Think for a moment about the words and phrases that life science researchers and executives use on a daily basis. I’m talking about the seemingly simple phrases like “investigational drug,” “novel target,” “immunotherapy,” “clinical trial,” “in vitro,” and “therapeutic window.” There are hundreds more. Those of us who work in life sciences are comfortable with … Continue reading “Want to Communicate Your Science? First, Step Back”
Category: Raleigh-Durham
Cancer Drugmaker G1 Therapeutics Makes IPO Pitch To Wall Street
Pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Novartis were first to gain regulatory approval with drugs that block a pair of enzymes important to tumor growth in breast cancer. Clinical-stage biotech G1 Therapeutics has a different approach to those same enzymes and will ask investors in the public markets to get on board. Research Triangle Park, NC-based G1 … Continue reading “Cancer Drugmaker G1 Therapeutics Makes IPO Pitch To Wall Street”
Why Bots Aren’t the Real AI Disruption: The Quiet Rise of Headless AI
Editor’s note: This piece was originally posted on Textio’s company blog. “Hey Siri, how’s the weather today?” “OK Google, remind me to pay the power bill.” “Alexa, tell me a joke!” Bots are eating the world. Whether you are an enterprising app developer building the essential software to bring a virtual Taylor Swift into your … Continue reading “Why Bots Aren’t the Real AI Disruption: The Quiet Rise of Headless AI”
Bio Roundup: CRISPR Appeal, Bristol Deals, Stock Pumping & More
It may have been a short holiday week, but there was plenty of news on the CRISPR front. In the ongoing battle for rights to the landmark gene editing technology, the faction led by the University of California appealed the U.S. decision in favor of the Broad Institute. Elsewhere, Bristol-Myers Squibb flipped assets, a top … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CRISPR Appeal, Bristol Deals, Stock Pumping & More”
Zoetis Builds on Biologics Pipeline with $85M Nexvet Acquisition
Zoetis announced on Thursday that it is acquiring Ireland-based Nexvet Biopharma in an $85 million deal that will bring new biologic drug candidates to the global animal health company. Parsippany, NJ-based Zoetis (NYSE: [[ticker:ZTS]]) will pay $6.72 per share to acquire Nexvet (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NVET]]), a price that represents a 66 percent premium over Nexvet’s closing … Continue reading “Zoetis Builds on Biologics Pipeline with $85M Nexvet Acquisition”
Lyndra’s Long-Acting Drug Delivery Technology Lands $23M Investment
One of the challenges in drug development is making formulations that have a long-lasting therapeutic effect. Implantable products that release a drug slowly over time offer one way to deliver medication for longer than a day, but such long-acting effects have been more difficult to achieve with pills. Drug delivery startup Lyndra has developed technology … Continue reading “Lyndra’s Long-Acting Drug Delivery Technology Lands $23M Investment”
FoodTechWrap: Robots Delivering Meals, Making Custom Salads in SF
Food—it’s messy. It spoils. We don’t have time to cook it. We can’t live without it. These problems are catnip for hopeful tech startups looking for a business niche. Here’s a fast wrap-up on food tech companies and what they’re serving up lately in the Bay Area. —Marble set loose its first fleet of restaurant … Continue reading “FoodTechWrap: Robots Delivering Meals, Making Custom Salads in SF”
Emulate’s “Organ-on-a-Chip” Tech Picked for FDA Research Partnership
[Updated 4/11/17, 9:44 a.m. See below.] Experimental drugs encounter their earliest tests in petri dishes and animals, but these tests can fall short of predicting what happens in humans. The life sciences industry has been pursuing what many hope is a better way: packing human cells into tiny chips developed as stand-ins for organs. This … Continue reading “Emulate’s “Organ-on-a-Chip” Tech Picked for FDA Research Partnership”
The Otonomy Story and the Human Impact of Innovation
[Editor’s note: Jay Lichter will discuss his personal odyssey in drug development on April 19 at The Xconomy Forum on the Human Impact of Innovation. Online registration is here.] I am a pharmaceutical scientist and a biotech venture capitalist. I start companies that are focused on creating new drugs. So when my doctor told me … Continue reading “The Otonomy Story and the Human Impact of Innovation”
Bio Roundup: Gottlieb Talks Vax, Acorda’s Axe, Adams, 23andMe & More
In the nation’s capital, healthcare and life sciences were on center stage. Or stages, actually. On Capitol Hill, FDA commissioner nominee Scott Gottlieb, the drug industry’s favorite pick, told senators his extensive industry ties wouldn’t cloud his judgment or create conflicts. At a downtown convention center, Joe Biden slammed the Trump administration’s budget-cutting plans. And … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Gottlieb Talks Vax, Acorda’s Axe, Adams, 23andMe & More”
AACR Review: Biden Fired Up, Incyte Doubles Up, BMS Up And Down
The American Association for Cancer Research held its annual meeting this week in Washington, DC, a convenient venue for former Vice President Joe Biden to deliver a broadside against the Trump administration’s proposed budget cuts in science funding. For Biden, it’s personal. In the final year of the Obama administration, he championed a push for … Continue reading “AACR Review: Biden Fired Up, Incyte Doubles Up, BMS Up And Down”
Former Allergan Exec Rhatigan Joins Merz to Lead North American Unit
Bob Rhatigan has been named president and CEO of the North American operations of German skin care products company Merz Pharma. Rhatigan will be based at Merz North America’s headquarters in Raleigh, NC. He comes to Merz from Irvine, CA, healthcare products company Alphaeon, where he was president and chief operating officer. His experience also … Continue reading “Former Allergan Exec Rhatigan Joins Merz to Lead North American Unit”
Some Cause for Optimism in Hired’s Research on Gender Wage Gap
Amid the ongoing conversation about gender discrimination in the tech industry, and recent sexual harassment claims against some of its biggest names, here’s some sort-of good news about women in tech: When companies make job offers to both men and women, women receive lower salary offers 63 percent of the time for the same job, … Continue reading “Some Cause for Optimism in Hired’s Research on Gender Wage Gap”
FDA Nominee Scott Gottlieb To Anti-Vaccine Crowd: Get Over It
In what passes for a short hearing these days in Washington, DC, the Trump White House’s pick to run the Food and Drug Administration, Scott Gottlieb, spent less than three hours fielding questions from a Senate committee Wednesday morning. Amid predictable splits between Republican praise for his past industry experience and Democrat fire over potential … Continue reading “FDA Nominee Scott Gottlieb To Anti-Vaccine Crowd: Get Over It”
Slowdown Continues in First-Quarter VC Funding—and Top 10 Deals
Is a caution flag flying? While U.S. venture firms refueled last year by raising a near-record $51.6 billion, they also eased off the throttle in terms of their investment activity during the first quarter of 2017, according to data released today by Seattle-based PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). According to the latest … Continue reading “Slowdown Continues in First-Quarter VC Funding—and Top 10 Deals”
With Fresh Pneumonia Data, Paratek To Seek 2018 Antibiotic Approval
The need for new antibiotics to battle drug-resistant bacteria is rising, and Paratek Pharmaceuticals has news that could give doctors a new weapon. Boston-based Paratek (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PRTK]]) reports that its antibiotic, omadacycline, has hit all its main and secondary goals in a study of 774 patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia. It is the second of two … Continue reading “With Fresh Pneumonia Data, Paratek To Seek 2018 Antibiotic Approval”
How Battling New Epidemics Helps Fight Age-Old Killers
Washington state has reported nearly 300 cases of mumps this winter and experts predict this may be the state’s worst flu season in years, a stark reminder of how dangerous even familiar viruses can be. While the Ebola and Zika outbreaks have dominated the headlines in recent years, they are part of a paradigm we … Continue reading “How Battling New Epidemics Helps Fight Age-Old Killers”
Bio Roundup: New Drug Bonanza, Vertex’s Triple Play, CAR-T Race & More
As far as singular weeks go for biotech, this was a big one. Three highly anticipated drugs were approved. One is the first injectable medication for eczema. Another might help fend off the recurrence of ovarian cancer. And a third offers hope for people with severe forms of multiple sclerosis. Another drug, a new combination … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: New Drug Bonanza, Vertex’s Triple Play, CAR-T Race & More”
Bio Roundup: Trumpcare Wavers, Amgen Courts Payers, Critics Circle PTC
Who knew healthcare could be so complicated? This week, President Trump and the GOP saw first hand, as a feverish rally to get their healthcare bill through the House of Representatives on Thursday stalled before a vote. Elsewhere in Washington DC, drug pricing continued to be a political football. Two well known congressional drug pricing … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Trumpcare Wavers, Amgen Courts Payers, Critics Circle PTC”
Amid Gender Gap Talk, Mentor Network Emerges For Women In Health, Bio
It’s been more than a year since an infamous party with hired models in cocktail dresses captured the biotech community’s attention at the 2016 J.P. Morgan conference. There has been plenty of talk since about closing biotech’s notable gender gap. At this year’s J.P Morgan conference, for example, a group of 100 life science executives … Continue reading “Amid Gender Gap Talk, Mentor Network Emerges For Women In Health, Bio”
Building a Local Innovation Ecosystem
Co-authored with Rudy Gadre, general partner at Founders’ Co-op. Western Washington is already home to some of the most innovative people, companies, and academic programs in the world. And yet we should be doing much more to connect and support our local innovators, to attract more agents of change to the region, and to help them … Continue reading “Building a Local Innovation Ecosystem”
Promising Cash for Consumers, Startup Dosh Plans Break Out of Beta
Austin—A new startup that claims it can get consumers cash back on their purchases—and bring its customers more business in the process—has raised $2 million in new seed funding and is preparing to launch out of beta testing. Called Dosh, the company has raised $6 million in total seed funding but isn’t yet naming its … Continue reading “Promising Cash for Consumers, Startup Dosh Plans Break Out of Beta”
Join David Baltimore, Nicole Glaros, Nathan Myhrvold, & More at Our Napa Summit
Year after year, Xconomy has gathered exemplary business leaders, investors, and far-seeing technologists to our most prestigious event—The Napa Summit. This year is no different. Come join us in the heart of wine country on June 8 and 9 to listen to visionary speakers and connect with fellow innovators. The Napa Summit is by invitation-only, … Continue reading “Join David Baltimore, Nicole Glaros, Nathan Myhrvold, & More at Our Napa Summit”
Talking Driverless Cars, March Madness on Stocks and Jocks Radio
I hit the airwaves Friday morning to talk venture capital, startups, self-driving cars, and March Madness. Stocks and Jocks, a Chicago-based weekday business and sports talk radio program, invited me on the show to share my thoughts on some of the latest trends in the startup world. Hosts Tom Haugh and Kathy Dervin bantered with … Continue reading “Talking Driverless Cars, March Madness on Stocks and Jocks Radio”
Bio Roundup: Trump Budget, FDA Chief, CAR-T Qs, CRISPR Cash, & More
If it wasn’t clear that the Trump administration disdained most types of scientific inquiry and practice, the White House’s proposed budget drove the point home. The top-line figures: a nearly 20 percent cut in the National Institutes of Health, and a 30 percent cut in the Environmental Protection Agency. These and other cuts to programs … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Trump Budget, FDA Chief, CAR-T Qs, CRISPR Cash, & More”
Machine Learning 201: Exploring the Market for New Business
2016 will be remembered for many things, not least as the year that AI and machine learning stepped into the technological and cultural spotlight. Advances in applied machine learning fueled our enthusiasm for smarter, more talkative devices. It impacted how we learned about and processed the news—and fake news—of the national elections. Automation grew in … Continue reading “Machine Learning 201: Exploring the Market for New Business”
CRISPR Organs? eGenesis Raises $38M For Pig-To-Human Transplants
One of the companies trying to revive the once-failed notion of xenotransplantation—transplanting animal organs or tissues into humans—has raised a significant round of cash. The $38 million Series A round announced by Cambridge, MA-based firm eGenesis comes as the field of human-compatible organs grown in animals, while still years from real products, is back in … Continue reading “CRISPR Organs? eGenesis Raises $38M For Pig-To-Human Transplants”
Tax Reform and Choice of Business Entity
Choice of entity—how an entrepreneur decides to conduct the business—is a key decision with critical tax and non-tax implications. In the coming months, the White House is expected to release a detailed tax reform plan which, among other things, may include a significant reduction in corporate tax rates. If the anticipated changes are adopted, should … Continue reading “Tax Reform and Choice of Business Entity”
Airlines Must Improve IT Infrastructure Now or Pay Later
At the tail end of this past holiday season—on one of the busiest travel days of the year—thousands of arriving international passengers found themselves stuck for hours in the line at customs, waiting to be processed. It wasn’t a terror alert, mechanical failure, or nefarious cyberattack that caused long lines and huge delays for travelers … Continue reading “Airlines Must Improve IT Infrastructure Now or Pay Later “
Possible Cures. Mystery Deaths. Daunting Costs. Can CAR-T Be Tamed?
It’s a struggle that comic-book fans know well. Ordinary people, bestowed with super powers from a spider bite or gamma rays, struggle to harness their own abilities. T cells, key soldiers of the immune system, are wrestling with new-found super powers, too. Certain T cells hunt down invasive viruses, bacteria, and the body’s own bad … Continue reading “Possible Cures. Mystery Deaths. Daunting Costs. Can CAR-T Be Tamed?”
Scott Gottlieb On Tap to Lead FDA, and Biopharma Exhales
[Updated 3/12/17 with more comments, see below] The Trump administration has nominated Scott Gottlieb to be the new commissioner of the FDA, a selection that had the life sciences industry breathing a sigh of relief Friday afternoon. The 44-year-old Gottlieb is a physician, a venture partner at New Enterprise Associates, and was also the deputy … Continue reading “Scott Gottlieb On Tap to Lead FDA, and Biopharma Exhales”
Biotech Roundup: Obamacare Lite, DePinho Out, Dunsire In & More
We’ll start the roundup in Washington DC. The repeal of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, began on the first day of the Trump administration. This week, the “replace” phase began with a Republican plan championed by House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI). President Trump backed it, too, but a lot of Republicans have … Continue reading “Biotech Roundup: Obamacare Lite, DePinho Out, Dunsire In & More”
Will Driverless Cars Ever Yield Profits for Uber and Lyft?
Uber has suffered a series of troubles early this year, from sexual harassment claims by a former staff engineer to an intellectual property theft lawsuit by Google unit Waymo. But Uber’s most longstanding, recurrent, and core problem stems from its relationship with its contract drivers. It’s not surprising that Uber is seeking an escape from … Continue reading “Will Driverless Cars Ever Yield Profits for Uber and Lyft?”
Toyota and Others Enabling Self-Driving Cars to Talk to Each Other
Drivers have plenty of ways to communicate with their fellow drivers, beyond the basic turn signal. Some methods are nice, like a friendly wave to beckon a merging car into your lane. Others, not so much. We’ve all probably cursed or honked at another driver, or been given the finger. But if driverless cars become … Continue reading “Toyota and Others Enabling Self-Driving Cars to Talk to Each Other”
Immigrants Are the Best of Humanity and the Strength of Our Nation
[Editor’s note: This post was adapted from Mohamad Ali’s speech at a naturalization ceremony at the JFK Library in Boston on March 8, 2017.] My fellow immigrants, buenas tardes, masa-al-khayr, and good afternoon! I am deeply moved by the opportunity to be here today, to share this momentous occasion with you, and to personally return … Continue reading “Immigrants Are the Best of Humanity and the Strength of Our Nation”
Three Ways to Bolster The Innovation Ecosystem for Women
When the topic of encouraging more female leadership in the startup economy arises, discussions usually center on what women entrepreneurs should do differently. How they should present with greater authority, or how they should “dress the part” for their next investor pitch. Put frankly, how they should adopt any manner of different behaviors. I would … Continue reading “Three Ways to Bolster The Innovation Ecosystem for Women”
How Boragen Banked $10M to Develop New Boron-Based Fungicides
No matter what pharmaceutical companies throw at bacteria and fungi, the microorganisms find ways to get ahead. Their ability to mutate and reproduce quickly gives rise to new generations resistant to anti-infective drugs. Fungal resistance also troubles farmers, but they’ve had few new crop treatments to choose from, in part because agricultural technology investment has … Continue reading “How Boragen Banked $10M to Develop New Boron-Based Fungicides”
Bio Roundup: Healthcare Is Hard, “Slow” FDA, Drugging RNA & More
In an address to Congress this week, President Donald Trump outlined many of his near-term goals, including an overhaul of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, even as public opinion has begun to shift in favor of the law. Trump toned down his typical blunderbuss rhetoric, but he had choice words for the … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Healthcare Is Hard, “Slow” FDA, Drugging RNA & More”
Capital Stockpile Grows as Venture Fund-Raising Hits Recent High
In the venture capital business, a rising tide lifts all boats. That’s the idea, at least. A new report released today by Seattle-based PitchBook shows that U.S. venture firms have plenty of capital to invest in new companies, after 328 venture funds raised a total of $51.6 billion in 2016. That’s a high-water mark for … Continue reading “Capital Stockpile Grows as Venture Fund-Raising Hits Recent High”
Snap Raises $3.4B in IPO, Soaring Trades Set Value Past $20B
Snap, which rose to unicorn status based on a social media app that creates quickly vanishing photos, attracted solid investor interest in an IPO that raised $3.4 billion and sent shares up more than 50 percent above the initial offering price during the first day of trading today. Snap (NYSE: [[ticker:SNAP]]) priced its IPO shares … Continue reading “Snap Raises $3.4B in IPO, Soaring Trades Set Value Past $20B”
Trump and Kalanick: Twin Chief Executives Face Similar Problems
In the rinse-repeat rhythm of Uber’s PR crises, it’s easy to miss that this particular cycle has been a long one. Uber’s latest wave of negative press began in January with a backlash against CEO Travis Kalanick’s role on President Donald Trump’s White House business advisory panel. There’s some irony here, because Trump and Kalanick … Continue reading “Trump and Kalanick: Twin Chief Executives Face Similar Problems”
Former FDA Commissioners Califf, McClellan Talk Healthcare’s Future
The top spot at the FDA remains vacant, and the change in presidential power has some healthcare observers wondering about possible changes for the regulator. One month removed from serving as FDA commissioner, Robert Califf says the agency can be improved through a combination of precedent, experience, and evidence. Califf, who served less than one … Continue reading “Former FDA Commissioners Califf, McClellan Talk Healthcare’s Future”
Cempra Soars on Drug’s Potential to Treat MRSA, Other Infections
Two months after the FDA rejected Cempra’s lead drug, a different antibiotic from the drug developer is now showing promise as a potential treatment for aggressive skin infections such as MRSA. Chapel Hill, NC-based Cempra (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CEMP]]) said that early data from a Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating its fusidic acid pills showed that the … Continue reading “Cempra Soars on Drug’s Potential to Treat MRSA, Other Infections”
Bio Roundup: Trump Backlash, Verdine Plans, Sarepta Sale & More
A short week makes for a shorter roundup. As we’ve come to expect, however, there was no dearth of health and life-sciences news from Washington, D.C. A bipartisan group of Congress members who oversee health policy countered President Donald Trump’s encouragement of vaccine skeptics; the real test will be the upcoming budget’s funding of Centers … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Trump Backlash, Verdine Plans, Sarepta Sale & More”
Bowery Bags $7.5M to Break Into Fast-Growing Indoor Farming Market
[Updated 2/23/2017 11:21 am] City real estate comes with premium prices, so the best way for developers to get the most out of limited space is by building skyward. The same approach holds true in urban agriculture. As vertical farms catch on in more cities, new agtech startup Bowery is entering the market backed by … Continue reading “Bowery Bags $7.5M to Break Into Fast-Growing Indoor Farming Market”
Sexual Harassment Claims Add to Turbulent Times for Uber
For the second time in less than a month, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick found himself fending off critical questions from his own employees at a Tuesday company-wide meeting. The last time, Kalanick was trying to justify remaining on President Trump’s economic advisory council after Trump issued a sudden travel ban against refugees and people from … Continue reading “Sexual Harassment Claims Add to Turbulent Times for Uber”
Amazon, Uber, and Bill Gates’s Robot Tax: An Automation Snapshot
As we gear up for Robo Madness 2017: A.I. Gets Real, our annual robotics and artificial intelligence conference at Google’s offices in Kendall Square, let’s connect a few dots around the topic of automation. In just the past day or two: —Uber has started testing self-driving cars in Tempe, AZ, after having its tests banned … Continue reading “Amazon, Uber, and Bill Gates’s Robot Tax: An Automation Snapshot”
Argos Shares Crater on Futility Finding for Kidney Cancer Therapy
An Argos Therapeutics therapy that uses the immune system to fight kidney cancer has hit a wall after an analysis of the latest clinical trial data found that the experimental treatment was unlikely to work. Following the planned interim analysis of Argos’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARGS]]) Phase 3 clinical trial, the independent data monitoring committee recommended stopping … Continue reading “Argos Shares Crater on Futility Finding for Kidney Cancer Therapy”
Agtech Accelerator Radicle Recruits Industry Vets to Mentor Startups
Former Sapphire Energy CEO Jason Pyle is one of four agricultural technology veterans who have agreed to advise the startups taking root at Radicle, the San Diego-based accelerator focused on agricultural and food tech ventures. Radicle named Pyle, who is now the CEO of BaseHealth, a Silicon Valley healthtech developer of analytic software, as a … Continue reading “Agtech Accelerator Radicle Recruits Industry Vets to Mentor Startups”
Lumina Foundation Gives Odds For Edtech Innovation Under Trump
[Corrected 2/22/17, 9:35 am. See below.] Bipartisanship hasn’t exactly been the watchword in Washington over the past month as the new Trump administration grapples with stalled nominations, court battles over its travel ban, and investigations of campaign contacts with Russia. But deeply divided politicians may still find some common ground over education policy—in ways that … Continue reading “Lumina Foundation Gives Odds For Edtech Innovation Under Trump”