Category: National

Ophthotech’s Final Try at Combo Eye Drug Comes up Short

It wasn’t too long ago that Ophthotech was running a group of clinical trials being perhaps as closely watched as any in the ophthalmology field, studies that had a chance to change the way a common form of vision loss, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is treated. But those days are a distant memory now. All … Continue reading “Ophthotech’s Final Try at Combo Eye Drug Comes up Short”

Genesis Innovation Raises $1.1M to Invest in Medical Device Startups

Holland, MI-based Genesis Innovation Group announced early this month that it has raised $1.1 million in capital to invest in new medical device technologies. Since its 2013 inception, Genesis has raised a total of $2.3 million. Genesis is not a traditional venture capital firm, says co-founder and CEO Rob Ball. Instead, it’s a consulting group … Continue reading “Genesis Innovation Raises $1.1M to Invest in Medical Device Startups”

Seattle Week in Review: Pol Visits, Cash for Donuts, Local M&A

With a shift in the wind, the smoke over Seattle is clearing, only to be replaced by the fear of nuclear war. Tough to stay focused on the tech news, but we’re trying. Here’s a review of visits to the Northwest by two Trump cabinet secretaries; more Amazon real estate news; financing for Donuts and … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: Pol Visits, Cash for Donuts, Local M&A”

Boston Tech Watch: Ticketmaster, Accomplice, Jebbit & More

Time to catch up on more New England tech news. This week, we’re tracking acquisitions by a division of Ticketmaster, new funding for a trio of local companies, and the latest on the makeover of Accomplice’s venture investing team. Read on for details. Changing hands —Ticketmaster-owned TicketWeb is buying Strobe Labs, a startup that provides … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Ticketmaster, Accomplice, Jebbit & More”

Five Questions For … Rice Entrepreneurship Professor Yael Hochberg

Houston—Most tech entrepreneurs are intently focused on their startups, their innovation and potential customers. Yael Hochberg focuses on how and why those founders succeed—and, more importantly, how and why they might fail. As the head of Rice University’s Entrepreneurship Initiative, Hochberg is currently working with a $1.5 million grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation … Continue reading “Five Questions For … Rice Entrepreneurship Professor Yael Hochberg”

Kauffman Fellows Take On VC Sexual Harassment, Bench Mentor McClure

If you’re looking for a counterpoint to the recent flurry of news stories about sexual harassment and gender bias in the tech sector, the Kauffman Fellows program isn’t a bad place to start. The Palo Alto, CA-based program, a spinoff of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, has been a gateway into the venture capital industry … Continue reading “Kauffman Fellows Take On VC Sexual Harassment, Bench Mentor McClure”

GSK Hands Nerve Drug Back to Ionis as RNA Battle Heats Up

A race is on to bring two new RNA-based drugs for a rare, debilitating nerve disease called familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP). And GlaxoSmithKline has just dropped out of it. This morning, Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IONS]]) said that it has regained full rights, from GSK, to a drug called inotersen, which the Carlsbad, CA, company expects … Continue reading “GSK Hands Nerve Drug Back to Ionis as RNA Battle Heats Up”

Bio Roundup: $1B Deals, Data Bumps, Acorda’s Lumps, Generic OKs & More

With President Trump holed up in New Jersey, rattling his saber at Kim Jong-un and Mitch McConnell and ignoring his own commission’s advice on the opioid crisis, there was still life sciences news from the nation’s capital. The FDA reported that generic drug approvals are set to hit a record; the agency under Commissioner Scott … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: $1B Deals, Data Bumps, Acorda’s Lumps, Generic OKs & More”

Tech Hiring Trends: Buzzwords, Trump Effect, and Gender-Pay Gap

As the tech economy continues its historic boom, here’s three views of labor market trends released this week, including the rise and fall of buzzwords in engineering job postings; the Trump Administration’s impact on U.S. companies’ interest in foreign workers; and another disappointing look at the gender-pay gap. —In the last two years, big data … Continue reading “Tech Hiring Trends: Buzzwords, Trump Effect, and Gender-Pay Gap”

GIFs Not Enough? Snippet’s Mobile App Lets Friends Share Song Clips

When emojis and animated GIFs don’t adequately capture your mood, maybe sharing that catchy chorus from “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran will do the trick. That’s part of the idea behind Snippet, a new startup in Wisconsin that has created software allowing people with iPhones and other iOS devices to send each other clips … Continue reading “GIFs Not Enough? Snippet’s Mobile App Lets Friends Share Song Clips”

Care Convene Aims to Make Telemedicine as User-Friendly as Facebook

Jefferey VanWingen is a family doctor who has been practicing medicine for 17 years. Although he’s based in Grand Rapids, MI, he’s also been taking medical missions to India for the past decade. It’s always been his goal to use technology to bridge his physical distance from the Wi-Fi-enabled community he works with in India. … Continue reading “Care Convene Aims to Make Telemedicine as User-Friendly as Facebook”

Why We All Should Care About the Recent Brouhaha at Google

The issues raised by the 10-page memo on the suitability of women for certain engineering and leadership positions at Google (culminating in the firing of its author) have implications for all of us. They are as much about the requirements for success in today’s workplace—and how to identify and nurture those qualities in all employees—as they … Continue reading “Why We All Should Care About the Recent Brouhaha at Google”

Celgene Narrows Its Relationship With Sutro, No Acquisition Coming

Celgene (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CELG]]) is revamping its relationship with Sutro Biopharma, walking away from an option to acquire the privately held antibody drug developer but keeping potential rights to four of Sutro’s programs—none of which have yet reached clinical studies. Their first deal was in 2012, and they expanded it two years later with Celgene taking … Continue reading “Celgene Narrows Its Relationship With Sutro, No Acquisition Coming”

Startup Builders, IPO Closers & More: Meet Xconomy’s CEO Award Finalists

There are many ways to stand out as a biotech CEO, from getting a company started in the first place to pushing its first drug over the finish line. Those differences are what we noticed when going through the nominations from you, the readers, for the top Boston biotech CEO, as part of the first-ever … Continue reading “Startup Builders, IPO Closers & More: Meet Xconomy’s CEO Award Finalists”

Athena Survey Probes Gender Issues in San Diego Innovation Ecosystem

A San Diego survey on professional women working in tech and life sciences offers some insights on the recurring debate over gender diversity in venture-backed startups and big companies, as well as a related incident that boiled over this week at Google. When asked, “What do you aspire to be, professionally?” nearly 29 percent of … Continue reading “Athena Survey Probes Gender Issues in San Diego Innovation Ecosystem”

San Antonio’s CellRight Sells to U.K. Medical Company Tissue Regenix

San Antonio — CellRight Technologies, a maker of bone and tissue grafts derived from cadavers, has been purchased by a British company that also uses a process of removing DNA and cells from human and animal tissue so the products can be used in healthcare. CellRight was sold for as much as to U.K.-based regenerative medicine … Continue reading “San Antonio’s CellRight Sells to U.K. Medical Company Tissue Regenix”

Evergage, Altaeros, Tinkergarten Among Flurry of Boston Tech Deals

August is here, but there’s been no summer slowdown in the Boston-area tech scene. Here are four deals announced in the past day or so, which cut across marketing, education, telecommunications, and database software: —Evergage, the Somerville, MA-based marketing technology firm, snapped up $10 million in a Series C funding round led by Arrowroot Capital, … Continue reading “Evergage, Altaeros, Tinkergarten Among Flurry of Boston Tech Deals”

Buoy Snags $6.7M for Chatbot, as A.I. Pushes Further Into Healthcare

While finishing up his third year at Harvard Medical School in 2013, Andrew Le started to notice a pattern. Le was working in an emergency room as part of a clinical rotation, and says that he spoke with patient after patient who had run Google searches on the symptoms they were experiencing before deciding to … Continue reading “Buoy Snags $6.7M for Chatbot, as A.I. Pushes Further Into Healthcare”

For Parkinson’s, Two New Drugs Coming As Prevail Gets Started in NY

A drug that actually slows or reverses the brain damage inflicted by Parkinson’s disease, rather than just alleviates its often debilitating symptoms, remains elusive. But Prevail Therapeutics, a startup just launched in New York, has become the latest to try. This morning, the Silverstein Foundation, a nonprofit organization formed by OrbiMed partner Jonathan Silverstein, announced … Continue reading “For Parkinson’s, Two New Drugs Coming As Prevail Gets Started in NY”

Antibiotics Firms Cempra, Melinta Therapeutics Agree to Merger

Cempra plans to combine with Melinta Therapeutics, a merger that provides a new path forward for the Chapel Hill, NC, firm following the FDA’s surprising rejection of its lead drug late last year. Meanwhile, privately held Melinta, based in New Haven, CT, will gain a public stock listing through the deal as it prepares to … Continue reading “Antibiotics Firms Cempra, Melinta Therapeutics Agree to Merger”

The Fired Google Engineer, the First Amendment, and the Alt-Right

Google software engineer James Damore confirmed to Bloomberg on Monday that Google fired him for circulating a lengthy memo on his views that women are biologically less suited to tech work than men. His “manifesto” was spread through Google’s internal communication channels over the weekend, and obtained by Gizmodo and other tech publications. Damore expressed … Continue reading “The Fired Google Engineer, the First Amendment, and the Alt-Right”

MTRAC Program Helps Early-Stage Automotive Technology Get to Market

With the era of the autonomous vehicle dawning, the technologies required to develop driverless cars have never been hotter. But before they hit the marketplace, cutting-edge innovations often necessitate a lot of research, and much of that early research is conducted in an academic setting. The Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) program for advanced … Continue reading “MTRAC Program Helps Early-Stage Automotive Technology Get to Market”

Dragonfly, Tyler Jacks Sign On for Boston’s Life Science Disruptors on Sept. 28

Dragonfly Therapeutics is one of the more unusual biotech startups to come along of late. It was formed by well-known cancer researchers on both coasts, backed by some high-powered family offices, and already has a partnership with Celgene—all without the presence or help of a single venture firm. Two of Dragonfly’s co-founders, cancer research pioneer … Continue reading “Dragonfly, Tyler Jacks Sign On for Boston’s Life Science Disruptors on Sept. 28”

Dermira Commits $135M for Global Rights to Roche Eczema Drug

Skin treatments developer Dermira is adding another experimental drug to its pipeline that it plans to test as a potential treatment for eczema, through a deal announced this morning with healthcare giant Roche. But in picking up the global rights to lebrikizumab, Menlo Park, CA-based Dermira (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DERM]]) is entering a suddenly crowded field of … Continue reading “Dermira Commits $135M for Global Rights to Roche Eczema Drug”

Pro.com Becomes a ‘Tech-Enabled General Contractor,’ Raises $10M

Finding someone to repair, remodel, or build your home—the largest asset most people will ever own—is fraught. For years, technology companies such as Angie’s List and HomeAdvisor have been trying to help, with varying degrees of success, by matching homeowners with vetted, reviewed service professionals. Seattle has seen its share of companies pursue a version … Continue reading “Pro.com Becomes a ‘Tech-Enabled General Contractor,’ Raises $10M”

Your Call Is Important: AI-Based Analytics Come to the Call Center

Houston and Dallas—Call centers proliferated as the Internet age took hold of the global economy. But, despite that connection, in many ways, call centers themselves haven’t kept up with innovations to make their operations as efficient as possible. That’s the view, at least, of two bootstrapped Texas software companies—AmplifAI and EthosIQ—that aim to bring new … Continue reading “Your Call Is Important: AI-Based Analytics Come to the Call Center”

An Insider’s Guide to Bridging the Biotech Gender Gap

As an executive recruiter focused solely on life sciences, I’m among the first to acknowledge the industry’s gender gap. Of the 20 largest pharmaceutical companies around the world, only one has a woman at the helm—and GSK named Emma Natasha Walmsley as CEO less than five months ago. Among biotech executive leadership teams, women make … Continue reading “An Insider’s Guide to Bridging the Biotech Gender Gap”

Opportunity Abounds as Washington Builds the Modern Electricity Grid

[Updated 8/9/17, 9:48 a.m. See below.] In a dry grassland set amid some of the region’s preeminent energy research, production, and training facilities, you can see the future of the electricity grid, and Washington state companies and workers are playing a major role in shaping it. The Horn Rapids Solar, Storage, and Training Project—which would … Continue reading “Opportunity Abounds as Washington Builds the Modern Electricity Grid”

Neurable’s Brain-Computer Interface Platform Scores U-M Investment

Neurable, a University of Michigan spinout now located in Cambridge, MA, has received a new investment from the university’s Zell Lurie Founders Fund to help commercialize its brain-computer interface (BCI) technology. The amount of the investment was not disclosed. The new capital builds on a $2 million seed round the company raised last December, says … Continue reading “Neurable’s Brain-Computer Interface Platform Scores U-M Investment”

MyoKardia Heart Drug Boosts Blood Flow, Sends Shares Soaring

Early clinical trial data for an experimental MyoKardia drug developed to treat a potentially fatal cardiovascular disorder are showing promise, results that now have the company preparing for a larger study to support FDA approval. South San Francisco, CA-based MyoKardia (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MYOK]]) is testing the drug, mavacamten in patients who have a potentially deadly form … Continue reading “MyoKardia Heart Drug Boosts Blood Flow, Sends Shares Soaring”

Houston Biotech Oncolix Announces Reverse Merger, Goes Public

[Updated 8/7/17, 10:25 am. See below.] Houston—Oncolix, which is developing a treatment for ovarian cancer, announced Monday it has completed a reverse merger with Advanced Environmental Petroleum Producers ([[ticker:AEPP]]), making it a public company. The Houston-based Oncolix currently has ongoing a Phase I clinical trial in ovarian cancer patients for its prospective therapy, G129R (Prolanta). … Continue reading “Houston Biotech Oncolix Announces Reverse Merger, Goes Public”

NxStage Medical Sells to Dialysis Giant Fresenius for $2B

German dialysis giant Fresenius is paying $2 billion to acquire NxStage Medical, a Lawrence, MA-based developer of products for patients dealing with kidney failure. Fresenius is paying $30 a share for NxStage (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NXTM]]), a roughly 28 percent premium to the company’s $23.14 closing price on Friday. That price represents an all-time high for NxStage: … Continue reading “NxStage Medical Sells to Dialysis Giant Fresenius for $2B”

New Rapamycin CEO Hired to Handle Funding, FDA Inflection Points

San Antonio — Rapamycin Holdings has a new CEO, is raising a $3.5 million Series B round of funding, and plans to submit an investigational new drug filing to the FDA this year. If all goes well, the small biotech may start its first in-human clinical trials as early as later this year. “The company is … Continue reading “New Rapamycin CEO Hired to Handle Funding, FDA Inflection Points”

Presence Capital Takes the Temperature of VR/AR at Mid-Year

This week we checked in with Presence Capital, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm that specializes in virtual reality and augmented reality startups. Presence, which made its first investment in July 2015, has now invested in 33 companies, including VR animation studio Baobab; Strivr, a creator of VR training systems; Meta, the developer of a … Continue reading “Presence Capital Takes the Temperature of VR/AR at Mid-Year”

Robot Startup Auris Reels In $280M for Less Invasive Lung Surgery

Auris Surgical Robotics has kept a tight lid on the details about its technology, its surgical targets, and its financial backers. On Friday, the stealthy startup gave a small peek at all three. San Carlos, CA-based Auris has raised $280 million in a Series D round of financing, the company revealed on its website. The … Continue reading “Robot Startup Auris Reels In $280M for Less Invasive Lung Surgery”

Seattle Week in Review: Blue Angels, Smoke, and Surveillance Above

As the Blue Angels streak across Seattle’s smoke-filled skies preparing for this weekend’s Seafair, we’ll review some of this week’s news, including some of the latest dire climate change forecasts; the race for mayor; Amazon’s ongoing hiring and real estate sprees; odd flight patterns; and a Periodic Table of haiku. —It’s impossible not to think … Continue reading “Seattle Week in Review: Blue Angels, Smoke, and Surveillance Above”

Report: Martin Shkreli Faces Prison Term After Fraud Conviction

After days of deliberation, a New York jury Friday afternoon found Martin Shkreli guilty of securities fraud. According to a report from CNBC, the jury in the civil case said that Shkreli is guilty on three of eight counts, two of which are securities fraud and the other conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Shkreli, according … Continue reading “Report: Martin Shkreli Faces Prison Term After Fraud Conviction”

With $5M Investment, Toyota Is First Auto Co. to Back Mobility Center

As news reports this morning say that Toyota and Mazda are planning to open a new $1.6 billion U.S. manufacturing plant—location to be determined—Toyota is also making moves in Michigan. This week, the American Center for Mobility (ACM) announced that the Japanese automotive company  has ponied up $5 million to be a founding sponsor of the autonomous vehicle … Continue reading “With $5M Investment, Toyota Is First Auto Co. to Back Mobility Center”

Bio Roundup: CRISPR Advances, Obamacare Lives, FDA Nods & More

Gene editing took an important step this week when a group of U.S. researchers used CRISPR-Cas9 technology to correct a genetic error in dozens of human embryos without complications. It’s a significant achievement, but amidst the hype, it’s worth cautioning just how much work has to be done before the technology leads to a safe … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CRISPR Advances, Obamacare Lives, FDA Nods & More”

After VR’s Shortcomings, Walmart’s Interest in Cube May Be a Boost

San Antonio—Virtual reality has certainly been a hyped industry during the last few years, though it recently gathered a little backlash because of unfulfilled expectations and the recent failure of a Silicon Valley startup. But a deal announced earlier this week indicates that the world’s largest company by revenue still believes in it. San Antonio-based … Continue reading “After VR’s Shortcomings, Walmart’s Interest in Cube May Be a Boost”

Social Web Startup Signs Deal with AP to Distribute Sports Scores

ScoreStream, a San Diego area startup providing a crowdsourced social media platform for reporting high school sports scores, said Thursday it has agreed to distribute high school game scores under a new collaboration agreement with The Associated Press. Under their agreement, this fall ScoreStream will begin distributing and publishing high school football scores across 42 … Continue reading “Social Web Startup Signs Deal with AP to Distribute Sports Scores”

IFM Gets $300M Bristol Buyout, Plans Second Strike With New Spinout

Bristol-Myers Squibb this afternoon is acquiring a young startup, IFM Therapeutics, in an unusual deal that will also see the big drugmaker get a chance to own rights in a new company the biotech is spinning out as well. New York-based Bristol (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]) will pay $300 million up front for IFM, which will give … Continue reading “IFM Gets $300M Bristol Buyout, Plans Second Strike With New Spinout”

Moxe Introduces Tools to Help Health Insurers, Providers Share Data

Moxe Health has introduced a new product suite aimed at combining different types of healthcare data, which the startup says could ultimately help clinicians identify gaps in care and improve outcomes for patients. Madison, WI-based Moxe launched the suite, known as Convergence, earlier this week. It allows clinicians to pull in data from insurers while … Continue reading “Moxe Introduces Tools to Help Health Insurers, Providers Share Data”

Dramatic Capital Inflows Continue in 2Q17… Trouble Ahead?

In an environment of microscopic interest rates, it is particularly interesting to read the Preqin 2Q17 Quarterly Update, which exhaustively tracks all things private equity and venture capital. At the end of June 2017 there were 1,998 funds in market raising a total of $676 billion – a staggering sum – indicative of global investors … Continue reading “Dramatic Capital Inflows Continue in 2Q17… Trouble Ahead?”

Veritas Buys Curoverse to Bring A.I. Analysis of Genes to the Masses

Some answers to questions about the risk of developing a disease or a bad reaction to a drug can be found by analyzing a patient’s genes. In the not-too-distant future, such queries could be as easy as searching for and selecting a movie on Netflix, contends Rodrigo Martinez, chief marketing and design officer for Veritas … Continue reading “Veritas Buys Curoverse to Bring A.I. Analysis of Genes to the Masses”

Check Out Tesaro & More at “Disruptors” on Sept. 28; Super Saver Rate Ends Today

Time is running out to get a discount on Xconomy’s annual “Boston’s Life Science Disruptors” event in Cambridge, MA. 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 perspective from the ground level of the … Continue reading “Check Out Tesaro & More at “Disruptors” on Sept. 28; Super Saver Rate Ends Today”

Clinc’s A.I. Lets USAA Members Casually Chat with Their Bank Accounts

Ever wanted to casually talk to your bank account and find out how much money you have in checking, or what your restaurant spending looked like a year ago? If you’re a member of USAA, the financial institution serving members of the U.S. military, and have an Amazon Alexa device, now you can. Clinc, the … Continue reading “Clinc’s A.I. Lets USAA Members Casually Chat with Their Bank Accounts”