A Westford, MA, startup called Virtual Computer threw off its contentless stealth name on Tuesday (it had been called “Old Road Computing Corporation,” which wasn’t even an allusion to its address, on LAN Drive) and revealed that it’s working on virtualization technology for corporate PCs. But that’s about as far as the company went. For … Continue reading “Virtual Computer Exits Stealth Mode—Sort Of”
Category: National
Acucela Strikes Deal With Otsuka Pharmaceutical to Develop Drug for Eye Disease
Acucela has struck another big deal with its Japanese connections. The Bothell, WA-based biotech company said today it has agreed to form a partnership with Tokyo-based Otsuka Pharmaceutical to develop its lead drug candidate for the top cause of blindness among the elderly—the “dry” form of macular degeneration. The deal has sweet terms for Acucela. … Continue reading “Acucela Strikes Deal With Otsuka Pharmaceutical to Develop Drug for Eye Disease”
Broad Institute Gets $400M Endowment From Namesakes
Updated Sept. 4 (see below): The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, which is focused on genomic research, is planning to announce Thursday morning its receipt of a $400 million endowment from its founding benefactors Eli and Edythe Broad, according to well-placed sources. The $400 million is expected to enhance the resources that investigators at … Continue reading “Broad Institute Gets $400M Endowment From Namesakes”
A Who’s Who of Geeking Out at Nathan Myhrvold’s Intellectual Ventures
When I visited Nathan Myhrvold last month at the Intellectual Ventures lab in Bellevue, WA, I didn’t get a chance to meet one of the lab’s most distinguished residents, science-fiction novelist Neal Stephenson. Myhrvold mentioned him during our meeting, but it was too early in the day to find him in the building. Stephenson, best … Continue reading “A Who’s Who of Geeking Out at Nathan Myhrvold’s Intellectual Ventures”
Daily TIPs: Bandwidth Limits, Lights Out Boston, Where are the Sunspots, & More
Conventions Draw Citizen Journalists It’s not just the presidential candidates who are taking advantage of new technologies in this year’s campaign. As CNET News tells us, citizen journalists are recording and broadcasting events in unprecedented numbers and formats. While some upload raw footage of protests and arrests to websites, others are using a cell phone … Continue reading “Daily TIPs: Bandwidth Limits, Lights Out Boston, Where are the Sunspots, & More”
New Roomba Vacuums Tackle Pet-Hair Woes
Sadly, my old Roomba Red robot vacuum cleaner is now collecting dust—and not in the way it’s supposed to. Its rechargeable battery no longer recharges, and iRobot charges $70 for a replacement. I figure that’s money I might as well put toward a newer model. And now I’m sorely tempted: today Bedford, MA-based iRobot launched … Continue reading “New Roomba Vacuums Tackle Pet-Hair Woes”
The Parking Spot Wars
Back in February, I told you about SpotScout, a startup working on a system that drivers can use to search for vacant short-term and on-street parking spots from their computers or mobile phones. At the time, SpotScout was getting a lot of pre-launch publicity (CEO Andrew Rollert had recently appeared on NBC’s Today Show), and … Continue reading “The Parking Spot Wars”
Take You Out to the Ball Game? Sox Will Tie the Sellout Record Today—and We Have Two Tickets for Xconomy Fans
UPDATE: TICKETS GONE! THANKS FOR THE RESPONSE! The Sox are driving for the playoffs, and today they will notch the 455th consecutive Fenway Park sellout to tie the major league record set by the Cleveland Indians in a stretch that ran from 1995-2001. To celebrate, we are giving away two bleacher seats to the historic … Continue reading “Take You Out to the Ball Game? Sox Will Tie the Sellout Record Today—and We Have Two Tickets for Xconomy Fans”
ZymoGenetics Hands Over Atacicept Rights to Partner, Merck KGaA
ZymoGenetics is making a sacrifice to conserve cash. The Seattle biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZGEN]]) said today it has agreed to hand over atacicept—its leading drug candidate for autoimmune diseases like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis—to its partner, Darmstadt, Germany-based Merck KGaA. The move means that the German partner will now have to pay for … Continue reading “ZymoGenetics Hands Over Atacicept Rights to Partner, Merck KGaA”
Corporate Life Sciences VCs on the Rise in New England—the List
Some of the most exclusive clubs in the Boston area aren’t actually clubs at all, they are venture capital firms, where partners hold the power to turn ideas into companies—and make themselves a lot of money in the process. So perhaps it’s not surprising that some big companies would want to get in on the … Continue reading “Corporate Life Sciences VCs on the Rise in New England—the List”
In Amazon’s Purchase of Shelfari, a Possible Front in the Battle with Borders—and a Triumph for Social Book Sites
Last week, we reported that Amazon is acquiring Seattle-based Shelfari, a literary social networking site. We also noted that Cambridge, MA-based LibraryThing (which Amazon also owns 40 percent of) had some harsh words for its West Coast rival. John Cook of the Seattle P-I provided some useful insights and comments here (e.g., the deal is … Continue reading “In Amazon’s Purchase of Shelfari, a Possible Front in the Battle with Borders—and a Triumph for Social Book Sites”
IRobot Co-Founder Brooks Leaves to Launch New Robotics Firm Aiming to Revitalize U.S. Workforce
MIT roboticist Rod Brooks, one of three co-founders of iRobot and mentor to the other two (chairman Helen Greiner and CEO Colin Angle), is stepping down from his role as the company’s CTO in order to launch his own robotics firm, iRobot announced today. Brooks’ startup, called Heartland Robotics, will focus on industrial and workplace … Continue reading “IRobot Co-Founder Brooks Leaves to Launch New Robotics Firm Aiming to Revitalize U.S. Workforce”
Daily TIPs: Science Answers, Face Transplants, Nasty Nitrogen, & More
Obama Answers Science Quiz Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has responded to 14 questions about science and technology policy, posed by a group that had been calling on candidates to debate science issues. Wired summarizes his answers, which include a promise to increase funding for basic research and to lift the Bush administration’s restrictions on … Continue reading “Daily TIPs: Science Answers, Face Transplants, Nasty Nitrogen, & More”
IRobot Wins Open-Ended, $200M Army Contract: Could Extend Beyond Packbot
Bedford, MA-based iRobot (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IRBT]]) said today that the U.S. Army has awarded it a contract for military robots, spare parts, training, and repair services that could bring the company up to $200 million over the next 5 years and give the Army more flexibility to order robots for new missions. The Army uses iRobot’s … Continue reading “IRobot Wins Open-Ended, $200M Army Contract: Could Extend Beyond Packbot”
Gaming Away the Holiday Weekend at the Penny Arcade Expo (Part 2)
There’s nothing like three straight days of a massive video-game expo to get your mind off work. OK, I didn’t go to the whole thing, but I got a decent sample of the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) at the convention center in downtown Seattle—North America’s biggest trade show for computer and video games and a … Continue reading “Gaming Away the Holiday Weekend at the Penny Arcade Expo (Part 2)”
Targanta Antibiotic Shown Effective in Less-Frequent Dose
Targanta Therapeutics, the Cambridge,MA-based developer of potent hospital-based antibiotics, is on the rise today. The company’s oritavancin treatment, in a single dose or an infrequent dose, showed comparable safety and effectiveness to a three-to-seven day course of therapy tested in previous trials against complicated skin infections. The new results came from a mid-stage clinical trial … Continue reading “Targanta Antibiotic Shown Effective in Less-Frequent Dose”
ZymoGenetics, Bayer Drug Vying for European Regulatory Approval
ZymoGenetics is going to try to crack the European pharmaceutical market. The Seattle biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZGEN]]) said today that its partner, Bayer, has filed an application with the European Union to market Recothrom, a drug for excess surgical bleeding. The filing means ZymoGenetics will collect a $5 million milestone payment from Bayer (NYSE: [[ticker:BAY]]). … Continue reading “ZymoGenetics, Bayer Drug Vying for European Regulatory Approval”
Investors Radio in $32M for Vanu, JumpTap’s Bank Balance Hops up by $26M, Quanterix Pinpoints $15M, & More Deals News
While many of us were cutting out early for the holiday weekend, and to enjoy the last week of summer, New England tech and life sciences firms were cutting a surprising number of deals. —Tufts spinoff Quanterix closed the second half of a $15 million financing round from Arch Venture Partners, Bain Capital Ventures, and … Continue reading “Investors Radio in $32M for Vanu, JumpTap’s Bank Balance Hops up by $26M, Quanterix Pinpoints $15M, & More Deals News”
Ikaria Developing Drug For “Hibernation-on-Demand,” Could Pull Off Biggest Biotech IPO Ever, VC Says
Hibernation-on-demand is one of those enduring concepts of science fiction. If you can slow down breathing, heartbeat, and other metabolic functions without going too far and suffocating people, you could possibly send them on long voyages into space. Here on Earth, it might buy time for a surgeon trying to save someone before he or … Continue reading “Ikaria Developing Drug For “Hibernation-on-Demand,” Could Pull Off Biggest Biotech IPO Ever, VC Says”
Ariad Pharmaceuticals Edging Toward Becoming a Commercial Cancer Drug Company
Investors may not be in the mood to hear it when most portfolios are in the gutter, but life goes on during downturns at smallcap biotechs. One example is Cambridge, MA-based Ariad Pharmaceuticals, (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARIA]]), the developer of cancer drugs. Without generating much buzz in the market, the company is edging closer to becoming a … Continue reading “Ariad Pharmaceuticals Edging Toward Becoming a Commercial Cancer Drug Company”
Daily TIPs: Conventional Wisdom, Cyber Support, Greenhouse Gas Breakdown, & More
Was the Convention All That Green? Democrats had been boasting that the Denver convention would be the “most sustainable” in the history of conventions, and in some ways they may have accomplished their goal. CNET News says there were certainly separate trash containers for recycling waste, including biodegradable drinking straws. On the other hand, there … Continue reading “Daily TIPs: Conventional Wisdom, Cyber Support, Greenhouse Gas Breakdown, & More”
Greenfield Ditches Quadrangle, Merges with Microsoft in $468M Deal
Wilton, CT-based Greenfield Online (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SRVY]]), which owns a network of Internet-based consumer survey and comparison shopping sites, announced a complex sequence of changes today. The company is backing out of a previously announced merger with New York-based Quadrangle Group. Simultaneously, it’s selling its Internet survey business to an as-yet-unnamed buyer from the financial services … Continue reading “Greenfield Ditches Quadrangle, Merges with Microsoft in $468M Deal”
Two MIT Groups Win $275K Google Android Top Prize
(Updated–see Hal Abelson and Clare Bayley comments below:) Google announced the winners of the first round of its Android Developer Challenge yesterday—and at least two teams with core members from MIT (one also had a Harvard member) were among the 10 teams taking home the $275,000 top prize. The teams were selected from 50 finalists … Continue reading “Two MIT Groups Win $275K Google Android Top Prize”
Photographing Spaces, Not Scenes, with Microsoft’s Photosynth
Up to now, software giant Microsoft has largely missed out on the digital photography revolution. The most popular photo editing tools come from Microsoft competitors like Adobe and Apple. Flickr, every geek’s favorite photo-sharing site, was invented in Microsoft’s backyard in Vancouver, BC, but went on to become part of Yahoo. And Corbis, Bill Gates’ … Continue reading “Photographing Spaces, Not Scenes, with Microsoft’s Photosynth”
Impel NeuroPharma Develops Novel Delivery System to Get Drugs Into the Brain
Lots of drugs struggle to get into the brain. John Hoekman, the co-founder and chief scientific officer of a new University of Washington spinoff company called Impel Neuropharma, thinks he has found a better way to get certain therapeutics, like pain meds, where they need to go in the brain. Hoekman is new to the … Continue reading “Impel NeuroPharma Develops Novel Delivery System to Get Drugs Into the Brain”
Gaming Away the Holiday Weekend at the Penny Arcade Expo
Everyone knows the gaming industry is huge in Seattle. Well, this weekend it will get even huger. Today marks the start of the 5th annual Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in downtown Seattle. Since 2007, when the E3 convention in Los Angeles was majorly downsized, PAX has become … Continue reading “Gaming Away the Holiday Weekend at the Penny Arcade Expo”
Quanterix Developing Instrument to Detect Cancer at its Earliest, Most Curable Stages
Quanterix made the news this week when it raised the second half of a $15 million financing round from Arch Venture Partners, Bain Capital Ventures, and Flagship Ventures. The Cambridge, MA-based company has no trouble commanding attention, since its technology comes from the lab of Tufts University researcher David Walt, a co-founder of Illumina (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “Quanterix Developing Instrument to Detect Cancer at its Earliest, Most Curable Stages”
Daily TIPs: Selling to Delegates, Tech Firms for Trade, Stem Cell Future, & More
New Services Target DNC Delegates With 50,000 people gathered in one auditorium in Denver, it must seem like a golden opportunity to push new apps for cell phones. Among the offerings being promoted, according to the Los Angeles Times: a service that has live people answering texted questions; an app that shows political TV shows … Continue reading “Daily TIPs: Selling to Delegates, Tech Firms for Trade, Stem Cell Future, & More”
Dendreon Rival Suffers Meltdown, Investors Sitting Tight For Next Big Clinical Trial News
One of the high-profile competitors to Dendreon suffered a major meltdown yesterday in a clinical trial. Cell Genesys, (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CEGE]]), a developer of treatments to stimulate the immune system against cancer, said yesterday that a clinical trial of 600 prostate cancer patients was halted early after a safety monitoring board found a higher risk of … Continue reading “Dendreon Rival Suffers Meltdown, Investors Sitting Tight For Next Big Clinical Trial News”
Spaltudaq Harnessing Mother Nature’s Wisdom to Make Better Drugs For Infections
Spaltudaq has never really said a whole lot publicly about what it’s doing. So I was eager to get an update this week from CEO David Fanning about what’s percolating at the Seattle biotech company, particularly since he’s just down the hall from Xconomy’s Seattle office on First Hill. The basic idea hasn’t changed much … Continue reading “Spaltudaq Harnessing Mother Nature’s Wisdom to Make Better Drugs For Infections”
After Cutting Deals With Most of the Big Drug Cos, Sermo CEO Offers Health 2.0 Survival Tip: You Will Not Pay Your Bills with “Ads by Google”
Sermo has garnered the interest of the popular press by drawing doctors into the social networking sphere. Yet among venture capitalists and entrepreneurs the Cambridge, MA, startup has attracted more attention for devising a value proposition to convince the pharmaceutical industry and others to pay for access to its coveted online community of doctors; the … Continue reading “After Cutting Deals With Most of the Big Drug Cos, Sermo CEO Offers Health 2.0 Survival Tip: You Will Not Pay Your Bills with “Ads by Google””
Ultrasound Stethoscopes, Stealthy Software, A New Enzyme Startup, and More from Alexandria Real Estate’s Summer Celebration
Yesterday afternoon, Luke and I jumped in the Zipcar and headed over to the Lakeside Event Center on the north side of Lake Union in Seattle. It was time for an end-of-summer party put on by Alexandria Real Estate Equities, and co-hosted by Xconomy. Over cocktails and appetizers of shrimp, beef, pastries, and roasted vegetables, … Continue reading “Ultrasound Stethoscopes, Stealthy Software, A New Enzyme Startup, and More from Alexandria Real Estate’s Summer Celebration”
Red Sox Owner’s Simulation Startup, iRacing.com, Waves the Green Flag
In Boston and Seattle, the professional sports teams aren’t just for entertainment—they’re managed by some of the biggest movers and shakers in the two regions’ high-tech economies. In the Seattle area, the Seahawks and the Portland Trail Blazers are part of Vulcan Inc., owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. The Kraft Group, owner of the … Continue reading “Red Sox Owner’s Simulation Startup, iRacing.com, Waves the Green Flag”
Acquia Expands Beta Testing of Commercial Drupal
At the Drupalcon Boston conference back in March, Acquia, the Andover, MA, startup formed as a commercial home for the open-source Drupal social publishing system, showed off a demonstration version of its nascent product, code named “Carbon.” A select group of beta users have been testing Carbon for some time, and today Acquia vice president … Continue reading “Acquia Expands Beta Testing of Commercial Drupal”
RadioFrame Networks Nets $28M, Wants to Improve Cell Coverage in Your Home or Business
Wireless is soaring in the Seattle area. Last week it was software—SnapIn and Medio made some big deals. Today it’s hardware. Redmond, WA-based RadioFrame Networks has announced it has closed a $28 million round of Series F equity and debt financing. The round was led by Ericsson Venture, Ignition Partners, VantagePoint Venture Partners, and Plainfield … Continue reading “RadioFrame Networks Nets $28M, Wants to Improve Cell Coverage in Your Home or Business”
Daily TIPs: How Green is My Convention?, Twitter Over Science, Mobility Powers Mobiles, & More
Conventions Go Green The Democrats are committed to minimizing the environmental impact of bringing 50,000 people to Denver for their national convention. Agence France Presse reports that the DNC has a goal of diverting 85 percent of the waste those delegates produce to recycling or composting facilities, while delegates ride around on buses fueled by … Continue reading “Daily TIPs: How Green is My Convention?, Twitter Over Science, Mobility Powers Mobiles, & More”
PicWing Out to Simplify Photo Sharing on Digital Frames
In an ideal world, your digital photos would be shared and archived instantly, behind the scenes, as soon as you snapped them. They’d be wirelessly transmitted to your friends’ phones or e-mail addresses, a photo sharing site like Flickr or Snapfish, your social-networking accounts at Facebook or MySpace, a media storage site like Box.net, your … Continue reading “PicWing Out to Simplify Photo Sharing on Digital Frames”
Biogen Idec Testing Regenerative Medicine Drug to Reverse the Path of Multiple Sclerosis
Biogen Idec has made a lot of its money on Avonex and Tysabri, drugs that slow down the rate of flare-ups for people with multiple sclerosis. Now the Cambridge, MA-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) is pursuing a loftier goal. It is working on the first experimental drug that may reverse the symptoms of the neurodegenerative … Continue reading “Biogen Idec Testing Regenerative Medicine Drug to Reverse the Path of Multiple Sclerosis”
UW TechTransfer’s Linden Rhoads Aiming to Nurture More Startups, Entice More VCs to Look at UW’s Research Cupboard
Linden Rhoads is fired up. The high-tech entrepreneur-turned-university official has been circulating around town since she started on August 14 to lay the groundwork for a new era in technology transfer at the University of Washington. First on her calendar are meetings with all of the Northwest’s venture capital firms. When that’s done, she plans … Continue reading “UW TechTransfer’s Linden Rhoads Aiming to Nurture More Startups, Entice More VCs to Look at UW’s Research Cupboard”
Amazon Acquires Shelfari; SnapIn Gets Snapped Up by Nuance; AltaRock Closes Funding Round with Vulcan, Google, and ATV; & More
In the last week, there have been some very interesting deals (and other news) in wireless, social networking, and cleantech. Perhaps it’s a sign of things to come after the holiday weekend, when we expect the deals to really pick up. —Amazon is acquiring Seattle-based Shelfari, a social-networking site for book lovers, for an undisclosed … Continue reading “Amazon Acquires Shelfari; SnapIn Gets Snapped Up by Nuance; AltaRock Closes Funding Round with Vulcan, Google, and ATV; & More”
Proteostasis Therapeutics Procures $45M, Stealthy Startup Gets Serious About Shampoo, MA Life Sciences Center Chief Shares Her Plans, & More Life Sciences News
There were some exciting venture deals this past week, and some great in-depth reporting about Boston-area life sciences firms on the part of Luke and Ryan. In case you missed any of it…. —Ryan did some sleuthing on a stealthy startup down the street from Xconomy’s headquarters in Kendall Square, MA, and uncovered (at least … Continue reading “Proteostasis Therapeutics Procures $45M, Stealthy Startup Gets Serious About Shampoo, MA Life Sciences Center Chief Shares Her Plans, & More Life Sciences News”
Software Radio Firm Vanu Collects $32 Million Second Round
Vanu, the Cambridge, MA, company whose “all-software radios” allow wireless operators to broadcast using multiple standards such as GSM and CDMA, has raised $32 million a stealthy Series B venture round, Dan Primack of Private Equity Hub is reporting today. Waltham, MA-based Charles River Ventures, which led a $9 million Series A round for Vanu … Continue reading “Software Radio Firm Vanu Collects $32 Million Second Round”
Daily TIPs: High-Tech Candidates, Bat Killers, Viruses in Clouds and Bugs, & More
Nielsen Measures Obama’s Text Audience If the phone rings at 3 a.m., it’s probably Barack Obama texting you the late news of his vice presidential choice. Nielsen, which normally measures television audiences, said about 2.9 million people received the cell phone message, which had already been scooped by the more old-fashioned media. The Wall Street … Continue reading “Daily TIPs: High-Tech Candidates, Bat Killers, Viruses in Clouds and Bugs, & More”
The 2008 Olympics: The Defining Moment for Video 2.0, or Opportunity Lost?
[Editor’s note: This Xconomist Forum post is a revised, updated version of an essay contributor Matt Kaplan wrote for the PermissionTV blog on August 9, 2008.] Every four years I look forward to the summer Olympic Games. It’s not so much that I’ll sit down and watch the coverage non-stop, but there are a few … Continue reading “The 2008 Olympics: The Defining Moment for Video 2.0, or Opportunity Lost?”
JumpTap Raises Another $26 Million for Mobile Search and Advertising
Investors still see the mobile search and advertising market as one of the hottest tickets in the digital economy. Since its founding in 2004, mobile advertising startup JumpTap, neighbors of Xconomy just down First Street in Cambridge MA, has raised about $47 million from the likes of General Catalyst Partners, Summerhill Venture Partners, Redpoint Ventures, … Continue reading “JumpTap Raises Another $26 Million for Mobile Search and Advertising”
FDA Doesn’t Appear Overly Alarmed by Recent Cases of Brain Disease Associated With Tysabri; Working with Biogen Idec and Elan to Update Labeling
Biogen Idec and Elan got clobbered by investors a few weeks ago when they reported that two new patients developed PML, the often-fatal brain infection, after taking Tysabri. But in an announcement about the cases on its website, the FDA doesn’t seem overly alarmed about the risk associated with drug for multiple sclerosis and Crohn’s … Continue reading “FDA Doesn’t Appear Overly Alarmed by Recent Cases of Brain Disease Associated With Tysabri; Working with Biogen Idec and Elan to Update Labeling”
Amazon Shells Out For Shelfari
Amazon will acquire Seattle-based Shelfari, a social networking site for bookworms, Shelfari’s CEO has confirmed on the company blog. John Cook broke the news yesterday and has a nice analysis of the ongoing tensions between Shelfari and its top rival, LibraryThing, in which Amazon also has a stake. And TechCrunch reports that Amazon previously invested … Continue reading “Amazon Shells Out For Shelfari”
Polaris and MIT’s Langer Meet L’Oreal. Don’t Believe It? There’s “Living Proof”
Move over Mary Kay. Some of the best and brightest brains from MIT and other research powerhouses are applying their scientific prowess to the multibillion-dollar cosmetics industry—and they’ve recruited a veteran of beauty-products giant L’Oreal to pull it off. It’s all happening in the heart of Kendall Square, on Rogers Street (home also to Xconomy’s … Continue reading “Polaris and MIT’s Langer Meet L’Oreal. Don’t Believe It? There’s “Living Proof””
With Intellectual Ventures, Nathan Myhrvold Out to Create “Invention Capital” Industry—and Stop Hurricanes, Malaria, and Global Warming in the Process (Part 2)
Yesterday, we ran the first half of a sit-down interview with Nathan Myhrvold, cofounder and CEO of Intellectual Ventures, the Bellevue, WA-based invention laboratory and investment firm. Myhrvold, the former CTO of Microsoft (and an Xconomist), placed his current company’s goals in the context of venture capital and private equity, arguing that there is a … Continue reading “With Intellectual Ventures, Nathan Myhrvold Out to Create “Invention Capital” Industry—and Stop Hurricanes, Malaria, and Global Warming in the Process (Part 2)”
Trubion Pushing Forward Arthritis Trials, Working to Re-Ignite the Spark for Investors
The stock chart for Trubion Pharmaceuticals tells an ugly tale this past year. The company had sunk to $4.48 as of yesterday’s close, after selling shares in an initial public offering at $13 in October 2006. Steven Harr, an influential biotech analyst at Morgan Stanley, summed it up in a report in March, saying Trubion … Continue reading “Trubion Pushing Forward Arthritis Trials, Working to Re-Ignite the Spark for Investors”