In 2014, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation committed to fund a first-of-its-kind study of asthma and air quality in Louisville, KY, in part because the organization wanted to see whether patient-generated data could influence public policy. The study, which was also funded by the American Lung Association and several local foundations, involved providing hundreds of … Continue reading “Research Shows How Inhaler Data Help Patients Breathe, Cities Plan”
Category: National
Despite Pain Drug’s Mid-Stage Miss, Adynxx Plans a Larger Phase 3 Test
An Adynxx pain drug has failed to meet the main goal of a mid-stage study, but the company instead points to results in a subset of patients that it says are strong enough to justify advancing the treatment into a larger Phase 3 clinical trial. Adynxx develops drugs to block proteins that control genes that … Continue reading “Despite Pain Drug’s Mid-Stage Miss, Adynxx Plans a Larger Phase 3 Test”
As Novartis Buys In to Gene Therapy, GSK Bows Out with Orchard Deal
Novartis just bet close to $9 billion on the future of gene therapy, a boost for a field that hasn’t yet seen commercial success. In the same week, GlaxoSmithKline, which has one of the few gene therapies on the market but has struggled to sell it, is asking out. The British pharma giant will send … Continue reading “As Novartis Buys In to Gene Therapy, GSK Bows Out with Orchard Deal”
Procrastinators’ Special! Save on Big Data Meets Big Biology 4/26
The countdown clock is running for Big Data Meets Big Biology, and time is almost up to grab a seat for Xconomy’s half-day forum that will convene technology and life science innovators and influencers. Register today and save with our Procrastinator’s Special while it lasts. This is an event you don’t want to miss, and … Continue reading “Procrastinators’ Special! Save on Big Data Meets Big Biology 4/26”
Boston VC Continues Surge in Q1; Here are the Top 10 Deals
Venture capital continued to flow to Boston-area companies at a prolific rate during the first quarter of 2018, as investors picked up where they left off last year. In the first three months of the year, venture capitalists pumped more than $2.7 billion into companies located in the Boston metropolitan area, according to data from … Continue reading “Boston VC Continues Surge in Q1; Here are the Top 10 Deals”
GrocerKey Strengthens Ties to Woodman’s with New $2.5M Funding Round
GrocerKey, a startup that has developed white-label software to help grocery stores create an online presence, said it has raised $2.5 million in a funding round led by Woodman’s Market, an early GrocerKey customer. Other participants in the investment include Dunnhumby Ventures, the venture capital arm of Dunnhumby, a subsidiary of U.K. retail giant Tesco … Continue reading “GrocerKey Strengthens Ties to Woodman’s with New $2.5M Funding Round”
No “Pink Tax”: Billie, a Shave Club for Women, Raises $6M
[Corrected, 4/11/18, 4:48 p.m. ET. See below.] Billie, a direct-to-consumer seller of monthly shaving and body care products subscriptions, has raised $6 million in new funding. The New York-based startup, which launched in November, previously raised $2.5 million. This latest round of funding was led by Silverton Partners in Austin and included existing investors Female … Continue reading “No “Pink Tax”: Billie, a Shave Club for Women, Raises $6M”
RubrYc Therapeutics Spins Out of HealthTell and Closes $10M Financing
RubrYc Therapeutics announced the closing of $10 million in financing as the startup presses ahead in its efforts to discover new antibody drugs. With the financing, San Ramon, CA-based RubrYc says it has completed its spinoff from HealthTell, a company that has developed tests for analyzing the immune system’s response to disease. RubrYc was founded … Continue reading “RubrYc Therapeutics Spins Out of HealthTell and Closes $10M Financing”
Super Saver Rate Ending—NY Biotech: Bringing Back the Expats on 6/21
You can grab your ticket now to attend confirmed speakers: Steve Holtzman, President & CEO, Decibel Therapeutics Jeremy Levin, CEO & Chairman of the Board, Ovid Therapeutics David Epstein, Executive Partner, Flagship Pioneering Jenna Foger, Senior Vice President – Science & Technology, Alexandria Venture Investments The super saver rate discount ends tomorrow, so hurry and
With New Data, Drug Combos, Lung Cancer Experts Scramble to Keep Pace
When oncologist Renato Martins finished his medical training, advanced lung cancer was almost certainly a quick death sentence. “I knew, by name, every patient who had survived two years,” he says. Thanks in large part to the arrival of cancer immunotherapy, things are much different today. While lung cancer remains by far the leading cause … Continue reading “With New Data, Drug Combos, Lung Cancer Experts Scramble to Keep Pace”
InterVision Buys Bluelock, Plans to Grow Disaster Recovery Services
Bluelock, the Indianapolis “disaster-recovery-as-a-service” startup, has been acquired by InterVision, a managed IT consultancy headquartered in St. Louis, MO, and Santa Clara, CA. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Bluelock CEO Christopher Clapp says he and one of the company’s founders will be using Bluelock’s sale “as an opportunity to do a … Continue reading “InterVision Buys Bluelock, Plans to Grow Disaster Recovery Services”
Zuckerberg Fields Senate Queries On Data Privacy, Russia, Mueller
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, sitting alone at a small table, weathered hours of questioning Tuesday at a Senate committee hearing where lawmakers accused his company of everything from deceiving users and hosting hate speech to political “censorship.” Zuckerberg, sipping water, responded calmly as 44 senators peppered him with questions about political data firm Cambridge Analytica’s … Continue reading “Zuckerberg Fields Senate Queries On Data Privacy, Russia, Mueller”
San Diego VC Funding Hits $547.2M in Q1; Ideaya Leads Top 10 Deals
Venture capital investors sank $547.2 million into 37 startup companies throughout San Diego County during the first three months of 2018, maintaining roughly the same level of venture funding seen in recent quarters, according to the Venture Monitor Report. The amount of capital invested in the San Diego area was up slightly from the $541.2 … Continue reading “San Diego VC Funding Hits $547.2M in Q1; Ideaya Leads Top 10 Deals”
Healthfinch Raises $6M to Automate Routine Patient Care Tasks
[Updated 4/11/18 8:57 a.m. See below.] Healthfinch, a startup whose software automates routine tasks performed by physicians and others who care for patients in clinics, has raised $6 million from investors, says co-founder and CEO Jonathan Baran. Madison, WI-based Healthfinch has developed applications for tasks like fulfilling medication requests and planning visits to the doctor’s office. … Continue reading “Healthfinch Raises $6M to Automate Routine Patient Care Tasks”
Circle CEO Allaire on Bitcoin, Blockchain & the Bank of the Future
Depending on whom you talk to, cryptocurrencies could be the biggest bubble in history or the backbone of the future global economy—or both. The reality is it’s too early to say. The industry must still navigate a host of issues, including wild price swings, global regulatory uncertainty, cyber threats, and technological limitations of blockchain systems, … Continue reading “Circle CEO Allaire on Bitcoin, Blockchain & the Bank of the Future”
Movatic Allows Hardware Makers to Tap into Shared Mobility Market
When Ansgar Strother co-founded A2B Bikeshare in 2012, he was on a mission to make bike-sharing more affordable and accessible. The company’s approach involved a kiosk-free “smart bike, dumb rack” model that put the technology of a rental kiosk onto the bike itself through a touchscreen interface mounted on the handlebars, allowing customers to pay … Continue reading “Movatic Allows Hardware Makers to Tap into Shared Mobility Market”
Expectations Rise on Q1 Surge in Venture Funding; and Top 10 Deals
[Updated 4/11/18 10:13 am. See below.] Venture capital investors poured more than $28.2 billion into U.S. companies during the first three months of 2018—marking the strongest single quarter in at least a dozen years, according to the Venture Monitor Report released today by Seattle-based PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). The $28.2 billion that … Continue reading “Expectations Rise on Q1 Surge in Venture Funding; and Top 10 Deals”
With Alzheimer’s Failure, vTv Fares No Better Than Old Partner Pfizer
When vTv Therapeutics reacquired its ineffective Alzheimer’s drug from Pfizer in 2011, it thought it could produce better results by testing it in a larger group of patients. On Monday, vTv’s gambit proved unsuccessful. Like so many other Alzheimer’s drugs before it, vTv’s azeliragon failed, taking millions of investor dollars with it. It could not … Continue reading “With Alzheimer’s Failure, vTv Fares No Better Than Old Partner Pfizer”
Zuckerberg Faces Congress On Privacy “Mistakes,” While FTC Probe Looms
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s trial by fire has already begun in Washington, DC, this week as he prepares to testify before two committees of Congress about the company’s failure to prevent the profiles of at least 87 million users from falling into the hands of political data firm Cambridge Analytica. Zuckerberg was already meeting in … Continue reading “Zuckerberg Faces Congress On Privacy “Mistakes,” While FTC Probe Looms”
Cybersecurity Firm Carbon Black Advances IPO After Years of Rumors
Carbon Black is moving closer to a long-anticipated initial public stock offering. The Boston-area cybersecurity company filed an S-1 document with the SEC on Monday indicating it might raise up to $100 million in an IPO, although that number could shift if Carbon Black ends up going public. It has applied to trade on the … Continue reading “Cybersecurity Firm Carbon Black Advances IPO After Years of Rumors”
E-Commerce Startups Open Door to Endless Virtual Closet
The sharing economy is moving into our bedroom closets. We already apply this idea to transportation (Uber vs. taxi) and vacation accommodations (Airbnb vs. hotel). Now, thanks to a growing number of e-commerce companies, the ability to share goods and services is being applied to our wardrobes through programs that offer clothing rentals for a … Continue reading “E-Commerce Startups Open Door to Endless Virtual Closet”
Novartis Bets $8.7B on AveXis’s Gene Therapy for Spine Disease
A gene therapy for the rare disease spinal muscular atrophy could hit the U.S. market next year. If it does, the treatment will likely be sold by Novartis, not its developer, AveXis, thanks to a deal announced early this morning. Novartis has agreed to buy AveXis (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AVXS]]) and its experimental SMA gene therapy AVXS-101 … Continue reading “Novartis Bets $8.7B on AveXis’s Gene Therapy for Spine Disease”
Xconomy Roadmap 2018: Top 15 Innovation Areas to Watch
With the first quarter in the books, it’s time to step back and lay out Xconomy’s editorial map for the rest of the year. As readers know, we strive to cover a wide range of innovation sectors, from tech and life sciences to healthcare and education—all with a mix of on-the-ground reporting, daily news stories, … Continue reading “Xconomy Roadmap 2018: Top 15 Innovation Areas to Watch”
Incyte, Merck Cancer Trial Failure Damages IDO Drugs’ Prospects
A late-stage clinical trial testing the combination of a Merck cancer treatment and a new type of cancer drug developed by Incyte has failed, dealing a blow to a new drug class that many hoped would expand the reach of cancer immunotherapy. The Phase 3 study in melanoma tested the FDA-approved Merck (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]) cancer … Continue reading “Incyte, Merck Cancer Trial Failure Damages IDO Drugs’ Prospects”
Welltok Raises $75M to Develop Software That Promotes Healthy Habits
Welltok, a Denver-based company that works with healthcare providers, insurers, and other groups to create individualized programs that incentivize healthy behavior, said earlier this week that it had raised $75 million from investors. The “Series E2” funding round, Welltok’s largest to date, follows rounds of $33.7 million in 2016 and $45 million in 2015. The … Continue reading “Welltok Raises $75M to Develop Software That Promotes Healthy Habits”
Tax Credits, IVMD, BrightStar, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Whoever came up with the rhyme “April showers bring May flowers” probably wasn’t talking about snow showers. As people in Wisconsin hope for this week’s flurries to give way to a long-awaited thaw, consider taking a few minutes to catch up on recent fundings and other news from the state’s innovation community: —Integrated Vital Medical … Continue reading “Tax Credits, IVMD, BrightStar, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
BioCrossroads Report: Life Science Sector Thriving, With Room to Grow
BioCrossroads, Indiana’s public-private initiative to grow the state’s life sciences sector, has a new report highlighting the industry’s economic activity in 2017 based on data from Indiana University. According to the report, Indiana’s life sciences sector continues to expand in a couple of key areas, including the number of companies created, the number of new … Continue reading “BioCrossroads Report: Life Science Sector Thriving, With Room to Grow”
Xconomy Giveaway: 20 Tickets for Startups at Big Data Meets Big Bio
At Xconomy we know how hard it is to be a startup founder. We’re always meeting bootstrapping entrepreneurs who take that lean startup model a little too literally. So we have some exciting news for startup teams! Due to the generosity of our community supporters, Xconomy has a block of 20 complimentary startup tickets for … Continue reading “Xconomy Giveaway: 20 Tickets for Startups at Big Data Meets Big Bio”
Unity Biotech Files IPO to Bring Anti-Aging Drugs into Clinical Trials
[Corrected 4/6/18, 12:32 p.m. EDT. See below.] Three weeks after Unity Biotechnology raised $55 million in financing to bring its osteoarthritis drug candidate into human testing, the anti-aging biotechnology company is now laying out plans for an initial public stock offering. San Francisco-based Unity set a preliminary $85 million target for its IPO. The company … Continue reading “Unity Biotech Files IPO to Bring Anti-Aging Drugs into Clinical Trials”
Pulmotect & SpyCloud Fundraise, Rice’s Big Contest, & More TX Tech
Happy Friday. Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news from Xconomy Texas. —Pulmotect, a Houston biotech, said Wednesday that it has raised $4 million of a planned $12 million round of Series B funding. The investment was co-led led by Aquinas Companies, the parent company of Fannin Innovation Studio in Houston. (Pulmotect is one … Continue reading “Pulmotect & SpyCloud Fundraise, Rice’s Big Contest, & More TX Tech”
Bio Roundup: Ex-Kiters Say Allo, NASH Cash & Data, Alkermes No & More
Happy Friday, everyone. We’ll start this week with biotech deals, one featuring a couple of CAR-T heavyweights who have re-emerged after selling Kite Pharma for $12 billion. They will try to shepherd to market a different type of the promising cancer immunotherapy: allogeneic T cells that come from donors, not from a patient’s own blood. … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Ex-Kiters Say Allo, NASH Cash & Data, Alkermes No & More”
Arcturus Proxy Fight Heats Up; Ex-CEO Responds to Board’s Charges
As a showdown stockholders meeting draws near for San Diego’s Arcturus Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARCT]]), a proxy battle is boiling down to an argument over who represents the best interests of shareholders in the tiny RNA drug company. In an April 3 letter addressed to the company’s four board members, Arcturus co-founder and ex-CEO Joseph E. … Continue reading “Arcturus Proxy Fight Heats Up; Ex-CEO Responds to Board’s Charges”
Boston Tech Watch: Harvard Accelerator, Garden Robot Funding & More
[Updated, 10:54am. See below] This week in Boston tech, we’re tracking a new accelerator program at Harvard University; a key hire by a Babson College program that supports women entrepreneurs; and recent venture capital investments in robotics, artificial intelligence, materials science, and marketing. Read on for details. —Harvard Innovation Labs created Launch Lab X, a … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Harvard Accelerator, Garden Robot Funding & More”
Nutrition-Focused GenoPalate Joins Crowd of DNA Test Kit Companies
Genetic testing services from companies such as Ancestry and 23andMe have risen in popularity in the past decade, attracting consumers who are eager to learn more about their lineage or risk of contracting certain types of disease. But there are plenty of smaller players trying to carve out a following in this industry. Milwaukee-based GenoPalate … Continue reading “Nutrition-Focused GenoPalate Joins Crowd of DNA Test Kit Companies”
RSA Security Agrees to Buy Behavioral Analytics Startup Fortscale
RSA Security, a Bedford, MA-based business division of Dell Technologies (NYSE: [[ticker:DVMT]]) announced on Thursday a pending deal to acquire Fortscale, a cybersecurity startup that uses behavioral analysis to detect network intrusions. RSA Security, a global cybersecurity provider for businesses, said it plans to incorporate Fortscale’s technology into a new version of its service, the … Continue reading “RSA Security Agrees to Buy Behavioral Analytics Startup Fortscale”
Harvard-Born Quantum Software Startup Zapata Computing Raises $5.4M
Zapata Computing, a stealthy “quantum software and services company” that is collaborating with IBM, has pulled in $5.4 million in equity funding from investors, according to a document filed with the SEC this week. The young Cambridge, MA-based startup was launched last year by a group of Harvard University scientists, including Alán Aspuru-Guzik, according to … Continue reading “Harvard-Born Quantum Software Startup Zapata Computing Raises $5.4M”
Conatus Pharma’s Liver Disease Drug Flunks First Phase 2 Test
A Conatus Pharmaceuticals drug developed as a treatment for chronic liver disease has failed to beat a placebo in a mid-stage study, the first of four underway for the drug. Conatus (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CNAT]]) tested its drug, emricasan, in liver transplant patients whose hepatitis C virus has cleared, but who still have fibrosis or cirrhosis in … Continue reading “Conatus Pharma’s Liver Disease Drug Flunks First Phase 2 Test”
Boulder Startup Veteran Tapped as New Chief at San Antonio’s RealCo
San Antonio—Richard Grote wants to bring a little bit of the Rocky Mountain High to San Antonio. No, not that high—we’re referring to the buzz that comes from a vibrant innovation ecosystem. Grote, who founded several companies in Boulder, CO, and most recently led the Travelport Labs accelerator there, has become the managing director of … Continue reading “Boulder Startup Veteran Tapped as New Chief at San Antonio’s RealCo”
Cleaner Vehicles Help Make Smarter Cities
Two of the most popular terms in urban planning today are smart cities and clean energy. These concepts naturally go hand-in-hand. As cities get smarter, they use energy more efficiently and in a more controllable fashion, and they are better able to incorporate intermittent clean energy sources. Cities, and the power grids that support them, … Continue reading “Cleaner Vehicles Help Make Smarter Cities”
Lumanu Raises $1M for Tools That Amplify Social Influencers’ Posts
As social networks like Facebook (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FB]]) and Instagram continue to add millions of new users each year, businesses are fighting to capture their attention by advertising across an array of digital platforms. One marketing technique that has become increasingly popular in the past decade involves paying social media “influencers”—users with lots of followers—to promote … Continue reading “Lumanu Raises $1M for Tools That Amplify Social Influencers’ Posts”
After a Year of Growth Milestones, Duo Security Opens Detroit Office
Duo Security, a cybersecurity startup based in Ann Arbor, MI, announced today that it is opening a new office in Detroit to accommodate the company’s rapidly growing business. Duo plans to immediately relocate 30 employees from the company’s engineering, information services, and product teams to work downtown in Bamboo Detroit’s co-working space. By the end … Continue reading “After a Year of Growth Milestones, Duo Security Opens Detroit Office”
Lilly Licenses Sigilon’s Cell Encapsulation Tech for Diabetes Therapy
A day after Pfizer decided to step back from the development of a universal cell therapy for cancer, Eli Lilly is jumping in, this time for diabetes. Lilly is licensing cell encapsulation technology from Cambridge, MA biotech Sigilon Therapeutics to develop an off-the-shelf, or “allogeneic”, cell therapy to treat type 1 diabetes. The two companies … Continue reading “Lilly Licenses Sigilon’s Cell Encapsulation Tech for Diabetes Therapy”
Formlabs Pulls In $30M to Push Line of 3D Printers
The hype over consumer 3D printing has waned, but the case for selling the machines to businesses seems to be growing stronger—and the venture capital is pouring in. The latest to cash in is Somerville, MA-based Formlabs, which recently raised $30 million in new equity funding, according to a document filed with the SEC this … Continue reading “Formlabs Pulls In $30M to Push Line of 3D Printers”
Fatty Liver Disease Now Global, Terns Pharma Aims for NASH in China
In the race to treat the fatty liver disease known as NASH, brought on by the modern obesity epidemic, much of the attention has focused on the U.S. But a new biotech company is looking at China. Terns Pharma has raised $30 million from the Asian venture arm of Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]) and said … Continue reading “Fatty Liver Disease Now Global, Terns Pharma Aims for NASH in China”
Virta Health Hauls in $45M to Expand “Diabetes-Reversing” Software
Virta Health, a startup that is taking a software approach to treating diabetes rather than pills or injections, has raised $45 million in funding to support its technology. San Francisco-based Virta says its software “reverses” diabetes through behavioral changes that reduce the biological measures of the disease. The company’s software platform, accessible via a mobile … Continue reading “Virta Health Hauls in $45M to Expand “Diabetes-Reversing” Software”
With $25M in Tow, 6 River Systems Aims to Advance Warehouse Robotics
The land grab in the warehouse automation market is intensifying. After Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) paid $775 million for Kiva Systems in 2012, it began deploying the startup’s package-toting robots in its distribution centers worldwide—and stopped selling the machines to other companies. That move helped spur a new wave of warehouse robotics startups trying to meet … Continue reading “With $25M in Tow, 6 River Systems Aims to Advance Warehouse Robotics”
Roche Buys Inception 5 MS Program, Versant Funds New Venture
When Versant Ventures, Roche, and Inception Sciences came together in 2014 to identify drugs that could repair damaged neurons, they were placing a bet on technology that amounted to a promising tool in a broader quest to find new ways to treat multiple sclerosis. Now, San Francisco-based Versant is offering validation of that bet, although … Continue reading “Roche Buys Inception 5 MS Program, Versant Funds New Venture”
How Next-Gen Chipmakers Are Raising Money, Taking On Tech Giants
The advent of big fundraising rounds for startup chip innovators—a class shunned by most venture capital firms only a few years ago—seems to mark a turnaround in recent VC attitudes about semiconductor investments. But it turns out VCs weren’t the only driving force behind the change in fundraising prospects for the young companies now inventing … Continue reading “How Next-Gen Chipmakers Are Raising Money, Taking On Tech Giants”
UT, Aurora Health Join Strata Oncology’s Free Genomic Testing Network
Ann Arbor, MI’s Strata Oncology launched in 2015 with a mission to help bring free tumor sequencing to as many patients as possible. To help accomplish that mission, the genomics startup has established the Strata Precision Oncology Network, a group of cancer centers collaborating to help boost access to precision medicine. Last month, Strata announced … Continue reading “UT, Aurora Health Join Strata Oncology’s Free Genomic Testing Network”
UW-Madison Taps Andy Richards to Lead Discovery to Product Program
After serving for seven months as interim director of Discovery to Product—a program that helps students, faculty, and staff at the University of Wisconsin-Madison turn ideas into companies—Andy Richards has dropped “interim” from his title. On Tuesday, UW-Madison said it had selected Richards to lead the program, which is abbreviated as D2P. He officially started … Continue reading “UW-Madison Taps Andy Richards to Lead Discovery to Product Program”