Most of us can’t imagine going back to a time without smartphones. Having an Internet-enabled phone on one’s person makes life easier, and many of us would feel a bit naked without one. Paying for them, however, is another matter. The prices keep going up as the phones get more sophisticated, and with myriad fees … Continue reading “Lunar Aims to Offer Budget Phone Service, Premium User Experience”
Category: New York
Is Your Company Independent or Co-Dependent?
Steve Jobs was once famously quoted stating, “the secret of my success is that we have gone to exceptional lengths to hire the best people in the world.” Employees are a critical part of any company’s backbone, no matter the size or industry of the business. They are the driving force that executes the company … Continue reading “Is Your Company Independent or Co-Dependent?”
Xconomy Newcomer Award Winner Amy Schulman on Boston Biotech Life
Amy Schulman is relatively new not just to Boston, but also to biotech. Before she moved to Boston in 2014 to join Polaris Partners, she was a partner at a major law firm and then worked at Pfizer in New York, where she served as general counsel and also headed up its huge consumer healthcare … Continue reading “Xconomy Newcomer Award Winner Amy Schulman on Boston Biotech Life”
Biotech Roundup: Opioid News, ASH Preview, Boston Bio IPOs & More
The rising death toll from opioids has prompted policymakers to try various ways to take on the problem. President Trump’s opioid commission released its final report this week, calling for expansion of drug courts, better physician training, and penalties for insurers that don’t cover treatment. But the commission did not say how much its recommendations … Continue reading “Biotech Roundup: Opioid News, ASH Preview, Boston Bio IPOs & More”
Congress Urges Tech Firms to Control Content—But With Qualms
At Congressional hearings this week on Russia’s use of social media to interfere with the 2016 U.S. election, lawmakers pressed Facebook, Twitter, and Google to take exhaustive measures to stop the same thing from happening again. Lawmakers urged the companies to scour their networks to root out foreign advertisers, trolls, and bots; to eliminate messages … Continue reading “Congress Urges Tech Firms to Control Content—But With Qualms”
Few Opioid Alternatives In Sight as Crisis Gains Political Attention
As opioid-related deaths skyrocket across the U.S., momentum to combat the epidemic has been mounting in Washington. But the crisis has also highlighted a glaring problem that no amount of politics or policymaking will solve soon: The lack of non-addictive pain medicines. “What is disappointing over the last half-century is that we haven’t really created … Continue reading “Few Opioid Alternatives In Sight as Crisis Gains Political Attention”
ASH Sneak Peeks: Novartis, Juno Update CAR-T Lymphoma Competition
[Corrected, 11/1/17, 5:20 p.m. ET. See below.] The annual American Society of Hematology meeting is next month. But previews of the big data presentations are out today, yielding more insight into what promises to be the first major competition in CAR-T cell therapy: Treatments for people with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) who have run out of … Continue reading “ASH Sneak Peeks: Novartis, Juno Update CAR-T Lymphoma Competition”
As Facebook Fights Fake News, LeCun Sees Bigger Role for A.I.
As top lawyers from Facebook, Google, and Twitter testify on Capitol Hill this week about Russians using their platforms to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, it’s becoming clearer that the fight against the spread of fake news won’t be won by humans alone. That’s according to Yann LeCun, a machine learning expert and … Continue reading “As Facebook Fights Fake News, LeCun Sees Bigger Role for A.I.”
Melinta Therapeutics Appoints Dan Wechsler CEO
Melinta Therapeutics announced that Dan Wechsler will become the antibiotics developer’s new president and CEO after the New Haven, CT, company completes its merger with Chapel Hill, NC-based Cempra (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CEMP]]). The combined company will keep the Melinta name. Wechsler’s experience includes various roles at The Upjohn Company, Pharmacia, Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]), Schering-Plough, Merck (NYSE: … Continue reading “Melinta Therapeutics Appoints Dan Wechsler CEO”
Techstars Sustainability Adds to Growth of Sponsored Accelerators
After Techstars opened its first program in Boulder, CO, in 2007, the startup accelerator program expanded into three cities over the next four years. But then the real growth started happening. In 2011, Techstars began launching accelerators that focused on startups innovating in a specific sector in partnership with big companies. It partnered with Nike … Continue reading “Techstars Sustainability Adds to Growth of Sponsored Accelerators”
New Survey Highlights “Lethargic Pace” of Healthcare Gender Equity
To close the healthcare and life sciences gender gap, there have been programs to move women into the boardroom. People are building mentoring networks. And there have been public pledges to do better. But women in the industry aren’t optimistic about big changes coming soon, according to a new report and survey from digital healthcare … Continue reading “New Survey Highlights “Lethargic Pace” of Healthcare Gender Equity”
Biohaven Brings Clifford Bechtold Aboard as Chief Operating Officer
Biohaven (NYSE: [[ticker:BHVN]]) has appointed Clifford Bechtold to serve as chief operating officer of the New Haven, CT, company. Bechtold most recently worked at Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]) as development team leader for genetically defined diseases. His work there encompassed programs in neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases. Biohaven is developing treatments for neurological diseases.
As Russians Hacked U.S. Election, Did Big Tech Firms Break Any Laws?
News is constantly streaming out these days about the role of Facebook, Twitter, and Google in the 2016 presidential election; most disturbing to the public is the apparent use of social media, search, and video channels by Russian operatives seeking to influence U.S. voters. Critical lawmakers have blasted the big tech companies for failing to … Continue reading “As Russians Hacked U.S. Election, Did Big Tech Firms Break Any Laws?”
Bio Roundup: CBO’s Praise, Celgene’s Shock, Trump’s Opioid Plan & More
The White House and the FDA turned the spotlight on the nation’s opioid crisis. Blockbuster drugs from Alexion and Tesaro gained expanded approvals, but bad earnings news from Celgene and Biogen brought stocks down. Academics in the U.S. and China made progress with the gene editing technology CRISPR. And as the week’s biggest biotech deal … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CBO’s Praise, Celgene’s Shock, Trump’s Opioid Plan & More”
Watch Out, VCs: A.I. Program Judges Startups at Boston Pitch Event
I rarely attend startup pitch competitions anymore. They’ve grown hackneyed over the past few years, thanks to a proliferation of such events and the popularity of the TV show “Shark Tank.” But a startup contest held Tuesday at a machine learning conference in Cambridge, MA, put a twist on the typical scenario: the startups were … Continue reading “Watch Out, VCs: A.I. Program Judges Startups at Boston Pitch Event”
Gilt Groupe & Glam Squad’s Wilson Zeroes In On Your Closet With Fitz
Fitz wants to get in the closet with you. The New York-based company will send stylists to your clothes closet, help analyze what you wear and why, and reorganize the clothing and accessories that make the cut. “It’s really kind of cathartic,” says Fitz co-founder Alexandra Wilkis Wilson. “We help clients manage their wardrobes and … Continue reading “Gilt Groupe & Glam Squad’s Wilson Zeroes In On Your Closet With Fitz”
Terminated Blood Cancer Drug Springs Back to Life at SD Biotech
A blood cancer drug resurrected by the scientist who helped discover the compound, and who shepherded it through years of R&D, got a shot in the arm today, in the form of a $90 million financing deal with New York’s Oberland Capital. The financing paves the way for San Diego’s Impact Biomedicines to move forward … Continue reading “Terminated Blood Cancer Drug Springs Back to Life at SD Biotech”
No Charm: PTC’s Duchenne Drug Rejected by FDA for Third Time
The FDA on Wednesday rejected a Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug from PTC Therapeutics, marking the third time that the regulator has quashed the company’s attempts to bring its drug to the market. Early this year, South Plainfield, NJ-based PTC (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PTCT]]) invoked a little-used rule to force an FDA decision. That strategy looked ill-advised last … Continue reading “No Charm: PTC’s Duchenne Drug Rejected by FDA for Third Time”
As Drugs Fail, Some Researchers Urge a Return to Alzheimer’s Roots
As the quest to find treatments for Alzheimer’s disease keeps crashing against rocks, a group of researchers in the field want their peers to pay more attention to the part of the brain where Alzheimer’s disease first wreaks havoc. A new paper from the researchers, published this month in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, is … Continue reading “As Drugs Fail, Some Researchers Urge a Return to Alzheimer’s Roots”
Cord Cutting: How to Get High-Speed Internet Without Cable, 2017 Edition
Hey folks. If you’re thinking about breaking away from the cable monopolies and getting your data, music, and video in other ways, congratulations, I’m with you. I cut the cord back in 2009, and now millions of people are doing the same every year. With the growing interest in cord-cutting, you’d think it would be … Continue reading “Cord Cutting: How to Get High-Speed Internet Without Cable, 2017 Edition”
Announcing New York Biotech: The Future is Now on Dec. 11
Last year the New York City and state governments announced two initiatives designed to make New York a world-class biotech hub. If the right progress is made, 2018 could be a pivotal year in realizing this vision. Xconomy is convening a small group of influential New York life science leaders to host an interactive, town … Continue reading “Announcing New York Biotech: The Future is Now on Dec. 11”
Massachusetts Leads the Fight for a More (Cyber) Secure Future
Last month, more than 143 million Americans potentially had their credit information, social security numbers, birth dates, and other sensitive information stolen in one of the worst data breaches in modern history. Prior to that, rogue cyber attackers infiltrated the networks of major U.S. and European energy providers, with the potential to cause massive disruptions. … Continue reading “Massachusetts Leads the Fight for a More (Cyber) Secure Future”
Xconomy Q&A: An Update with Arcturus Therapeutics CEO Joseph Payne
Things have been moving quickly in recent weeks for the San Diego RNA drug developer Arcturus Therapeutics. After initiating a reverse merger last month, Arcturus signed a research collaboration and worldwide licensing agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, part of the Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: [[ticker:JNJ]]) family of companies. In a statement last week, Arcturus said it … Continue reading “Xconomy Q&A: An Update with Arcturus Therapeutics CEO Joseph Payne”
Merck’s Mark DiNubile Joins BioAegis as Chief Medical Officer
Mark DiNubile has joined BioAegis Therapeutics as chief medical officer. DiNubile previously spent 16 years at Merck (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]), where his work focused on infectious diseases and vaccines. North Brunswick, NJ-based BioAegis is a clinical stage company developing treatments for inflammation and infection. The company’s lead drug is in Phase 2 studies as a potential … Continue reading “Merck’s Mark DiNubile Joins BioAegis as Chief Medical Officer”
Bio Roundup: Kite’s CAR-T Approved, Obamacare Fix & Lilly mRNA Deal
Kite Pharma wasn’t expecting a regulatory decision for its non-Hodgkin lymphoma treatment until November, but this week, the company got the FDA’s O.K. The approval of axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta) marks the second time in the two months that the FDA has given the nod to a CAR-T therapy, a treatment made from a patient’s own … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Kite’s CAR-T Approved, Obamacare Fix & Lilly mRNA Deal”
Techstars Mobility Event: Detroit’s Momentum Clear as Startups Shine
Eleven startups that spent the summer working in the Techstars Mobility accelerator program took to the stage to pitch their technologies to a packed house of investors, entrepreneurs, media, and other stakeholders at the Detroit Film Theatre Wednesday. According to Techstars, this demo day event is the world’s largest of its kind. Each company was introduced by … Continue reading “Techstars Mobility Event: Detroit’s Momentum Clear as Startups Shine”
JPMorgan Chase to Buy WePay; Venmo Adds Merchant Payments
Banks and financial technology companies are scrambling for territory in the online payments arena, as they compete to offer the safest and most convenient digital transaction mechanisms for both consumers and merchants. This week, JPMorgan Chase announced an agreement to acquire WePay, a Redwood City, CA-based company that helps software makers build a payment function … Continue reading “JPMorgan Chase to Buy WePay; Venmo Adds Merchant Payments”
Level Playing Field? How Big Company Dominance May Hinder Innovation
The conventional wisdom about Silicon Valley is that it’s a playground for the underdogs, a fertile ground for young entrepreneurs building startups that are going to “change the world.” Instead, the Bay Area—while, yes, still home to thirsty young entrepreneurs—is increasingly the stomping grounds of a few major tech companies that have come to dominate … Continue reading “Level Playing Field? How Big Company Dominance May Hinder Innovation”
With Pitches for HQ2 Made, Cities Wait on Amazon’s 2018 Decision
From Portland to Pittsburgh, it’s likely that every city in the U.S. with more than 1 million people has made its case to Amazon to locate the company’s second headquarters there. At least, hopefully they have already, because today—if you haven’t heard—was the deadline to apply. Amazon sent North America into a frenzy after announcing … Continue reading “With Pitches for HQ2 Made, Cities Wait on Amazon’s 2018 Decision”
Kite Nabs First Adult CAR-T Approval With Notable Uptick Of Cures
For the second time in two months, remarkable recoveries from desperate cases of cancer have led to early approval of a cutting-edge therapy called CAR-T, which is made from a patient’s own genetically engineered cells. More than a month before the decision was due, the FDA has given the nod to axicabtagene ciloleucel, now branded … Continue reading “Kite Nabs First Adult CAR-T Approval With Notable Uptick Of Cures”
Ann Arbor Unicorn: After $70M Series D, Duo Security Valued at $1.1B
[Updated at 1:05 p.m. on 10/17/2017 to add comments from Duo CEO Dug Song; see below.] Ann Arbor, MI-based cybersecurity startup Duo Security today announced that it has closed on a Series D financing round valued at $70 million, bringing the company’s total valuation to $1.17 billion just seven years after its inception. According to … Continue reading “Ann Arbor Unicorn: After $70M Series D, Duo Security Valued at $1.1B”
Veo Grabs $12M, Led by GV & Lux, to Help Industrial Robots “See”
True artificial intelligence is likely decades away, if it ever comes. In the meantime, companies are making robots “smarter” in less dramatic ways that nevertheless could prove quite useful. Veo Robotics is one of the players trying to boost the intelligence of industrial robots by enhancing their perception and responsiveness to their surroundings—thereby making it … Continue reading “Veo Grabs $12M, Led by GV & Lux, to Help Industrial Robots “See””
After Trump Sounds Off, Senate Has Adult Conversation on Drug Prices
In advance of an anticipated Senate hearing on drug prices, President Donald Trump once again denounced drug companies as “getting away with murder.” The first time he did so, using the same phrase just before his inauguration, the markets shuddered. He also said at the time that “we’re going to start bidding,” a reference to … Continue reading “After Trump Sounds Off, Senate Has Adult Conversation on Drug Prices”
Vinod Khosla on A.I., Health, and the Future of Working (or Not)
Entrepreneur-turned-venture capitalist Vinod Khosla made big headlines almost six years ago when he wrote a blog post called “Do We Need Doctors or Algorithms?” In it, he said medicine needed to be reinvented and he predicted a new era in which artificial intelligence might replace most of the functions that doctors do now—and do it … Continue reading “Vinod Khosla on A.I., Health, and the Future of Working (or Not)”
JLABS Takes Stock of Its Experiment in Life Sciences Innovation
What began as a kind of business experiment in innovation has acquired a life of its own. The idea in 2011 was to create a space at what was then Johnson & Johnson’s pharmaceutical research and development facility in San Diego for an “innovation center,” a place where 18 to 20 life sciences startups could … Continue reading “JLABS Takes Stock of Its Experiment in Life Sciences Innovation”
Bio Roundup: Light For Spark, California Drug Law, IPO Queue & More
In a year of tragedies across the U.S., natural or otherwise, it seemed this week was California’s turn. Fueled by high winds, low humidity, and ample dry vegetation, fires swept through several towns across the state and, as of this writing, have barely been contained. With our minds on friends and loved ones affected by … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Light For Spark, California Drug Law, IPO Queue & More”
Spark’s Gene Therapy to Restore Vision Wins Unanimous FDA Panel Vote
An experimental Spark Therapeutics gene therapy intended to treat rare eye diseases that lead to blindness has won the unanimous backing of an advisory panel to the FDA. Following a daylong hearing that included presentations from Philadelphia-based Spark (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ONCE]]), FDA staff, ophthalmologists, and patients, the panel of independent eye experts voted 16-0 on the … Continue reading “Spark’s Gene Therapy to Restore Vision Wins Unanimous FDA Panel Vote”
Xconomy EXOME Presents: New York Biotech—The Future is Now
Brick by brick, and startup by startup, the New York biotech scene is slowly being built up. More startup incubators are either up, or in development, than ever before. Several pieces necessary to a functional life sciences ecosystem are now in place, and many other milestones will simply take time to develop and succeed. Yet … Continue reading “Xconomy EXOME Presents: New York Biotech—The Future is Now”
Merck Abandons Plans to Seek FDA Approval of Cholesterol Drug
Merck is pulling the plug on a cholesterol-lowering drug that met its main goal in a clinical trial but still raised questions about whether it would benefit patients. Kenilworth, NJ-based Merck (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]) said Wednesday that it won’t seek regulatory approval for anacetrapib, a drug that inhibits a protein called cholesterolylester transfer protein (CETP). By … Continue reading “Merck Abandons Plans to Seek FDA Approval of Cholesterol Drug”
Android Founder on VR, Voice & the Future of Human-Machine Collaboration
Within 20 years, computer keyboards will be relegated to the technology dustbin, says Android co-founder Rich Miner. Miner helped shape the smartphone era with Android, a mobile operating system startup that Google acquired in 2005. Android software now powers over 2 billion devices. On Tuesday, Miner spoke at a mobile software developer conference in Boston … Continue reading “Android Founder on VR, Voice & the Future of Human-Machine Collaboration”
FDA To Advisors: What If One-Time Gene Therapy Needs Extra Doses?
In the run-up to a key vote on an experimental gene therapy, the FDA raised no major flags about the drug’s track record but said its long-term effect remains an open question. That question should receive a thorough airing Thursday, when a meeting of FDA outside advisors will weigh a recommendation of the one-shot gene … Continue reading “FDA To Advisors: What If One-Time Gene Therapy Needs Extra Doses?”
KalVista, Merck Partnership on Blindness Drug Sends Shares Skyward
KalVista Pharmaceuticals has inked a partnership with pharmaceutical giant Merck for its lead drug, an experimental treatment for a complication of diabetes that can lead to blindness. According to the deal announced Tuesday, Merck (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]) will pay Cambridge, MA-based KalVista (NASDAQ: [[ticker:KALV]]) $37 million up front. Merck gains the option to acquire the diabetic … Continue reading “KalVista, Merck Partnership on Blindness Drug Sends Shares Skyward”
Eli Lilly Drug Fails in Lung Cancer, Stalling Oncology Strategy
A cancer drug that Eli Lilly was positioning as a challenger to similar drugs from rivals Pfizer and Novartis has failed a late-stage clinical trial in lung cancer. Indianapolis-based Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]) said Tuesday that its drug, abemaciclib (Verzenio), did not meet the Phase 3 study’s main goal of improving overall survival in patients who … Continue reading “Eli Lilly Drug Fails in Lung Cancer, Stalling Oncology Strategy”
Black Fellowship Students Headed From HBCUs to VC Boardrooms
In mid-October, eleven college students will be flying to California for an opportunity that would be the envy of any Ivy League MBA candidate—they’ll meet the venture capital firm partners who will personally mentor them throughout the school year. The students—all but one are undergraduates—come from campuses in Prairie View, Texas; Tallahassee, Florida; and Nashville, … Continue reading “Black Fellowship Students Headed From HBCUs to VC Boardrooms”
VC Funding Surges in Fewer Deals in Third Quarter, and Top 10 Deals
[Updated 10/11/17, 12:25 am. See below.] “More dollars, fewer deals” has been a prevailing trend in venture funding over the past couple of years, and it was evident again in the three months that ended September 30, according to the latest Venture Monitor report. Venture firms invested $21.5 billion in 1,699 startups nationwide during the … Continue reading “VC Funding Surges in Fewer Deals in Third Quarter, and Top 10 Deals”
Blockchain, Banks & the New Web: Q&A With Ethereum Co-founder Lubin
Ethereum co-founder Joe Lubin is calm and soft-spoken when he shares his vision of how blockchain technology and digital currencies could transform the Internet, the global economy, and many aspects of our daily lives. But what he’s talking about could become a raging tempest, and it’s worth paying attention to—especially given the vast sums of … Continue reading “Blockchain, Banks & the New Web: Q&A With Ethereum Co-founder Lubin”
Steve Case’s Rise of the Rest Shines Spotlight on Emerging Tech Hubs
Steve Case, venture capitalist, author, and co-founder of AOL, is preparing to hit the road this week on his sixth Rise of the Rest tour, where he travels to emerging innovation hubs in search of investment-worthy tech startups and to highlight the growth happening outside of places like Silicon Valley and Boston. In the years … Continue reading “Steve Case’s Rise of the Rest Shines Spotlight on Emerging Tech Hubs”
Bio Roundup: Nobel Pursuit, Fundraising Fruit, A Rhythmic IPO & More
The 2017 Nobel Prizes with a biomedical bent were announced this week. Three researchers shared the physiology and medicine prize for their work shining light on the circadian rhythms that govern the wake-and-sleep cycles of all organisms. That basic research is working its way into applications such as drugs that help regulate our body clocks. … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Nobel Pursuit, Fundraising Fruit, A Rhythmic IPO & More”
As Relief Moves to Recovery, Questions About FEMA’s Tech Corps
[Updated 10/6/17, 8:09 am. See below.] Houston—As Hurricane Harvey whirled toward the Texas Gulf Coast, a volunteer group of techies in Texas and other parts of the country gathered in a Slack channel to develop tools that could help with rescue, recovery, and relief efforts. Nearly six weeks later, that group of volunteers—with some coming … Continue reading “As Relief Moves to Recovery, Questions About FEMA’s Tech Corps”
Amicus Therapeutics’ Pompe Drug Data Show Improved Muscle Movement
[Updated 10/5/17, 3:35 pm. See below.] Amicus Therapeutics has its sights set on a second approved drug after reporting that its Pompe disease treatment helped patients reduce the muscle-wasting effects of the genetic disease. The results were from a small, 20-patient study, however, and the Amicus drug will have to pass muster in a larger … Continue reading “Amicus Therapeutics’ Pompe Drug Data Show Improved Muscle Movement”