Nuvation Bio peeked out from stealth mode Monday to reveal $275 million in financing and an executive team stacked with biotech veterans. The cancer drug developer, which has offices in New York and San Francisco, is led by founder, president, and CEO David Hung, the former chief executive who steered Medivation to a $14.3 billion … Continue reading “With Ex-Medivation Exec Hung at Helm, Nuvation Nabs $275M for Cancer”
Venture Investors Bets on Healthcare, and Milwaukee, With $75M Fund
Venture Investors is going all-in on healthcare with its latest venture fund. Launched in 1982, Venture Investors (VI) is the oldest venture firm in Wisconsin, and one of the older VCs in the US. Historically, early-stage life sciences and healthcare startups have made up the majority of its investments, but it has also backed young … Continue reading “Venture Investors Bets on Healthcare, and Milwaukee, With $75M Fund”
UK Regulator Has “Competition Concerns” Over Illumina-PacBio Tie-Up
Nearly one year after DNA sequencing machine maker Illumina announced plans to acquire smaller rival Pacific Biosciences, antitrust regulators in the UK say the merger could stifle competition in the region and reduce industry innovation. The Competition and Markets Authority has been eying the proposed $1.2 billion tie-up since April. The regulator’s in-depth review, which … Continue reading “UK Regulator Has “Competition Concerns” Over Illumina-PacBio Tie-Up”
Atara Bio’s Chief Scientific Officer Haqq Departs for Another Company
Atara Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ATRA]]) is losing two executives to private companies. Christopher Haqq, Atara’s first employee and its chief scientific officer since 2012, is leaving to join a firm that “aligns with his other scientific interests and the current needs of his family,” the South San Francisco-based company announced late Friday. Haqq will continue to … Continue reading “Atara Bio’s Chief Scientific Officer Haqq Departs for Another Company”
Bio Roundup: Biogen’s Reversal, FDA Moves Fast, a CF Cocktail & More
Earlier this year, it seemed that companies testing Alzheimer’s disease treatments based on a long-held hypothesis as to its cause—brain deposits of a protein called beta amyloid—were giving up the ghost. Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) was among them. The drug maker had stopped testing of a drug developed to target amyloid plaque after a Phase 3 … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Biogen’s Reversal, FDA Moves Fast, a CF Cocktail & More”
Driving Growth 2020: How to Structure your Organization for Customer Success
From the event organizer: Wednesday, 11/20/2019, 1PM-5PM Microsoft New England Research and Development Center, 1 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02142 Acquisition. Adoption. Retention. Growth. All-important attributes to the customer journey. There is a lot of untapped potential for the typical marketing leader if they look at Customer Lifecycle Marketing instead of strictly ToFu (Top of … Continue reading “Driving Growth 2020: How to Structure your Organization for Customer Success”
Ex-Nightstar Exec Ozden Joins Akouos as Chief Development Officer
Rabia Ozden has joined Akouos as chief development officer. She was most recently the chief medical officer of gene therapy developer Nightstar Therapeutics, which was acquired by Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) earlier this year for $800 million. Boston-based Akouos is developing gene therapies to address inherited forms of hearing loss.
Former Quartet, Knewton Exec David Liu Joins Sonde Health as CEO
Sonde Health, a company developing technology to monitor and diagnose people by analyzing their speech, has appointed David Liu to serve as CEO. Liu is the former president and chief operating officer at Quartet, a company applying technology to mental healthcare. His experience also includes serving as president and chief operating officer of education technology … Continue reading “Former Quartet, Knewton Exec David Liu Joins Sonde Health as CEO”
Champions Oncology’s San Francisco Translational Oncology Symposium: Bridging the Gap between Cancer Research and the Clinic
From the event organizer: Cancer’s complexity is more apparent with every discovery made in the field. At this event, learn from industry leaders about critical successes and challenges that they face in this ever-changing therapeutic area, and gain insights on how to support your translational oncology and immuno-oncology programs from the bench to the clinic. … Continue reading “Champions Oncology’s San Francisco Translational Oncology Symposium: Bridging the Gap between Cancer Research and the Clinic”
Akcea Therapeutics Promotes Kyle Jenne to Chief Commercial Officer
Akcea Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AKCA]]) has promoted Kyle Jenne to chief commercial officer. Jenne joined Boston-based Akea in 2017 as US commercial head. His appointment comes month after a corporate shakeup that led to the departure of three executives. Akcea is working to commercialize inotersen (Tegsedi), a drug approved by the FDA last year as a … Continue reading “Akcea Therapeutics Promotes Kyle Jenne to Chief Commercial Officer”
Rheos Medicines Taps Barbara Fox as Chief Executive
Barbara Fox is the new CEO of Rheos Medicines. She was most recently chief executive of Tilos Therapeutics, which was acquired by Merck (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]) earlier this year. Fox succeeds interim Rheos CEO Abbie Celniker, a partner at Third Rock Ventures. Celniker will remain chair of the Rheos board of directors. Cambridge, MA-based Rheos emerged … Continue reading “Rheos Medicines Taps Barbara Fox as Chief Executive”
Acorda Cuts Staff 25% and Restructures to Keep Focus on Parkinson’s Drug
Acorda Therapeutics is laying off about one quarter of its staff in order to save money and focus its remaining resources on commercializing a Parkinson’s disease drug that launched earlier this year. Ardsley, NY-based Acorda (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ACOR]]) said late Wednesday that it expects the workforce cuts will save $21 million annually. Most of the cuts … Continue reading “Acorda Cuts Staff 25% and Restructures to Keep Focus on Parkinson’s Drug”
Xconomy Awards Boston 2019 Honors Best in Life Sciences: Slideshow
The third annual Xconomy Awards Boston Gala was the biggest and most spectacular yet. More than 450 people from across the life science ecosystem came out to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center last month to celebrate the finalists over dinner and drinks, find out who got to take home the awards, and reconnect with … Continue reading “Xconomy Awards Boston 2019 Honors Best in Life Sciences: Slideshow”
Biogen Reverses Course on Alzheimer’s Drug Analysis, Plans FDA Filing
Six months after Biogen stopped work on a closely watched experimental Alzheimer’s disease treatment, the neuroscience drug developer is reviving it with plans to file for FDA approval. Aducanumab’s Phase 3 failure in March was viewed as yet another nail in the coffin for the so-called “amyloid hypothesis”—the theory that by breaking up or clearing … Continue reading “Biogen Reverses Course on Alzheimer’s Drug Analysis, Plans FDA Filing”
Vertex Stock Up on Quick FDA OK For 3-Drug Cystic Fibrosis Therapy
The FDA on Monday approved a Vertex Pharmaceuticals cystic fibrosis treatment that combines three drugs, a decision that comes three months after the company submitted its application and five months before the agency’s deadline to finish its review. The Boston-based company saw its stock price rise 4 percent on the news to $185. The Vertex … Continue reading “Vertex Stock Up on Quick FDA OK For 3-Drug Cystic Fibrosis Therapy”
SeaGen to Seek FDA Nod After Breast Cancer Drug Hits Goals of Key Study
An experimental breast cancer drug from Seattle Genetics is headed for FDA review after the company reported a pivotal clinical trial met its main goals. The company has been testing tucatinib as a treatment for advanced or metastatic breast cancer with abnormally high levels of a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), … Continue reading “SeaGen to Seek FDA Nod After Breast Cancer Drug Hits Goals of Key Study”
Backed by $50M, Verseau Launches to Reprogram Immune Cells Against Cancer
Cancer therapies that harness the immune system don’t work for all patients. Verseau Therapeutics aims to bring cancer immunotherapy to more people by targeting a type of immune cell present in the vast majority of tumors and directing it to fight the disease. Verseau launched Monday backed by $50 million in financing. The Bedford, MA-based … Continue reading “Backed by $50M, Verseau Launches to Reprogram Immune Cells Against Cancer”
Enzyvant Adds Compass’s Jeb Ledell as Its Chief Operating Officer
Enzyvant, a Cambridge, MA-based rare disease drug developer, has appointed Jeb Ledell as its chief operating officer. Ledell previously held COO roles at Cambridge-based Compass Therapeutics and at Horizon Discovery Group, a genomics company in the UK. Enzyvant’s lead candidate, RVT-802, a regenerative treatment for pediatric congenital athymia, is expected to receive an FDA decision in … Continue reading “Enzyvant Adds Compass’s Jeb Ledell as Its Chief Operating Officer”
Pyxis Oncology Taps MedImmune’s Herbst as Chief Scientific Officer
Pyxis Oncology, an immuno-oncology company developing antibody drugs to restore activity to dysfunctional T cells, has appointed Ronald Herbst as its chief scientific officer. Herbst joins the Boston-based company from the AstraZeneca (NYSE: [[ticker:AZN]]) global biologics R&D arm, MedImmune, where he was vice president of research and development and head of oncology research.
Bio Roundup: Ichnos Emerges, Beyond CAR-T, BridgeBio Bails & More
New brand-name drugs typically grab the life science headlines. A venture capital firm will invest tens of millions to develop one and a pharmaceutical company hopes to recoup hundreds of millions by selling it. But a shortage of one particular chemotherapy is showing the crucial role generic drugs play in healthcare. This week, The New … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Ichnos Emerges, Beyond CAR-T, BridgeBio Bails & More”
CytomX Taps BeiGene’s Amy Peterson for Chief Development Officer
Amy Peterson has joined CytomX Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CTMX]]) as executive vice president and chief development officer. Peterson was most recently chief medical officer of immune-oncology at BeiGene (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BGNE]]). Her experience also includes positions at Medivation and Roche subsidiary Genentech. South San Francisco-based CytomX is developing antibody drugs that treat cancer.
Plexium Debuts With $28M and a New Take on Protein Degradation Drugs
Even as researchers discover more links between specific proteins and human disease, it’s still hard to find small molecules or antibodies that can bind to those drug targets. San Diego biotech Plexium is the latest addition to the growing number of startups aiming to use technology to devise new drugs that can target those currently … Continue reading “Plexium Debuts With $28M and a New Take on Protein Degradation Drugs”
Healx Bags $56M to Advance Affordable, AI-Based Orphan Drugs
Atomico, a European venture capital firm, has helped persuade Cambridge, UK-based Healx to return to the capital market a year earlier than anticipated. The biotech has just raised $56 million in Series B funding to bankroll its mission to use AI and machine learning to create affordable rare disease treatments. It is not surprising that … Continue reading “Healx Bags $56M to Advance Affordable, AI-Based Orphan Drugs”
Nuance & Microsoft Team Up on Conversational AI for Doctors’ Offices
Nuance Communications’ plan to lighten the clerical burden on physicians is coming into focus, and it involves an assist from tech giant Microsoft. Nuance (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NUAN]]), the 27-year-old speech recognition technology pioneer, in February revealed it’s developing a device that would sit in exam rooms and listen to conversations between doctors and patients. The system’s … Continue reading “Nuance & Microsoft Team Up on Conversational AI for Doctors’ Offices”
ArsenalBio Launches With $85M for “Programmable” T Cell Therapies
Cell therapies are made by tinkering with a patient’s immune cells so that they can better recognize and destroy cancer cells. These drugs give patients another treatment option for certain cancers that haven’t responded to anything else. ArsenalBio CEO Ken Drazan aims to take cell therapy even further. Arsenal is developing technology that adds capabilities … Continue reading “ArsenalBio Launches With $85M for “Programmable” T Cell Therapies”
Eli Lilly Drug Acquired in Armo Deal Fails Pancreatic Cancer Test
An experimental drug that was the centerpiece of a $1.6 billion Eli Lilly acquisition last year has now failed a pivotal test in pancreatic cancer. Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]) said Wednesday that patients treated with its drug candidate pegilodecakin, plus chemotherapy, did not live longer than patients treated with chemotherapy alone, falling short of the … Continue reading “Eli Lilly Drug Acquired in Armo Deal Fails Pancreatic Cancer Test”
Alexion to Buy Achillion in $930M Marriage of Rare Disease Drug Firms
Alexion Pharmaceuticals is acquiring Achillion Pharmaceuticals for $930 million, a deal that could strengthen its position providing treatments for a rare blood disorder. According to financial terms announced Wednesday, Boston-based Alexion (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALXN]]) will pay $6.30 per share of Achillion (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ACHN]]) stock, which is an 80 percent premium to Achillion’s closing stock price on … Continue reading “Alexion to Buy Achillion in $930M Marriage of Rare Disease Drug Firms”
Checkmate Pharmaceuticals Names Wooldridge Chief Medical Officer
James Wooldridge has joined Checkmate Pharmaceuticals as chief medical officer, the same position he held most recently at Aeglea BioTherapeutics. Wooldridge’s experience also includes more than a decade at Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]), where he held several positions in cancer drug development. Cambridge, MA-based Checkmate is developing a type of cancer drug called an oligonucleotide. The … Continue reading “Checkmate Pharmaceuticals Names Wooldridge Chief Medical Officer”
Second Genome’s McClure Joins Aligos as Chief Medical Officer
Matthew McClure has been appointed executive vice president and chief medical officer of South San Francisco-based Aligos Therapeutics. He was most recently the chief medical officer of Second Genome. McClure’s experience also includes time at InterMune, which was acquired by Roche in 2014. Preclinical-stage Aligos is developing treatments for liver diseases and viral infections.
Led by Gilead Veteran Riva, Glenmark’s Ichnos Steps Out on Its Own
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, which has made generic drugs for about four decades, on Tuesday formally spun off its drug R&D unit as an independent business aiming to advance a handful of novel molecules the Indian company has developed in recent years. The new company, called Ichnos Sciences, emerges with a clinical-stage pipeline that has experimental treatments … Continue reading “Led by Gilead Veteran Riva, Glenmark’s Ichnos Steps Out on Its Own”
Cyteir Adds $40M for Clinical Test of “Synthetically Lethal” Cancer Drug
Cyteir Therapeutics has $40.2 million more in cash to support early-stage tests of a drug intended to treat cancer by targeting a tumor repair mechanism. The new cash that Cyteir announced Tuesday adds to a Series B round of funding it raised last year. The Lexington, MA-based company says the amount invested in the round … Continue reading “Cyteir Adds $40M for Clinical Test of “Synthetically Lethal” Cancer Drug”
Revance CEO Browne Resigns, Board Member Foley Appointed Successor
Dan Browne has stepped down as president and CEO of Revance Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RVNC]]) due to what the company describes as “a misjudgement in handling an employee matter.” The Newark, CA-based drug developer gave no other details. Browne has also resigned from Revance’s board of directors. In a securities filing, Revance said Browne’s departure was … Continue reading “Revance CEO Browne Resigns, Board Member Foley Appointed Successor”
Parexel’s Washburn Named Lyra Therapeutics Chief Medical Officer
Dana Washburn has been appointed chief medical officer of Lyra Therapeutics. Washburn comes to Watertown, MA-based Lyra from Parexel, where he was corporate vice president and head of global medical services. Lyra develops treatments for ear, nose, and throat diseases. Last year, the company closed $29.5 million in Series B financing to support mid-stage tests … Continue reading “Parexel’s Washburn Named Lyra Therapeutics Chief Medical Officer”
FDA OKs Lilly’s Lasmiditan, First New Acute Migraine Drug in Decades
Eli Lilly won FDA approval for a migraine drug on Friday, giving the pharmaceutical giant a second medication that addresses the condition that causes millions of people to experience severe headaches and other debilitating symptoms. The FDA approved the drug, lasmiditan (Reyvow), as a treatment for acute migraine; it’s meant to be taken after the … Continue reading “FDA OKs Lilly’s Lasmiditan, First New Acute Migraine Drug in Decades”
What’s Next in Neuroscience Therapies – Xconomy San Francisco Life Science Forum – Nov. 19, 2019
Brain and neurological disorders are among the toughest conditions to diagnose and treat, but new approaches and technologies are on the horizon that could change how researchers and clinicians approach them. Join Xconomy on Tuesday, Nov. 19 for our life science forum at QB3 at UCSF Mission Bay. The event features scientists, entrepreneurs, and biotech … Continue reading “What’s Next in Neuroscience Therapies – Xconomy San Francisco Life Science Forum – Nov. 19, 2019”
Poseida Therapeutics Brings In Amgen’s Kerry Ingalls as COO
Poseida Therapeutics said Thursday that Kerry Ingalls has joined the company as its chief operating officer, and that he is tasked with overseeing its global manufacturing operations. Ingalls most recently oversaw clinical and commercial manufacturing for Amgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]) at its headquarters in Thousand Oaks, CA; he has also held leadership roles at other Amgen … Continue reading “Poseida Therapeutics Brings In Amgen’s Kerry Ingalls as COO”
Vir Bio’s IPO Brings In $143M for Tests of Hepatitis B Drug and More
Vir Biotechnology has joined the public markets, raising $142.9 million to support clinical tests of its infectious disease drugs. The San Francisco firm offered 7.1 million shares priced at $20 each, which was the low end of the $20 to $22 range that it had planned. Vir shares are expected to start trading later today … Continue reading “Vir Bio’s IPO Brings In $143M for Tests of Hepatitis B Drug and More”
Bio Roundup: Nobel Prizes, Placebo Effect Rises, ICER’s Fire & More
Congrats to this year’s Nobel Prize winners in medicine… although, we have to ask: For the US researchers who are honored, isn’t there something crushing about a call in the middle of the night from Sweden, interrupting a dream about the perfect protein-protein interaction? Wouldn’t it be more logical for the committee to wait until … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Nobel Prizes, Placebo Effect Rises, ICER’s Fire & More”
UCB Stakes Out Autoimmune Territory With $2.1B Deal for Ra Pharma
Ra Pharmaceuticals, whose lead autoimmune disease drug candidate is viewed as a potential alternative to one of the most expensive medicines in the world, is being acquired by Belgian pharmaceuticals giant UCB in a $2.1 billion deal. According to terms announced Thursday, UCB will pay $48 in cash for each Ra Pharma share. That’s a … Continue reading “UCB Stakes Out Autoimmune Territory With $2.1B Deal for Ra Pharma”
The Placebo Effect Is Hobbling New Psychiatric Drugs. What Can Stop It?
Sixteen years ago, Kim Witczak’s husband died by his own hand, turning her world upside down. He had just begun taking an antidepressant off-label for insomnia, and she believes an undisclosed side effect of the drug drove him to suicide. Compelled to act, she became an advocate for tougher safety standards. Witczak now sits on … Continue reading “The Placebo Effect Is Hobbling New Psychiatric Drugs. What Can Stop It?”
Jazz Pharma’s Matthew Young to Join Grail as COO & CFO
Matthew Young has been appointed chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Grail. He will start his new job at the Menlo Park, CA-based liquid biopsy developer on Oct. 28. Young is coming to Grail from Jazz Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:JAZZ]]), where he is executive vice president and chief financial officer. His new appointment is … Continue reading “Jazz Pharma’s Matthew Young to Join Grail as COO & CFO”
Cue Biopharma Promotes Suri to President, Passeri Keeps CEO Role
Cue Biopharma (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CUE]]) has promoted Anish Suri to president in addition to his current duties as chief scientific officer. The additional role gives him oversight of the Cambridge, MA-based company’s corporate functions. The promotion means that Daniel Passeri’s role as president and CEO changes to only chief executive. Before joining Cue last year, Suri … Continue reading “Cue Biopharma Promotes Suri to President, Passeri Keeps CEO Role”
WI Watchlist: Epic, Shine, Venture Investors, Stratatech & More
It’s time to catch up on some of the latest happenings across Wisconsin’s innovation communities: —Shine Medical Technologies said it struck a deal to receive $50 million in financing from funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management. The money will support the ongoing construction of Shine’s medical isotope production facility in Janesville, as well as Shine’s … Continue reading “WI Watchlist: Epic, Shine, Venture Investors, Stratatech & More”
Five Years After Y Combinator First Admits Biotechs, They’re Dug In
Five years ago, the big tech incubator Y Combinator started to welcome life sciences companies into its sizable startup classes, which had previously nurtured entrepreneurs in information technology almost exclusively. That opening to biotech startups in 2014 was controversial at the time. Some observers simply wondered what kind of guidance a deeply tech-focused accelerator could … Continue reading “Five Years After Y Combinator First Admits Biotechs, They’re Dug In”
Pharma, Biotech VC Investments Continue Shift to Early Stage Deals
The number of investments that venture capitalists will make this year in pharmaceutical and biotech companies is on pace to match last year’s record—and that money continues to shift into earlier-stage deals. Venture firms invested in 609 drug development deals as of Sept. 30, 2019, compared with 808 deals for all last year, according to … Continue reading “Pharma, Biotech VC Investments Continue Shift to Early Stage Deals”
BioMarin Promotes Lon Cardon to Chief Scientific Strategy Officer
Lon Cardon, who has served as chief scientific officer at BioMarin Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BMRN]]) the past two years, has been promoted to a newly created position: chief scientific strategy officer. San Rafael, CA-based BioMarin says in the new role Cardon will be responsible for building the company’s drug pipeline. Before joining BioMarin, Cardon worked at … Continue reading “BioMarin Promotes Lon Cardon to Chief Scientific Strategy Officer”
Tempest Therapeutics Taps Stephen Brady for Chief Operating Officer
Stephen Brady has been appointed president and chief operating officer of Tempest Therapeutics. Brady was most recently executive vice president of strategy and finance at Immune Design, which was acquired by Merck (NYSE: [[ticker:MRK]]) earlier this year. South San Francisco-based Tempest, a spinout of venture capital firm Versant Ventures, raised $70 million in Series B … Continue reading “Tempest Therapeutics Taps Stephen Brady for Chief Operating Officer”
Genentech’s Merdad Parsey to Join Gilead as Chief Medical Officer
Merdad Parsey has been appointed chief medical officer of Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GILD]]). The Foster City, CA-based company said Parsey will start his new role on Nov. 1. He will join Gilead from Roche subsidiary Genentech, where he is senior vice president of early clinical development in the company’s Research and Early Development Group. His … Continue reading “Genentech’s Merdad Parsey to Join Gilead as Chief Medical Officer”
Verve Therapeutics Names Lyndra’s Bellinger Chief Scientific Officer
Verve Therapeutics has appointed Andrew Bellinger to serve as its chief scientific officer, the same position he held at Lyndra Therapeutics. Bellinger, who is a general cardiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, will continue to serve as an advisor to Lyndra. His experience also includes positions at Cocoon Biotech. Verve is developing a way to … Continue reading “Verve Therapeutics Names Lyndra’s Bellinger Chief Scientific Officer”
LabFellows Looks to Become “Operating System” For Life Sciences Cos.
[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.”