Ironwood Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IRWD]]) is making the unusual move of splitting up into two separate, publicly traded companies. One, which will keep the Ironwood name, will focus on selling its three commercial drugs and developing two experimental ones. The other, yet to be named, will be a R&D firm working on a pipeline of earlier … Continue reading “Ironwood Pharma to Split in Two, Forming New Rare Disease Biz”
Category: National
What’s For Lunch? ZeroCater Nabs $12M to Meet Corporate Catering Needs
Many employees at young startups end up with multiple roles. Arram Sabeti says “ordering lunches was by far the most painful hat I was wearing.” Finding a restaurant that everyone agreed on took more time than placing a lunch order should, he says. That experience led him to found ZeroCater, which uses software and analytics … Continue reading “What’s For Lunch? ZeroCater Nabs $12M to Meet Corporate Catering Needs”
Toast Launches Restaurant Payments Device to Take on Samsung, Square
[Corrected 5/1/18, 9:59 am. See below.] Toast, one of the biggest venture-backed startup bets in Boston, is getting more ambitious with its restaurant technology products. The seven-year-old company sells cloud-based software that can handle a range of tasks for eateries, including executing payments, either through computers at the counter or right at the table with … Continue reading “Toast Launches Restaurant Payments Device to Take on Samsung, Square”
Three Lessons Punk Rock Teaches Us About Being a Business Leader
Inspiration comes in many forms, and as an entrepreneur, I found mine early on in an unusual place: punk rock. There are strong parallels between the business of punk rock and startups. When you’re starting a new business venture, you wear many hats—leader, innovator, developer, marketer, HR rep—with very little budget or certainty. You might … Continue reading “Three Lessons Punk Rock Teaches Us About Being a Business Leader”
Express Scripts Picks Regeneron Over Amgen, Cuts Heart Drug Price
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and partner Sanofi have cut an unusual deal with Express Scripts, the nation’s largest drug-buying middleman. The two drug makers will cut the price of their $14,000-a-year cholesterol-lowering therapy alirocumab (Praluent). In return, Express Scripts will quickly approve treatment requests. The deal also sidelines Amgen, whose rival heart drug evolocumab (Repatha) will no … Continue reading “Express Scripts Picks Regeneron Over Amgen, Cuts Heart Drug Price”
Why “Micro-Learning” is the New Diploma For Today’s Jobseekers
You’d be hard-pressed to find a workplace today where using technology isn’t an integral part of the job, whether it’s an AI-powered recruiting tool, special coding software for app development, or even just Google Sheets that help workers keep track of budgets. Whether you’re applying for a position in marketing or in the field of … Continue reading “Why “Micro-Learning” is the New Diploma For Today’s Jobseekers”
City Staffers Share Innovation Insights at Smart Cities Accelerator
In cities across the United States, the benefits of bike-sharing and electric scooters that can be easily rented with a smartphone app have often been overshadowed by controversy. In Dallas, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC, for example, complaints flooded into city offices earlier this year about the proliferation of “dockless” bikes cluttering sidewalks, handicap parking, … Continue reading “City Staffers Share Innovation Insights at Smart Cities Accelerator”
Bristol-Myers Latest to Drop IDO Studies in Wake of Incyte Failure
[Updated 5/1/18, 12:34 p.m. See below.] Drug giant Bristol-Myers Squibb is the latest to feel the shockwave caused by the failure of a widely watched cancer immunotherapy nearly a month ago. Xconomy has learned that Bristol (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]) is curtailing work on three late-stage studies testing an experimental cancer drug that it bought for $800 … Continue reading “Bristol-Myers Latest to Drop IDO Studies in Wake of Incyte Failure”
With New Data, Karyopharm Says It Will Ask for Myeloma Approval
Karyopharm Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:KPTI]]) reported this afternoon that its cancer drug selinexor has passed a big test in treating some of the most desperate multiple myeloma patients—those who have failed at least five other therapies. The Newton, MA-based company will ask U.S. and European drug regulators to consider selinexor for approval. Karyopharm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:KPTI]]) reports … Continue reading “With New Data, Karyopharm Says It Will Ask for Myeloma Approval”
StartingBlock Madison Names New Tenants Ahead of June Opening
Startup companies developing products that range from a saliva-based fertility test to a smartphone app that lets you securely send photos to your doctor are getting set to bid farewell to their current office buildings and move into a new hub for entrepreneurs in Madison, WI. On Monday, StartingBlock Madison, a 50,000-square-foot center for startups, … Continue reading “StartingBlock Madison Names New Tenants Ahead of June Opening”
United Therapeutics Reaches $141M Deal for PAH Drug Firm SteadyMed
Drug developer SteadyMed has been building momentum to take on the established seller of a therapy for a rare lung disease. But the rivalry could be over before it even started. Instead of competing against the United Therapeutics line-up of therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension, SteadyMed’s lead drug is now in line to join them. … Continue reading “United Therapeutics Reaches $141M Deal for PAH Drug Firm SteadyMed”
Texas Cancer Agency Launches Programs to Bridge Biotech Funding Gap
[Updated, 4/30/18, 10:26 am. See below.] Austin—The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) has created two new funding programs aimed at supporting the earliest-stage biotech companies. The first program, called the “Seed Award,” is designed to help companies that would not qualify for existing CPRIT programs targeting technology commercialization. The second program is called … Continue reading “Texas Cancer Agency Launches Programs to Bridge Biotech Funding Gap”
Synthorx Raises $63M to Advance Suite of Enhanced Cytokine Drugs
After demonstrating in 2016 how its synthetic biology technology could produce new biologic drugs, San Diego’s Synthorx today revealed that its lead drug candidate is an improved version of interleukin-2, an anti-cancer drug of intense commercial interest in the 1980s. Synthorx said its improved version of interleukin-2, known as Synthorin IL-2, is at the vanguard … Continue reading “Synthorx Raises $63M to Advance Suite of Enhanced Cytokine Drugs”
The Life Science Industry Shows the Power of Giving Back to the Community
Every day here in Cambridge, MA, the world’s leading biotech hub, there are families who don’t have enough to eat. Hunger is not a problem caused by lack of resources—it’s a problem of distribution. Getting the right food to the right people at the right time is the challenge. Enter Food For Free, a Cambridge-based … Continue reading “The Life Science Industry Shows the Power of Giving Back to the Community”
The Hive Closes $26.5M Third Fund to Create More A.I. Startups
Some people may be horrified by the awesome powers of artificial intelligence, fearing that even their own skilled jobs will be taken over by machines. Others, faced with a pile of work just to keep a business humming along smoothly, might secretly yearn for robotic reinforcements. For those people, help may be on the way … Continue reading “The Hive Closes $26.5M Third Fund to Create More A.I. Startups”
VCs Back Jeremy Hitchcock’s New Security Startup, Minim, With $2.5M
Here’s what Jeremy Hitchcock is doing for an encore: trying to secure all your home and office devices and networks. Sounds like a nightmare. But if there’s anyone who should try, it’s Hitchcock (pictured). He is the co-founder and former CEO of Dyn, the longstanding New Hampshire-based Web infrastructure firm that was sold to Oracle … Continue reading “VCs Back Jeremy Hitchcock’s New Security Startup, Minim, With $2.5M”
Diagnostics Developer Nanopore Wins Agtech and Food Startup Showcase
In both humans and farm animals, time is crucial when diagnosing illness. An early diagnosis means treatment can be given before the disease worsens. In some forms of aquaculture, the diagnostic time line stretches out a little longer. Fish farmers need to take a boat to the offshore cages where salmon are raised. Samples are … Continue reading “Diagnostics Developer Nanopore Wins Agtech and Food Startup Showcase”
New CRISPR Startup from Feng Zhang Revealed
[Updated 4/28/18, 11:30 a.m. See below.] With all the buzz this week about the new CRISPR diagnostic startup from the University of California, Berkeley lab of Jennifer Doudna, perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise that news of another CRISPR startup—this one associated with another CRISPR pioneer, Feng Zhang—is now coming out. The Boston Business Journal … Continue reading “New CRISPR Startup from Feng Zhang Revealed”
COO Maneesh Arora Leaving Exact Sciences; More Earnings Call Tidbits
Exact Sciences has made several additions to its leadership team in the past 18 months, but on Thursday the Madison, WI-based cancer test developer announced a key upcoming departure. Maneesh Arora, who has been Exact’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) chief operating officer since 2012, will leave the company at the end of the year, CEO and president … Continue reading “COO Maneesh Arora Leaving Exact Sciences; More Earnings Call Tidbits”
Techstars Boston Demo Day: VC Gets More Selective, Plus 3 Takeaways
[Corrected 4/28/18, 5:14 pm. See below.] It’s getting tougher out there for early-stage startups, but Techstars Boston keeps plugging away. In the age of “unicorns” and “mega-rounds” of venture capital, investors are placing bigger bets on fewer, often later-stage, companies. At the early stages, deal sizes are also growing, but the number of investments continues … Continue reading “Techstars Boston Demo Day: VC Gets More Selective, Plus 3 Takeaways”
Amid #MeToo, MI Women’s Foundation Rebrands to Better Reflect Mission
The Michigan Women’s Foundation has a new name and an energized mission. Now called Michigan Women Forward (MWF), the rebranding was officially launched earlier this week in front of a crowd of 800 at Detroit’s Cobo Center. Carolyn Cassin, MWF’s CEO, explains that given the big moment women’s issues are currently having on the national … Continue reading “Amid #MeToo, MI Women’s Foundation Rebrands to Better Reflect Mission”
Bill Gates on Saving Babies, Educating Kids, and Picking a Major
On a sunny spring afternoon, William Henry Gates III strolled into the Harvard University science center. Several hundred students and invited guests were waiting for him in the auditorium. Security was tight, but not overly so (he’s used to it). Gates was there Thursday for a conversation with Frank Doyle, Harvard’s dean of engineering and … Continue reading “Bill Gates on Saving Babies, Educating Kids, and Picking a Major”
Bio Roundup: CRISPR Tests, Parkinson’s Questions, Opioid Bills & More
Politics is more partisan than ever these days, but the opioid crisis might be one of the few issues where elected officials find common ground. This week, members of Congress exercised a bipartisan effort in both chambers to advance dozens of measures proposing various approaches to fighting the opioid epidemic. A Senate committee voted unanimously … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CRISPR Tests, Parkinson’s Questions, Opioid Bills & More”
Boston Tech Watch: SidelineSwap, Cogito, Nebulous, Billshark & More
It’s time to catch up on the latest venture funding news in the Boston area, from blockchain tech to data analytics, to selling sports gear online. Read on for details. —SidelineSwap, the Boston-based operator of an online sports gear marketplace, said it closed a $5 million Series A funding round led by Global Founders Capital. … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: SidelineSwap, Cogito, Nebulous, Billshark & More”
Exact Sciences Beats Quarterly Forecasts, Sending Its Stock Price Up
When leaders at Exact Sciences discussed dealing with the adversity of cold weather and a “historically severe” flu season in early 2018, some industry observers predicted a potential break in the long growth streak of the Madison, WI-based company’s flagship product, a stool-based DNA test for colorectal cancer known as Cologuard. But on Thursday, Exact … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Beats Quarterly Forecasts, Sending Its Stock Price Up”
Home Tests in Mind, Doudna Startup Races Rivals in CRISPR Diagnostics
[Updated 4/26/18, 2:20pm ET. See below.] The gene-editing technology CRISPR-Cas9 has captured the world’s attention with the possibility of fixing tough diseases and altering human traits. While experimental medicine, ethical worries, and an epic patent battle have attracted most of the headlines, the field’s pioneers have advanced new types of CRISPR to detect and diagnose … Continue reading “Home Tests in Mind, Doudna Startup Races Rivals in CRISPR Diagnostics”
Boston Deal News: Digg, Bose, TripAdvisor, Vets First Choice, Examity
[Updated 4/26/18, 3:30 pm. See below.] Boston-area technology companies have played dealmaker lately, with notable mergers and acquisitions in augmented reality, online news curation, tourism tech, education, and veterinary software. Read on for details. —Boston-based advertising technology firm BuySellAds has acquired online news aggregator Digg for an undisclosed price, according to a report by Fast … Continue reading “Boston Deal News: Digg, Bose, TripAdvisor, Vets First Choice, Examity”
Moving On: Dallas Entrepreneur Center Founder Trey Bowles Steps Down
Dallas—Five years after founding the Dallas Entrepreneur Center, Trey Bowles is stepping down as its chief executive officer. “What I love to do is starting, building, and growing things,” Bowles said in an interview. “The DEC is doing what I wanted it to do—and it is not done by any means—but there is value in … Continue reading “Moving On: Dallas Entrepreneur Center Founder Trey Bowles Steps Down”
PayPal Headlines Dosh’s $44M Payday for Advertising-Rebate Business
Austin—Dosh, a fintech and advertising startup that gets consumers cash back on certain purchases, has raised a $44 million Series A round of funding from some big-name investors, including PayPal. Dosh, founded in 2016, has had an active start to 2018, after launching last year. The Austin, TX-based company’s app has added 3 million new … Continue reading “PayPal Headlines Dosh’s $44M Payday for Advertising-Rebate Business”
Roundup: Genomenon, Develop(her), QL Demo Day, MBA Summit & More
Michigan’s innovation community continues to pump out news at a steady clip. Here are some of the latest updates from around the state. —Ann Arbor’s Genomenon, a startup focused on genomic search data, has struck a new partnership with Boston’s Rhythm Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RYTM]]), a company working on treatments for rare obesity disorders. They will team up … Continue reading “Roundup: Genomenon, Develop(her), QL Demo Day, MBA Summit & More”
DARPA Enlists Insects in R&D Effort to Protect the Food Supply
Farmers spend a lot of time and money trying to keep insects from damaging their crops. But the U.S. military sees some of these bugs as potential friends, not foes. A government-funded research project is studying how to use insects to deliver a targeted therapy to a crop following an outbreak of disease, a disaster, … Continue reading “DARPA Enlists Insects in R&D Effort to Protect the Food Supply”
As Telemedicine Use Booms, Doctor On Demand Raises $74M to Scale Up
Doctor On Demand, a startup that provides telemedicine services to patients who are unable or unwilling to see a doctor in person, says it has raised a $74 million round of outside financing. The new cash comes as the San Francisco-based company seeks to increase its market share in the telemedicine industry, which is projected … Continue reading “As Telemedicine Use Booms, Doctor On Demand Raises $74M to Scale Up”
After Facebook: Launch Seeks Social Startups With Focus on Privacy
The Facebook and Cambridge Analytica data scandal may be the most prominent controversy the social networking company has had, but Jason Calacanis appears to call Facebook the “dark side” of social media for more reasons than that. Calacanis is an angel investor and founder of San Francisco incubator Launch, which announced last Friday it has … Continue reading “After Facebook: Launch Seeks Social Startups With Focus on Privacy”
What President Trump Gets Wrong About Amazon’s Effect on the Economy
For the past week or so, President Trump has been deriding Amazon as a destroyer of jobs and the main reason many retail companies are failing. Unfortunately, this is a very one-sided and uninformed view of how Amazon is changing our economy. I run a retail operation that sells almost exclusively on Amazon. Since its … Continue reading “What President Trump Gets Wrong About Amazon’s Effect on the Economy”
Next Stop, IPO? Austin’s BigCommerce Nabs $64M for Global Expansion
Austin—BigCommerce, which sells software to allow businesses to build and run online stores, announced Wednesday that it has raised $64 million in new funding. The investment round was led by Goldman Sachs with participation from current investors General Catalyst, GGV Capital, and Tenaya Capital. With the latest funding, BigCommerce has raised more than $200 million. … Continue reading “Next Stop, IPO? Austin’s BigCommerce Nabs $64M for Global Expansion”
Aspect Venture’s Jennifer Fonstad on Hot Areas of Tech, Diversity, & More
Jennifer Fonstad and Theresia Gouw launched Aspect Ventures with their own money in February 2014—and have hardly looked back. “We closed our first investment that first week,” Fonstad says. The pair went on to make a number of investments that first year before deciding to raise funds more formally from outsiders, like a conventional venture … Continue reading “Aspect Venture’s Jennifer Fonstad on Hot Areas of Tech, Diversity, & More”
SMA Day: AveXis Gene Therapy Creeps Forward as Biogen Drug’s Sales Slow
Just a few years ago, there were no drugs available for patients with the rare genetic disease spinal muscular atrophy. Now two cutting-edge therapies look headed for a commercial battle, with each data and revenue update a key moment in the race. Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) was the first to bring an SMA drug to market, … Continue reading “SMA Day: AveXis Gene Therapy Creeps Forward as Biogen Drug’s Sales Slow”
With Acorda Data, Experts Weigh the Benefits of New Parkinson’s Drugs
Levodopa, the gold-standard medicine for Parkinson’s disease, has helped millions of patients since the 1970s manage the neurodegenerative disease. But there’s a caveat. Nothing is available that can slow or reverse the loss of brain cells, and what’s more, levodopa’s effects wane over time. So-called “off” episodes, when the drug isn’t working, can become more … Continue reading “With Acorda Data, Experts Weigh the Benefits of New Parkinson’s Drugs”
Blockchain Gets Real? IBM Advances Projects With Walmart & Others
For all the hype surrounding the potential for blockchain systems to transform many industries, the technology has yet to have much of an impact on businesses. But 2018 is shaping up to be a critical year for the budding sector: more companies are increasing their investments in blockchains and expanding test programs, says Ramesh Gopinath, … Continue reading “Blockchain Gets Real? IBM Advances Projects With Walmart & Others”
Savari Raises $12M To Connect Cars To Stoplights, Phones, Each Other
Savari, whose technology is designed to create a shared communications web among cars, personal devices, and roadway signals, announced today it has raised $12 million in a Series B fundraising round. Santa Clara, CA-based Savari makes V2X technology—that is, software and hardware sensor units designed to connect vehicles to everything that moves, so they can … Continue reading “Savari Raises $12M To Connect Cars To Stoplights, Phones, Each Other”
After $1.5M Series A, Upper Hand Plans to Grow Sports Management Biz
Upper Hand, the Indianapolis startup focused on sports management software and business services, announced earlier this month that it has snagged $1.5 million in Series A funding from Houston, TX-based Park Ten Capital. Company co-founder and CEO Kevin MacCauley came to the sports management sector a few years ago after a stint coaching Little League.“I … Continue reading “After $1.5M Series A, Upper Hand Plans to Grow Sports Management Biz”
After Mishap in Fall, Madison Driverless Shuttle Demos Get Another Go
Five months after a mishap involving a delivery truck thousands of miles away prompted the cancellation of a scheduled driverless shuttle demonstration in Madison, WI, people living in and around the city have another chance to experience the potential future of transportation firsthand. On Tuesday and Wednesday, members of the public can ride in an … Continue reading “After Mishap in Fall, Madison Driverless Shuttle Demos Get Another Go”
With TMC3, Texas Leaders Aim to Launch Houston as Top Biotech Hub
Houston—Texas political leaders, along with heads of the Texas Medical Center and its institutions, announced on Monday plans for a biotech-focused hub that could place Houston on the map of life sciences innovation centers. The TMC Translational Research campus, or TMC3, is a planned $250 million research center in the shape of a double helix … Continue reading “With TMC3, Texas Leaders Aim to Launch Houston as Top Biotech Hub”
Third Rock’s Cedilla Launches with $56M for Protein Stability Drugs
As new technologies give drug developers greater insight into protein biology, more biotech and pharma companies are now emboldened to pursue what have long been dismissed as undruggable targets—the 75-85 percent of all human proteins that are beyond the reach of today’s medicines. One more startup is joining the quest to find small molecule drugs … Continue reading “Third Rock’s Cedilla Launches with $56M for Protein Stability Drugs”
Raising $56M, Revolution Medicines Drops Old Work and Turns to Cancer
Revolution Medicines emerged three years ago to develop drugs from products found in nature and said its lead prospect would be an antifungal compound. Redwood City, CA-based Revolution is now focused on cancer and has raised $56 million to bring a completely different drug into clinical studies. The firm is targeting an enzyme called SHP2, … Continue reading “Raising $56M, Revolution Medicines Drops Old Work and Turns to Cancer”
FDA Panel Splits on Lilly Arthritis Drug, Backs Lower of Two Doses
Eli Lilly said enough to convince an FDA advisory panel that its experimental rheumatoid arthritis drug is effective in treating the inflammatory disorder. But on safety, the independent experts were not uniformly persuaded, and they voted to recommend approval only for the lower of two doses. It’s the second time the Lilly drug is up … Continue reading “FDA Panel Splits on Lilly Arthritis Drug, Backs Lower of Two Doses”
San Antonio Healthcare Group Plans Boot Camp for Healthtech Startups
San Antonio—A life sciences professional development and advocacy group in San Antonio, The Health Cell, is hosting a three-day boot camp for researchers, scientists, and entrepreneurs who want to start or join a healthtech company. The event is taking place from Friday, May 11 to Sunday, May 13, and will offer prospective executives mentorship and … Continue reading “San Antonio Healthcare Group Plans Boot Camp for Healthtech Startups”
Techstars Alexa Firms Address Settings Where Voice Is ‘Most Natural’
Smart speakers are becoming increasingly common in our homes. Users can instruct these devices to order takeout, give the weather forecast, or turn on or off various Internet-connected devices. The Consumer Technology Association estimates that nearly 44 million voice-enabled assistants will be sold this year in the United States. Unit sales rose 279 percent from … Continue reading “Techstars Alexa Firms Address Settings Where Voice Is ‘Most Natural’”
Trade War Looming, 3D Printing Startup Formlabs Ups China Investment
Formlabs sees China as one of the keys to expanding 3D printing technology’s role in manufacturing, and the Massachusetts-based startup plans to grow its business there with the help of a recent $30 million venture funding round and some new investors located in China. Xconomy reported Formlabs’ latest investment in early April after spotting a … Continue reading “Trade War Looming, 3D Printing Startup Formlabs Ups China Investment”
Sage Postpartum Depression Drug Heads to FDA Review
A new treatment for postpartum depression has inched closer to market. Sage Therapeutics this morning filed for FDA approval of brexanolone, which could become the company’s first marketed product as well as the first-ever drug approved specifically for PPD, which affects some 10 to 20 percent of women giving birth every year in the U.S. … Continue reading “Sage Postpartum Depression Drug Heads to FDA Review”