Allogene Therapeutics, a biotech developing a cell therapy made from donor cells, is laying out IPO plans to finance more tests of its experimental cancer treatment. South San Francisco, CA-based Allogene made waves this year when it launched with a huge $300 million Series A round. It has now set a preliminary $100 million IPO … Continue reading “Allogene Files for IPO to Fund Cancer Cell Therapy Clinical Trials”
Category: National
The Rise of Robocalls and Cell Scams—and How to Stop Them
[Updated 9:15 a.m., see below.] Jen King was in a hurry to get out the door of her Bay Area home on a recent morning, and she missed a call to her cell phone because of it. The phone number that called her, she later discovered, was startling. “It was my home phone calling me, … Continue reading “The Rise of Robocalls and Cell Scams—and How to Stop Them”
Bio Roundup: CRISPR Ruling, “America’s Nobels,” IPOs & More
The long-running patent feud over CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing appears to be over, just as U.S. biotech companies gear up for the first human tests of the landmark technology. This week, a federal appeals court upheld a previous ruling handing a CRISPR-Cas9 patent to the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. The decision by the three-judge … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CRISPR Ruling, “America’s Nobels,” IPOs & More”
Epic Sciences Raises $52M to Expand Cancer Diagnostic Portfolio
Oncology diagnostics company Epic Sciences, which last year launched what it describes as the only test that can help guide treatment for patients with advanced prostate cancer, has raised $52 million in a financing led by New York private equity firm Blue Ox Healthcare Partners to develop tests to address more types of cancer. The … Continue reading “Epic Sciences Raises $52M to Expand Cancer Diagnostic Portfolio”
Xconomy’s San Francisco Event to Showcase Biotech’s Next Generation
The life sciences and biomedicine are a constant field of tension between cutting-edge ideas and breakthroughs, and time-tested procedures and regulations guided by experience and concerns for safety. This tension is, on the whole, a good thing, helping innovators hone their ideas and strategies. At times like these, there are no shortage of scientific breakthroughs … Continue reading “Xconomy’s San Francisco Event to Showcase Biotech’s Next Generation”
San Antonio Startup Making Noise-Reducing Tech for Babies Adds $1.3M
San Antonio—Invictus Medical, which develops products for newborn babies, and says it added almost $1.3 million in new funding to continue developing a device that aims to help create a quiet, peaceful environment for infants in neonatal intensive care units. Invictus plans to use the new funding to bring the technology to the point of … Continue reading “San Antonio Startup Making Noise-Reducing Tech for Babies Adds $1.3M”
With Cornershop, Walmart Expands On-Demand Delivery to Latin America
Walmart is taking the e-commerce delivery business south of the border. The Bentonville, AR, retailer announced Thursday it has acquired Cornershop, an on-demand online service that delivers products from supermarkets, pharmacies, and specialty shops in Mexico and Chile, for $225 million. “We are focused on making life easier for customers and associates by building strong … Continue reading “With Cornershop, Walmart Expands On-Demand Delivery to Latin America”
Detroit’s StockX Raises $44M Funding Round, Plans to Hire 1,000
StockX, the online “stock market of things” focused on sneakers and other high-demand, limited-edition products, has closed one of the largest investment rounds raised by a Detroit startup and announced yesterday that it now plans to go on a major hiring spree. The news came from StockX CEO Josh Luber during a keynote speech at the … Continue reading “Detroit’s StockX Raises $44M Funding Round, Plans to Hire 1,000”
Acorda’s Tough Week Continues as FDA Delays Parkinson’s Drug Review
Acorda Therapeutics has taken its second hit in less than a week. The FDA this morning extended its review of Acorda’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ACOR]]) experimental Parkinson’s disease drug Inbrija, an inhalable form of levodopa, by three months. The agency will now decide whether to approve the drug—whose success is critical to the future of the Ardsley, … Continue reading “Acorda’s Tough Week Continues as FDA Delays Parkinson’s Drug Review”
Epic, Kiio, HealthMyne & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
Stay current on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Epic Systems, a Verona-based developer of record-keeping tools for the healthcare industry, said virtual assistant software it created in tandem with Nuance Communications is now commercially available. The tools allow doctors and other care providers at hospitals and clinics that use Epic’s software … Continue reading “Epic, Kiio, HealthMyne & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Cloud Storage Startup Wasabi Grabs $68M to Eat Amazon’s Lunch
Wasabi Technologies’ ambitious plan to challenge the giants in cloud data storage—Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and IBM—just got a $68 million boost. Wasabi announced Wednesday it closed its Series B round of venture funding. The Boston-based startup had previously raised at least $8.5 million from investors, who are betting that it can build a big business … Continue reading “Cloud Storage Startup Wasabi Grabs $68M to Eat Amazon’s Lunch”
Living on the Edge: Amazon, AT&T, Packet Pursue “Cloudlet” Computing
The word “cloud”—as in cloud computing, and cloud storage—has served as a handy shorthand term, but it has always been inherently vague and a little misleading. When businesses and consumers use a cloud service provider like Amazon Web Services or Apple’s iCloud, their data, photos, and music don’t get processed in the misty skies above … Continue reading “Living on the Edge: Amazon, AT&T, Packet Pursue “Cloudlet” Computing”
Gilead Partners with Precision Bio in Search of Gene-Editing HBV Cure
Gilead Sciences is turning to gene editing in its effort to develop a cure for hepatitis B virus infections—DNA-cutting enzymes that would eliminate the virus in the body, something current hep B drugs can’t do. Foster City, CA-based Gilead (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GILD]]) is partnering with Precision Biosciences, a company that has used its proprietary gene-editing platform … Continue reading “Gilead Partners with Precision Bio in Search of Gene-Editing HBV Cure”
Coinbase, Circle & Others Form Blockchain Lobbying Group in DC
Amid intensifying regulatory scrutiny of cryptocurrencies and blockchain ventures, some of the sector’s leading startups and investors have formed the Blockchain Association, a lobbying group that will try to amplify their influence in Capitol Hill and around the country. The nonprofit trade association’s initial members include San Francisco-based Coinbase and its competitor, Boston-based Circle Internet … Continue reading “Coinbase, Circle & Others Form Blockchain Lobbying Group in DC”
With OneOncology, Flatiron and Cancer Docs Aim to Boost Community Care
A number of new technologies, from immunotherapy to targeted medicines and diagnostics, have all helped change cancer care the past few years. But not all cutting-edge technologies are available to patients who seek treatment at smaller clinics. OneOncology, an unusual new startup being launched this morning, aims to help cancer patients in community settings gain … Continue reading “With OneOncology, Flatiron and Cancer Docs Aim to Boost Community Care”
Exec Shuffle in Austin and San Antonio, Icon Funds, & More TX Tech
Let’s get caught up with the latest innovation news in Texas. —Personify, an Austin maker of customer management software, has been sold by Rubicon Technology Partners, a private equity firm with offices in Menlo Park, CA, and Stamford, CT, to Pamlico Capital in Charlotte, NC. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Personify works with associations, … Continue reading “Exec Shuffle in Austin and San Antonio, Icon Funds, & More TX Tech”
Amazon, Walmart Planning to Add Hundreds of Tech Jobs in San Diego
San Diego has found itself to be the latest front in the ongoing Amazon-Walmart battle. Walmart made its name with brick-and-mortar stores, but the company has been vocal in recent months about its intent to fight for dominance in the digital landscape, an arena in which Amazon is a native. Next month about 70 people … Continue reading “Amazon, Walmart Planning to Add Hundreds of Tech Jobs in San Diego”
Lasker Awards Recognize Propofol Discovery, Women in Science Advocate & Others
The winners of the U.S.’s most prestigious awards in biomedical sciences were announced today, for work in developing propofol, the world’s most widely used anesthetic drug; for key discoveries in RNA biology as well as for championing women in science; and for research in yeast that revealed new mechanisms of gene regulation. The Lasker Awards … Continue reading “Lasker Awards Recognize Propofol Discovery, Women in Science Advocate & Others”
Don’t Fear the Robot: Humatics, Eckhart Push Factory Automation Tech
The state of American manufacturing has become an increasingly hot topic of conversation since the 2016 presidential election laid bare the discontent felt by workers and business owners alike. However, companies like Algonac, MI-based Eckhart and Cambridge, MA-based Humatics see an opportunity to reinvigorate American manufacturing through so-called “Industry 4.0” technologies—automated, connected, and collaborative tools … Continue reading “Don’t Fear the Robot: Humatics, Eckhart Push Factory Automation Tech”
OncoResponse Nabs $40M for Cancer Drugs Based On Survivors’ Antibodies
Houston—OncoResponse, a biotech startup formed jointly with the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, announced Tuesday it has raised a $40 million Series B round of funding. RiverVest Venture Partners led the round, which included new investors Redmile Group and the Qatar Investment Authority, as well as existing investors Alexandria Venture Investments, … Continue reading “OncoResponse Nabs $40M for Cancer Drugs Based On Survivors’ Antibodies”
Gener8tor Picks Four Artists for First Class of Music Accelerator
In the five-plus weeks since a new music “accelerator” program for Milwaukee-area artists kicked off, the four participating artists have been traveling to places like London and Los Angeles to visit recording studios and meet with industry leaders, according to the program’s organizers. The program, called Backline, is a joint venture between 88Nine Radio Milwaukee … Continue reading “Gener8tor Picks Four Artists for First Class of Music Accelerator”
Kodiak Sciences Files for IPO to Fund Global AMD Eye-Drug Studies
Many patients with the more severe form of age-related macular degeneration, a type of vision loss, have trouble with the standard treatment—a once-monthly injection into the eye. Kodiak Sciences believes it can do better with an experimental drug that may require less frequent injections and the company has filed for an IPO to finance a … Continue reading “Kodiak Sciences Files for IPO to Fund Global AMD Eye-Drug Studies”
U.S. Court Affirms Broad’s CRISPR Patent; No Word of Berkeley Appeal
On the heels of a federal court victory, the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT is calling for the end of a long and winding legal fight over the ownership of the landmark genome editing system CRISPR-Cas9. The widespread ability for humans to manipulate their own DNA and that of many other organisms has arrived, … Continue reading “U.S. Court Affirms Broad’s CRISPR Patent; No Word of Berkeley Appeal”
South Bend Code School Adds Revenue Stream with Code Works Dev Shop
When South Bend Code School launched in 2015, its founders were looking for a way to teach kids career skills that might enable them to find a job without a college degree. As that effort grew and gained popularity, people in the community began reaching out to SBCS seeking software development work. “As we were … Continue reading “South Bend Code School Adds Revenue Stream with Code Works Dev Shop”
PepsiCo Expands Nutrition Greenhouse Startup Program to U.S.
PepsiCo is expanding its Nutrition Greenhouse program from Europe to North America, adding to its arsenal of initiatives designed to connect the global soda-maker to innovative startups in the food and beverage sector. Nutrition Greenhouse will be an accelerator for 10 startups that “are helping to transform the food and beverage industry with nutritious, natural, … Continue reading “PepsiCo Expands Nutrition Greenhouse Startup Program to U.S.”
Agenda Posted for Boston’s Life Science Disruptors on Oct. 17
Our sixth installment of Boston’s Life Science Disruptors event is coming up on October 17 at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research in Kendall Square. You don’t want to miss this unique blend of candid stories from some of New England’s most radical biotech company leaders, founders, and VC backers. You’ll get insights and … Continue reading “Agenda Posted for Boston’s Life Science Disruptors on Oct. 17”
FDA, Following EMA, Nixes Amicus’ Plans for Speedy OK of Pompe Drug
The FDA has rejected plans from Amicus Therapeutics to seek speedy approval of an experimental drug for Pompe disease, calling instead for more data the Cranbury, NJ, company hopes to accrue over the next year. The FDA told Amicus (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FOLD]]) that its “current clinical package is not sufficient” to support what’s known as accelerated … Continue reading “FDA, Following EMA, Nixes Amicus’ Plans for Speedy OK of Pompe Drug”
Madison Human Resources Firm TASC Creates Venture Investing Arm
Total Administrative Services Corp. (TASC), a Madison, WI-based business that administers employee benefit plans for businesses across the country, has formed a venture capital arm that will invest in startups developing technologies for use in industries such as human resources, insurance, and financial services. TASC Ventures plans to make about eight to 12 investments by … Continue reading “Madison Human Resources Firm TASC Creates Venture Investing Arm”
Robotic Kitchen Startup Spyce Grabs $21M to Open More Restaurants
[Updated 9/10/18, 4:18 pm. See below.] Spyce plans to open more restaurants along the East Coast featuring its “robotic kitchen” system, thanks to a fresh infusion of $21 million in venture capital. The Somerville, MA-based startup’s Series A funding round was led by Collaborative Fund and Maveron, according to an announcement Friday. Other investors in … Continue reading “Robotic Kitchen Startup Spyce Grabs $21M to Open More Restaurants”
Bio Roundup: A Gene Editing 1st, China Rises, Schenkein Steps Away
If you’re still recovering from a Labor Day hangover or busy searching for the identity of the anonymous writer of the anti-Trump op-ed for the New York Times, you may have missed a few biomedical firsts. This week brought the first sliver of human data from an in-body gene editing procedure, and the results were … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: A Gene Editing 1st, China Rises, Schenkein Steps Away”
Boston Tech Watch: Nuance, Relayr, Markforged, Grapevine & More
Time to catch up on recent Boston-area tech headlines: —Relayr, a Boston-based company developing software and services for connected devices, is being acquired for $300 million by German insurance and reinsurance company Munich Re through its Hartford Steam Boiler subsidiary. Munich Re said Relayr will help it create new business models for the “industrial Internet … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Nuance, Relayr, Markforged, Grapevine & More”
Akcea to Cut Staff 10% in Wake of FDA Rejection of Rare Disease Drug
Akcea Therapeutics is laying off 10 percent of its workforce, a move that follows the FDA’s rejection of the company’s rare disease drug last week. Cambridge, MA-based Akcea (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKCA]]) said in a regulatory filing Thursday that the board of directors approved the reorganization plan on Sept. 2. Affected employees were notified Thursday. As of … Continue reading “Akcea to Cut Staff 10% in Wake of FDA Rejection of Rare Disease Drug”
Arrowhead Shares Pop on Early Clinical Data for Hepatitis B Drug
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals on Thursday made public select initial data from an early-stage clinical study of a hepatitis B drug it’s developing, sending the company’s stock price (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARWR]]) to a four-year high. Arrowhead shared data from a study aimed at evaluating the safety and tolerability of a drug candidate it’s developing to treat chronic hepatitis … Continue reading “Arrowhead Shares Pop on Early Clinical Data for Hepatitis B Drug”
Harvard Spinout 28-7 Launches with $65M for MicroRNA Cancer Drugs
Tackling tumors head-on isn’t the only way to treat cancer. New cancer biotech 28-7 Therapeutics, a Harvard spinout, is researching an approach that targets cellular fragments that play key roles in cancer growth, and it now has $65 million in funding to advance its work. MPM Capital and Novartis Venture Fund co-led the investment in … Continue reading “Harvard Spinout 28-7 Launches with $65M for MicroRNA Cancer Drugs”
Forward Bio Initiative Launches with $750K Grant from WI Jobs Agency
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC) said Thursday that it has awarded $750,000 in grant funding to help launch a new biomanufacturing collaboration that aims to promote technological innovation and job creation in the Badger State. As Xconomy reported in August, the groups behind the collaboration—which they’re calling the Forward Bio Initiative—are seeking to assist … Continue reading “Forward Bio Initiative Launches with $750K Grant from WI Jobs Agency”
With Cronos Deal, Ginkgo Brings Synthetic Bio Approach to Cannabis
In a partnership that gives new meaning to mixing pot and beer, Canadian cannabis company Cronos Group has teamed with synthetic biology firm Ginkgo Bioworks to try and develop better ways of producing the chemical compounds of cannabis in a lab. Employees of Boston-based Ginkgo use robotic systems and software to design and test custom-made … Continue reading “With Cronos Deal, Ginkgo Brings Synthetic Bio Approach to Cannabis”
The Winners of the 2018 Xconomy Awards Are…
This year’s nominees and finalists for the Xconomy Awards were even more impressive than last year’s (if that’s possible), making it that much tougher for our judges and the editors to pick the winners. There were multiple deserving winners in each category. But after much discussion and debate, we decided that these winners represent the … Continue reading “The Winners of the 2018 Xconomy Awards Are…”
San Antonio Grocer HEB Announces New Digital Lab in Austin
Austin—HEB said Wednesday it is opening what the grocer calls an innovation center to house both HEB’s growing digital team and the staff of Favor, a delivery startup HEB purchased earlier this year. “This state-of-the-art space will be a hub for creativity and innovation as we continue to develop the ultimate digital experience for our … Continue reading “San Antonio Grocer HEB Announces New Digital Lab in Austin”
Sangamo 1st to Show Human Gene-Editing Results. Investors Say ‘Meh.’
The first results from a landmark study of gene editing in humans came out today, and investors panned the study’s sponsor, Sangamo Therapeutics. The very early returns—from only four patients still in the midst of the study—are from a gene-manipulation technology called zinc finger nucleases, which is wholly owned by Richmond, CA-based Sangamo (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SGMO]]). … Continue reading “Sangamo 1st to Show Human Gene-Editing Results. Investors Say ‘Meh.’”
Harley, Gener8tor, Allergy Amulet & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Keep up with news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Harley-Davidson, the iconic Milwaukee-based motorcycle manufacturer, said Wednesday that it plans to open a new research and development center in Silicon Valley. Harley (NYSE: [[ticker:HOG]]) said the facility will house about two dozen of its workers—most of whom the company intends to hire … Continue reading “Harley, Gener8tor, Allergy Amulet & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Real Estate Software Developer Avid Ratings Snags $6M to Fuel Growth
Avid Ratings, a Madison WI-based real estate software company that has been operating since 1992 but is now seeking to fuel its growth with cash from venture capital investors, says it has raised $6 million as part of a Series A funding round. Residential construction businesses are the primary users of Avid’s technology, which the company … Continue reading “Real Estate Software Developer Avid Ratings Snags $6M to Fuel Growth”
On Cusp of Gene Therapy Clinical Trial, 4D Molecular Reels In $90M
4D Molecular Therapeutics is already working with several large pharmaceutical companies to help them develop new gene therapies. Now, as its own gene therapy candidate approaches clinical trials, the company has raised $90 million in financing. Viking Global Investors led the investment, a Series B round of financing. Emeryville, CA-based 4D Molecular has developed technology … Continue reading “On Cusp of Gene Therapy Clinical Trial, 4D Molecular Reels In $90M”
Spredfast Merger, Opcity Acquired, Disco Relocates & More TX Tech
[Updated 9/5/18 12:54 pm. See below.] Let’s get caught up with the latest innovation news in Texas. —Spredfast, an Austin developer of social media management software, has merged with San Francisco-based Lithium Technologies, the companies announced Tuesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Lithium, founded in 2001, makes software for digital customer engagement. Last year, Austin-based … Continue reading “Spredfast Merger, Opcity Acquired, Disco Relocates & More TX Tech”
Drift Snaps Up Siftrock to Power E-mail Marketing Tools
Software firm Drift has acquired a startup called Siftrock to help expand its marketing and sales automation offerings. The purchase price wasn’t disclosed in a Tuesday press release announcing the deal. Drift touted the acquisition of the Seattle-based startup during its annual “Hypergrowth” event in Boston, where Drift is headquartered. The company also announced partnerships … Continue reading “Drift Snaps Up Siftrock to Power E-mail Marketing Tools”
Working with Patients and a Fresh $80M, Fulcrum Eyes a 2019 IPO
Fulcrum Therapeutics, a Cambridge, MA, startup run by the former CEO of Epizyme, has closed an $80 million Series B round that lays the groundwork for a likely IPO next year, its CEO says. The new funding, led by Foresite Capital, comes from a wide array of crossover investors, such as Fidelity Management and Research, … Continue reading “Working with Patients and a Fresh $80M, Fulcrum Eyes a 2019 IPO”
Westlake Bio Unveils $320M Fund to Put Los Angeles on the Biotech Map
Los Angeles has long been in San Francisco’s shadow when it comes to life sciences investment. But a new venture capital firm led by industry veterans is trying to cast the City of Angels in a new light. Westlake Village BioPartners is launching today with $320 million in committed capital. The Los Angeles-based firm is … Continue reading “Westlake Bio Unveils $320M Fund to Put Los Angeles on the Biotech Map”
After a High-Speed Decade, Agios CEO David Schenkein to Step Aside
David Schenkein, the longtime CEO of Agios Pharmaceuticals, will step aside next year after transforming what was once a high-risk Cambridge, MA-based startup into a public biotech with over 500 employees and two drugs on the market. Schenkein’s replacement will be Jacqualyn Fouse, former president and chief operating officer of Celgene (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CELG]]) and a … Continue reading “After a High-Speed Decade, Agios CEO David Schenkein to Step Aside”
Principia Sets IPO Terms as It Eyes Late-Stage Studies for Lead Drug
Principia Biopharma plans to sell 4.6 million shares priced between $15 and $17 apiece when the rare disease drug developer makes its stock market debut. The South San Francisco, CA-based biotech set the IPO terms in a regulatory filing on Tuesday. At the midpoint of the proposed range, the Principia IPO would raise $74.8 million. … Continue reading “Principia Sets IPO Terms as It Eyes Late-Stage Studies for Lead Drug”
Health Wildcatters Splits Program in Two, Debuts Latest Startup Class
Dallas—Health Wildcatters has chosen its latest class of healthcare startups, and has also announced that the accelerator is splitting its cohort into two programs. One class will begin in the fall as usual, and the other will join a newly-originated spring session. “If we split it in half, it gives us a bigger chance to … Continue reading “Health Wildcatters Splits Program in Two, Debuts Latest Startup Class”
Redox Gets $3M for Tools That Help Hospitals, App Makers Share Data
Redox, a Madison, WI-based startup that develops digital tools enabling healthcare applications to exchange data with patient health records systems, has raised $3 million in debt funding, according to a document filed with federal securities regulators. Twelve investors participated in the financing round, according to the document. Redox has raised more than $15.8 million in … Continue reading “Redox Gets $3M for Tools That Help Hospitals, App Makers Share Data”