Genome sequencing is becoming more common for people diagnosed with cancer. Should it become part of a healthy person’s checkup, too? A new study published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine questions the practicality of making DNA tests standard for people who don’t have a cancer diagnosis or aren’t trying to identify a mysterious … Continue reading “New Study: DNA Tests For Healthy People Have “Uncertain Value””
Category: San Diego
U.S. IPOs Surge Amid Nettlesome Risks; Top 10 Deals So Far in 2017
[Updated 6/27/17 5:00 pm. See below.] Improving economic fundamentals are stoking the IPO pipeline in the United States and elsewhere, according to a report issued Tuesday by the global consultant and accounting firm EY. Eighty companies raised a total of $22 billion on U.S. exchanges during the first half of 2017, according to the report … Continue reading “U.S. IPOs Surge Amid Nettlesome Risks; Top 10 Deals So Far in 2017”
Fixing Uber: An Open Letter to the Next CEO
For starters, trust that my motives come from a good place. To date I have given such advice to only three CEOs—Ivan Seidenberg when he was CEO of Verizon, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and most recently, your predecessor. Not sure they ever read any of it but I do this when I get deeply inspired, … Continue reading “Fixing Uber: An Open Letter to the Next CEO”
Boston Is Arguably the Heart of Biotech. But Who Makes It So? Have Your Say.
By the end of this year, for the first time, patients with certain deadly types of blood cancer might have a new option, CAR-T cell therapy, to prolong their life. Immunotherapy could further entrench itself as a mainstay of cancer treatment. Newer drugmaking methods—RNA interference and gene therapy—could get their first ever FDA reviews. Multiple … Continue reading “Boston Is Arguably the Heart of Biotech. But Who Makes It So? Have Your Say.”
Initiative to Boost SoCal’s Startup Scene Teams With GV Founder
A Silicon Valley entrepreneur has set out to boost the startup ecosystem in San Diego and the rest of Southern California—and he already has scored a coup by partnering with Bill Maris, the founder and former CEO of Google Ventures, now known as GV. Steve Poizner, who sold two of his startups to Qualcomm (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “Initiative to Boost SoCal’s Startup Scene Teams With GV Founder”
Bio Roundup: Senate Trumpcare, FDA On Cancer, Alzheimer Review & More
All eyes are on the nation’s capital this week, where the Senate released its version of the American Health Care Act (now called the Better Care Reconciliation Act) and the White House worked on an executive order to address drug prices. No one knows how to pay for high-priced medicines that could bring long-term relief … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Senate Trumpcare, FDA On Cancer, Alzheimer Review & More”
Lilly Adds Chemistry Capabilities in San Diego Lab Expansion
Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]) has completed a $90 million expansion of its biotechnology R&D center in San Diego, added new automated synthesis equipment, and plans to build out its next-generation chemistry capabilities here over the next two years. The new facility adds 180,000 square feet of space to Lilly’s laboratory in La Jolla—a 145 percent … Continue reading “Lilly Adds Chemistry Capabilities in San Diego Lab Expansion”
Mary Lou Jepsen: The Full Xconomy Voices Interview
For the inaugural episode of our new podcast, Xconomy Voices, we chose to speak with Bay Area entrepreneur and executive Mary Lou Jepsen. She leads a startup called Openwater, which is developing a new kind of wearable imaging device that might one day enable communication by thoughts alone. Of course, there are nearer-term goals as … Continue reading “Mary Lou Jepsen: The Full Xconomy Voices Interview”
Introducing Xconomy Voices (Podcast), Episode 1: Mary Lou Jepsen
It’s always been Xconomy’s mission to reach audiences—both here on our website, and at our many live events around the country—with deep insights into the innovation process, divined from experts embedded in the world’s most important hubs of high-tech entrepreneurship. And now we’re doing that in one more medium: podcasting. I’m thrilled to be collaborating … Continue reading “Introducing Xconomy Voices (Podcast), Episode 1: Mary Lou Jepsen”
Cloudbeds Raises $9M to Expand its Technology, Brand Awareness
Cloudbeds, a cloud-based provider of hospitality management software, said today it has raised slightly more than $9 million in Series B financing to expand its software-as-a-service platform and broaden awareness of its brand. The San Diego company describes the financing as its first institutional round, and said it brings total funding for the five-year-old startup … Continue reading “Cloudbeds Raises $9M to Expand its Technology, Brand Awareness”
Repare Nabs $68M To Find Synthetic Lethal Cancer Targets Beyond PARP
The concept of synthetic lethality has been around for decades, but only recently has it been exploited for cancer therapy. The idea is to hit cancer cells in at least two places at once; the trick is to find the right combination of genetic mutations that make the cells vulnerable. The newest company aiming to … Continue reading “Repare Nabs $68M To Find Synthetic Lethal Cancer Targets Beyond PARP”
From Startup Week San Diego: The World According to Jason Calacanis
Silicon Valley angel investor Jason Calacanis has some advice for the millennial generation: Get your name on a cap table. In a keynote talk Tuesday night that was a headliner event for Startup Week San Diego, Calacanis observed that it doesn’t feel like the millennial generation is doing as well financially as their parents’ generation. … Continue reading “From Startup Week San Diego: The World According to Jason Calacanis”
Alzheimer’s Drug Pipeline Analysis: Have We Hit Peak Amyloid?
A 2014 report provided a stark frame of reference for the challenge of fighting Alzheimer’s disease, showing that 99.6 percent of all drugs in the field had failed in one way or another. Led by Jeffrey Cummings, director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, the same authors recently published a new … Continue reading “Alzheimer’s Drug Pipeline Analysis: Have We Hit Peak Amyloid?”
Cybereason Gets $100M to Fend Off Cyber Attacks—and Competitors
Lior Div just raised a $100 million funding round for his security-tech company, Cybereason. A daunting task, to be sure. “It’s very hard to raise money,” says Div, the company’s CEO and co-founder. “I see it all the time with colleagues of mine, founders. But if you really have a good, unique solution that’s proven, … Continue reading “Cybereason Gets $100M to Fend Off Cyber Attacks—and Competitors”
Economic Study Ranks San Diego Near Top in Genomics Innovation
An economic impact study of San Diego’s emerging genomics industry counted 115 genomics-related companies operating in the region that directly employ over 10,000 people, and drive about $5.6 billion worth of annual economic benefits throughout the area. “San Diego is really end-to-end in genomics, from start to finish,” said Kirby Brady, who oversaw the study … Continue reading “Economic Study Ranks San Diego Near Top in Genomics Innovation”
Synthetic Genomics’ “Breakthrough” Algae Produces Twice as Much Oil
[Updated 6/19/17 1:17 pm. See below.] The San Diego biotech company Synthetic Genomics and supermajor ExxonMobil (NYSE: [[ticker:XOM]]) said today they have successfully inserted a gene in a particular strain of algae that more than doubled its oil content without slowing down the algae’s rate of growth. The two companies described the work in a … Continue reading “Synthetic Genomics’ “Breakthrough” Algae Produces Twice as Much Oil”
Startup Pioneers EV-to-Grid Technology in Pilot at UC San Diego
Nuvve, a San Diego cleantech startup, has begun a pilot project with UC San Diego that is intended to demonstrate the feasibility of using electric vehicles as a kind of collective energy storage reservoir for the power grid. After securing a $4.2 million grant from the California Energy Commission this week, Nuvve and UC San … Continue reading “Startup Pioneers EV-to-Grid Technology in Pilot at UC San Diego”
Regulus Promotes Mark Deeg to Chief Medical Officer
Mark Deeg has been promoted to chief medical officer of Regulus Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RGLS]]), a San Diego-based biotech. Deeg joined Regulus in April as vice president of translational medicine. Before starting at Regulus, he was chief medical officer of The Chorus Group, an autonomous early drug development unit of Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]). Deeg’s promotion … Continue reading “Regulus Promotes Mark Deeg to Chief Medical Officer”
Bio Roundup: Trumpcare Is Mean, SCOTUS Says Go, Merck’s Myeloma No
What exactly does the American Health Care Act, the Republican proposal to replace Obamacare, currently look like? Few people know, because the Senate version is being negotiated behind closed doors in Washington D.C. without any public hearings. We do know President Trump now thinks the version of the AHCA that squeaked through the House is … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Trumpcare Is Mean, SCOTUS Says Go, Merck’s Myeloma No”
Changes at UC San Diego Emphasize New Role as “Innovation Engine”
A new program intended to teach engineering and business students how to drive innovations from concept to commercialization reflects a new imperative at UC San Diego. The business of tech transfer, which generates revenue by licensing technologies invented at UC San Diego, is giving way to a broader mission for the university as an engine … Continue reading “Changes at UC San Diego Emphasize New Role as “Innovation Engine””
Patient Network Group Says Majority of Members Want To Keep Obamacare
A U.S. patient networking group called PatientsLikeMe has dipped its toe in the waters of public opinion, asking its members what they think of the healthcare policy fight. There are many caveats, but the numbers trend in the same direction that other national polls have found—a shift towards more acceptance of the Affordable Care Act, … Continue reading “Patient Network Group Says Majority of Members Want To Keep Obamacare”
Regulus Dumps Two Drugs, AstraZeneca Sends Back Another, Shares Fall
It’s been a tough run for Regulus Therapeutics, and things haven’t gotten any better this morning. Regulus is scrapping two programs, and AstraZeneca has kicked back a third drug to boot, sending Regulus shares down to their lowest levels ever. San Diego, CA-based Regulus (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RGLS]]) said this morning that it will stop development of … Continue reading “Regulus Dumps Two Drugs, AstraZeneca Sends Back Another, Shares Fall”
Dragonfly, Tyler Jacks’s Disney-Backed Startup, Gets $33M in Celgene Deal
Dragonfly Therapeutics, a stealthy startup formed by well-known cancer researchers on both coasts and backed by a high-powered group of family offices, has inked its first partnership. Celgene, of Summit, NJ, is paying Dragonfly $33 million up front for the chance to co-develop up to four blood cancer drugs. The deal is a modest bet … Continue reading “Dragonfly, Tyler Jacks’s Disney-Backed Startup, Gets $33M in Celgene Deal”
Getting Women On Boards: Three Ways to Increase the Numbers
The hot topic of getting more qualified women on corporate boards continues unabated. Recent statistics show how companies with women prominently serving in such capacities experience higher-than-average financial performance. A major investment group even declared earlier this year that it would push to get women on the boards of the companies in their portfolio. Yet … Continue reading “Getting Women On Boards: Three Ways to Increase the Numbers”
With GreatCall Deal, GTCR Looks to Expand Healthtech for Boomers
With this week’s buyout of GreatCall, the Chicago-based private equity firm GTCR just placed a big bet that healthtech for the aging wave of baby boomers will be a big business. GreatCall operates a virtual telecommunications network that provides healthtech products and services for more than 800,000 older consumers throughout the United States. The company, … Continue reading “With GreatCall Deal, GTCR Looks to Expand Healthtech for Boomers”
Bio Roundup: ASCO Digested, Juliet Unveiled, PTC Slated & More
The New York Times Magazine wrote a few weeks ago about the extraordinary metabolic changes in a python after it gulps down a 50,000 calorie meal. The biomedical world was like a postprandial python this week; after extending its maw around the supersized meal of news and data from the American Society for Clinical Oncology … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: ASCO Digested, Juliet Unveiled, PTC Slated & More”
States Seek Slice of $7 Trillion Autonomous Vehicle Industry
As U.S. states and cites vie to capture some of the trillions of dollars of economic activity expected to flow from a shift to autonomous vehicles in the coming decades, Washington on Wednesday joined about two dozen states that have paved the way for testing driverless cars. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee directed relevant state agencies … Continue reading “States Seek Slice of $7 Trillion Autonomous Vehicle Industry”
California’s Surf Air Acquires Dallas-Based Airline Company Rise
[Updated 6/7/17 12:21 pm. See below.] Dallas—Dallas-based aviation startup Rise has been acquired by Surf Air, a California airline membership company. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Rise founder Nick Kennedy will remain with the company as president of the Texas region. [Updated to include comments from the CEO.]“Members loved what we were doing and wanted … Continue reading “California’s Surf Air Acquires Dallas-Based Airline Company Rise”
ASCO Roundup: Checkpoint Combos, Tumor Profiling, Financial Toxicity
[Note: Ben Fidler coauthored this report.] The American Society of Clinical Oncology conference is wrapping up, and the closely watched medical meeting-slash-hype machine produced its usual array of data. There were a few big business-focused “horse race” stories—one company’s stumble was another company’s gain—but much of the news consisted of mid-trial updates that companies produce … Continue reading “ASCO Roundup: Checkpoint Combos, Tumor Profiling, Financial Toxicity”
Of Catfish & Fickle Lovers: Aste CEO Talks Online Dating’s Downsides
There are millions of fish in the sea, and dating apps have made it easier to quickly find and connect with a lot more of those would-be catches. But the ease of creating an online dating profile—and the lack of oversight by the companies running such services—means that users can, and often do, misrepresent themselves. … Continue reading “Of Catfish & Fickle Lovers: Aste CEO Talks Online Dating’s Downsides”
Precision Steps: Can Loxo Drug Help Broaden Use of Cancer DNA Tests?
When the FDA last week approved Merck’s cancer drug pembrolizuamb (Keytruda) for tumors with a specific genetic signature, regardless of what body part they originated in, it was a watershed moment for oncology and a victory for the concept of precision medicine. But Merck isn’t alone; others are following suit with similar plans, and their … Continue reading “Precision Steps: Can Loxo Drug Help Broaden Use of Cancer DNA Tests?”
Paul Grint Is In, Scott Salka Out as CEO of AmpliPhi Biosciences
Paul Grint has been appointed CEO of AmpliPhi Biosciences (NYSE MKT: [[ticker:APHB]]). He replaces Scott Salka, who has resigned his CEO and director positions at the San Diego company. No reason was given for Salka’s resignation but AmpliPhi said that he would be a consultant to the company as Grint takes on his new role. Grint has … Continue reading “Paul Grint Is In, Scott Salka Out as CEO of AmpliPhi Biosciences”
SIGINT Wins Midway: Milestones of Innovation 13
In these days of internet disruptions of complex systems like medical care and even elections, our obsession with data security is swelling. We’re all too aware of how signals from myriad sources can help us construct patterns of human behavior and make plans to take advantage of that behavior. Although it may be no comfort … Continue reading “SIGINT Wins Midway: Milestones of Innovation 13”
Bio Roundup: ASCO Combo Frenzy, Maine’s Free DNA Tests, Sema4 & More
Over the next four days, the Second City will be the center of the biomedical world. The American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Chicago brings together thousands of researchers from across the globe to discuss the latest progress in the war against cancer. On tap this year: the crush of immunotherapy drug combinations, … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: ASCO Combo Frenzy, Maine’s Free DNA Tests, Sema4 & More”
Energy Leaders React to Trump’s Withdrawal From Paris Climate Accord
[Updated 6/2/17, 10:10 pm ET. See below.] President Donald Trump today announced the United States would withdraw from complying with what’s known as the Paris climate accord, a landmark international agreement to combat climate change. In December 2015, nearly all the countries in the world—195 of them—agreed to the pact, which aims to reduce emissions of … Continue reading “Energy Leaders React to Trump’s Withdrawal From Paris Climate Accord”
Countering Cybersecurity Turnover: 57 Companies That Do It Best
What does it take to keep highly skilled cybersecurity employees? Salary and benefits are table-stakes. Challenging work, ongoing training, an opportunity to advance without having to become a manager, and a talented peer group all help companies recruit and retain these sought-after “ninjas”—the individuals who can do what artificial intelligence security tools can’t. Research from … Continue reading “Countering Cybersecurity Turnover: 57 Companies That Do It Best”
With Gene Therapy for Diabetes, San Antonio Researcher Eyes Funding
San Antonio — Most diabetes treatments work by giving the body the insulin it needs to break down sugar. But that approach deals with the symptoms of diabetes. In recent years, scientists and companies have taken aim at the root cause of the condition by attempting to stimulate or replace the cells in the pancreas responsible … Continue reading “With Gene Therapy for Diabetes, San Antonio Researcher Eyes Funding”
As Big Cancer Trials Ramp Up, Grail Goes Global, Merges With Cirina
Grail, the Illumina (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ILMN]]) spinout aiming to develop a blood test that can detect cancer at its earliest stages, has gone global. The Menlo Park, CA, startup, is merging with China’s Cirina, a privately held company co-founded by a pioneer in the field of blood-based diagnostics, Dennis Lo. Grail, which recently raised a record … Continue reading “As Big Cancer Trials Ramp Up, Grail Goes Global, Merges With Cirina”
In Maine, Making Cancer DNA Tests Free—And Asking Tough Questions
Has the era of genetic oncology arrived? Last week, the biomedical world took a notable step in that direction when the FDA said Merck’s drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda), already one of the world’s most successful cancer immunotherapies, could now treat any tumor with a particular genetic fingerprint. It was the first time a drug has been … Continue reading “In Maine, Making Cancer DNA Tests Free—And Asking Tough Questions”
RNA Specialist Arcturus Therapeutics Gets $3M R&D Grant for CF Drug
San Diego-based Arcturus Therapeutics said today Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics has agreed to provide $3 million to fund research and development of a new messenger RNA drug that could be broadly used to treat cystic fibrosis patients. The four-year-old startup has previously raised $37 million in research grants and other “non-dilutive” funding, and another $13 … Continue reading “RNA Specialist Arcturus Therapeutics Gets $3M R&D Grant for CF Drug”
Woodcock: New Approvals Show FDA Is Adapting to Precision Medicine
The randomized controlled trial has long been held up as the gold standard for testing new drugs. But the nation’s top drug evaluator, Janet Woodcock, believes they aren’t necessary for all new experimental treatments. Randomized trials are long, expensive to run, and ultimately produce limited answers, she said at a medical conference last week. The … Continue reading “Woodcock: New Approvals Show FDA Is Adapting to Precision Medicine”
On ASCO’s Eve, Experts Fret Over Backlash to Cancer Combo Frenzy
When thousands of cancer researchers from around the world gather in Chicago this weekend for the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting, drugs that fight tumors by boosting a patient’s immune system will take center stage, as they have in previous years. But the stage is more crowded, as researchers have begun in earnest … Continue reading “On ASCO’s Eve, Experts Fret Over Backlash to Cancer Combo Frenzy”
Bio Roundup: Skinny Cuts, Genomic Approvals, Unfrozen FDA & More
Team Trump unveiled its 2018 federal spending proposal—the so-called “skinny budget”—with health and science in the crosshairs. The NIH is looking at a 22 percent cut and the FDA 31 percent, although the administration wants to backfill the FDA loss with a huge boost in user fees, which drug and device companies pay to have … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Skinny Cuts, Genomic Approvals, Unfrozen FDA & More”
Amid Budget Concerns, NIH Preps Beta Test for Precision Medicine Plan
An ambitious plan to recruit 1 million U.S. volunteers and amass a treasure trove of their health information will start next week with a “beta test” that health officials hope to eventually expand nationwide. National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins said Wednesday that the Precision Medicine Initiative will begin in Pittsburgh, where the agency … Continue reading “Amid Budget Concerns, NIH Preps Beta Test for Precision Medicine Plan”
Zesty Reinvents Itself With New Cash for Automated Web Tech
Zesty.io, a San Diego Web development firm, has raised $1.3 million in seed funding to spin out its consulting business, and focus instead on providing its core Web content management technology as a subscription-based software-as-a-service. CEO Randy Apuzzo said Zesty changed from a Web development firm to to SaaS in 2015, with the guidance of … Continue reading “Zesty Reinvents Itself With New Cash for Automated Web Tech”
Unconventional Partners, Like FDA, Can Drive Adoption of New Tech
We’ve heard it time and again. Drug development is too expensive, takes too long, and many drug candidates that show promise in preclinical trials end up failing because testing methods don’t predict how they will work in humans. Recently, new technologies have emerged that offer disruptive potential for steering the development of drugs in more … Continue reading “Unconventional Partners, Like FDA, Can Drive Adoption of New Tech”
Gottlieb Says FDA’s “Regulatory Tools” Can Help Fight Opioid Abuse
The FDA considers how safe and effective a new drug is before approving it. But for addictive opioid painkillers, which have triggered a massive public health crisis, should the agency also weigh the potential for the medication to be abused? That’s one of the questions that new FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb is posing as he … Continue reading “Gottlieb Says FDA’s “Regulatory Tools” Can Help Fight Opioid Abuse”
FDA Landmark Nod: Cancer Drug To Match Tumor Genes, Not Tissue Type
For many years, doctors and researchers have known that cancers in different parts of the body can share genetic abnormalities. For the first time, the FDA has approved a drug based on those abnormalities and not on the organ in which the cancer originated. It’s a moment that a lot of people in the cancer … Continue reading “FDA Landmark Nod: Cancer Drug To Match Tumor Genes, Not Tissue Type”
ViaCyte Raises $10M, Moves to Human Trial with New Diabetes Product
San Diego-based ViaCyte said it is ready to move into human testing with a new product intended for patients with Type 1 diabetes who are at high risk for acute, life-threatening complications from severe episodes of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). ViaCyte said Monday that healthcare regulators in both the United States and Canada have permitted … Continue reading “ViaCyte Raises $10M, Moves to Human Trial with New Diabetes Product”
Trump’s Cybersecurity Czar Talks WannaCry, Industry Partnerships
The Trump administration’s plan for strengthening the nation’s cyber defenses is starting to come into focus. Rob Joyce, a special assistant to the president and the White House’s cybersecurity coordinator, spoke in Boston Monday at an event promoting the launch of CyberMA, a Massachusetts affiliate of the national CyberUSA initiative. CyberMA is a MassTLC-led group … Continue reading “Trump’s Cybersecurity Czar Talks WannaCry, Industry Partnerships”