For the first time, a gene therapy—a one-time, long-lasting treatment—has shown it may improve the lives of kids with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a deadly genetic disease with no cure. Patients in a small trial showed improved motor function, such as walking and climbing stairs, and near-normal levels of a key muscle protein. But the data … Continue reading “Sarepta Touts New Data and a “Signal” With Duchenne Gene Therapy”
Rady Children’s to Test Bay Area Startup’s Diagnostics Tool for CNS
Physicians treating children with symptoms that indicate a potential central nervous system infection—a life-threatening condition—need to know two things: whether the infection is being caused by a pathogen, and if so, its identity. The San Diego, CA-based Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine (RCIGM), a subsidiary of Rady Children’s Hospital and Health Center, said today … Continue reading “Rady Children’s to Test Bay Area Startup’s Diagnostics Tool for CNS”
Paratek Wins Two FDA Drug Approvals for Three Conditions in Same Day
Yesterday was a good day for Paratek Pharmaceuticals. The FDA approved a Paratek antibiotic as a treatment for pneumonia and serious skin infections. That regulatory decision late Tuesday for the drug, omadacycline (Nuzyra), followed approval earlier that day for a different drug, sarecycline (Seysara), a treatment for moderate-to-severe acne. The stock price of Boston-based Paratek (NASDAQ: … Continue reading “Paratek Wins Two FDA Drug Approvals for Three Conditions in Same Day”
Honda to Invest $2.75 Billion in Cruise, GM’s Driverless Car Subsidiary
Partnerships between major companies traditionally seen as competitors are a hallmark of the mobility industry, and today marked the announcement of one more: Honda will pay $2.75 billion and take a 5.7 percent stake in Cruise, GM’s autonomous vehicle subsidiary. As part of the deal, Honda will also lend its engineering expertise to GM’s driverless … Continue reading “Honda to Invest $2.75 Billion in Cruise, GM’s Driverless Car Subsidiary”
Apptio Acquires FittedCloud to Broaden Enterprise IT Analytics Tools
Apptio, a Seattle-area company that helps corporate technology leaders manage their IT spending, said Wednesday that it has acquired FittedCloud, a Boston-based developer of cloud optimization software. Apptio’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:APTI]]) news release announcing the deal did not contain any financial terms. However, the company said its acquisition of FittedCloud “is not material from a financial … Continue reading “Apptio Acquires FittedCloud to Broaden Enterprise IT Analytics Tools”
IDonate Raises Millions to Help Its Nonprofit Customers Do the Same
Dallas—iDonate, which makes software designed to help nonprofits better connect with donors, has raised $10 million in a Series A funding. The round is led by PerformanceEdge Partners, a venture capital firm focused on software-as-a-service (SaaS) businesses based in Scottsdale, AZ, and includes additional funding from existing and new investors such as the Fort Worth, … Continue reading “IDonate Raises Millions to Help Its Nonprofit Customers Do the Same”
Hopper Reels In $100M to Boost Travel-Booking App’s A.I.
Travel-booking app Hopper is taking a big leap this morning, announcing a $100 million venture funding round. The Series D financing was led by Omers Ventures. Other investors in the round included new backer Citi Ventures, as well as earlier Hopper investors Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), Accomplice, Brightspark Ventures, Investissement Québec, … Continue reading “Hopper Reels In $100M to Boost Travel-Booking App’s A.I.”
Super Saver Rate for San Francisco Biotech Event Ends Tomorrow
Grab your ticket now to attend Xconomy’s San Francisco Biotech: The Next Generation. Leaders in the Bay Area life sciences industry will share how they are pursuing new ideas and breaking biotech boundaries and offer fresh takes on cutting-edge medical science; unlikely executives will discuss their experiences and perspectives; and the spotlight will shine on … Continue reading “Super Saver Rate for San Francisco Biotech Event Ends Tomorrow”
Girls In Tech Showcases Women Founders In SF Pitch Competition
Kristina Tsvetanova says she found the motivation for her startup Blitab in 2014, when a blind colleague’s struggle to communicate via the Internet made her conscious of the barriers facing visually impaired people in a digital world. Her search for solutions spurred her to move from her native Bulgaria to find greater resources in Vienna, … Continue reading “Girls In Tech Showcases Women Founders In SF Pitch Competition”
Synlogic Promotes Aoife Brennan to President & CEO
Aoife Brennan has been appointed president and CEO of synthetic biology company Synlogic (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SYBX]]), effective immediately, the company announced Tuesday. Brennan had been serving as interim president and chief executive of Cambridge, MA, Synlogic since May. She joined the company as chief medical officer in 2016 after six years at Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]). Synlogic … Continue reading “Synlogic Promotes Aoife Brennan to President & CEO”
ORIC Pharmaceuticals Names Pratik Multani Chief Medical Officer
Pratik Multani has been appointed chief medical officer of South San Francisco, CA-based ORIC Pharmaceuticals. Multani was most recently chief medical officer of Ignyta, a San Diego biotech that was acquired by Roche in a $1.7 billion deal last year. ORIC—which stands for “overcoming resistance in cancer”—develops drugs for cancers that have become resistant to … Continue reading “ORIC Pharmaceuticals Names Pratik Multani Chief Medical Officer”
Tech Events in Austin, Houston Promote Women Founders’ Success
Austin—The oft-quoted “pipeline” issue—that there aren’t enough qualified women or people from other underrepresented groups available to create equitable tech workforces, C-suites, and boardrooms—is “total B.S.,” said Juliana Garaizar, a Houston venture investor. The existing venture capital and startup community has “to be challenged to [go] outside of their pattern recognition,” said Garaizar, who recently … Continue reading “Tech Events in Austin, Houston Promote Women Founders’ Success”
Elemental Partners With PerkinElmer, Lands $9M in VC Bucks
[Updated, 10/3/18, 1:35pm, to clarify the customer relationship] Elemental Machines is a startup making progress in a challenging field. That field would be sensors and systems that monitor and optimize physical processes in life sciences, pharmaceuticals, and other industries. You can tell it’s challenging because there isn’t even a name for it. But it touches … Continue reading “Elemental Partners With PerkinElmer, Lands $9M in VC Bucks”
Pivot Bio Gets $70M, Led by Bill Gates’s Fund, to Replace Fertilizer
Applying fertilizers to fields has been a standard farming practice for generations. The problem with these chemicals is that they end up in the air or in water runoff. Scientists at agriculture startup Pivot Bio say the key to delivering an important nutrient to crops has been at the plants’ roots all along—and the company … Continue reading “Pivot Bio Gets $70M, Led by Bill Gates’s Fund, to Replace Fertilizer”
Madison Startup Asto CT Raises $1.1M for Large Animal Imaging Device
Asto CT, a startup developing a computed tomography (CT) device for performing diagnostic scans of animals, has raised nearly $1.1 million in new funding, according to a document filed with federal securities regulators. Madison, WI-based Asto CT has now raised more than $1.7 million from investors, all of which has been debt financing, SEC filings … Continue reading “Madison Startup Asto CT Raises $1.1M for Large Animal Imaging Device”
FDA’s Latest Cancer Approval Underscores Immunotherapy Nobel Prize
The FDA is not only approving a lot more drugs these days, it seems to have also developed a sense of dramatic timing. Late last Friday, the agency approved its seventh checkpoint inhibitor, a type of cancer drug that blocks a tumor’s ability to hide from the immune system. Less than 72 hours later, two … Continue reading “FDA’s Latest Cancer Approval Underscores Immunotherapy Nobel Prize”
10 San Diego Startups to Compete at Region’s Top Pitch Competition
Ten tech startups will vie to impress a panel of six judges and hundreds of attendees at San Diego’s biggest pitch contest later this month. Three of the 10 slated to pitch at the Oct. 24 event will get a cut of $75,000 to advance their businesses. Launched in 2006 by San Diego’s Tech Coast … Continue reading “10 San Diego Startups to Compete at Region’s Top Pitch Competition”
Conversable, Impact Hub, data.world, Localeur, ACC & More TX Tech
Let’s get caught up with the latest innovation news in Texas. —Conversable, maker of an AI-enabled chatbot technology, has been acquired by LivePerson, a New York-based provider of mobile and online messaging software. Among the customers of Conversable, which is based in Austin and Dallas, are Whole Foods and TGI Fridays. “Conversational commerce is about … Continue reading “Conversable, Impact Hub, data.world, Localeur, ACC & More TX Tech”
Nobel Medicine Prize Honors Cancer Immunotherapy Pioneers Allison, Honjo
[Updated, 11:45 am ET, with comments from press conference] Harnessing the immune system to fight cancer has transformed the treatment of many cancers, and the lives of countless cancer patients who have seen their disease go into remission. This has led many people to speculate over the last several years that the founding researchers of … Continue reading “Nobel Medicine Prize Honors Cancer Immunotherapy Pioneers Allison, Honjo”
Albert Bourla Named Successor to Pfizer CEO Ian Read
Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]) CEO Ian Read will step away from the company’s top job at the end of the year and become executive chairman of its board of directors, the company announced Monday. Albert Bourla, currently Pfizer’s chief operating officer, has been elected by the board to serve as the company’s CEO. The changes for … Continue reading “Albert Bourla Named Successor to Pfizer CEO Ian Read”
Here’s the Agenda for X·CON 2018 on Nov. 4-6 (and Why You Should Care)
There’s something special brewing in Boston. On November 4, 5, and 6, we are convening business leaders across tech, life science, and other innovation fields to showcase the big trends that will transform industry—and society. Our speakers include Esther Dyson, Sandy Pentland, Diane Hessan, Mohamad Ali, and executives from Google, IBM, Dell EMC, Philips, and … Continue reading “Here’s the Agenda for X·CON 2018 on Nov. 4-6 (and Why You Should Care)”
VelosBio Emerges with $58M in Funding to Steer Cancer Drugs to Clinic
VelosBio, a biotech startup researching new cancer drugs, has raised $58 million in financing. The new VelosBio cash, a Series A round of financing, was led by Arix Bioscience (LSE: [[ticker:ARIX]]) and Sofinnova Ventures. VelosBio joined Johnson & Johnson’s JLABS @ San Diego incubator in January. The company is developing antibody drug conjugates, a class … Continue reading “VelosBio Emerges with $58M in Funding to Steer Cancer Drugs to Clinic”
GE Abruptly Replaces CEO Flannery with Former Danaher CEO Culp
[Updated 10/1/18, 10:57 am. See below.] In an unexpected move, General Electric has replaced its chief executive just 16 months after naming him its next leader. GE (NYSE: [[ticker:GE]]) announced Monday it named H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., as CEO and chairman, immediately replacing John Flannery (pictured above). Culp has served on GE’s board since April. Before … Continue reading “GE Abruptly Replaces CEO Flannery with Former Danaher CEO Culp”
Detroit’s GuardHat Snags $20M Series A for Industrial IoT Platform
Hundreds of people in the U.S. die from industrial accidents every year, according to federal data. Part of the reason manufacturing jobs remain so deadly, argues GuardHat co-founder and CEO Saikat Dey, is because the sector’s technology has not progressed as rapidly as it has in the enterprise software and consumer tech markets. This week, … Continue reading “Detroit’s GuardHat Snags $20M Series A for Industrial IoT Platform”
Austin’s Spanning Cloud Bought by Kaseya, Third Owner Since 2014
Austin—Spanning Cloud Apps, a software data backup service, has been sold to Kaseya, a Dublin-based IT infrastructure management company. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Austin, TX-based Spanning was sold by New York private equity firm Insight Venture Partners, which acquired the cloud backup and recovery company from Dell EMC in April 2017. Founded in … Continue reading “Austin’s Spanning Cloud Bought by Kaseya, Third Owner Since 2014”
TUGG, Led by Reddit Vet, Plans New “Volunteer in Residence” Program
TUGG is getting more ambitious. Over the past decade, TUGG, which stands for Technology Underwriting Greater Good, has become one of the most visible efforts by employees of Boston-area tech companies and venture capital firms to give back to the local community. Working with the nonprofit, employees donate their time and money to local charities … Continue reading “TUGG, Led by Reddit Vet, Plans New “Volunteer in Residence” Program”
NodThera Picks Genzyme Exec Adam Keeney for President and CEO Role
Adam Keeney has joined NodThera as president and CEO. He is also joining the company’s board of directors. Alan Watt, who had been serving as interim CEO, will resume his role as chief scientific officer of the Cambridge, UK, company. With Keeney’s appointment, NodThera will also open a new office in the Boston area. Keeney … Continue reading “NodThera Picks Genzyme Exec Adam Keeney for President and CEO Role”
GSK’s Hogenhuis Joins Ultragenyx Pharma as Chief Operating Officer
Wladimir Hogenhuis has been appointed chief operating officer of Novato, CA-based Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RARE]]). Hogenhuis comes to the rare disease drug developer from GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: [[ticker:GSK]]), where he was senior vice president and general manager, specialty franchise. In April, Ultragenyx won FDA approval for burosumab (Crysvita), a drug developed to treat the rare bone … Continue reading “GSK’s Hogenhuis Joins Ultragenyx Pharma as Chief Operating Officer”
Report: Apple Wins Appeal of $234M Ruling in Patent Dispute with WARF
Apple has persuaded a federal appeals court to toss out a 2015 ruling that ordered the company to pay the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s technology transfer office $234 million for infringing a computer processing technology patent held by the organization, Reuters reported. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C. ruled in … Continue reading “Report: Apple Wins Appeal of $234M Ruling in Patent Dispute with WARF”
ImageMoverMD Nabs Another $1.6M For Secure Patient Photo-Sharing App
ImageMoverMD, a Madison, WI-based startup developing software applications that allow clinicians and patients to securely transmit pictures and videos taken with mobile devices, has raised $1.6 million from two investors, according to a document filed with federal securities regulators. The company has now raised more than $4.3 million since launching in 2013, according to SEC … Continue reading “ImageMoverMD Nabs Another $1.6M For Secure Patient Photo-Sharing App”
Eli Lilly Migraine Drug Approved, the Third in New Class of Medicines
[Updated, 9/28/18, 12:54 p.m. See below.] An Eli Lilly drug developed to prevent migraine headache pain before it starts has won FDA approval. The FDA decision announced late Thursday marks the third drug in this new class of medicines to receive the regulatory nod this year. Two weeks ago, the FDA approved a migraine drug … Continue reading “Eli Lilly Migraine Drug Approved, the Third in New Class of Medicines”
Peerstachio Aims to Help College Students Access Help From Classmates
Scarlett Ong Rui Chern, an international student attending the University of Michigan, says she initially felt a little discombobulated by the college experience. “I had a rough first year,” she admits. What she wanted back then was an on-demand network of peer advisors she could call on for help. Not finding exactly what she was … Continue reading “Peerstachio Aims to Help College Students Access Help From Classmates”
Findera Tries a Pivot Amid a Whirlwind Over Data Privacy Rules
Early last year, the San Francisco startup Yozio decided it would have to scuttle its core mission, despite having attracted marquee customers including Pinterest and Airbnb within only a few years. The problem was, there turned out to be too few such websites with the size and sophistication to use Yozio’s app-optimization tools to advantage, … Continue reading “Findera Tries a Pivot Amid a Whirlwind Over Data Privacy Rules”
XRC Labs Showcases Retail Tech Innovations in VR, AI, Big Data
XRC Labs, an accelerator program focused on e-commerce and retail startups, held a demo day for its latest class Thursday, featuring innovations in artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and other technologies. The group of 10 startups is the sixth class for New York-based XRC, which was founded three years ago to promote innovation in the disruptive … Continue reading “XRC Labs Showcases Retail Tech Innovations in VR, AI, Big Data”
Bio Roundup: Amarin’s Stunner, Lung Cancer News, Data Dumps & More
Six years ago, a biotech called Amarin won FDA approval of a prescription fish-oil pill, Vascepa, because it could lower triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood. But Amarin didn’t have the evidence that lowering triglycerides with fish oil would really help people. Sales lagged. Amarin’s shares sank. While other groups tested other fish … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Amarin’s Stunner, Lung Cancer News, Data Dumps & More”
With CRISPR’s Help, KSQ Touts 13 Cancer Drugs and Bags Another $80M
Can CRISPR-Cas9, the landmark genome editing tool, help speed up drug discovery? That was the pitch behind KSQ Therapeutics when it started up in 2015. Three years later, the Cambridge, MA, startup says the CRISPR tool has allowed it to make the kind of progress it wouldn’t have otherwise, with 13 experimental cancer drugs in … Continue reading “With CRISPR’s Help, KSQ Touts 13 Cancer Drugs and Bags Another $80M”
Six Life Science Firms Close Q3 with an IPO, More Are on the Way
The window for life science IPOs is still open, and five biotechs and one medical device company chose the last week of the third quarter to make their stock market debuts. Gritstone Oncology (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GRTS]]) closed out the week by raising $100 million in an upsized IPO. On Thursday night, Emeryville, CA-based Gritstone priced its … Continue reading “Six Life Science Firms Close Q3 with an IPO, More Are on the Way”
Boston Tech Watch: MIT, GoDaddy, Lionano, HqO, Centage & More
Lots of Boston-area tech news to cover this week, so let’s jump right in. —Lionano, a Woburn, MA-based developer and maker of advanced battery energy storage products for vehicles and consumer electronics, said it closed a $22 million Series B funding round led by WAVE Equity Partners, Helios Capital Ventures, and NXT Ventures. Lionano spun … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: MIT, GoDaddy, Lionano, HqO, Centage & More”
With a New Name, Afyx Aims to Improve Oral Disease Treatment
Diseases that affect mucus membranes, such as those lining the inside of the mouth, can be difficult to treat because drugs don’t adhere well to wet surfaces. Afyx Therapeutics, a Danish transdermal drug company that established its North America headquarters in San Diego about six months ago, says it has developed a nanofiber-based patch that … Continue reading “With a New Name, Afyx Aims to Improve Oral Disease Treatment”
Eli Lilly Strikes Deal for Diabetes Pill to Gain on Novo Nordisk
Eli Lilly has a blockbuster diabetes drug, dulaglutide (Trulicity), which helps the body make more insulin. But that drug, and others in the same class, are injectables. A number of companies are trying to offer patients a pill alternative. Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]) now has a new pill drug candidate in its pipeline. The Indianapolis pharmaceutical … Continue reading “Eli Lilly Strikes Deal for Diabetes Pill to Gain on Novo Nordisk”
Geron’s Drug Alliance with Janssen Terminated, Shares Plummet 68%
Four years after Geron landed a pharmaceutical partner to co-develop its lead drug, the Menlo Park, CA, biotech is now moving forward with the compound on its own. Janssen Biotech is ending the collaboration with Geron on imetelstat, a drug that had reached mid-stage clinical trials as a treatment for blood disorders. The Johnson & … Continue reading “Geron’s Drug Alliance with Janssen Terminated, Shares Plummet 68%”
Where Can Influential Companies Go to Meet Exceptional Black VCs?
Culture Shifting Weekend—a November 1-3 invitation-only summit, presented by Culture Shift Labs (CSL)—will offer a rare opportunity for leading companies and investors to meet, vet, and fund the fast-growing ecosystem of Black venture capitalists and VC firms. Hosted at Infor in New York City, Culture Shift Lab’s annual three-day event will enable institutional investors, social … Continue reading “Where Can Influential Companies Go to Meet Exceptional Black VCs?”
With New Data, Alnylam Could Seek Speedy OK For Second RNAi Drug
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals was just cleared to market the first-ever RNA interference medicine. The second one may not be that far behind. Alnylam (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]), of Cambridge, MA, said this morning that it could soon file for accelerated approval of an RNAi drug, givosiran, that the company is developing for acute hepatic porphyria, a rare genetic … Continue reading “With New Data, Alnylam Could Seek Speedy OK For Second RNAi Drug”
Akrevia Launches with $30M for Next-Gen Cancer Immunotherapy
What does the second generation of cancer immunotherapy look like? For Tim Clackson, president of a new biotech launching today, it will hopefully include protein-based drugs that stimulate the immune system to attack tumors in a more targeted way—by only powering up at the site of the tumor, and not throughout the body. Akrevia Therapeutics … Continue reading “Akrevia Launches with $30M for Next-Gen Cancer Immunotherapy”
Tvardi, Co-Founded by Former MD Anderson Leader DePinho, Raises $9M
Houston—Tvardi Therapeutics, a Houston biotech co-founded last year by the former chief of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, has raised $9 million to support clinical trials of an experimental cancer drug developed through research at the medical center. Ron DePinho, past president of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, co-founded the company with … Continue reading “Tvardi, Co-Founded by Former MD Anderson Leader DePinho, Raises $9M”
Blink Health Ramps Up in Boston as Amazon Eyes Prescription Drugs
A few months after Amazon announced a deal to acquire Boston-area online pharmacy startup PillPack, another healthcare technology venture is growing its presence here as it attempts to shake up the retail pharmacy industry. The newcomer is New York-based Blink Health, a four-year-old startup that enables people to buy low-cost prescription drugs online and pick … Continue reading “Blink Health Ramps Up in Boston as Amazon Eyes Prescription Drugs”
Big Pharma Seeks More Partnerships, Evidence in Digital Therapeutics
“Digital therapeutics” startups are starting to win more respect—and investment dollars—from pharmaceutical giants. But the two sides are still figuring out how to work together to capitalize on the potential for apps, devices, and other software-enabled technologies to impact patients’ health. That’s what stood out to me the most as I listened to leaders from … Continue reading “Big Pharma Seeks More Partnerships, Evidence in Digital Therapeutics”
Somna Rebrands Acid Reflux Band in Bid to Reach More Patients
There’s a long list of products named after their inventors: everything from the diesel engine to Jacuzzi tubs to the leotard. For years, the list had also included Reza Band, a medical device co-developed by gastroenterologist Reza Shaker and sold by Germantown, WI-based Somna Therapeutics. Somna’s medical device is no longer on that list. This … Continue reading “Somna Rebrands Acid Reflux Band in Bid to Reach More Patients”
Author Hits Detroit to Discuss Dangers of Automating Public Assistance
There are few life events more stressful than suddenly losing a job. One of the safety net measures in place for displaced workers is unemployment insurance: reoccurring, state-administered benefit checks that eligible workers receive for a few months while trying to get back on their feet. That’s how the system is supposed to work, anyway. … Continue reading “Author Hits Detroit to Discuss Dangers of Automating Public Assistance”
LogicBio Jumps on the Gene Therapy 2.0 Wave and Lines Up an IPO
Another gene therapy company is on its way to the public markets. But this one, LogicBio Therapeutics, is part of a newer crop of gene therapy developers that aim to overcome the potential shortcomings of the treatments on the market or in human trials. LogicBio’s technology is still preclinical, but the company aims to start … Continue reading “LogicBio Jumps on the Gene Therapy 2.0 Wave and Lines Up an IPO”