Arena’s Comeback Continues with $800M Deal for Lung Disease Drug

[Updated, 11/15/18, 2:06 p.m. ET. See below.] Arena Pharmaceuticals continued its comeback Thursday, netting a whopping $800 million up front in a deal that hands United Therapeutics another experimental drug for the rare disorder pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The deal gives United Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:UTHR]]) worldwide rights to Arena’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARNA]]) experimental drug ralinepag, which … Continue reading “Arena’s Comeback Continues with $800M Deal for Lung Disease Drug”

Innovative Approaches to Homelessness in Seattle

The Pacific Science Center has a new exhibit called “Block by BLOCK: Innovating from the Ground Up,” highlighting the BLOCK project, a unique approach to the homelessness crisis in Seattle. The organization builds small homes that are completely off-grid and self-sufficient, and designed with functional amenities for people experiencing homelessness. But what really sets the … Continue reading “Innovative Approaches to Homelessness in Seattle”

No HQ2? No Problem, Say Leaders in TX Cities Passed Over by Amazon

As word trickled out that North Texas was likely one of three finalists for Amazon’s “HQ2,” Chris Wallace felt optimistic about the region’s prospects. After all, the tech giant had said its priorities included a skilled workforce, logistics infrastructure, and a competitive cost of living. Wallace, who is the president and CEO of the North … Continue reading “No HQ2? No Problem, Say Leaders in TX Cities Passed Over by Amazon”

Nebula Genomics Touts Free DNA Sequencing to Coax Health Data Sharing

A growing number of startups are trying to encourage people to share genomic and other health data for research purposes by offering them some form of compensation. Now, as competition in this young sector ramps up, one of the big questions is what type of incentive will attract the most individuals. The latest experiment comes … Continue reading “Nebula Genomics Touts Free DNA Sequencing to Coax Health Data Sharing”

Data Starts Stretch Run for UniQure’s Upgraded Hemophilia Gene Therapy

The race to treat hemophilia with gene therapy, a one-time, long-lasting infusion, is entering its final stages. And with new data released this morning, Dutch and Lexington, MA, firm UniQure has finalized its plans to be among the top finishers. UniQure (NASDAQ: [[ticker:QURE]]) today disclosed preliminary results from a tiny mid-stage study of a gene … Continue reading “Data Starts Stretch Run for UniQure’s Upgraded Hemophilia Gene Therapy”

Cadent Pulls In $40M for Phase 2 Tests of Movement Disorder Drug

The shaking, tremors, and loss of muscle control in some movement disorders can be traced to misfiring neurons. Cadent Therapeutics has developed a drug intended to help those neurons send signals properly. The Cambridge, MA-based company now has $40 million in Series B funding to advance the drug into mid-stage human studies. The Cadent drug, … Continue reading “Cadent Pulls In $40M for Phase 2 Tests of Movement Disorder Drug”

Synthorx Files for IPO to Advance Enhanced Cytokine Drugs

Synthetic biology company Synthorx is laying plans for an initial public offering to raise money to advance its suite of enhanced cytokine drugs. The San Diego-based company says it wants to use the proceeds to put its lead product candidate, an investigational cancer therapy that’s based on the drug interleukin-2 (IL-2), through dose escalation and … Continue reading “Synthorx Files for IPO to Advance Enhanced Cytokine Drugs”

Boston’s Economy Urgently Needs Immigrants in Order to Thrive

I grew up in Guyana in the 1970s, where political turmoil gripped the country and water outages and power blackouts were frequent. When I was 11, our family came to America, and I remember being dazzled by the lights, the buildings, and the planes at New York’s Kennedy airport. Even an airport escalator amazed me … Continue reading “Boston’s Economy Urgently Needs Immigrants in Order to Thrive”

Celgene Doubles Down on Dragonfly, Pays $50M to Expand Cancer Pact

Celgene’s collaboration with Dragonfly Therapeutics is less than 18 months old, but the pharmaceutical company is already expanding the alliance. Celgene (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CELG]]) is paying Waltham, MA-based Dragonfly $50 million upfront to add four more drug targets to the four covered by the original partnership last year. Celgene has the option to license and further … Continue reading “Celgene Doubles Down on Dragonfly, Pays $50M to Expand Cancer Pact”

Bain Capital Ventures Nets $1B Funding to Fuel New Round of Tech Bets

Bain Capital Ventures has raised $1 billion to pour into technology companies large and small across a swath of industries, the largest single round of fundraising in the firm’s history. The cash includes a $650 million core fund—that’ll be aimed half at early stage startups and half at later-stage growth companies—as well as a $250 … Continue reading “Bain Capital Ventures Nets $1B Funding to Fuel New Round of Tech Bets”

Amazon Ends “HQ” Search, Pledges to Spend $5B on New Sites in NY, VA

The wait is finally over. Amazon said Tuesday it plans to significantly expand its presence in the New York City and Washington, DC, metropolitan areas beginning next year. The announcement was widely expected following news reports identifying the locales as likely winners of Amazon’s lengthy search process for an additional “headquarters,” as the company is … Continue reading “Amazon Ends “HQ” Search, Pledges to Spend $5B on New Sites in NY, VA”

Dallas Innovation Alliance, Funds for Austin Startups & More TX Tech

Let’s catch up on the latest innovation news in Texas. —Coder, a cloud-based software development startup out of Austin, announced it has raised $4.5 million in seed funding. The round was led by Uncork Capital and Redpoint Ventures, with participation from Founders Fund, Capital Factory, John Kodumal, Quinn Slack, Grant Gregory, Alec Guettel, David Rosenblatt, … Continue reading “Dallas Innovation Alliance, Funds for Austin Startups & More TX Tech”

Expansion Therapeutics Hires Elliot Enrich as CMO

Expansion Therapeutics has hired Elliot Ehrich as its chief medical officer. Ehrich was most recently CMO and executive vice president of research and development at Alkermes (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALKS]]). He is also a venture partner at 5am Ventures, which incubated Expansion and co-led its $55.3 million Series A financing with Kleiner Perkins, Novartis Venture Fund, and … Continue reading “Expansion Therapeutics Hires Elliot Enrich as CMO”

JCI Simplifies Focus with $13.2B Sale of Car Battery Business

The transformation of Johnson Controls International continues. On Tuesday, the company said it reached a deal to sell its power solutions business, which makes a variety of vehicle batteries, in a cash transaction valued at $13.2 billion. The buyers are investment firm Brookfield Business Partners (NYSE: [[ticker:BBU]]) and a group of partners, including Canadian investment … Continue reading “JCI Simplifies Focus with $13.2B Sale of Car Battery Business”

GreatCall Expands Lyft Partnership to Pick Up Seniors Nationwide

GreatCall, the maker of the Jitterbug cellphone and other products and services for older adults, has extended its partnership with the San Francisco-based ride-hailing company Lyft to offer GreatCall customers the ability to schedule rides without a smartphone app. No financial terms were disclosed. The San Diego-based healthtech company said Tuesday it is rolling out … Continue reading “GreatCall Expands Lyft Partnership to Pick Up Seniors Nationwide”

ClearSky Data Raises Another $20M Amid Cloud Arms Race

[Updated 11/13/18, 12:05 pm, with executive comments throughout.] The data storage wars rage on. Boston-based primary data storage and backup provider ClearSky Data has raised $20 million in new funding to bring more customers aboard its “on-demand” hybrid cloud storage system. To date, ClearSky has taken in $59 million from investors. It shouldn’t be much … Continue reading “ClearSky Data Raises Another $20M Amid Cloud Arms Race”

Kymera Adds $65M in New Funding and Eyes First Clinical Test

Cells have a built-in way of breaking down damaged or unneeded proteins. Kymera Therapeutics is trying to harness this process as a therapy—using it to get rid of disease-causing proteins. As the biotech prepares to test its technology in humans, it has now raised $65 million in financing. The cellular process for disposing of proteins … Continue reading “Kymera Adds $65M in New Funding and Eyes First Clinical Test”

CEOs and Scientific Founders: Tips for a Long and Successful Marriage

It seemed like the perfect match: A scientist founder from a top-tier academic institution; A technological innovation based on years and millions of dollars of federally-funded research in a university lab; And a successful entrepreneur and industry veteran named as the CEO of the startup that would take the work forward. But soon after the … Continue reading “CEOs and Scientific Founders: Tips for a Long and Successful Marriage”

Ribometrix Takes Aim at “Undruggable” RNA with $30M Series A Funding

Most drugs target proteins in the cell, but the world of RNA has remained largely untapped by companies making chemical-based, or small-molecule drugs. That’s changing though—just in the last couple of years, there’s been a mini-boom in biotechs trying to overturn the long-held dogma that messenger RNA molecules (which carry the genetic instructions for proteins … Continue reading “Ribometrix Takes Aim at “Undruggable” RNA with $30M Series A Funding”

Universal Robots Hires Former Rethink Robotics Workers After Closure

A little more than a month after Rethink Robotics shut down, a competitor has hired more than 20 of the Boston-based firm’s former employees. Universal Robots, a Denmark-based maker of collaborative industrial robots, announced Tuesday it has brought on key Rethink personnel, primarily in engineering and product development. The hires include former Rethink chief operating … Continue reading “Universal Robots Hires Former Rethink Robotics Workers After Closure”

Fluidity Founder, an M.D. and NASA Veteran, Designs One-Handed Drone Controller

Houston—Commercial drones are equipped with some of the latest innovations in cameras, sensors, and analytics, so Scott Parazynski wondered why pilots are still using outmoded controllers. “We’ve grown accustomed to these tools but decades later it’s the same [controller] model,” says Parazynski, founder of Fluidity Technologies. “It’s surprising to me that we haven’t evolved past … Continue reading “Fluidity Founder, an M.D. and NASA Veteran, Designs One-Handed Drone Controller”

Apptio Sells to PE Firm Vista Equity for $1.94B Two Years After IPO

Apptio is being taken private by investment firm Vista Equity Partners in a $1.94 billion acquisition. Founded in Bellevue, WA, in 2007, Apptio (NASDAQ: [[ticker:APTI]]) helps corporate leaders track and manage IT spending. The company went public in 2016 with a $96 million IPO, and has recently been acquiring other businesses. It bought FittedCloud, a … Continue reading “Apptio Sells to PE Firm Vista Equity for $1.94B Two Years After IPO”

Nuance Goes All-in on Speech Tech, Sells Document Business to Kofax

Nuance Communications is selling its document imaging division to Kofax for $400 million in cash, as Nuance’s new CEO narrows the company’s focus on its conversational artificial intelligence products and cloud-related technologies. Nuance’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NUAN]]) document imaging business provides enterprise software tools for securely capturing data from print or electronic documents, printing documents, and uploading … Continue reading “Nuance Goes All-in on Speech Tech, Sells Document Business to Kofax”

Qualtrics Skips IPO for $8B Sale to SAP

It’s hard to say no to $8 billion. Qualtrics, the enterprise software firm that was on the verge of going public, has pulled its IPO in favor of selling to German software giant SAP for $8 billion in cash. Qualtrics—which has dual headquarters in Provo, Utah (where it was founded in 2002), and Seattle—sells software … Continue reading “Qualtrics Skips IPO for $8B Sale to SAP”

Veritas, Elliott Strike $5.7B Deal for Athenahealth

[Updated 11/12/18, 10:31 am, with deal terms.] Athenahealth has reached an agreement to be bought for approximately $5.7 billion in cash by private equity firms Veritas Capital and Evergreen Coast Capital, an affiliate of activist hedge fund Elliott Management. The acquisition was announced Monday morning. Reuters first reported the deal Sunday and said an official announcement was … Continue reading “Veritas, Elliott Strike $5.7B Deal for Athenahealth”

After Accident, Sector67 Ramps Up Operations in Rehabbed Warehouse

When Chris Meyer was enveloped by a ball of fire in a construction accident and rushed to a Madison, WI, hospital 14 months ago, his loved ones and friends feared for his life. They also worried about the future of Sector67, the nonprofit collaborative workshop for technology development, product prototyping, and advanced manufacturing he founded … Continue reading “After Accident, Sector67 Ramps Up Operations in Rehabbed Warehouse”

Deeper Dive: Amarin Fish-Oil Study Gives Eager Doctors More to Ponder

Two months ago, the medical community was all abuzz over a big clinical study that showed a prescription fish-oil supplement could reduce the risk of heart disease. Today, a fuller look at the data presents a more nuanced picture. Doctors working on the REDUCE-IT trial, which enrolled more than 8,000 people, published the full set … Continue reading “Deeper Dive: Amarin Fish-Oil Study Gives Eager Doctors More to Ponder”

Salk Team Awarded 8-Year, $19.2M Grant for Alzheimer’s Research

A 10-person team of researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies has been awarded an eight-year, $19.2 million grant to investigate mechanisms underlying Alzheimer’s disease and aging-related cognitive decline and uncover new therapies. The grant, announced Friday by the research institute in San Diego’s La Jolla community, is part of a $43 million initiative … Continue reading “Salk Team Awarded 8-Year, $19.2M Grant for Alzheimer’s Research”

Eyeing $500M, Moderna Outlines Plans for Biotech’s Biggest IPO Ever

One of the biggest gambles in biotech history is about to be tested on Wall Street. Moderna, the high-flying yet secretive developer of messenger RNA therapeutics, filed papers on Friday afternoon outlining its long-awaited IPO. In its prospectus, Moderna set an initial target of $500 million for the offering, which would make it the largest … Continue reading “Eyeing $500M, Moderna Outlines Plans for Biotech’s Biggest IPO Ever”

Boston Tech Watch: Neurala A.I., GE, MaxQ, Threat Stack, Bluefyre

Acquisitions, partnerships, and an FDA approval mark this week’s roundup in Boston technology news. Read on for more: —Boston University is adding artificial intelligence education to its electrical and computer engineering courses through a partnership with Boston A.I. company Neurala, to bridge a growing “skills gap” in the technology. Neurala is providing its A.I. education … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Neurala A.I., GE, MaxQ, Threat Stack, Bluefyre”

Celsee Charts Expansion Plans as Single-Cell Analysis Demand Grows

The humble cell has been getting a lot of attention in the medical world lately, and Ann Arbor, MI-based biotech startup Celsee wants to make it easier to study them. As precision medicine and genomic analysis become more sophisticated, clinicians are taking biotech research down to the level of single cells in search of breakthroughs … Continue reading “Celsee Charts Expansion Plans as Single-Cell Analysis Demand Grows”

Bio Roundup: Midterm Fallout, Alzheimer’s Search, Postpartum Panel

There was plenty at stake in this week’s midterm elections, and not just in terms of political wins and losses. With congress now divided—Democrats took back control of the House and Republicans extended their majority in the Senate—the implications are significant for U.S. healthcare. Just a day after the results, for instance, Senate Majority Leader … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Midterm Fallout, Alzheimer’s Search, Postpartum Panel”

WI Watchlist: Froedtert, Gener8tor, Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics, Exact

It’s been a busy week for Wisconsin’s innovation community, with entrepreneurship events taking place statewide for Startup Wisconsin Week (check out highlights on Twitter). Here are some of the other headlines from the past week: —Wauwatosa-based Froedtert Health, which runs a network of hospitals and clinics and is affiliated with the Medical College of Wisconsin, … Continue reading “WI Watchlist: Froedtert, Gener8tor, Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics, Exact”

Allergan’s Ellen Lubman Joins Impel NeuroPharma’s C-Suite

Impel NeuroPharma has appointed Ellen Lubman to serve as its chief business officer. Lubman comes to the Seattle biotech from Allergan (NYSE: [[ticker:AGN]]), where she was vice president of external science and innovation. Impel develops drugs that can be delivered through the nose to the brain. The company’s lead drug, INP104, is in late-stage testing … Continue reading “Allergan’s Ellen Lubman Joins Impel NeuroPharma’s C-Suite”

Allogene, Cortexyme & RDMD Headline Xconomy’s Dec. 5 Biotech Forum

Each new technology has a story behind it. On Dec. 5, our Xchange Forum will offer a behind-the-scenes look at how some of them aim to transform healthcare. Xconomy’s San Francisco Biotech: The Next Generation, will feature three Bay Area companies, each of them tackling a different challenge in the life sciences. RDMD, for example, … Continue reading “Allogene, Cortexyme & RDMD Headline Xconomy’s Dec. 5 Biotech Forum”

Google’s Schmidt: 5 Years Before A.I. Is More Than Advisory Tool

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt says the next five years of artificial intelligence and machine learning will be more like Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa than a self-driving sedan or a robo-surgeon taking out your appendix. “There are still significant errors, as you know, in machine learning systems that we tolerate. They are advisory,” Schmidt … Continue reading “Google’s Schmidt: 5 Years Before A.I. Is More Than Advisory Tool”

In Search of Names, Tech Startups Look to Galaxies Far, Far Away

All-seeing orbs, a distant planet and source of a life-giving drug, interstellar faster-than-light space travel, a carbon-freezing technique used to lock away enemies. The science fiction and fantasy creations—carbonite, palantir, Arrakis, warp drive—evoke the sort of futuristic vision that many startups dream to make a reality, or at least plumb for inspiration (and marketing). In … Continue reading “In Search of Names, Tech Startups Look to Galaxies Far, Far Away”

Nominations Open for San Diego’s Inaugural Xconomy Awards

Hundreds of companies. Dozens of research institutes. Billions of dollars in economic impact. San Diego is one of the top U.S. cities for innovation in life sciences and healthtech. Researchers and entrepreneurs here are leaders in developing the next generation of medicines and medical devices. In doing so, they are revealing new insights from our … Continue reading “Nominations Open for San Diego’s Inaugural Xconomy Awards”

Hold Your Horsepower: For Mobility Industry, “Reality Is Sinking In”

Earlier this month, GM CEO Mary Barra told the crowd at a financial conference that her company was on track to unveil a ridesharing service in 2019 that would be powered by autonomous vehicles. It sounded like pretty big news, but to understand company announcements about the commercial viability of driverless cars, one must first … Continue reading “Hold Your Horsepower: For Mobility Industry, “Reality Is Sinking In””

InCarda Breathes In $42M for Clinical Tests of Inhalable Heart Drug

Treatments for patients who have atrial fibrillation (AF), an irregular heartbeat, include pills that take time to work, or hospital-based procedures. InCarda Therapeutics aims to offer an alternative: a fast-acting inhalable drug that patients would take at home. The startup is moving ahead with mid-stage clinical testing of its drug and has raised $42 million … Continue reading “InCarda Breathes In $42M for Clinical Tests of Inhalable Heart Drug”

Boston’s Salsify Buys Austin Maker of E-Commerce Chat Tools

Salsify, a maker of e-commerce software, has acquired Welcome Commerce, an Austin-based developer of chat technology. Boston-based Salsify sells technology that helps retail brands like Michelin and Anheuser-Busch manage their products across e-commerce platforms such as Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]), Walmart (NYSE: [[ticker:WMT]]), or Target (NYSE: [[ticker:TGT]]). Adding Welcome’s chat technology “is a logical extension” of that mission, … Continue reading “Boston’s Salsify Buys Austin Maker of E-Commerce Chat Tools”

Mirum Pharmaceuticals Launches with $120M to Advance Liver Drugs

Serial entrepreneur Mike Grey is launching a biotech enterprise with $120 million in new funding to advance two investigational liver disease drugs—one of which he has worked to develop before. Called Mirum Pharmaceuticals, the startup is developing a compound, maralixibat, to treat Alagille syndrome (ALGS) and progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC), genetic liver disorders that … Continue reading “Mirum Pharmaceuticals Launches with $120M to Advance Liver Drugs”

Democratic Startup Founders Kopser and Sawyer Lose in Election Bids

Two Texas startup founders who ran for seats in the U.S. Congress and the Texas statehouse lost their bids for political office Tuesday. Joseph Kopser in Austin and Allison Lami Sawyer in Houston were both first-time candidates and ran as Democrats, sparked by a concern about political discourse in the wake of the 2016 election. Both … Continue reading “Democratic Startup Founders Kopser and Sawyer Lose in Election Bids”

FDA Approves Elanco Cattle Drug, the First for Reducing Gas Emissions

A product that reduces emissions from farm animal waste? There’s now a drug for that. The FDA has approved an Elanco (NYSE: [[ticker:ELAN]]) drug developed to reduce the ammonia gas released from cattle manure. The agency says its Tuesday decision on the product, lubabegron (Experior), marks the first time it has approved a drug that … Continue reading “FDA Approves Elanco Cattle Drug, the First for Reducing Gas Emissions”

Rainwater Foundation Deploys Millions Toward Rare Brain Disease, PSP

Dallas — A foundation started by a Texas billionaire announced Tuesday it will offer millions of dollars in awards to scientists who research neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and progressive supranuclear palsy. The Rainwater Charitable Foundation, which was founded in the 1990s by billionaire investor Richard Rainwater, announced it will start to offer in 2019 an … Continue reading “Rainwater Foundation Deploys Millions Toward Rare Brain Disease, PSP”

Bashing Rival’s Pharma Record, Troubled Menendez Keeps NJ Senate Seat

Running a successful pharmaceutical business apparently isn’t a big selling point for New Jersey voters. The state voted today to re-elect Senator Bob Menendez, a Democrat, and cast aside his GOP challenger Bob Hugin, the former CEO of Celgene (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CELG]]), one of the world’s most valuable drug companies. As Election Day turned to Wednesday, … Continue reading “Bashing Rival’s Pharma Record, Troubled Menendez Keeps NJ Senate Seat”

Mitek Systems Appoints New CEO After Rejecting $380M Takeover Bid

Mitek Systems has appointed a new chief executive, the day after rejecting an $380 million takeover bid from Florida-based ASG Technologies. A letter ASG sent to Mitek’s board of directors last week proposing ASG acquire the San Diego-based company asserted Mitek was facing “significant operational uncertainty and risk” following news of the imminent departure of … Continue reading “Mitek Systems Appoints New CEO After Rejecting $380M Takeover Bid”

BlackThorn Names Bill Martin President & Chief Operating Officer

BlackThorn Therapeutics has promoted Bill Martin to president and chief operating officer. Martin had served as the San Francisco company’s chief scientific officer. He succeeds Greg Vontz as president. Vontz, who also held the role of CEO, has left the company. In other moves, BlackThorn appointed Paul Berns, a venture partner at ARCH Venture Partners, … Continue reading “BlackThorn Names Bill Martin President & Chief Operating Officer”