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”
Boston Tech Watch: DataRobot, IBM-MIT, Firefly, Aliro, Embr & More
More money is flowing into AI research at MIT, thanks to an expansion of the Institute’s partnership with computing giant IBM; DataRobot announces its $200 million-plus funding round; a tech startup aims to democratize access to quantum computers: these items and more in the week’s Boston tech news roundup. —Concierge medicine service Firefly Health has … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: DataRobot, IBM-MIT, Firefly, Aliro, Embr & More”
Five Prime’s Knickerbocker Resigns, Director Ringo Named Interim CEO
Aron Knickerbocker, CEO of Five Prime Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FPRX]]), has resigned “to pursue new challenges and opportunities,” the company announced after the market close Thursday. Knickerbocker was promoted to CEO nearly two years ago to succeed founder and longtime CEO Lewis “Rusty” Williams, who became the South San Francisco biotech’s executive chairman. Five Prime said … Continue reading “Five Prime’s Knickerbocker Resigns, Director Ringo Named Interim CEO”
Amazon Sets Electric Vehicle, Carbon Footprint Goals Amid Criticism
Amazon unveiled a new series of ambitious, long-term sustainability goals on Thursday that would continue the company’s efforts to make its operations more environmentally friendly. Under what Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) has dubbed “The Climate Pledge,” the tech giant said it has ordered 100,000 electric delivery vehicles from Rivian, a Michigan startup Amazon has backed previously. … Continue reading “Amazon Sets Electric Vehicle, Carbon Footprint Goals Amid Criticism”
SR One’s Roberts Tapped as Chief Scientific Officer of Black Diamond
Christopher Roberts has been appointed chief scientific officer of Cambridge, MA-based Black Diamond Therapeutics. Roberts was most recently entrepreneur in residence at SR One, the investment arm of GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: [[ticker:GSK]]). Roberts’s experience also includes positions at Syros Pharmaceuticals and GSK. Roberts is succeeding Alex Mayweg of venture capital firm Versant Ventures, a Black Diamond … Continue reading “SR One’s Roberts Tapped as Chief Scientific Officer of Black Diamond”
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”
CymaBay Chief Medical Officer Boudes to Depart at September’s End
CymaBay Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CBAY]]) announced that Pol Boudes, the company’s chief medical officer since 2014, will step down at the end of the month. No reason for Boudes’s departure was given, but CymaBay said in a regulatory filing that the decision was mutual. A search for a successor is underway. Newark, CA-based CymaBay is developing … Continue reading “CymaBay Chief Medical Officer Boudes to Depart at September’s End”
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?”
Gemini Therapeutics Picks Orchard’s Jason Meyenburg for CEO
Jason Meyenburg has been appointed CEO of Gemini Therapeutics. He is also joining the Cambridge, MA, company’s board of directors. Meyenburg was most recently chief commercial officer of Orchard Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ORTX]]), a job he left last week. His experience also includes positions at Vtesse Pharmaceuticals, Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, and Alexion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALXN]]). In 2017, … Continue reading “Gemini Therapeutics Picks Orchard’s Jason Meyenburg for CEO”
Foghorn Therapeutics Adds Samuel Agresta, Allan Reine to C-Suite
Samuel Agresta has been appointed chief medical officer of Cambridge, MA-based Foghorn Therapeutics. Agresta stepped down as the chief medical officer of Infinity Pharmaceuticals last month but remains on that company’s board of directors. His experience also includes positions at Agios Pharmaceuticals, Genentech, and the University of South Florida’s Moffit Cancer Center. In other moves, … Continue reading “Foghorn Therapeutics Adds Samuel Agresta, Allan Reine to C-Suite”
Retrophin’s Neil McFarlane Named Adamas CEO, Succeeding Gregory Went
Adamas Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ADMS]]) appointed Neil McFarlane to serve as its new CEO. He is also joining the Emeryville, CA, company’s board of directors. McFarlane succeeds Gregory Went, chairman and CEO of Adamas since its inception. Went is stepping down from the board but he will continue to advise the company. McFarlane was most recently … Continue reading “Retrophin’s Neil McFarlane Named Adamas CEO, Succeeding Gregory Went”
New Deals May Double $240M Funding For MIT-IBM AI Lab, Director Says
When MIT and IBM launched a joint research lab in 2017, the New York-headquartered company pledged $240 million over a decade to chip away at the fundamental obstacles keeping artificial intelligence from transforming industries like healthcare and cybersecurity. Now, the Cambridge, MA-based MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab is growing in personnel, funding, partners, and square feet, … Continue reading “New Deals May Double $240M Funding For MIT-IBM AI Lab, Director Says”
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”
High-Flying Ginkgo Nets Another $290M to Program Cells Like Computers
Ginkgo Bioworks, a synthetic biology specialist that has become worth billions, has raised another $290 million to expand the breadth of a technology that tinkers with a cell’s genetic code and reprograms it—like programming a computer. Boston-based Ginkgo uses a combination of software and robotic systems to design organisms. It started out making microbes engineered … Continue reading “High-Flying Ginkgo Nets Another $290M to Program Cells Like Computers”
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”
WI Watchlist: MSI Data, Cellular Dynamics, WARF, Redox, & More
It’s time to catch up on recent news in Wisconsin’s innovation community. Read on for details. —MSI Data, a Milwaukee-based business that develops software for organizations in the equipment distribution and service contractor industries, said it received an investment from Luminate Capital Partners, a San Francisco-based private equity firm. The amount was not disclosed. Launched … Continue reading “WI Watchlist: MSI Data, Cellular Dynamics, WARF, Redox, & More”
Aliro Technologies Lands $2.7M to Help Developers Go Quantum
It’s still a ways off before visions of all-powerful encryption-breaking quantum computers come to pass. But the new quantum technologies here today are already beginning to make a dent in the world of high-performance computing. Imperfect as these computers may be—now classified as noisy intermediate-scale quantum—they are becoming more attractive for enterprises that seem always … Continue reading “Aliro Technologies Lands $2.7M to Help Developers Go Quantum”
Gilliland to Step Down as Head of Fred Hutch in 2020
Gary Gilliland, who has led Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center as president and director for the past four-plus years, plans to step down in 2020, the nonprofit organization announced Tuesday. He joined the research center, which is often abbreviated as Fred Hutch, in 2015. Under his leadership, the organization has increased its endowment and … Continue reading “Gilliland to Step Down as Head of Fred Hutch in 2020”
HMS’s $36M Deal to Buy VitreosHealth Combines Complementary Firms
One Texas-based healthcare software business has acquired another in an all-cash deal worth $36.5 million, the companies announced late Monday. Irving, TX-based HMS Holdings (NASDAQ: [[ticker:HMSY]]) acquired VitreosHealth, which is located in neighboring Plano, TX. Both cities are suburbs of Dallas. The companies worked together previously, and analysts that track the digital health sector said … Continue reading “HMS’s $36M Deal to Buy VitreosHealth Combines Complementary Firms”
Innovations in Healthcare – Xconomy Seattle Life Science Forum – Nov. 6, 2019
Join Xconomy at the new Building Cure on the Seattle Children’s Research Institute campus for an interactive program exploring what’s needed – and what’s next – in the world of healthcare research and innovation. Attendees will hear from those who are pioneering new approaches that are helping to save lives, improve treatments, and drive new … Continue reading “Innovations in Healthcare – Xconomy Seattle Life Science Forum – Nov. 6, 2019”
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”
Lundbeck Paying Nearly $2B for Alder to Follow Migraine Rivals to Market
Denmark’s neuroscience-focused pharma firm Lundbeck has agreed to pay $1.95 billion to acquire Seattle-based Alder BioPharmaceuticals to boost its late-stage pipeline and biologics capabilities. Barely a year at the helm, Lundbeck CEO Deborah Dunsire (pictured) is making her second major acquisition as she continues to look for new growth drivers to offset generics erosion of … Continue reading “Lundbeck Paying Nearly $2B for Alder to Follow Migraine Rivals to Market”
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”
Advisory Body Backs Aimmune Peanut Allergy Drug, Next Up: the FDA
A panel of independent advisors to the FDA voted on Friday to recommend approval of an experimental peanut allergy drug from Aimmune Therapeutics. But concern about the risks of an allergic reaction to the therapy led the committee of mostly physicians to also recommend a safety plan to ensure that clinicians, patients, and their families … Continue reading “Advisory Body Backs Aimmune Peanut Allergy Drug, Next Up: the FDA”
BACEless: Eisai, Biogen Pull Plug on Alzheimer’s Drug in Final Stage
Add another once-promising Alzheimer’s disease drug to the scrap heap. Eisai and Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) are halting a Phase 3 test after an independent safety review concluded the risks of experimental Alzheimer’s drug elenbecestat outweigh the benefits. The companies did not explain what the independent board found. Some drugs that work the same way have … Continue reading “BACEless: Eisai, Biogen Pull Plug on Alzheimer’s Drug in Final Stage”
Cloudflare’s $525M IPO Emboldens Already-Confident Internet Booster
[Updated 9/13/19, 11:40 am ET. See below.] Cloudflare has had its share of controversy, and is in a market with a wide range of more established competitors, from Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud to Cisco Systems and Palo Alto Networks. But the business software company still felt confident enough that Wall Street would welcome … Continue reading “Cloudflare’s $525M IPO Emboldens Already-Confident Internet Booster”
Boston Tech Watch: Neural Galaxy, Link Ventures, & More Epstein Fallout
The funding deals ramped up this week in Boston, and the drip, drip, drip of details about the MIT Media Lab and Jeffrey Epstein continued to form an unwelcome puddle for university administrators. Read on for all the details. —Joi Ito, the director of MIT Media Lab embattled by his fundraising connections with convicted sex … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Neural Galaxy, Link Ventures, & More Epstein Fallout”
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”
Booming CS Demand Brings Ex-Acquia CEO Back to His UW Roots
Tom Erickson was ready to retire to Australia. But then the Wisconsin native and veteran technology executive got an offer from his alma mater that he decided he couldn’t pass up. This month, the University of Wisconsin-Madison named Erickson founding director of its School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences (CDIS). The school, part of … Continue reading “Booming CS Demand Brings Ex-Acquia CEO Back to His UW Roots”
SpringWorks and Satsuma Boost This Week’s Biotech IPO Haul to $595M
Wall Street welcomed three life science companies to the public markets this week. 10x Genomics led the way Wednesday, followed by SpringWorks Therapeutics and Satsuma Pharmaceuticals on Thursday. Combined, the three companies raised more than $595 million from their IPOs. According to IPO research firm Renaissance Capital, 153 companies have filed the paperwork this year … Continue reading “SpringWorks and Satsuma Boost This Week’s Biotech IPO Haul to $595M”
The Winners of the 2019 Xconomy Awards Boston Are…
Even after three years, it doesn’t get any easier to choose the winners of the Xconomy Awards in Boston. There were multiple deserving winners in each category this year. But after much discussion and debate among our judges and the editors, we decided that these winners represent the best of the Boston life sciences community. … Continue reading “The Winners of the 2019 Xconomy Awards Boston Are…”
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”
John Halamka, Livongo Health & AI Progress at X·CON on Oct. 22
The consumerization of healthcare is accelerating. Within five years, a “significant percentage” of healthcare services will be run through mobile apps and other digital tools, predicts John Halamka, a Boston-based doctor and prominent digital health expert. Halamka shared his prognostication in a recent conversation, but we’ll dive more deeply into his vision for healthcare’s tech-enabled … Continue reading “John Halamka, Livongo Health & AI Progress at X·CON on Oct. 22”
As More Grocers Embrace Tech, Swiftly Snags $15M to Launch in Seattle
[Updated 9/12/19 1:10 p.m. See below.] Swiftly, a Seattle-based startup developing software to provide discounts and rewards for buying goods at grocery stores, exited stealth mode this week with an announcement it has raised more than $15 million in outside investment. The company, which has been keeping many details about its business under wraps, launched in … Continue reading “As More Grocers Embrace Tech, Swiftly Snags $15M to Launch in Seattle”
FDA Doesn’t Shell Peanut Allergy Drug Pre-Hearing, Aimmune Shares Climb
Peanut allergy sufferers know they need to stay away from certain foods that can put them in danger. But what about accidental exposure? Even trace amounts of peanut protein in their food or someone else’s can trigger an allergic reaction that sends them to the hospital. That’s what makes Palforzia, an experimental peanut allergy treatment … Continue reading “FDA Doesn’t Shell Peanut Allergy Drug Pre-Hearing, Aimmune Shares Climb”
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”
Phil Sharp, CRISPR’ing the Heart & the Duchenne Data Gap on Oct. 17
Phil Sharp is one of the godfathers of biotech. He’s an MIT biologist, Nobel laureate and, as a Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) co-founder, one of the people responsible for turning Kendall Square into the biopharma epicenter it is today. Next month, he will share his story, the lessons he’s learned along the way, what he’s up … Continue reading “Phil Sharp, CRISPR’ing the Heart & the Duchenne Data Gap on Oct. 17”
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”
BlackThorn Therapeutics Names Monique Levy Chief Strategy Officer
Monique Levy has been appointed chief strategy officer of BlackThorn Therapeutics. Levy most recently worked at iCarbonX as global head of strategy and partnerships. Her experience also includes positions at PatientsLikeMe and Decision Resources Group. San Francisco-based BlackThorn is using artificial intelligence to help develop psychiatric drugs. In June, the company raised $76 million in … Continue reading “BlackThorn Therapeutics Names Monique Levy Chief Strategy Officer”
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”
Shopify Buys 6 River Systems for $450M to Boost Fulfillment Centers
Ecommerce software company Shopify will purchase warehouse robotics startup 6 River Systems in a $450 million deal aimed at improving logistics in its new system of fulfillment centers. Based in Waltham, MA, 6 River Systems makes robotic carts for order fulfillment centers that learn the warehouse layout and product locations in order to help workers more efficiently … Continue reading “Shopify Buys 6 River Systems for $450M to Boost Fulfillment Centers”
Challenging CRISPR, Trucode Raises $34M for New Gene-Editing System
Gene-editing technology offers the potential to treat inherited disorders with selective edits and corrections to an afflicted individual’s genetic code. But with such molecular tinkering comes with the risk of unintended changes to the genome. Biotech startup Trucode Gene Repair is developing technology that it claims can edit genes in a way that reduces the … Continue reading “Challenging CRISPR, Trucode Raises $34M for New Gene-Editing System”
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”
Amazon, With More WA Workers than Microsoft, Eyes Adding 10K More
Jeff Bezos and company are looking for a few good men and women—well, perhaps more than a few, especially in and around Amazon’s home turf. Buoyed by years of staggering growth but also facing a tight labor market, Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) will work to fill 30,000 jobs across the US by 2020, the tech giant … Continue reading “Amazon, With More WA Workers than Microsoft, Eyes Adding 10K More”
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”
Epstein Fallout: Joi Ito Resigns From MIT Media Lab, Multiple Boards
The ripple effects from a report Friday in The New Yorker about ties between the MIT Media Lab and disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continue to spread. After Joi Ito resigned as the Media Lab’s director on Saturday, he also relinquished high-profile board seats with The New York Times Company, the Knight … Continue reading “Epstein Fallout: Joi Ito Resigns From MIT Media Lab, Multiple Boards”