Rogerio Vivaldi has been appointed CEO of Sigilon Therapeutics. Vivaldi comes to the Cambridge, MA, biopharmaceutical company from Sanofi (NYSE: [[ticker:SNY]]) subsidiary Bioverativ, where he was executive vice president and chief global therapeutic operations officer. Former Sigilon CEO Paul Wotton, who the company says stepped away from the chief executive role to manage a family … Continue reading “Sigilon Taps Bioverativ’s Rogerio Vivaldi for CEO Post”
Ionis Pharma’s Steven Hughes Joins Organovo as Chief Medical Officer
Steven Hughes has joined Organovo (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ONVO]]) to serve as the San Diego company’s chief medical officer. Hughes comes to Organovo from Carlsbad, CA-based Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IONS]]), where he was chief clinical development officer. His experience also includes senior leadership roles at Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]), CSL Behring, and Sanofi (NYSE: [[ticker:SNY]]). Organovo has several … Continue reading “Ionis Pharma’s Steven Hughes Joins Organovo as Chief Medical Officer”
United Way and 24G Team Up on Digital Simulation to Teach Empathy
We’ve heard a lot, especially since the presidential election in 2016, about how technologies like social media are effectively reducing empathy and harming civil discourse. But what if technology could instead be used to stoke a better appreciation of the daily struggles others are going through? That’s the goal behind 24G’s “The Cost of Living,” … Continue reading “United Way and 24G Team Up on Digital Simulation to Teach Empathy”
Entasis Therapeutics and Principia Biopharma Join the IPO Queue
IPO activity has waned in the dog days of summer, but two more biotechs have now joined the growing list of companies with Wall Street ambitions. Entasis Therapeutics and Principia Biopharma have filed to go public, hoping to raise the cash needed to finance more clinical tests of their experimental drugs. Entasis and Principia each … Continue reading “Entasis Therapeutics and Principia Biopharma Join the IPO Queue”
Acquia’s New CEO Eyes Acquisitions, Not an Exit (Yet)
Acquia is known for software that helps businesses manage content on their websites. But these days, the 11-year-old company describes itself as a builder of “digital experiences,” a nod to the ever-expanding list of technological vehicles through which brands market their products—think mobile apps, social media, voice-controlled devices, and augmented and virtual reality experiences. “There’s … Continue reading “Acquia’s New CEO Eyes Acquisitions, Not an Exit (Yet)”
Rare-Disease Hackathon Leads to $3M for Health Data Startup RDMD
When tech entrepreneur Onno Faber learned he had an extremely rare genetic disease with no available treatments, he leaned on his tech skills and organized a Silicon Valley “hackathon” in 2017 to dig into his own DNA and perhaps help others with his condition. Faber can now lean on a few million dollars. The company … Continue reading “Rare-Disease Hackathon Leads to $3M for Health Data Startup RDMD”
Ohio Insurer Turns to Propeller Health for Digital Approach to COPD
Propeller Health said this week that it has partnered with an Ohio-based health insurer to help a group of its Medicare patients who have respiratory disease better manage their symptoms. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio has begun recruiting patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to participate in a new program that … Continue reading “Ohio Insurer Turns to Propeller Health for Digital Approach to COPD”
Pfenex Chief Medical, Scientific Officer Chen to Resign in September
Hubert Chen, chief medical and scientific officer of Pfenex (NYSE American: [[ticker:PFNX]]), plans to resign on Sept. 2, the San Diego biotech announced Thursday. No explanation was given for Chen’s departure but in a securities filing, the company said it was not for “good reason.” According to Chen’s employment contract, “good reason” includes a breach … Continue reading “Pfenex Chief Medical, Scientific Officer Chen to Resign in September”
Would Uber’s IPO Be a Revival or a Reckoning?
In its early years, Uber was a headstrong force knocking down preconceived ideas about transportation and, along with Lyft, sparking the imaginations of countless entrepreneurs who are now building a new industry called “mobility.” As it closes in on its first decade, Uber is a conundrum: A Silicon Valley unicorn with $7.3 billion in cash, … Continue reading “Would Uber’s IPO Be a Revival or a Reckoning?”
LUM Wins Startup Pitch Contest, Earns Shot at Silicon Valley VCs
Live Undiscovered Music, a Madison, WI-based startup whose software helps users discover new music and share it with friends, captured first place in one of the state’s more closely watched pitch competitions Thursday. The startup, which goes by LUM for short, won a contest known as “Pressure Chamber,” which is put on by the Great … Continue reading “LUM Wins Startup Pitch Contest, Earns Shot at Silicon Valley VCs”
Bristol Nabs Immunotherapy’s First FDA Nod for Small Cell Lung Cancer
Over the past few years, immunotherapy has rapidly begun to change how lung cancer is treated. But it hasn’t been an option for patients with a particularly aggressive form of the disease, small cell lung cancer (SCLC), until today. The FDA on Friday approved Bristol-Myers Squibb’s (NYSE: [[ticker:BMY]]) immunotherapy, nivolumab (Opdivo), for SCLC patients who … Continue reading “Bristol Nabs Immunotherapy’s First FDA Nod for Small Cell Lung Cancer”
Bio Roundup: Big Approvals, ICER Influence, Drug-Price Pushback & More
[Updated 8/17/18, 10:21 a.m. See below.] We’ll start the roundup this week with two drug approvals that came late last Friday. Both were landmarks for the companies receiving the nod, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Amicus Therapeutics. We also saw a new biotech emerge in the muggy New York heat, a couple deals for new flu vaccines, … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Big Approvals, ICER Influence, Drug-Price Pushback & More”
Boston’s Life Science Disruptors 2018
Innovation is moving fast in biotech, and look no further than some of Boston’s latest emerging companies for proof. Beam Therapeutics, for instance, is taking CRISPR gene editing to the next level. Celsius Therapeutics is using machine learning algorithms to drill down into the genomic blueprint of single cells in search of a better understanding … Continue reading “Boston’s Life Science Disruptors 2018”
DoorDash Valued at $4 Billion After Adding $250M in New Funding
DoorDash has upped its valuation to $4 billion with a new $250 million financing round, five months after it raised $535 million to gain its “unicorn” status. The new $250 million funding round was co-led by Coatue Management and DST Global. CEO Tony Xu told Axios’s Dan Primack that the company hadn’t been actively seeking … Continue reading “DoorDash Valued at $4 Billion After Adding $250M in New Funding”
Infinity Pharma Appoints Samuel Agresta Chief Medical Officer
Samuel Agresta has been appointed chief medical officer of Cambridge, MA-based Infinity Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:INFI]]). Agresta comes to Infinity from Agios Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AGIO]]), where he was vice president and head of clinical development. Before Agios, Agresta held posts at Merrimack Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MACK]]) and Genentech. Following a corporate restructuring last year, Infinity turned its … Continue reading “Infinity Pharma Appoints Samuel Agresta Chief Medical Officer”
Sanofi’s Eckhard Leifke Named Omeros Chief Medical Officer
Omeros (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OMER]]) has appointed Eckhard Leifke to serve as the Seattle drug company’s chief medical officer and vice president of clinical development. Leifke comes to Omeros from Sanofi (NYSE: [[ticker:SNY]]), where he was global project head/vice president of late-stage development in diabetes. His experience also includes posts at Bayer and Takeda Pharmaceutical. At Omeros, … Continue reading “Sanofi’s Eckhard Leifke Named Omeros Chief Medical Officer”
UW-Madison Engineering Prof to Co-Lead New Biomanufacturing Initiative
The University of Wisconsin-Madison said Wednesday that Bill Murphy, an engineering professor at the school who has also helped launch several startup companies, will co-lead a new biomanufacturing collaboration that will seek to promote technological innovation and job creation across the state. The collaboration, called the Forward Bio Initiative, will kick off in the fall, … Continue reading “UW-Madison Engineering Prof to Co-Lead New Biomanufacturing Initiative”
AfroTech: Could Detroit Be the Black Tech Capital of the Country?
Take a walk through the downtown core and it’s obvious the Motor City has mounted a comeback. Downtown Detroit is unquestionably benefitting from significant private investment, and witnessing its growth in the past decade has been truly impressive: Tech companies large and small have established offices here, buildings have been carefully renovated, the landscaping has … Continue reading “AfroTech: Could Detroit Be the Black Tech Capital of the Country?”
Techstars and Heritage Group Launch Indianapolis Accelerator Program
Techstars, which works to advance early stage startups through 45 accelerator programs across the world, today announced its newest accelerator focused on construction and infrastructure materials. The accelerator, located in Indianapolis, is being run in partnership with the Heritage Group, an Indiana company specializing in environmental remediation, specialty chemicals, construction materials, and fuel products. “It’s … Continue reading “Techstars and Heritage Group Launch Indianapolis Accelerator Program”
MassChallenge Awards $510K to Eight Startups in Texas Accelerator
Austin—[Updated 2:11 p.m. See below.] MassChallenge gave out $510,000 in cash to eight startups Wednesday, including to six early stage companies from Texas. During an award ceremony in Austin, two hometown companies won $100,000 each, the top awards of the night. Environmental Quality Operations, or EQO, has developed a bioengineered diagnostic technology to “detect, monitor, … Continue reading “MassChallenge Awards $510K to Eight Startups in Texas Accelerator”
Pain Drug Race Continues as Regeneron Posts Early Phase 3 Results
A new class of pain drugs that might offer an alternative to addictive opioids—if they’re safe enough to use chronically—is inching closer to an FDA review. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:REGN]]) and partner Teva Pharmaceutical (NYSE: [[ticker:TEVA]]) said this morning that their experimental drug, fasinumab, hits its early goals in a Phase 3 trial in patients … Continue reading “Pain Drug Race Continues as Regeneron Posts Early Phase 3 Results”
With BioNTech Deal, Pfizer Becomes Latest to Bet on mRNA Vaccines
Pfizer has become the latest drug maker to bet that synthetic messenger RNA molecules (mRNA) can be a new source for vaccines. This morning, the New York pharma company cut a deal with BioNTech, of Germany, to co-develop mRNA vaccines for flu prevention. BioNTech will run the initial human tests on these treatments, then hand … Continue reading “With BioNTech Deal, Pfizer Becomes Latest to Bet on mRNA Vaccines”
Tech Hiring Surges in Bay Area, NY, Boston: See Q2’s Top Employers
After a sluggish start to 2018, hiring has accelerated recently at the top software companies in three of America’s largest technology hubs. That’s according to the latest quarterly Digital Jobs Index compiled by John Barrett, a Boston-area partner with executive recruiting firm On Partners. The report tracks job growth at 100 leading software and Internet … Continue reading “Tech Hiring Surges in Bay Area, NY, Boston: See Q2’s Top Employers”
Best Buy Acquires GTCR’s GreatCall for $800M, Eyeing Aging Boomers
Best Buy is paying $800 million in cash for GreatCall, a San Diego-based healthtech company which private equity firm GTCR bought early last year. GreatCall operates a virtual mobile telecommunications network for a customer base of more than 900,000 elderly consumers. The company also sells gadgets, such as mobile devices with large screens and big … Continue reading “Best Buy Acquires GTCR’s GreatCall for $800M, Eyeing Aging Boomers”
Station Houston Names Longtime Education Executive Rowe as New CEO
Houston—Sometimes, when a startup has matured to a certain point, a founder is not considered to be the best person to lead it during the next stage of growth. At Station Houston, a startup-focused organization founded in 2016, new leadership is in place. Gabriella Rowe, a longtime education executive and former investment banker, has replaced … Continue reading “Station Houston Names Longtime Education Executive Rowe as New CEO”
Dating App Bumble Creates Fund to Invest in Diverse Female Founders
Austin—Bumble, the dating app maker that has expanded into other areas of social networking, has launched an investment fund focused on startups founded by women. The Bumble Fund plans to make early stage investments that focus on diverse female founders “who have been largely ignored by the established venture capital world,” according to news release … Continue reading “Dating App Bumble Creates Fund to Invest in Diverse Female Founders”
ICER, CRISPR, Biotech Activism & More: The X of the Year Finalists
With so many stellar Xconomy Award nominees this year, we wanted to recognize several who don’t fit neatly into the other categories, so we’ve created categories just for them. One of these nominees for X of the Year is gaining influence in the drug industry with its evaluations of drug cost effectiveness. Two more been … Continue reading “ICER, CRISPR, Biotech Activism & More: The X of the Year Finalists”
Fidelity Vets Launch Castle Island Ventures, a $30M Blockchain Fund
There’s a new venture fund in town, focused on the hypiest of hyped sectors right now: blockchain systems and cryptocurrencies. It’s a small fund, but what’s interesting about Castle Island Ventures is the pedigree of the Boston firm’s founders and the careful approach they’re taking. In an exclusive interview, co-founder and partner Matt Walsh says … Continue reading “Fidelity Vets Launch Castle Island Ventures, a $30M Blockchain Fund”
SF’s Full Harvest Bags $8.5M to Help Sell “Ugly and Surplus” Produce
Full Harvest, an online market for imperfect produce that previously would have been thrown out, announced it has raised $8.5 million in a Series A round of funding. The funding was led by Spark Capital and includes investors such as Cultivian Sandbox Ventures, Rent the Runway co-founder Jenny Fleiss, and John Scherr, head of strategic … Continue reading “SF’s Full Harvest Bags $8.5M to Help Sell “Ugly and Surplus” Produce”
Another Gilead Exec Exits as CMO Cheng Steps Down
Another top-level Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GILD]]) executive is stepping down. Andrew Cheng, a 19-year Gilead vet who was named chief medical officer of the Foster City, CA, company just four months ago, is leaving to “pursue another opportunity.” Former research chief Norbert Bischofberger left Gilead in March to run a biotech startup, Kronos Bio. And … Continue reading “Another Gilead Exec Exits as CMO Cheng Steps Down”
Karuna Names Former Voyager, Lilly Exec Steven Paul New CEO
Former Voyager Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VYGR]]) CEO Steven Paul has been tapped to run Boston-based Karuna Pharmaceuticals, a PureTech Health company that just raised $42 million this month. Karuna is developing a combination schizophrenia treatment that includes xanomeline, a drug it licensed from Eli Lilly (NYSE: [[ticker:LLY]]), where Paul was once head of R&D.
State DOT Director Replaces CEO of American Center for Mobility
The American Center for Mobility, the Ypsilanti Township, MI-based public-private entity developing and testing advanced automotive technologies, announced this week that it has parted ways with John Maddox, its president and CEO. Taking the helm on an interim basis is Kirk Steudle, the long-serving director of Michigan’s Department of Transportation. ACM did not give a … Continue reading “State DOT Director Replaces CEO of American Center for Mobility “
To Avoid Trouble, Companies Must Support Harassed Employees First
When news breaks about sexual harassment at a company like Uber, the public is likely to believe that the entire business has a cultural problem. In contrast, the same isn’t true for other issues, such as financial misconduct, which the public tends to see as a “bad apple” situation. That’s according to a study released … Continue reading “To Avoid Trouble, Companies Must Support Harassed Employees First”
Goal of Epic Summit for Non-Clients Is Better Health Records Sharing
For years, the patient records software company Epic Systems has held an annual conference, which attracts thousands of leaders from hospitals and clinics that use Epic’s software to the company’s headquarters in Verona, WI. The customer conference, known as Users Group Meeting, or UGM, has now inspired a spinoff, Epic says. On Sept. 26, the … Continue reading “Goal of Epic Summit for Non-Clients Is Better Health Records Sharing”
Marketer AdSwerve to Pay $24M for Analytics Pros’ Google Knowhow
Seattle-based Analytics Pros has sold to another Google-focused marketing company, Denver, CO-based AdSwerve, for $24 million in a private equity-backed deal, according to a company spokesman. Boston-based Abry Partners funded the acquisition, and Analytics Pros will “transition” into AdSwerve in January 2019, according to a news release. Founded in 2009, Analytics Pros sells Web and … Continue reading “Marketer AdSwerve to Pay $24M for Analytics Pros’ Google Knowhow”
Exabeam Raises $50M, Says It’s Gaining On Big Rival Splunk
Exabeam, a cybersecurity company that analyzes activity logs and other data generated by computers and devices as it scans for potential threats, announced today that it raised $50 million in a Series D funding round. San Mateo, CA-based Exabeam is one of the newer companies carving out a niche in a cybersecurity sector called SIEM, … Continue reading “Exabeam Raises $50M, Says It’s Gaining On Big Rival Splunk”
Acorda CTO Batycky Leaves to Run Biotech Startup
[Corrected 8/14/18, 9:45 am. See below.] Acorda Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ACOR]]) chief technology officer Rick Batycky is leaving the company to become the CEO of a private, venture-backed biotech. Batycky’s duties are being taken up by Acorda chief of business operations David Lawrence and chief medical officer Burkhard Blank, the company said. [Corrected title in headline. … Continue reading “Acorda CTO Batycky Leaves to Run Biotech Startup”
From Robots to Golf, Indy Group Gets Creative to Boost Women in Tech
The tech industry’s efforts to recruit more girls and women to the field are still falling short, despite the priority being placed on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education in K-12 schools. That’s the conclusion reached in a study released earlier this year by Microsoft and KRC Research. And that is exactly why Indy … Continue reading “From Robots to Golf, Indy Group Gets Creative to Boost Women in Tech”
Ford’s Autonomic Pairs With Alibaba Cloud On Mobility Hub for China
Ford—one of the automakers competing in China’s huge car market—is now making a bid to provide China’s leading software infrastructure hub dedicated to streamlining transportation by connecting cars and riders with mobility services. Ford’s recently acquired unit Autonomic, which co-created the automaker’s Transportation Mobility Cloud (TMC), inked a deal Tuesday to partner with Alibaba Cloud, … Continue reading “Ford’s Autonomic Pairs With Alibaba Cloud On Mobility Hub for China”
New Biotech Magnolia Neurosciences Gets $31M For Neuroprotective Drugs
A new biotech company, Magnolia Neurosciences, is launching with $31 million from investors to develop potential therapies for nervous system disorders based on discoveries at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Magnolia, which is based in New York, was co-founded by Seattle-based life sciences investment firm Accelerator Life Science Partners and MD Anderson … Continue reading “New Biotech Magnolia Neurosciences Gets $31M For Neuroprotective Drugs”
Digital Tools, Online Community & More: Patient Partnership Award Finalists
Patients are supposed to be at the center of medicine, but the sheer size and complexity of the healthcare and life science industries often makes it challenging to maintain focus on patients. The finalists in this year’s Patient Partnership category of the Xconomy Awards are trying to change this, by finding innovative ways to work … Continue reading “Digital Tools, Online Community & More: Patient Partnership Award Finalists”
Fresh Off GSK Deal, Gene Therapy Startup Orchard Bags Another $150M
Another gene therapy startup looks primed for an IPO. Orchard Therapeutics has just landed another $150 million to help drive forward a group of gene therapies it bought from British pharma company GlaxoSmithKline earlier this year. The Series C funding round from Deerfield Management, RA Capital Management, Venrock, and others, includes a number of “crossover” … Continue reading “Fresh Off GSK Deal, Gene Therapy Startup Orchard Bags Another $150M”
Race for Governor, Foxconn, Promega & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Voters in Wisconsin will head to the polls on Tuesday, Aug. 14 to cast ballots in primary races for governor and other elected offices. Read on to learn about connections between some of the candidates for governor and the state’s technology and business sectors, as well as other recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —Gov. … Continue reading “Race for Governor, Foxconn, Promega & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Amicus Finally Wins FDA Nod, Will Price Fabry Drug Below Rivals
[Updated, 8/13/18, see below] The FDA has approved a new treatment for Fabry disease, a decision that represents the end of a winding, more than decade-long saga for the drug’s developer, Amicus Therapeutics. Its long journey also highlights how drug approval in the U.S. has changed just in the last two years, thanks to new … Continue reading “Amicus Finally Wins FDA Nod, Will Price Fabry Drug Below Rivals”
Exits in Austin, Pitch NASA, Diversity in Energy, & More TX Tech
Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news from Texas. —Accruent, an Austin-based maker of resource management software, is being acquired by Fortive (NYSE: [[ticker:FTV]]) for about $2 billion in cash, according to a press release. Fortive, which is based in Everett, WA, is buying Accruent from Genstar Capital, a San Francisco private equity firm, which … Continue reading “Exits in Austin, Pitch NASA, Diversity in Energy, & More TX Tech”
Alnylam Gets Landmark FDA OK For First-Ever RNAi Drug
[Updated at 4:08 pm ET, see below] Alnylam Pharmaceuticals made history this afternoon. The FDA has just approved Alnylam’s patisiran (Onpattro), making it the first medicine specifically cleared to treat a rare and deadly disease called hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (hATTR). The decision is a scientific milestone too: it marks the first-ever approval for a medicine … Continue reading “Alnylam Gets Landmark FDA OK For First-Ever RNAi Drug”
Fifth Eye Scores $2.3M for Software to Detect Patient Warning Signs
[Update, 2:02 p.m., see below.] Jen Baird, a serial entrepreneur who has led several Michigan-based healthcare technology startups, is back at it with Fifth Eye, an Ann Arbor, MI-based company developing software that performs analytics on patient data. Investors so far like what they see in the young venture: Fifth Eye has just raised $2.3 million … Continue reading “Fifth Eye Scores $2.3M for Software to Detect Patient Warning Signs”
Bio Roundup: Medicare Drug Prices, FDA Moves, Gene Therapy News & More
Two imminent FDA rulings on two separate drugs aren’t just noteworthy for the patients they’ll help, but the long and winding road their developers have taken to get to this point. First is Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, which has spent 16 years and over $2 billion to try to bring an unproven form of medicine, RNA interference … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Medicare Drug Prices, FDA Moves, Gene Therapy News & More”
Boston Tech Watch: Drizly, Skyworks, Polaris, Akili, Kebotix & More
[Updated 8/10/18, 1:33 pm. See below.] Time to catch up on some of the latest deals and developments in the Boston-area tech sector: —Skyworks Solutions (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SWKS]]), the Woburn, MA-based chipmaker, said it inked a deal to acquire Avnera, a Beaverton, OR-based maker of semiconductors designed to minimize power consumption and enable voice-controlled devices and … Continue reading “Boston Tech Watch: Drizly, Skyworks, Polaris, Akili, Kebotix & More”
You’ve Got Mail: Earth Class Mail Revamps After New Execs Take Over
San Antonio—Earth Class Mail, a 14-year-old company that digitizes snail mail for businesses, has announced a few upgrades to its product, including search features, the ability to share content over e-mail, and custom tags, among others. The new look and features are a reflection of a new CEO, Jess Garza, who took the helm of … Continue reading “You’ve Got Mail: Earth Class Mail Revamps After New Execs Take Over”