Zohydro was supposed to be a new kind of painkiller, but it gave Zogenix CEO Roger Hawley a headache that lasted more than a year. Now perhaps he can rest a little easier. After introducing Zohydro in the United States almost exactly a year ago, San Diego-based Zogenix (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZGNX]]) said today it has agreed … Continue reading “In Move That Spells Relief, Zogenix Sells Painkiller to Pernix”
Category: National
HealthMyne Snags $4.5M To Boost Health Records Analytics Software
HealthMyne has raised nearly $4.5 million in Series A money to move its healthcare software into the market this year, the startup said today. Madison, WI-based HealthMyne, which Xconomy profiled in November, has developed data analytics software and a search engine that can comb hospitals’ vast stores of electronic health records and medical images, such … Continue reading “HealthMyne Snags $4.5M To Boost Health Records Analytics Software”
Madison Vaccines Expands Series A To Advance Prostate Cancer Drugs
Madison Vaccines’ backers have injected around $2 million more into the startup to help advance three clinical trials of its experimental DNA vaccines that aim to treat prostate cancer. The expansion of the Series A funding round ups the total to $11 million, Madison Vaccines co-founder, president, and CEO Rick Lesniewski told Xconomy today. The … Continue reading “Madison Vaccines Expands Series A To Advance Prostate Cancer Drugs”
White House’s $100M TechHire Initiative Echoes with General Assembly
One of the criticisms often leveled at New York’s innovation scene, particularly from out-of-towners, is a need for more local people with skills in technology to help fill positions from entry-level jobs to rock-star developer opportunities. A new federal program could help change that for people in different parts of the job market. On Monday, … Continue reading “White House’s $100M TechHire Initiative Echoes with General Assembly”
In Oncology Shuffle, Amgen To Shutter Onyx, Lay Off About 300
[Updated 3/10/15 4:48 pm. See below.] Amgen subsidiary Onyx Pharmaceuticals delivered good news last week. But it has received bad news in return. Thousand Oaks, CA-based Amgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]), which bought Onyx in August 2013 for $10.4 billion, is shutting down Onyx’s South San Francisco, CA, facility and plans to lay off about 300 people, … Continue reading “In Oncology Shuffle, Amgen To Shutter Onyx, Lay Off About 300”
The LifeBrush: A Smart Toothbrush and Dental Scheduling App in One
Imagine a smart toothbrush that could tell you what part of your mouth requires extra brushing or could contact your dentist to schedule an appointment. If Ann Arbor-based Click Care succeeds with its recently launched IndieGoGo campaign, that will soon be a reality. The company was created last year after co-founder Stacy Hawkins had a … Continue reading “The LifeBrush: A Smart Toothbrush and Dental Scheduling App in One”
Wisconsin Roundup: Epic, Exact, Elli Health, StartupChicks, & More
Here is a collection of recent headlines in Wisconsin’s technology and innovation community: —Elli Health, a Delafield-based startup whose software enables virtual doctor visits, raised more than $774,000 from investors, a new SEC filing shows. The company previously raised $200,000 last year, according to an SEC document. —Madison-based AquaMost has raised more than $168,000 in … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Epic, Exact, Elli Health, StartupChicks, & More”
RayVio Absorbs $9.3M for UV Technology to Clean Water and Air
RayVio is seeking to purify water, clean air of infectious diseases, and potentially treat illnesses from Psoriasis to Multiple Sclerosis. The company hopes to do it all with light. The Hayward, CA-based company received $9.3 million of Series B funding for developing low-cost methods of using its ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV LED) technology to do … Continue reading “RayVio Absorbs $9.3M for UV Technology to Clean Water and Air”
Companion Diagnostic Specialist AltheaDx Withdraws IPO
San Diego’s AltheaDx, which offers a series of molecular diagnostic tests that enable doctors to identify the optimal drugs for treating patients, yesterday withdrew its plans for an initial public offering, according to a regulatory filing. The company first revealed its plans for an IPO a few days before Christmas. In its withdrawal notice, AltheaDx … Continue reading “Companion Diagnostic Specialist AltheaDx Withdraws IPO”
Human Error: Living With the Weakest Link
“We have met the enemy, and he is us.” – Walt Kelly’s Pogo Computer security breaches have become so common as to seem like a force of nature we can’t stop or control, like hurricanes or epidemics. After each one, experts scramble to plug holes, rewrite security plans, and explain at length why that particular … Continue reading “Human Error: Living With the Weakest Link”
Hope to See You Thursday at “New York’s Life Science Disruptors”
The weather is warming up just in time for a little disruption in New York biotech. Come join us and celebrate the respite from the deep freeze: our latest event, “New York’s Life Science Disruptors,” will kick off Thursday afternoon at 5 pm at the Alexandria Center for Life Science in East Manhattan. We’ve brought … Continue reading “Hope to See You Thursday at “New York’s Life Science Disruptors””
Ocular’s Long-Lasting Eye Drug Tech Passes First Late-Stage Test
Eye drops are a pain. Depending on the type, they can sting the eyes or cause other side effects, and remembering to use them every day is a nuisance. Ocular Therapeutix is one of the companies trying to come up with an alternative—a sustained-release drug delivery device that’s implanted in the eye, and dissolves when … Continue reading “Ocular’s Long-Lasting Eye Drug Tech Passes First Late-Stage Test”
SimpliVity Becomes Rare $1B Unicorn Following $175M Round
It took SimpliVity, an IT infrastructure company based in Westborough, MA, a few years to get out of the gates. But now the company is off to the races, following a $175 million Series D round that gives the company a post-money valuation north of $1 billion, making it a rare “unicorn” for the New … Continue reading “SimpliVity Becomes Rare $1B Unicorn Following $175M Round”
DARA BioSciences Nabs U.S. Rights to Oral Thrush Drug
Some cancer patients develop a fungal infection in the mouth when a commonly found fungus takes advantage of a weakened immune system that can no longer keep it in check. Antifungals already exist to treat this overgrowth of Candida albicans. But DARA BioSciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DARA]]) hopes to compete with those drugs with a product that … Continue reading “DARA BioSciences Nabs U.S. Rights to Oral Thrush Drug”
Evercharge and Others Nab Last Finalist Slots in $650K Challenge Cup
In the Bay Area’s environmentally conscious neighborhoods such as Berkeley, electric cars hum almost silently through streets of single family homes. But what about the apartment dwellers who would eagerly buy these cars if they had a place to charge them? Startup company Evercharge is trying to create that option for people who don’t have … Continue reading “Evercharge and Others Nab Last Finalist Slots in $650K Challenge Cup”
CTI Goes Up, And Down, And Back Up On Phase 3 Myelofibrosis News
Seattle’s CTI Biopharma (NADSAQ: [[ticker:CTIC]]) just ended a rollercoaster trading day. First thing Monday, the firm released positive Phase 3 trial results for its myelofibrosis treatment, pacritinib, and shares shot up 11 percent higher than the Friday closing price of $2.65. Before noon, shares had given back all those gains, then immediately began to rise … Continue reading “CTI Goes Up, And Down, And Back Up On Phase 3 Myelofibrosis News”
22 Startups Join First Class of Texas Medical Center’s TMCx Accelerator
The Texas Medical Center’s accelerator TMCx unveiled the members of its inaugural class: 22 healthIT companies in informatics, medical devices, and biomaterials. TMC executives hosted a meet-and-greet Monday morning to introduce the startup founders to the media just before the six-month accelerator program begins. “Our job is to make you successful,” says Bobby Robbins, TMC’s … Continue reading “22 Startups Join First Class of Texas Medical Center’s TMCx Accelerator”
A Chat with Solazyme’s Jonathan Wolfson at NYU Entrepreneurs Festival
It is not easy making a physical product—particularly when using biotechnology—and the results may be surprising. That was the key message this past weekend from Jonathan Wolfson, co-founder and CEO of San Francisco-based Solazyme (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SZYM]]) at the NYU Entrepreneurs Festival. At the event, Wolfson, an alumnus of the university, sat with me for a … Continue reading “A Chat with Solazyme’s Jonathan Wolfson at NYU Entrepreneurs Festival”
Houston Biotech Vapogenix Raises $5.1M for Skin-Numbing Drug
Vapogenix, a Houston biotech that aims to build a better treatment for skin pain, has completed a $5.1 million Series B funding round—and is already looking at raising additional capital later this year. The B round was led by Switzerland-based Pamoja Capital and GPG Ventures in Dallas. Vapogenix is developing a rapidly acting topical analgesic … Continue reading “Houston Biotech Vapogenix Raises $5.1M for Skin-Numbing Drug”
Grishin, Raibert, and More: Join Us at Robo Madness Boston on Wednesday
The robots are coming. So, apparently, are you. We are expecting a packed house at Google in Kendall Square this Wednesday, March 11. The occasion is Robo Madness Boston, our first-ever dedicated robotics event locally (hard to believe, I know). You can get registration info here, as well as the full agenda. It will be … Continue reading “Grishin, Raibert, and More: Join Us at Robo Madness Boston on Wednesday”
Raleigh-Durham Roundup: MaxPoint, Targacept, Frontier Capital, & More
Here are the week’s headlines in North Carolina tech and biotech news: —MaxPoint Interactive (NYSE: [[ticker:MXPT]]) is North Carolina’s newest publicly traded company. Morrisville, NC-based MaxPoint, whose software analyzes “big data” to help businesses develop targeted marketing campaigns, debuted on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, pricing its initial public offering at $11.50 per … Continue reading “Raleigh-Durham Roundup: MaxPoint, Targacept, Frontier Capital, & More”
OceanGate Unveils Cyclops Sub to Help Businesses, Researchers Go Deep
Small, manned submersibles are typically seen attached to mega-yachts, or in the headlines making extreme dives to the deepest spots in the oceans. Now a Seattle company is building a new generation of underwater vehicles to charter to a range of commercial, industrial, and government customers in the new ocean economy. OceanGate is unveiling Cyclops … Continue reading “OceanGate Unveils Cyclops Sub to Help Businesses, Researchers Go Deep”
Arrowhead’s Novartis RNAi Deal: Big Boost or ‘Stale Potato Chips’?
Arrowhead Research CEO Christopher Anzalone thinks he just got a massive bargain. For just $35 million, his company grabbed Novartis’ last remaining RNA interference assets: a group of patents and preclinical drug candidates that give Arrowhead more technological tools to play with. If all goes as Anzalone hopes, this one small deal could “substantially” expand … Continue reading “Arrowhead’s Novartis RNAi Deal: Big Boost or ‘Stale Potato Chips’?”
Colorado Roundup: Curbstand App Hits Streets, Smarter LED Lights
Parking in Denver goes high-tech, provided you want to pay a valet, and a lighting company raises $11 million to make its energy-efficient LED systems smarter. Here are the details: —CurbStand Rolls Out: It’s not getting any easier to find parking in Denver, but it might be easier to find someone to park your car … Continue reading “Colorado Roundup: Curbstand App Hits Streets, Smarter LED Lights”
Seattle Roundup: Avalara, Alternative Capital, Car2Go, & More
Two companies providing financing alternatives to technology companies made news this week. Lighter Capital did a deal with Portland, OR-based Building Energy, and SaaS Capital raised a new fund and grew its presence in Seattle. Also, Avalara bought a company making tax software for vacation rentals; Car2Go and Uber announced Seattle expansions; Airbiquity landed a … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Avalara, Alternative Capital, Car2Go, & More”
Study: Best Places For Women in Tech are Outside Silicon Valley
A new report suggests that the best opportunities for women in technology may be located outside of the industry’s hotbed in Silicon Valley. The analysis last week by SmartAsset, a New York-based financial technology and data analytics company, indicates that the best cities for women in computer-related jobs are found primarily on the East Coast … Continue reading “Study: Best Places For Women in Tech are Outside Silicon Valley”
Shark Tank’s Daymond John Talks Digital Gap in Workers’ Skills
The continued growth of innovation does not just rest on the shoulders of engineers and developers from the country’s top tech schools. With more industries increasingly relying on new software and systems, the breadth of the workforce likewise needs to be savvy in coding and other skills. That was the message at an event held … Continue reading “Shark Tank’s Daymond John Talks Digital Gap in Workers’ Skills”
My Best Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs and Tech Startups
What an incredible time to be a tech startup! The opportunities out there are just tremendous. Digital payments, wearable technology, mobile healthcare, virtual reality and gamification, predictive analytics, and green tech—these are just a few of the startup areas that are expected to be big this year, according to venture capitalists and industry experts. “Full … Continue reading “My Best Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs and Tech Startups”
NIH Director Hails “Stunning Case” as Example of Genomic Revolution
A pregnant mom who got a non-invasive prenatal test because she knew at age 40 that her baby was a higher risk for Down syndrome has become a case study in the potential power of precision medicine. The certified blood test, developed by San Diego-based Sequenom (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SQNM]]), is sensitive enough to identify bits of … Continue reading “NIH Director Hails “Stunning Case” as Example of Genomic Revolution”
Crowdstar CEO: From War Game Thrasher To Fashion Game Maker
Crowdstar, a veteran among companies that have combined computer games with social media sharing, says it has crafted its biggest hit so far and made the transition to mobile. That’s surely a business story, but what interested me most was the personal transition made by the Burlingame, CA-based company’s CEO, Jeffrey Tseng. Tseng grew up … Continue reading “Crowdstar CEO: From War Game Thrasher To Fashion Game Maker”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Varmus, Bristol, Aerie, Aura & More
Big news in the oncology world this week, with much of the action on the East Coast. The National Cancer Institute’s director is stepping down—and heading back to New York. The first so-called “checkpoint” inhibitor was approved for lung cancer. And one of the biggest biotech deals ever was made around a single cancer drug. … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Varmus, Bristol, Aerie, Aura & More”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Pharmacyclics, Gates, Ikaria & More
[Corrected 3/9/15, 11:46 pm. See below.] What a week for West Coast news, topped off by AbbVie’s surprise $21 billion grab of Pharmacyclics. It’s the ninth-largest biopharma acquisition of all time, according to one analyst. There was also immunotherapy news—a sentence that seems these days to apply to any week of the calendar—and immunotherapy views, … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Pharmacyclics, Gates, Ikaria & More”
Vectorform, DTE Team Up to Launch “Fitbit for Your House”
This week at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Royal Oak, MI-based software development firm Vectorform and utility company DTE Energy announced they are forming a new venture called Powerley to capitalize on the in-home Internet of Things trend. Powerley has created a “customizable, real-time home energy management platform for utility companies” that will use … Continue reading “Vectorform, DTE Team Up to Launch “Fitbit for Your House””
Early VC Arch Exits Ikaria with $2.3B Sale to Mallinckrodt
Ikaria, the private healthcare startup that failed a stab at the public markets in 2010, is being sold by its private equity owner for $2.3 billion to global biopharmaceutical company Mallinckrodt. The sale provides a pretty exit for more than just Madison Dearborn, the Chicago firm that bought a majority stake in late 2013 (a … Continue reading “Early VC Arch Exits Ikaria with $2.3B Sale to Mallinckrodt”
CIA-Backed VC Firm Invests in Voxel8’s 3D Printer for Electronics
Startups making 3D printers have electrified the tech industry. Just ask Voxel8, a Boston-based startup that makes what it says is the first 3D printer able to print electronic devices. Or ask In-Q-Tel, the venture capital firm with links to the Central Intelligence Agency. In-Q-Tel recently made a strategic equity investment in Voxel8 and also … Continue reading “CIA-Backed VC Firm Invests in Voxel8’s 3D Printer for Electronics”
G20 Ventures Closes $63M Fund for East Coast Enterprise Tech
Smaller, faster, cheaper: it’s a trend in early-stage tech venture capital that mirrors the rise of the computing industry. The latest exhibit is G20 Ventures, a Boston-based investment firm that has closed its first fund at $63.45 million. G20 was founded by Bob Hower and Bill Wiberg, both general partners at Advanced Technology Ventures (ATV). … Continue reading “G20 Ventures Closes $63M Fund for East Coast Enterprise Tech”
GE Backs Evidation Health to Tackle Digital Health
[Updated 3/5/14 5:17 pm. See below.] Digital health is an amorphous category that can encompass everything from electronic health records to fitness apps. It’s been hard to grasp the real value of some of these technologies, as Xconomy’s Alex Lash examined in detail in October. GE Ventures is trying to address that problem. The firm … Continue reading “GE Backs Evidation Health to Tackle Digital Health”
With Narrowed Focus, Elcelyx Prepares for Diabetes Drug Trial
For San Diego’s Elcelyx Therapeutics, 2014 may someday be remembered as “the year of heavy lifting.” Since the fall of 2013, when Elcelyx spun out NaZura BioHealth as a sister company with the same management (focused on commercializing a dietary ingredient called Lovidia), the company has crossed off a variety of accomplishments that include: —Selling … Continue reading “With Narrowed Focus, Elcelyx Prepares for Diabetes Drug Trial”
AbbVie Snaps up Pharmacyclics, Pays Whopping $21B For Cancer Drug
Pop quiz: How much would a company whose best selling drug is about to lose patent protection pay for a portion of the rights to a successful blood cancer drug? The answer came late last night: $21 billion. That’s what AbbVie (NYSE: [[ticker:ABBV]]) has agreed to pay for the rights to Sunnyvale, CA-based Pharmacyclics (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “AbbVie Snaps up Pharmacyclics, Pays Whopping $21B For Cancer Drug”
Aura Bio Gets $21M, Pivots to Rare Eye Cancers With Virus Nanotech
Genzyme is best known for its rare disease work. So perhaps it’s no surprise that some of its former executives are helping to steer six-year-old Cambridge, MA-based startup Aura Biosciences in that direction as well. Aura today is announcing it’s raised a $21 million Series B round from a group of VC firms and former … Continue reading “Aura Bio Gets $21M, Pivots to Rare Eye Cancers With Virus Nanotech”
Haiku Deck Taps Artificial Intelligence for Automatic Presentations
Haiku Deck is building a tool to automatically create slide presentations using artificial intelligence informed by choices the Seattle company’s users have made in designing millions of slides over the past two and a half years. Co-founder and CEO Adam Tratt says the company’s mission has been to make presentation authoring dramatically easier, while also … Continue reading “Haiku Deck Taps Artificial Intelligence for Automatic Presentations”
As Uber Becomes a Publisher, Boston Taxi Trade Paper Stops Printing
Uber isn’t just changing the way taxi and black-car companies operate. As the multibillion-dollar car-for-hire juggernaut expands across the country, businesses that serve the old-school, heavily regulated taxi industry are suddenly feeling the effects of new competition. A prime example is Carriage News, a 45-year-old trade paper focusing on the taxi industry around Boston. Late last month, publisher Bob Keeley … Continue reading “As Uber Becomes a Publisher, Boston Taxi Trade Paper Stops Printing”
“Voice for Everyone”—Life-Sci Women Talk Venture, Pharma Gender Gap
By the numbers, the rare-disease drug developer Raptor Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RPTP]]) recently upped its chances of better market performance. That’s because biopharma veteran Julie Anne Smith (pictured) on Jan. 1 officially took the helm of the Novato, CA-based biotech firm from Christopher Starr, and time and again, studies show that companies with more women in … Continue reading ““Voice for Everyone”—Life-Sci Women Talk Venture, Pharma Gender Gap”
IBM Acquires AI Startup AlchemyAPI to Strengthen Watson
IBM’s Watson, already one of the world’s smartest supercomputers, might be getting smarter following IBM’s purchase of AlchemyAPI, a Denver-based artificial intelligence startup that specializes in deep learning, an area of machine learning focused on making sense of data. AlchemyAPI and IBM announced the deal Wednesday. They did not disclose the purchase price. The acquisition … Continue reading “IBM Acquires AI Startup AlchemyAPI to Strengthen Watson”
The Water Council’s Accelerator Now Wants a Piece of Startups
The training wheels are coming off of The Water Council’s Milwaukee accelerator program for water tech startups. The accelerator—dubbed “Business. Research. Entrepreneurship. In Wisconsin,” or the BREW—is housed near downtown Milwaukee in the council’s Global Water Center that brings together research and development teams from big water-related companies, academic researchers, and business service providers. In … Continue reading “The Water Council’s Accelerator Now Wants a Piece of Startups”
Ford Takes Multi-Modal Mobility to New Level with e-Bike Experiment
With the advent of the next-generation car services, as well as Millennials’ apparent distaste for driving and car ownership, automobile manufacturers are being forced to rethink century-old business models. Many of them are exploring car-sharing, public transportation, and, now, electric bikes. This week, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Ford announced that it is … Continue reading “Ford Takes Multi-Modal Mobility to New Level with e-Bike Experiment”
The Robots of New England: An Innovation Slideshow
They come from all walks of life. Some work on factory floors or in warehouses. Others hang out in your home, doing menial tasks or trying to engage you on a social level. Yet others attach to your body and help you walk better or do rehabilitation exercises. New England has a distinguished history in … Continue reading “The Robots of New England: An Innovation Slideshow”
Tricida Grabs $30M Series B for Chronic Kidney Disease Treatment
Drug developer Tricida said Wednesday that investors have pledged $30 million in Series B funding to push forward its effort to join the crowded market for chronic kidney disease treatments. The company has one potential advantage: Its founders have been there before. The South San Francisco, CA-based company’s lead drug, TRC 101, is meant to … Continue reading “Tricida Grabs $30M Series B for Chronic Kidney Disease Treatment”
Antibiotics Startup Gets $22M From Roche, Others, For New “Macrolides”
It wasn’t long ago that the antibiotics landscape was barren of startups with fresh ideas. But government initiatives like the Generating Antibiotics Initiatives Now (GAIN) Act—and, of course, the increasing need to combat drug-resistant bugs—are slowly starting to change things. The latest example: Macrolide Pharmaceuticals, which was officially launched this morning with the backing of … Continue reading “Antibiotics Startup Gets $22M From Roche, Others, For New “Macrolides””
Spinning Wheels and Breaking Leases at the New York Tech Meetup
What started out as a plan to build a software-based company became an exercise in creating hardware and software from the ground up. That was the tale of Peloton, one of the demos at Tuesday night’s New York Tech Meetup (see slideshow), a monthly gathering of innovators from the city and beyond. Last night’s batch … Continue reading “Spinning Wheels and Breaking Leases at the New York Tech Meetup”