The Speaker Series at Vilna Shul Boston’s Center for Jewish Culture features a “fireside chat” with Jeff Taylor, CEO of Boston-based social networking site Eons (profiled here). More information here.
Ikaria Drug Fails in Big Trial of Babies With Lung Disease
Ikaria has some disappointing news out today on its lead drug development candidate. The Clinton, NJ-based biotech company, which has research and development operations in Seattle, said over the weekend that its inhaled form of nitric oxide didn’t work for premature infants with bronchopulmonary disease. Results from a Phase III study of 800 premature infants … Continue reading “Ikaria Drug Fails in Big Trial of Babies With Lung Disease”
Mass High Tech All-Star Awards
Mass High Tech, published by American City Business Journals, honors its 2008 All-Stars, “influential and dynamic leaders from across New England’s innovation economy.” This year’s all-star pics include: Telecom: Justin Aborn, Chief Scientist, General Compression Education: Abigail A. Barrow, Director MA Technology Transfer Center, University of Massachusetts Social Media: Chris Brogan, VP Strategy & Technology, … Continue reading “Mass High Tech All-Star Awards”
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”
The Building Blocks of Social Media
MITX hosts a morning panel discussion on marketing technology in the social media age. From the event web page: “Social networking and community-driven web initiatives continue to be a top priority for organizations looking to engage customers and prospects online. The technology that drives these initiatives is rapidly evolving, creating a dizzying array of options … Continue reading “The Building Blocks of Social Media”
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”
Trubion Shares Leap, Drop, Leap Again After Encouraging Clinical Trial News
(Update: This story has been updated to include Monday’s closing share price, and a description of preliminary Phase II re-treatment results.) Trubion Pharmaceuticals shares shot up 43 percent this morning, saw all the gains vanish within an hour, then finished the day up 12 percent after reporting encouraging news from a clinical trial of its … Continue reading “Trubion Shares Leap, Drop, Leap Again After Encouraging Clinical Trial News”
Battery Leads $17M ZeroG Round
Waltham, MA-based Battery Ventures is the lead funder in a $17 million Series B round for ZeroG Wireless, a Sunnyvale, CA-based developing low-power Wi-Fi chips, the company announced today. Existing investors Morgenthaler Ventures, which has offices in Boston, and Greylock Partners, which has offices in Waltham, also joined the round. Though ZeroG has not announced … Continue reading “Battery Leads $17M ZeroG Round”
ZymoGenetics Drug Trial Halted Because of Infection Risk
ZymoGenetics has some bad news out this morning on its atacicept drug candidate. The Seattle biotech company said its partner, Germany-based Merck KGaA, halted a final-stage clinical trial of the drug for 200 patients with lupus of the kidneys because it posed a high risk of severe infections. ZymoGenetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZGEN]]) made the disclosure this … Continue reading “ZymoGenetics Drug Trial Halted Because of Infection Risk”
At Employee Fair, EMC Calls for Innovation from the Bottom Up
How does a giant company like EMC build an image as an innovator when it employs only a handful of full-time researchers, has a reputation for acquiring rather than inventing new technologies, and sells some of the unsexiest boxes in the IT back room—file servers, disk arrays, and other backup systems that, if they’re working … Continue reading “At Employee Fair, EMC Calls for Innovation from the Bottom Up”
MarketOutsider Tells Investors Who’s Up, Who’s Down in the Media
When I first met Bryce Baril in June, he was a winning contestant in Seattle LivePitch, an event in which local entrepreneurs pitch their startups in two minutes. For the past four months, Baril has been holed up with his company, MarketOutsider, quietly working away on a software prototype—a “robotic financial analyst” that could potentially … Continue reading “MarketOutsider Tells Investors Who’s Up, Who’s Down in the Media”
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”
S3 Aspires To Get Biologists Thinking Outside the Styrofoam Box
Anytime a biologist needs a shipment of something that must be kept cold, like a blood sample or biotech drug, it comes in a polystyrene (Styrofoam) box. Usually from the East Coast. Usually two or three days after the order was placed. This all strikes Mickey Blake as pretty wasteful and inefficient. So she’s starting … Continue reading “S3 Aspires To Get Biologists Thinking Outside the Styrofoam Box”
Akamai Acquires Acerno, Archemix Adds Eli Lilly to Partner List, Sermo Signs Up Bloomberg Subscribers, & More Boston-Area Deals News
The deals news from Boston-area firms last week was dominated by the life sciences companies. —Archemix of Cambridge, MA, inked a deal giving drug giant Eli Lilly (NYSE:[[ticker:LLY]]) options to apply its “aptamer”-based drug technology to up to two disease targets. The agreement, financial terms of which were not disclosed, follows similar ones that Archemix … Continue reading “Akamai Acquires Acerno, Archemix Adds Eli Lilly to Partner List, Sermo Signs Up Bloomberg Subscribers, & More Boston-Area Deals News”
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”
iStorez Lands $2,300,000 Series A Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0df0deff-67ff-4e7a-a9da-2d6f650a0fa5&Preview=1 Date 10/27/2008 Company Name iStorez Mailing Address 440 N Wolfe Road Sunnyvale , CA 94085 Company Description iStorez is a brand new way to shop-bringing theme-based shopping and all your favorite brands and store specials to a single destination in a simplified and uniquely personalized way. Website http://www.istorez.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “iStorez Lands $2,300,000 Series A Funding”
ZeroG Wireless Obtains $17,000,000 Series B Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3c4288fb-48ee-43f3-a224-f08ea9a0b200&Preview=1 Date 10/27/2008 Company Name ZeroG Wireless Mailing Address 255 San Geronimo Way Sunnyvale, CA 94085 Company Description ZeroG Wireless was founded based on the belief that a new paradigm of wireless connectivity is upon us. We envision a 4th Age of Wireless™ — the Internet of Things. Trends such as pervasive … Continue reading “ZeroG Wireless Obtains $17,000,000 Series B Financing Round”
Amazon’s Cloud Does Windows
Amazon Web Services has announced that Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), its environment for running Web applications in the Internet cloud, is now available to the general public and is running Microsoft Windows Server and Microsoft SQL Server. The move is seen as an effort to keep Amazon ahead of competitors like Google and Microsoft in … Continue reading “Amazon’s Cloud Does Windows”
Spiration Wins FDA Approval With Device for Lung Disease
Nine years after its founding, Spiration has gotten its first product cleared by the FDA for sale in the U.S. The Redmond, WA-based medical device maker said U.S. regulators approved its device for patients who suffer from prolonged air leaks after surgery to remove a diseased part of their lungs. This is the first time … Continue reading “Spiration Wins FDA Approval With Device for Lung Disease”
Welcome to Seattle, Al Gore—Can UW Startups Get Some VC Love?
Back in August, Luke sat down with the University of Washington’s incoming Vice Provost for Technology Transfer, Linden Rhoads. The serial tech entrepreneur talked about taking charge of the university’s tech transfer office, and how one of her top priorities was to meet with venture capitalists in the Northwest and in the San Francisco Bay … Continue reading “Welcome to Seattle, Al Gore—Can UW Startups Get Some VC Love?”
MTLC Awards Give Nods to Cleantech, Gaming, and Inkless Printing
The Mass Technology Leadership Council gave nods to cleantech and gaming investors, inkless printing technology, and Web innovators with its 2008 Mass Technology Leadership Awards, according to the industry group. Over the last year or so, Xconomy has written stories that capture many of these award-winning accomplishments. Here’s a complete list of this year’s winners … Continue reading “MTLC Awards Give Nods to Cleantech, Gaming, and Inkless Printing”
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”
Seattle Needs to Stick to its Vision for Global Health, Recession or Not, Says Sen. Murray
Sen. Patty Murray is one of seven kids. While growing up, her dad was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. It was hard for him to support a family, so Murray’s mother went on food stamps for a time. But no matter how rough times got, the family had a goal that all seven kids would graduate … Continue reading “Seattle Needs to Stick to its Vision for Global Health, Recession or Not, Says Sen. Murray”
Mersana Raises $4M in Note Placement
Mersana Therapeutics has completed a convertible note placement worth $4 million, officials of the Cambridge, MA-based cancer drug developer told Mass High Tech. The new funding brings Mersana’s total private investment raised to date to about $36 million, according to Mass High Tech; Fidelity Biosciences, Harris & Harris Group, PureTech Ventures, ProQuest Investments, and Rho … Continue reading “Mersana Raises $4M in Note Placement”
Boston Scientific Gets FDA OK for Carotid Artery Stent, Insurance Reimbursements on the Device Still Limited
Natick, MA-based medical devices giant Boston Scientific has garnered market approval for a carotid artery stent, the company announced yesterday afternoon. The stent is a coiled metal tube intended to prop open the carotid artery in the neck that keeps blood flowing from the heart to the brain. When plaques cause the arteries to narrow, … Continue reading “Boston Scientific Gets FDA OK for Carotid Artery Stent, Insurance Reimbursements on the Device Still Limited”
Avid to Lay Off 410 Workers
On the heels of a big third-quarter loss, Tewksbury, MA-based Avid Technology, which makes professional video and audio editing software, announced yesterday that it planned to lay off 410 employees, roughly 15 percent of its staff. The company also plans to terminate 90 contract workers and sell its Softimage 3-D game animation business. The Boston … Continue reading “Avid to Lay Off 410 Workers”
Merck Shutdown of Rosetta is Seattle’s Loss, Boston’s Gain As Company Tries to Lure Key Researchers East
Merck is saying goodbye to Seattle, and it’s really trying to entice its people to say hello to Beantown. Following up on Wednesday’s announcement that the Pharma giant is shutting down its Rosetta Inpharmatics research facility here in Seattle, yesterday I got the scoop on what’s happening from Douglas Bassett, Merck’s executive director of molecular … Continue reading “Merck Shutdown of Rosetta is Seattle’s Loss, Boston’s Gain As Company Tries to Lure Key Researchers East”
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”
Mersana Secures $4,000,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6f9cff80-0052-4f3f-83a1-21e4cab81b93&Preview=1 Date 10/24/2008 Company Name Mersana Mailing Address 840 Memorial Drive Cambridge, MA 02139 Company Description Mersana Therapeutics, Inc. (formerly Nanopharma Corp.) is focused on developing novel oncology agents based on Fleximer, a stealth material that enhances the pharmacokinetics and safety of drugs. Website http://www.mersana.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,000,000 … Continue reading “Mersana Secures $4,000,000 New Financing”
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”
Vinod Khosla Speaks at Seattle’s Algae Biomass Summit
This afternoon, I’ve been attending the second annual Algae Biomass Summit at the Bell Harbor Conference Center down by the waterfront in Seattle. This year’s conference has drawn 600 participants—who knew the algae community was this big already? Here at Xconomy, we’ve covered some algae biofuel startups with local connections, including AXI out of the … Continue reading “Vinod Khosla Speaks at Seattle’s Algae Biomass Summit”
NitroMed Sells Off Its Only Product, a Controversial Heart Pill for African Americans
Nine months after slashing its staff and discontinuing marketing of its only marketed product—a heart-failure drug approved specifically for African Americans—Lexington, MA-based NitroMed (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NTMD]]) is selling all the assets related to the pill. Under the terms of the agreement, JHP Pharmaceuticals, a privately held specialty healthcare company in Parsippany, NJ, will pay $24.5 million … Continue reading “NitroMed Sells Off Its Only Product, a Controversial Heart Pill for African Americans”
Bloomberg Subscribers Get Access to Sermo Physician Forum
It seems that Sermo, the exclusive online community for physicians, is finding new ways to monetize its population of members almost as quickly as that population is growing. Last year, the password-protected site, where some 90,000 practicing physicians consult with one another on medical cases and other issues via a system of comments and polls, … Continue reading “Bloomberg Subscribers Get Access to Sermo Physician Forum”
HyperQuality Raises $7.6M
Seattle-based HyperQuality, a provider of software and services to improve call centers and customer experience, has secured about $7.6 million of a $12.1 million Series C financing round, according to PE Hub, which cites a regulatory filing. HyperQuality, founded in 2003, has previously raised some $17 million from the likes of Ignition Partners and Miramar … Continue reading “HyperQuality Raises $7.6M”
Getty Images Buys Jupitermedia’s Online Photo Biz for $96M
It’s one of the biggest acquisitions of the year in the Northwest. Getty Images, the Seattle-based creator and distributor of online photos and video, is buying New York-based Jupitermedia’s online images business. The acquisition of Jupiterimages is worth $96 million in cash, and will help Jupitermedia pay off its bank debt, according to a statement … Continue reading “Getty Images Buys Jupitermedia’s Online Photo Biz for $96M”
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”
Gilead Signs Lease to Grow in Seattle, Despite Aztreonam Delay
Gilead Sciences is going ahead with growth plans in Seattle. The Foster City, CA-based biotech company, which bought Seattle-based Corus Pharma two years ago, has signed a long-term lease on 106,000 square feet at 199 E. Blaine St., according to The Seattle Times. The building, being leased by Alexandria Real Estate Equities in South Lake … Continue reading “Gilead Signs Lease to Grow in Seattle, Despite Aztreonam Delay”
Epix Cutting 23 Percent of Workers
Epix Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:[[ticker:EPIX]]), a Lexington, MA-based biopharmaceutical firm, announced Thursday that it is reducing its work force by 23 percent and “narrowing” the focus of its R&D. The company, which plans to continue developing its lead drugs for Alzheimer’s disease and respiratory conditions, says it expects the cuts to reduce its annual expenses by about … Continue reading “Epix Cutting 23 Percent of Workers”
ZymoGenetics Gets $21M From Bristol-Myers To Settle Patent Suit
ZymoGenetics said today it has agreed to accept a $21 million lump sum payment from Bristol-Myers Squibb to settle a patent dispute between the companies over Ig fusion proteins, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Seattle-based biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZGEN]]) said it dropped its patent lawsuit against the company, originally … Continue reading “ZymoGenetics Gets $21M From Bristol-Myers To Settle Patent Suit”
Sirtris’ Red Wine Chemical to Take Back Seat to “Potent” Diabetes Drugs
Cambridge, MA-based biotech firm Sirtris has garnered national and international attention for its work to use its formulation of resveratrol, a natural chemical found in red wine, to treat diseases of aging such as Type 2 diabetes and cancer. Now the company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of British drug giant GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:[[ticker:GSK]]), plans to increase its … Continue reading “Sirtris’ Red Wine Chemical to Take Back Seat to “Potent” Diabetes Drugs”
Ze-gen Fires Back in Patent Dispute; Calls Quantum Catalytics’ Infringement Allegations “Fraudulent”
Boston-based Ze-gen has struck back at Quantum Catalytics. Ze-gen, in documents filed yesterday in federal District Court in Boston, says the patent infringement claims Quantum filed against it in August are “transparently fraudulent” and “so oblique as to be unfathomable.” Many of the patents at stake in the lawsuit have expired, Ze-gen pointed out in … Continue reading “Ze-gen Fires Back in Patent Dispute; Calls Quantum Catalytics’ Infringement Allegations “Fraudulent””
Merck Bails on Seattle, Gates Foundation Backs Far-Out Ideas, Zymo Drug Shows Promise & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News
Seattle biotech took an uppercut on the chin this week, as Merck bailed out on the region seven years after it established the first Big Pharma beachhead in the Northwest. Since pharma companies like this play critical roles in providing stability to biotech scene, there’s no other way to slice this than to call it … Continue reading “Merck Bails on Seattle, Gates Foundation Backs Far-Out Ideas, Zymo Drug Shows Promise & More Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”
Biotech Luminaries Huddle at Boston R&D Conference, Mood “Surprisingly Optimistic”
A who’s who of the Boston-area life sciences scene (including MIT Institute Professors Robert Langer and Philip Sharp) turned out at Harvard Medical School yesterday for the first Boston Biotech R&D Conference. It was a good place to be for anyone aiming to network with biotech-focused venture capitalists, fund managers, executives, academic luminaries, and industry … Continue reading “Biotech Luminaries Huddle at Boston R&D Conference, Mood “Surprisingly Optimistic””
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”
Why Wetpaint Went from Wikis to Social Publishing—the Next Step in Social Networks
Back in the summertime, we did a short piece about Wetpaint, the Seattle-based Web startup that had just surpassed its 1-millionth-consumer-wiki milestone. Wetpaint is one of the more heralded tech startups in the Northwest, backed to the tune of $40 million in venture capital—including, most recently, a $25 million round led by DAG Ventures in … Continue reading “Why Wetpaint Went from Wikis to Social Publishing—the Next Step in Social Networks”
InfraReDx, Inc. Receives $22,000,000 New Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=7862790a-34b9-447b-8816-f345074202d9&Preview=1 Date 10/23/2008 Company Name InfraReDx, Inc. Mailing Address 34 Third Avenue Burlington, MA 01803 Company Description The company has now developed a fiber-optic, catheter-based, near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy system designed to characterize the composition of coronary plaques in patients undergoing catheterization. This NIR system is currently being evaluated in a clinical … Continue reading “InfraReDx, Inc. Receives $22,000,000 New Financing Round”