Seattle-based Calistoga Pharmaceuticals said that its lead experimental drug, CAL-101, killed cancer cells in lab studies of multiple blood malignancies. The drug is designed to block a marker inside cells called the PI3 kinase pathway, that is thought to play a key role in tumor cell growth, survival, and migration. The findings were delivered in … Continue reading “Calistoga Drug Shrinks Tumors in Lab Studies”
Category: Seattle
Microsoft’s BizSpark Program, In First 30 Days, Reaches Thousands of Startups, Developers
It’s been a whirlwind month for Cliff Reeves. The Microsoft general manager just got back from Eastern Europe and China, where he was promoting the debut of BizSpark, Microsoft’s new outreach program for startups. The program offers free software, development tools, and technical support to early-stage startups worldwide, with the goal of helping local software … Continue reading “Microsoft’s BizSpark Program, In First 30 Days, Reaches Thousands of Startups, Developers”
Blood News: A Quick Rundown of Headlines From the American Society of Hematology
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) is one of those scientific meetings that usually flies below the radar of the wire services and big newspapers. Still, this year’s event in San Francisco has drawn more than 21,000 physicians, scientists, and intensely interested folks from biotech companies and Wall Street. They are all scouting new treatments … Continue reading “Blood News: A Quick Rundown of Headlines From the American Society of Hematology”
The Quest for a Malaria Vaccine: SBRI’s Stefan Kappe Stares Down a Leading Candidate
If everything breaks right for Stefan Kappe‘s research, he’ll be able to tell the grandkids he played a leading role in wiping out malaria. It will probably take 10 years, if not longer. But this guy is clearly undaunted. On a Friday afternoon at his office at the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute (SBRI), the German … Continue reading “The Quest for a Malaria Vaccine: SBRI’s Stefan Kappe Stares Down a Leading Candidate”
Microsoft and EMC Get Secure, PATH Puts $3M Into Bird Flu, Amazon Closes Book on Abe, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
It was a very slow week for deals in the Northwest, with layoffs and other bad news dominating the headlines. But there were still a few deals in biotech, software, and e-commerce. —The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle raised more than $2.2 million in donations for its research programs at its annual holiday … Continue reading “Microsoft and EMC Get Secure, PATH Puts $3M Into Bird Flu, Amazon Closes Book on Abe, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
City Trash Cans Go Solar—and Wireless—to Save Big Bucks on Garbage Trucks
The only solar-powered trash compactor that most people could name is Wall-E, the fictional lovestruck robot from this summer’s Pixar movie. But in Boston, San Diego, Seattle, and more than a dozen other major cities, you can meet the real thing: the BigBelly Cordless Compaction System, a 200-gallon robotic trash container manufactured by Needham, MA-based … Continue reading “City Trash Cans Go Solar—and Wireless—to Save Big Bucks on Garbage Trucks”
Ontier Obtains New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=852ac08b-fab0-46a4-9545-907864d053d7&Preview=1 Date 12/9/2008 Company Name Ontier Mailing Address 818 SW 3rd Ave Portland, OR 97204 Company Description Ontier, Inc. was founded in early 2008 in Portland, Oregon by industry veteran Sebastian Rapport. The company is comprised of a global team of experienced managers and product developers brought together to enable a leap … Continue reading “Ontier Obtains New Round”
ZymoGenetics Drug For Surgical Bleeding Demonstrates Safety in Trial
Seattle-based ZymoGenetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZGEN]]) said today that its sole marketed product was able to be safely given to patients with excess surgical bleeding, without provoking an immune system reaction. The study was of 205 patients who were at increased risk for having reactions against the standard product derived from cow blood, marketed by King Pharmaceuticals … Continue reading “ZymoGenetics Drug For Surgical Bleeding Demonstrates Safety in Trial”
ExtraHop Jumps Out of Stealth
Seattle-based ExtraHop Networks announced it has released its software product to help companies manage their network operations and applications support. The startup says its software helps info-tech organizations monitor their software applications environments by examining tens of thousands of network transactions at any given time. ExtraHop was founded in early 2007 by veterans of Seattle’s … Continue reading “ExtraHop Jumps Out of Stealth”
‘Hutch’ Raises $2.2M at Holiday Gala
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center raised more than $2.2 million in donations for its research programs at its annual Hutch Holiday Gala on Saturday night at the Seattle Sheraton. More than half of the money, $1.2 million, was directed toward immunotherapy research, in which scientists try to “teach” the immune system to fight cancer … Continue reading “‘Hutch’ Raises $2.2M at Holiday Gala”
RealNetworks Goes Mobile, Releases Games for iPhone
Seattle-based RealNetworks is introducing games for the iPhone and other mobile devices, according to a report in VentureBeat today. Six games are coming out on the iPhone this quarter, including Tiki Towers, a survival-adventure game released last week on some mobile phones. It will be out on the iPhone and iPod Touch on December 15, … Continue reading “RealNetworks Goes Mobile, Releases Games for iPhone”
Zevalin Causes Long-Lasting Remissions, Researchers Say
Follow-up data from a trial of 409 patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma shows that treatment with Zevalin is long lasting, said the drug’s marketer, Seattle-based Cell Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CTIC]]). Researchers found that patients who had their tumors completely wiped out after taking Zevalin remained in remission for at least 67 months, compared with 31 months for … Continue reading “Zevalin Causes Long-Lasting Remissions, Researchers Say”
Alder Gets Early Christmas Present: FDA Slaps Down Its Rival, Roche
Alder Biopharmaceuticals caught a lucky break last week. The Bothell, WA-based biotech company saw its biggest competitor, Swiss drug giant Roche, get kneecapped by the FDA. The U.S. drug regulator delayed Roche’s application to sell a new rheumatoid arthritis drug, asking it to do more animal studies, which will probably keep the drug off the … Continue reading “Alder Gets Early Christmas Present: FDA Slaps Down Its Rival, Roche”
Big Fish Swims Against Current, Looks To Make New Hires—and Not Only for Games
“We’re not just a gaming company,” says Glenn Walcott. The chief financial officer of Seattle-based Big Fish Games is telling me about his company’s focus on new hires, and this comes as a bit of surprise. People tend to think of Big Fish as a game producer, but Walcott stresses that most of its engineers … Continue reading “Big Fish Swims Against Current, Looks To Make New Hires—and Not Only for Games”
Seattle Genetics “Empowered Antibody” Shines at Blood Disease Meeting
The longer Seattle Genetics keeps following cancer patients who took its lead drug candidate, the better the data looks. The Bothell, WA-based biotech company released some stellar (albeit preliminary and without a control group) clinical trial results today that show its “empowered antibody” is able to wipe out aggressive forms of Hodgkin’s disease with minimal … Continue reading “Seattle Genetics “Empowered Antibody” Shines at Blood Disease Meeting”
OVP Names Carl Weissman Managing Director
OVP Venture Partners, the Kirkland, WA-based venture firm, said today it has hired Carl Weissman as managing director, promoting him from venture partner. While filling that part-time role at OVP, Weissman’s full-time job has been as president and CEO of Accelerator, a Seattle-based biotech startup incubator. Weissman will continue to serve as chairman and CEO … Continue reading “OVP Names Carl Weissman Managing Director”
Eden Bioscience Folds
Eden Bioscience, the agricultural biotechnology company that developed a crop-boosting product called Messenger, said today it has decided to shut down for good and liquidate its assets. The Woodinville, WA-based company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EDEN]]) sold its proprietary harpin protein technology in February 2007 to Pittsburgh-based Plant Health Care. Since then, Eden has tried to sustain itself … Continue reading “Eden Bioscience Folds”
Calypso Medical Cuts 36 Jobs To Save Cash
Seattle-based Calypso Medical Technologies has cut 36 jobs, or about one-fifth of its workforce, to conserve cash during the economic downturn. Calypso didn’t issue a press release, but CEO Eric Meier gave me the bad news this morning in a phone call. Calypso’s management and board made the cuts effective immediately, Meier says. It means … Continue reading “Calypso Medical Cuts 36 Jobs To Save Cash”
Microsoft Hires Head of Online Services from Yahoo
Redmond, WA-based Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) announced it has appointed Qi Lu as president of its online services group, which encompasses all of the company’s online search, advertising, information, and communications services. Lu was most recently Yahoo’s executive vice president of engineering for search and advertising technology. Before spending 10 years at Yahoo (NASDAQ: [[ticker:YHOO]]), Lu, … Continue reading “Microsoft Hires Head of Online Services from Yahoo”
Northstar Finance Chief Resigns
Northstar Neuroscience (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NSTR]]), a Seattle-based maker of a brain stimulation device for severe depression, said today that Chief Financial Officer Raymond Calvert is resigning at the end of the year to “pursue other interests.” He will get severance worth six months of base salary, which was $210,000 in 2007, according to the company’s annual … Continue reading “Northstar Finance Chief Resigns”
Layoff Update: Intrinsyc, Iterasi, Marchex, Razorfish, RealNetworks, and Targeted Genetics Cut Staff
It’s a different kind of Black Friday. Heading into a cold winter recession, we’ve seen six Northwest companies deliver bad news in the form of layoffs this week. Of course, staff cuts can be strategic in times like these, but they’re never a good thing for employees. The one we haven’t seen reported elsewhere is … Continue reading “Layoff Update: Intrinsyc, Iterasi, Marchex, Razorfish, RealNetworks, and Targeted Genetics Cut Staff”
Speak & Spell: New Apps Turn Phones into Multimedia Search Appliances
About five years ago, in a previous life at another technology publication, I wrote that I wished I could “Google my sock drawer.” I was being facetious, but my point was that searching the Web had become so easy that it left me yearning for equally convenient ways to search other things, like the books … Continue reading “Speak & Spell: New Apps Turn Phones into Multimedia Search Appliances”
Out With the Old Shots, In With the New: Xconomy Forum To Explore Disruptive Changes in Vaccines
Old-school vaccines like shots for tetanus don’t add up to good business anymore for doctors who give them, according to a report this week in the Associated Press. Then again, the market for a new breed of vaccines against all sorts of other diseases is booming, on a trajectory from an estimated $10 billion in … Continue reading “Out With the Old Shots, In With the New: Xconomy Forum To Explore Disruptive Changes in Vaccines”
RealNetworks Lays Off 130, 39 in Seattle
Seattle-based RealNetworks has confirmed it is cutting 130 jobs, or 7.5 percent of its worldwide staff. The digital-media company says 39 of the positions are in Seattle. The layoffs will be effective at the end of the year. Displaced workers will receive cash severance packages and six months of healthcare coverage.
PATH Invests $3M in Flu Vaccine Candidate
Seattle-based PATH, a nonprofit organization devoted to improving global health, said today it is investing $3 million in a vaccine candidate against pandemic flu. The vaccine is being developed by Lentigen, a Gaithersburg, MD-based biotech company. If successful, the vaccine will mimic the potentially deadly H5N1 strains of flu virus, known as “bird flu.” The … Continue reading “PATH Invests $3M in Flu Vaccine Candidate”
Public Data Goes on Amazon’s Cloud
Seattle-based Amazon Web Services announced today it is providing free access to centralized data sets in the Internet cloud. The Amazon subsidiary will host large data sets from genomics, bioinformatics, economics, U.S. Census information, and other areas, which researchers and developers can access from the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud software platform. The effort is intended … Continue reading “Public Data Goes on Amazon’s Cloud”
Grounded in Reality, Maxwell Technology’s CEO Dispels Static Around Ultracapacitors
Is it just me, or have ultracapacitors somehow become the latest hot and mysterious alternative energy technology? Just a few weeks ago, my Xconomy colleague Greg Huang reported that Seattle startup EnerG2 landed $8.5 million in venture funding to develop a new class of ultracapitors that use nanocomposite materials to store energy. Before that, Light … Continue reading “Grounded in Reality, Maxwell Technology’s CEO Dispels Static Around Ultracapacitors”
Urbanspoon Unveils Restaurant Sites in All U.S. Cities; Co-Founder Ethan Lowry Talks Strategy
I didn’t think it was possible for a popular website like Urbanspoon to fly below the radar. But it has—at least for the past week. The two-year old Seattle startup, which provides local restaurant reviews and has more than a million users of its iPhone application every month, quietly unveiled new sites in every city … Continue reading “Urbanspoon Unveils Restaurant Sites in All U.S. Cities; Co-Founder Ethan Lowry Talks Strategy”
Bruce Carter Exits Stage Left, Targeted Genetics Cuts Payroll, OncoGenex Cancer Drug Prolongs Lives, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
The big news of the past couple weeks came before Thanksgiving, when one of Seattle’s biotech pioneers, Bruce Carter, decided to exit stage left. Here is that and other highlights of the past two weeks: —ZymoGenetics’ charismatic CEO Bruce Carter, 65, has decided to retire at year’s end, and promote Doug Williams to take his … Continue reading “Bruce Carter Exits Stage Left, Targeted Genetics Cuts Payroll, OncoGenex Cancer Drug Prolongs Lives, & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Traditional Venture Model is “Broken” for Biotech, Companies Need to Adapt, Says VC Alan Frazier
Alan Frazier controls one of the world’s biggest life sciences venture capital funds, so it would only be natural that he’d like to hide under a rock these days. But he was still willing to sit down with me at his 32nd floor office in downtown Seattle this week for a wide-ranging talk about the … Continue reading “Traditional Venture Model is “Broken” for Biotech, Companies Need to Adapt, Says VC Alan Frazier”
Innovation Will Set America Back on Track
Most Americans are depressed about the economy. But if we pull back and try to rise above the clouds, there are real reasons for hope. The combination of a “Yes We Can” administration headed to the White House, along with our country’s established leadership in innovation, has us standing at the crest of a trail … Continue reading “Innovation Will Set America Back on Track”
Xconomy’s Top 9 List of How to Deal With the Downturn Now Up to 12 As More Good Advice Pours In
A few weeks ago we ran a story called How to Handle the Downturn: Xconomy’s Top 9 List of Top 10 Lists. We’d been combing the Web looking for an even ten Top 10 advice lists—but came up one short. Since that time, the advice has continued to flow. One list of particular note, from … Continue reading “Xconomy’s Top 9 List of How to Deal With the Downturn Now Up to 12 As More Good Advice Pours In”
Verdiem’s New CEO, Jeremy Jaech, Sees Big Opportunity in IT Energy Savings
Updated Dec. 3 with comments from Ed Lazowska (see below): Seattle-based Verdiem, a cleantech-meets-computing firm, announced its new chief executive today. He is Jeremy Jaech, the co-founder of software powerhouses Aldus and Visio, a University of Washington alum, and a certified tech-entrepreneur giant of the Northwest. I’ve had my eye on Verdiem as an interesting … Continue reading “Verdiem’s New CEO, Jeremy Jaech, Sees Big Opportunity in IT Energy Savings”
Amazon Unveils iPhone Photo App
Seattle-based Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) today announced a new application for Apple’s iPhone and iPod touch. The most interesting feature lets you take a picture of a product, which Amazon then tries to match with similar products available for purchase online. The broader application lets users browse for products from Amazon and other retailers like Target … Continue reading “Amazon Unveils iPhone Photo App”
Spiration Promotes Finance Chief Greg Sessler to COO
Spiration, the Redmond, WA-based medical device company, said today it has promoted Greg Sessler from chief financial officer to chief operating officer. Sessler takes on the new responsibility two months after Spiration won FDA clearance to sell its first product—a tiny valve that doctors insert to block off air to damaged parts of the lung. … Continue reading “Spiration Promotes Finance Chief Greg Sessler to COO”
Prostate Cancer Drug from OncoGenex, Isis Prolongs Lives; OncoGenex Shares Soar
Some eye-opening news for prostate cancer patients crossed the wire this morning, sending shares of OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals rocketing up 80 percent. An experimental drug from OncoGenex and Isis Pharmaceuticals, used in combination with standard treatments, helped men with prostate cancer live a median time of 10.6 months longer than if they took the usual chemo … Continue reading “Prostate Cancer Drug from OncoGenex, Isis Prolongs Lives; OncoGenex Shares Soar”
How To Spot a Breakthrough: Tips from Early Amazon Investor Nick Hanauer
Last night, I attended an inspiring talk by Nick Hanauer of Seattle-based Second Avenue Partners. The venue was Seattle University, and the topic was “breakthrough thinking and ideas”—what they are, how to find them, and which companies have developed (and will develop) them. The event was organized by the Northwest Entrepreneur Network. Hanauer knows a … Continue reading “How To Spot a Breakthrough: Tips from Early Amazon Investor Nick Hanauer”
The Pros (and Not Many Cons) of Merck’s HPV Vaccine, According to UW’s Laura Koutsky
Everyone has human papillomavirus (HPV) crawling all over our skin. This usually doesn’t cause us any harm, but in about 11,000 cases a year in the U.S., sexual activity leads to an infection that causes cervical cancer, which kills about 3,800 women a year. This basic fact is at the root of a revolution in … Continue reading “The Pros (and Not Many Cons) of Merck’s HPV Vaccine, According to UW’s Laura Koutsky”
Entellium Files for Bankruptcy
Seattle-based Entellium said it has filed for bankruptcy protection today, as it prepares to sell off its assets. In October, the software company’s top two executives, Paul Johnston and Parrish Jones, resigned and were charged with fraud. The filing says Entellium has $37.7 million in assets and $12.7 million in liabilities. Its creditors are listed … Continue reading “Entellium Files for Bankruptcy”
Amazon Completes AbeBooks Acquisition
Seattle-based Amazon announced it has completed its acquisition of Victoria, BC-based AbeBooks, an online marketplace for used, rare, and out-of-print books. The deal was originally announced on August 1. With the purchase, Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) also owns 40 percent of LibraryThing, a literary social site based in Cambridge, MA, which competes with Seattle-based Shelfari, another … Continue reading “Amazon Completes AbeBooks Acquisition”
Creator of Seattle 2.0, Marcelo Calbucci, Looks to Build the Ultimate Resource Site for Startups
Are you a new tech entrepreneur in the Seattle area? Or interested in the workings of startups from a Northwest perspective? If so, you should check out Marcelo Calbucci’s “ultimate guide,” which he posted on his Seattle 2.0 blog yesterday. In it, he discusses the practicalities of starting a business, like office space, legal issues, … Continue reading “Creator of Seattle 2.0, Marcelo Calbucci, Looks to Build the Ultimate Resource Site for Startups”
Targeted Genetics Cuts 7 Jobs, Lowers Executive Pay
Targeted Genetics, a Seattle biotech company, said today it is cutting payroll costs by 25 percent, and other costs by 15 percent. The company said it is eliminating seven jobs, and deferring salary or switching some of its seven most senior executives to half-time work to achieve the cost savings. Targeted Genetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TGEN]]) had … Continue reading “Targeted Genetics Cuts 7 Jobs, Lowers Executive Pay”
Clearwire Closes WiMax Merger, Entellium Goes on Sale, Microsoft May Yet Buy Yahoo Search, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
Despite the Thanksgiving holiday, it was a fairly busy week for deals in the Northwest. Some big companies reared their heads (or at least were reported to) in software, wireless, and biotech, and other deals are in the works, so stay tuned. —The Times of London reported that Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) is looking to acquire … Continue reading “Clearwire Closes WiMax Merger, Entellium Goes on Sale, Microsoft May Yet Buy Yahoo Search, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Who Needs VCs? Seattle Entrepreneurs Say Bootstrapping Is the Way To Go (Part 2)
What are the arguments for and against bootstrapping a tech startup? When should a company raise venture funding? And what have Seattle entrepreneurs experienced in taking various different paths? I interviewed three prominent local entrepreneurs in the past week to get their thoughts. Yesterday, in Part 1 of this story, I gave some context and … Continue reading “Who Needs VCs? Seattle Entrepreneurs Say Bootstrapping Is the Way To Go (Part 2)”
Entellium, Intuit in Reported Deal
Intuit, a financial software firm based in Mountain View, CA, has made an offer to buy the assets of Seattle startup Entellium, according to TechFlash. The report cites an interview with Entellium spokesperson Diane Carlini, as well as an anonymous source who puts the purchase price at about $8 million. Entellium, which was backed by … Continue reading “Entellium, Intuit in Reported Deal”
Clearwire Finally Inks WiMax Deal
Since May, Kirkland, WA-based Clearwire (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLWRD]]) and Overland Park, KS-based Sprint Nextel (NYSE: [[ticker:S]]) have been working to combine their next-generation wireless Internet access businesses, and the two companies finally completed the deal on Friday. Using a $3.2 billion venture investment from Comcast, Intel, Time Warner Cable, Google and Bright House Networks, the new … Continue reading “Clearwire Finally Inks WiMax Deal”
Disputed Report Says Microsoft To Acquire Yahoo’s Search Business—Any Truth To It?
Yes, they’re at it again. Or are they? For those who didn’t spend their holiday weekend following the latest twists in the Microsoft-Yahoo acquisition soap opera, let’s get you up to speed on whether there’s any substance to the latest reports. On Saturday, the UK-based Times Online (aka The Times of London) reported that Microsoft … Continue reading “Disputed Report Says Microsoft To Acquire Yahoo’s Search Business—Any Truth To It?”
DotNetNuke Nets Series A
Seattle-based DotNetNuke, an open-source Web applications company, announced it has raised a Series A financing round from Silicon Valley venture firms August Capital and Sierra Ventures. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. DotNetNuke provides a software framework for creating and managing interactive Web and intranet sites using Microsoft’s technology platform.
Zevalin Gets 6-Month FDA Review
Seattle-based Cell Therapeutics said its drug for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is getting a faster-than-usual regulatory review of an application that could broaden its usage. The FDA is giving a six-month review, instead of the usual 10-month examination, to ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin) for newly diagnosed patients with Hodgkin’s disease. That means the agency has a deadline of April 2 … Continue reading “Zevalin Gets 6-Month FDA Review”
Never Mind That Bailout: Venture Funding for Auto Innovation Accelerates As Startups Race to Leave Detroit in its Own Dust
Tomorrow, Detroit’s automakers are expected to give Congress a detailed plan that explains exactly how they intend to use $25 billion in taxpayer funding to engineer a turnaround—no doubt refueling the nationwide debate over the auto industry bailout. Meanwhile, venture capital funding for innovative automotive technologies has accelerated dramatically over the past five years. Investment … Continue reading “Never Mind That Bailout: Venture Funding for Auto Innovation Accelerates As Startups Race to Leave Detroit in its Own Dust”