Category: Raleigh-Durham

On CAR-T’s Edge, Seattle Researchers Plot to Bypass Novartis Therapy

[Corrected, 10/10/17, 2 p.m. ET. See below.] It’s not a stretch to say that Greta Oberhofer is alive thanks to the genetically modified cell therapy called CAR-T. At three and a half months old, she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL, an aggressive blood cancer. At 10 months old, she had a bone … Continue reading “On CAR-T’s Edge, Seattle Researchers Plot to Bypass Novartis Therapy”

Amazon Should Bypass States That Have Laws Pandering to Hate-Mongers

Instead of extolling the many virtues of southeast Michigan as a possible location for Amazon’s new headquarters, I will instead suggest why some of the other locations being considered are not advisable. Many of the cities being talked about, such as Boston; Toronto; Washington, DC; and Chicago, are strong contenders. They have the necessary infrastructure, … Continue reading “Amazon Should Bypass States That Have Laws Pandering to Hate-Mongers”

How Bayer and Ginkgo Teamed Up in a $100M Synthetic Biology Bet

Nitrogen is essential for plant growth and photosynthesis, but plants can’t pull it directly from air. They rely on bacteria on their roots to convert the gas into a usable form. Many major food crops don’t have these bacteria but Bayer wants to change that. The multinational company is teaming up with Boston startup Ginkgo … Continue reading “How Bayer and Ginkgo Teamed Up in a $100M Synthetic Biology Bet”

Akili, Emulate, Ginkgo & More: The Innovation at the Intersection Award Finalists

Research that happens at the intersection of different fields can lead to new innovations that tackle pressing problems in the life sciences. This year’s finalists in the Innovation at the Intersection category show the value of bringing different disciplines—engineering and biology, IT and medicine—together. Here are brief introductions to the finalists. The winners of this … Continue reading “Akili, Emulate, Ginkgo & More: The Innovation at the Intersection Award Finalists”

Dealmaker, Thought Leader & More: The X of the Year Xconomy Award Finalists

Given the size and diversity of the life sciences community in the Boston area, we at Xconomy knew that many candidates would be so unique that they wouldn’t fit neatly into a category. So we gave them a category of their own. These finalists represent the wide range of talent—from investors to entrepreneurs and thought-leaders—that … Continue reading “Dealmaker, Thought Leader & More: The X of the Year Xconomy Award Finalists”

Bio Roundup: Phase 3 Fails, Shkreli Jailed, Moderna Flip-Flops & More

It was a week of realignments. President Trump, who used to be known as “The Donald” but now goes by “Amnesty Don,” kept up the parlay-voo with his new friends Chuck and Nancy. Martin Shkreli, who was once known—and still is!—as the “pharma bro,” will have a new perspective for a while, through the bars … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Phase 3 Fails, Shkreli Jailed, Moderna Flip-Flops & More”

Going Big or Against the Tide: Meet the Big Idea & Contrarian Award Finalists

[Corrected, 1:25pm ET, see below] All innovation and companies start off as an idea. Some will gain more traction than others over time, but we at Xconomy think that big ideas—and the people and companies in Boston’s life sciences community bold enough to try to implement them—are worth celebrating. Some of those ideas even go … Continue reading “Going Big or Against the Tide: Meet the Big Idea & Contrarian Award Finalists”

GM, Ford, BAE Systems Up the Self-Driving Ante with New Advances

Things are moving quickly in the mobility sector as the race to develop autonomous vehicle technologies revs up. This week brought a spate of mobility news from GM and Cruise, Ford, BAE, and even the federal government. Read on for details. —The Detroit News published a detailed report this week regarding Ford’s Silicon Valley lab, … Continue reading “GM, Ford, BAE Systems Up the Self-Driving Ante with New Advances”

Education Is Unbundling—Three Key Trends to Watch

Technology in the classroom has come a long way since its advent in the 1920s, when teachers would air radio broadcasts about topics relevant to their lesson plans. Ten years later, in the 1930s, the overhead projector debuted to display material for the whole class to see all at once, followed by the launch of … Continue reading “Education Is Unbundling—Three Key Trends to Watch”

Xconomy Award Finalists in the Eye of the National Drug Price Debate

[Corrected 12:20pm ET; see below.] The national debate over the high cost of healthcare, with prescription drugs at the center, resonates from the chambers of Congress to every American’s pocketbook. And it’s growing fiercer by the day. Last week, the first genetically modified cell therapy came to market with a price tag of $475,000. This … Continue reading “Xconomy Award Finalists in the Eye of the National Drug Price Debate”

Amicus’s Scioderm Deal Flops as Skin Drug Fails in Phase 3

Epidermolysis bullosa is a rare, debilitating skin disease with no approved treatments, and unfortunately, that isn’t going to change anytime soon. Amicus Therapeutics reports this morning that an experimental drug it has been developing for the condition failed a Phase 3 trial. The Cranbury, NJ, company won’t invest in future studies. Amicus (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FOLD]]) said … Continue reading “Amicus’s Scioderm Deal Flops as Skin Drug Fails in Phase 3”

The Winners of the Xconomy Lifetime Achievement Award Are…

The editors at Xconomy have been working hard the last few weeks putting together the program for the Xconomy Awards Gala. We are really excited to announce the two winners of the Xconomy Lifetime Achievement Award. Lita Nelsen, MIT (retired) Lita Nelsen (pictured left) played a pivotal role in transforming Kendall Square and Boston into … Continue reading “The Winners of the Xconomy Lifetime Achievement Award Are…”

To Win Amazon’s HQ2, Incentives Are Nice, But Talent Is Required

Amazon lists one requirement in the stunning request for proposals it issued Thursday, which invites cities across North America to compete to host a second corporate headquarters for the tech and commerce giant. Economic development officials are justifiably salivating at the once-in-a-generation opportunity to attract what is arguably the 21st century’s most important company, and … Continue reading “To Win Amazon’s HQ2, Incentives Are Nice, But Talent Is Required”

Bio Roundup: RNAi Drama, Immunotherapy Data, Lasker Winners & More

The summer doldrums are over. Biotech news came at a breakneck pace this week both before and after Labor Day, starting with the surprise resignation of Novartis’s top executive just days after the Swiss company notched an historic FDA approval. From there, the week featured big headlines, both good and bad, from several trials in … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: RNAi Drama, Immunotherapy Data, Lasker Winners & More”

Five Regions That Could Draw Amazon’s Next Headquarters

[Updated 4:26 p.m. See below.] Amazon sent cities across North America into a frenzy Thursday after announcing plans to build a second headquarters outside of Seattle, bringing with it tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic development benefits. The tech and commerce giant says it wants cities and states to apply … Continue reading “Five Regions That Could Draw Amazon’s Next Headquarters”

Levin, Holtzman, 183 Other Bio Leaders Urge White House to Preserve DACA

Biotech CEOs Jeremy Levin and Steve Holtzman are continuing their recent push to spur the life sciences industry to speak out against government policies it doesn’t agree with. Levin, CEO of Ovid Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OVID]]) and Holtzman, the head of Decibel Therapeutics, co-authored a letter to the Trump administration and congressional leaders asking them to … Continue reading “Levin, Holtzman, 183 Other Bio Leaders Urge White House to Preserve DACA”

Lasker Award Goes to HPV Vaccine Developers Lowy, Schiller

A top prize in American biomedical science was awarded today to two scientists for their discoveries that led to the development of a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which prevents cervical cancer caused by the sexually transmitted virus. Douglas Lowy (pictured right), acting director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and John Schiller (left), also at … Continue reading “Lasker Award Goes to HPV Vaccine Developers Lowy, Schiller”

Finistere Plants Investment Seed in Ireland With $24M Agtech Fund

Ireland’s top agricultural exports are beef and dairy products. Arama Kukutai believes that in coming years, Ireland will send the United States and the rest of the world something different: innovative agricultural technologies that help make farms more productive and profitable. To that end, Kukutai’s venture capital firm, Finistere Ventures, is joining with the Ireland … Continue reading “Finistere Plants Investment Seed in Ireland With $24M Agtech Fund”

Coming to Boston Was a “No-Brainer”: Xconomy’s Newcomer Award Finalists

Building a biotech business comes down to a lot of meetings and networking with potential new partners, hires, investors and others. Having all of these folks, along with top academics, highly concentrated in an urban center (that also has a lot of nice restaurants and coffee shops to meet in) was a key factor in … Continue reading “Coming to Boston Was a “No-Brainer”: Xconomy’s Newcomer Award Finalists”

Bio Roundup: CAR-T’s Huge Week, Merck’s ‘Pib Choice & More

[Corrected 9/5/17, 12:22 p.m. See below.] The far-out idea of reprogramming a patient’s immune cells to fight cancer, known as CAR-T, entered the mainstream this week, and two numbers highlight the tale. The first is $11.9 billion, the price Gilead Sciences is paying for Kite Pharma and its cancer-fighting cell therapy pipeline. It’s one of … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CAR-T’s Huge Week, Merck’s ‘Pib Choice & More”

Novartis: CAR-T Results In One Month, Or No Charge. Why One Month?

Novartis said Wednesday that it would not charge for its newly approved cellular immunotherapy, tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah)—the first so-called CAR-T product to ever come to market—if it fails to help patients within a month. If the cell therapy, approved for kids with leukemia who have run out of other options, starts to work within a month, … Continue reading “Novartis: CAR-T Results In One Month, Or No Charge. Why One Month?”

BDSI’s Sirgo to Retire as CEO But Remain Vice Chairman

Mark Sirgo, president and CEO of BioDelivery Sciences International (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BDSI]]), will retire at the end of the year, the Raleigh, NC, pharmaceutical company has announced. But Sirgo will remain vice chairman of BDSI’s board of directors. The company said that the board will work with Sirgo to find his successor. Sirgo, who has been … Continue reading “BDSI’s Sirgo to Retire as CEO But Remain Vice Chairman”

Embracing the Inevitable Changes of Self-Driving Vehicles

Read today’s news and you’d think fully autonomous vehicles—commercial vehicles, in particular—will be everywhere in the very near future. With headlines like these, it’s no wonder: Self-Driving Trucks Could be on Highways in 3 to 4 Years U.S. and Europe Race to be First to Self-Driving Trucks Ford Plans Self-Driving Car for Ride Share Fleets … Continue reading “Embracing the Inevitable Changes of Self-Driving Vehicles”

Novartis Wins Historic FDA Nod, Prices CAR-T For Leukemia at $475,000

Ahead of schedule, Novartis has received the first-ever approval of a genetically modified living cell therapy called CAR-T, which uses a cancer patient’s own immune cells as the medicine. Within days, children and young adults with a severe form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia could receive the treatment at a handful of centers across the U.S. … Continue reading “Novartis Wins Historic FDA Nod, Prices CAR-T For Leukemia at $475,000”

Taking Tech Ideas Global: Connecting an Innovation Ecosystem

The word ecosystem conjures up a rain forest in Ecuador, where sunlight, soil, water, and a multitude of species exist together in a self-sustaining environment that is constantly evolving. This image from biology translates perfectly into what many people like to call an innovation ecosystem. Think of a group of people developing a new idea, … Continue reading “Taking Tech Ideas Global: Connecting an Innovation Ecosystem”

Who is Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber’s Pick to be CEO?

The news broke Sunday night that Uber has offered the job of CEO to Dara Khosrowshahi, the outspoken steady hand guiding Bellevue, WA-based online travel giant Expedia (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXPE]]) for the last dozen years. Khosrowshahi and Uber have not officially confirmed the news as of Monday evening. An internal e-mail from Barry Diller, Expedia chairman, … Continue reading “Who is Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber’s Pick to be CEO?”

Power to the Patient: Meet Xconomy’s Patient Partnership Award Finalists

It’s clear at this point that patients are no longer just subjects in clinical trials. Thanks to the growing power of patient advocacy groups—and an FDA eager to hear their perspective—patients and drug developers are increasingly finding creating ways to work together, as we’ve seen with the four finalists in the Patient Partnership category of … Continue reading “Power to the Patient: Meet Xconomy’s Patient Partnership Award Finalists”

Bio Roundup: Drug Price Debates, NY Bio Blooms & CEOs Take Social Stand

In these politically divided times, Americans this week found near universal agreement on one thing: A celestial event that plunges a summer day into temporary darkness is a captivating experience. The totality of the solar eclipse lasted less than 3 minutes. If you missed it, you’ll have to wait until 2024 for the next one. … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Drug Price Debates, NY Bio Blooms & CEOs Take Social Stand”

Brazilian Ag Bio Firm CTC Plans U.S. Expansion; RTP in Running for R&D Site

Brazilian sugarcane biotechnology company CTC is planning a U.S. expansion, and North Carolina’s Research Triangle is one of four regions on its short list for a future research and development site. Besides North Carolina, the company is also considering Florida, Louisiana, and Missouri for its new outpost. Diego Ferres, head of R&D at CTC, visited … Continue reading “Brazilian Ag Bio Firm CTC Plans U.S. Expansion; RTP in Running for R&D Site”

Stand Up to “Bully” Trump: Bio CEOs Levin, Holtzman Call to Their Peers

Biotech CEOs Jeremy Levin and Steve Holtzman have watched the violence in Charlottesville, VA, and its continuing aftermath with disgust. But they aren’t just upset about the rally, the violence and death, and President Trump’s equivocating blame of “many sides.” Levin, of Ovid Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OVID]]), and Holtzman, of Decibel Therapeutics, have been disappointed with … Continue reading “Stand Up to “Bully” Trump: Bio CEOs Levin, Holtzman Call to Their Peers”

70% Repatha Cut? Amgen Counters With Own Study To Justify Price

Writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco argued this week that the price of the cholesterol-fighting drug evolocumab (Repatha) should come down 70 percent, to $4,215 a year, to be cost-effective. But a separate study, published today in JAMA Cardiology and funded by the drug’s … Continue reading “70% Repatha Cut? Amgen Counters With Own Study To Justify Price”

Memphis Meats Cooks Up $17M Funding Round for Lab-Grown “Meat”

Memphis Meats says it has developed a way to grow animal cells into products that have the look, texture, and taste of meat from farm-grown chickens. The San Francisco Bay area startup is now working to scale up its production process, and it has raised $17 million in funding toward that goal. The Series A … Continue reading “Memphis Meats Cooks Up $17M Funding Round for Lab-Grown “Meat””

The Downside of Immersive Tech: An Increasingly Isolated World

As an entrepreneur who has been involved in tech and media for over two decades, I have seen my share of disruptions (I so hate that word!) and even participated in a few. Back in the 1990s, while we were developing some broadband technologies at Sourcecom, my first startup, we also had to develop the … Continue reading “The Downside of Immersive Tech: An Increasingly Isolated World”

On Drug Pricing: FDA Backs Up Its Calls for Increased Competition

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has been very public in expressing his desire to provide increased competition and greater choice to American consumers in a bid to drive down prices of prescription medicines. Recently, the agency he oversees took some unusual steps to back up those statements with action. Last week, the FDA approved the use … Continue reading “On Drug Pricing: FDA Backs Up Its Calls for Increased Competition”

Bio Roundup: Frazier v. Trump, Data Dumps, New York Steps & More

The CEO of a major U.S. pharmaceutical company was in the news this week, but for a change not because of the cost of drugs. Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier (pictured) was the first of what quickly became a line of CEOs to exit President Trump’s manufacturing council, leading to its dissolution altogether. Frazier was widely … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Frazier v. Trump, Data Dumps, New York Steps & More”

Expanding Tissue and Squeezing Cells: Meet Xconomy’s Young Innovator Award Finalists

The finalists in the Young Innovator category of the 2017 Xconomy Awards show that it’s never too early in life to start a company or invent a new technology. These four individuals (30 years of age or under) share a strong drive, even a restlessness, to build new things that make a difference. Three knew … Continue reading “Expanding Tissue and Squeezing Cells: Meet Xconomy’s Young Innovator Award Finalists”

Private Equity Investors Have $740 Billion to Spend, Driving Valuations

Private equity investors have more capital at their disposal than at any time in more than a decade, which could boost prices for companies seeking acquisitions. As of Aug. 1, private equity firms in North America and Europe had secured $212.6 billion in new commitments this year, on pace to eclipse the “already stellar” fundraising … Continue reading “Private Equity Investors Have $740 Billion to Spend, Driving Valuations”

Allergan Veteran Kevin O’Brien Moves to Merz to Lead Neurosciences

Kevin O’Brien, a 16-year veteran of Allergan (NYSE: [[ticker:AGN]]), is joining Merz North America as vice president and U.S. head of neurosciences. O’Brien had held various roles in Allergan’s dermatology and aesthetics business. Merz North America is a subsidiary of Germany-based Merz Pharma. O’Brien will be based in Merz North America’s headquarters in Raleigh, NC.

Dragonfly, eGenesis, Spero & More: Xconomy’s Startup Award Finalists

Startups play a critical role in the innovation economy that we chronicle at Xconomy—transforming new ideas that begin in a lab into the products and companies of tomorrow. No surprise, then, that the startup category in our first-ever Awards program was a particularly competitive one, loaded with private companies (no more than 5 years old) … Continue reading “Dragonfly, eGenesis, Spero & More: Xconomy’s Startup Award Finalists”

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”

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”

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”

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”

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”

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”

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”

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”