Latest Posts

• With Phase 2 Data in Hand, Ovid Eyes Multiple Pivotal Trials for Epilepsy Drug

  Ovid Therapeutics and Takeda Pharmaceutical joined forces three years ago to develop a small molecule into a potential epilepsy drug. That research is starting to pay off as the companies now look ahead to pivotal studies testing that compound in several... Read more »

  Frank Vinluan9/30/20

• Galecto Picks Up $64M as Plans for Fibrosis Clinical Trials Move Forward

  Had things turned out differently, scientists at Galecto might be watching their idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis drug candidate develop in the hands of a big pharmaceutical company. But Bristol Myers Squibb passed on its option to acquire Galecto leaving the biotech to... Read more »

  Frank Vinluan9/25/20

• Bio Roundup: Grail Acquisition, Libra’s Launch, Tau Trial Results & More

  In biotech, you can go home again. Four years ago, Illumina spun out cancer diagnostics startup Grail. This week, the gene sequencing giant announced it is acquiring Grail in an $8 billion cash and stock deal.

  Grail set out with the... Read more »

  Frank Vinluan9/25/20

• Libra Strikes a Balance With Approach to ALS and Other Neuro Disorders

  Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has no cure and few available treatments but the past decade has revealed new knowledge about the pathology of the disease. Libra Therapeutics is turning that research into potential therapies, and it now has $29 million to... Read more »

  Frank Vinluan9/23/20

• Xconomy Awards On-Demand ‘Meet the Finalists’ Webcast Series Continues This Week

  The 2020 National Xconomy Awards complimentary two-week, 11-part, on-demand Meet the Finalists daily webcast series continues this Tuesday and Wednesday at 11 a.m. ET. Registration is complimentary and includes access to a networking app with already more than 600 life science... Read more »

  Editors9/21/20

• Illumina to Acquire Cancer Diagnostics Developer Grail in $8B Deal

  [Updated, 3:45 pm ET.] Grail is set to be acquired for $8 billion by Illumina, the gene sequencing giant that formed the cancer diagnostics developer and spun it out as a separate company four years ago. The announcement comes... Read more »

  Frank Vinluan9/21/20

• Bio Roundup: SeaGen Scores, Dyne’s Debut, Microbiome Moves & More

  Gilead Sciences CEO Daniel O’Day has spoken openly about acquisitions as a way to build up the company’s drug pipeline. This week, it made its biggest buy yet.

  The $21 billion Immunomedics acquisition brings to Gilead a cancer drug that many... Read more »

  Frank Vinluan9/18/20

• Dyne’s Upsized IPO Brings In $233M for Muscle Disorders Drug R&D

  Dyne Therapeutics, a company developing genetic medicines for rare muscular disorders, has raised $233 million in an IPO that topped the preclinical-stage biotech’s projections.

  Late Wednesday, Dyne priced its offering of about 12.3 million shares at $19 each. The Waltham, MA-based... Read more »

  Frank Vinluan9/17/20

• Moderna CMO Talks COVID-19 Vaccine at the Xcelerate Keynote Series

  The Xcelerate Keynote Series has added Moderna CMO Tal Zaks to the expert lineup of speakers set to present next Monday, Sept. 21.

  As you likely know, Moderna is one of the front-runners in the COVID-19 vaccine race, and we look... Read more »

  Editors9/16/20

• Join Xconomy Next Week at the Virtual Xcelerate Keynote Series at Biotech Week Boston

  Presented by Xconomy, the online Xcelerate Keynote Series at Biotech Week Boston on Monday, Sept. 21 places a spotlight on life science leaders who are breaking new ground with methods and solutions in R&D, planning, and production that are improving patient... Read more »

  Editors9/14/20

• Bio Roundup: COVID-19 Pact, Gavreto Approval, Generative Biology & More

  COVID-19 research efforts are often characterized as a race between companies, a description that reflects the urgency to develop a vaccine for the novel coronavirus. The description is not quite right. A race has one winner and public health officials have... Read more »

  Frank Vinluan9/11/20

• Bio Roundup: Pharma M&A, AbbVie’s Cancer Bet, Biofourmis Bucks & More

  Labor Day is just around the corner and many people are looking forward to a last chance to celebrate the waning days of summer. But ahead of the holiday weekend, biopharmaceutical companies were hard at work closing deals.

  Food conglomerate Nestlé... Read more »

  Frank Vinluan9/4/20

• Lumen Bioscience Lands $16M to Engineer “Edible” Antibody Drugs

  If Lumen Bioscience achieves its goals, patients will be able to take its drugs the same way some people supplement breakfast: a spoonful heaped onto a bowl of cereal or mixed into juice. The startup harnesses spirulina, protein-rich cyanobacteria touted by... Read more »

  Frank Vinluan9/2/20

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• Early Bird Sale for Xcelerate at Biotech Week Boston Ends This Friday

  Don’t miss out on savings for this year’s online Xcelerate Keynote Series at Biotech Week Boston – our early bird sale ends this Friday!

  Speakers include:

  • Jeff Baker – Deputy Director, Office of Biotechnology Products, FDA
  • Michelle McMurry-Heath – President & CEO, BIO
  ... Read more »

  Editors8/31/20

• Akcea Therapeutics Is Returning to Parent Ionis Pharma in $500M Buyout

  [Updated 9/1/2020, 7:58 a.m. See below.] Akcea Therapeutics is returning to its parent company, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, in a $500 million deal that brings an end to a tumultuous three years as a standalone company.

  The definitive agreement announced Monday... Read more »

  Frank Vinluan8/31/20

• Biotech Roundup: FDA Culpa, Tricida Trips, Freenome’s Funding & More

  Among the casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic: the credibility of government agencies entrusted with protecting public health.

  The FDA this week granted emergency use authorization for convalescent plasma as a treatment for infection by the novel coronavirus. FDA Commissioner Stephen... Read more »

  Frank Vinluan8/28/20

• Dyne Eyes IPO for R&D of Genetic Medicines for Rare Muscle Diseases

  Not long ago, having early data about how an experimental drug worked in humans was expected of biotechs considering IPOs. Dyne Therapeutics may not reach human testing until 2022, but, like many of its preclinical peers this year, the company is... Read more »

  Frank Vinluan8/26/20

• Acadia Pharma Acquires CerSci, Potential Pain Meds in $52.5M Buyout

  Acadia Pharmaceuticals has acquired Texas biotech CerSci Therapeutics, a privately held company with a clinical-stage molecule under evaluation as a potential therapy for post-surgical and nerve pain.

  The San Diego-based company splashed out $52.5 million on the buyout, a cash-and-stock deal—$47.2... Read more »

  Sarah de Crescenzo8/26/20

• FDA Adds Plasma as 2nd COVID-19 Treatment Under Emergency Guidelines

  The FDA has authorized the use of plasma from people who have recovered from infection by the novel coronavirus as a treatment for hospitalized COVID-19 patients, a move widely perceived as influenced by political pressure given the lack of clear evidence... Read more »

  Sarah de Crescenzo8/24/20

• Bio Roundup: J&J Buyout, BioMarin Rebuffed, Poseida on Hold & More

  While business is historically slow in August, this month seems to be bucking the trend, just like so many other unexpected developments in 2020. Perhaps life sciences executives have been less distracted by summer excursions this year in a world in... Read more »

  Sarah de Crescenzo8/21/20

• Harmony Bio and Inhibrx Raise Combined $247M in Public Market Debuts

  Two biotechs this week topped the $100 million mark in their respective initial public offerings, both of which were able to offer more shares than planned. One, a company with nearly nine month’s-worth of revenue from a newly commercialized drug and... Read more »

  Sarah de Crescenzo8/20/20

• Patient Death in Poseida Prostate Cancer Study Prompts Clinical Hold

  A Phase 1 trial testing a Poseida Therapeutics cell therapy in men with prostate cancer is on hold after a patient enrolled in the study died of liver failure nearly three weeks after receiving the treatment.

  The San Diego company, which... Read more »

  Sarah de Crescenzo8/18/20

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• Bio Roundup: Seres Soars, MesoBlast Vote, Duchenne Decision & More

  The road of drug development is rife with detours and disappointments but Seres Therapeutics showed this week that course corrections can work. Four years after its microbiome therapy failed in a mid-stage study, the company reported early positive data from a... Read more »

  Frank Vinluan8/14/20

• Ligand to Spend $438M to Add Protein Maker Pfenex to Technology Lineup

  Ligand Pharmaceuticals plans to acquire recombinant protein therapeutics maker Pfenex for $438 million, the companies announced Monday.

  The larger company agreed to pay $12 per share for Pfenex (NYSE American: PFNX)—a 57 percent premium to its closing price Monday.

  San... Read more »

  Sarah de Crescenzo8/11/20

• Bayer Boosts Women’s Health Drug Pipeline, Paying $425M for KaNDy

  Bayer has been building up its women’s health drug pipeline by striking deals and on Tuesday the pharmaceutical giant unveiled its latest one: $425 million up front for KaNDy Therapeutics, a biotech whose experimental menopause drug is projected as a... Read more »

  Frank Vinluan8/11/20

• Bio Roundup: A Telehealth Combo, FDA’s BCMA OK, Biogen’s Bet & More

  The novel coronavirus has driven the pharmaceutical industry to upend its research priorities. Big Pharma companies are focusing on vaccine development and a slew of biotechs are testing compounds, previously intended for a wide range of indications, as potential COVID-19 treatments.... Read more »

  Sarah de Crescenzo8/7/20

• Biogen to Pay Denali $1B to Partner on Parkinson’s Drug & Other Neuro Meds

  Denali Therapeutics has selected a brain-penetrating Parkinson’s disease drug candidate to advance to late-stage testing, and Biogen is paying $1 billion to kick off a partnership on that compound and potentially others.

  According to terms of the deal announced Thursday, the... Read more »

  Frank Vinluan8/6/20

• Bio Roundup: Cerevel’s Shell, Thrive’s Rise, Drug Price Drama & More

  The biotech IPO market is buzzing but Cerevel Therapeutics is showing that there’s more than one path to the public markets. This week the neuroscience drug developer reached a deal to merge with publicly traded Arya Sciences Acquisition Corp II.

  If... Read more »

  Frank Vinluan7/31/20

• Amid Boom Days for Biotech, Inhibrx Lines Up Another IPO Effort

  Public investors are betting big on biotechs, and Inhibrx is looking to capitalize on the industry’s recent resurgence of initial public offerings.

  The La Jolla, CA-based company, which is developing drugs for cancer and a rare respiratory disease, has again applied... Read more »

  Sarah de Crescenzo7/29/20

• Thrive Adds $257M, Plans Pivotal Trial of Early Cancer Detection Test

  Thrive Earlier Detection, one of the companies vying to be the first to commercialize a blood test that can uncover cases of cancer before symptoms arise, has raised $257 million and announced plans to evaluate its CancerSEEK test in a registrational... Read more »

  Sarah de Crescenzo7/29/20

• Telehealth Firm AristaMD Adds $24M to Link Primary Docs With Specialists

  Telemedicine isn’t just another way to connect patients with doctors. AristaMD has carved out a niche in connecting doctors with, well, other doctors.

  The San Diego-based telehealth company’s software links primary care physicians and medical specialists through virtual consultations, communication that... Read more »

  Sarah de Crescenzo7/27/20

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