Category: Raleigh-Durham

Heat Biologics Seeks More Cash for Bladder Cancer Immunotherapy Push

Cancer drug developer Heat Biologics is looking to raise $12.5 million through a stock offering as the company continues mid-stage clinical trials for its bladder cancer immunotherapy. Durham, NC-based Heat (NASDAQ: [[ticker:HTBX]]) disclosed the plans in a securities filing, but the company did not say how many shares it will sell, nor did it set … Continue reading “Heat Biologics Seeks More Cash for Bladder Cancer Immunotherapy Push”

Avadim Technologies Obtains $1,940,500 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=2000d46e-c28b-4bf7-ba07-637f674593cc Date 1/22/2016 Company Name Avadim Technologies Mailing Address 81 Thompson St. Asheville, NC 28801 USA Company Description Avadim Technologies,Inc was formed in 2007 in hopes of providing the healthcare community a variety of Therapeutic Skin Care products. The mission of Avadim Technologies, Inc is to provide innovative, evidence based, therapeutic skin … Continue reading “Avadim Technologies Obtains $1,940,500 New Funding”

Argos Therapeutics Names Lee Allen Chief Medical Officer

Lee Allen has joined Argos Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARGS]]) as the drug developer’s chief medical officer. Allen joins Durham, NC-based Argos as the company continues late-stage clinical trials on a cancer immunotherapy, AGS-003, in kidney cancer. Allen most recently served as chief medical officer for Nevada-based cancer drug company Spectrum Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SPPI]]). His experience also … Continue reading “Argos Therapeutics Names Lee Allen Chief Medical Officer”

Computer Science for Every Student: Tapping Into Coding Bootcamps

Countries around the world are recognizing computer science education as a top national priority. In England, children are exposed to computer programming and coding fundamentals as early as age 5. Estonia, a small country with a population of 1.3 million people, is making waves in the tech world by launching a nationwide initiative to teach … Continue reading “Computer Science for Every Student: Tapping Into Coding Bootcamps”

Wider Venture Funding Gap Raises Troubling Questions

This week, Oxfam released its annual study of inequality around the world, which showed that there are actually 62 people who possess as much wealth as the 3.5 billion people in the bottom half of the world’s income scale. Five years ago, that number was 388 people. And all of this is against a backdrop … Continue reading “Wider Venture Funding Gap Raises Troubling Questions”

Bioclinica Acquires Clinverse for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=21cc59ab-a050-4300-b785-63891ac497c3 Date 1/20/2016 Company Name Clinverse Mailing Address 4505 Emperor Boulevard Durham, NC 27703 USA Company Description Clinverse, Inc. is a technology company solely focused on the financial management of clinical trials and associated payments in over 140 currencies. Our flagship product ClinPay revolutionizes the Investigator payment process and considerably reduces study … Continue reading “Bioclinica Acquires Clinverse for Undisclosed Sum”

Novozymes Spins Off Pharma Unit as Separate Blood Protein Company

Novozymes is best known as a maker of enzymes used in industrial applications ranging from biofuels production to beer making, but the company has also spent the last nine years developing a way to make a protein that can stabilize drugs and vaccines in the blood. This biopharmaceuticals work has always been a smaller part … Continue reading “Novozymes Spins Off Pharma Unit as Separate Blood Protein Company”

What Startups Need to Attract Talent: A Purposeful Mission

Success for startups is often elusive, but there are underlying characteristics that can give growing companies a leg up on the competition, especially when it comes to the most important factor—recruiting and retaining top-tier talent. At Norwest, I have found that companies that have a purposeful mission—one that hinges on giving back and making an impact … Continue reading “What Startups Need to Attract Talent: A Purposeful Mission”

Love ‘Em? Hate ‘Em? No Matter. The Drug Industry Gets What It Wants.

Anyone reading this column should be familiar with the fight over drug prices. Many of you would argue that drug makers are too easy a target in political debates and the media, getting little credit for developing lifesaving drugs. Others of you believe that prices have gotten out of hand, and that price gouger Martin … Continue reading “Love ‘Em? Hate ‘Em? No Matter. The Drug Industry Gets What It Wants.”

Medtronic Veteran Joseph Knight Named President of InnAVasc

Medical device industry veteran Joseph Knight has been named president of InnAVasc, a Research Triangle Park, NC-based startup designing and developing products to improve access to blood vessels for patients undergoing hemodialysis. Knight comes to InnAVasc, a Duke University spinout, from Medtronic (NYSE: [[ticker:MDT]]), where he worked in several positions, most recently as director of … Continue reading “Medtronic Veteran Joseph Knight Named President of InnAVasc”

Grail’s Discount, Pfizergan & Pricing Plans: Notes from the JPM Vortex

[Editor’s note: Deputy Biotechnology Editor Ben Fidler co-wrote this story] The week of the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco kicked off with a rousing, sleeves-rolled-up defense of the drug industry’s pricing policies by Ron Cohen, CEO of the multiple sclerosis drug maker Acorda Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ACOR]]) and new chair of the industry’s … Continue reading “Grail’s Discount, Pfizergan & Pricing Plans: Notes from the JPM Vortex”

Tech Startups Succeed With Top Talent, But Where Will They Park?

While companies are in the process of refining prototypes, hiring key employees, and nailing down investment, one overlooked area is where the business will be housed and, more specifically, where everyone will park. In Austin, it’s not just the new companies that are struggling with finding enough parking for their employees downtown. Established firms are … Continue reading “Tech Startups Succeed With Top Talent, But Where Will They Park?”

OurCrowd-Xconomy Study Documents Growth in Equity Crowdfunding

In a short few months, the number of people who can invest in equity crowdfunding will dramatically increase. In October, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced a framework for allowing individual investors to participate in the new form of financing, which had previously been restricted to wealthy accredited investors. Those new rules go into … Continue reading “OurCrowd-Xconomy Study Documents Growth in Equity Crowdfunding”

Mega Deals Push 2015 VC to 15-Year High, But Slowdown Looming?

U.S. venture capitalists poured more money into private companies last year than they had since the height of the dot-com boom, but an investing drop off late in 2015 could signal that the VC gravy train is slowing down. New data out today show that VCs invested $58.8 billion across 4,380 deals in 2015. The … Continue reading “Mega Deals Push 2015 VC to 15-Year High, But Slowdown Looming?”

Medical Test Validity Will Be Debated In 2016: 5 Storylines To Watch

Despite lots of headlines, an underappreciated storyline this year was the undercurrent surrounding the validity of medical tests: —The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published a long Watchdog Report focused primarily on quality issues with waived lab tests, which don’t require FDA approval. —The headline of a shorter version in the Wall Street Journal asked whether lab … Continue reading “Medical Test Validity Will Be Debated In 2016: 5 Storylines To Watch”

Top 5 Strategies to Increase Student Engagement Online

Good teachers often say that “95 percent of good teaching is just getting students motivated.” Online learning presents a new opportunity to both measure engagement and create learning methods that increase it. Facebook sets the high bar for online engagement—65 percent of its billion-plus users are on the platform for an average of 40 minutes … Continue reading “Top 5 Strategies to Increase Student Engagement Online”

Catching Up with Captureproof, Hitlist, Glowforge, & Others at Eureka Park

A few years ago, it might have been outrageous to think of CES as an essential event to meet startups from across country. Given the explosive growth of this part of the annual technology conference, it makes one wonder if Eureka Park is now big enough to be its own show. Last week some 500 … Continue reading “Catching Up with Captureproof, Hitlist, Glowforge, & Others at Eureka Park”

Preparing For A Downturn—A Fintech CEO’s Take

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” – Milton Berle How should entrepreneurs and investors prepare for a future downturn? The economy always operates with opposing forces. It’s expected that there will be downturns and upturns. Entrepreneurs and investors can find opportunities to prepare, possibly flourish, and possibly fall apart, if not ready to deal … Continue reading “Preparing For A Downturn—A Fintech CEO’s Take”

Demand for Broadband Gets Ahead of Expected Norms in Tech Development

The most notable and surprising trend I noticed in 2015 was that broadband bandwidth consumption appears to be outpacing Moore’s Law, by a long shot. The increase of our own customers’ usage was immense: Their bandwidth consumption more or less doubled for New York City in 2015, and that follows a doubling in 2014. I have not seen this … Continue reading “Demand for Broadband Gets Ahead of Expected Norms in Tech Development”

Warp Drive, Surface, Bamboo Cut Deals on Eve of J.P. Morgan

There’s always some last-minute dealmaking on the eve of the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, and this year is no exception. Here are a few of the East Coast highlights to cross Xconomy’s radar screen as we gear up for this year’s festivities. —Sanofi and Warp Drive Bio have had a unique … Continue reading “Warp Drive, Surface, Bamboo Cut Deals on Eve of J.P. Morgan”

Predictions for 2016: Self-Driving Cars, AI, and Brain Monitoring

Whether we have been in a tech bubble or not is frankly not that interesting. What is interesting is that the foundation for innovation is as strong as we’ve ever seen and entrepreneurs are bringing the future to reality at an amazing pace. Here are a few of my predictions for what we’ll see in … Continue reading “Predictions for 2016: Self-Driving Cars, AI, and Brain Monitoring”

Ringing in the Years (and Ears): What I’d Like to Hear in 2016

For the last 30 years, the tech revolution in PCs, Macs, and Smartphones has been largely connected with our eyes, not our ears. 2016 will mark the beginning of the commercialization of virtual and augmented reality, and although our visual experience will continue to be the main focus for these radical changes, it’s time our … Continue reading “Ringing in the Years (and Ears): What I’d Like to Hear in 2016”

$100M Richer, Cempra Still Needs FDA OK To Market Pneumonia Drug

Cempra is raising nearly $100 million through a stock sale to bring its first drug, a new antibiotic called solithromycin, to market as a pneumonia treatment. But Chapel Hill, NC-based Cempra (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CEMP]]) can’t move forward with those plans until the FDA gives its blessing. That could take a while. The firm said in a … Continue reading “$100M Richer, Cempra Still Needs FDA OK To Market Pneumonia Drug”

The Myth Of A Secure Back Door For Encryption

It seems like an appealing move–give the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, as well as our spy organizations, a back door—a “golden key”—to unlock encrypted communications to help catch criminals and terrorists and to protect Americans from harm. This notion of heightened protection is particularly compelling in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks … Continue reading “The Myth Of A Secure Back Door For Encryption”

A Tipping Point in Robotics, and My Five Predictions for 2016

While scientists are making progress in understanding how the mind works, robotics has failed to live up to the expectations set in the 1950s and ‘60s for human-like robots, exemplified by the Jetson’s cartoon character, Rosie the robot maid. Since the rejuvenation of robotics began in the 1980s, we have discovered that engineering and building … Continue reading “A Tipping Point in Robotics, and My Five Predictions for 2016”

From Ambitions To Markets: Richard Kitney And More Synthetic Bio Views

Last week, Xconomy ran the first part of my conversation with Richard Kitney, a bioengineering professor at Imperial College London and a pioneer in the field of synthetic biology. We met in his campus office in November. Kitney has coauthored hundreds of papers and helped galvanize U.K. government support for synthetic biology. He is also … Continue reading “From Ambitions To Markets: Richard Kitney And More Synthetic Bio Views”

Our Relationship With the Internet: Trust Is the Big Concern in 2016

There is no denying we all have a relationship with the Internet. It used to be just a data source, now it is a companion as we go to sleep at night. It informs, entertains, and excites us. And it engages, disappoints, and saddens us. Internet experts and visionaries say 2016 will get even more … Continue reading “Our Relationship With the Internet: Trust Is the Big Concern in 2016”

Artificial Intelligence Growing Slowly in Healthcare, And That’s OK

One of the most significant advances in 2015 was the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) in a variety of fields, including healthcare. While work on AI has been going on for years and still has a long way to go, 2015 saw progress made on self-driving cars, a growing ecosystem of AI startups, and open-sourcing … Continue reading “Artificial Intelligence Growing Slowly in Healthcare, And That’s OK”

Valencell Sues Apple, Fitbit, Claims Wearable Sensor Tech Infringed

As Steven LeBoeuf, president and co-founder of Valencell, wrapped up a 2014 tech conference pitch describing how his startup’s biometric sensor technology works in wearable devices, he was asked to comment about Apple’s then widely expected but still yet-to-launch smart watch. “Absolutely not,” LeBoeuf told the audience at the CED Tech Venture conference in Raleigh, … Continue reading “Valencell Sues Apple, Fitbit, Claims Wearable Sensor Tech Infringed”

VR, Bio Sensors, & Gesture-Controlled Droids Roll Out at CES Preview

Before this week’s big reveals of new technology at CES, a few teaser events are offering glimpses of things to come. CES Unveiled Las Vegas, one such event held Monday evening, had a smattering of gadgets eager for their share of the spotlight (see slideshow). A number of the devices I spied, such as Somabar, … Continue reading “VR, Bio Sensors, & Gesture-Controlled Droids Roll Out at CES Preview”

Making Time to Think in an Always-On World

I schedule thinking time as needed, like it’s a customer meeting or other commitment. Although I produce my work digitally, I think in analog. I’m most effective at brainstorming on paper or whiteboards where I can think in free-form. These mediums are inherently free of digital distractions like e-mail alerts and text messages, and they … Continue reading “Making Time to Think in an Always-On World”

Oncology’s Future: Liquid Biopsies and the Heterogeneity of Cancer

We have known for some time that cancer is not a static, monolithic disease. Instead, we now think of cancer as heterogeneous. Each patient’s cancer may arise from widely dissimilar origins, even in patients with the same type of tumor. Several studies in the last year have spelled out the extent of this diversity, which … Continue reading “Oncology’s Future: Liquid Biopsies and the Heterogeneity of Cancer”

Lab Space on a Navy Ship, And Other Creative Solutions for NY Biotech

I was a management consultant in a former life, and was trained in that role to always have three arguments to support any conclusion. But having spent the last six months living and breathing biotech in New York City, I am convinced there are only two strategic challenges holding this city back from becoming a … Continue reading “Lab Space on a Navy Ship, And Other Creative Solutions for NY Biotech”

SoloPro Garners $1,610,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=46c99f13-03af-4f73-b1f9-43057814414e Date 1/5/2016 Company Name SoloPro Mailing Address 201 West Main Street Durham, NC 27701 USA Company Description SoloPro is a trusted community platform that enables the ultimate home buyer rebate of 3% for do-it-yourself home buyers by connecting them to real estate agents who offer their unbundled services for a small … Continue reading “SoloPro Garners $1,610,000 New Round”

Chimerix, DeSimone, Merz, & More in NC Innovation News

As we kick off the new year, here’s a look at some of the headlines in North Carolina biotech and tech news from the holiday break. —Chimerix’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CMRX]]) lead antiviral drug candidate failed a late-stage clinical trial of its ability to prevent a potentially deadly infection in transplant patients, sparking a more than 80 … Continue reading “Chimerix, DeSimone, Merz, & More in NC Innovation News”

A Potential Downturn Is On My Mind

Downturns are an exciting time for entrepreneurs and investors alike. Quality entrepreneurs who focus on the fundamentals of real growth will have less competition from startups fueled by venture capital dollars, me-too products and ego. Likewise, many of the “tourist” investors retreat, providing increased opportunities for longstanding investors, many of whom have been priced out … Continue reading “A Potential Downturn Is On My Mind”

If There Is One Major Issue the Innovation Scene Must Address…

It’s diversity. The world is being written and consumed in code now. But the teams writing the code aren’t reflective of their global customers. We often hear that major companies can’t find enough talent from different backgrounds because of a pipeline problem that starts in schools. At PowerToFly we disagree. We don’t want people to … Continue reading “If There Is One Major Issue the Innovation Scene Must Address…”

Xconomy’s Top 10 Innovation Stories of 2015

It was the year of drug pricing, fantasy-sports and Uber regulations, and countless cyber and terror attacks. It was a year when initial public offerings were few and far between for technology companies, and the biotech window may have closed as well. Yet there were plenty of commercial advances in fields like gene editing, immunotherapy, … Continue reading “Xconomy’s Top 10 Innovation Stories of 2015”

Synthetic Biology Primer: In Conversation With Richard Kitney, Part 1

“Synthetic biology” has always been a puzzling term to me. Prosthetic limbs are synthetic. Knee replacements are synthetic. Splicing the gene from one organism into another, a practice that began in the 1970s and gave rise to the biotechnology industry, is also a synthetic act. But those things are not “synthetic biology” in the way … Continue reading “Synthetic Biology Primer: In Conversation With Richard Kitney, Part 1”

Surprises in Tech from 2015, and What to Do If A Downturn Hits

Two tech trends gained surprising momentum this year, which positions them to be key drivers in 2016. Both take aim at the heart of the economy. Recently the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) gave crowd finance a shot in the arm. First it passed Regulation A which provides an exemption to the registration requirements mandated … Continue reading “Surprises in Tech from 2015, and What to Do If A Downturn Hits”

In 2016, Will We Finally Enter the Age of Imagination?

The biggest advance or most surprising development of 2015 was the private sector’s rapidly advancing and serious pursuit of commercial spacecraft development. This, coupled with the success of various missions like the Pluto fly-by; the dream of landing a craft on Jupiter’s moon Europa; the discussion of an outpost on the moon; the colonization of … Continue reading “In 2016, Will We Finally Enter the Age of Imagination?”

Thong Le: Biotech Thoughts On Pitches, Prices, Diversity, And Stress

Thong Le is the CEO of Accelerator, a Seattle biotech venture fund and incubator more than a decade old. Le took over in early 2014 and is overseeing a cross-country expansion. A second Accelerator facility opened with fanfare in New York City a year and a half ago. Le said at the time that Accelerator … Continue reading “Thong Le: Biotech Thoughts On Pitches, Prices, Diversity, And Stress”

Virtual Reality’s Turning Points In 2015

Among the most significant developments in VR this year have been the rate of change and improvement in mobile VR. Until recently, compelling VR experiences required a high-powered PC, considerable technical know-how, and were enjoyed only by enthusiasts and early adopters. Now there are mobile solutions that deliver a comparable level of quality, but are … Continue reading “Virtual Reality’s Turning Points In 2015”

Novan Therapeutics Lands $2,430,569 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9f0fec4c-fced-4b29-960c-8ef69f80746c Date 12/30/2015 Company Name Novan Therapeutics Mailing Address 4222 Emperor Boulevard Durham, NC 27703 USA Company Description Novan uses a licensed nitric oxide technology, developed at the lab of Schoenfisch, to give medical devices an antimicrobial coating, helping to fight bacteria. Website http://www.novantherapeutics.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,430,569 Transaction … Continue reading “Novan Therapeutics Lands $2,430,569 New Financing”

Time to Bring Our Education System in Line with the 21st Century

The most pressing issue facing the innovation community is the lack of a robust tech talent pipeline to support emerging new enterprises and to help legacy industries adapt. While other countries are developing workers with skills to compete in the 21th century, our country’s education system remains stuck in the 20th. Not only do public education programs lack … Continue reading “Time to Bring Our Education System in Line with the 21st Century”

In the Face of Genomic Data Challenges, the Cloud Keeps Us Afloat

The data intensity of genomics is so intense that it’s difficult for most people to comprehend. According to estimates published in the journal PLOS Biology in July, as many as 2 billion human genomes could be sequenced by 2025, which would far exceed the data output expected of other “big data domains,” such as astronomy, … Continue reading “In the Face of Genomic Data Challenges, the Cloud Keeps Us Afloat”

Chimerix Stock Plunges After Anti-Infection Drug Fails Phase 3 Trial

A drug meant to fight a broad spectrum of viruses has failed a key study in the prevention of a potentially fatal infection in transplant patients, crushing the stock price of the drug’s developer, Chimerix. Durham, NC-based Chimerix (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CMRX]]) said Monday that its drug brincidofovir did not meet a Phase 3 study goal of … Continue reading “Chimerix Stock Plunges After Anti-Infection Drug Fails Phase 3 Trial”

Infrastructure Investments Are Key to U.S. Future

The issue that makes me most angry is the lack of investment in the infrastructure of the United States. From roads to mass transit to science to education, we are falling behind (or further behind) other regions. It’s a false economy, as lack of investment now means less capability to generate returns in the future. … Continue reading “Infrastructure Investments Are Key to U.S. Future”