSE: [[ticker:GE]]), was undisclosed. The funding … Continue reading “Octiv Snags Backing from GE Ventures, Plans to Continue Expansion”