Lisa Suennen, a high-profile life-sciences investor, is leaving a top post at GE Ventures after two years. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Suennen is widely known for her investment work as well as her writing—her blog is called “Venture Valkyrie“—and podcasting about people, companies, and industry trends, notably the gender equity gap among … Continue reading “After Launching Women’s Mentor Network, Lisa Suennen Sets Sail from GE”
Category: New York
Exact Sciences Shares Rise After Company Unveils Pfizer Partnership
[Updated 8/22/18 3:22 p.m. See below.] Exact Sciences has recently been ramping up its efforts to market Cologuard, the company’s flagship diagnostic test that screens patients for colorectal cancer. Since the start of 2017, Madison, WI-based Exact has brought on recording artist Harry Connick Jr. and pro golfer Jerry Kelly as spokesmen, and announced a … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Shares Rise After Company Unveils Pfizer Partnership”
Novartis Exec Scherer Joins Cellectis as Deputy Chief Medical Officer
Stefan Scherer has been appointed senior vice president of clinical development and deputy chief medical officer of Cellectis (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLLS]]). He comes to the French cell therapy developer from Novartis (NYSE: [[ticker:NVS]]), where he was head of early development, strategy, and innovation for U.S. oncology. Scherer will be based in New York. Cellectis is developing … Continue reading “Novartis Exec Scherer Joins Cellectis as Deputy Chief Medical Officer”
TraceLink Bags $93M, Plans A.I. & Blockchain Tools for Drug Tracking
Step one for TraceLink, a maker of software that helps track the supply chain of pharmaceuticals, was recruiting hundreds of thousands of companies and organizations to its digital platform. Now, much like the playbooks of social media companies and other tech firms, step two will be to develop “new applications on top of that infrastructure”—thereby … Continue reading “TraceLink Bags $93M, Plans A.I. & Blockchain Tools for Drug Tracking”
Aptose Bio Appoints New York Genome Center’s Carol Ashe to Board
Carol Ashe has been appointed to the Aptose Biosciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:APTO]]) board of directors. Ashe is the chief business officer of the New York Genome Center, a nonprofit academic research institution. Ashe’s appointment was part of LifeSci Advisor’s “Board Placement Initiative,” a program developed to improve the diversity of corporate boards. The program was created … Continue reading “Aptose Bio Appoints New York Genome Center’s Carol Ashe to Board”
Facebook, NYU Pin Hope of Faster MRIs on Artificial Intelligence
The long, sometimes painful wait to complete an MRI may soon be cut down dramatically—and we might have Facebook and its artificial intelligence unit to thank for it. The social media giant announced Monday that it is working with the radiology department at New York University’s School of Medicine to potentially use artificial intelligence software … Continue reading “Facebook, NYU Pin Hope of Faster MRIs on Artificial Intelligence”
Would Uber’s IPO Be a Revival or a Reckoning?
In its early years, Uber was a headstrong force knocking down preconceived ideas about transportation and, along with Lyft, sparking the imaginations of countless entrepreneurs who are now building a new industry called “mobility.” As it closes in on its first decade, Uber is a conundrum: A Silicon Valley unicorn with $7.3 billion in cash, … Continue reading “Would Uber’s IPO Be a Revival or a Reckoning?”
Bristol Nabs Immunotherapy’s First FDA Nod for Small Cell Lung Cancer
Over the past few years, immunotherapy has rapidly begun to change how lung cancer is treated. But it hasn’t been an option for patients with a particularly aggressive form of the disease, small cell lung cancer (SCLC), until today. The FDA on Friday approved Bristol-Myers Squibb’s (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]) immunotherapy, nivolumab (Opdivo), for SCLC patients who … Continue reading “Bristol Nabs Immunotherapy’s First FDA Nod for Small Cell Lung Cancer”
Bio Roundup: Big Approvals, ICER Influence, Drug-Price Pushback & More
[Updated 8/17/18, 10:21 a.m. See below.] We’ll start the roundup this week with two drug approvals that came late last Friday. Both were landmarks for the companies receiving the nod, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Amicus Therapeutics. We also saw a new biotech emerge in the muggy New York heat, a couple deals for new flu vaccines, … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Big Approvals, ICER Influence, Drug-Price Pushback & More”
DoorDash Valued at $4 Billion After Adding $250M in New Funding
DoorDash has upped its valuation to $4 billion with a new $250 million financing round, five months after it raised $535 million to gain its “unicorn” status. The new $250 million funding round was co-led by Coatue Management and DST Global. CEO Tony Xu told Axios’s Dan Primack that the company hadn’t been actively seeking … Continue reading “DoorDash Valued at $4 Billion After Adding $250M in New Funding”
Pain Drug Race Continues as Regeneron Posts Early Phase 3 Results
A new class of pain drugs that might offer an alternative to addictive opioids—if they’re safe enough to use chronically—is inching closer to an FDA review. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:REGN]]) and partner Teva Pharmaceutical (NYSE: [[ticker:TEVA]]) said this morning that their experimental drug, fasinumab, hits its early goals in a Phase 3 trial in patients … Continue reading “Pain Drug Race Continues as Regeneron Posts Early Phase 3 Results”
With BioNTech Deal, Pfizer Becomes Latest to Bet on mRNA Vaccines
Pfizer has become the latest drug maker to bet that synthetic messenger RNA molecules (mRNA) can be a new source for vaccines. This morning, the New York pharma company cut a deal with BioNTech, of Germany, to co-develop mRNA vaccines for flu prevention. BioNTech will run the initial human tests on these treatments, then hand … Continue reading “With BioNTech Deal, Pfizer Becomes Latest to Bet on mRNA Vaccines”
Tech Hiring Surges in Bay Area, NY, Boston: See Q2’s Top Employers
After a sluggish start to 2018, hiring has accelerated recently at the top software companies in three of America’s largest technology hubs. That’s according to the latest quarterly Digital Jobs Index compiled by John Barrett, a Boston-area partner with executive recruiting firm On Partners. The report tracks job growth at 100 leading software and Internet … Continue reading “Tech Hiring Surges in Bay Area, NY, Boston: See Q2’s Top Employers”
Station Houston Names Longtime Education Executive Rowe as New CEO
Houston—Sometimes, when a startup has matured to a certain point, a founder is not considered to be the best person to lead it during the next stage of growth. At Station Houston, a startup-focused organization founded in 2016, new leadership is in place. Gabriella Rowe, a longtime education executive and former investment banker, has replaced … Continue reading “Station Houston Names Longtime Education Executive Rowe as New CEO”
Dating App Bumble Creates Fund to Invest in Diverse Female Founders
Austin—Bumble, the dating app maker that has expanded into other areas of social networking, has launched an investment fund focused on startups founded by women. The Bumble Fund plans to make early stage investments that focus on diverse female founders “who have been largely ignored by the established venture capital world,” according to news release … Continue reading “Dating App Bumble Creates Fund to Invest in Diverse Female Founders”
Fidelity Vets Launch Castle Island Ventures, a $30M Blockchain Fund
There’s a new venture fund in town, focused on the hypiest of hyped sectors right now: blockchain systems and cryptocurrencies. It’s a small fund, but what’s interesting about Castle Island Ventures is the pedigree of the Boston firm’s founders and the careful approach they’re taking. In an exclusive interview, co-founder and partner Matt Walsh says … Continue reading “Fidelity Vets Launch Castle Island Ventures, a $30M Blockchain Fund”
Acorda CTO Batycky Leaves to Run Biotech Startup
[Corrected 8/14/18, 9:45 am. See below.] Acorda Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ACOR]]) chief technology officer Rick Batycky is leaving the company to become the CEO of a private, venture-backed biotech. Batycky’s duties are being taken up by Acorda chief of business operations David Lawrence and chief medical officer Burkhard Blank, the company said. [Corrected title in headline. … Continue reading “Acorda CTO Batycky Leaves to Run Biotech Startup”
Ford’s Autonomic Pairs With Alibaba Cloud On Mobility Hub for China
Ford—one of the automakers competing in China’s huge car market—is now making a bid to provide China’s leading software infrastructure hub dedicated to streamlining transportation by connecting cars and riders with mobility services. Ford’s recently acquired unit Autonomic, which co-created the automaker’s Transportation Mobility Cloud (TMC), inked a deal Tuesday to partner with Alibaba Cloud, … Continue reading “Ford’s Autonomic Pairs With Alibaba Cloud On Mobility Hub for China”
New Biotech Magnolia Neurosciences Gets $31M For Neuroprotective Drugs
A new biotech company, Magnolia Neurosciences, is launching with $31 million from investors to develop potential therapies for nervous system disorders based on discoveries at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Magnolia, which is based in New York, was co-founded by Seattle-based life sciences investment firm Accelerator Life Science Partners and MD Anderson … Continue reading “New Biotech Magnolia Neurosciences Gets $31M For Neuroprotective Drugs”
Fresh Off GSK Deal, Gene Therapy Startup Orchard Bags Another $150M
Another gene therapy startup looks primed for an IPO. Orchard Therapeutics has just landed another $150 million to help drive forward a group of gene therapies it bought from British pharma company GlaxoSmithKline earlier this year. The Series C funding round from Deerfield Management, RA Capital Management, Venrock, and others, includes a number of “crossover” … Continue reading “Fresh Off GSK Deal, Gene Therapy Startup Orchard Bags Another $150M”
Amicus Finally Wins FDA Nod, Will Price Fabry Drug Below Rivals
[Updated, 8/13/18, see below] The FDA has approved a new treatment for Fabry disease, a decision that represents the end of a winding, more than decade-long saga for the drug’s developer, Amicus Therapeutics. Its long journey also highlights how drug approval in the U.S. has changed just in the last two years, thanks to new … Continue reading “Amicus Finally Wins FDA Nod, Will Price Fabry Drug Below Rivals”
Alnylam Gets Landmark FDA OK For First-Ever RNAi Drug
[Updated at 4:08 pm ET, see below] Alnylam Pharmaceuticals made history this afternoon. The FDA has just approved Alnylam’s patisiran (Onpattro), making it the first medicine specifically cleared to treat a rare and deadly disease called hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (hATTR). The decision is a scientific milestone too: it marks the first-ever approval for a medicine … Continue reading “Alnylam Gets Landmark FDA OK For First-Ever RNAi Drug”
Bio Roundup: Medicare Drug Prices, FDA Moves, Gene Therapy News & More
Two imminent FDA rulings on two separate drugs aren’t just noteworthy for the patients they’ll help, but the long and winding road their developers have taken to get to this point. First is Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, which has spent 16 years and over $2 billion to try to bring an unproven form of medicine, RNA interference … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Medicare Drug Prices, FDA Moves, Gene Therapy News & More”
Austin Group Joins Other Tech Efforts to Promote Responsible AI Use
Artificial intelligence is poised to infiltrate nearly all aspects of human life. Given this development, technologists are focusing on how to ensure the technology usage is governed by ethics. “The general rule is that power begets responsibility,” says Michael Stewart, founder and CEO of Lucid AI, an AI startup in Austin. “If you’re bringing in a … Continue reading “Austin Group Joins Other Tech Efforts to Promote Responsible AI Use”
Lack of Diversity Isn’t a “Pipeline Problem,” It’s a Network Problem
Recently, I was in Chicago for Paradigm IQ’s D&I Lab: Data-Driven Strategies to Attract & Hire Diverse Talent, a one-day workshop designed to equip attendees with new strategies for designing an inclusive organization. In a room full of people with titles like chief people officer, director of diversity and inclusion, and director of leadership and organizational … Continue reading “Lack of Diversity Isn’t a “Pipeline Problem,” It’s a Network Problem”
CVS, Teladoc Offering $59 Virtual Health Visits for Minor Conditions
CVS Health on Wednesday introduced a new telemedicine service for people with minor illnesses and injuries, which the Rhode Island-based pharmacy giant says will allow patients in nine U.S. states and Washington, D.C., to pay $59 for an online videoconference with a licensed healthcare professional. CVS (NYSE: [[ticker:CVS]]), which bestrides the healthcare and retail industries, … Continue reading “CVS, Teladoc Offering $59 Virtual Health Visits for Minor Conditions”
With Big Takeda Deal at Launch, Can Ambys Keep Control of Its Future?
A new biotech has debuted today aiming to make a variety of treatments for deadly liver diseases. The startup, Ambys Medicines, has formed an unusual, broad alliance with Takeda. Some early, wide-ranging partnerships between new biotechs and Big Pharma have fallen apart in the past and have been too limiting for the biotech, but Ambys’s … Continue reading “With Big Takeda Deal at Launch, Can Ambys Keep Control of Its Future?”
Austin’s Factom Eyes Series B After $6M SAFE Deal With LSE Investor
Austin—Blockchain record-tracking company Factom is taking a $6 million investment from an investment company that’s traded on a submarket of the London Stock Exchange. FastForward Innovations announced it created what’s known as a Simple Agreement for Future Equity (sometimes called a SAFE note) to invest the $6 million in Factom, which was founded in Austin … Continue reading “Austin’s Factom Eyes Series B After $6M SAFE Deal With LSE Investor”
Blockchain Tomatoes & Edible Peels: Startups Innovate to Fight Spoilage
As much as 40 percent of food in this country is never eaten, yet 41 million people don’t have enough to eat, including 13 million children, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Some of that food insecurity is due to food spoilage, rendering billions of dollars’ worth of … Continue reading “Blockchain Tomatoes & Edible Peels: Startups Innovate to Fight Spoilage”
Bluebird, Regeneron Team Up To Make Cell Therapies For Cancer
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Bluebird Bio have struck a wide-ranging partnership to broaden the reach of their respective cancer immunotherapy work, inking a deal to develop multiple cell therapies together. Regeneron (NASDAQ: [[ticker:REGN]]) develops antibody drugs, while Bluebird (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BLUE]]) is a gene and cell therapy specialist. In the deal, the two companies will work together … Continue reading “Bluebird, Regeneron Team Up To Make Cell Therapies For Cancer”
The Technology Behind Fighting California’s Fires & Other Disasters
As wildfires continued to burn across the length of California this month, Gov. Jerry Brown urged residents to stay on the alert and warned that the cost of fighting the climate-driven blazes will continue to strain future state budgets. Residents of the three Northern California counties hardest hit by wildfires last year have already learned … Continue reading “The Technology Behind Fighting California’s Fires & Other Disasters”
Elanco’s IPO Would Free Eli Lilly to Focus on Pharmaceuticals
Elanco, the animal health business of Eli Lilly, has filed for an IPO, setting in motion the process of splitting from its parent company of more than 60 years. Greenfield, IN-based Elanco set a preliminary $100 million target in the IPO filing, a figure used to calculate the registration fee. IPO research firm Renaissance Capital … Continue reading “Elanco’s IPO Would Free Eli Lilly to Focus on Pharmaceuticals”
With Etsy Wholesale Offline, Stockabl Aims to Fill Gap For Makers
Houston—While studying for her PhD in biomedical sciences, Adrianne Stone took up jewelry-making as a stress reliever and side hustle, and sold her wares on Etsy Wholesale. But late last year, Stone says, she began to notice bugs on the site and a lack of response from Etsy (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ETSY]]) about those issues. That prompted … Continue reading “With Etsy Wholesale Offline, Stockabl Aims to Fill Gap For Makers”
Bio Roundup: Alnylam’s Moment, Read on Rebates, Skinny Plans & More
Millions of people might be on vacation as we hit the dog days, but drug makers and politicians aren’t taking a break from the gamesmanship over high drug prices. After two years of blowing smoke, the Trump administration is threatening action on a few fronts, including against the powerful middlemen known as PBMs that decide … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Alnylam’s Moment, Read on Rebates, Skinny Plans & More”
Patients Have “Fingers Crossed” As Alnylam Awaits Historic FDA Decision
[Updated, 8/6/18, see below] By next weekend, the FDA could for the first time approve a medicine that uses a biological trick that was only discovered two decades ago: RNA interference, which silences a gene before it can make a harmful protein. That medicine is patisiran (Onpattro), from Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]). An approval wouldn’t … Continue reading “Patients Have “Fingers Crossed” As Alnylam Awaits Historic FDA Decision”
Verana Health Lands $30M Financing Led By GV, Adds Miki Kapoor as CEO
Verana Health, a company that analyzes electronic health record data for insights useful in developing new drugs and medical devices, has raised $30 million in financing. GV, the venture arm of Google’s parent company, Alphabet (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GOOGL]]), led the Series C round of investment in the San Francisco company. Verana was formerly known as DigiSight. … Continue reading “Verana Health Lands $30M Financing Led By GV, Adds Miki Kapoor as CEO”
For Women Only: E-Retail Subscription Firm Athena Club Raises $3.8M
[Updated 7/31/18 7:46 am. The story and headline has been changed to reflect an updated amount.] Athena Club, a subscription program for feminine hygiene products, is the latest entrant into the direct-to-women e-commerce space and announced today that it has raised $3.8 million in funding. Co-founder Maria Markina says her New York-based startup gives women … Continue reading “For Women Only: E-Retail Subscription Firm Athena Club Raises $3.8M”
Pernix-Backed Biz Picks Up Orexigen’s Weight Loss Drug for $74M
Orexigen Therapeutics went bankrupt trying to turn its weight loss pill, Contrave, into a commercial success. Now Pernix Therapeutics will try its luck. Pernix (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PTX]]) said Monday that a business entity it helped create, Nalpropion Pharmaceuticals, has closed a deal for Contrave. Morristown, NJ-based Pernix formed Nalpropion to bid on Contrave, which Orexigen auctioned … Continue reading “Pernix-Backed Biz Picks Up Orexigen’s Weight Loss Drug for $74M”
Bio Roundup: An Alzheimer’s Head-Scratcher, OUTBio, GSK & Gilead Shakeups
The devil is in the details, and key clinical trial results made that abundantly clear this week. Eisai and partner Biogen released the highly anticipated details of an Alzheimer’s disease study they had already deemed positive, after an initial failure. In one sense, the study was the success they have claimed. A high dose of … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: An Alzheimer’s Head-Scratcher, OUTBio, GSK & Gilead Shakeups “
OUTBio, a Biopharma LGBTQ Group, Grows Fast & Ponders Its Future
In June, Jennifer Petter, the founder and chief scientific officer of biotech startup Arrakis Therapeutics, got an e-mail from a stranger. His name was Ramsey Johnson, a biotech veteran who works in clinical operations at Boston startup Phoenix Tissue Repair. Johnson was writing about OUTBio, a networking organization for LGBTQ members of the biopharma community. … Continue reading “OUTBio, a Biopharma LGBTQ Group, Grows Fast & Ponders Its Future”
SnappyScreen’s Booths Protect People While They Have Fun in the Sun
Applying sunscreen while outdoors is a long-accepted way to help keep our skin safe from sunburn and cancer. Yet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says less than a third of women, and even fewer men, report using it when going outside for more than an hour. “You should put it on more frequently … Continue reading “SnappyScreen’s Booths Protect People While They Have Fun in the Sun”
Kenzie Academy Snags $4.2M, Expands Tech Training in Middle America
As the cost of a college education creeps higher and the student debt crisis grows more pressing, there are lots of people brainstorming and developing educational programs that offer an alternative to college. This is especially true in the tech sector, where numerous code schools and bootcamps have popped up in an effort to teach … Continue reading “Kenzie Academy Snags $4.2M, Expands Tech Training in Middle America”
Qlik Buys Podium Data as Big Data Deal-Making Continues
Big software companies continue to shop for data management and analytics startups. The latest deal is Qlik’s acquisition of Podium Data, announced Tuesday morning. The price was not disclosed. Four-year-old Podium sells software that helps large enterprises manage and prepare data for analysis, focusing on data quality and security. Business analysts and data scientists use … Continue reading “Qlik Buys Podium Data as Big Data Deal-Making Continues”
Announcing XCON 2018: A Conference on Technology and Transformation
This fall, we are convening exemplary business leaders, investors, and far-seeing technologists for an in-depth exploration of the innovation ecosystem and its impact on the future. Come join us at our newest interactive conference, XCON: The Xconomy Conference on Technology and Transformation. It spans three days, November 4-6, and three innovation venues in the Boston … Continue reading “Announcing XCON 2018: A Conference on Technology and Transformation”
Retailers Need to Get Real About Security
It seems a distant memory now. In December 2013 – light years ago in technology time – the retail giant Target disclosed a massive software security breach of its point of sale systems. The bad guys fled the virtual premises with the credit card information of 40 million customers. This astounding number would later rise … Continue reading “Retailers Need to Get Real About Security”
Bristol-Myers Squibb Executive Murdo Gordon Set to Depart
Murdo Gordon, chief commercial officer of Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]), is leaving. The New York-based pharmaceutical giant announced Monday that Gordon would depart on Aug. 3 “to pursue another opportunity.” No other details were given. According to a securities filing, Gordon notified the company of his plans on July 17. Before starting as Bristol’s chief … Continue reading “Bristol-Myers Squibb Executive Murdo Gordon Set to Depart”
Sanofi Backs Click Therapeutics as Digital Medicines Gain Momentum
Drug makers are making more bets on the nascent field of digital medicine. The latest example: Click Therapeutics announced Monday that it grabbed a $17 million investment led by Sanofi Ventures, the Cambridge, MA-based venture capital arm of the French pharmaceutical giant. New York-based Click Therapeutics develops mobile apps intended to be prescribed by doctors … Continue reading “Sanofi Backs Click Therapeutics as Digital Medicines Gain Momentum”
Goldman Sachs Leads $37M Investment in Cogito’s A.I. for Call Centers
Cogito, one of the startups working to enhance businesses’ call center operations with sophisticated analytics software, has scooped up $37 million from investors to try and take its business to the next level. The Series C funding round was led by Goldman Sachs’s growth equity fund, with earlier Cogito backers Salesforce Ventures and OpenView Venture … Continue reading “Goldman Sachs Leads $37M Investment in Cogito’s A.I. for Call Centers”
Agios Pharma’s Drug for Rare Blood Cancer Wins Speedy FDA Nod
An Agios Pharmaceuticals drug developed to treat a rare form of leukemia has received FDA approval ahead of schedule. This marks the second time in the past year that the company has won the regulatory nod for a treatment for the disease, but this is the first approved drug that’s wholly owned by the Cambridge, … Continue reading “Agios Pharma’s Drug for Rare Blood Cancer Wins Speedy FDA Nod”
Best Reads for Casual Friday: Big Tech Businesses Gets Political
You’ve made it to Friday. Time to curl up in your cubicle, pop open one of these in-depth, entertaining reads, and catch up on some of what you missed during a busy week. This week we’re taking a look at all the political stories that are coming out of the tech world. And given the … Continue reading “Best Reads for Casual Friday: Big Tech Businesses Gets Political”