The gene-editing technology CRISPR-Cas9 is opening up new research avenues all the time, such as giving drug developers a cheaper, faster way to knock out genes in tumor cells. Studies of CRISPR-Cas9 to treat human disease are about to start, too. But will our immune systems, already on alert for common infections by the bacteria … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Depression Drug Dashed, Peek at ASH, CRISPR Worry & More”
Category: Raleigh-Durham
Cloud Leaders Shrug at IBM’s $34B Red Hat Deal
In some ways, the biggest software acquisition of all time could be a yawner. IBM’s planned $34 billion deal to acquire open-source software maker Red Hat is a hefty price to pay to give its cloud computing business a shot in the arm. But even if the purchase ultimately boosts IBM’s bottom line, some cloud … Continue reading “Cloud Leaders Shrug at IBM’s $34B Red Hat Deal”
IRobot’s Roombas to Map Households for Google Smart Homes
Autonomous vehicle developers rely heavily on navigational technology that maps the complex terrain of roads, curbs, signs, and people that their cars have to thread through. Google, as it develops its smart home systems, is turning to a company that already knows how to navigate the terrain of a household—corridors, kitchens, cat beds, cast-off shoes, … Continue reading “IRobot’s Roombas to Map Households for Google Smart Homes”
Facebook’s 3Q Growth Suffices to Stave Off Another Stock Dive
Facebook (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FB]]) shares gained nearly 3 percent Tuesday, and ticked up further in after-hours trading following the release of a third quarter earnings report that showed some strengths as well as shortfalls. Investors have been concerned about the social media giant’s slowing growth rate in a year when it has been under scrutiny for … Continue reading “Facebook’s 3Q Growth Suffices to Stave Off Another Stock Dive”
Stantt CEO Thinks Its Approach to Selling Men’s Wear Fits Just Right
Stantt wants to make standard sizing anything but. “Traditional sizing only fits 15 percent of guys,” says Matt Hornbuckle, the startup’s founder and co-CEO. “Twins come in and get different sizes.” To connect guys with a shirt that fits well, the men’s wear startup created a database of “tens of thousands” of body scans. That … Continue reading “Stantt CEO Thinks Its Approach to Selling Men’s Wear Fits Just Right”
IBM Buying Red Hat in $34B Mega-Deal to Beat Amazon, Google in Cloud
[Updated 10/29/18, 12:53 pm, with executives’ comments.] IBM has agreed to buy open-source software maker Red Hat in a $34 billion bet aimed at helping it win the cloud computing war against Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. It’s one of the largest-ever U.S. tech acquisitions—the $67 billion Dell-EMC deal holds the top spot. Armonk, NY-based IBM … Continue reading “IBM Buying Red Hat in $34B Mega-Deal to Beat Amazon, Google in Cloud”
Pineapples and Bananas: Yummy to Eat, And Now Fashionable to Wear
Style trends may come and go but the apparel industry is increasingly accepting that sustainability will always be in fashion. “We have the chance to shift the environment to a cleaner, more non-toxic place,” says Greg Altman, co-founder and CEO of Silk, a Boston-area maker of a proprietary liquid silk. “That’s really our goal.” To … Continue reading “Pineapples and Bananas: Yummy to Eat, And Now Fashionable to Wear”
U.K. Slaps Maximum Fine of $645,000 on Facebook for Privacy Violations
The U.K.’s data privacy regulator fined Facebook $645,000 for violations that allowed political marketing firm Cambridge Analytica and other outside companies to extract 87 million Facebook profiles worldwide without adequate user knowledge or consent. The purpose of the U.K.’s enforcement actions is to change the behavior of organizations that mishandle the sensitive private information of … Continue reading “U.K. Slaps Maximum Fine of $645,000 on Facebook for Privacy Violations”
Bio Roundup: Alzheimer’s Puzzle, ESMO Assessed, Drug Prices & More
In the biotech investment and research communities this week, much of the attention was turned to Europe. Munich, Germany, hosted the annual conference of the European Society for Medical Oncology, where cancer drug developers unveiled the latest clinical data for experimental immunotherapies and drugs that treat the disease based on a tumor’s genetic signature. Also … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Alzheimer’s Puzzle, ESMO Assessed, Drug Prices & More”
Trump Plan Ties Medicare Drug Prices to Cheaper Foreign Ones
[Updated 5:41pm ET with analyst note, see below.] When the Trump administration announced its blueprint for lowering prescription drug prices in May, many observers said it was too soft on the biopharma industry and didn’t contain concrete initiatives that could truly cut costs. But with the U.S. midterm elections fast approaching and the high cost … Continue reading “Trump Plan Ties Medicare Drug Prices to Cheaper Foreign Ones”
Berkeley’s SkyDeck Offers Chip Design Support Worth Millions to Startups
The current land rush in chip development, spurred as new technologies such as artificial intelligence create new needs, is pitting established semiconductor companies like Intel and Nvidia against tech titans like Facebook that are building their own chips. A wave of next-generation chip companies has also entered the fray. So how much room remains for … Continue reading “Berkeley’s SkyDeck Offers Chip Design Support Worth Millions to Startups”
Amgen Slashes Cholesterol Drug Price 60% to Match Rival Regeneron
[Updated, 10/25/18, 12:15 a.m. See below.] Amgen is cutting the list price of its new cholesterol-lowering drug by nearly 60 percent, a move the company says is intended to make the product more affordable for more patients. The move is a shot across the bow of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:REGN]]]). The Tarrytown, NY firm recently … Continue reading “Amgen Slashes Cholesterol Drug Price 60% to Match Rival Regeneron”
U-M Reports 2018 Rise in Inventions, Licensing, and Startups
Every fall, the University of Michigan formally celebrates the inventions and companies spun out of the school’s research and development efforts. This year, there was a lot to celebrate: according to U-M, a record number of 21 startups were launched during the 2018 fiscal year ending June 30, nearly doubling the previous year’s number. U-M … Continue reading “U-M Reports 2018 Rise in Inventions, Licensing, and Startups”
Baubles & Bling: Swoonery Uses Tech to Connect Shoppers With Jewelry
Jean Poh’s family has been in the jewelry business for four generations. And, for the most part, the industry has operated much the same as it always has, she says. Following a professional detour in which she worked as an attorney and angel investor, Poh made her way back to the jewelry business. She began … Continue reading “Baubles & Bling: Swoonery Uses Tech to Connect Shoppers With Jewelry”
ESMO ’18: Precision Meds, Breast, Lung, and More from the Cancer Front
[Ben Fidler co-authored this report.] The European Society for Medical Oncology is wrapping up its annual conference today, replete with clinical data from cancer’s front lines. We’ve sorted the headlines into a few big categories: immunotherapy combinations, breast cancer, lung cancer, the growing class of drugs called PARP inhibitors, and new drugs that treat tumors … Continue reading “ESMO ’18: Precision Meds, Breast, Lung, and More from the Cancer Front”
Why Technology Alone Won’t Fix Education
“Artificial intelligence will transform the education system.” “Immersive technology will reshape learning forever.” These are just some of the industry rumblings about how edtech will disrupt and ultimately “fix” what’s wrong with the education system in the United States. With back-to-school season in full swing, it’s imperative that we set the record straight. The truth … Continue reading “Why Technology Alone Won’t Fix Education”
Tech Industry Lobby Proposes Data Privacy Laws; Critics Call Them Weak
The tech industry, which reaps billions of dollars by harvesting personal data and using it to sell targeted advertising and other services, opened the door to federal data privacy regulations today in a proposal by ITI, a lobbying organization for tech companies. The Information Technology Industry Council, which represents the policy interests of companies including … Continue reading “Tech Industry Lobby Proposes Data Privacy Laws; Critics Call Them Weak”
Entrepreneurs Thinking Inside the Box
Hackathons usually involve thinking outside of the box. But for myself and four other MIT students, brainstorming, eating, and sleeping inside a 16-foot by 16-foot glass cube on campus for four days straight in mid-September proved just as effective at getting our creative juices flowing. The experience was part of InCube 2018, a global startup … Continue reading “Entrepreneurs Thinking Inside the Box”
Bio Roundup: Prices on TV, Novartis Hearts Radio, Warp Drive’s End
Two new battlegrounds emerged this week in the nation’s ongoing drug pricing debate. The first involved television: The federal government hopes that blaring prices in TV ads will essentially pressure drug makers into lowering them, and the pharma lobby fired back. The second centered around a group of pricey new migraine drugs: The nation’s largest … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Prices on TV, Novartis Hearts Radio, Warp Drive’s End”
Report: Express Scripts Shuts Out Teva Migraine Drug, Prefers Rivals
[Updated 10/17/18, 2:52 p.m. See below.] Express Scripts has just exerted its influence over the emerging market battle between drug makers trying to sell a new class of migraine-preventing medicines. The pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) is excluding a new drug from Teva Pharmaceutical from coverage while favoring two rival treatments instead, according to a report … Continue reading “Report: Express Scripts Shuts Out Teva Migraine Drug, Prefers Rivals”
SoftBank’s Arm to Include Cybereason Security Services in IoT Hub
Security-tech company Cybereason is announcing another boon flowing from close ties with its biggest investor, Japanese telecom and tech giant SoftBank. Boston-based Cybereason has formed a partnership with Arm, the dominant developer of computer chip architecture, which was acquired by SoftBank in 2016. Cybereason’s security services will be incorporated into the Arm Pelion IoT platform, a … Continue reading “SoftBank’s Arm to Include Cybereason Security Services in IoT Hub”
Citing Regulatory Uncertainty, Origin Code Academy to Close
Origin Code Academy, one of San Diego’s few coding schools—for-profit companies that offer short-term vocational training in computer programming—said this month it will shutter on Nov. 16 after about three years in business. The company opened in late 2015, offering a 12-week course for $13,500 and promising graduates a software job within 90 days of … Continue reading “Citing Regulatory Uncertainty, Origin Code Academy to Close”
Paul Allen’s Contributions, Far Beyond Microsoft, Touched the Brain, AI & More
Technology and life sciences leaders say they’ll remember Paul Allen, the Microsoft co-founder, philanthropist, and investor who passed away Monday at age 65, as an “inspiration” whose work will impact the fields he worked in for years to come. Allen died from complications of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, according to a statement from Vulcan, the Seattle-based philanthropy … Continue reading “Paul Allen’s Contributions, Far Beyond Microsoft, Touched the Brain, AI & More”
Tulerie Helps Users Dress Like Models, Without Breaking the Bank
Tulerie makes its debut today, joining a growing roster of online clothing rental startups. The New York-based Tulerie focuses on high-end couture—items that retail for $1,000 to $10,000—that might be worn a time or two but mostly take up space in a woman’s closet. The company is building a two-sided marketplace, with owners of haute … Continue reading “Tulerie Helps Users Dress Like Models, Without Breaking the Bank”
After Net Neutrality: How to Prepare for the Internet’s New Reality
The federal net neutrality regulation, which had guaranteed equal access to the Internet for data from all sources, is officially repealed. There are no longer federal rules ensuring that all Internet traffic must be treated equally, and no FCC protections to stop Internet Service Providers (ISPs) from engaging in blocking, throttling, or paid prioritization of … Continue reading “After Net Neutrality: How to Prepare for the Internet’s New Reality”
Room Service by Robot and Other Ways Tech Is Changing the Hotel Stay
More days than not, Michael Colaneri’s home is a hotel room. So innovations like “geolocation” sensors that automatically unlock his room door and adjust the thermostat when he’s nearby make the constant change easier—sometimes. “My experience has been exceptionally inconsistent,” he says. “When it’s worked, it’s really great, cool, and so efficient to the point … Continue reading “Room Service by Robot and Other Ways Tech Is Changing the Hotel Stay”
Bio Roundup: BIO Diversity, Allogene IPO, CRISPR In Utero & More
Nearly four years after investors snapped up new shares of Juno Therapeutics in a $265 million IPO, cancer immunotherapy remains a hot ticket. Like Juno, Allogene Therapeutics just pulled in a massive IPO haul, nearly $300 million. And like Juno, Allogene is working with a live immune-cell treatment called CAR-T, but it is harvesting cells … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: BIO Diversity, Allogene IPO, CRISPR In Utero & More”
Facebook Bars 800 Fake Accounts and Pages For Using Tactics Like Russia’s
In another wave of account shutdowns, Facebook announced Thursday that it disabled more than 800 pages and accounts to prevent groups that disguised their identities from flooding its network with inauthentic content—some of it hyper-partisan political messages. Facebook (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FB]]) has been under pressure to cleanse its pages of fake news since the discovery that … Continue reading “Facebook Bars 800 Fake Accounts and Pages For Using Tactics Like Russia’s”
BIO Has Big Diversity Goals. Does It Have the Means to Reach Them?
Whether from embarrassing parties or sobering surveys, the biotech gender gap problem has made plenty of headlines the past couple years. The industry’s largest trade group, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), is trying to encourage its more than 1,000 member companies to do better. Last winter, BIO posted diversity goals for the industry to hit … Continue reading “BIO Has Big Diversity Goals. Does It Have the Means to Reach Them?”
Tim Berners-Lee Building Inrupt to Fix the Web—Will Users Come?
The World Wide Web is at a crossroads. For all the benefits it has brought society over the past three decades—faster and easier communication, instant knowledge access, a seemingly inexhaustible marketplace of goods and services—the Web has also morphed into an “engine of inequity and division,” according to its inventor, Tim Berners-Lee (pictured above). In … Continue reading “Tim Berners-Lee Building Inrupt to Fix the Web—Will Users Come?”
Anaplan Ups Estimate For Its IPO Haul; Allogene IPO Raises $288M
San Francisco-based Anaplan, one of five companies planning to close initial public offerings this week, raised the expected price range for its shares in an SEC filing Wednesday, signaling an IPO that could be richer than it had anticipated. Enterprise planning software company Anaplan, which is privately valued at more than $1.4 billion, had originally … Continue reading “Anaplan Ups Estimate For Its IPO Haul; Allogene IPO Raises $288M”
Passport Buys Austin Parking Enforcement Software Company NuPark
Austin—Passport, a company with software that helps cities and other organizations manage operations, has acquired a business called NuPark that sells parking management services. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. NuPark, based in Cedar Park, TX, and makes video and software technology that helps customers like schools and governments manage parking. Passport sells mobile-based software … Continue reading “Passport Buys Austin Parking Enforcement Software Company NuPark”
U.S. Venture Capital Deals on Pace to Exceed $100B in 2018
Once considered a passing phase, the concentration of capital into fewer, larger venture capital deals appears to be the new normal. Fueled by so-called mega-funds, investment in U.S.-based venture-backed companies as of the end of the third quarter hit a decade high, and is on pace to pass the $100 billion mark by year’s end. … Continue reading “U.S. Venture Capital Deals on Pace to Exceed $100B in 2018”
With a $10.2M Boost, YourMechanic Aims at Mobility Fleet Market
Every month, there’s news of another partnership among carmakers like GM and tech companies such as Uber, as they vie for dominant roles in a transportation future where individual car ownership may largely give way to rides-on-demand from fleets of autonomous and tech-enabled vehicles. But whether Uber, Toyota, GM, Honda, or Google end up at … Continue reading “With a $10.2M Boost, YourMechanic Aims at Mobility Fleet Market”
Bio Roundup: Nobel Prizes, Duchenne Steps, Guardant’s IPO & More
Cancer immunotherapy is all the rage these days. The idea of harnessing the immune system to treat cancer has sparked billions of dollars in research, led to a vast matrix of clinical trials, and started to change the way how several cancers are treated. The reason: When it works, cancer immunotherapy can lead to longer-lasting … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Nobel Prizes, Duchenne Steps, Guardant’s IPO & More”
Cloudera, Hortonworks Plan to Merge as $5.2B Cloud Data Platform
Cloudera and Hortonworks, two large, publicly traded companies that compete to offer Web-based data storage and analytics, announced plans today to merge into a combined entity they value at $5.2 billion. Share prices for the two Silicon Valley companies spiked in after-hours trading following the announcement Wednesday that both their boards approved the all-stock deal. Palo … Continue reading “Cloudera, Hortonworks Plan to Merge as $5.2B Cloud Data Platform”
Girls In Tech Showcases Women Founders In SF Pitch Competition
Kristina Tsvetanova says she found the motivation for her startup Blitab in 2014, when a blind colleague’s struggle to communicate via the Internet made her conscious of the barriers facing visually impaired people in a digital world. Her search for solutions spurred her to move from her native Bulgaria to find greater resources in Vienna, … Continue reading “Girls In Tech Showcases Women Founders In SF Pitch Competition”
Pivot Bio Gets $70M, Led by Bill Gates’s Fund, to Replace Fertilizer
Applying fertilizers to fields has been a standard farming practice for generations. The problem with these chemicals is that they end up in the air or in water runoff. Scientists at agriculture startup Pivot Bio say the key to delivering an important nutrient to crops has been at the plants’ roots all along—and the company … Continue reading “Pivot Bio Gets $70M, Led by Bill Gates’s Fund, to Replace Fertilizer”
XRC Labs Showcases Retail Tech Innovations in VR, AI, Big Data
XRC Labs, an accelerator program focused on e-commerce and retail startups, held a demo day for its latest class Thursday, featuring innovations in artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and other technologies. The group of 10 startups is the sixth class for New York-based XRC, which was founded three years ago to promote innovation in the disruptive … Continue reading “XRC Labs Showcases Retail Tech Innovations in VR, AI, Big Data”
Bio Roundup: Amarin’s Stunner, Lung Cancer News, Data Dumps & More
Six years ago, a biotech called Amarin won FDA approval of a prescription fish-oil pill, Vascepa, because it could lower triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood. But Amarin didn’t have the evidence that lowering triglycerides with fish oil would really help people. Sales lagged. Amarin’s shares sank. While other groups tested other fish … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Amarin’s Stunner, Lung Cancer News, Data Dumps & More”
Six Life Science Firms Close Q3 with an IPO, More Are on the Way
The window for life science IPOs is still open, and five biotechs and one medical device company chose the last week of the third quarter to make their stock market debuts. Gritstone Oncology (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GRTS]]) closed out the week by raising $100 million in an upsized IPO. On Thursday night, Emeryville, CA-based Gritstone priced its … Continue reading “Six Life Science Firms Close Q3 with an IPO, More Are on the Way”
Eli Lilly Strikes Deal for Diabetes Pill to Gain on Novo Nordisk
Eli Lilly has a blockbuster diabetes drug, dulaglutide (Trulicity), which helps the body make more insulin. But that drug, and others in the same class, are injectables. A number of companies are trying to offer patients a pill alternative. Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]) now has a new pill drug candidate in its pipeline. The Indianapolis pharmaceutical … Continue reading “Eli Lilly Strikes Deal for Diabetes Pill to Gain on Novo Nordisk”
Where Can Influential Companies Go to Meet Exceptional Black VCs?
Culture Shifting Weekend—a November 1-3 invitation-only summit, presented by Culture Shift Labs (CSL)—will offer a rare opportunity for leading companies and investors to meet, vet, and fund the fast-growing ecosystem of Black venture capitalists and VC firms. Hosted at Infor in New York City, Culture Shift Lab’s annual three-day event will enable institutional investors, social … Continue reading “Where Can Influential Companies Go to Meet Exceptional Black VCs?”
How Groups Are Closing the Security Skills Gap, Boosting Diversity
Today, there is a massive shortage of cybersecurity talent across the globe. According to a 2015 study from Frost & Sullivan and the (ISC)² Foundation, there could be more than 1.5 million unfilled cybersecurity positions globally by 2020. As cybersecurity attacks and data breaches, unfortunately, become a matter of not if but when, security talent … Continue reading “How Groups Are Closing the Security Skills Gap, Boosting Diversity”
San Antonio Makes Pact to Commercialize Military, Academic Research
San Antonio — Life science groups, city officials, and research institutes in San Antonio are organizing an effort to commercialize more scientific developments coming out of the city’s military organizations. The goal of the project is to develop an alliance between researchers at San Antonio’s numerous military medical units, the two University of Texas institutions in … Continue reading “San Antonio Makes Pact to Commercialize Military, Academic Research”
Bio Roundup: Little Rhody, More for Migraine, Opioid Bills & More
The U.S. Senate had a rare moment of agreement, overwhelmingly passing a package of opioid-related bills. Up the East Coast, life-science players in Rhode Island are working to bring different local factions together and boost the state’s economy. Across the country, a similar effort is underway in Los Angeles. There were also plenty of headlines … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Little Rhody, More for Migraine, Opioid Bills & More”
Convoy Reloads With $185M For Its Freight Shipment Marketplace
Convoy, an online marketplace that connects shippers with freight truck fleets and independent drivers, announced today it raised $185 million in a Series C fundraising round led by CapitalG, the growth equity investment fund of Alphabet, Google’s parent company. With its new funding, Seattle-based Convoy plans to continue expanding its network of customers and truckers … Continue reading “Convoy Reloads With $185M For Its Freight Shipment Marketplace”
Elanco IPO Raises $1.5B as the Animal Health Biz Spins Off from Lilly
Elanco is now a standalone company after raising $1.5 billion in its stock market debut. Greenfield, IN-based Elanco (NYSE: [[ticker:ELAN]]) sold 62.9 million shares at $24 apiece, which topped the $20 to $23 range it had initially targeted. Investors showed their appetite for the animal health company, driving its stock price up more than 39 … Continue reading “Elanco IPO Raises $1.5B as the Animal Health Biz Spins Off from Lilly”
In Boston’s Shadow, Rhode Island Fights for Life Science Jobs, Respect
[Updated 9/19/18, 3:40 p.m. See below.] Tiny Rhode Island and its capital city Providence have always punched above their weight, for better or for worse. Better: Little Rhody’s founder Roger Williams, fleeing religious persecution in 17th-century puritanical Massachusetts, was one of America’s first abolitionists and created the concept of the separation of church and state. … Continue reading “In Boston’s Shadow, Rhode Island Fights for Life Science Jobs, Respect”
UiPath Snags $225M To Expand Robotic Workforce for Businesses
Top venture capital firms continue to pour money into software robotics companies that promise to automate monotonous business operations, like processing mortgage applications, that are often performed by humans. New York-based UiPath is the latest such company to score a haul, announcing Tuesday it raised $225 million in a Series C funding round co-led by … Continue reading “UiPath Snags $225M To Expand Robotic Workforce for Businesses”