Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7f5b0b7a-2b0e-4ed6-950b-c1d978c13ff7&Preview=1 Date 11/4/2008 Company Name Aeolus Pharmaceuticals Inc Mailing Address 23811 Iverness Place Laguna Niguel, CA 92677 Company Description Aeolous Pharmaceutical is a biopharmaceutical company that is developing a new class of catalytic antioxidant compunds, referred to as manganoporphyrins, for diseases and disorders of the central nervous system, respiratory system, autoimmune system, … Continue reading “Aeolus Pharmaceuticals Inc Receives $125,000 Series D Funding Round”
Category: San Diego
La Jolla-based Cebix Gets Venture Funding
Stockholm’s Healthcap Venture Capital and Sofinnova Ventures, which has offices in the Bay Area and San Diego, have invested in Cebix Inc., a life sciences startup in La Jolla. PEHub reports that Cebix has raised $2.85 million in Series A funding, according to a regulatory filing. Cebix does not have a website and neither VC … Continue reading “La Jolla-based Cebix Gets Venture Funding”
Metabasis Updates Findings on Diabetes Drug
San Diego’s Metabasis Therapeutics said in Barcelona, Spain, yesterday that a diabetes drug it has under development was found to be safe and well-tolerated in a phase 2a clinical trial. The findings reported by the company at the World Congress on Controversies to Consensus in Diabetes, Obesity and Hypertension follow its initial proof-of-concept trial for MB07803, which … Continue reading “Metabasis Updates Findings on Diabetes Drug”
They’re Mad as Hell, And You’re Not Paying Attention Anymore
It seems only fitting that on this Monday, the day before an important Presidential election, that we should turn our attention to the important issue of property taxes. Don’t you think our property taxes are too high? Don’t you agree with those campaign ads urging you to VOTE NO! on propositions that would hike our … Continue reading “They’re Mad as Hell, And You’re Not Paying Attention Anymore”
Vertex Co-Founder’s Hedge Fund RA Capital Makes Waves in Biotech Industry with Former Harvard Grad Student at Helm
RA Capital Management, like most hedge funds, doesn’t make much noise publicly about its investment activities outside of its regulatory filings. But the word among insiders in the biotech industry is that the Boston hedge fund is piling up more wins than losses with its portfolio of life sciences stocks. As of late last month, … Continue reading “Vertex Co-Founder’s Hedge Fund RA Capital Makes Waves in Biotech Industry with Former Harvard Grad Student at Helm”
Vertex Drug for Hepatitis C Shows Durable Virus-Killing Ability in Tough-to-Treat Patients
More data is rolling in from Vertex Pharmaceuticals on its lead drug for hepatitis C, and it looks like the medicine is continuing to live up to its own high expectations. The Cambridge, MA-based company said today that telaprevir’s effect on killing the virus is remaining durable on follow-up analysis, and the drug appears to … Continue reading “Vertex Drug for Hepatitis C Shows Durable Virus-Killing Ability in Tough-to-Treat Patients”
Anadys Drug Found Safe in Small Study, Aims to Contend in New Class of Hepatitis C Meds
Anadys Pharmaceuticals may not be first in a new class of emerging drugs for hepatitis C, but it’s aiming to show this weekend it’s a contender. The San Diego-based company is reporting today that its lead drug candidate was found safe at a variety of doses in a clinical trial of 48 healthy volunteers, and … Continue reading “Anadys Drug Found Safe in Small Study, Aims to Contend in New Class of Hepatitis C Meds”
Democratic Party Fundraiser Dies, After Friends and Family Pushed To Get Him Tysabri
Fred Baron, the prominent Democratic Party fundraiser, died Thursday after a high-profile effort to obtain Biogen Idec and Elan’s natalizumab (Tysabri) to save his life from an aggressive cancer, according to this report from the Associated Press. Baron, 61, received help more than two weeks ago from a group of friends including former President Bill … Continue reading “Democratic Party Fundraiser Dies, After Friends and Family Pushed To Get Him Tysabri”
San Diego and von Liebig Center Award First Grants Under New Cleantech Initiative
San Diego has been looking into the expanding pool of renewable “cleantech” technologies and trying to see a reflection of itself. To make that vision a reality, city and economic development officials embarked last year on an initiative intended to promote cleantech in this sun-drenched land. The initiative began with a study that found 148 cleantech companies in the region, the beginnings … Continue reading “San Diego and von Liebig Center Award First Grants Under New Cleantech Initiative”
Ceregene Awaits Parkinson’s Trial Results, In a Key Test for Gene Therapy
A critical turning point is coming for Ceregene by the end of the year. The San Diego-based biotech company expects to get results in the next couple months on whether its experimental gene therapy can effectively help treat Parkinson’s disease. I got the overview of what this is all about a few weeks ago during … Continue reading “Ceregene Awaits Parkinson’s Trial Results, In a Key Test for Gene Therapy”
In Google Book Search Settlement, Readers Lose
The biggest development in the digital media world this week, by far, was the settlement of a pair of class-action copyright-infringement lawsuits brought against Google in 2005 by the Authors Guild, the Association of American Publishers, and several publishing houses. The compromise agreement, which was announced October 28 and now awaits approval by the federal … Continue reading “In Google Book Search Settlement, Readers Lose”
Nanostim Inc Lands $9,700,000 Series A Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3e16b02f-ed15-4550-8b43-95bcc268d062&Preview=1 Date 10/31/2008 Company Name Nanostim Inc Mailing Address 3510 Tres Rios Sa Clemente, CA 92673 Company Description Nanostim Inc is a developer of miniaturized, leadless cardiac pacemakers. Website Undisclosed Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $9,700,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor … Continue reading “Nanostim Inc Lands $9,700,000 Series A Round”
Cebix Inc Secures $2,850,000 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=49530e11-0f64-4edb-93fb-d3907ab52a29&Preview=1 Date 10/31/2008 Company Name Cebix Inc Mailing Address 120 Prospect Street Ocean Level – 4 La Jolla, CA 92037 Company Description Cebix Inc is a biopharma startup. Website Undisclosed Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,850,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A Terms Venture Investor … Continue reading “Cebix Inc Secures $2,850,000 Series A Financing Round”
Qualcomm and Amobee Media Systems Develop Mobile Advertising
San Diego-based Qualcomm and Amobee Media Systems of Redwood City CA said today they are working together to offer mobile advertising on Qualcomm’s Plaza solution. Amobee and Qualcomm integrated Amobee’s ad-serving technology with Plaza, Qualcomm’s platform-agnostic service that provides a framework for developing mobile widgets-Web-based applications.
Accumetrics Adds ‘CEO’ to Still’s Title
San Diego’s Accumetrics has named Tim Still, who has been serving as president and chief operating officer since earlier this year, to the additional position of chief executive. Accumetrics provides doctors with an automated device for measuring platelets, enabling them to assess their patients’ response to anti-platelet drugs prescribed to help prevent heart attack, strokes … Continue reading “Accumetrics Adds ‘CEO’ to Still’s Title”
Arena Buys Back $55.8M in Stock
San Diego-based Arena Pharmaceuticals said today it is spending $55.8 million in cash to buy back all of its outstanding convertible stock. The company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARNA]]) expects to buy the shares on Nov. 13, it said in a statement. Arena, the developer of lorcaserin for obesity, now expects to finish the year with $115 million … Continue reading “Arena Buys Back $55.8M in Stock”
Sequenom Licenses IP for Maternal Urine Tests
Sequenom (NASDAQ:[[ticker:SQNM]]), a San Diego-based provider of molecular diagnostics, reports that it has licensed exclusive rights from Monmouth Junction, NJ, diagnostics firm Xenomics (PINK:[[ticker:XNOM]]) to U.S. and European patents that cover the use of fetal DNA fragments found in a mother’s urine for prenatal diagnostics and research. As Luke discusses in this story, Sequenom is … Continue reading “Sequenom Licenses IP for Maternal Urine Tests”
Grim San Diego Panel Urges Venture Community and Entrepreneurs to Get Realistic
The turnout was heavier than expected as the San Diego Venture Group convened its monthly breakfast meeting yesterday for a program on “Company Financing Alternatives in a Challenging Environment.” Coordinators had arranged tables for 300 in the outdoor pavilion at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla. But interest was so high in the topic that several … Continue reading “Grim San Diego Panel Urges Venture Community and Entrepreneurs to Get Realistic”
Buy-Side Experts See Major Changes Afoot for Biotech Amid Financial Crisis
Unless there are more than seven figures in your personal net worth or you happen to manage a pension fund or the like, there are few chances to glean information from hedge fund managers and other buy-side experts who play the high-risk game of biotech investing. Yet last week one of those rare opportunities presented … Continue reading “Buy-Side Experts See Major Changes Afoot for Biotech Amid Financial Crisis”
Sourcing the Right Crowd
Commercialization is rarely a solitary pursuit; bringing an idea to the world requires a set of diverse skills and knowledge, a proverbial commercialization village. Or a crowd. Enter the power of crowdsourcing. Crowdsourcing refers to aggregating a large number of people to express their opinions or ideas about specific topics—and the term first appeared in … Continue reading “Sourcing the Right Crowd”
Biogen Idec, Elan’s Tysabri Linked to First U.S. Case of Brain Infection
Tysabri has been linked to its first U.S. case of an often-deadly brain infection since it was re-introduced to the domestic market two years ago. Cambridge, MA-based Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) and its partner Elan said today they have notified regulators that a rare brain infection called PML has been diagnosed in a patient with … Continue reading “Biogen Idec, Elan’s Tysabri Linked to First U.S. Case of Brain Infection”
2008 High Tech Venture Roundtable
San Diego-based applicants from non-publicly traded companies, research organizations, or academic institutions with a high-tech focus can apply for this Connect event. After review by a screening committee, 10 applicants will be selected to give a dry-run presentation, then six finalists will present to a group of up to 35 capital providers. Contact Dea Simon, … Continue reading “2008 High Tech Venture Roundtable”
Failure IS an Option: An evening of candor and compassion
Okay, you hope you’ll never need this advice yourself, but the presenters at this MIT Enterprise Forum/San Diego event promise insights you can use even if you’re not closing up shop. CEO presenters with “war stories” will talk about their experiences and lessons from companies that didn’t survive. Networking reception at 5 pm followed by … Continue reading “Failure IS an Option: An evening of candor and compassion”
Green Gas: How Biofuels Can Bring Energy Independence
It’s a busy couple of days for biotech and Sapphire Energy. (I wonder what they’re using for gas to get to all these events?) At this Biocom breakfast meeting, Sapphire is joined by Verenium. It’s all about biotech and the energy crisis.
California Biotech Execs Fear Ban on Same-Sex Marriages Could Give Edge to Bay State
Opponents of a state ballot initiative to ban same-sex marriages in California have found new allies: local biotech executives, who fear that passage of Proposition 8 could send workers in their industry to Massachusetts, according to a story in today’s San Diego Union-Tribune. This perhaps makes Proposition 8 the latest front in the battle between … Continue reading “California Biotech Execs Fear Ban on Same-Sex Marriages Could Give Edge to Bay State”
Vertex Gears up for Big Liver Disease Conference
Vertex Pharmaceuticals is preparing to unveil some long-awaited data that will show just how well its drug is performing for some of toughest-to-treat hepatitis C patients. I spoke with Vertex’s chief commercial officer, Kurt Graves, to do some pre-game reporting for the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease’s annual meeting October 31 through … Continue reading “Vertex Gears up for Big Liver Disease Conference”
Genomatica Brewing a Green Revolution for the Petrochemical Industry
It is hard to decide what to say first about San Diego’s Genomatica. Is it more amazing that Genomatica has genetically engineered microbes to produce mass quantities of butanediol, a hydrocarbon widely used by the petrochemical industry to make plastics, solvents, pharmaceuticals, textiles and automotive components? Or is it more impressive that the laboratory researchers … Continue reading “Genomatica Brewing a Green Revolution for the Petrochemical Industry”
Access 360 Media Secures $8,000,000 Series B Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c96f0bcb-04fe-438c-8939-c234ed76d726&Preview=1 Date 10/29/2008 Company Name Access 360 Media Mailing Address 1225 Electric Avenue Venice, CA 90291 Company Description ACCESS 360 Media is a media network that connects to over 30 million young adult consumers (P12-34) each month, in the places and through the communication platforms that matter most to them – Retail, … Continue reading “Access 360 Media Secures $8,000,000 Series B Financing Round”
Sequenom Starts 10,000-Patient Study To Diagnose Down Syndrome
Sequenom, the San Diego-based developer of a prenatal genetic test for Down Syndrome, said today it has started a clinical trial of 10,000 pregnant women to compare its DNA blood test to the standard, more invasive tests of amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, in which doctors extract cells from the placenta. Sequenom (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SQNM]]) stock … Continue reading “Sequenom Starts 10,000-Patient Study To Diagnose Down Syndrome”
San Diego’s Startups Benefit From Aerie of Angels
After seeing two San Diego startups get crucial, early stage funding this month from members of Southern California’s Tech Coast Angels, I arranged to have coffee with their archangel, Michael Elconin. Elconin, who is about halfway through his two-year term as president, was among the 30 or 40 members of San Diego’s erstwhile “Band of … Continue reading “San Diego’s Startups Benefit From Aerie of Angels”
WorldMate Lands $8,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=051c2eb0-3d12-4100-a980-e37f72a3eb60&Preview=1 Date 10/28/2008 Company Name WorldMate Mailing Address 353 N Azusa Ave. West Covina, CA 91791 Company Description WorldMate exists for only one reason – to make your on-the-go lifestyle easier. Plan and manage your trips at home and on the road, with instant access to valuable tools and resources, making your … Continue reading “WorldMate Lands $8,000,000 New Round”
Venture Returns Beat the Markets Through Q2—But Got Nowhere to Go But Down
The National Venture Capital Association usually prefers to track VC performance over a decade-long period, or possibly a five-year span. That’s because measuring performance over a one-year period, say, usually isn’t as useful since investment returns gyrate all over the place in the short term, according to Emily Mendell, the NVCA’s vice president for strategic … Continue reading “Venture Returns Beat the Markets Through Q2—But Got Nowhere to Go But Down”
San Diego’s Clean Energy Companies—the Map
San Diego has become a hotspot for clean technology, with barrels of resources directed toward solar, wind, biotech, and other “enertech” sectors. In fact, so strong is the emphasis on energy technology and clean energy that when the non-profit coalition Cleantech San Diego launched last year, the group took off like a rocket (an environmentally … Continue reading “San Diego’s Clean Energy Companies—the Map”
SAIC Gets Contract to Overhaul Online System for Federal Student Aid
SAIC, the San Diego-based government contractor also known as Science Applications International Corp., said today it received a five-year contract that could be worth as much as $300 million to modernize the web-based system for federal student aid. The contract awarded by the Department of Education calls for overhauling the online system used to process FAFSA, … Continue reading “SAIC Gets Contract to Overhaul Online System for Federal Student Aid”
Isis Spinoff Ibis Biosciences, Looking at DNA of Infectious Bugs, Aims to Identify What They Are, Faster
When people walk into the hospital with nasty flu-like symptoms, and doctors don’t know where the bug came from, the custom is to take a fluid sample and grow it in a lab dish for a day or two to get enough material to find out what it is. Then microbiologists use tools to try … Continue reading “Isis Spinoff Ibis Biosciences, Looking at DNA of Infectious Bugs, Aims to Identify What They Are, Faster”
Digital Performance Inc. Secures $3,200,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=649b39cd-4ba9-4b4f-a641-0004718b56de&Preview=1 Date 10/27/2008 Company Name Digital Performance Inc. Mailing Address 4701 Von Karman Ave Newport Beach, CA 92660 Company Description Digital Performance, Inc. (DPI) has a goal of revolutionizing the Automotive Aftermarket. DPI’s Aftermarket Shopping Guide is the consumer’s reference for one million aftermarket parts and accessories — organized by year/make/model. This … Continue reading “Digital Performance Inc. Secures $3,200,000 Series A Funding Round”
Phenomix, Forest Labs Ink $340M Deal
Phenomix, a San Diego-based drug developer, reports that it has partnered with New York-based pharmaceutical firm Forest Laboratories (NYSE:[[ticker:FRX]]) to jointly develop and commercialize Phenomix’ lead Type 2 diabetes drug dutogliptin. The deal—which comes on the heels of Phenomix nixing plans for an $86.25 million initial public offering this week—includes up to $340 million in … Continue reading “Phenomix, Forest Labs Ink $340M Deal”
The Encyclopedia of Life: Can You Build A Wikipedia for Biology Without the Weirdos, Windbags, and Whoppers?
After 16 months in business, Xconomy has published about 3,400 pages of articles. At this pace, we’ll get to 1.8 million pages in about 700 years. But the Encyclopedia of Life—a new scientific and educational website that will have one page for every species on the planet—intends to hit that number in just 10 years. … Continue reading “The Encyclopedia of Life: Can You Build A Wikipedia for Biology Without the Weirdos, Windbags, and Whoppers?”
Illumina Buys Back $120M of Stock
Illumina, the San Diego-based maker of genetic analysis tools, said today its board has authorized a plan to buy back $120 million worth of the company’s stock. Illumina shares fell $7.51 a share since the beginning of the week, until the repurchase plan was announced, even after the company raised its financial forecast for the … Continue reading “Illumina Buys Back $120M of Stock”
Investors Talk Biofuels Winners, Latecomers to the Party, and $100 Billion Dollar Companies at Algae Biomass Summit
Algae-based biofuels are the topic du jour. And why not—the prospect of using pond scum to power 21st-century transportation and replace crude oil is pretty appealing. So one of the highlights from the Algae Biomass Summit in Seattle yesterday, besides the keynote by venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, was a panel of prominent VCs discussing the … Continue reading “Investors Talk Biofuels Winners, Latecomers to the Party, and $100 Billion Dollar Companies at Algae Biomass Summit”
Alnylam–Isis Venture Regulus, Leader in MicroRNA Drugs, Aspires to Create New Paradigm of Treatments
Within the first five minutes of sitting down for an interview with Kleanthis Xanthopoulos, I could see this guy likes to think big. The idea behind his company, Regulus Therapeutics, is to show that a young technology called microRNA has the same sort of potential that gene-splicing techniques represented in the 1970s and targeted antibody … Continue reading “Alnylam–Isis Venture Regulus, Leader in MicroRNA Drugs, Aspires to Create New Paradigm of Treatments”
Digital Performance Inc. Receives $3,200,000 Series A Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=649b39cd-4ba9-4b4f-a641-0004718b56de&Preview=1 Date 10/24/2008 Company Name Digital Performance Inc. Mailing Address 4701 Von Karman Ave Newport Beach, CA 92660 Company Description Digital Performance, Inc. (DPI) has a goal of revolutionizing the Automotive Aftermarket. DPI’s Aftermarket Shopping Guide is the consumer’s reference for one million aftermarket parts and accessories — organized by year/make/model. This … Continue reading “Digital Performance Inc. Receives $3,200,000 Series A Funding”
Shopit Inc. Secures $2,500,000 Series B Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=8ddc6564-0938-486e-8ed5-7ca68bdadb27&Preview=1 Date 10/24/2008 Company Name Shopit Inc. Mailing Address 11726 San Vicente Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90049 Company Description Shopit is a simple to use commerce platform that enables efficient sharing and publishing of products and information anywhere online. Products and Services can be directly linked, from Shopit to any site, including … Continue reading “Shopit Inc. Secures $2,500,000 Series B Financing”
Drug Developer Phenomix Nixes $86.25M IPO
San Diego-based biotech firm Phenomix has withdrawn its plans to raise $86.25 million in an initial public offering—more evidence that even mature biotechs ready for late-stage clinical trials are having trouble raising money from public investors. For Phenomix, $34 million of the IPO proceeds would have funded the firm’s late-stage studies of its lead drug … Continue reading “Drug Developer Phenomix Nixes $86.25M IPO”
Optimer, Developer of Drug For “C. Diff” Bacteria, Awaits Pivotal Results
Optimer Pharmaceuticals will find out soon whether it has come up with the first new drug for a dangerous bacteria known as “C. difficile” in more than two decades. The San Diego-based company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OPTR]]) is eagerly awaiting results from a 660-patient clinical trial of its experimental drug, OPT-80. By the end of this year, … Continue reading “Optimer, Developer of Drug For “C. Diff” Bacteria, Awaits Pivotal Results”
Nora Pharmaceuticals Inc Receives $25,000,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e65bad06-247b-447e-9c1f-02afbb58f74d&Preview=1 Date 10/23/2008 Company Name Nora Pharmaceuticals Inc Mailing Address Undisclosed Undisclosed, 90000 Company Description Nora Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a new company formed to develop products for the women’s reproductive-health market. Website Undisclosed Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $25,000,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A … Continue reading “Nora Pharmaceuticals Inc Receives $25,000,000 Series A Funding Round”
BaroNova, Inc. Obtains $7,500,000 Series B Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a745e4f4-ab7d-430f-8cd6-0bcb7169b3cb&Preview=1 Date 10/23/2008 Company Name BaroNova, Inc. Mailing Address 2870 Hoy Rd Santa Barbara, CA 93105 Company Description A medical device company focusing on developing innovative nonsurgical, nonpharmacologic therapies for the treatment of obesity. Website http://www.baronova.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $7,500,000 Transaction Round Series B Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were … Continue reading “BaroNova, Inc. Obtains $7,500,000 Series B Financing Round”
SpaceDev Agrees to $38M Acquisition by Nevada Firm
Less than two weeks after the death of its founder, Jim Benson, San Diego-based SpaceDev (OTCBB: [[ticker:SPDV]]) has announced that it’s inked a deal to be acquired by a privately held Nevada firm, Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), for $38 million in cash. SpaceDev blasted into the headlines in 2004, when its hybrid rocket engine technology … Continue reading “SpaceDev Agrees to $38M Acquisition by Nevada Firm”
Metaplace Secures $6.7 Million for Virtual Worlds
Metaplace, the open-access virtual world that allows users to build and share their own animated communities, said today that it has collected $6.7 million in new financing, raising the startup’s funding total to $9.4 million. The funding hails from four investors: existing backers Charles River Ventures and Crescendo Ventures, as well as new financiers Ben … Continue reading “Metaplace Secures $6.7 Million for Virtual Worlds”
Trius Therapeutics Wins $28M Contract From NIH For Bioterror Antibiotics
Trius Therapeutics is on a roll. The San Diego-based biotech company has received a five-year $28 million contract from the National Institutes of Health to develop novel antibiotics against some of the nastiest possible bioterrorism bugs on the planet. Trius will work in a collaboration with researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (folks that know … Continue reading “Trius Therapeutics Wins $28M Contract From NIH For Bioterror Antibiotics”