Category: Raleigh-Durham

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?”

Cibus Readies Enhanced Crops for Push into Canada, and Beyond

After raising $57 million in a Series B round of venture funding, the San Diego agricultural biotech Cibus Global is laying the groundwork to introduce its first commercial product in Canada. Cibus introduced its first enhanced crop—an herbicide-resistant strain of canola—in the U.S. about two years ago, CEO Peter Beetham said Wednesday in an interview … Continue reading “Cibus Readies Enhanced Crops for Push into Canada, and Beyond”

Disrupt Indy: Can Data Forge the Path to Inclusive Tech Ecosystems?

U.S. tech startups and investment firms have long been thought of as the domain of white men—because historically, they have been. Although that may be changing as more big tech corporations are pressured to release their diversity statistics and change hiring policies, one only needs to look at the statistics to confirm that women, members … Continue reading “Disrupt Indy: Can Data Forge the Path to Inclusive Tech Ecosystems?”

A.I. Chip Race Redraws Competitive Map Among Tech Firms, Chipmakers

It’s been a long time since tech’s biggest companies could be sorted into discrete buckets according to the products they pioneered—-Google, the search software giant; Apple, the computer and mobile device innovator; e-commerce leader Amazon; business software stalwart Microsoft; and social media engine Facebook. Since then, these major innovators have built on a common resource—increasingly … Continue reading “A.I. Chip Race Redraws Competitive Map Among Tech Firms, Chipmakers”

Agtech Perspectives From Two Days With the Crop Chemicals Crowd

Spraying chemicals on crops has been a standard farming practice for decades. Pesticides and fungicides aren’t going away, but they are ceding some ground to new biological products that aim to help plants in different ways. The past year has seen market launches for microbial products developed to help plants resist stresses from pests and … Continue reading “Agtech Perspectives From Two Days With the Crop Chemicals Crowd”

Bio Roundup: GOP Drama, Immunotherapy Setbacks, Pharma Revamps

Two failed cancer studies this week provided a fresh reminder how little researchers and clinicians understand about immunotherapy’s vagaries: why it works for some people and not for others. The results, in lung cancer and head-and neck cancer, add to recent failures in multiple myeloma and bladder cancer and splash cold water on a sector … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: GOP Drama, Immunotherapy Setbacks, Pharma Revamps”

Immunotherapy Shakeup: AstraZeneca Inks Merck Deal as Drug Combo Fails

Despite all the great progress made harnessing the immune system to fight cancer, there is still much work to be done to maximize its potential. The latest evidence: disappointing results today from a roughly 1,100-patient study called “Mystic,” a highly anticipated trial from AstraZeneca testing a combination of immunotherapies in newly diagnosed lung cancer patients. … Continue reading “Immunotherapy Shakeup: AstraZeneca Inks Merck Deal as Drug Combo Fails”

Bio Roundup: Obamacare Persists, FDA Approves, Vertex Wows & More

The attempt to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act took a major hit this week from Senate GOP holdouts who said the Better Care Reconciliation Act either tore down Medicaid too much or left too much of the ACA in place. A straight-up repeal, floated by Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, was also shot … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Obamacare Persists, FDA Approves, Vertex Wows & More”

Iron Yard, Coding School With Three Texas Campuses, Shuts Down

The Iron Yard coding school, which has campuses in Dallas, Houston, and Austin, TX, announced Thursday that it is shutting down operations. In a blog post on the school’s website, communications director Lelia King wrote that “the Iron Yard has made the difficult decision to cease operations at all campuses after teaching out remaining summer … Continue reading “Iron Yard, Coding School With Three Texas Campuses, Shuts Down”

New Frontier: Space Center Crowdfunds for Mission Control Facelift

[Updated 7/25/17 5:18 pm. See below.] Houston—Houston, Mission Control has a problem. The storied control room at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston—recognizable to many of us from 1960s news clips of the dawn of the Space Age––is in need of a face-lift. And so, Space Center Houston, the visitor’s center for the JSC, has turned … Continue reading “New Frontier: Space Center Crowdfunds for Mission Control Facelift”

Christopher Ahlberg: The Full Xconomy Voices Interview

The second episode of Xconomy’s new podcast, Xconomy Voices, features Recorded Future co-founder and CEO Christopher Ahlberg. His Somerville, MA-based cybersecurity company monitors both the public, visible Web and the Internet’s darker corners for “threat intelligence” that can help its clients prepare for, and fend off, cyber attacks. Ahlberg’s background in data analytics and his … Continue reading “Christopher Ahlberg: The Full Xconomy Voices Interview”

A.I. Prizes, Coming to Healthcare, Hit $1M Mark in Cancer Contests

This story is part of an Xconomy series on artificial intelligence in healthcare. Some of the other stories cover a genomics hackathon, A.I. and radiology, and the impact on doctors and patients. In the classic 1967 film “The Graduate,” Dustin Hoffman’s just-out-of-college character gets one word of career advice from a family friend: plastics. In … Continue reading “A.I. Prizes, Coming to Healthcare, Hit $1M Mark in Cancer Contests”

Xconomy Voices, Episode 2: Christopher Ahlberg of Recorded Future

On our new Xconomy Voices podcast, we find the smartest, most successful entrepreneurs and innovators in Xconomy’s network of cities and regions, and we ask them to open up about what they’re working on, what they’re excited about, and why they think their company, product, or idea is going to take the world by storm. … Continue reading “Xconomy Voices, Episode 2: Christopher Ahlberg of Recorded Future”

StrataGraft Skin Treatment Gets New FDA Regenerative Med Status

A regenerative medicine treatment for skin burns developed by Stratatech could make it to the market more quickly following a regulatory decision announced Tuesday. The FDA has designated StrataGraft, a Stratatech-developed sheet of living tissue made from human cells that form into skin, as a Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT), the company said. Drugs that … Continue reading “StrataGraft Skin Treatment Gets New FDA Regenerative Med Status”

What Internet Pioneer Vint Cerf Sees in San Diego (and Other Hubs)

The Internet pioneer Vinton Cerf came to San Diego recently on an unusual quest—to meet with dozens of local technology leaders and assess what the region has to offer in terms of innovation. It was Veni, Vidi, Vinti. He came. He saw. He Cerfed. The visit was unusual in part because of Cerf himself. As … Continue reading “What Internet Pioneer Vint Cerf Sees in San Diego (and Other Hubs)”

First Slice of Long-Term “100K” Study: Useful Data, No Health Outcomes

It’s easy to find hope that new biomedical technologies, from genetic sequencing to wearable fitness trackers, will lead to a healthier populace. It’s harder to find evidence. There has even been caution about the idea of analyzing the DNA of seemingly healthy people. But a small study in Seattle called the Pioneer 100 Wellness Project, … Continue reading “First Slice of Long-Term “100K” Study: Useful Data, No Health Outcomes”

Bio Roundup: PDUFA Progress, BCRA Redux, CAR-T Thumbs Up, & More

Government and industry are rife with awkward acronyms. Take PDUFA, for example. First passed in 1992, the Prescription Drug User Fee Act allows the FDA to collect fees from biopharmaceutical companies when they apply for drug approval; those funds are designated for the regulator’s drug evaluation work. Congress must reauthorize the law every five years … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: PDUFA Progress, BCRA Redux, CAR-T Thumbs Up, & More”

Unanimous Advice To FDA: Approve Landmark CAR-T Cancer Therapy

The first ever approval of a new kind of cancer immunotherapy called CAR-T is one step closer. A 10-member panel of doctors and researchers who advise the Food and Drug Administration recommended with a rare unanimous vote that the agency approve a treatment for kids and young adults with a severe form of leukemia who … Continue reading “Unanimous Advice To FDA: Approve Landmark CAR-T Cancer Therapy”

Sanofi Shores Up Flu Vaccine Business With Protein Sciences Deal

With influenza season a few months away, Sanofi is giving its vaccine operations a shot in the arm by acquiring Protein Sciences, a company that has a commercial vaccine, Flublok, and manufactures it using genetic engineering and cell culture instead of the traditional method that relies on millions of chicken eggs. According to the companies, … Continue reading “Sanofi Shores Up Flu Vaccine Business With Protein Sciences Deal”

VC “Self-Correction” Continues in Second Quarter, and Top 10 Deals

[Updated 7/12/17, 8:38 am, to add MoneyTree data. See below.] U.S. venture capital investments are showing more signs of returning to steady levels. Investors pumped $21.78 billion into 1,958 companies in the second quarter, according to data from the quarterly Venture Monitor report from Seattle-based PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). The number … Continue reading “VC “Self-Correction” Continues in Second Quarter, and Top 10 Deals”

Shire’s David Thompson Joins Precision BioSciences C-Suite

Precision Biosciences has appointed David Thompson to the new position of chief development officer. Thompson comes to Durham, NC-based Precision from Shire (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SHPG]]), where he was senior vice president and global head of research and nonclinical development. In his new role, Thompson will oversee Precision’s preclinical strategy for gene therapies and cell therapies based … Continue reading “Shire’s David Thompson Joins Precision BioSciences C-Suite”

Bio Roundup: BCRA Fireworks, Shkreli Muzzled, Endo Pulls Drug & More

The Fourth of July was this week, but members of Congress didn’t need to crane their necks skyward to see fireworks. Senators returned to their districts, where local news offered blistering headlines about the potential impact of the Republican plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. Independence Day typically lets lawmakers mingle with constituents at … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: BCRA Fireworks, Shkreli Muzzled, Endo Pulls Drug & More”

With MapAnything Live, GM Aims to Turn Car into Mobile Sales Office

GM was the first automaker to enter the realm of connected cars when it launched the OnStar navigation system more than 20 years ago. However, telematics has come a long way since then, as evidenced by GM’s announcement that it will partner with location analytics startup MapAnything to offer its fleet customers a way to … Continue reading “With MapAnything Live, GM Aims to Turn Car into Mobile Sales Office”

Bayer Signs Deal with San Diego’s SlantRange to Analyze Farm Data

SlantRange, a San Diego startup that specializes in providing agricultural data and analytics for farmers, has landed its first strategic agreement with a major agribusiness company. In a statement today, SlantRange says it is now working to collect and analyze crop data for Bayer Crop Science, a division of Bayer’s North American operations based in … Continue reading “Bayer Signs Deal with San Diego’s SlantRange to Analyze Farm Data”

With Triage System, Companies See Toehold for A.I. in Radiology

This story is part of an ongoing Xconomy series on A.I. in healthcare. Other stories cover big-company efforts, a genomics hackathon, the impact on doctors and patients, and business models of A.I. in healthcare. Years ago, radiology underwent a radical transformation with the shift from film to widespread use of digital image displays. That set … Continue reading “With Triage System, Companies See Toehold for A.I. in Radiology”

5 Privacy Worries on 4 Wheels: Staying Safe in the Connected Car Era

As modern vehicles are upgraded to include Internet-enabled technologies designed to access, store, and transmit data for entertainment and safety purposes, consumers are presented with a double-edged sword. On one hand, these connected systems provide important convenience benefits for consumers, but on the flip side, motor vehicles are being exposed to a growing number of … Continue reading “5 Privacy Worries on 4 Wheels: Staying Safe in the Connected Car Era”

Bio Roundup: Senate Drama, A.I. Stories, Data Dives, Shkreli & More

There is no Obamacare replacement, at least not as of this writing. The Senate Republicans are fractured, with a handful of conservatives and moderates each giving a cold shoulder to their chamber’s version of healthcare reform, the Better Care Reconciliation Act. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office report Monday put the bill’s potential effects in stark … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Senate Drama, A.I. Stories, Data Dives, Shkreli & More”

New Study: DNA Tests For Healthy People Have “Uncertain Value”

Genome sequencing is becoming more common for people diagnosed with cancer. Should it become part of a healthy person’s checkup, too? A new study published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine questions the practicality of making DNA tests standard for people who don’t have a cancer diagnosis or aren’t trying to identify a mysterious … Continue reading “New Study: DNA Tests For Healthy People Have “Uncertain Value””

U.S. IPOs Surge Amid Nettlesome Risks; Top 10 Deals So Far in 2017

[Updated 6/27/17 5:00 pm. See below.] Improving economic fundamentals are stoking the IPO pipeline in the United States and elsewhere, according to a report issued Tuesday by the global consultant and accounting firm EY. Eighty companies raised a total of $22 billion on U.S. exchanges during the first half of 2017, according to the report … Continue reading “U.S. IPOs Surge Amid Nettlesome Risks; Top 10 Deals So Far in 2017”

AkitaBox, PrecisionHawk to Bring Drones to Building Management

AkitaBox, a developer of software allowing users to access and edit documents containing data on buildings and the machines inside of them, announced a collaboration Monday that could enable the startup’s customers to inspect building exteriors by flying unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones. Madison, WI-based AkitaBox says it has partnered with Raleigh, NC-based PrecisionHawk, which … Continue reading “AkitaBox, PrecisionHawk to Bring Drones to Building Management”

Boston Is Arguably the Heart of Biotech. But Who Makes It So? Have Your Say.

By the end of this year, for the first time, patients with certain deadly types of blood cancer might have a new option, CAR-T cell therapy, to prolong their life. Immunotherapy could further entrench itself as a mainstay of cancer treatment. Newer drugmaking methods—RNA interference and gene therapy—could get their first ever FDA reviews. Multiple … Continue reading “Boston Is Arguably the Heart of Biotech. But Who Makes It So? Have Your Say.”

GE, IBM Race to Deliver on A.I. Hype in Healthcare

This story is part of an ongoing series on A.I. in healthcare. A companion piece today looks at the question of when A.I. might replace doctors. Artificial intelligence has a long road ahead to reach the front lines of healthcare—but it’s coming. Big companies and startup investors are pouring billions of dollars into A.I. technologies for … Continue reading “GE, IBM Race to Deliver on A.I. Hype in Healthcare”

Bio Roundup: Senate Trumpcare, FDA On Cancer, Alzheimer Review & More

All eyes are on the nation’s capital this week, where the Senate released its version of the American Health Care Act (now called the Better Care Reconciliation Act) and the White House worked on an executive order to address drug prices. No one knows how to pay for high-priced medicines that could bring long-term relief … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Senate Trumpcare, FDA On Cancer, Alzheimer Review & More”

Foxconn Founder Gives Details on Plan to Build Display Plant in U.S.

The founder and chairman of Foxconn, a Taiwanese multinational known as a key supplier for Apple (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AAPL]]) and other digital device makers, said Thursday that Foxconn plans to invest more than $10 billion in an electronics display-making plant in the U.S., according to a Reuters report. Terry Gou, who has led Foxconn since founding … Continue reading “Foxconn Founder Gives Details on Plan to Build Display Plant in U.S.”

Mary Lou Jepsen: The Full Xconomy Voices Interview

For the inaugural episode of our new podcast, Xconomy Voices, we chose to speak with Bay Area entrepreneur and executive Mary Lou Jepsen. She leads a startup called Openwater, which is developing a new kind of wearable imaging device that might one day enable communication by thoughts alone. Of course, there are nearer-term goals as … Continue reading “Mary Lou Jepsen: The Full Xconomy Voices Interview”

Introducing Xconomy Voices (Podcast), Episode 1: Mary Lou Jepsen

It’s always been Xconomy’s mission to reach audiences—both here on our website, and at our many live events around the country—with deep insights into the innovation process, divined from experts embedded in the world’s most important hubs of high-tech entrepreneurship. And now we’re doing that in one more medium: podcasting. I’m thrilled to be collaborating … Continue reading “Introducing Xconomy Voices (Podcast), Episode 1: Mary Lou Jepsen”

Alzheimer’s Drug Pipeline Analysis: Have We Hit Peak Amyloid?

A 2014 report provided a stark frame of reference for the challenge of fighting Alzheimer’s disease, showing that 99.6 percent of all drugs in the field had failed in one way or another. Led by Jeffrey Cummings, director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, the same authors recently published a new … Continue reading “Alzheimer’s Drug Pipeline Analysis: Have We Hit Peak Amyloid?”

Economic Study Ranks San Diego Near Top in Genomics Innovation

An economic impact study of San Diego’s emerging genomics industry counted 115 genomics-related companies operating in the region that directly employ over 10,000 people, and drive about $5.6 billion worth of annual economic benefits throughout the area. “San Diego is really end-to-end in genomics, from start to finish,” said Kirby Brady, who oversaw the study … Continue reading “Economic Study Ranks San Diego Near Top in Genomics Innovation”

Bio Roundup: Trumpcare Is Mean, SCOTUS Says Go, Merck’s Myeloma No

What exactly does the American Health Care Act, the Republican proposal to replace Obamacare, currently look like? Few people know, because the Senate version is being negotiated behind closed doors in Washington D.C. without any public hearings. We do know President Trump now thinks the version of the AHCA that squeaked through the House is … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Trumpcare Is Mean, SCOTUS Says Go, Merck’s Myeloma No”

Patient Network Group Says Majority of Members Want To Keep Obamacare

A U.S. patient networking group called PatientsLikeMe has dipped its toe in the waters of public opinion, asking its members what they think of the healthcare policy fight. There are many caveats, but the numbers trend in the same direction that other national polls have found—a shift towards more acceptance of the Affordable Care Act, … Continue reading “Patient Network Group Says Majority of Members Want To Keep Obamacare”

Getting Women On Boards: Three Ways to Increase the Numbers

The hot topic of getting more qualified women on corporate boards continues unabated. Recent statistics show how companies with women prominently serving in such capacities experience higher-than-average financial performance. A major investment group even declared earlier this year that it would push to get women on the boards of the companies in their portfolio. Yet … Continue reading “Getting Women On Boards: Three Ways to Increase the Numbers”

Bio Roundup: ASCO Digested, Juliet Unveiled, PTC Slated & More

The New York Times Magazine wrote a few weeks ago about the extraordinary metabolic changes in a python after it gulps down a 50,000 calorie meal. The biomedical world was like a postprandial python this week; after extending its maw around the supersized meal of news and data from the American Society for Clinical Oncology … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: ASCO Digested, Juliet Unveiled, PTC Slated & More”

States Seek Slice of $7 Trillion Autonomous Vehicle Industry

As U.S. states and cites vie to capture some of the trillions of dollars of economic activity expected to flow from a shift to autonomous vehicles in the coming decades, Washington on Wednesday joined about two dozen states that have paved the way for testing driverless cars. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee directed relevant state agencies … Continue reading “States Seek Slice of $7 Trillion Autonomous Vehicle Industry”

ASCO Roundup: Checkpoint Combos, Tumor Profiling, Financial Toxicity

[Note: Ben Fidler coauthored this report.] The American Society of Clinical Oncology conference is wrapping up, and the closely watched medical meeting-slash-hype machine produced its usual array of data. There were a few big business-focused “horse race” stories—one company’s stumble was another company’s gain—but much of the news consisted of mid-trial updates that companies produce … Continue reading “ASCO Roundup: Checkpoint Combos, Tumor Profiling, Financial Toxicity”

Facing Cash Crunch, Novan Slashes Staff and Shuffles Executive Team

Novan is laying off 20 percent of its workforce, the company announced today, as it retrenches following the late-stage clinical trial failure of its experimental acne drug earlier this year. The skin drugs developer says it is still committed to its acne drug SB204. But Durham, NC-based Novan (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NOVN]]) adds that layoffs throughout the … Continue reading “Facing Cash Crunch, Novan Slashes Staff and Shuffles Executive Team”

Of Catfish & Fickle Lovers: Aste CEO Talks Online Dating’s Downsides

There are millions of fish in the sea, and dating apps have made it easier to quickly find and connect with a lot more of those would-be catches. But the ease of creating an online dating profile—and the lack of oversight by the companies running such services—means that users can, and often do, misrepresent themselves. … Continue reading “Of Catfish & Fickle Lovers: Aste CEO Talks Online Dating’s Downsides”

Precision Steps: Can Loxo Drug Help Broaden Use of Cancer DNA Tests?

When the FDA last week approved Merck’s cancer drug pembrolizuamb (Keytruda) for tumors with a specific genetic signature, regardless of what body part they originated in, it was a watershed moment for oncology and a victory for the concept of precision medicine. But Merck isn’t alone; others are following suit with similar plans, and their … Continue reading “Precision Steps: Can Loxo Drug Help Broaden Use of Cancer DNA Tests?”

SIGINT Wins Midway: Milestones of Innovation 13

In these days of internet disruptions of complex systems like medical care and even elections, our obsession with data security is swelling. We’re all too aware of how signals from myriad sources can help us construct patterns of human behavior and make plans to take advantage of that behavior. Although it may be no comfort … Continue reading “SIGINT Wins Midway: Milestones of Innovation 13”