[Updated, 2:45 pm ET, see below] There is another update today in the competitive race to treat nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), an increasingly common liver disease with no FDA-approved therapies. Viking Therapeutics released preliminary results from a Phase 2 study suggesting its experimental drug might impact some of the disease’s many dangerous effects on the liver. … Continue reading “Viking Liver Drug Shows Promise for NASH, Shares Soar on Study Data”
Indigo Adds $250M as It Expands Reach Into Agricultural Supply Chain
Indigo Ag started as a company focused on microbial agriculture—finding microorganisms to develop into seed coatings intended to boost crop yields. While microbiology remains a focus, CEO David Perry says the startup is positioning itself to take on additional aspects of the agriculture business. Boston-based Indigo is revealing one of the ways it aims to … Continue reading “Indigo Adds $250M as It Expands Reach Into Agricultural Supply Chain”
Google Leads Mabl’s $20M Series B as Software Testing Deals Heat Up
Dan Belcher and Izzy Azeri sold their last startup, Stackdriver, to Google. Now, Google’s venture capital arm has backed the entrepreneurial duo’s latest company, Mabl. Boston-based Mabl said Tuesday it has pulled in $20 million in a Series B funding round led by GV (formerly Google Ventures). CRV and Amplify Partners also contributed to the … Continue reading “Google Leads Mabl’s $20M Series B as Software Testing Deals Heat Up”
Alamo Angels Aims to Expand Investing Footprint as Dizon Takes Helm
San Antonio—[Corrected 9/19/18, 8:15 a.m. See below.] Cat Dizon recently met with the founders of a San Antonio startup focused on cancer research, a complicated area of healthcare that is more often than not a highly risky investment proposition. Dizon is experienced in the startup world: She is a partner at investment firm Active Capital … Continue reading “Alamo Angels Aims to Expand Investing Footprint as Dizon Takes Helm”
Emplify Bags $7.5M to Give Employers Better Staff Engagement Data
Emplify, the Fishers, IN-based startup focused on software to improve employee engagement, today announced that it has raised a $7.5 million Series A funding round. Since it was spun out of Bluebridge in 2016, co-founder and CEO Santiago Jaramillo says Emplify has experienced swift growth—customers include Harley-Davidson and Terminus—and now has 65 employees. “We’re bigger … Continue reading “Emplify Bags $7.5M to Give Employers Better Staff Engagement Data”
German Conglomerate Buys OnCourse Learning in Reported $500M Deal
Bertelsmann, a large media and publishing conglomerate headquartered in Germany, said Monday that it has acquired OnCourse Learning, a Brookfield, WI-based provider of online professional training programs. Bertelsmann said Monday in a news release that the amount it’s acquiring OnCouse for is in the “mid-nine-digit euro range,” meaning roughly halfway between €100 million and €1 … Continue reading “German Conglomerate Buys OnCourse Learning in Reported $500M Deal”
TX Roundup: TMC’s BioBridge to the UK, New Execs at Fannin & TechFW
Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news in Texas. —The Texas Medical Center has announced an expansion of its BioBridge program to the United Kingdom. BioBridge is designed to help TMC and UK-based companies collaborate on a number of medical issues, including advancement of genomics and artificial intelligence technologies for cancer research. The medical center … Continue reading “TX Roundup: TMC’s BioBridge to the UK, New Execs at Fannin & TechFW”
CRISPR, ViaCyte Team Up to Develop Stem Cell-Based Diabetes Therapy
ViaCyte’s attempts to develop a stem cell therapy for diabetes have been stymied by the immune system, which recognizes the implanted cells as foreign. Meanwhile, CRISPR Therapeutics has found success in gene-editing cells so that the cells avoid such immune responses. Now the two companies are combining their respective technologies to develop a stem cell-based … Continue reading “CRISPR, ViaCyte Team Up to Develop Stem Cell-Based Diabetes Therapy”
Autism Study Supports Stemina Diagnostic, Test to Ship by Year-End
Most children aren’t diagnosed with autism until they’re at least 4 years old, and that’s something many experts hope can change. As with many conditions, treating autism earlier in life is believed to boost a child’s cognitive and social skills in most cases. Yet there’s currently no medical test to diagnose autism spectrum disorder, often called ASD, … Continue reading “Autism Study Supports Stemina Diagnostic, Test to Ship by Year-End”
Belinsky Gifts $500K to WSU to Create Lab for Student Entrepreneurs
In August, Wayne State University held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new Mike Ilitch School of Business, a $40 million, state-of-the-art facility in Detroit’s Midtown neighborhood. The business school announced another piece of good news this summer when alumnus Russ Belinsky donated $500,000 to establish the Belinsky Entrepreneurial Learning Library, which aims to kick-start student … Continue reading “Belinsky Gifts $500K to WSU to Create Lab for Student Entrepreneurs”
FDA Clears Mersana to Restart Cancer Drug Trial With New Safeguards
The FDA has cleared Mersana Therapeutics to resume enrolling patients in a study of an experimental cancer drug now that the Cambridge, MA, company is taking new precautions to protect patients from potential harm. The company says the FDA lifted a “partial clinical hold” on the Mersana (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MRSN]]) drug XMT-1522, a move that had … Continue reading “FDA Clears Mersana to Restart Cancer Drug Trial With New Safeguards”
Zapata Teaming With IBM, Google to Push Quantum Tech Into Next Phase
Christopher Savoie says he was skeptical when former Harvard researcher Alán Aspuru-Guzik pitched Savoie last year on joining the quantum computing software venture he was planning to form. Quantum computing technology is at least a decade away from commercial feasibility, responded Savoie, a tech developer and attorney who previously founded startups in machine learning, pharmaceuticals, … Continue reading “Zapata Teaming With IBM, Google to Push Quantum Tech Into Next Phase”
Zapata Computing CEO on A.I., Automation & Breakthroughs in Quantum
Quantum computing is one of the most intriguing—and complex—areas of technology right now. For years, it seemed like the field wouldn’t deliver practical applications any time soon. But that thinking has changed, and efforts at big companies, startups, and university research labs seem to be picking up steam—with use cases in finance, artificial intelligence, and … Continue reading “Zapata Computing CEO on A.I., Automation & Breakthroughs in Quantum”
Teva Wins FDA Nod for Migraine Drug, Sets Price in Line with Amgen’s
A Teva Pharmaceutical migraine-prevention drug has won FDA approval, the second therapy in this new drug class to receive the regulatory nod this year. The Friday approval for the Teva (NYSE: [[ticker:TEVA]]) drug fremanezumab (Ajovy) came a little earlier than expected; the target date for the FDA decision was Sept. 16. The drug is part … Continue reading “Teva Wins FDA Nod for Migraine Drug, Sets Price in Line with Amgen’s”
Epic Sciences Names Katherine Atkinson Chief Commercial Officer
San Diego oncology diagnostics startup Epic Sciences has appointed Katherine Atkinson as its chief commercial officer. Atkinson was most recently vice president of business development at San Diego’s Edico Genome, which was acquired by Illumina (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ILMN]]) for $100 million in May. Prior to Edico Genome, Atkinson worked for Illumina. Previously Atkinson also had roles … Continue reading “Epic Sciences Names Katherine Atkinson Chief Commercial Officer”
Vision Assistance Startup Aira Inking Deals With UCSD, Retail Stores
Students and shoppers will soon be using technology developed by Aira, a San Diego startup that links vision-impaired people with “visual interpreters” via smartphone and smart glasses, to help them navigate their environments. In recent weeks Aira announced that its accessibility service would be available at no cost to those who need it while at … Continue reading “Vision Assistance Startup Aira Inking Deals With UCSD, Retail Stores”
Former Pfenex Exec Chen Joins Metacrine as Chief Medical Officer
Hubert Chen has been appointed chief medical officer of San Diego biotech Metacrine. Chen most recently worked as chief medical officer of Pfenex (NYSE American: [[ticker:PFNX]]). Metacrine develops drugs for liver and gastrointestinal diseases. Last year, Metacrine raised $22 million in Series B financing. The company plans to test its lead drug, MET409, as a … Continue reading “Former Pfenex Exec Chen Joins Metacrine as Chief Medical Officer”
Suono Bio Names Lisa Ricciardi CEO, Carl Schoellhammer Becomes COO
Lisa Ricciardi has been appointed CEO of Cambridge, MA-based Suono Bio. Founding CEO Carl Schoellhammer will shift to chief operating officer and board member. Ricciardi’s experience includes various roles at companies such as Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]), Medco, and Foundation Medicine. Suono, an MIT spinout, is developing technology that uses ultrasound to improve drug delivery.
Fidelity CEO Hints at Crypto Products as Sector Aims for Mainstream
Fidelity Investments is cooking up more blockchain and cryptocurrency-related products and services, with a goal of rolling some of them out in the next few months, CEO Abigail Johnson said Friday morning. Johnson made the comments during an event held at the financial services giant’s downtown Boston headquarters—one of a series of events that were … Continue reading “Fidelity CEO Hints at Crypto Products as Sector Aims for Mainstream”
Allogene Files for IPO to Fund Cancer Cell Therapy Clinical Trials
Allogene Therapeutics, a biotech developing a cell therapy made from donor cells, is laying out IPO plans to finance more tests of its experimental cancer treatment. South San Francisco, CA-based Allogene made waves this year when it launched with a huge $300 million Series A round. It has now set a preliminary $100 million IPO … Continue reading “Allogene Files for IPO to Fund Cancer Cell Therapy Clinical Trials”
The Rise of Robocalls and Cell Scams—and How to Stop Them
[Updated 9:15 a.m., see below.] Jen King was in a hurry to get out the door of her Bay Area home on a recent morning, and she missed a call to her cell phone because of it. The phone number that called her, she later discovered, was startling. “It was my home phone calling me, … Continue reading “The Rise of Robocalls and Cell Scams—and How to Stop Them”
Bio Roundup: CRISPR Ruling, “America’s Nobels,” IPOs & More
The long-running patent feud over CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing appears to be over, just as U.S. biotech companies gear up for the first human tests of the landmark technology. This week, a federal appeals court upheld a previous ruling handing a CRISPR-Cas9 patent to the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. The decision by the three-judge … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: CRISPR Ruling, “America’s Nobels,” IPOs & More”
Epic Sciences Raises $52M to Expand Cancer Diagnostic Portfolio
Oncology diagnostics company Epic Sciences, which last year launched what it describes as the only test that can help guide treatment for patients with advanced prostate cancer, has raised $52 million in a financing led by New York private equity firm Blue Ox Healthcare Partners to develop tests to address more types of cancer. The … Continue reading “Epic Sciences Raises $52M to Expand Cancer Diagnostic Portfolio”
Xconomy’s San Francisco Event to Showcase Biotech’s Next Generation
The life sciences and biomedicine are a constant field of tension between cutting-edge ideas and breakthroughs, and time-tested procedures and regulations guided by experience and concerns for safety. This tension is, on the whole, a good thing, helping innovators hone their ideas and strategies. At times like these, there are no shortage of scientific breakthroughs … Continue reading “Xconomy’s San Francisco Event to Showcase Biotech’s Next Generation”
San Antonio Startup Making Noise-Reducing Tech for Babies Adds $1.3M
San Antonio—Invictus Medical, which develops products for newborn babies, and says it added almost $1.3 million in new funding to continue developing a device that aims to help create a quiet, peaceful environment for infants in neonatal intensive care units. Invictus plans to use the new funding to bring the technology to the point of … Continue reading “San Antonio Startup Making Noise-Reducing Tech for Babies Adds $1.3M”
With Cornershop, Walmart Expands On-Demand Delivery to Latin America
Walmart is taking the e-commerce delivery business south of the border. The Bentonville, AR, retailer announced Thursday it has acquired Cornershop, an on-demand online service that delivers products from supermarkets, pharmacies, and specialty shops in Mexico and Chile, for $225 million. “We are focused on making life easier for customers and associates by building strong … Continue reading “With Cornershop, Walmart Expands On-Demand Delivery to Latin America”
Detroit’s StockX Raises $44M Funding Round, Plans to Hire 1,000
StockX, the online “stock market of things” focused on sneakers and other high-demand, limited-edition products, has closed one of the largest investment rounds raised by a Detroit startup and announced yesterday that it now plans to go on a major hiring spree. The news came from StockX CEO Josh Luber during a keynote speech at the … Continue reading “Detroit’s StockX Raises $44M Funding Round, Plans to Hire 1,000”
Xconomy’s EXOME Presents: San Francisco Biotech—The Next Generation
Even the best ideas in the life sciences are painfully difficult to turn into reality, especially if they are radically new or different. Older generations—of people and products—do not yield easily. How do scientists and entrepreneurs push past the status quo while respecting collective experience and wisdom? At our upcoming Xchange forum in San Francisco, … Continue reading “Xconomy’s EXOME Presents: San Francisco Biotech—The Next Generation”
Acorda’s Tough Week Continues as FDA Delays Parkinson’s Drug Review
Acorda Therapeutics has taken its second hit in less than a week. The FDA this morning extended its review of Acorda’s (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ACOR]]) experimental Parkinson’s disease drug Inbrija, an inhalable form of levodopa, by three months. The agency will now decide whether to approve the drug—whose success is critical to the future of the Ardsley, … Continue reading “Acorda’s Tough Week Continues as FDA Delays Parkinson’s Drug Review”
Epic, Kiio, HealthMyne & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
Stay current on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Epic Systems, a Verona-based developer of record-keeping tools for the healthcare industry, said virtual assistant software it created in tandem with Nuance Communications is now commercially available. The tools allow doctors and other care providers at hospitals and clinics that use Epic’s software … Continue reading “Epic, Kiio, HealthMyne & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Software Startup Classy Adds Ex-Okta, Civitas Execs to C-Suite
Enterprise software startup Classy, which developed a platform through which it says nonprofit organizations have raised nearly $1 billion for their causes, has hired its first-ever chief revenue and chief product officers. Adam Aarons, the new chief revenue officer, was also named Classy’s president. The company, based in downtown San Diego, is headed by CEO … Continue reading “Software Startup Classy Adds Ex-Okta, Civitas Execs to C-Suite”
Cloud Storage Startup Wasabi Grabs $68M to Eat Amazon’s Lunch
Wasabi Technologies’ ambitious plan to challenge the giants in cloud data storage—Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and IBM—just got a $68 million boost. Wasabi announced Wednesday it closed its Series B round of venture funding. The Boston-based startup had previously raised at least $8.5 million from investors, who are betting that it can build a big business … Continue reading “Cloud Storage Startup Wasabi Grabs $68M to Eat Amazon’s Lunch”
Living on the Edge: Amazon, AT&T, Packet Pursue “Cloudlet” Computing
The word “cloud”—as in cloud computing, and cloud storage—has served as a handy shorthand term, but it has always been inherently vague and a little misleading. When businesses and consumers use a cloud service provider like Amazon Web Services or Apple’s iCloud, their data, photos, and music don’t get processed in the misty skies above … Continue reading “Living on the Edge: Amazon, AT&T, Packet Pursue “Cloudlet” Computing”
Gilead Partners with Precision Bio in Search of Gene-Editing HBV Cure
Gilead Sciences is turning to gene editing in its effort to develop a cure for hepatitis B virus infections—DNA-cutting enzymes that would eliminate the virus in the body, something current hep B drugs can’t do. Foster City, CA-based Gilead (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GILD]]) is partnering with Precision Biosciences, a company that has used its proprietary gene-editing platform … Continue reading “Gilead Partners with Precision Bio in Search of Gene-Editing HBV Cure”
Coinbase, Circle & Others Form Blockchain Lobbying Group in DC
Amid intensifying regulatory scrutiny of cryptocurrencies and blockchain ventures, some of the sector’s leading startups and investors have formed the Blockchain Association, a lobbying group that will try to amplify their influence in Capitol Hill and around the country. The nonprofit trade association’s initial members include San Francisco-based Coinbase and its competitor, Boston-based Circle Internet … Continue reading “Coinbase, Circle & Others Form Blockchain Lobbying Group in DC”
With OneOncology, Flatiron and Cancer Docs Aim to Boost Community Care
A number of new technologies, from immunotherapy to targeted medicines and diagnostics, have all helped change cancer care the past few years. But not all cutting-edge technologies are available to patients who seek treatment at smaller clinics. OneOncology, an unusual new startup being launched this morning, aims to help cancer patients in community settings gain … Continue reading “With OneOncology, Flatiron and Cancer Docs Aim to Boost Community Care”
Exec Shuffle in Austin and San Antonio, Icon Funds, & More TX Tech
Let’s get caught up with the latest innovation news in Texas. —Personify, an Austin maker of customer management software, has been sold by Rubicon Technology Partners, a private equity firm with offices in Menlo Park, CA, and Stamford, CT, to Pamlico Capital in Charlotte, NC. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Personify works with associations, … Continue reading “Exec Shuffle in Austin and San Antonio, Icon Funds, & More TX Tech”
Andrew Cheng Departs Gilead Sciences for Akero Therapeutics CEO Post
Andrew Cheng has been appointed president and CEO of Cambridge, MA-based Akero Therapeutics. Cheng comes to Akero following a nearly 20-year career at Foster City, CA-based Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GILD]]), where he was most recently chief medical officer and executive vice president. Cheng will be based in San Francisco, which will be the location for … Continue reading “Andrew Cheng Departs Gilead Sciences for Akero Therapeutics CEO Post”
Ampio Pharma Chief Scientific Officer David Bar-Or to Retire
David Bar-Or, chief scientific officer of Ampio Pharmaceuticals (NYSE MKT: [[ticker:AMPE]]) will retire, effective Sept. 30. The Englewood, CO, company says Bar-Or will keep his positions on the board of directors and scientific advisory board. Ampio is preparing to file for FDA approval of aspartyl-alanyl diketopiperazine (Ampion), a treatment for osteoarthritis.
Amazon, Walmart Planning to Add Hundreds of Tech Jobs in San Diego
San Diego has found itself to be the latest front in the ongoing Amazon-Walmart battle. Walmart made its name with brick-and-mortar stores, but the company has been vocal in recent months about its intent to fight for dominance in the digital landscape, an arena in which Amazon is a native. Next month about 70 people … Continue reading “Amazon, Walmart Planning to Add Hundreds of Tech Jobs in San Diego”
Lasker Awards Recognize Propofol Discovery, Women in Science Advocate & Others
The winners of the U.S.’s most prestigious awards in biomedical sciences were announced today, for work in developing propofol, the world’s most widely used anesthetic drug; for key discoveries in RNA biology as well as for championing women in science; and for research in yeast that revealed new mechanisms of gene regulation. The Lasker Awards … Continue reading “Lasker Awards Recognize Propofol Discovery, Women in Science Advocate & Others”
Don’t Fear the Robot: Humatics, Eckhart Push Factory Automation Tech
The state of American manufacturing has become an increasingly hot topic of conversation since the 2016 presidential election laid bare the discontent felt by workers and business owners alike. However, companies like Algonac, MI-based Eckhart and Cambridge, MA-based Humatics see an opportunity to reinvigorate American manufacturing through so-called “Industry 4.0” technologies—automated, connected, and collaborative tools … Continue reading “Don’t Fear the Robot: Humatics, Eckhart Push Factory Automation Tech”
OncoResponse Nabs $40M for Cancer Drugs Based On Survivors’ Antibodies
Houston—OncoResponse, a biotech startup formed jointly with the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, announced Tuesday it has raised a $40 million Series B round of funding. RiverVest Venture Partners led the round, which included new investors Redmile Group and the Qatar Investment Authority, as well as existing investors Alexandria Venture Investments, … Continue reading “OncoResponse Nabs $40M for Cancer Drugs Based On Survivors’ Antibodies”
Aileron Therapeutics Promotes Manuel Aivado to CEO
Manuel Aivado has been appointed president and CEO of Aileron Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALRN]]). He has also been elected to the Watertown, MA-based company’s board of directors. Aivado, who was Aileron’s chief medical and scientific officer, joined the company in 2014. Aileron started looking for a new CEO in May, after Joseph Yanchik suddenly resigned after … Continue reading “Aileron Therapeutics Promotes Manuel Aivado to CEO”
BMS Veteran Luisa Salter-Sid Named Gossamer Chief Scientific Officer
Luisa Salter-Cid has joined Gossamer Bio as the San Diego company’s chief scientific officer. Salter-Cid comes to Gossamer from Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]), where she held various positions over the past 13 years, including vice president and head of immunology, small molecule immuno-oncology, and genomics discovery. Gossamer formed in January to in-license and develop drugs … Continue reading “BMS Veteran Luisa Salter-Sid Named Gossamer Chief Scientific Officer”
Gener8tor Picks Four Artists for First Class of Music Accelerator
In the five-plus weeks since a new music “accelerator” program for Milwaukee-area artists kicked off, the four participating artists have been traveling to places like London and Los Angeles to visit recording studios and meet with industry leaders, according to the program’s organizers. The program, called Backline, is a joint venture between 88Nine Radio Milwaukee … Continue reading “Gener8tor Picks Four Artists for First Class of Music Accelerator”
Kodiak Sciences Files for IPO to Fund Global AMD Eye-Drug Studies
Many patients with the more severe form of age-related macular degeneration, a type of vision loss, have trouble with the standard treatment—a once-monthly injection into the eye. Kodiak Sciences believes it can do better with an experimental drug that may require less frequent injections and the company has filed for an IPO to finance a … Continue reading “Kodiak Sciences Files for IPO to Fund Global AMD Eye-Drug Studies”
U.S. Court Affirms Broad’s CRISPR Patent; No Word of Berkeley Appeal
On the heels of a federal court victory, the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT is calling for the end of a long and winding legal fight over the ownership of the landmark genome editing system CRISPR-Cas9. The widespread ability for humans to manipulate their own DNA and that of many other organisms has arrived, … Continue reading “U.S. Court Affirms Broad’s CRISPR Patent; No Word of Berkeley Appeal”
South Bend Code School Adds Revenue Stream with Code Works Dev Shop
When South Bend Code School launched in 2015, its founders were looking for a way to teach kids career skills that might enable them to find a job without a college degree. As that effort grew and gained popularity, people in the community began reaching out to SBCS seeking software development work. “As we were … Continue reading “South Bend Code School Adds Revenue Stream with Code Works Dev Shop”
PepsiCo Expands Nutrition Greenhouse Startup Program to U.S.
PepsiCo is expanding its Nutrition Greenhouse program from Europe to North America, adding to its arsenal of initiatives designed to connect the global soda-maker to innovative startups in the food and beverage sector. Nutrition Greenhouse will be an accelerator for 10 startups that “are helping to transform the food and beverage industry with nutritious, natural, … Continue reading “PepsiCo Expands Nutrition Greenhouse Startup Program to U.S.”