Catch up on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Gener8tor, which has run training programs for entrepreneurs in Wisconsin and Minnesota, graduated five startups from its core accelerator program. Descriptions of the companies, which had been working from Gener8tor’s office in Madison since February, are available here. See articles in the Wisconsin … Continue reading “Gener8tor, StartingBlock, Wicab, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Tag: Exact Sciences
Exact Sciences CEO Defends Company Against Short-Seller’s Criticism
Citron Research published a report critical of Exact Sciences and its flagship screening test for colorectal cancer Monday, prompting a testy exchange on television later in the day between Exact CEO and chairman Kevin Conroy and Andrew Left, founder of Citron and a well-known short-seller. In the 13-page report, Left writes that the rate at … Continue reading “Exact Sciences CEO Defends Company Against Short-Seller’s Criticism”
Epic, Zuckerberg, Cellectar, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
[Updated 5/3/17 9:53 a.m. See below.] Keep up with the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community, starting with these headlines: —The U.S. Coast Guard submitted a request for information to a government procurement website related to the purchase of electronic health records (EHR) software, Healthcare IT News reported. The Coast Guard had been installing EHR software … Continue reading “Epic, Zuckerberg, Cellectar, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Exact Sciences Shares Rise After Company Beats Quarterly Forecasts
[Updated 4/27/17 5:29 pm. See below.] A year ago, Exact Sciences’s stock was in a slump, languishing below $10 per share. But since then, its stock price has climbed back to more than $20 per share. That rally continued Thursday, after the medical diagnostics company released first quarter financial results that handily beat analyst expectations. … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Shares Rise After Company Beats Quarterly Forecasts”
Telkonet, Wantable, Marquette, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist
March into April by staying current on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community, starting with these recent headlines: —Telkonet, a Waukesha-based company that develops hardware and software to connect machines to the Internet, and to each other, sold one of its business divisions to Syosset, NY-based DCI-Design Communications. The price paid for the business unit, which is … Continue reading “Telkonet, Wantable, Marquette, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Exact Sciences Shares Higher After Aetna Expands Cologuard Coverage
Another large insurer has said it will cover Cologuard, a stool-based DNA screening test for colorectal cancer developed by Madison, WI-based Exact Sciences. The announcement sent the company’s stock price higher during trading Monday. Hartford, CT-based Aetna (NYSE: [[ticker:AET]]) updated its policy to include Cologuard in its list of covered colorectal cancer screening tests on … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Shares Higher After Aetna Expands Cologuard Coverage”
Gravy Live, Promega, Okanjo, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
Stay current on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these headlines from late February and early March: —A trio of serial entrepreneurs based in the Madison area has launched a new startup, Gravy Live. The company raised more than $450,000 in funding from three investors, according to a regulatory filing that was made public on … Continue reading “Gravy Live, Promega, Okanjo, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Shares in Exact Sciences Rise on Better-Than-Expected P&L Results
Exact Sciences nearly quadrupled its advertising spending in 2016 as it sought to build a customer base for its flagship product. The television ad blitz seemed to work, said leaders at the company earlier this week, when Exact reported fourth-quarter earnings. The company’s profit-and-loss results came in above many analysts’ estimates, sending its stock to … Continue reading “Shares in Exact Sciences Rise on Better-Than-Expected P&L Results”
Exact Sciences, OnKöl, Fiserv, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Get caught up to speed on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Madison-based Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) said that Cologuard, the company’s stool-based DNA test for colorectal cancer, is slated to be included in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Advantage Star Ratings. CMS publishes the Star Ratings each … Continue reading “Exact Sciences, OnKöl, Fiserv, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Epic, VC Totals, Shine, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
Keep up with the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —The United States Supreme Court will hear a case involving Verona-based Epic Systems and whether organizations can make it mandatory for employees to sign arbitration agreements that keep them from pursuing group claims in court, the Associated Press reported. Groups of … Continue reading “Epic, VC Totals, Shine, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Exact Sciences Boosted By Investors, As Analysts Eye Profitability
For Exact Sciences, could a long journey to reach profitability—21 years and counting—be nearing a close? Madison-based Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]), which received regulatory approval for its flagship stool-based DNA screening test for colorectal cancer in 2014, posted better-than-expected results in the fourth quarter of 2016, according to preliminary numbers released Sunday. The company said it completed … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Boosted By Investors, As Analysts Eye Profitability”
Cellular Dynamics Plans to Relocate, Build New Manufacturing Center
Cellular Dynamics International intends to construct a new, 100,000-square-foot headquarters in Verona, WI, and move its operations there, according to a company proposal posted on the city’s website. Verona is a suburb of Madison, WI, where the company, known as CDI, is currently based. The facility would be both a research and cell-manufacturing center, and … Continue reading “Cellular Dynamics Plans to Relocate, Build New Manufacturing Center”
Exact Sciences, Fiserv, OneEvent, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Stay out of the snow, and in the know, with these recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community. —Madison-based Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) said that Cologuard, the company’s stool-based DNA test for colorectal cancer, will be covered as an in-network service for members of the Louisville, KY-based health insurer Humana (NYSE: [[ticker:HUM]]), effective Jan. 1. Cologuard … Continue reading “Exact Sciences, Fiserv, OneEvent, & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Isomark, gBETA, Gregor, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
Keep up with the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Members of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s football team are using a device developed by the startup Isomark that gives them feedback on how they’re metabolizing food, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. The device, called Energy Balance, reportedly tells users what and … Continue reading “Isomark, gBETA, Gregor, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Exact Sciences Shares Dip After Company Adjusts Revenue Forecast
Exact Sciences reported third-quarter earnings Wednesday and despite increases in revenue and other closely watched metrics, the reaction from investors was unfavorable. Madison, WI-based Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) reported a net loss of $37.8 million for the three-month period that ended Sept. 30, on revenues of $28.1 million. Those figures marked improvements over the same period … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Shares Dip After Company Adjusts Revenue Forecast”
Jamf, Nordic, Titan Spine, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
Catch up on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Jamf announced a collaboration with University of California San Diego Health that’s aimed at equipping every patient room in a still-to-be-built 245-bed facility with an iPad and an Apple TV box. Jamf, which is headquartered in Minneapolis but has significant operations in Eau Claire, … Continue reading “Jamf, Nordic, Titan Spine, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Exact Sciences, Rockwell, & Gender Gaps: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Stay on top of the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community, starting with these recent headlines: —Madison-based Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) said that Cologuard, the company’s stool-based DNA test for colorectal cancer, is now included in a set of quality measures for colorectal cancer screening. The group of quality measures, known as the Healthcare Effectiveness Data … Continue reading “Exact Sciences, Rockwell, & Gender Gaps: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
gBETA Graduates 10 Startups, Announces New Program in Beloit
One of Jessica Chapin’s duties as a neuropsychologist is evaluating elderly individuals for dementia. A question that often comes up during these assessments is how patients are feeling when they get behind the wheel. Sometimes it’s the middle-age sons or daughters of seniors who ask Chapin if their parents are still safe to drive, she … Continue reading “gBETA Graduates 10 Startups, Announces New Program in Beloit”
Astronautics, WARF, & The Commons: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
Stay current on happenings in Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —A group that includes the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC) and aviation and aerospace businesses, including Milwaukee-based Astronautics Corporation of America, announced it’s considering building “an aviation/aerospace center of excellence” in southeastern Wisconsin. The new establishment would house research on new aerospace and … Continue reading “Astronautics, WARF, & The Commons: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Shares in Exact Sciences Up After Company Beats Quarterly Projections
[Updated 7/26/16, 5:15 pm. See below.] Shares in Exact Sciences were up more than 28 percent on Tuesday after the company released second quarter financial results that handily beat analyst expectations. Madison, WI-based Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]), whose flagship product is a stool-based DNA test for colorectal cancer known as Cologuard, said it completed about 54,000 of the … Continue reading “Shares in Exact Sciences Up After Company Beats Quarterly Projections”
The Pan-Cancer Screen: Still Early for Prime Time
Imagine you could go to your doctor once a year for a blood test that would detect nearly every common type of cancer at an early stage. If you had a positive result, some further testing could pinpoint the cancer so you could have it treated before it spread. I would be ecstatic to have … Continue reading “The Pan-Cancer Screen: Still Early for Prime Time”
Kiio, HealthTech Capitol, & Exact Sciences: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Power through the dog days of summer with these recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —Madison-based Kiio raised $227,000 in debt financing from three investors, according to an SEC filing. Kiio is developing software-enabled bands that provide resistance during rehabilitative exercises and help physical therapists gauge the strength of patients. Founded in 2011, Kiio has … Continue reading “Kiio, HealthTech Capitol, & Exact Sciences: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Exact Sciences, D2P, & Bon Ami: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
Stay plugged in on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Even though a decision from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force last month improved the outlook for Madison-based Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) and Cologuard, its stool-based DNA test for colorectal cancer, there is still disagreement about whether insurance companies will cover the … Continue reading “Exact Sciences, D2P, & Bon Ami: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Tax Credits, Remedy Analytics, & Fiserv: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Catch up on the latest news from the Badger State’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Wisconsin lawmakers voted to move $8 million in tax credits out of a pool of credits earmarked for early-stage companies and their investors, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. The tax credits are “now part of a new business development … Continue reading “Tax Credits, Remedy Analytics, & Fiserv: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Biotech Roundup: Kadmon Debt, Hemo Data, Loose Lips & More
Familiar biotech names—not necessarily familiar for the right reasons—made news this week in biotech. Data from a hematology conference stoked dreams of approval, though still on a far horizon, for a couple drug makers. Long anticipated, Walgreens officially cut ties with Theranos, and the FDA both gave and denied approvals. You think a Game 7 … Continue reading “Biotech Roundup: Kadmon Debt, Hemo Data, Loose Lips & More”
Outlook Improves For Exact Sciences After Task Force Tweaks Ratings
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force on Wednesday announced changes to how it classifies colorectal cancer screening methods, a shift that could have implications for Madison, WI-based Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) and its flagship product, a stool-based DNA test for colorectal cancer. In October, the task force released draft guidelines that proposed identifying Exact’s test, … Continue reading “Outlook Improves For Exact Sciences After Task Force Tweaks Ratings”
Exact Staff Cuts, NorthStar, & New Fundings: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Job cuts, expanded radioisotope production, and several new funding rounds are among these recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) recently eliminated 29 employees, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. The Madison-based biotech’s growth has been brisk in recent years; Exact’s current headcount is reportedly about 750, up from 110 in early 2014. … Continue reading “Exact Staff Cuts, NorthStar, & New Fundings: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
LabCorp Launches Colorectal Cancer Test, But Key Hurdles Remain
The market for colorectal cancer tests that are less cumbersome than colonoscopies is getting more crowded. LabCorp announced the launch of a blood-based colorectal cancer test on Monday, which will pit it against other makers of non-invasive diagnostics for such diseases, including Madison, WI-based Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]). Burlington, NC-based LabCorp (NYSE: [[ticker:LH]]) has worked … Continue reading “LabCorp Launches Colorectal Cancer Test, But Key Hurdles Remain”
Fund of Funds, ConsortiEX & Froedtert: This Week’s Wisconsin Roundup
Wrap up your week with these headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —The first recipient fund to launch under the Badger Fund of Funds will be The Idea Fund, based in LaCrosse, and managed by Jonathon Horne, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. The Idea Fund, one of up to 12 funds that Badger Fund general partner Ken Johnson … Continue reading “Fund of Funds, ConsortiEX & Froedtert: This Week’s Wisconsin Roundup”
Exact Sciences Makes National TV Ad Push to Boost Cologuard Sales
[Updated 5/3/16, 11:08 a.m. See below.] Exact Sciences plans to launch a national TV advertising campaign in an important test of the appeal of Cologuard, its diagnostic product for colorectal cancer that requires patients to ship samples of their stool to a lab for testing. It’s not the first time Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) has made … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Makes National TV Ad Push to Boost Cologuard Sales”
Swallow Solutions, Upcoming Pitches Headline This Week’s WI Watchlist
Ring in the month of March with news from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —A device made by the Madison-based startup Swallow Solutions “may be an effective treatment for older adults with dysphagia,” a difficulty swallowing often caused by weak mouth and throat muscles, and could result in fewer hospital readmissions for patients. That’s according to a … Continue reading “Swallow Solutions, Upcoming Pitches Headline This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Exact Sciences Axes Lung Cancer Partnership With MD Anderson
After less than a year, Exact Sciences has terminated a partnership with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center aimed at developing blood-based diagnostic tests for lung cancer. The decision to nix the agreement was mutual, MD Anderson’s Sam Hanash said in an e-mail to Xconomy. Hanash is a physician and researcher at the … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Axes Lung Cancer Partnership With MD Anderson”
Venture Deals, Orbitec, & Connecture: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
Last year’s venture capital totals, a startup that will help deliver cargo to space, a public offering registration, and other news from Exact Sciences, HealthMyne, Johnson Controls, and Stealth Therapeutics: —In 2015, Wisconsin companies raised $87.9 million in venture capital across 23 deals, according to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association. … Continue reading “Venture Deals, Orbitec, & Connecture: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Exact Sciences Shares Down After Results For Quarter, Year Announced
Shares in Exact Sciences suffered double-digit losses Monday after the company announced preliminary results, some of them related to financial performance, for the final quarter of 2015 and the year as a whole. Madison, WI-based Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) said it completed about 38,000 Cologuard tests—its stool-based DNA diagnostic for detecting colorectal cancer—during the three-month period … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Shares Down After Results For Quarter, Year Announced”
@1403 Aims to Foster Innovation on UW-Madison Campus and Beyond
Since taking office two years ago, University of Wisconsin-Madison chancellor Rebecca Blank has championed the effort to make more resources available to members of the campus community who have ideas for new companies. In 2013, Blank, who has previously served as U.S. commerce secretary, told UW-Madison’s news service she sees universities as “idea factories” critical … Continue reading “@1403 Aims to Foster Innovation on UW-Madison Campus and Beyond”
Dairyvative, Catalyze, & EnsoData: This Week’s Wisconsin Watch List
An agriculture technology startup, a regulatory flip-flop, and a new investment fund are among the major recent headlines from Wisconsin’s innovation community: —Markesan-based Dairyvative Technologies, which is developing a unique technology for making concentrated milk, raised $2.5 million from four investors, according to an SEC filing. The technology removes water from pasteurized milk to form … Continue reading “Dairyvative, Catalyze, & EnsoData: This Week’s Wisconsin Watch List”
AI, Accelerators, & Awards: This Week’s Wisconsin Watch List
Here are some of the past week’s major headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Madison-based Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) announced it won’t move into a new headquarters in the city’s downtown, dropping its previous plans. Instead, the company will expand its presence at University Research Park on Madison’s west side. Last month, shares in … Continue reading “AI, Accelerators, & Awards: This Week’s Wisconsin Watch List”
Wisconsin Roundup: Exact Sciences, Promega, WARF, & More
Here are some of the past week’s major headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —The new board of directors at Fitchburg-based life sciences supplier Promega has rejected a hostile takeover attempt, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. Two shareholders—Ted Kellner, executive chairman of Milwaukee-based Fiduciary Management, and Nathan Brand, a Miami real estate developer with … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Exact Sciences, Promega, WARF, & More”
Wisconsin Roundup: Johnson Controls, Redox, Launch Wisconsin, & More
Here are some of the past week’s major headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Johnson Controls (NYSE: [[ticker:JCI]]) is in early-stage talks to buy EnerSys (NYSE: [[ticker:ENS]]), which claims to be the world’s largest industrial battery manufacturer, marketer, and distributor, the Wall Street Journal reported. The acquisition would be a boon to Glendale-based JCI’s … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Johnson Controls, Redox, Launch Wisconsin, & More”
Exact Sciences Shares Plunge, Questions Arise for Insurers, Doctors
Wall Street punished Exact Sciences on Tuesday for an unexpected federal guideline that proposes to identify its colorectal cancer diagnostic product as an “alternative” screening method, leaving it out of a group of recommended tests. Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) stock closed Tuesday at $9.98 per share, down a whopping 46 percent from the previous day’s close … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Shares Plunge, Questions Arise for Insurers, Doctors”
Exact Sciences Shares Crater After Disappointing Federal Decision
Exact Sciences is getting pummeled on Wall Street after an unexpected result in a long-awaited federal report that positions the company’s colorectal cancer diagnostic product as an “alternative” screening method—instead of putting it in a more coveted group of recommended tests. Shares of Madison, WI-based Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) sank below $11 per share this morning, … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Shares Crater After Disappointing Federal Decision”
Wisconsin Roundup: Exact Sciences, Cellectar, BrightStar, & More
New funding, an office relocation, and a grant to develop a new drug are among the announcements we’re watching this week in Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community. Here are the details: —Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) is set to move its headquarters to downtown Madison from the city’s west side after the Madison Common Council approved … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Exact Sciences, Cellectar, BrightStar, & More”
Wisconsin Roundup: Johnson Controls, Baird, The Water Council & More
A busy week for Johnson Controls, plus more news from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —High-ranking employees at Milwaukee-based Robert W. Baird and Co. plan to raise $50 million for a private equity fund, according to a Sept. 10 SEC filing. Seven executives, including CEO Paul Purcell, are named in the filing. The fund will … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Johnson Controls, Baird, The Water Council & More”
Panel: Talent, Institutional Buy-in Keys To Growing Biosciences In WI
[Corrected 9/17/15 1:28 pm. See below.] In a panel discussion on growing the biosciences in Wisconsin, CEOs of four companies emphasized the importance of reeling in top-tier employees and called on institutions, including the state’s legislature and flagship university, to do more for the industry. The “CEOs Unplugged” panel was part of Wednesday’s Bioscience Summit, … Continue reading “Panel: Talent, Institutional Buy-in Keys To Growing Biosciences In WI”
Wisconsin Roundup: Exact Sciences, GE Healthcare, Tricast & More
Here are some of the past week’s major headlines from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) announced in a press release that an advisory panel from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services unanimously voted to continue reimbursing the company’s non-invasive, stool-based DNA colorectal cancer screening test, known as Cologuard, at $492.72 … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Exact Sciences, GE Healthcare, Tricast & More”
Exact Sciences, BrightStar & More Win Wisconsin Innovation Awards
Long-range laser beams, an at-home colon cancer test, and two efforts to digitize the classroom garnered some of the 10 honors announced at the second annual Wisconsin Innovation Awards Tuesday night at Milwaukee’s Discovery World. The awards recognize cutting-edge companies, foundations, and programs in the Badger State across a range of industries. Judges narrowed 170 … Continue reading “Exact Sciences, BrightStar & More Win Wisconsin Innovation Awards”
Exact Sciences Raises $174M, Nearly Doubles War Chest For Diagnostics
Exact Sciences is significantly boosting its coffers as it continues pushing sales of its first molecular diagnostic test and goes to work developing more products. Madison, WI-based Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) said it expects to earn about $174 million this week in a stock offering, after deducting expenses and underwriting discounts. Exact sold 7 million shares … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Raises $174M, Nearly Doubles War Chest For Diagnostics”
Wisconsin Roundup: Exact Sciences, State Budget, Lucigen, & More
Here are a few of the latest updates from Wisconsin’s tech and innovation community: —Middleton-based Lucigen was awarded a $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue developing a DNA cloning product used in protein expression, according to a press release. The company makes a variety of tools for life sciences research, … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: Exact Sciences, State Budget, Lucigen, & More”
Exact Sciences Outlines Pipeline of Diagnostics for Deadliest Cancers
Exact Sciences’ ambitious plan to commercialize molecular diagnostic tests for several of the deadliest cancers is starting to come into focus. Fresh off announcing a partnership with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to co-develop multiple blood-based diagnostic tests for lung cancer, Madison, WI-based Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) shared new details last … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Outlines Pipeline of Diagnostics for Deadliest Cancers”
Exact Sciences, MD Anderson Developing Blood Tests For Lung Cancer
Less than a year after Exact Sciences secured FDA approval and Medicare coverage for a colon cancer diagnostic, Cologuard, the company has set its sights on its next challenge: early detection of lung cancer. Madison, WI-based Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) this morning announced a partnership with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston … Continue reading “Exact Sciences, MD Anderson Developing Blood Tests For Lung Cancer”