[Updated 7:21 p.m. 10/11. See below.] Scientists, no matter how sexy the research they’re conducting, aren’t immune from the administrative minutiae of office life. Such tasks steal time away from researchers’ main objectives. However, that wasn’t the problem San Diego startup LabFellows was looking to solve when it launched in 2014. Founders Julio de Unamuno … Continue reading “LabFellows Looks to Become “Operating System” For Life Sciences Cos.”
Category: San Diego
Nobel Prize in Medicine Goes to 3 Who Showed How Cells Sense Oxygen Levels
Oxygen’s importance in cellular processes has long been known. But the work to understand how cells sense and adapt to changes in oxygen levels has led to medical insights and potential treatments for anemia, cancer, and more—and today, it has turned into the 2019 Nobel Prize in Medicine. William Kaelin Jr., Sir Peter Ratcliffe, and … Continue reading “Nobel Prize in Medicine Goes to 3 Who Showed How Cells Sense Oxygen Levels”
Precision IBD Rebrands as Prometheus and Strikes R&D Deal With Takeda
This summer Nestlé Health Science sold Prometheus Laboratories, a gastrointestinal disease diagnostics unit it had acquired eight years prior, to a low-profile San Diego biotech called Precision IBD. About a month ago, Precision—a drug and diagnostic developer that’s focused, as its name suggests, on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)—changed its name to Prometheus Biosciences and tapped … Continue reading “Precision IBD Rebrands as Prometheus and Strikes R&D Deal With Takeda”
Bio Roundup: PARP Progress, A New Commish, IPO-Palooza & More
It’s been a strange up and down ride for PARP inhibitors, a relatively new class of cancer drugs. Named for the tumor protein they target, PARPs rebounded after a big clinical setback in 2011 and have been at the center of many buyouts and big alliances—Pfizer and Medivation, GlaxoSmithKline and Tesaro, AstraZeneca and Merck. Four … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: PARP Progress, A New Commish, IPO-Palooza & More”
After Brain Cancer Drug Fails, Tocagen to Cut More Than Half of Staff
Following the late-stage failure of its lead program, an experimental gene therapy treatment for the most aggressive form of brain cancer, Tocagen will reduce its workforce by 65 percent, the company said Thursday. The layoffs will result in a staff of about 30 people by year’s end, Tocagen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TOCA]]) said in the press release. … Continue reading “After Brain Cancer Drug Fails, Tocagen to Cut More Than Half of Staff”
Nuance Spinout Cerence Vies With Tech Giants in Voice-AI for Auto
A new mobility company, Cerence, is making its public-market debut Wednesday, and its first CEO, Sanjay Dhawan, says he’s been meeting with more than 50 investors in recent weeks to talk up its prospects. Cerence is a spinout from pioneering speech recognition company Nuance Communications (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NUAN]]), and it will carry on the work of … Continue reading “Nuance Spinout Cerence Vies With Tech Giants in Voice-AI for Auto”
Viscient Bio Proposes Organovo Merger to Tackle NASH and Go Beyond
[Updated 5:58 p.m. PT. See below.] Organovo, a company developing technology to 3D print human tissue, announced two months ago that its dwindling cash is leading it to explore options that include merging with another firm. The San Diego biotech now has an offer from a familiar face close to home. Viscient Biosciences, a seven-person … Continue reading “Viscient Bio Proposes Organovo Merger to Tackle NASH and Go Beyond”
Avidity Biosciences Taps Former Akcea Exec Sarah Boyce as New CEO
Avidity Biosciences, a private biotech in La Jolla, CA, on Tuesday announced that it has brought aboard Sarah Boyce as its president and CEO. Last month Boyce left her position as president of rare disease drug developer Akcea Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKCA]])—a Boston-based spinout of San Diego’s Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IONS]])—as part of an unexplained management … Continue reading “Avidity Biosciences Taps Former Akcea Exec Sarah Boyce as New CEO”
Molecular Assemblies Raises $12M to Advance Enzymatic DNA Synthesis
Biologists have been using artificially created DNA, produced through what’s known as chemical DNA synthesis, as a research tool for decades. Now, as demand for engineered DNA rises, a handful of startups are vying to become the go-to provider for researchers looking for improved versions of the DNA sequences. Molecular Assemblies is among the companies … Continue reading “Molecular Assemblies Raises $12M to Advance Enzymatic DNA Synthesis”
We’re Beginning to Realize the Cloud’s Full Potential at the Edge
Amazon Web Services (AWS), the first “public cloud” offering third-party data storage and compute services, launched in March 2006, and by 2012, there were multiple credible competitors. The hype was strong. Back then, cloud evangelists were predicting that essentially everything in the enterprise data center would migrate to one of just a few public clouds. … Continue reading “We’re Beginning to Realize the Cloud’s Full Potential at the Edge”
ESMO 2019: PARP and Prostate, SeaGen’s Win, KRAS Update & More
The European Society for Medical Oncology meeting has wrapped up in Barcelona, the last major clinical cancer conference until December’s annual ASH meeting for blood diseases. We’ve highlighted a few top stories for you. Amid all the fuss over cell, gene, and immunotherapies these days, an old-fashioned small-molecule class of drug called PARP inhibitors have … Continue reading “ESMO 2019: PARP and Prostate, SeaGen’s Win, KRAS Update & More”
At Venture Summit, 3 Takeaways For Entrepreneurs From VC Phil Black
No one would argue that San Diego is overflowing with venture capitalists in the way, say, the San Francisco Bay Area is. In fact, the region’s relative dearth of investors is often bemoaned by local entrepreneurs. But, at least once yearly, that changes, and the community gets to hear insights from prominent outside VCs firsthand. … Continue reading “At Venture Summit, 3 Takeaways For Entrepreneurs From VC Phil Black”
Biotech Roundup: Vaping Toll Rises, NASH News, Akcea Shakeup & More
Lung injuries linked to electronic cigarettes have topped 800 cases, including 12 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Public health officials aren’t sure whether the injuries are from legally sold products made by companies such as Juul, or from black-market items such as those that allow users to “vape” the active … Continue reading “Biotech Roundup: Vaping Toll Rises, NASH News, Akcea Shakeup & More”
Medallia Acquires Hospitality Software Startup Zingle for $42M
[Updated 2:40 p.m. 9/27. See below.] Zingle, a startup whose software is used by hospitality, travel, and retail industries to more easily and quickly connect with their customers via messaging, has been acquired for about $42 million in cash by Medallia, a publicly traded software company in San Francisco. The Medallia (NYSE: [[ticker:MDLA]]) IPO earlier … Continue reading “Medallia Acquires Hospitality Software Startup Zingle for $42M”
Meissa Scores $30M to Test Vaccine for Dangerous Respiratory Virus
No vaccine is yet available for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which causes lung infections that, while usually mild, can be deadly for very young children. Biotech startup Meissa Vaccines, which aims to fill that treatment gap, announced today it raised $30 million to fund early-stage clinical trials for its experimental RSV vaccine. Morningside Ventures, a … Continue reading “Meissa Scores $30M to Test Vaccine for Dangerous Respiratory Virus”
Report: IPO Activity Picking Back Up Following Quiet, Volatile Q3
While the headlines may be dominated by news of WeWork putting its IPO on hold after reports about its questionable corporate governance, the overall initial public offering market is doing just fine. So far, 127 US companies went public in the first nine months of the year and the amount they raised already topped three … Continue reading “Report: IPO Activity Picking Back Up Following Quiet, Volatile Q3”
Drug Pricing: Innovation, Investment, and the Public Good
The US biotech and life sciences industry has a long and proud history of driving medical innovations that have improved healthcare outcomes across a wide range of diseases and the overall quality of life for people worldwide. For too long, however, the industry’s narrative has been dominated and defined by partisans with a specific agenda … Continue reading “Drug Pricing: Innovation, Investment, and the Public Good”
Akcea Shakes Up Management and Shows Three Executives the Door
Akcea Therapeutics has already been struggling to turn its two products into commercial winners. Now it will have to do so during a massive management transition. Akcea (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKCA]]) said Monday that CEO Paula Soteropoulos, president Sarah Boyce and chief operating officer Jeff Goldberg have left the company. Akcea’s board of directors has appointed Damien … Continue reading “Akcea Shakes Up Management and Shows Three Executives the Door”
An Entrepreneur’s Quest to Make Seattle a Genome Sciences Hub
Ivan Liachko turned postdoctoral research at the University of Washington into a company whose genomics tools are now found in laboratories researching human, animal, and plant health. His firm, Phase Genomics, was one of the first startups to come out of UW’s genome sciences department. As a first-time entrepreneur working from UW’s incubator more than … Continue reading “An Entrepreneur’s Quest to Make Seattle a Genome Sciences Hub”
Enough with the Insanity. We Need to Fix Cybersecurity Now
The year 2019 has been another dreadful period for cyberattacks. The most notorious lowlights include: —More than 40 municipalities, including Baltimore, Albany and 22 cities in Texas alone, have seen their computer systems crippled by ransomware attackers demanding millions of dollars. —In one of the largest data breaches ever, a hacker broke into a Capital One server with a … Continue reading “Enough with the Insanity. We Need to Fix Cybersecurity Now”
Q&A: New Rady Dean Ordóñez on School’s Growth, Startups, Ethics & More
Under Bob Sullivan, the Rady School of Management at UC San Diego matured into its teenage years. Sullivan became Rady’s founding dean in 2003, ahead of the fall 2004 enrollment of the school’s charter MBA class. Rady School is marking its sweet sixteen under a new leader, Lisa Ordóñez. Most recently vice dean of academic … Continue reading “Q&A: New Rady Dean Ordóñez on School’s Growth, Startups, Ethics & More”
Bio Roundup: Pelosi’s Reveal, Alder’s Deal, Biogen’s Fails & More
Boston, San Francisco, and a few other metro areas might dominate the US life sciences, but some weeks, all bio-related eyes are on the nation’s capital. Health concerns about vaping continue to mount, and the feds could get involved. Meanwhile, try to find someone in the federal government who isn’t involved in the drug-price debate. … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Pelosi’s Reveal, Alder’s Deal, Biogen’s Fails & More”
Pelosi, Dems Unveil Price Plan: Are 25 Drugs Enough for Negotiation?
With the 2020 election just over a year away, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has unveiled the Democratic Party’s answer to public discontent over high prescription drug prices. A preview of the plan was leaked last week. Today’s announcement doesn’t stray far. The new plan would have the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services … Continue reading “Pelosi, Dems Unveil Price Plan: Are 25 Drugs Enough for Negotiation?”
From Discovery to Clinic: Tools & Techniques to Maximize Biologic Drug Candidate Success
Xconomy, Bioprocess International, and Lonza Biologics invite you to a free symposium to gain insight from experts in the different approaches and techniques to successfully progress therapeutic proteins from discovery to the clinic. This is your chance to learn about updates on enhancements to new and established technologies enabling translational research. Attendees will be able … Continue reading “From Discovery to Clinic: Tools & Techniques to Maximize Biologic Drug Candidate Success”
Eying “Extra” DNA As Cancer Driver, Boundless Bio Debuts With $46M
In the nucleus of human cells sit our chromosomes, comprised mainly of tightly wound DNA. In some cells, however, some pieces of genetic material that exist within the nucleus are not attached to a chromosome—and a new company, Boundless Bio, believes these “extra” pieces of DNA play a key role in driving some especially aggressive … Continue reading “Eying “Extra” DNA As Cancer Driver, Boundless Bio Debuts With $46M”
Automated Trucking Company TuSimple Adds $120M More From Investors
UPS, the global package delivery giant, took a minority stake this summer in TuSimple, a self-driving trucking company, but didn’t reveal financial details. On Tuesday, the San Diego startup revealed that investment was part of an extended Series D financing round that now totals $215 million. In February, the company said it had raised $95 … Continue reading “Automated Trucking Company TuSimple Adds $120M More From Investors”
Amplyx Inks Novartis Deal for Another Compromised-Immune System Drug
Amplyx Pharmaceuticals, which is testing a new type of drug against life-threatening infections acquired by patients with compromised immune systems, has acquired the rights to another drug that could also be of use in treating those with limited ability to fight off sickness. On Monday, the clinical-stage San Diego biotech company announced it had added … Continue reading “Amplyx Inks Novartis Deal for Another Compromised-Immune System Drug”
Why Menlo Ventures Backed Construction Tech Firm Fieldwire
[Corrected 9/17/2019, 8:58 a.m, and 9/18/19, 4:53 p.m. See below.] Fieldwire, whose mobile app helps builders and construction crews coordinate their work, announced today it has lined up a total of $33.5 million across two newly disclosed fundraising rounds. The San Francisco-based construction tech company says it raised $8.5 million in a Series B funding … Continue reading “Why Menlo Ventures Backed Construction Tech Firm Fieldwire”
Bio Roundup: Award Winners, Lung Data, Dems on Drug Pricing & More
For decades, advanced lung cancer was a quick death sentence. That’s no longer a given, thanks in part to the arrival of immunotherapy. If a medical meeting in Barcelona this week was any indication, more help could be on the way. Targeted medicine isn’t new to lung cancer, but only a fraction of patients have … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Award Winners, Lung Data, Dems on Drug Pricing & More”
Tocagen Stock Tanks After Gene Therapy Drug for Brain Cancer Fails
Tocagen’s experimental gene therapy for brain cancer therapy has failed a late-stage test, sinking the biotech’s stock price below $1. San Diego’s Tocagen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TOCA]]), has been testing its drug in recurrent high-grade glioma, the most common and deadly type of brain cancer in adults. The company said Thursday that the drug combination, Toca 511 … Continue reading “Tocagen Stock Tanks After Gene Therapy Drug for Brain Cancer Fails”
After Investing, GSK to Buy Out Celiac Drug Developer Sitari Pharma
GlaxoSmithKline is acquiring a startup it helped launch in 2013 as part of an alliance with life sciences venture capital firm Avalon Ventures. Avalon said Tuesday that GSK (NYSE: [[ticker:GSK]]) has agreed to buy the company, Sitari Pharmaceuticals, which has been developing a treatment for celiac disease. Sitari was the first of eight companies spun … Continue reading “After Investing, GSK to Buy Out Celiac Drug Developer Sitari Pharma”
After First Look at House Drug Plan, Stocks Rise Slightly
The first details of the long-awaited House Democrat plan to lower drug prices leaked out Monday night, with elements that have long been anathema to the biopharma industry and its supporters in Washington. While the world digested the details Tuesday, however, biopharma investors didn’t seem fazed. Some individual companies saw shares dip, but the biopharma … Continue reading “After First Look at House Drug Plan, Stocks Rise Slightly”
Herceptin Inventors, Immunology Pioneers Take Home 2019 Lasker Awards
This year’s Lasker Awards, the US’s most prestigious biomedical honor, are going to five scientists whose work led to a critical breast cancer treatment and significant basic research advances that have helped pave the way for immunotherapy. H. Michael Shepard, Dennis Slamon, and Axel Ullrich won the Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award for inventing trastuzumab … Continue reading “Herceptin Inventors, Immunology Pioneers Take Home 2019 Lasker Awards”
San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: SGI-DNA, ZeaKal, DelMar Pharma & More
Fall is finally arriving, as indicated by the recent shortened work week, and few may object given the unseasonably hot, muggy weather San Diego has been experiencing recently. Track down somewhere with AC, then catch up on recent developments in the local life sciences scene. —SGI-DNA, a recent spinout of Synthetic Genomics (SGI), has raised … Continue reading “San Diego Life Sciences Roundup: SGI-DNA, ZeaKal, DelMar Pharma & More”
Your Car Is Hackable—Here Are Three Steps You Can Take
We’re used to protecting the information on our smartphones by keeping strong passwords and setting a lock screen. But fewer people know about the importance of protecting the information in their vehicles. Earlier this year, the automotive shopping website CarGurus asked 1,020 consumers questions about common security practices and the risks of connected cars. Here … Continue reading “Your Car Is Hackable—Here Are Three Steps You Can Take”
Acadia Stock Jumps on Positive Dementia-Related Psychosis Drug Data
An Acadia Pharmaceuticals drug that’s already approved for psychosis associated with Parkinson’s disease could soon be heading to an FDA review to expand the use of the drug to dementia patients. On Monday, Acadia (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ACAD]]) reported that its drug, pimavanserin, met the goal of delaying relapse of psychosis in dementia patients compared to a … Continue reading “Acadia Stock Jumps on Positive Dementia-Related Psychosis Drug Data”
At Big Lung Cancer Meeting, Lights Shine on KRAS, Drug Combos & More
The treatment landscape for lung cancer has shifted significantly over the past few years, and more changes could be on the way. At the World Conference on Lung Cancer in Barcelona this weekend a number of drug makers trotted out some of their latest advances in immunotherapy, targeted pills, drug combinations, and more. Xconomy rounded … Continue reading “At Big Lung Cancer Meeting, Lights Shine on KRAS, Drug Combos & More”
Bio Roundup: MedCo’s Pricing Plan, Vertex’s Gamble, uBiome Undone
Being first to market with a new type of drug brings advantages. The first mover sets the bar for what physicians, payers, and patients can expect of that medicine and how much it costs. It grabs market share that followers have to steal away. But the first mover isn’t infallible if someone else has something … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: MedCo’s Pricing Plan, Vertex’s Gamble, uBiome Undone”
Startup Aquacycl Raises $4M To More Efficiently Treat Wastewater
Making beer is a water-intensive process: Along with the water that goes into the product itself, another five to seven gallons of wastewater is produced for every gallon of the good stuff because of cleaning, cooling, and packing during a brew. The leftover grains and unused water, chock-full of sugars and alcohol, is expensive to … Continue reading “Startup Aquacycl Raises $4M To More Efficiently Treat Wastewater”
Aristea Therapeutics Taps Nihar Bhakta as Chief Medical Officer
Aristea Therapeutics on Tuesday announced the appointment of Nihar Bhakta as chief medical officer. Bhakta, most recently project team leader at Gossamer Bio (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GOSS]]), has also held roles at Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]), Roche, and Ardea Biosciences, which was acquired by AstraZeneca (NYSE: [[ticker:AZN]]) in 2012. San Diego-based Aristea, a clinical-stage company launched in … Continue reading “Aristea Therapeutics Taps Nihar Bhakta as Chief Medical Officer”
Robocalls Crowd Out Real Business Calls. This Startup Has an Answer.
The ways in which robocallers try to dupe us are becoming almost as plentiful as the frequency of the calls. An unknown phone number was once all scammers needed to trick the average person into picking up the call. Now, new hoaxes are making it increasingly difficult to avoid fraud, such as the “one ring” … Continue reading “Robocalls Crowd Out Real Business Calls. This Startup Has an Answer.”
Bio Roundup: Cholesterol Check, J&J’s Opioid Hit, AbbVie’s Flop & More
You might be camping, barbecuing, or sleeping on Monday. It’s Labor Day, after all. But in Paris, this cardiologist will be in a conference center, walking an audience through a slide deck packed with Phase 3 data for a new cholesterol-lowering drug, inclisiran. Inclisiran’s owner, the Medicines Co., jumped the presentation by a week, promising … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Cholesterol Check, J&J’s Opioid Hit, AbbVie’s Flop & More”
Ionis Gets $25M From GSK for Experimental Hepatitis B Program
Infections caused by the hepatitis B virus, which attacks the liver, are typically treated with drugs that keep the virus from making ever more copies of itself. However, because those treatments reduce but don’t eliminate the virus, patients have to take the drugs indefinitely, according to the World Health Organization. Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IONS]]) has … Continue reading “Ionis Gets $25M From GSK for Experimental Hepatitis B Program”
For GW Pharma CEO Justin Gover, The CBD Trend Started 20 Years Ago
[Corrected 8/27/19, 1:18 p.m. PT. See below.] Remember the simpler times of the mid-2010s, when you could order a latte or cocktail in California without the option of adding CBD? For Justin Gover, CEO of British drugmaker GW Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GWPH]]), society’s sudden embrace of cannabidiol (CBD), the other active ingredient found in the cannabis plant, … Continue reading “For GW Pharma CEO Justin Gover, The CBD Trend Started 20 Years Ago”
New PCSK9 Cholesterol Drug Faces Tough Foe. (Hint: Not Cholesterol.)
[Updated 8/26/19, 10:30am. See below.] Remember when the new wave of expensive cholesterol-lowering drugs—known as PCSK9 inhibitors—was supposed to give the healthcare system a financial heart attack? Far from it. Four years after approval the two PCSK9 blockers on the market have yet to crack $1 billion in annual sales, combined, thanks to a gloves-off … Continue reading “New PCSK9 Cholesterol Drug Faces Tough Foe. (Hint: Not Cholesterol.)”
Bio Roundup: Sarepta’s Stumble, Opioid Suits, Shkreli’s Legacy & More
Biotech news tends to slow down in August but the past seven days have been busy for regulatory decisions. Three drugs and two devices won FDA nods. Not all companies were as fortunate. Several biotechs reported failed clinical trials or unfavorable FDA decisions. The most notable one might be the rejection of a Sarepta Therapeutics … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Sarepta’s Stumble, Opioid Suits, Shkreli’s Legacy & More”
Erasca Promotes Yeung to COO, CFO; Appoints Chacko as New CBO
Erasca, a biotech that launched in 2018 to develop cancer drugs, on Thursday announced it promoted Gary Yeung, its chief business officer, to the dual roles of chief operating and financial officer. It appointed David Chacko as its new chief business officer. Yeung previously held leadership roles at Guardant Health (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GH]]), Annexon Biosciences, and … Continue reading “Erasca Promotes Yeung to COO, CFO; Appoints Chacko as New CBO”
Retrophin Sinks as Drug “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli Co-Invented Fails
[Corrected, 8/23/19, see below] Retrophin, the drug developer founded by jailed former biotech executive Martin Shkreli, has failed its first big test. The San Diego-based company’s experimental drug fosmetpantotenate failed a Phase 3 trial, FORT, in patients with a rare and deadly neurological disorder called pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration, or PKAN. The Retrophin (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RTRX]]) drug … Continue reading “Retrophin Sinks as Drug “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli Co-Invented Fails”
Ford’s Autonomic Connects EV Maker Ayro to Its Mobility Cloud
Ford subsidiary Autonomic today announced a step forward in its drive to expand the online mobility hub it built to manage digital interactions among cars, drivers, fleets, service providers, and auto manufacturers—including Ford’s rivals. Palo Alto, CA-based Autonomic signed up Ayro, an electric vehicle startup, as a paying customer of its Transportation Mobility Cloud (TMC), … Continue reading “Ford’s Autonomic Connects EV Maker Ayro to Its Mobility Cloud”
Startup Blooma Launches With $2.75M to Digitize Commercial Lending
Many facets of the finance industry, a highly regulated sector of the economy, are still reworking the tools used to move around money so that they fit a digital world. Digital mortgage lenders, for example, are having a field day, pulling in millions from investors who see opportunities to make money by speeding up the … Continue reading “Startup Blooma Launches With $2.75M to Digitize Commercial Lending”