Chronic kidney disease affects more than 10 percent of U.S. adults, and the risk of developing the condition increases with age. There are plenty of drugs to treat the disease’s symptoms, such as anemia, high blood pressure, and bone trouble. While these drugs can manage the signs and symptoms of the disease, they don’t cure … Continue reading “Goldfinch Bio Aims $55M and Cancer Strategy at Genetic Kidney Disease”
Category: National
50 Podcasts You Should Be Listening To—and 5 New Ways to Find Them
If you’re not much of a podcast listener and you have a sense that you’re missing out on a lot of great content, you’re absolutely right. But now is a good time to fix that, thanks to a new profusion of listening options. And to get you started, I have a few shows to suggest. … Continue reading “50 Podcasts You Should Be Listening To—and 5 New Ways to Find Them”
Proteon’s Blood Vessel Drug Flunks Main Phase 3 Test, Shares Plummet
A Proteon Therapeutics drug developed for chronic kidney disease patients has failed the key test in its late-stage clinical trial, putting the company’s shares into a tailspin. Proteon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PRTO]]) was studying its drug vonapanitase in patients who need kidney dialysis. The Waltham, MA-based company said that compared against a placebo, its experimental drug failed … Continue reading “Proteon’s Blood Vessel Drug Flunks Main Phase 3 Test, Shares Plummet”
Shine Medical Awarded $10M by Federal Nuclear Security Agency
Shine Medical Technologies, which has for years been working to resume domestic production of a crucial medical isotope, says it has been awarded $10 million in funding from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), part of the U.S. Department of Energy. Janesville, WI-based Shine received the funding through a program the NNSA created in 2010—the … Continue reading “Shine Medical Awarded $10M by Federal Nuclear Security Agency”
NY Bio Surge Continues as De Blasio Unveils $500M, 10-Year Life Sci Plan
[Updated w/comments, new information, 3:45 p.m. ET, see below] Over the last two days, city and state governments in New York have combined to commit a total of $1.15 billion to the development of the life sciences industry in the Empire State, the largest biotech bet in its history. Today is New York City’s turn. … Continue reading “NY Bio Surge Continues as De Blasio Unveils $500M, 10-Year Life Sci Plan”
Philadelphia’s goBooze Starts Beer, Wine Delivery in Austin
Austin—This past summer had been the season of alcohol delivery startups. As we go into the year-end festivities, Philadelphia-based goBooze announced today that it has expanded service to Austin. GoBooze is the alcohol delivery arm of goPuff, a delivery service company that delivers all manner of consumer products and food that says it fulfills orders in … Continue reading “Philadelphia’s goBooze Starts Beer, Wine Delivery in Austin”
Pulse@MassChallenge Pulls Heavily From MA for First Group of Startups
[Updated 12/13/16, 9:30 am, with link to list of companies.] Today MassChallenge revealed the 31 startups chosen for the inaugural six-month session of its new Boston digital health lab, Pulse@MassChallenge, and there are a lot of familiar faces. Eight of the companies that will participate are alumni of MassChallenge’s main startup accelerator program in Boston. … Continue reading “Pulse@MassChallenge Pulls Heavily From MA for First Group of Startups”
Organovo Discloses First Preclinical Data on Human Liver “Patch”
After taking the first steps toward the development of living human liver tissue “patches” for therapeutic use, San Diego-based Organovo (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ONVO]]) is laying out its pre-clinical data for the first time today. And the company says the results are promising enough to warrant further development of the technology. Organovo CEO Keith Murphy said in … Continue reading “Organovo Discloses First Preclinical Data on Human Liver “Patch””
Nasuni Downloads $25M as Large Enterprises Commit to Cloud Storage
Nasuni has scooped up another heap of cash to push its cloud storage products to more big companies around the world. Today the Natick, MA-based firm announced $25 million in new funding. That includes a $17.5 million Series E equity round led by new investor Sigma Prime Ventures, with contributions from earlier backers Flybridge Capital … Continue reading “Nasuni Downloads $25M as Large Enterprises Commit to Cloud Storage”
In San Antonio, an NBA Star Helps Launch City’s First Angel Network
San Antonio—In a crowd of sport coats, collared shirts, and Oxford shoes, it was easy to spot Brent Barry, and not only because the former NBA player towers above almost everyone. He was also dressed more casually, trading in business attire for a warm jacket, beanie, jeans, and a pair of New Balances. Barry’s outfit … Continue reading “In San Antonio, an NBA Star Helps Launch City’s First Angel Network”
New York State Hatches Sprawling $650M Plan to Foster Biotech
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday a $650 million initiative to support the development of biotech in the state of New York, where life science businesses have had trouble for years gaining a foothold despite a strong core of biomedical research work in New York City and beyond. The plan involves three main … Continue reading “New York State Hatches Sprawling $650M Plan to Foster Biotech”
BlueRock Raises $225M To Repair Heart Damage With Stem Cells
A new stem cell therapeutics company, BlueRock Therapeutics, has launched with $225 million in funding from international healthcare giant Bayer and Versant Ventures. Using work from Nobel Prize winner Shinya Yamanaka and others, BlueRock will operate in Toronto, New York, and Boston. The company said one of its first projects aims to repair heart muscle, … Continue reading “BlueRock Raises $225M To Repair Heart Damage With Stem Cells”
The State of Cybersecurity: Photos and Takeaways
‘Tis the season to be careful. We live in uncertain times—made even more perilous by the specter of cyber attacks on every level of business. But there’s a lot that can be done to improve things. To dive deeper into the threats and opportunities, Xconomy convened the top names in cybersecurity from around Boston and … Continue reading “The State of Cybersecurity: Photos and Takeaways”
After Chaotic Three-Year Journey, Zipline’s Video-Editing App is Live
When Zipline CEO Aaron Peabody was a student at Indiana Wesleyan University, he decided it would be fun to create an app. He was sitting in his dorm room one night a few years ago when he had a flash of inspiration, so Peabody called Keven Tillman, a buddy who lived on the same floor, … Continue reading “After Chaotic Three-Year Journey, Zipline’s Video-Editing App is Live”
Geekdom Touts Five-Year Rise of Downtown San Antonio’s Tech Scene
San Antonio—Downtown San Antonio has been better known for its tourist attractions in recent decades than its business activity. In the last five years, however, a tech corridor has emerged in the sprawling city’s urban core. Multiple co-working spaces, various accelerator programs, and infrastructure investments like a new tech-focused high school are helping San Antonio’s … Continue reading “Geekdom Touts Five-Year Rise of Downtown San Antonio’s Tech Scene”
Tour of Texas: Technium, Vapogenix, StemBioSys, & OneTeam Collective
Let’s get caught up with the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas. —Dallas-based Technium has launched as a big data analytics platform to match entrepreneurs with intellectual property ready to be commercialized. The startup has built a database of patents and what co-founder Jonathan Van calls “scout software” that analyzes and serves up intellectual property … Continue reading “Tour of Texas: Technium, Vapogenix, StemBioSys, & OneTeam Collective”
Boston Tech Watch: Cybersecurity, Drones, Silent Discos, & More
[Updated 12/12/16, 2:54 pm. See below.] It’s mid-December, and that means a rush of tech news, as companies work feverishly to get deals done before the end of the year. Recent moves in the Boston area include American Express’s purchase of a local cybersecurity startup, more funding for the new cloud storage startup from Carbonite’s … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Cybersecurity, Drones, Silent Discos, & More”
ApoGen Biotech Lands $7M to Take On Drug Resistance in Cancer
[Updated, 12/14/16, 5:39 pm. See below.] Seattle startup creator Accelerator Corp. has revealed its latest investment, ApoGen Biotechnologies, a startup that plans to develop cancer drugs that can overcome the resistance tumors develop to other treatments. ApoGen has raised a $7 million Series A to get going. Investors participating in the financing include AbbVie Ventures, … Continue reading “ApoGen Biotech Lands $7M to Take On Drug Resistance in Cancer”
Ophthotech Eye Drug Fails Badly in Pivotal Test, Shares Crumble
Ophthalmologists were keeping a close eye on an experimental drug from Ophthotech called pegpleranib (Fovista). Succeed, and the drug might change how a common form of vision loss, age related macular degeneration (AMD), is treated—and shine an even brighter spotlight on ophthalmologists already in the crosshairs of insurers and the federal government. That won’t happen, … Continue reading “Ophthotech Eye Drug Fails Badly in Pivotal Test, Shares Crumble”
San Diego Startup Raises $2.3M to Advance Enzymatic DNA Synthesis
Molecular Assemblies, a San Diego startup developing a new enzymatic method for synthesizing DNA, said today it has raised $2.3 million in a seed financing round. The funding will be used to hire more scientists and to advance the company’s development of enzymatic DNA synthesis technology, CEO Michael Kamdar said in an interview Friday. Molecular … Continue reading “San Diego Startup Raises $2.3M to Advance Enzymatic DNA Synthesis”
Hyperloop, Epic, Wantable, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
Catch up on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —A team of students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has constructed a prototype for a vehicle that could potentially zoom through an above-ground vacuum tube at speeds of 200 miles per hour, the school said. The “Badgerloop” team is one of 30 from … Continue reading “Hyperloop, Epic, Wantable, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Vesper’s Waterproof Microphones Draw Interest from Amazon, Others
As we move toward a world where many (if not most) devices can be controlled by our voices, the ability to reliably capture those sounds becomes paramount. That spells opportunity for Vesper, a Boston-based startup that makes advanced microphone technology that could be used in smartphones, voice-controlled speakers, connected cars, and more. Investors like what … Continue reading “Vesper’s Waterproof Microphones Draw Interest from Amazon, Others”
U-M Unveils Autonomous Shuttle as Snyder Signs Driverless Car Bills
Today, Michigan took another step toward its goal of being a global hub for the development of autonomous vehicles when the University of Michigan unveiled a 15-passenger driverless shuttle. Separately, Governor Rick Snyder signed legislation easing regulations for testing autonomous technologies down the road at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn. U-M’s electric shuttle, … Continue reading “U-M Unveils Autonomous Shuttle as Snyder Signs Driverless Car Bills”
Amyloid Hypothesis Lives On—Solanezumab, Too, Despite “Siren Song”
When Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]) reported the day before Thanksgiving, that its Alzheimer’s treatment solanezumab failed to significantly improve the condition of people with a mild form of the disease, some observers immediately called it a final blow for the drug. After all, it had also failed to improve a broader range of patients with … Continue reading “Amyloid Hypothesis Lives On—Solanezumab, Too, Despite “Siren Song””
Technium Crunches Big Data to Match Entrepreneurs with Researchers
Dallas—Universities and other institutions are chock-full of intellectual property, but it can be difficult for entrepreneurs, interested in turning those ideas into products, to find what they’re looking for. Now, a Dallas-based firm called Technium has launched an online matchmaking service of sorts to connect “entrepreneurs with the inventors,” says Jonathan Van, Technium’s co-founder. “I … Continue reading “Technium Crunches Big Data to Match Entrepreneurs with Researchers”
Asto CT Envisions Better Imaging Tech for Horses, Other Animals
An average of 24 horses die at U.S. racetracks every week, according to a 2012 New York Times investigation. In some of these cases, catastrophic injuries suffered by horses—which can also cause serious harm to the jockeys riding them—are freak, unforeseen incidents. But there are also times when the people who train horses and monitor … Continue reading “Asto CT Envisions Better Imaging Tech for Horses, Other Animals”
Smack Might Be the Future of Social Apps, But I’m Not Cool Enough
I’ve got a confession to make: I don’t get Snapchat. I consider myself a generally tech-savvy person. I own a smartphone, I know my way around your average software program or mobile app, and I’m giddily hoping Santa delivers me an Amazon Echo Dot on Dec. 25. But even though I’m a 27-year-old tech journalist, … Continue reading “Smack Might Be the Future of Social Apps, But I’m Not Cool Enough”
Bio Roundup: Fast “Cures,” Trump In Time, CRISPR In Court & More
What a week. The 21st Century Cures Act is now waiting President Obama’s promised signature after easy passage through Congress. President-elect Donald Trump re-stirred the drug-pricing pot with comments in Time Magazine and a reported FDA commissioner candidate who doesn’t seem to think much of the regulatory process. And a trio of judges met to … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Fast “Cures,” Trump In Time, CRISPR In Court & More”
BrightStar Wisconsin Invests $550K in 3 Milwaukee Startups
BrightStar Wisconsin Foundation has invested a combined $550,000 in three Milwaukee-based startups, the nonprofit said Thursday in a news release. The most recent additions to BrightStar’s portfolio, which now comprises 32 companies, are: Access HealthNet, which gives employees of business clients the ability to purchase and schedule common medical procedures from local providers; OnKöl, which sells … Continue reading “BrightStar Wisconsin Invests $550K in 3 Milwaukee Startups”
TCR2 Therapeutics Unveils New Cancer Therapy Approach and $44.5M Round
A number of companies are pursuing ways to enlist the immune system for treating cancer. Now TCR² Therapeutics is joining the ranks with technology that it says could improve on how the body’s cancer-fighting cells respond to the disease. Cambridge, MA-based TCR² has $44.5 million in new capital to further develop its technology. MPM Capital … Continue reading “TCR2 Therapeutics Unveils New Cancer Therapy Approach and $44.5M Round”
Houston Biotech Vapogenix Raises $8.2M for Phase 2 Trial
Houston—Vapogenix, a biotech developing a topical non-opioid medication for localized pain, announced Thursday it has raised $8.2 million in a Series C round of funding. The capital will be used for a Phase 2 proof-of-concept study for its drug candidate, AWARD, (short for A Wound Analgesic with RapiD action). The funding comes from previous investor … Continue reading “Houston Biotech Vapogenix Raises $8.2M for Phase 2 Trial”
San Antonio Company Cytocentrics Renames Itself CytoBioscience
San Antonio — Cytocentrics, the maker of instruments that can be used to screen if and how cells might react to drugs, has changed its name to CytoBioscience. The name change is happening in part because the San Antonio company is expanding its footprint in bioscience, CEO James Garvin said in a press release. The … Continue reading “San Antonio Company Cytocentrics Renames Itself CytoBioscience”
Augmedix, Vida Health Land New VC Money For Digital Health Services
It’s a good day for two young San Francisco digital health companies that combine technology with human workers as they try to help doctors make patient care more effective. Both Augmedix and Vida Health announced double-digit fundraising rounds. Augmedix, which uses Google Glass as an aid to doctors who take notes as they examine patients, … Continue reading “Augmedix, Vida Health Land New VC Money For Digital Health Services”
Nantero Lands $21M Financing for Its Carbon Nanotube Computer Memory
Nantero, a nanotech company building a new type of computer memory that it says is stronger than steel and less dense than aluminum, has raised $21 million in new financing. The company has now raised $110 million since its founding in 2001. Based in Woburn, MA, Nantero is using its new funding to get its … Continue reading “Nantero Lands $21M Financing for Its Carbon Nanotube Computer Memory”
Hurry and Save 20 Percent on NY Life Sciences 2021
We’re just one week away from New York Life Sciences 2021, which will take place next Thursday, December 15, at Alexandria Center for Life Science. If you’re already planning on attending, there’s no need to wait any longer—our Procrastinator’s special ends today and seats are filling up fast, so act now and save 20 percent … Continue reading “Hurry and Save 20 Percent on NY Life Sciences 2021”
Craig Venter Used Own Posh Health Clinic To Diagnose His Cancer
Speaking at a conference in San Francisco Wednesday, geneticist Craig Venter revealed that he had just had surgery for prostate cancer three weeks ago. A health workup at his own high-end clinic, Health Nucleus, pinpointed the cancer. Famous for leading one of two teams in the 1990s that raced to unlock the human genome, Venter … Continue reading “Craig Venter Used Own Posh Health Clinic To Diagnose His Cancer”
IU Researchers Create Tools to Track and Combat Fake News
We’re now living in an era where, thanks to the Internet, we have easier access to more raw information than at any other time in the planet’s history. Yet, despite these reams of data, the presence of facts has seemingly never mattered less in public discourse. Now, a team at Indiana University is hard at … Continue reading “IU Researchers Create Tools to Track and Combat Fake News”
Gurnet Point Invests $92M in Crossover Health to Fund Growth
Cambridge, MA-based Gurnet Point Capital has invested $92 million in Crossover Health, a six-year-old company that provides membership-based healthcare services to employers that are self-insured. The funding is intended to increase the capital available for Crossover Health’s expansion and to buy out a portion of the company’s existing shareholders, the company said. The deal enables … Continue reading “Gurnet Point Invests $92M in Crossover Health to Fund Growth”
Wake Up, Pharma—Trump Is Not Your Savior
Since the election, leaders in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals are acting like they got away with robbery. The Nasdaq Biotechnology Index went up 9 percent overnight on November 8th. With Donald Trump coming into office, the whole industry seems to have breathed a sigh of relief that the status quo—a continuous race toward higher prices—will last … Continue reading “Wake Up, Pharma—Trump Is Not Your Savior”
Senate Approves 21st Century Cures Act, Sending Bill to Obama
The U.S. Senate has voted overwhelmingly to approve the 21st Century Cures Act, a wide-ranging healthcare spending and reform bill that aims to infuse medical research with new funding and also speed up the regulatory approval process for new drugs and medical devices. With the Senate’s 94-5 vote on Wednesday, the bill now advances to … Continue reading “Senate Approves 21st Century Cures Act, Sending Bill to Obama”
Voyager’s Gene Therapy for Parkinson’s Shows Promise in Small Study
Voyager Therapeutics this afternoon is providing very early evidence that an experimental gene therapy it’s been developing might have a chance to help patients with Parkinson’s disease for whom standard treatment is no longer working well. Cambridge, MA-based Voyager (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VYGR]]) is disclosing interim data from a small, open-label, Phase 1 trial among volunteers with … Continue reading “Voyager’s Gene Therapy for Parkinson’s Shows Promise in Small Study”
Visbit Raises $3.2M Seed Round To Smooth Choppy VR Streaming
We’re closing out a critical year for the fledgling virtual reality industry, which rolled out a batch of the first consumer VR headsets in 2016 in a wave of media attention. But first impressions can dampen the excitement when technical hitches frustrate eager new users as they try to enter virtual worlds. Visbit, one of … Continue reading “Visbit Raises $3.2M Seed Round To Smooth Choppy VR Streaming”
Tenaya Spins Out of Gladstone With $50M to Fight Heart Disease
The human body can’t repair the heart damage that leads to heart failure. But new biopharmaceutical company Tenaya Therapeutics aims to find a way by turning research from the nonprofit Gladstone Institutes into regenerative medicine treatments. Tenaya Therapeutics launched on Wednesday, spinning out of San Francisco-based Gladstone. The company is backed by a $50 million … Continue reading “Tenaya Spins Out of Gladstone With $50M to Fight Heart Disease”
A Few Tickets Left for The State of Cybersecurity on Thursday
Registration is closing soon for “The State of Cybersecurity,” Xconomy’s first dedicated public cybersecurity event at WGBH in Boston tomorrow—Thursday, December 8. At this half-day event, we’ll be exploring a variety of topics including personal data security, managing cyber threats, and much more. We’ll have a special presentation by Stephen Boyer of BitSight Technologies, which … Continue reading “A Few Tickets Left for The State of Cybersecurity on Thursday”
A Reading List to Get Ready for Xconomy Intersect
To help you get the most out of Xconomy Intersect on Thursday, we’ve put together a reading list of recent stories on the speakers and topics featured in our program. We invite everyone attending to think of questions you’d like to ask our great lineup of CEOs, technologists, entrepreneurs, and investors. These stories should help … Continue reading “A Reading List to Get Ready for Xconomy Intersect”
Medical Imaging Startup OnLume Seeks to Show Surgeons The Light
The prospect of undergoing a surgical procedure with the operating room lights dimmed or switched off would probably make a lot of people bristle. But with some procedures, darkened operating environments make sense because they allow surgical teams to use fluorescent compounds that highlight particular tissues in patients’ bodies. This imaging technique is known as … Continue reading “Medical Imaging Startup OnLume Seeks to Show Surgeons The Light”
StemBioSys Takes In $2.7M, Signs New U.S. Distribution Deal
San Antonio — [Updated 12/7/2016, 12:32 p.m. See below.] StemBioSys, a small life sciences firm that sells stem cell products, has raised $2.7 million in equity and debt, according to a regulatory filing. The San Antonio company is in the process of raising an additional $3 million in equity funding, about half of which it … Continue reading “StemBioSys Takes In $2.7M, Signs New U.S. Distribution Deal”
First Clinical Trial Done, Elysium Lands $20M for Health Supplements
For many people looking for ways to treat illness or disease, the first thought is to pop a pill. Taking medication is a reactive approach to disease. But Eric Marcotulli, CEO of Elysium Health, says science is now revealing ways that a proactive approach can stave off disease and bodily decline. Elysium, a New York-based … Continue reading “First Clinical Trial Done, Elysium Lands $20M for Health Supplements”
MI Roundup: BlueWater Angels, Hygieia, FastTrack Awards, Grand Circus & More
Here’s a look at innovation news across Michigan: —Thanks to a $20,000 grant from the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan‘s Detroit Auto Dealer’s Association Fund, Grand Circus is teaching after-school coding classes to local kids as part of the Detroit Boxing Gym Youth Program. The twice-weekly classes began in November, will teach a range of … Continue reading “MI Roundup: BlueWater Angels, Hygieia, FastTrack Awards, Grand Circus & More”
PatientPing Gets $32M From Leerink, Andreessen for Health Info Sharing
PatientPing has raised $31.6 million from investors on both coasts to speed up adoption of its software that helps doctors track when their patients get admitted to or released from the hospital. The Series B funding round was led by Boston-based Leerink Transformation Partners and Andreessen Horowitz, the Silicon Valley venture firm that has backed … Continue reading “PatientPing Gets $32M From Leerink, Andreessen for Health Info Sharing”