ReCode Therapeutics (Dallas, TX; no SBIR) raised $80 million to advance a treatment for cystic fibrosis driven by what’re called nonsense mutations, as well as a treatment for another lung disease, primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). [Amirah Al Idrus, Fierce Biotech, Mar 26, 20] prior funding $2M [crunchbase.com]
Redpin Therapeutics (New York, NY; no SBIR) a pioneering chemogenetics company developing uniquely controllable gene therapies to address intractable diseases of the nervous system, today announced it has secured $15.5 million in the initial closing of its Series A financing round [to] to further progress the development of its groundbreaking ultra-potent ion channel based chemogenetics platform to address disorders associated with neural circuit dysfunction including epilepsy, neuropathic pain and Parkinson’s disease. [company press release, Mar 26, 20]
The $2 trillion emergency rescue legislation approved by the Senate would help stabilize the pandemic-battered economy—but likely isn’t enough to bring it back to health. [Wall Street Journal, Mar 26, 20]
OMB provides guidance on flexibility for federal grant funding. Just days after the first reported US death from COVID-19, federal grant recipients capable of performing essential research and services related to COVID-19 were provided with additional flexibilities to the terms of their contracts and supplied with additional administrative resources to pivot their efforts towards combatting the virus. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to grow and disrupt all sectors of the economy, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has now issued guidance to the heads of all federal grant-making agencies, offering short-term emergency flexibilities and administrative relief. [SSTI, Mar 25, 20]
Our cherished capitalism. Inside RWJBarnabas Health, New Jersey’s biggest health-care network, hospital leaders are so desperate for medical supplies to combat the coronavirus pandemic that they’re paying 50 times the usual price. [WashPo, Mar 27, 20] But when a pharmaceutical company expolits the same supply-and-demand-onomics, they are castigated. Explain? Our POTUS solves the dilemma by declaring that the hospitals don't need all that equipment. Local help: the Chicago History Museum donated its entire supply of protetctive clothing and equipment to a local hospital.
Always a political angle. House leaders were scrambling to bring back enough legislators to form a quorum to pass a $2 trillion economic rescue package after a Republican lawmaker suggested he might object to holding the vote using a procedure that avoids putting members on the record. [Wall Street Journal, Mar 25, 20] What's not to like: the Senate Republicans took care of the companies and the House Democrats of the workers and sent the credit charge to the future. By the time that charge comes payable, with no chance of a budget surplus to pay down the debt, most of the Congress will be entirely new.
There are now 25 sailors who have tested positive for the coronavirus aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, just two days after the Pentagon announced that three sailors aboard the ship had tested positive for the virus, a Navy official has confirmed to CNN. [Michael Conte, Ryan Browne and Barbara Starr, CNN, Mar 26, 20] With a negligent administration denying a disease epidemic and inadequate testing for the known disease before allowing crew members on board a sailing ship, the disease naturally explodes in confined miitary space. Who's been in charge here for three years?
When a strong centralized response is needed from the federal government, it doesn’t help to have an administration that has never believed in a federal government serving the public good. In the case of a pandemic, the consequences are too obvious to ignore. [Katherine Stewart, NY Times, Mar 26, 20] Stewart exposes Trumps political reliance on the science denialism of his ultraconservative religious allies.
Bellerophon Therapeutics up 30% [Mar 25, 20]
Immunic up 27% [Mar 25, 20]
CytomX Therapeutics is teaming up with Astellas Pharma in a research and development alliance focused on developing new cancer immunotherapies based on its antibody technology. Under deal terms announced late Monday, Astellas is paying CytomX $80 million up front and potential $1.6B donstream. [xconomy.com, Mar 25, 20]
MPower Technology (Albuquerque, NM; one SBIR) solar startup announced it has closed an additional $1.85 million in Series A funding, bringing the company’s total Series A round to $4.35 million [for] A revolutionary new technology called DragonSCALES™, a completely flexible, interconnected mesh of miniature solar cells [company press release, Mar 24, 20]
Early-stage funding for startups is drying up as the coronavirus outbreak puts investors on edge, spelling trouble for large corporations looking to snatch up innovative technology and talent. [Angus Loten, Wall Street Journal, Mar 25, 20]
The $2 trillion stimulus moving through Congress would allocate roughly $350 billion to guarantee loans for small businesses, a provision that could test the ability of the [SBA] and lenders to get money to companies quickly. [Amara Omeokwe and Rolfe Winkler, Wall Street Journal, Mar 25, 20]
Always Grievance. On Wednesday alone, Trump used his tweets and retweets to heap disdain and ridicule on Joe Biden, Adam B. Schiff, Robert S. Mueller III, Michael Avenatti, Mitt Romney, the “LameStream media,” “CORRUPT & FAKE NEWS,” “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and liberal “snowflakes” — and to celebrate his own magnificence and the “Trumpbux” he gets to spend in the economic rescue package. Juxtapose that with the bipartisan scene on Capitol Hill, where, after days of strife, senators neared a vote on a massive stimulus bill that spends more than Congress typically designates for domestic programs in a year. [Dana Milbank, WashPo, Mar 26, 20] Because grievance got Trump elected.
CytomX Thera up 32% [Mar 24, 20] on plus 11% market day
ViaSat up 30% [Mar 24, 20] on plus 11% market day
Milestone Pharma (Charlotte, NC and Canada; no SBIR) down 88% [Mar 24, 20] on plus 11% market day, announced that Etripamil (70mg) did not achieve its primary endpoint of time to conversion of SVT to sinus rhythm (SR) compared to placebo over the five hour period following study drug administration (median time to conversion of 25 minutes [95% CI: 16, 43] for etripamil vs. 50 minutes [95% CI: 31,101] for placebo, p=0.12). [company press release, Mar 23, 20]
Bellerophon Therapeutics down 24% [Mar 24, 20] on plus 11% market day
BioAmerica down 17% [Mar 24, 20] on plus 11% market day
Hoth Thera down 16% [Mar 24, 20] on plus 11% market day
Ceradyne (Costa Mesa, CA; $5M SBIR until 2004), a 3M subsidiary [since 2012 for $860M], has won a potential $111.1M contract to supply the U.S. Army and Air Force with body protection plates widely used in tactical vests of military personnel. [Nichols Martin, govconwire.com, Mar 25, 20]
Agnostic note of the day. I have no clue about how our economy/society/politics will look like on the other side of this. (And let this tweet act as my public commitment device, in case I’m tempted to say otherwise.) [Dani Rodrik, Harvard economist, Mar 24, 20]
The President of BigBiz. Why Trump Isn't Using The Defense Production Act. He wants to allow corporations to sell vital medical gear to the highest-bidding states. Governors say that's exactly the problem. [Katie Bo Williams, DefenseOne, Mar 23, 20]
With all the foresight of Napoleon invading Russia, Trump barreled ahead with his plan to send Americans back to their workplaces — and, consequently, their airplanes, subways and restaurants — within 19 days, even as the rapidly spreading pandemic builds toward a peak. [Dana Milbank, WashPo, Mar 24, 20]
Hoth Therapeutics (New York NY; no SBIR) up 39% [Mar 23, 20] announced it has reached an agreement with Voltron Therapeutics (Kenosha, WI; no SBIR) to form a joint venture entity, to be named HaloVax, to commence preclinical studies for the development of vaccine prospects to prevent the Coronavirus (COVID-19) based upon VaxCelerate, a self-assembling vaccine (SAV) platform exclusively licensed by Voltron from the Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center (VIC) at Massachusetts General Hospital. ... also announced pricing of $5M stock offering [Hoth press release, Mar 23, 20]
Biomerica up 23% [Mar 23, 20]
Bellerophon Therapeutics down 33% [Mar 20, 20]
VielaBio down 30% [Mar 20, 20]
Novavax said its NanoFlu treatment for seasonal flu achieved all primary endpoints in a phase 3 trial for adults 65 an older. NanoFlu was well tolerated and had a safety profile comparable to Fluzone Quadrivalent. [MarketWatch, Mar 24, 20]
More data, less imagining. The government response to the coronavirus pandemic has left many wondering whether anyone is weighing the trade-offs. Do heavy-handed measures carry the benefits to justify the considerable costs? The uncomfortable answer: We don’t know. ... Policy makers should throw as much energy as possible into getting accurate data. [Allison Schrager, Wall Street Journal, Mar 24, 20]
The U.S. government declared defense companies and their suppliers part of the country’s “critical infrastructure sector,” a designation that will allow employees to continue reporting to work even if local and state governments order citizens to stay home amid the COVID-19 outbreak [Marcus Weisgerber, DefenseOne, Mar 23, 20] A jurisdictional dispute between national and state governments. Note that the DOD has no responsibility for public safety beyond threats from a foreign power.
as @AmySilvermaRN tweeted: “PPE [proteative clothing] under lock and key. This is all our nurses get to protect themselves. These are single use surgical masks. We’re wearing them for days or weeks. We can’t save your life if we can’t protect our own. #GetMePPE.” There is a crisis of monumental proportions on the front line of this battle. There is a fire smoldering, about to burst open and take over this country, and we are the firefighters, running straight toward it in street clothes. [Dorothy R. Novick pediatrician, WashPo, Mar 24, 20]
Too much inconvenient truth. The president has become increasingly concerned as Dr. Fauci has grown bolder in correcting his [Trump's] falsehoods about the spread of the coronavirus. [Maggie Haberman, NYTimes, Mar 24, 20] Trump wants truth to be whatever the grupenfuhrer says it is and what his political base wants to hear in governance by the least educated.
Bellerophon Therapeutics (Warren, NJ; no SBIR) up 431% [Mar 20, 20] a clinical-stage biotherapeutics company, announced that [FDA] granted emergency expanded access allowing its proprietary inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) delivery system, INOpulse(R), to immediately be used for the treatment of COVID-19. [company press release, Mar 20, 20]
Vielo Bio up 39% [Mar 20, 20]
Menlo Thera up 31% [Mar 20, 20]
Biomerica down 55% [Mar 20, 20]
Evelo Biosci down 25% [Mar 20, 20]
BioLife Solutions (Bothell, WA; $1M SBIR) down 23% [Mar 20, 20]
FLIR Systems down 19% [Mar 20, 20]
CryoLife down 18% [Mar 20, 20]
biotech Aperiomics (Sterling, VA; $900K SBIR) announced it is offering test kits for the novel coronavirus. Aperiomics, which specializes in test kits for pathogens that are historically hard to diagnose, says its coronavirus tests are now available nationwide and that it is able to process 1K tests per week. The company promises results within 48 to 72 hours of receiving a sample back. [Brent Wistrom, DCInno, Mar 20, 20]
Arcadia Biosciences partnered with Grow West and Buttonwillow Warehouse Co. to sell and distribute its GoodHemp brand seeds to California farmers. [company press release, Mar 19, 20]
researchers report combining the best of both expensive catalysts or pricey metal housings to make a version of electrolyzer that needs only cheap materials. “I consider this a great breakthrough,” says Hui Xu, a chemical engineer at Giner (Newton, MA; over $100M SBIR since 1984, yes $100M), an electrochemistry company. [Science, Mar 13, 20]
Least at risk. Among the 100 largest metro areas, the economically safest are mostly tech-oriented university towns. Provo, Utah is the least exposed, followed by Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C., Hartford, Conn., Albany, N.Y., and San Jose, Calif. [Mark Muro, Robert Maxim, and Jacob Whiton, Brookings, March 17, 20]
As handouts loom From steelmakers to arts-and-crafts retailers, companies across the U.S. are arguing that their operations are essential. [Wall Street Journal, Mar 21, 20] Who is deemed essential is a political call.
Trump’s Embrace of Unproven Drugs to Treat Coronavirus Defies Science. ... enthusiastically and repeatedly promoted the promise of two long-used malaria drugs that are still unproven against the coronavirus, but being tested in clinical trials. “I’m a smart guy,” he said, while acknowledging he couldn’t predict the drugs would work. ...thus around the globe, demand has surged, with hospitals ordering the treatments in a desperate effort to treat severely ill patients. [Katie Thomas and Denise Grady, NYTimes, Mar 21, 20] Meanwhile, Hundreds of Scientists Scramble to Find a Coronavirus Treatment ... have “mapped” proteins in the coronavirus and identified 50 drugs to test against it. [Carl Zimmer, NYTimes, Mar 17, 20]
Just like the rest. President Trump’s company — significantly reliant on tourism, conventions and restaurant income — has been sharply impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, with at least four properties closing and three hotels laying off staff, according to people familiar with the company. [David A. Fahrenthold, Joshua Partlow and Jonathan O'Connell, WashPo, Mar 21, 20] Leadership opportuity forsaken.
Biomerica up 55% [Mar 19, 20]
Akebia Thera up 35% [Mar 19, 20]
Pennsylvania Gov.(D) shuttered all businesses that are not considered “life-sustaining” [namely] gas stations, farms, health care facilities, and transit systems [Philadelphia Inquirer, Mar 19, 20]
The Trump administration could not have absolutely stopped the Covid-19 invasion. But it is hard to imagine any government doing a worse job to prepare for the event. .... Instead [of helicopter money] have Congress send a $10,000 bonus to everyone in health care and give hospital administrators $20,000 for each new person they recruit to their valiant fighters. These folks are putting their lives on the line and they don’t deserve to watch bystanders get free money. [Reed Hundt, NYTimes, Mar 19, 20] Good idea in theory, but Congress is elected by voters whownat solutions to their immediate problems.
New suppliers. The US Strategic National Stockpile, the nation’s reserve of critical medical supplies, is believed to have only one percent of the masks and respirators and perhaps ten percent of the ventilators needed to deal with the pandemic. The rest will have to be made up with imports from China or rapidly increased domestic manufacturing. [Kurt M. Campbell and Rush Doshi, Foreign Affairs, Mar 20, 20]
Biomerica (Irvine, CA; no SBIR) up 335% [Mar 18, 20] announced it has commenced shipping initial samples of its COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test (a finger prick blood test with results in 10 minutes, that can be performed by trained professionals anywhere, e.g. airports, schools, work [company press release, Mar 18, 20]
Exagen (Vista, CA, formerly in Albuquerue, NM; one SBIR) up 64% [Mar 17, 20] an organization dedicated to transforming the care continuum for patients suffering from debilitating and chronic autoimmune diseases by enabling timely differential diagnosis and optimizing therapeutic intervention, today announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Sonora Quest, the nation's largest integrated laboratory system. [company press release, Mar 17, 20]
Xencor up 38% [Mar 17, 20]
Novavax up 37% [Mar 17, 20]
CytomX up 28% [Mar 17, 20]
Immunic up 24% [Mar 17, 20]
OpGen down 21% [Mar 17, 20]
Keros Therapeutics (Lexington, MA; no SBIR) biotech developing treatments for hematological and musculoskeletal disorders, filed for an $86M IPO. [BostInno, Mar 17, 20]
Sigilon Therapeutics (Cambridge, MA; no SBIR), a biotechnology company developing functional cures for patients with chronic diseases through its Shielded Living Therapeutics platform, today announced that it has completed a $80.3 million Series B financing [to] support the first-in-human clinical trial of Sigilon’s novel encapsulated cell therapy for hemophilia A, expected to begin in the first half of 2020, as well as continued advancement and expansion of Sigilon’s programs in rare blood disorders, lysosomal diseases and endocrine and immune disorders. [company press release, Mar 16, 20]
CARB-X is awarding Microbiotix (Worcester, MA; $60M SBIR) up to $2.86million in non-dilutive funding to develop a new oral antibiotic to treat multidrug-resistant gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted disease caused by bacteria that have developed resistanceto all but one existing antibiotic. If the project successfully achieves certain development milestones, Microbiotix will be eligible for an additional $16 millionin funding from CARB-X [company press release, Mar 17, 20]
Nine Wisconsin tech startups, including an Inno Startup to Watch in 2020 selection, were recently awarded [$800K Wisconsin] government funding for the continued development of their [federal SBIR awards] technology. [Nick Williams, WiscInno, Mar 11, 20]. All sound like worthy projects of good engineering with predictable technical susccess.
Federal bail out. Trump to states: you're on your own for medical equipment. "Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment—try getting it yourselves," the president told the nation's governors on a Monday conference call. [DefenseOne, Mar 17, 20]
OPM Director up and quit apparently had grown increasingly frustrated by interference by the 29-year-old head of the White House Personnel Office, according to a report from Politico. [Katherine McIntire Peters, govexec.com, Mar 17, 20] When loyalty to the grupenfuhrer overrides experience and ability.
OpGen up 101% [Mar 16, 20] reported an update on the business of Curetis GmbH ("Curetis"), the other party to the planned business combination with OpGen. Today, Curetis announced that it started offering a CE-IVD certified real-time PCR test kit for SARS-CoV2 (also known as 2019-nCov), the causal pathogen of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (Covid-19). [company press release, Mar 16, 20]
Moderna up 24% [Mar 16, 20] after it dosed the first patient in a study of its coronavirus vaccine.
Viela Bio down 31% [Mar 16, 20]
AVROBIO down 32% [Mar 16, 20]
CytomX down 30% [Mar 16, 20]
PTC Thera down 26% [Mar 16, 20]
AMAG Pharma down 19% [Mar 16, 20]
ChemoCentryx down 23% [Mar 16, 20]
Dexcom down 17% [Mar 16, 20]
Immunomedics down 25% [Mar 16, 20]
Myriad Genetics down 17% [Mar 16, 20]
Omeros down 26% [Mar 16, 20]
Sangamo Thera down 24% [Mar 16, 20]
William Goodman, founder of Goodman Technologies (Albuquerque, NM; $1.8M SBIR), named New Mexico's Small Business Person of the Year. [Albuquerque Business First, Mar 10, 20]
Snake Oil enabled. [FDA said] that it will allow private companies to begin marketing coronavirus test kits directly to the public, in a new initiative to ease a chronic shortage of test kits. [Wall Street Journal, Mar 17, 20] Caveat emptor.
More deficit and tax cuts, please. White House national economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Trump is open to an $800 billion rescue if it also included a payroll tax holiday. [NYTimes, Mar 1, 20] The economic folly of the TaxCuts and Jobs Act seeks a re-run.
Inovio Pharma down 24% [Mar 13, 20]
TransEnterix received FDA clearance for its “digital surgical assistant,” which it describes as the first machine vision system for robotic surgery. [Conor Hale, Fierce Biotech, Mar 13, 2020]
The U.S. Air Force has tentatively selected over 500 companies for contracts worth $550M combined as part of an initiative launched with its AFWERX innovation arm and [SBIR]. The service said the AFVentures effort includes a strategic financing initiative where the firms will get a total of over $200M in government funding as well as $350M in private funds. [Brenda Marie Rivers, govconwire, Mar 16, 20] almost half going to the following 21 companies: Aerial Applications, Analytical Space ($3M prior SBIR), Anduril (one prior SBIR) , Applied Minds ($8M prior SBIR), Elroy Air, Sentient ($3.2M prior SBIR) , Icon, Enview ($700K prior SBIR), Edgybees ($700K prior SBIR) , Falkonry (one prior SBIR), Swarm Technologies ($1M prior SBIR) , Orbital Insight (one prior SBIR), Orbital Sidekick ($800K prior SBIR), Virtualitics (one prior SBIR) , Wickr (one prior SBIR), Tectus Corp (one prior SBIR), Valulytics, Shift.org, Pison ($1M prior SBIR), Revacomm. One other company hasn’t been named yet. These “big bet” companies are slated to receive four-year, fixed-price contracts worth a combined $550+ million through AFVentures’ Strategic Financing (STRATFI) program. This amount includes $100+ million in SBIR funds, $100+ million in Air Force funding and $350+ million in private investment. Roper said he believes future rounds of funding will be bigger. [AF Press release , Mar 13, 20]
Re-starting biz. Hubei province (population 55M incl Wuhan) is reopening for business. Tongcheng City, one of the virus-stricken province’s major jurisdictions, is chartering buses to shuttle migrant workers from China’s east coast back to work as officials look to restart the local economy. Other counties are helping coordinate transportation by train to get their scattered workers back, according to state media in Hubei. At least 132 long-distance bus lines traveling within the province are also beginning to reopen. [Gerry Shih, WashPo, Mar 14, 20]
Got his wish. President Trump wanted zero interest rates in the worst way. He's getting them in the worst way. [Nick Timiraos, WSJ, Mar 15, 20]
Who, me? When asked at a press conference earlier today if he takes responsibility for the lag in availability of testing kits, Donald Trump replied, “No. I don’t take responsibility at all.” [Caroline Mimbs Nyce, The Atlantic, Mar 13, 20]
the intractable potentate, “a man of great endowments, lacking only consistency, reason, and sense,” England's Henry VIII as described by historical novelist Hilary Mantel in "The Mirror and the Light" reviewed by Wall Street Journal's Katherine Powers.
INmune Bio (LaJolla, CA; no SBIR)down 30% [Mar 12, 20] in bloodbath day
Inovio Pharma up 47% [Mar 11, 20]
INmune Bio (LaJolla, CA; no SBIR) up 26% [Mar 11, 20] , an immunology company developing treatments that harness the patient's innate immune system to fight disease, reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year [company press release, Mar 11, 20]
IDEAYA Biosciences down 20% [Mar 11, 20] announced an expanded research collaboration with Cancer Research UK and the University of Manchester, UK, to develop small molecule inhibitors of Poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG). PARG is a cellular enzyme that hydrolyzes Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), a protein function required for DNA repair. [company press release, Mar 11, 20]
Stereotaxis down 19% [Mar 11, 20]
The [Norweigan] Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness (CEPI) is providing Novavax with an initial $4 million grant "to accelerate vaccine development to prepare for Phase 1" clinical trials of Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine, which are expected to start up in late spring of this year. ... Separately, Novavax says it has "entered into an agreement with" Emergent BioSolutions to first manufacture and supply Novavax with vaccine product for use in said trials and, should these trials prove successful, to later "leverage Emergent’s rapid deployment capabilities and expertise that provide Novavax scalability and capacity to produce vaccine product for future stockpiling. [Yahoo.com, Mar 11, 20]
Maybe virus fix by summer. DARPA’s Pandemic Prevention Platform goal is to identify the specific monoclonal antibodies that the body naturally produces when it encounters a virus, and then trick the body into producing the one that guards against a specific illness. ... [harnessing] next-generation sequencing approaches. [Patrick Tucker, DefenseOne, Mar 11, 20] institutions funded through the P3 program include Duke University, Vanderbilt University, MedImmune, and Abcellera Biologics (Canada) [DARPA press release, Feb 22, 18]
[Trump] said effective immediately, the Small Business Administration will offer low-interest loans to help small businesses overcome temporary economic disruptions. [Jeffrey Sparshott, WSJ, Mar 12, 20]
Belief follows politics. Fact-checkers and scientists have scrambled to correct the misinformation coming out of the White House. (No, the virus has not been “contained” in America; no, testing is not available to anybody who wants it; no, people shouldn’t go to work if they’re sick.) But Trump’s message seems to have resonated with his base: A Quinnipiac University poll released this week found that just 35 percent of Republicans are concerned about the virus, compared with 68 percent of Democrats. [McKay Coppins, The Atlantic, Mar 11, 20] As ever, where you stand depends on where you sit.
Inovio Pharma down 42% [Mar 10, 20]
Digirad down 26% [Mar 10, 20]
Nanoviricides down 21% [Mar 10, 20]
Adjusting to viral realities. chief procurement officer at the Department of Homeland Security, told her contracting staff to keep advised of the outbreak of Coronavirus ( COVID-19) using the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines. Correa told contractors that “if contract performance is affected due to the COVID-19 situation, such as the need for alternate work locations, or travel or schedule changes, the contracting officer is the authority to discuss this with your company.” [Sarah Sybert, govconwire.com, Mar 11, 20]
Marrone Bio Innovations a leading provider of effective and environmentally responsible pest management and plant health products, announced today the signing of a commercial agreement with Anasac Chile S.A. to develop and distribute GRANDEVO® Bioinsecticide and VENERATE® Bioinsecticide in Chile. Anasac is a leading Chilean agricultural inputs provider, committed to agricultural productivity and its people. [company press release, Mar 10, 20]
Kala Pharmaceuticals (Watertown, MA; no SBIR) up 26% {Mar 9, 20], a biopharmaceutical focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative therapies for diseases of the eye, announced positive topline results from STRIDE 3, a Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating KPI-121 0.25%, which Kala plans to commercialize under the brand name EYSUVIS (loteprednol etabonate ophthalmic suspension) 0.25%, for the treatment of dry eye disease. [company ress release, Mar 8, 20]
Inovio Pharma down 30% [Mar 9, 20]
A 20-patient Phase 1 study of an RNA drug discovered by Ionis Pharmaceuticals that is being tested as a treatment for Huntington’s disease by Roche was suspended after two reports of infections related to a device used to take samples of cerebral spinal fluid during the trial. [Sarah de Crescenzo,xconomy.com, Mar 5, 20]
Ear, nose and throat (ENT) diseases biotech Lyra Therapeutics (Watertown, MA; no SBIR) aims to drive through the coronavirus market volatility and gun for a $58 million IPO. This comes just over a month after the asa $30 million series C. [Ben Adams, Fierce Biotech, Mar 9, 20]
after nabbing a series C as part of its coming out of stealth in December, quiet biotech Zentalis Pharma (New York, NY; no SBIR) is turning up the volume with a $100 million IPO attempt. [Ben Adams, Fierce Biotech, Mar 9, 20]
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced that Harvey Fineberg, former president of the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine) and current president of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, will serve as the chair of the Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats. The standing committee, requested by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, will provide a neutral forum to convene experts who can engage rapidly with the federal government, including responding on short notice to requests. [NAS press release, Mar 9, 20] The White House must be really spooked to invite outsiders to opine on government action.
[Trump] will ask Congress to approve a payroll tax cut and relief for hourly workers. .... Democrats balk at Trump’s payroll tax cut because it would not help families without paychecks, the unemployed or workers in the gig economy. [The Hill, Mar 9, 20] Of course, that's Republican: got a problem, cut a tax and wax eloquent over the economic salvation. The tricky part is making a law that does not allow Presidential favoring of politically friendly companies.
Digirad (San Diego, CA; $1M SBIR) up 114% [Mar 6, 20] announcd quarterly and year-end financial results
Enzo Biochem (New York, NY; $1.6M SBIR) up 50% [Mar 6, 20] announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Enzo Clinical Labs, Inc., will begin accepting specimens for novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing next week. [company press release, Mar 6, 20]
Nanoviricides up 38% [Mr 6, 20] Reports Discovery of Broad-Spectrum Virus-Binding Ligands; Expected to Counter COVID-19 [company press release, Mar 5, 20]
Menlo Therapeutics up 27% [Mar 6, 20]
Cleveland BioLabs up 25% [Mar 6, 20]
Stereotaxis up 16% [Mar 6, 20]
Calyxt down 26% [Mar 6, 20] reported financial results
Let's go inland. Five [coastal] metropolitan areas accounted for 90% of all U.S. high-tech job growth between 2005 and 2017, according to a recent study by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation and the Brookings Institution. ... Many economists say getting tech workers to settle outside the major hubs won’t be easy. They cite “agglomeration”—when companies and talent cluster in a few places—which allows for ideas to spread more quickly and for companies to have a larger recruitment pool. ... There is group of entrepreneurs working on spreading tech talent more evenly across the U.S. [Shayndi Raice, Wall Street Jounral, Mar 9, 20]
Better than a vaccine - a Republican tax cut. A universal cure for all ills prescribed by economics mouthpiece Kudlow. Or perhaps, $1000 helicopter money. The political race is on for a political cure for an disease epidemic. At least it's something that Congresses know how to prescribe.
Amunix Pharmaceuticals (Mountain View, CA; $2.4M SBIR), a biopharmaceutical focused on developing prodrugs to bring the promise of potent immune-activating biotherapeutics to patients with solid tumor cancers, announced the successful completion of an oversubscribed $73 million Series A financing ... focused on advancing a pipeline of novel T cell engagers (XPATs) and cytokines (XPACs) that are selectively activated in the tumor microenvironment and are designed to overcome toxicity and immunogenicity challenges common to both therapeutic classes. [company press release, Mar 4, 20]
The assets of Melinta Therapeutics will go to creditor Deerfield Management after no bidders for the company emerged, the antibiotics developer announced Wednesday. Under a court-approved Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan. [xconomy.com, Mar 5, 20]
SBIR Road Show. Small Technology Firms and Innovators, America’s Largest Seed Fund (a.k.a. SBIR) is Coming to the Southeast! Richmond, VA | Raleigh/Durham, NC Columbia, SC | Athens, GA April 14 to April 17, 2020 hear directly from the participating federal agency program managers.
Eloxx Pharma up 28% [Mar 4, 20]
RAPT Thera up 19% [Mar 4, 20]
Viela Bio up 18% [Mar 4, 20]
Liquidia Tech up 15% [Mar 4, 20]
Recro Pharma down 23% [Mar 4, 20]
OpGen down 18% [Mar 4, 20]
Infinera down 17% [Mar 4, 20]
The emblematic factoid here is that most surgical masks are made in Wuhan. [Robert Kuttner, The American Prospect, Mar 4, 20]
Omeros up 55% [Mar 3, 20]
OpGen up 15% [Mar 3, 20]
Daxor down 16% [Mar 3, 20]
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Vir Biotechnology have teamed up to develop RNAi therapeutics against the coronavirus behind the COVID-19 outbreak. The collaboration builds on Alnylam synthesis of siRNAs that target highly conserved regions of coronavirus RNA. [Fierce Biotech, Mar 4, 20]
hearing loss gene therapy biotech Akouos (Brookline, MA; one SBIR) has grabbed a $105 million series B funding round. [Ben Adams, Fierce Biotech, Mar 4, 20]
Karyopharm Thera up 70% [Mar 2, 20] announced positive top-line results from the randomized Phase 3 BOSTON study evaluating once-weekly XPOVIO(R) (selinexor) in combination with once-weekly Velcade(R) (bortezomib) and low-dose dexamethasone (SVd) compared to standard twice-weekly Velcade plus low-dose dexamethasone (Vd) in patients with multiple myeloma who have received one to three prior lines of therapy. [company press release, Mar 2, 20]
Daxor (Oak Ridge, TN; one SBIR) up 66% [Mar 2, 20] announces active engagement with both hospitals and government agencies in the military and civilian sectors regarding the use of its technology to help guide fluid management of critically ill patients with COVID-19. [company press release, Mar 2, 20]
Moderna up 15% [Mar 2, 20]
Anaptys Bio up 15% [Mar 2, 20]
Novavax down 25 [Mar 2, 20]
ORIC Pharma (South San Francisco, CA; no SBIR, founded 2014) plans an IPO [to raise $86M] to test therapies for drug-resistant cancers [Sarah de Crescenzo, xconomy.com, Mar 2, 20]
Xilio Therapeutics (formerly Akrevia Thera), developing potent, tumor-selective immuno-oncology (IO) therapies for patients with cancer, announced the closing of a $100.5 million Series B financing. [to] progress Xilio’s first two therapeutic candidates, XTX201 (tumor-selective IL-2) and XTX101 (tumor-selective aCTLA4 mAb) through Investigational New Drug (IND) enabling studies and into Phase 1 clinical trials, as well as advance additional tumor-selective cytokine programs using Xilio’s proprietary technology. [company press release, Mar 2, 20]
We do not know. Humans have mistakenly believed their understanding of the universe to be complete many times before. In a new paper by Jay Bhattacharya of Stanford University and Mikko Packalen of the University of Waterloo, the authors quote the Nobel-winning physicist Albert Michelson, who, in a speech in 1894, reckoned that “the more important fundamental laws and facts of physical science have all been discovered”. Within a few years of his remarks, theories of relativity and quantum mechanics revolutionised physicists’ understanding of the universe. We do not know what we do not know. [The Economist, Feb 29, 20] We have also built ourselves a barrier with our certainty in our political beliefs.
A global pandemic and its attendant fear and uncertainty will only add more strain into an already flawed and complex system.... A legitimate public health crisis becomes yet another choose-your-own-reality event, a wedge to amplify divisions. [Charlie Warzel, NY Times, Mar 2, 20]
Novavax up 35% [Feb 28, 20]
Sangamo Thera up 28% [Feb 28, 20]
Biogen and Sangamo Therapeutics, a genomic medicine company, announced that they have executed a global licensing collaboration agreement to develop and commercialize ST-501 for tauopathies including Alzheimer's disease, ST-502 for synucleinopathies including Parkinson's disease, a third undisclosed neuromuscular disease target, and up to nine additional undisclosed neurological disease targets. The companies will leverage Sangamo's proprietary zinc finger protein (ZFP) technology delivered via adeno-associated virus (AAV) to modulate the expression of key genes involved in neurological diseases. [joint companies press release, Feb 27, 20]Immucell (Portland, ME; $3M SBIR) up 18% [Feb 28, 20]
Vir Biotech down 23% [Feb 28, 20]
Vaccinex (Rochester, NY; $4.4M SBIR) down 18% [Feb 28, 20]
Passage Bio (Philadelphia, PA; no SBIR) a genetic medicines company focused on developing transformative therapies for rare, monogenic central nervous system disorders with limited or no approved treatment options, today announced the pricing of its [IPO to raise] $216.0 million. [company press release, Feb 27, 20]
Silicon Valley startup Cepheid and -based Sherlock Biosciences (Cambridge, MA; no SBIR) announced a research collaboration to explore the development of new cutting-edge molecular diagnostic tests. [Rowan Walrath, BostInno, Feb 27, 20]
observers [of government coronavirus policy] quickly noted that this White House has a record of suppressing scientific facts while Trump and other administration officials spread misinformation. [Defense One, Feb 28, 20] When a demonstrated liar controls public speech, who will believe what? Meanwhile, the White House combing through federal agencies to identify employees not sufficiently loyal to President Trump. [govexec.com]
institutional capital has moved further and further upstream. In many cases today, seed is the first institutional round a company raises.there’s a lot of complicated stuff happening in the earliest stages of a company’s life as an investible asset ... just a bit over 60.5 percent of recent U.S. seed rounds came in at less than $1 million [Crunchbase.com, Feb 28, 20]
More political science. An official at the Interior Department embarked on a campaign that has inserted misleading language about climate change [in at least nine reports] — including debunked claims that increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is beneficial — into the agency’s scientific reports, according to documents reviewed by The New York Times. The Interior Department’s emails, dating from 2017 through last year and obtained under public-records laws by the watchdog group Energy and Policy Institute, provide the latest evidence of the Trump administration’s widespread attacks on government scientific work. The administration has halted or scaled back numerous research projects since taking office, including an Obama-era initiative to fight disease outbreaks around the world — a decision that has drawn criticism in recent weeks as a deadly coronavirus has spread globally. [Hiroko Tabuchi, NYTimes, Mar 2, 20]
Now, the coronavirus has put the world economy in survival mode. The notion of this [disease] outbreak being a short-lived negative shock to global demand now looks unrealistic. It is not just spending on restaurants and travel that is suffering, but also investment by businesses while they wait for the uncertainty to be resolved. [Eswar S. Prasad, New York Times, [Mar 1, 20]
Vir Biotech up 72% [Feb 27, 20] Vir Biotechnology and WuXi Biologics (China) announced a development and manufacturing collaboration to advance and produce human monoclonal antibodies for the potential treatment of COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019), a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. [joint companies press release, Feb 25, 20]
Ocean Bio-Chem (Fort Lauderdale, FL; no SBIR) announced that its' subsidiary Star brite, Inc product PERFORMACIDE(R) is registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a virucide effective against coronavirus, when used as directed. [company press relase, Jan 28, 20]
Novavax up 28% [Feb 27, 20]
Potola Pharma down 19% [Feb 27, 20] reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year
FLIR Systems down 19% [Feb 27, 20]announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year
Macrogenics down 16% [Feb 27, 20]
Expendable Trumpian assets. Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services sent more than a dozen workers to receive the first Americans evacuated from Wuhan, China, without proper training for infection control or appropriate protective gear, according to a whistleblower complaint. ... In some instances, the teams were working alongside personnel from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in “full gown, gloves and hazmat attire,” the complaint said. ... The whistleblower is seeking federal protection, alleging she was unfairly and improperly reassigned after raising concerns about the safety of these workers to HHS officials, including those within the office of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. She was told Feb. 19 that if she does not accept the new position in 15 days, which is March 5, she would be terminated. [Lena H. Sun and Yasmeen Abutaleb, WashPo, Feb 27, 20]
A liberal leader confronts new facts and changes his or her mind. A populist leader cannot because the omniscience of the charismatic headman can never be doubted. A liberal sees shades of gray. For a populist reality is white or black, friend or enemy. Facts that don’t fit the dogma are ignored. [David Brooks, NYTimes, Feb 27, 20] Brooks was criticizing Sanders as not a liberal.
Co-Diagnostics (Salt Lake City, UT; no SBIR, 20 employees) up 106% [Feb 26, 20] a molecular diagnostics company with a unique, patented platform for the development of molecular diagnostic tests, announced that its Logix Smart(TM) Coronavirus COVID-19 Test has obtained regulatory clearance to be sold as an in vitro diagnostic ("IVD") for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) in markets that accept CE-marking as valid regulatory approval, and is now available for purchase from the Company's Utah-based ISO-13485:2016 certified facility. [company press release, Feb 24, 20]
Vir Biotech up 61% [Feb 26, 20]
Cleveland Biolabs up 49% [Feb 26, 20]
Moderna up 23% [Feb 26, 20]
Paratek Pharma up 20% [Feb 26, 20]
Nanoviricides up 16% [Feb 26, 20]
Novavax up 16% [Feb 26, 20]
CEL-SCI down 34% [Feb 26, 20] issued explanatory letter about Phase3 trial to shareholders
Takeda Pharmaceutical (Japan) announced that it has acquired PvP Biologics (San Diego,CA; no SBIR) following the conclusion of a Phase 1 proof- of-mechanism study of investigational medicine TAK-062 (Kuma062) for the treatment of uncontrolled celiac disease. ... exercised its option to acquire PvP Biologics for a pre-negotiated upfront payment as well as development and regulatory milestones totaling up to $330 million. [Takeda press release, Feb 26, 20]
NewLeaf Symbiotics (St Louis, MO; no SBIR) announced that it has raised $20 million in a first close of its Series D financing as it broadens and accelerates product commercialization. [company press release, Feb 26, 20]
A Menlo Therapeutics drug in testing for various itching conditions has failed a Phase 2 study, but executives say the results won’t translate to its lead itching target nor will they affect its pending merger with Foamix Pharmaceuticals. [xconomy.com, Feb 26, 20]
Moderna up 28% [Feb 25, 20]
Axogen (Alachua FL; one SBIR) down 17% [Feb 25, 20]
Karius (Redwood City, CA; no SBIR), the world leader in liquid biopsy for infectious diseases, secured $165 million in a new funding round [to] help more patients faster, fuel the next wave of clinical studies, and accelerate technology innovation,” said Karius CEO, Mickey Kertesz. [company press release, Feb 24, 20]
A migraine drug that Lundbeck added to its pipeline via its nearly $2 billion acquisition of Alder BioPharmaceuticals (Bothell, WA; one SBIR) won FDA approval. The drug, eptinezumab (Vyepti), is part of a new class of antibody therapies developed to prevent migraine attacks before they start. [Frank Vinluan, xconomy.com, Feb 25, 20]
Imara (Cambridge, MA; no SBIR) filed plans for an IPO to finance clinical development of its lead drug candidate as a potential treatment for sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia.
NIH has expanded its definition of "disadventaged" to include homeless and recipients of certain federal grants. [Jeffrey Mervis, Science, Dec 20, 19]
Nanoviricides up 38% [Feb 24, 20]
Cardionomic (New Brighton, MN; no SBIR) raised $15.8 million to further clinical research of its neuromodulation device for heart failure. [Kait Ecker, Twin Cities Business, Feb 24, 20]
Moderna announced that it has released the first batch of mRNA-1273, the Company’s vaccine against the novel coronavirus, for human use. Vials of mRNA-1273 have been shipped to the NIH] to be used in the planned Phase 1 study in the U.S. [compny pres release, Feb 24, 20] Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi and Inovio Pharmaceuticals have started to develop coronavirus vaccines. [Wall Street Journal, Feb 24, 20]
VaxNewMo (St Louis, MO; $500K SBIR) vaccine startup will utilize the [$3M] three-year grant to develop a vaccine designed to provide defense against pneumococcus, which causes illnesses that include bloodstream infections, pneumonia, meningitis and middle ear infections. [Nathan Rubbelke, St Louis Business Journal, Feb 20, 20]
Tocagen [San Diego, CA; $500K SBIR, and Forte Biosciences (Torrance, CA; np SBIR), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a live biotherapeutic for the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases, announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Tocagen will merge with Forte in an all-stock transaction. The merged company will focus on advancing Forte's clinical program in inflammatory skin diseases, including atopic dermatitis. [joint companies press release, Feb 19, 20]
Fading startups . Over the past decade, technology start-ups grew so quickly that they couldn’t hire people fast enough. Now the layoffs have started coming in droves, a humbling shift for an industry that long saw itself as an engine of job creation and innovation. ... from Uber to Airbnb ... about $763 billion washed into start-ups in the United States over the last decade [Erin Griffith, NY Times, Feb 24, 20]
Trump Was Furious That Passengers With Coronavirus Were Brought Back to U.S. [NYTimes, Feb 23, 20] Home is where when you have to go there, they have to take you in. The USG has the means to provide protection for both the stricken citizens and the public. Trump must be thinking about the once famous leper colonies. Not surprising that Trump continually plays to his xenophobic home-cooking base.
Five Prime Therapeutics is picking up $5 million upfront from Seattle Genetics in exchange for a family of monoclonal antibodies it’s developed. Under the deal, Seattle Genetics will develop antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) based on those antibodies, taking over all R&D, manufacturing and commercialization for those products. [Amirah Al Idrus, Fierce Biotch, Feb 21, 20]
Who's got it? In their book published last fall, the pair [of Berkeley economists] estimated that the top tenth of 1 percent of Americans — fewer than 250,000 adults, with an average wealth of about $70 million each — held 19.3 percent of all wealth in 2018. That was triple their share from four decades earlier. ... That statistic has helped galvanize the left, prompting lawmakers and other Democrats to call for a complete overhaul of how America thinks about taxation. [Jim Tankersley and Ben Casselman, New York Times, Feb 20, 20]
Myomo up 43% [Feb 19, 20]
Plug Power up 18% [Feb 19, 20]
Five Prime Therapeutics up 18% [Feb 19, 20] said cabiralizumab, a Five Prime antibody that Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) was testing in combination with its cancer immunotherapy nivolumab (Opdivo), failed to beat the standard of care in a Phase 2 trial in patients with pancreatic cancer. [Sarah de Crescenzo, xconomy.com, Feb 18, 20]
Imara (Cambridge, MA; no SBIR) set a preliminary $86 million target for its IPO. Imara develops drugs that treat rare genetic disorders of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in the blood. [Frank Vinluan, xconomy.com, Feb 18, 20]
Whatta game. the undersecretary for policy is getting the boot for certifying that Ukraine's corruption was acceptable before Trump decided to claim the opposite for political purposes. [DefenseOne, Feb 20, 20] Too bad, there's no downward loyalty, only scapegoats.
Bellerophon Therapeutics (Warren, NJ; no SBIR), up 168% [Feb 18, 20] a clinical-stage biotherapeutics company, announced positive top-line data from a recently completed acute, intra-patient, dose escalation, hemodynamics study (PHPF-002) of INOpulse(R) for the treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension associated with Pulmonary Fibrosis (PH-PF). [company press release, Feb 18, 20]
Fulcrum Therapeutics up 22% [Feb 18, 20]
Viela Bio up 20% [Feb 18, 20]
Anavex Life Sciences up 16% [Feb 18, 20]
Diamedica Thera up 16% [Feb 18, 20]
medical imaging device startup OnLume (Madison, WI; $300K SBIR) received FDA clearance to bring its fluorescence-guided surgery system to market. OnLume's cart-based imaging technology uses fluorescence imaging to monitor blood flow and tissue perfusion before, during and after vascular, gastrointestinal, organ transplant, plastic, reconstructive and micro-surgeries. [WiscInno, Feb 18,20]
Beloved customer or mortal enemy? A broad push by Trump administration hard-liners to stem the flow of high-tech exports to China hit a hurdle: President Trump himself. In a series of tweets, Mr. Trump denounced efforts promoted by some within the White House and Commerce Department to halt the export of controlled technologies—including jet engines and semiconductors—to China, out of concern the products could be pirated and used to undermine U.S. commercial advantage in those sectors. [Jeff Sparshott, Wall Street Journal, Feb 19, 20] And what will be tomorrow's China policy du jour?
Immunogen up 27% [Feb 14, 20]
Deciphera Pharmaceuticals has been handed a priority review from the FDA for its cancer drug ripretinib. [Ben Adams, Fierce Biotech, Feb 13, 20]
ALX Oncology (Ireland and Burlingame, CA; no SBIR), a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing therapies toblock the CD47 checkpoint mechanism, announced the closing of a $105 million Series C equity financing ... will support the expansion ofthe clinical development of ALX148, a next generation CD47 myeloid checkpoint inhibitor,incombination with anti-cancer therapeutics,intoadditional solid tumorandhematologicindication [company press release, Feb 12, 20]
A contraceptive patch developed by Agile Therapeutics (Princeton, NJ; no SBIR) was awarded FDA approval, clearing the way for a new birth control option to reach the market. ... the first FDA approved product for the company. [Frank Vinluan, xconomy.com, Feb 14, 20]
XBiotech down 24% [Feb 13, 20]
Catalyst Biosciences down 19% [Feb 13, 20] announced the pricing of an underwritten public offering [to raise $30M]
Deciphera Pharma down 16% [Feb 13, 20]
Contracting has legal rules. A federal judge ordered the Pentagon to halt work on the massive JEDI cloud-computing contract, handing Amazon an early win in its efforts to overturn the award to rival Microsoft. [Wall Street Journal, Feb 13, 20] No federal executive has unlimited power to decide winners in competitions. Not even King Donald.
NeuroBo Pharmaceuticals (Boston, MA; no SBIR) up 104% [Feb 12, 20]
Ligand Pharmaceuticals (San Diego, CA; no SBIR) announces the signing of an agreement whereby Ligand will acquire the core assets of Icagen, (Durham, NC; $8M SBIR)’s North Carolina operations, including partnered programs, proprietary ion channel screening and assay platforms, x-ray fluorescence capabilities, custom screening technologies and novel unpartnered preclinical-stage molecules for $15 million in cash. Icagen will also be entitled to receive up to an additional $25 million of cash payments based on certain revenue achievements. [Ligand press release, Feb 11, 20]
Fair and Balanced? In a study at Yale University, over 100 scientists reviewed a résumé submitted for an open position. The résumés were identical, although half were submitted under men’s names and half women’s names. The women’s résumés were ranked significantly lower than the men’s — by both female and male faculty. [Parul Sehgal, reviewing Charles Murray's Human Diverity, New York Times, Feb 12, 20]
Phio Pharmaceuticals (Marlborough MA; no SBIR) down 57% [Feb 11, 20], developing the next generation of immuno-oncology therapeutics based on its proprietary self-delivering RNAi (INTASYL(TM)) therapeutic platform, announced the pricing of an underwritten public offering [to raise $8M] [company press release, Feb 11, 20]
Myomo down 46% [Feb 11, 20]
Biohaven Pharmaceutial (New Haven, CT; no SBIR) reported negative topline results from its Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating troriluzole compared to placebo for the treatment of patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). ... Biohaven has a deep and broad portfolio of assets in development with five ongoing Phase 3 trials across it its calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) antagonists, glutamate modulators and myeloperoxidase inhibitor platforms. [company press release, Feb 10, 20]
Want it today? Total credit-card balances increased by $46 billion, well above the previous peak seen before the 2008 financial crisis. [Wall Street Journal, Feb 11, 20] Despite the attitude of our king-of-debt president, shoppers cannot issue money to pay off lenders.
Kezar Life Sciences (South San Francisco, CA; no SBIR) up 35% [Feb 10, 20] announced the closing of an underwritten public offering that raised $56.8M [company 0elease, Feb 10, 20]
Nanoviricides up 17% [Feb 10, 20]
Monopar Thera (Wilmette, IL; no SBIR) down 26% [Feb 10, 20]
Myomo down 26% [Feb 10, 20]
Fake economics. Vice President Pence defended deficit expansion under the Trump administration, saying that debt and deficits are secondary concerns compared to economic growth. Pence maintained that focusing on growth will solve long-term fiscal challenges. [Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, Feb 10, 20] Do your bit - run your credit card, plead for tax cuts, and burn your economics books.
Synaptics up 21% [Feb 7, 20]
Moderna up 17% [Feb 7, 20]
Zogenix (Emeryville CA; no SBIR) down 39% [Feb 7, 20] reported positive top-line results from its global Phase 3 clinical trial (Study 1601) of its lead investigational therapy, FINTEPLA(R) (ZX008, fenfluramine oral solution) in Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS), a severe and treatment-resistant childhood-onset epilepsy. [company press release, Feb 6, 20]
Myomo down 35% [Feb 7, 20]
Myriad Genetics down 28% [Feb 7, 20] announced Revenue in the fiscal second quarter fell short of expectations largely due to the prenatal business and CEO's resignation. [company press release, Feb 6, 20]
Genapsys (Redwood City, CA; $2M SBIR) announced the launch of its gene sequencer in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, including in Korea, Singapore, Japan, and the fast-growing Chinese genesequencing market, which is currently at the epicenter of the expanding Coronavirus outbreak. Thecompany is expanding internationally with more than 25 distributorship deals signed and is alsoannouncing $75 million [company press release, Feb 6, 20].
Sonoma Biotherapeutics (South San Francisco and Seattle; no SBIR) with $40 million in its Series A financing ... brings together next-generation research, development and manufacturing capabilities in cell therapy and genetic engineering. [company press release, Feb 6, 20]
Passage Bio (Philadelphia,PA; no SBIR) which launched last year, filed regulatory papers laying out its plans to raise $125 million [IPO] to advance its gene therapies, which were discovered at the University of Pennsylvania. [Sarah de Crescenzo, xconomy.com, Feb 3, 20]
Aimmune will use fresh cash [to] help boost the launch of Palforzia, but it’s immediately eyeing the future, spending a mere $10 million upfront, with $385 million in biobucks wedded to it, to license Xencor (Monrovia, CA; $900K SBIR, founded 1997)’s XmAb7195. [Ben Adams, Fierce Biotech, Feb 5, 20]
Adarza BioSystems (St Louis, MO; $2.5M SBIR) announced that it has raised $25 million in a Series D round [to]support full commercialization of ZIVA, its automated biological testing platform for academic and clinical research. [company press release, Feb 4, 20]
Faster by Xi. A container train reached London in just 12 days from eastern China, less than half the time than had they gone by sea, at less than half the cost by air .... HP, an American computer giant, has moved its computer factories to the inland Chinese city of Chongqing, building its business model on rail delivery to the Netherlands. [The Economist, Feb 8, 2020] Does your firm have at least one Chinese speaker?
iRobot up 18% [Feb 6, 20]
Applied Genetic Tech down 19% [Feb 6, 20] announced pricing a $32M stock offering
Coda Biotherapeutics(South San Francisco, CA; no SBIR) is designing receptors, which it plans to deliver via engineered viruses, that respond only to a specific drug. On Wednesday the -based biotech announced it acquired a company called Attenua and its three experimental central nervous system drugs to pair with its pipeline of engineered neurotransmitter receptors. Financial terms weren’t disclosed. [company press release, Feb 4, 20]
A bill to facilitate veteran participation in National Science Foundation STEM programs has passed Congress and now awaits signature by the president. [SSTI, Feb 6, 20]
Gut the government. three-quarters of House Republicans released a new blueprint to overhaul the civil service, calling for easier firing, more merit-based bonuses and cuts to automatic pay raises. ... that civil servants' overall compensation is too high ... suggesting that some feds are intentionally undermining the Trump administration. .... The study committee called for more than 100 changes, ranging from deregulation to eliminating agencies it called redundant or unnecessary. [Eric Katz, govexec.com, Feb 6, 20]
Myomo up 89% [Feb 5, 20]
RAPT Thera down 24% [Feb 5, 20] announced a proposed offering of common stock
EU launches antitrust probe into Qualcomm 5G modem chipset business [ZDNet, Feb 5, 20]
Myomo (Charlestown, MA; one SBIR) up 115% [Feb 4, 20] a wearable medical robotics company that offers increased functionality for those suffering from neurological disorders and upper limb paralysis, announced that Statutory Health Insurance in Germany has approved MyoPro for patients on a case by case basis. [company press release, Feb 3, 20]
Today the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology will hold a hearing to review America’s Seed Fund — the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. [AAAS, Feb 4,20]
Did it. Cancer diagnostics company Exact Sciences has more than doubled the capital investment [$26M by 2020] and job creation numbers [750 jobs] it proposed under an [2015] agreement with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. So far, Exact Sciences made a capital investment of $95.85M and created 1,672 jobs in Wisconsin since 2015. [Nick Williams, WiscInno, Feb 4, 20]
Nanoviricides down 35% [Feb 3, 20]
Protecting the commerce from the government interference: Linda J. Bilmes, The Conversation: The administration has cut CDC funding and disbanded the White House's own global health security team. [DefenseOne, Feb 4, 20] Re-elect a president with little grasp of what a government is and does?
Nanoviricides up 40% [Jan 31, 20]
Cleveland BioLabs up 34% [Jan 31, 20]
Second Sight Medcal up 15% [Jan 31, 20]
Arcutis Biotherapeutics (San Diego, CA; no SBIR) raised about $159 million from its IPO, ... with four product candidates in its pipeline, all topical non-steroidal treatments being developed for seven dermatological indications. [xconomy.com, Jan 31, 20]
startup Vizgen (Cambridge, MA; no SBIR), debuted with a $14 million Series A round of financing ... technology that is the basis of Vizgen is known as MERFISH, short for multiplexed error-robust fluorescence in situ hybridization. Diagnostics companies and others have been using fluorescence in situ hybridization, or FISH, to detect nucleic acid sequences in cells, tissues and tumors for decades. [Saran de Crescenzo, xconomy.com, Jan 31, 20]
Sounds good, works bad. the Fed study found that [net] manufacturing employment was reduced by 1.4 percent as a consequence of the trade war. ... So the tariffs didn’t just hurt the economy as a whole, but damaged the manufacturing sector specifically. [Michael R. Strain, Bloomberg, Jan 31, 20] Politicians appeal to groups that cannot or will not ask the right questions.
Voters flocking to the political novice [Andrew Yang] are petrified not simply by the prospect of President Trump’s reelection but by the feeling that the economic and social dislocation that powered his rise are beyond their control, perhaps even beyond the control of Washington. ... here from the future to tell you how bad it’s going to be [Isaac Stanley-Becker, New York Times, Jan 31, 20]
I should just like to announce, with absolute conviction, in full chief executive authority, that I do, most certainly, like being me. Musings of Trumpian businessman-philanderer named MisterMenu, protanonist of Stephen Wright's novel Processed Cheese,, a broiling parody of American excess. [Ron Charles, Washington Post, Jan 21, 20]
Black Diamond Therapeutics [Cambridge, MA; no SBIR) up 107% [Jan 30, 20] priced its IPO to raise $200M; pioneering the discovery and development of small molecule, tumor-agnostic therapies [company press release, Jan 29, 20]
Nanoviricides up 27% [Jan 30, 20]
Annovis Bio down 27% [Jan 30, 20]
one of the characteristics of technological progress is that it creates future jobs that nobody could foresee. [Joel Mokyr, J Econ History, Dec 2019]
Just an expensive symbol. Trump’s border wall, vulnerable to flash floods, needs large storm gates left open for months. [Washington Post, Jan 30, 20]
Annovis Bio (Berwyn. PA; $800K SBIR) up 60% [Jan 29, 20] raised $12M in IPO; a clinical-stage, drug platform company addressing neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's in Down Syndrome (AD-DS).
Armata Pharmaceuticals down 27% [Jan 29, 20]
Conatus Pharmaceuticals (San Diego, CA; $1M SBIR) and Histogen (San Diego, CA; no SBIR) regenerative medicine company with a novel biological platform that replaces and regenerates tissues in the body, announced the companies have entered into a definitive agreement under which Histogen will merge with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Conatus in an all-stock transaction. The combined company will operate under the name Histogen. [company press release, Jan 28, 20]
A phase 2 trial of Akcea Therapeutics’ antisense treatment for cardiovascular and metabolic disease has hit its primary endpoint. The Pfizer-partnered antisense oligonucleotide cut triglyceride levels in people with hypertriglyceridemia,Type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) but failed to reduce liver fat or hemoglobin A1C. [Fierce Biotech, Jan 29, 20]
Profits are king. EPA [Environmental Policy Assault] has made it easier for cities to keep dumping raw sewage into rivers by letting them delay or otherwise change federally imposed fixes to their sewer systems, according to interviews with local officials, water utilities and their lobbyists. [Christopher Flavelle, NYTimes, Jan 29, 20]
L'etat c'est moi. President Trump’s lawyers argued that anything a president did to win re-election was “in the public interest.” [NYTimes, Jan 29, 20] The critically indispensible executive in the mirror. Imagine a lawyer who would make such an assertion to a court.
Armata Pharmaceuticals (Marina del Ray, CA; no SBIR) up 74% [Jan 28, 20] focused on precisely targeted bacteriophage therapeutics for antibiotic-resistant infections, and Innoviva, with a portfolio of royalties that include respiratory assets partnered with Glaxo Group Limited, today announced that they have entered into a securities purchase agreement pursuant to which Innoviva will purchase, upon satisfaction of certain closing conditions, approximately $25 million in Armata common stock [to] to support the ongoing advancement of its bacteriophage development programs, including the expected first in human studies related to Armata's lead phage candidate, AP-PA02, targeting Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as well as AP-SA02, its phage candidate targeting Staphylococcus Aureus. [joint companies press release, Jan 28, 20]
Acceleron Pharma (CAMBRIDGE, MA; no SBIR)up 50% [Jan 28, 20] announced that the PULSAR Phase 2 trial of sotatercept met its primary and key secondary endpoints in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). [company press release, Jan 27, 20]
Vaccinex up 19% [Jan 28, 20]
Interpace Biosciences (Parsippany, NJ SBIR),up 16% [Jan 28, 20] a leader in leveraging molecular diagnostics and other platforms for the benefit of patients and supporting pharmaceutical development, announced that it has entered into an agreement for a new Series B Preferred Stock investment of $20 million . Interpace also announced that it intends to effect a one-for-ten reverse stock split effective coincident with the closing of the new Series B Preferred Stock investment. [company press release, Jan 13, 20]
Nanoviricides down 47% [Jan 28, 20]
Novovax down 16% [Jan 28, 20]
Quench Bio (Cambridge, MA; no SBIR) leveraging new insights into gasdermin biology and innate immunology to develop medicines for severe inflammatory diseases, announced the completion of a $50 million Series A financing .... Quench Bio's lead therapeutic approach centers on inhibiting Gasdermin D, which has been recently discovered as a key target at the core of multiple inflammatory cell death pathways, including pyroptosis and NETosis. [company press release, Jan 27, 20]
Prime innovator downscaling. 3M posted lower revenue in significant U.S. markets and set plans for fresh layoffs, the latest manufacturer to exhibit signs of strain at a time of weakness for the industrial economy. [Austen Hufford, Wall Street Journal, Jan 28, 20]
Enjoy the ride. The national debt and sustained federal budget deficits will hit the highest levels since World War II over the next decade, the Congressional Budget Office projected, following multiple rounds of tax cuts and continued increases in federal spending. The government will spend $1 trillion more than it collects in 2020 and deficits will reach or exceed that threshold every year for the foreseeable future. [Richard Runin, Wall Street Journal, Jan 28, 20] as "we the people" demand support for our cherished projects and our representatives fear dis-election for failing to do so without invoking the necessary taxes to pay for them. Politicians conveniently find it easy to convince you that your taxes are too high.
Free speech for federal employees. AFGE, the nation’s largest federal employee union asked a federal judge to suspend controversial guidance from the Office of Special Counsel that curbs federal employees’ right to discuss impeachment while at work, a 2018 memo cautioning federal employees from using slogans like “resistance” and “impeachment” in the workplace, citing the Hatch Act’s prohibition on feds from using their positions and government resources to influence electoral politics. [Erich Wagner, govexec.com, Jan 28, 20]
Office of Management and Budget put out a call to outside organizations and the public to share how they think the government can reform its procurement of goods and services, accepting responses by Feb. 17. [govexec.com, Jan 28, 20]
Nanoviricides down 31% [Jan 27, 20]
Cleveland BioLabs down 27% [Jan 27, 20]
Novavax down 16% [Jan 27, 20]
Scientists have been leaving government posts since Trump took office in 2017, and those positions, by and large, have not been replaced. This shortage has led to insufficient regulation enforcement, limited data distribution, and a paucity of researchers, according to an analysis of public employee records by The Washington Post. In total, 1,600 government scientists have left their positions since the beginning of Trump’s presidency. Most of those employees are experts in chemistry, geology, hydrology, soil conservation, and social science. [Lisa Winter, TheScientist, Jan 24, 20] Dictators need to suppress inconvenient truth. Note scientists: your day is coming to vote against war on science.
Global companies do not invest in countries with autocratic leaders who arbitrarily impose economic sanctions or punitive tariffs on longtime allies who fail to perform political favors or take a different approach to unrelated foreign policy issues. [Robert Samuelson, Washington Post, Jan 27, 20]
Nanoviricides up 54% [Jan 24, 20]
Vaccinex (Rochester, NY; $4.5M SBIR) up 36% [Jan 24, 20]
AMAG Pharma down 18% [Jan 24, 20]
Epizyme down 16% [Jan 24, 20] Epizyme won accelerated FDA approval for a drug developed to treat the rare cancer epithelioid sarcoma (ES). [Frank Vinluan, xconomy.com, Jan 23, 20]
Genetic testing company 23and Me is laying off about 14 percent of its staff amid slowing consumer demand for DNA tests. [xconomy.com, Jan 23, 20]
The first person diagnosed with the Wuhan coronavirus in the US is being treated by a few medical workers and a robot. The robot, equipped with a stethoscope, is helping doctors take the man's vitals and communicate with him through a large screen, said Dr. George Diaz, chief of the infectious disease division at the Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington. [Nicole Chavez and Nadia Kounang, CNN, Jan 24, 20]
MedImmune, AstraZeneca’s biologics division, is no more. The pharmaceutical giant announced last year that the name would be retired as part of a research and development restructuring. [xconomy.com, Jan 23. 20]
David Roux, Silicon Valley investor is giving $100 million to Northeastern University to establish a graduate school and research center in Portland (ME) [to] be known as the Roux Institute, will award certificates, master’s degrees and Ph.D.s in artificial intelligence and machine learning — geared in particular toward the life sciences. [Eduardo Porter, NYTimes, Jan 27, 20] Is money enough of launch pad for innovation?
Loudoun County (VA exurbs) offers up to $150,000 in grant competition for tech companies [Alex Koma, Washingon Business Journal, Jan 27, 20]
Last month, Robert D. Atkinson of the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, together with our colleagues Mark Muro and Jacob Whiton, published a report calling for a renewed federal role in helping to balance the country’s growing geographic inequities. “The case for growth centers: How to spread tech innovation across America” carefully documents how and why the innovation economy—the driver of much of the nation’s growth—has become increasingly concentrated in a handful of coastal metropolitan areas, leaving much of the heartland struggling to keep pace. It also proposes a way for leaders in Washington, D.C. to boost lagging regions by selecting a small group of “growth center” metro areas (chosen via a competitive process) to receive a package of federal supports. [Jennifer Vey and Julie Wagner, Brookings, Jan 23, 20] Calling for federal intervention in innovation markets appeals to politicians for the headlines of actually passing out money and hope. Attention, folks, it's been tried over and over.
The economy and easing of perceptions of financial strains boosted the president’s approval and narrowed margins in tests against possible Democratic rivals. [NYTimes, Jan 27, 20] The public sees only the increased economic activity from a national credit card and simply ignores the national debt basically since Reagan and supply-side political economy.
Nanoviricides up 43% [Jan 23, 20]
Applied Genetic Tech down 15% [Jan 23, 20]
Surgical robotics giant Intuitive Surgical (Sunnyvale, CA; $4.5M SBIR, market cap $68B) reported decelerating sales and earnings growth, leading ISRG stock to slide in after-hours trading. [ALLISON GATLIN, Investor's Business Daily, Jan 23, 20]
Don't need no science. Hundreds of scientists across the federal government have been forced out, sidelined or muted since President Trump took office. The exodus has been fueled by policies that have diminished the role of science as well as specific steps such as moving agencies away from Washington. [Annie Gowen, Juliet Eilperin, Ben Guarino and Andrew Ba Tran , Washington Post, Jan 23, 20] Depletion of scientists and science no doubt foretells depletion of science investment that threatens corporate profits.
Nanoviricides up 38% [Jan 22, 20]
Applied Genetic Tech down 25% [Jan 22, 20]
Karuna Thera down 19% [Jan 22, 20]
Nanoviricides (Shelton, CT; no SBIR although President Anil Diwan won has won several NIH SBIR awards, founded 2005) up 153% [Jan 21, 20] in apparent reaction to the spread of an unknown respiratory virus in China that has claimed six livesannounced the pricing of an underwritten public offering with gross proceeds to the Company of $7.5 million [company press release, Jan 21, 20] develops therapeutics for patients suffering from life-threatening viral infections. Total funding $48M [crunchbase.com]
Novavax up 100% [Jan 21, 20]
CEL-SCI up 23% [Jan 21, 20]
Novavax (Gaithersburg, MD; $200K SBIR) up 20% [Jan 17, 20] a late-stage biotechnology company developing next-generation vaccines for serious infectious diseases, announced that [FDA] has granted Fast Track Designation for NanoFlu™, its recombinant quadrivalent seasonal influenza vaccine candidate, adjuvanted with Matrix-M™, in adults 65 years of age and older. [company press release, Jan 15, 20]
Viela Bio down 15% {Jan 17, 20]
Plug Power (Latham, NY; no SBIR) a leading provider of hydrogen engines and fueling solutions enabling e-mobility, received an order at the close of 2019 from a Fortune 100 customer for hydrogen fuel cell deployments across their distribution network over the next two years. This contract, valued at more than $172 million, is for Plug Power’s GenDrive fuel cell power, GenFuel hydrogen fuel, storage and dispensing infrastructure, and GenCare aftermarket service and support. [company press release, Jan 6, 20]
Geneoscopy (St Louis, MO; no SBIR, founded 2015) received the FDA’s Breakthrough Device Designation for its preventive screening test for colorectal cancer and precancerous adenomas. [Nathan Rubbelke, St. Louis Business Journal, Jan 16, 20] total funding $8M [crunchbase.com]
Xencor (Monrovia, CA; $900K SBIR, founded 1997) biopharma firm reached a licensing deal with pharma giant Gilead Sciences to develop and commercialize a group of Xencor’s antibody drugs to treat HIV. In exchange for licensing the drugs to Gilead, Xencor will receive an unspecified upfront payment and royalties from future commercialization of the drugs. (Howard Fine, LA Business Journal, Jan 8, 20] total funding $108M [crunchbase.com]
Neon Therapeutics (Cambridge, MA; no SBIR) closed 2019 by curtailing its cancer vaccine programs and laying off 24 percent of its workforce. The new path will now be as a division of cancer drug developer BioNTech (Germany) [which] announced that it has agreed to acquire Neon in a $67 million stock deal. [Frank Vinluan, xconomy.com. Jan 16, 20]
RAPT Thera up 28% [Jan 16, 20]
Mersana Thera up 24% [Jan 16, 20]
Robots marching. many of the jobs that humans are doing today will be done by robots in the not too distant future. In fact, millions of human workers have already been displaced, and as you will see below experts are warning that the job losses are likely to greatly accelerate in the years to come. [Michael Snyder, Investment Watch, Jan 16, 20] The question is not what, but when; and the economics are about earning a living by the zillions not owning a robot enterprise. That question has partially led to a Trump demagogue without any credible solution. It's going to take a government driven by the bottom two-thirds of the populace.
“Faithful execution of the law does not permit the President to substitute his own policy priorities for those that Congress has enacted into law,” the GAO [Government Accountability] said it its legal decision. [Yuval Rosenberg, The Fiscal Times, Jan 16, 20] Congress's watchdog barks.
Who's winning? The six biggest U.S. banks have saved $32 billion in taxes, including $18 billion last year, as a result of the 2017 Trump tax cuts, Yalman Onaran reports at Bloomberg News. [Yuval Rosenberg, The Fiscal Times, Jan 16, 20]
RAPT Thera up 17% [Jan 15, 20]
Emendo Biotherapeutics (New York, NY; no SBIR, founded 2015), aiming to apply CRISPR gene editing to a wider range of genetic diseases, has raised $61 million ... on its website, it contends that CRISPR is limited in its ability to treat dominant genetic diseases, which are diseases caused by a mutation to one copy of a gene. [Frank Vinluan, xconomy.com, Jan 15, 20]
II-VI a leader in engineered materials and compound semiconductors, announced the introduction of its water-cooled, aluminum variable radius mirror (VRM) for next-generation lasers with up to 20 kW output power. [company press release, Jan 16, 20] ..... announced the introduction of its electro-optic modulators, based on proprietary crystal technology, for ultrafast lasers in materials processing. [company press release, Jan 14, 20] announced that it signed a multiyear agreement of over $100M, the largest in the history of II-VI, to supply silicon carbide (SiC) substrates for gallium nitride (GaN) RF power amplifiers deployed in 5G wireless base stations. [company press release, Dec 5, 19]
The 27-0 vote against approval followed questioning of Nektar’s decision to run one pivotal trial and the extent to which it assessed the abuse risk. .... . The unanimous rejection followed the publication of a FDA briefing document that questioned the reliance on a single pivotal trial [Nick Paul Taylor, Fierce Biotech, Jan 15, 2020]
Eli Lilly has killed off its deal with immuno-oncology biotech NextCure after spending $25 million upfront on the pact just over a year ago. [Ben Adams, Fierce Biotech, Jan 13, 2020]
Virtual Incision (Lincoln, NE and Pleasanton, CA; no SBIR, founded 2006) a medical device company pioneering a first-of-its-kind miniaturized surgical robot, announced it has raised $20 million in a Series B+ financing ... the MIRA Surgical Robotic Platform in support of regulatory pathway to approval. The study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of the MIRA platform for colon resection surgeries in patients at a number of U.S. investigational sites. MIRA is an investigational robot that will enable surgeons to perform minimally invasive surgeries in any hospital or surgery center, without the need for a dedicated space or for the infrastructure typically required for other “mainframe” robotic systems ... an investigational device that is not available for sale in the United States [company press release, Jan 8, 20]
Inflammatix (Burlingame, CA; $1M SBIR), a pioneering molecular diagnostics company delivering precision medicine at the point of care, announced a $32 million Series C financing [to] advance HostDx™ tests for acute infections and sepsis to commercial launch in 2021. [company press release, January 10, 2020]
Tyra Biosciences (Carlsbad, CA; no SBIR) is taking aim at [tumor] rewiring, called acquired resistance, banking $50 million in its series A round [Amirah Al Idrus, Fierce Biotech, Jan 10, 20]
Novan’s antiviral SB206 has failed to beat placebo in two phase 3 trials in patients with molluscum contagiosum. The setback wiped 74% off Novan’s value and left its cash runway looking precariously short, but the biotech plans to start another trial in the belief it still has a path to approval. [Nick Paul Taylor, Fierce Biotech, Jan 3, 20]
PROMISS Diagnostics (Wauwatosa, WI; no SBIR), a startup that is developing a noninvasive, commercialized screening test for ovarian cancer that uses a machine learning algorithm to distinguish between a benign and malignant mass, has closed on $400,000 in capital to further develop its screening test. [WiscInno, Jan 12, 20]
Politicians are the biggest pushers of disinformation because it works, and they don’t pay for it. [Washington Post, Jan 13, 20] It only works with the gullible, against which the defense is education.
BioCardia (San Carlos, CA; no SBIR) up 46% [Jan 13,20] announced the issuance of three new patents for the company's technology.
Liquidia Tech up 23% [Jan 13,20]
Eli Lilly announced a definitive agreement for Lilly to acquire Dermira (Menlo Park, CA; no SBIR) for approximately $1.1 billion, in an all-cash transaction. Dermira is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing new therapies for chronic skin conditions. [joint companies press release, Jan 10, 20]
EQRx (Cambridge, MA; no SBIR) announced it is launching [with $200 million in Series A financing] to create novel, patent-protected medicines at prices that are more affordable for people and sustainable for healthcare systems. EQRx, a first of its kind biotechnology company, is focused on re-engineering the process from drug discovery to patient delivery with the goal of offering a market-based solution for the rising cost of medicines. [company press release, Jan 12, 20] total funding $200M [crunchbase.com]
DTx Pharma (San Diego, CA; no SBIR) announced the final closing of a Series A financing totaling $10.6 million dollars [to] speed development and deployment of their proprietary platform for delivery of RNA medicines. [company press release, Jan 6, 20]
Springworks Therapeutics (Stamford, CT; no SBIR) and Allogene Therapeutics (South San Francisco, CA; no SBIR) announced that they have entered into a clinical trial collaboration agreement. This agreement will evaluate ALLO-715, Allogene’s investigational anti-B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) AlloCAR T therapy in combination with SpringWorks’ investigational gamma secretase inhibitor (GSI), nirogacestat, in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.[joint companies press release, Jan 10, 20]
Neurocrine Biosciences (San Diego, CA; SBIR)is doubling down on epilepsy, striking its second agreement in as many months with a new deal that grants it the option to license an investigational treatment for a rare form of the disease. [xconomy.com, Jan 12, 20]
Amunix Pharmaceuticals (Mountain View, CA; $2M SBIR) biopharmaceutical company focused on developing pro-drugs to enable the promise of potent immune-activating biotherapeutics in solid tumors, today announced that it has provided a technology license to F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd and Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. to utilize Amunix’s technology platform, XTEN, to discover and develop non-oncology therapeutics against certain undisclosed targets. This agreement builds on Amunix’s previous technology assessment with Roche focused on using XTEN, a proprietary unstructured polypeptide, to extend drug half-life. [company press release, Jan 10, 20]
Solid Biosciences announced changes to its organizational structure to create a leaner company focused on advancing SGT-001, a gene transfer candidate for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Duchenne) ... will result in a reduction in corporate expenses and, based on the company’s current operating plans, are expected to extend the cash runway into 2021. [company press release, Jan 9, 20]
Trump Broke It. Now He Owns It. David Frum, The Atlantic: The president withdrew from a flawed deal with Iran, but had no realistic alternative. With that choice comes responsibility for what ensued. [DefenseOne, Jan 13, 20] An Army adage: if you don't know what you're doing, don't do it here.
Nurix Therapeutics (San Francisco, CA; no SBIR, founded 2009) landed $55 million up front from Sanofi to kick off an alliance aiming to develop protein degradation drugs for multiple therapeutic areas. Nurix could earn up to $2.5 billion in milestone payments. [xconomy.com, Jan 10, 20] total funding $38M [crunchbase.com]
Blueprint Medicines (Cambridge, MA; no SBIR, founded 2011) announced that [FDA] has approved AYVAKIT™ (avapritinib) for the treatment of adults with unresectable or metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) harboring a platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) exon 18 mutation, including PDGFRA D842V mutations. AYVAKIT is the first precision therapy approved to treat a genomically defined population of patients with GIS [company press release, Jan 9, 20] total funding $240M [crunchbase.com]
Cerebral Therapeutics (Aurora, CA; no SBIR) a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing innovative treatments for uncontrolled neurological diseases, announced a $35 million Series B financing [company press release, Jan 7, 20] prior funding $11M [crunchbase.com]
DTx Pharma (San Diego, CA; no SBIR, founed 2017) announced the final closing of a Series A financing totaling $10.6 million dollars [company press release, Jan 6, 20] prior funding $13M [crunchbase.com]
Aduro Biotech (Berkeley, CA; $600K SBIR, founded Y2K) is laying off nearly 60 percent of its workforce and closing its European office in a cash-saving move. The corporate shakeup comes one month after Novartis (NYSE: NVS) removed a clinical-stage Aduro cancer drug from its portfolio and nearly one year after a restructuring that cut the biotech’s workforce by 37 percent to focus on its cancer drug pipeline. [xconomy.com, Jan 10, 20] total funding $178M [crunchbase.com]
Nice political idea, but. State and local governments are estimated to spend more than $30 billion a year on business tax incentives, but new research finds that these deals do little to promote regional job growth. The research adds to growing skepticism over the practice of cities and states offering narrow, company-specific tax incentives as a means to attract jobs and economic development. [Andrea Nobel, Route50.com, Jan 9, 20] Politicians love to start good sounding handout programs, but don't have the long range patience that can wait for a credible test.
"Millions of Americans are still primed to swallow fake news." New York Times reports today in 2,500-word feature on election security ahead. [DefenseOne, Jan 10, 20] With the decline in news from soures with professional editors and fact checkers, truth beomes a slippery object. And with a president who typically offers multiple lies a day, where is a usable standard?
Applied Genetic Tech (Alachua FL; $1M SBIR, funded 1999) up 123% [Jan 9, 20] reported positive interim six-month data from its ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical program in X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP). The results show that patients treated centrally with its product candidate demonstrated durable improvement in visual function six months after dosing. [company press release, Jan 9, 20] total funding $38M [crunchbase.com]
The Senate SB Committee showed concern about the leadership of SBA’s Office of Innovation and Investment, which overseas both the Small Business Investment Corporation (SBIC) program and SBIR/STTR policy office. In response, [nominated Administrator] Carranza agreed to address those concerns, ensure that the SBIR/STTR office’s staff backlog is addressed, and testify before the committee within 90 days about her solutions to these issues. [SSTI, Jan 8, 20] Fortunately the investment part of SBIR/STTR is run by the federal R&D agencies.
Hememics Biotechnologies (Rockville, MD; SBIR) startup logged a $2.5 million backing from a consortium of Vietnamese investors with an office in McLean. Hememics is developing pocket-sized point-of-care devices that it claims can detect pathogens under a minute, with an initial focus on sexually transmitted illnesses. [DCInno, Jan 7, 20]
True Bearing Diagnostics (Washington, DC; SBIR) biotech s seeking $20 million in new funding, according to the WBJ. The company is developing an RNA-based blood testing tool for the early detection of coronary disease [DCInno, Jan 7, 20]
Novome Biotechnologies (South San Francisco, CA; $1M SBIR, founded 2016) engineering first-in-class, living medicines for chronic diseases, today announced that it has secured $33 million in a Series A financing [to] advance the Company’s lead hyperoxaluria program through Phase 1 clinical proof-of-concept work, as well as to expand its Genetically Engineered Microbial Medicines (GEMMs) platform to address additional indications. [company press release, Jan 7, 20] total funding $38M crunchbase.com]
Five Prime Thera up 15% [Jan 6, 20]
Black Diamond Therapeutics (Cambridge, MA; no SBIR, founded 2016) filed for an IPO [with] a $100 million goal. ... is developing drugs to treat cancers with defined genetic mutations. The company has developed proprietary technology, dubbed Mutation Allostery Pharmacology (MAP), to analyze population-level genetic sequencing data in order to find mutations that drive cancer growth, according to the filing. [Frank Vinluan, xconomy.com, Jan 7, 19] total funding $197M [crunchbase.com]
Biointervene (San Diego, CA; no SBIR) announded Series A $30M financing [to] guide its lead compound, BIO-205, into human testing for neuropathic pain. [Sarah de Crescenzo, xconomy.com, Jan 7, 19]
Apellis Pharmaceuticals (Waltham, MA; no SBIR) announced positive results from the Phase 3 PEGASUS study evaluating pegcetacoplan (APL-2) in adults with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). also announced that it has commenced an underwritten public offering of 7,000,000 shares of its common stock. [company press releases, Jan 7, 20] works better than a blockbuster Alexion Pharmaceuticals medicine that is currently the standard of care. [Frank Vinluan, xconomy,com, Jan 7, 19]
Acceleron Pharma is paying Fulcrum Therapeutics (no SBIR) $10 million up front to kick off a partnership aiming to identify small molecule drugs to treat pulmonary disease. [xconomy.com, Jan 3, 19]
Pfizer is taking the reins on experimental hemophilia A treatment SB-525 after partner Sangamo Therapeutics completed Phase 1/2 tests of the gene therapy. The pharmaceutical giant has already started enrolling patients in a Phase 3 study and will be responsible for further development. [xconomy.com, Jan 3, 19]
Intra-Cellular Therapeutics (no SBIR) won FDA approval for lumateperone (Caplyta), a treatment for schizophrenia in adults. But the drug’s label carries a boxed warning stating that elderly patients treated with antipsychotic drugs have an increased risk of death. [xconomy.com, Jan 3, 19]
Data from the Institute for Supply Management showed the U.S. manufacturing sinking deeper into contraction, with the headline index falling to a 10-year low of 47.2 in the final month of the year. ... “was the lowest reported since June 2009 and there was weakness evident in many of the survey’s underlying components,” wrote J.P. Morgan economist Daniel Silver in a research note. [Pedro Nicolaci da Costa, Forbes, Jan 4, 20]
The man who lied "wolf". Americans typically rally around wartime presidents. But Trump has a credibility problem. “Trump arrives at this perilous moment at a decided disadvantage: He can’t assume people will accept what he says as true, because millions have concluded it never is.” [Peter Nicholas, White House correspondent, Jan 3, 19]
IDEAYA Biosciences up 22% [Jan 2, 20]
Promega (Madison, WI; $3.7M SBIR) has signed a licensing agreement with MilliporeSigma, the U.S. life sciences business of German pharmaceutical and chemical company Merck KGaA. The agreement allows Promega to use MilliporeSigma’s genome-editing technology to create research products and services. [Katherine Davis, WiscInno, Jan 2, 20]
The threat to the West from China’s high-tech authoritarianism has become all too clear. Everything from its pioneering artificial-intelligence firms to its gulags in Xinjiang spread alarm across the world. Just as visible is America’s incoherent response, which veers between demanding that the Chinese government buy Iowan soyabeans and insisting it must abandon its state-led economic model. [The Economist, Jan 4, 20]
RareCyte (Seattle, WA; $800K SBIR) creating liquid and tissue biopsy analysis platforms with emphasis on rare cell detection announced today the completion of a $22M financing [company press release, Dec 19, 19]
Annual GDP growth continued its long-term secular decline in the 2010s, meaning that the economy piddled along instead of really booming. Productivity growth—the crucial determinant of rising living standards in the long term—was abysmal. The country’s output grew mostly because its workers did more work, not because businesses became more effective and efficient and ingenious. ... The rich had it great, growing richer than they have ever been and accounting for a greater share of American wealth than at any other point since the Gilded Age. [Annie Lowrey, Atlantic Monthly, Dec 2019] Which will continue until the unwealthy classes face the reality that a tide of immigrant exclusion and low wealth taxes will not lift all boats.
The budget deficit has jumped over 50 percent since President Trump took office and is expected to top $1 trillion in 2020, partly as a result of the [Tax Cuts & Jobs] law. ... Starting in early 2018, senior officials in President Trump’s Treasury Department were swarmed by lobbyists seeking to insulate companies from the few parts of the tax law that would have required them to pay more. The crush of meetings was so intense that some top Treasury officials had little time to do their jobs, according to two people familiar with the process. [Jesse Drucker and Jim Tankersley, NYTimes, Dec 30, 19] Love your unlimited national credit card and tax breaks for lobbyist clients.
Net loss. Fed economists conclude, “We find the impact” from protection “is completely offset in the short-run by reduced competitiveness from retaliation and higher costs in downstream industries.” They add that they focused only on the impact of tariffs, not on the “increased uncertainty” from trade policy. A previous Fed study looked at uncertainty and found it has cut U.S. GDP growth by about a percentage point, which explains the deceleration to 2% from 3% in the last year. We realize this won’t persuade committed protectionists for whom tariffs are mainly about politics. [Editorial Board, Wall Street Journal, Dec 31, 19]
Trade Nothingburger. [Trade Rep] Lighthizer has said “a lot of hard things” have been left to future talks, which most analysts say will be arduous and unlikely to bear fruit before the November election. Bargaining over industrial subsidies is expected to be particularly tough. Though Trump launched the trade war to get China to change practices including its numerous subsidies, the commercial conflict has only convinced Xi to accelerate efforts to become self-sufficient — no matter the cost. [Bess Levin, Vanity Fair, Dec 31, 19] Stand by for hand-waving.
Don't want to know. In just three years, the Trump administration has diminished the role of science in federal policymaking while halting or disrupting research projects nationwide, marking a transformation of the federal government whose effects, experts say, could reverberate for years. Mr. Trump has consistently said that government regulations have stifled businesses and thwarted some of the administration’s core goals, such as increasing fossil-fuel production. [Brad Plumer and Coral Davenport, NYTimes, Dec 29, 19]
Microbot Medical down 21% [Dec 27, 29] announced that it has entered into definitive agreements with certain institutional investors for the purchase in a registered direct offering [to raise $10M] [compant press release, Dec 27, 19]
Make America gag again. “Influencers” replaced experts, scientists and scholars; memes and misinformation started to displace facts. As the news cycle spun faster and faster, our brains struggled to cope with the flood of data and distraction that endlessly spilled from our phones. And in an era of data overload and short attention spans, it’s not the most reliable, trustworthy material that goes viral — it’s the loudest voices, the angriest, most outrageous posts that get clicked and shared. [Michiko Kakutani, New York Times, Dec 27, 19]
Liquidia Tech up 43% [Dec 26, 19]
Technology giants are opening their checkbooks to keep pace in the hot field of artificial intelligence, where some of the best ideas and most sought-after talent reside in small startups and academia. [Asa Fitch, Wall Street Journal, Dec 27, 19]
IP review. The National Defense Authorization Act allows [DOD] to come up with a pilot program on IP evaluation [that] will review commercial valuation techniques for IP, examine contracting methods to expedite IP delivery and address the oversight’s feasibility to standardize IP practices. DoD should submit a report to Congress in November 2020. [Jane Edwards, govconwire, Dec 27, 19]
Microbot Medical up 61% [Dec 24, 29]
Applied Genetic Tech up 24% [Dec 24, 29]
At a time when germs are growing more resistant to common antibiotics, many companies that are developing new versions of the drugs are hemorrhaging money and going out of business, gravely undermining efforts to contain the spread of deadly, drug-resistant bacteria.... One of the biggest developers of antibiotics, Melinta Therapeutics, recently warned regulators it was running out of cash. ... The problem is straightforward: The companies that have invested billions to develop the drugs have not found a way to make money selling them. [Andrew Jacobs, Wall Street Journal, Dec 25, 19]
Intra-Cellular Therapies (New York, NY; $6M SBIR, founded 2002) up 193% [Dec 23, 19] focused on the development of therapeutics for central nervous system (CNS) disorders, today announced that CAPLYTA(R) (lumateperone) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults. The Company expects to initiate the commercial launch of CAPLYTA in late Q1 2020. [company press release, Dec 23, 19] total funding $225M [crunchbase.com]
Microbot Medical (Hingham, MA; no SBIR) up 77% [Dec 23, 29] announced the revealing of LIBERTY(TM) , the world's first fully disposable robotic system for use in neurovascular, cardiovascular and peripheral vascular procedures. [company press release, Dec 23, 19]
Cabaletta Bio up 34% [Dec 23, 19]
Calithera Biosciences up 24% [Dec 23, 19]
Exagen up 24% [Dec 23, 19]
Cerecor up 23% [Dec 23, 19]
BioXcel Therapeutics up 17% [Dec 23, 19]
Monopar Thera down 19% [Dec 23, 29
Sarepta Therapeutics, the leader in precision genetic medicine for rare diseases, announced that Sarepta and Roche have entered into a licensing agreement providing Roche exclusive commercial rights to SRP-9001 (AAVrh74.MHCK7.micro-dystrophin), Sarepta’s investigational gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), outside the United States. Sarepta will receive $1.15 billion in an upfront payment and an equity investment; up to $1.7 billion in regulatory and sales milestones; and royalties on net sales, anticipated to be in the mid-teens. In addition, Roche and Sarepta will equally share global development expenses. Sarepta retains all rights to SRP-9001 in the United States. [company press release, Dec 23, 29] The deal comes days after Roche advanced its push into gene therapies by closing the takeover of Spark Therapeutics. [Fierce Biotech, Dec 23, 19]
Johnson & Johnson announced the acquisition of TARIS Biomedical LLC (Lexingon, MA; no SBIR, founded 2008) specializing in the development of a novel drug delivery technology for the treatment of bladder diseases including cancer. The company’s lead clinical-stage product, TAR-200, uses the proprietary TARIS System, which features a silicone-based drug delivery device that allows for the continuous release of medication into the bladder. Financial terms not disclosed. [JNJ press release, Dec 20, 19]
Unrest in several parts of the world could also break badly next year," Northern Trust economist Carl Tannenbaum said. The drag from slower global growth is evident in trade data: Yes, the trade war with China hit exports to that country. But sales to the rest of the world are decelerating sharply. [Jeff Sparshott, Wall Street Journal, Dec 23, 19] Don't look for Trump to report that his beloved "eaasy to win" trade war are undercutting US outlook.
Precision Biosciences up 18% [Dec 20, 19]
Robotic Research (Clarksburg, MD; $21M SBIR) a leading provider of autonomy and robotic technologies to government and commercial customers, announced receipt of a $16.5 million order for its warfighter localization sensor units, also known as WarLoc®, the U.S. Army Product Manager Sets, Kits Outfits and Tools (PM SKOT) to support forward-deployed U.S. military personnel. [company press release, Dec 19, 19]
Nuvera Fuel Cells (Billerica, MA; no SBIR), a provider of fuel cell power solutions for motive applications, announce construction of a fuel cell stack production line in the Hangzhou district government of Fuyang, China. [company press release, Dec 19, 19]
Eko Devices (Berkeley, CA; $300K SBIR) granted breakthrough device designation for an electrocardiogram (ECG)-based algorithm that could serve as an easily accessible screening tool for heart failure during routine physical exams. [Meg Bryant, BioWorld.com, Dec 18, 19]
Biogen is going all in on Alzheimer’s disease—the Big Biotech is picking up a tau-targeting treatment from Ionis Pharmaceuticals for $45 million upfront. Currently in phase 1, the antisense treatment, IONIS-MAPTRx, is designed to cut down on the production of tau proteins in the central nervous system. Formally known as MAPT (microtubule-associated protein tau) [Amirah Al Idrus, Fierce Biotech, Dec 19, 19]
Monopar Therapeutics (Wilmette IL; no SBIR) up 231% [Dec 19, 19] announced it priced an [IPO] to raise $9M ... a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing proprietary therapeutics designed to improve clinical outcomes for cancer patients. The company's pipeline consists of Validive(R) for the prevention of chemoradiotherapy-induced severe oral mucositis in oropharyngeal cancer patients; camsirubicin for advanced soft tissue sarcoma; and a late-stage preclinical antibody MNPR-101. [company press release, Dec 19, 19]
Catalyst Biosciences (South San Francisco, CA; no SBIR) up 66% [Dec 19, 19] announced it has entered into a global license and collaboration agreement with Biogen Inc. (Nasdaq: BIIB) for the development and commercialization of pegylated CB 2782 (CB 2782-PEG) for the potential treatment of geographic atrophy (GA) associated dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD). ... Catalyst will receive a $15 million upfront payment and is eligible to receive up to $340 million in clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments plus future tiered royalties based on net sales. [company press release, Dec 19, 19] total funding $205M [crunchbase.com]
PLx Pharma up 41% [Dec 19, 19]
PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals up 30% [Dec 19, 19]
Molecular Templates up 16% [Dec 19, 19]
Minerva Neurosciences down 18% [Dec 19, 19]
Mirum Pharma up 44% [Dec 18, 19]
PhaseBio Phrma up 28% [Dec 18, 19]
PLx Pharma down 29% [Dec 18, 19]
Hermemics Biotechnologies (Rockville, MD; no SBIR) raised $2.5M to start clinical research of its pathogen-detecting technology. [Brent Wistrom, DCInno, Dec 18 19]
Triplet Therapeutics (Cambridge, MA; no SBIR), harnessing human genetics to develop treatments for repeat expansion disorders at their source, launched with $59 million in financing including a $49 million Series A financing [company press release, Dec 18, 19]
Organovo (San Diego, CA; $1.6M SBIR) and Tarveda Therapeutics, (formerly Blend Thera, Watertown, MA; no SBIR) clinical stage biopharmaceutical developing a new class of potent and selective precision oncology medicines, which it refers to as Pentarin miniature drug conjugates, announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Tarveda would merge with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Organovo in an all-stock transaction. [joint company press relese, Dec 16, 19]
Industrial robotics startup Gecko Robotics (Pittsburgh, PA; no SBIR, funded 2016) raised $40 million in a series B round [Paul Sawers, venturebeat.com, Dec 16, 19]
Viela Bio up 20% [Dec 17, 19]
Immunogen up 19% [Dec 17, 19]
Proteostasis down 64% [Dec 17, 19] announced positive topline results from the Company's global, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, 28-day, Phase 2 study evaluating its proprietary cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulator combinations in F508del homozygous and heterozygous CF subjects 18 years of age and older. [company press release, Dec 17, 19]
SafeLi (Shorewood, WI; one Phase II SBIR, founded 2016) as a university-incubated startup, with co-founders who are also co-inventors of the foundational patent “Synthesis and Applications of Graphene-based Nanomaterials”, SafeLi has secured an exclusive royalty-bearing, worldwide license to develop and commercialize product(s) covered by the licensed patent in all fields of use, with initial focus on Lithium Ion Batteries. These materials are based on abundant, non-toxic starting materials that offer low-cost, safer and higher capacity alternatives to graphite-only anode batteries. Batteries with the patented materials demonstrate higher capacity and faster charge rates than graphite. [WiscInno, Dec 17, 19]
Leidos agreed to acquire technology services contractor Dynetics (Huntsville AL; lots of SBIR) for $1.65B cash to further build up its position in the intelligence, civil and defense markets. [Jane Edwards, GovConWire.com, Dec 18, 19]
announced the successful completion of its clinical pre-New Drug Application (NDA) meeting with [FDA] for maralixibat for the treatment of pruritus associated with Alagille syndrome. [company press release, Dec 16, 19]
Four years after BioMarin’s vosoritide posted proof-of-concept data, the drug hit the mark in phase 3, helping children with achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism, grow more quickly than those on placebo. [Amirah Al Idrus, Fierce Biotech, Dec 16, 19]
Sarepta Thera up 31% [Dec 13, 19] announced that [FDA] has approved VYONDYS 53(TM) (golodirsen), an antisense oligonucleotide from Sarepta's phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMO) platform, indicated for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in patients with a confirmed mutation amenable to exon 53 skipping.... also announced today that it has entered into an agreement that provides up to $500 million of borrowing capacity [company press release, Dec 12, 19]
ChromaDex up 17% [Dec 12, 19]
Phoenix Analysis and Design Technologies (PADT) (Tempe, AZ; $4.5M prior SBIR) announced NASA has awarded a $755,000 Phase II STTR to collaborate with Arizona State University (ASU) and Kennesaw State University (KSU, Georgia) to enable the development of stronger and lighter structures for space exploration. ... to develop a software tool for designing, virtually testing and optimizing strong, lightweight lattice structures for aerospace vehicles. The result will be a commercial software product that PADT plans to market. [company press release, Dec 10, 19] How nicely utilitarian and presumably low tech risk in the hands of experienced engineers. The Congresscritter will no doubt applaud as innovation is whatever the company and the federal agency say it is.
Calyxt up 17% [Dec 12, 19]
Seattle Genetics has shared more of the tucatinib data it hopes will win it approval in HER2-positive breast cancer. The pivotal trial linked the tyrosine kinase inhibitor to reduced risk of progression and death in patients with and without brain metastases, leading Seattle Genetics CEO Clay Siegall to hail the data as “stunning.” [Nick Paul Taylor, Fierce Biotech, Dec 11, 19]
Zentalis (San Diego, CA; no SBIR) a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical focused on developing clinically differentiated, novel small molecule therapeutics that target fundamental pathways in cancer, today announced the completion of an $85 million Series C financing. The Company has raised a total of $147 million in gross proceeds from private financings since its founding in December 2014. [company press release, Dec 9, 19]
Aspen Neuroscience (San Diego, CA; no SBIR) announced it raised a seed round of $6.5 million to support its work. Aspen’s lead drug candidate, which is in preclinical testing, is intended to replace neurons in the brains of people with the disease, which causes those cells to become damaged or die. [Sarah de Crescenzo, xconomy.com, Dec 12, 19]
Dermira up 17% [Dec 11, 19] announced that [FDA] has granted Fast Track designation for lebrikizumab, its novel, investigational treatment being evaluated for patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. [company press release, Dec 10, 19]
biotech startup True Bearing Diagnostics (Washington, DC; no SBIR) is looking to raise $20M in a new funding round to further develop a RNA-based blood test tool for early detection of coronary artery disease, the WBJ reported [Brent Wistrom, DCInno, Dec 11, 19]
Eloxx Pharma up 27% [Dec 10, 19]
Microbot Medical up 17% [Dec 10, 19]
Congressman proposes neww DOD SBIR follow-on. The [proposed] legislation will allow SBIR awardees that have completed SBIR Phase II — that is, who have proved out the scientific, technical and commercial merit and potential of the idea — to apply for a special designation: Entrepreneurial Innovation, or Ei. Each year, at least ten Ei project candidates per service branch will be selected by a panel run by the Pentagon’s SBIR office and comprised of independent and un-conflicted technical and business advisers with an entrepreneurial perspective. Each of these will receive a DOD agency Ei Advocate. [Rep Ken Calvert, DefOne, Dec 9, 19] Nice idea, but DOD already does something like that by continuing to feed SBIR money to firms it likes. Just look up a list of firms with more than $50M SBIR.
Alienating a customer. China's government will replace all of its foreign computer equipment and software within three years, the Financial Times reported (paywall) Sunday. The order appears to be a tit-for-tat response to the Trump administration's (leaky) attempt to forbid U.S. companies from doing business with Huawei. But it is also part of a larger effort by China to stimulate its tech industry and reduce the country's reliance on foreign gear. [DefenseOne, Dec 10, 19] Fortress America will get lonelier and lonelier as trading diminishes.
XBiotech (Austin, TX; no SBIR) up 75% [Dec 9, 19] announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Janssen Biotech,[Johnson & Johnson sub], to sell XBiotech's novel antibody (bermekimab) that neutralizes interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 ). IL-1 promotes disease-causing inflammation in a wide range of medical conditions. Janssen will acquire all rights to bermekimab, and XBiotech will be free to use its True Human Antibody discovery program to develop new antibody therapeutics that target IL-1 to treat non-dermatological diseases. XBiotech plans to re-enter clinical development expeditiously with a next generation anti-IL-1 therapeutic. ... Janssen will make a cash payment of $750 million [and] XBiotech may receive up to $600 million in potential milestone payments. [company press release, Dec 7, 19]
Dynavax (Berkeley, CA; $6.5M SBIR) up 15% [Dec 9, 19]
Dermira up 15% [Dec 9, 19]
Precision Biosciences (Durham, NC; $500K SBIR) down 52% [Dec 9, 19] announced updated interim clinical data from the ongoing Phase 1 trial of its lead investigational off-the-shelf (allogeneic) chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy candidate, PBCAR0191 [company press release, Dec 9, 19]
Tech jobs concentration. Just five metropolitan areas—Boston; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; and San Jose, Calif.—accounted for 90% of all U.S. high-tech job growth between 2005 to 2017, according to the research by think-tank scholars Mark Muro and Jacob Whiton of the Brookings Institution and Rob Atkinson of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. [Jon Hilsenrath, Wall Street Journal, Dec 9, 19]
Cancer Genetics up 27% [Dec 6, 19]
Epizyme up 19% [Dec 6, 19]
Cerecor up 19% [Dec 6, 19]
It “will be a disaster for the world if America isolates herself,” [John Maynard Keynes, The Economic Consequences of the Peace, 1919] Few listened. The Americans’ brief flirtation with Wilsonian internationalism yielded to a resurgence of nationalism and nativism. [Jonathan Kirshner, New York Times, Dec 6, 19] Here we are again. Is democracy incapable of moderating its base urges?
news and views about government programs, politics, attitudes ...1996-1997; 1998; 1999; Y2K; 2001 , 2002-2003 ; 2004-5; 2006; 2007-08 2009-2010; 2011-2012; 2013-14 ; 2015; 2016; 2017-18; 2019-20
BMDO/ MDA including SBIR the doings of star wars
Miscellaneous Stories 1996-1997; 1998-1999; 2000-2001; 2002-2003 ; 2004-5 ; 2006; 2007 2009-2010 ; 2011-2012; 2013-2014; 2015; 2016; 2017
IPO and Venture Markets 1996-1998 .... 1999-2005 ... 2006-present
Quotes steal them if you like
Note: in these old stories, many links are dead, obsolete, or missing
Stories about companies; 1-Al .. Am-Az .. B .. C ... D-E .. F .. G-H .. I-J .. K-L .. M ... N-O ... P ... Q-R .. S1-Se .. ... Sf-Sz .. T-U .... V-Z
10 Kardiac Devices .... 10X Genomics ..... 1366
Technologies ... 1st Detect ...
21-Century Silicon ... 21st Century
Systems .... 23andMe ... 24M Technologies
... 30
Second Software ... 360fly ..... 3Bar Biologics .... 3C Semiconductor
... 3DEO .... 3D Glass Solutions ..... 3Dnamics ..... 3D
Robotics .... 3D Systems
..... 3D Technology
Laboratories
.... 3F ... 3iNanotech .... 3PrimiR ...
3Scan ..... 3-V
Biosciences
.... 3VR ... 410 Medical Innovation .... 454 Life Sciences .... 4C
Medical Technologies .... 4D Molecular Therapeutics ..... 4s3
Bioscience ... 5D Robotics
..... 7AC
Technologies ... 89Bio ... 908Devices ... 9Mile Labs
A10 Networks ... A123Systems ... A4 Pharma .... A&G
Pharmaceutical ... Aastrom
Bioscience
.. Abacus Technology ... ... Abaxis .... Abcombi Sciences
.....
Abeona Therapeutics
..... AbGenomicsInternational ..... Abilitech
Medical ... Abiomed ... Ablative Solutions ....
Ablexis
...... ABL
Technologies .... Abpro
Therapeutics ..... AbSci .... Absorbent
Materials ... Abundant Robotics ..... AbVitro ...
Acadia Pharma ... Acambis
.. Accel Diagnostics ..... Acceleron Pharma
... Accelrys
... Accentia
BioPharmaceuticals ... Accent Therapeutics ..... Accera ....
Access Pharmaceuticals
...
Access
Scientific .... Access Vascular ... Accion Systems .....
Accumetrics
... AccuraGen ..... Accurate
Automation
.. Accuray ... Accuri Cytometers
... Acelerox ....
Acelity .... AcelRx
Pharmaceuticals ...
Acera Surgical .... Acer Thrapeutics .... Acetylon
Pharmaceuticals ... Achaogen ... Achates
Power .....
Achillion
Pharmaceuticals ... ACIST Medical Systems .... Acorda
Therapeutics
... Acorn
Cardiovascular ... Acquia .... AcroMetrix
... AcryMed ...
ActaCell ... Actasys .... ACT Biotech ... Active
Power ...
ActivBiotics
... ActivMedia Robotics .... Acton Pharmaceuticals
...
Actuality... Actuate
Therapeutics .... Acucela ... AcuFocus ....
Aculight
...
Acumentrics ... AcuraStem .... Acutus Medical .... Adamas
Pharmaceuticals ......
Adamis Pharmaceuticals
... Adapteva .... Adaptimmune Therapeutics .... Adaptive
Biotechnologies ..... Adaptive
Computing
... Adaptive
Phage Therapeutics ..... Adaptive TCR ... Adarza BioSystems
.....
Addiction
Therapeutix
...
Addrenex Pharmaceuticals ... Adelor ... Adenosine
Therapeutics
... Adesto Technologies .... Adeza Technologies ... Adherex
Technologies ... Adhesys Medical .... Adial Pharmaceuticals .... Adicet
Bio .... AdiMab
... ADispell ... Adlyfe .... ADMA
Biologics .... Admittance
Technologies
.... Admune Therapeutics ..... Adnexus
Therapeutics ... Adrenergics .... Advanced
BioHealing ... ADS Biotechnology ... Aduro BioTech
.... Advanced Animal Diagnostics .... Advanced Biologics ..... Advanced
Bionics
... Advanced Cell Diagnostics ... Advanced Cell
Technology (now sub to Bio-Techne) ... Advanced Ceramics
.... Advanced
Circulatory .....
Advanced Countermeasures
Systems ... Advanced Diamond
Technologies .... Advanced Electron Beams ...
Advanced Fuel
Research ...Advanced Life Sciences ... Advanced Lighting
Technologies ... Advanced Liquid Logic
...
Advanced Magnetics ... Advanced Photonix ....
Advanced
Programming Concepts ... Advanced Receiver
Technologies .... Advanced Scanners .... Advanced Scientific Concepts
..... Advanced Targeting
Systems
.... Advanced
Technology
Materials.(ATMI) ... Advanced Uro-Solutions ..... AdvanDx ...
Advantic ..... Advaxis ..... Adventrx
... Adverum Biotechnologies ..... Advion BioSciences
...
Adynxx ...... Aegea
Medical ... Aegerion Pharmaceuticals .... Aeglea
BioTherapeutics
Holdings ..... Aerial BioPharma .... Aerie
Pharmaceuticals
... Aerin Medical ..... AerisPhotonics ...... Aerius
Photonics
... Aerodyne Research ... Aero Farms System
... Aerovel ..... AeroVironment ... Aerpio
Therapeutics .... AesRX
...
AETC ... Aethlon Medical
... Aethon .... Aevi Genomic Medicine .....
Affectiva
.... Afferent
Pharmaceuticals ..... Affigen .... Affinimark
Technologies
... Affinity BioReagents ... Affinium
Pharmaceuticals ..... Affinivax .... Affomix ....
Affymax ....Affymetrix ... aFraxis ... AgBiome ..... AgeneBio
....
Agennix ... Agenovir ..... Agenus .... Agere
Pharmaceuticals ..... Agile
Materials
... Agile
Planet ... AgileSwitch .... Agile Therapeutics ....
Agility
Robotics ..... Agilis Biotherapeutics .... Agiltron...Agilvax ....
Agilyx ....
Aagios
Pharmaceuticals... AgraQuest .... Agritope... Agrivida
... Agro Biosciences .... Aguila
Technologies.....Ahura Scientific.... Aiko Biotechnology
... Aileron Therapeutics .... Aimmune Therapeutics
(formerly
Allergen Research) ..... airtricity... Airware .... Airxpanders ....
Airway Therapeutics .... ait laboratories... Akadeum Life Sciences ....
Akamai
Physics
Akarna
Therapeutics
..... Akashi Therapeutics ..... Akcea Therapeutics ..... Akebia ....
Akero Therapeutics ... Akermin ..... Akers BioScience ..... Akita
Innovations
... Akouos ....
Akrevia Thera .... Akron
Polymer Systems ..... Akron Surface
Technologies ..... Akros Medical ....
Alabama
Cryogenics ... Alafair Biosciences .... Albany Molecular
(AMRI) ...A?
nanotech .... Alcon .... Alcresta
.... Aldagen
... Aldatu Biosciences ..... Aldea
Pharmaceuticals
... .
Alder biopharma Aldevon ..... Aldeyra Therapeutics (formerly
Aldexa Therapeutics) .... Alector .... Alexar Therapeutics .....
Alexion
... ....Alexza ....
Alfalight.... Algaeventure Systems ... Algenetix .... Algeternal
.... Algorithmia ..... Alien Technology
.... Alimera sciences.... Alios BioPharma ....Aliva
biopharmaceuticals ..... AliveGen .... Alivio Therapeutics .....
Alkermes...
Alkeus Pharmaceuticals ...
Allakos ... Allcast ....
Allegro Diagnostics ....
Allegro
microsystems ... Allena Pharmaceuticals .... Allergy Amulet
.....
Allerquest
.... Alleviant Medical .... Allied BioScience ..... Allied Minds ....
Alliqua .... Allos
Alloy Polymers .... Alloy
Surfaces .....
Allurion Technologies ... Allylix ... Ally Therapeutics ....
Alnara Pharmaceutical
...
Alnylam... Alper Biotech ... Alphabet Energy .... AlphaCore Pharma ...
Alphamed.... Alphatec
Holdings .....
Alphavax ... Alpine Biosciences .... Alpine Data
Labs .... Alpine Immune Sciences ..... Alseres ..... Algeternal
.... Alta Devices ... AltAir Fuels ... Altair
Therapeutics
... Altamira Technologies .... AltaRock
... AltheaDX .... Althea
Technologies ... Altimmune ..... Altor ...
Altra ...
Altura Medical ... Altus Pharmaceuticals ...
ALung
Technologies
... Alvine Pharmaceuticals ....
>Alycone
Lifesciences .... Alzeca ..... AMAG Pharmaceuticals
... Alzheon ..... Amaranth Medical .... Ambarella .....
Amberwave
... Ambiq
Micro ....
Ambit
Biosciences .... AMBP
Technology ... Ambri .... Ambrx ...
Ambry .... Ambys Medicines .... Amendia .... American Bionics .....
American
Gene Technologies International .... American Lithium Energy ....
American Medical Systems ....
American Science and Engineering
... America Stem Cell, now Targagyme .... American
Superconductor
... American XTAL .. Ames
Technology ... Amgen ... Amicus Therapeutics .... Amionx ..... Amnis
...
AMO
Pharma ..... Amphivena Therapeutics .... Ampio Pharmaceuticals .....
Ampla
Pharmaceuticals ... Amplimmune .... Amplyx Pharmaceuticals
.....
Amprius .... ARMO
BioSciences
.... Amylin
Pharmaceuticals
... Amylyx ..... Amyris
Biotechnologies ... AN2 Therapeutics .... Anacor
Pharmaceuticals ...
Anadys
Pharmaceuticals ... Anakim Biologics ....
Analog Computing
Solutions .... Analytical Space ..... AnaptysBio
... Anavex Life Sciences .... Anchor Therapeutics ...
Ancora Pharmaceuticals
... AnDAPT ..... Anexon .... Anew Optics ... Angeion ...
AngioDynamics
... Angiologix ... Angstrom Medica .... Angstron
Materials
... Animalgesic Labs .... ANI Pharmaceuticals ...
Animetrics .... Anivax .... Anivive Therapeutics ..... Annexon
Bioscience ..... ANP Technologies
..... Ansoft
... Ansun Biopharma (formerly NexBio) .... Antegrin
Therapeutics
..... Anthera
Pharmaceuticals .... Anthos Therapeutics .....
Antigenics ... Anue Systems ... Anulex Technologies
... Anybots ... AOBiome Therapeutics
(formerly
Nitrocell) .... AOptix Technologies
... Aortica ..... APA
Optics (Enterprises) ... Apellis Pharmaceuticals
.....
Apexigen ... Aperiomics .... Aperion Biologics .... Aphios
... Apic Bio .... Apieron ... Apnex Medical
... ApniCure .....
ApoCell ....
ApoGen Biotechnologies .... Apollo
Diamond
... Apollo Endosurgery ... Apollomics
(previously CBT
Pharmaceuticals) .... Apoplogic Pharmaceuticals
... Applied Biomolecular Technologies .... Applied Biosystems
.... Applied Defense Solutions ..... Applied DNA
Sciences .... Applied Genetic Technology ... Applied Nanotech
....
Applied
NanoWorks ... Applied Optimization ..... Applied
Optoelectronics ... Applied Physical Electronics ...
Applied Physical Sciences ... Applied Precision ..... Applied
Proteomics ..... Applied Quantum Technologies .... Applied Quantum
Technology
.... Applied Research Associates
... Applied
Science and Technology ... Applied Signal
Technology
... Applied Therapeutics ...... AppThwack ....
Aprea Therapeutics .... Aprecia Pharmaceuticals ....
Apricus
Biosciences
... APS BioGroup .... Apse .... Aptalis Pharma .... Aptevo
Therapeutics .....
Aptima ... AptamiR
Therapeutics .... Aptinyx .... Aptose
Biosciences .... Aptus
Endosystems ... Aquaback Technologies ...
Aqua Bounty
... Aquacue .... AquaHarmonics ..... Aqua Metals .... AquaMost
...
Aquarius
Technologies ... Aquestive Therapeutics ....
AqueSys
... Aqueti .... Aquion .... Aradigm ....
AragonPharmaceuticals
...
Aratana
Therapeutics ..... Arbor Biosciences< ..... Arbor Biotechnologie
..... Arbor Pharmaceuticals
...
Arbovax
... Arbutus BioPharma (formerly OnCore) ..... Arca Biopharma ....
Arcadia Biosciences ..... Arcadia Pharma ..... Arcantatura...
Archemix
... Arcellx .... ArcherDX ......Arch Innotek ..... Arch
Oncology ..... Arch
Therapeutics
... Arctic Sand Technologies .... Arcturus Therapeutics ....
Arcus Biosciences ..... Ardea Biosciences ...
Ardelyx .... Ardian .... Arena Pharmaceuticals
... Argentum ..... Arginetix
... Argo AI ..... ArgonST ... Argos Therapeutics ... Aria CV
...
Ariad Pharmaceuticals .. Aria Insights (previously CyPhy
Works) .... Ariosa Diagnostics ..... Arista MD
....
Arista Networks .... ARIZ Precision
Medicine .... Arkansas Power Electronics ..... Arkuda Therapeutics ...
Armadillo Aerospace
... Armetheon .... ARMO BioSciences .... Armonica
Technologies .... Armorworks
... Armune BioScience ..... Aro Biotherapeutics
.... Aronora ..... Arpeggi
.... ArQule ... Arrakis Therapeutics .....
Array ... Arranta Bio .... Array Information
Technology ..... Arresto
Biosciences .... Arrien Pharmaceuticals ... Arrivo
BioVentures ..... Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals ..... Arrowhead
Research .... Arsanis ... ArsenalBio ...
Arsenal Medical
.... Arstasis ... Artel .... Arteriocyte
... Arterys
..... ArthroCare
...
Arthrosurface ... Artisan Pharma ... Artizan .... Artrility
Medical ..... ArunA Bio .... Arvegenix ..... Arvinas .... Arxan
Technologies .... Aryx
Therapeutics ..... Aryx
... Arzeda
... Asana Medical (now Regentsys) .... Asante Solutions .....
Ascelegen
Therapeutics .... Ascension
Orthopedics ... Ascent
Solar Technologies ....
Ascent
Therapeutics .... AsclepiX Therapeutics .... Aseptia .... Ash
Access Technology .... Asklepios
Biopharmaceutical .... AstroWatt .... Aspen Aerogels
.... AspenBio
Pharma .... Aspen Products Group ....
Aspen
Technology
... Aspyrian Therapeutics .... Assurex Health ..... Astex
Therapeutics ...
Asthmapolis
.... Astralux
... Astrobotic Technology ....
Astronautics Corp. of
America ... AstroPower... AstroTerra ..
Astrum Solar ... Astute
Medical ....
Astute Medicales ... Asuragen
... Atacama ..... Atara Biotherapeutics ..... Ataxion ....
Athenex
(formerly
Kinex) ..... Athenix
... Athens Research ..... AtheroGenics ... AtheroMed ....
Athersys .... ATI Industrial
Automation
... Atlantia ... Atmocean .....
Atmospheric Glow
Technologies ...
Atomate ... Atomic Medical Innovations .....
Atomometrics
... Atomwise ..... Atoptix .... Atossa
Genetics
... Atreaon ....
Atreca .... Atreon Orthopedics
..... AtriCure ... Atrium
Medical ... ATRP Solutions ... aTyr Pharma .....
Audentes
Therapeutics ..... Audience
... Augmenix
.... AUM
Cardiovascular ... Aura Biosciences ....
Auris Health .... Auris Medical .... Auris Surgical Robotics
..... Aurora
Algae ... Aurora Flight
Sciences ....
Aurora
Imaging Technology ...
Aurora Spectral Technologies
... Auspex
Pharmaceuticals ... Ausra ... Auterra
.... AuthenTec .... Autolus Therapeutics .... Automated Dynamics ...
Automated
Medical Instruments .... Autonet ... Aushon
Biosystems ... AutoGenomics .... Autonomic Materials
.... Autonomic Technologies ..... Autonomous Technologies
....
Auxilium
Pharmaceuticals ... Avalanche
Biotechnologies ....
Avanir Pharmaceuticals
... Avant Immunotherapeutics ... Avanti Metal ...
Avaxia
Biologics ... Avedro ... Avelas Biosciences ....
Aveo
Pharmaceuticals
... Avery Therapeutics ..... AveXis .... Aviation Resources
Delaware .... AVI
BioPharma ... Avici Systems ... AvidBiotics
.....Avidity
Biosciences .... Avid
Radiopharmaceuticals
... Avila Therapeutics ... Avinger ....
... Aviragen Therapeutics (formerly Biota
Pharmaceuticals)
..... Aviron ..... Avisa Pharma .... Avita Medical Americas .....
Avitude .... Avrobio
..... AVT Simulation .... Aware ... Axcella Health (was Pronutria)
.....
Axelo .... Axerion Therapeutics
... Axial
Biotech .... Axial Biotherapeutics ..... Axion BioSystems
.....
Axion Power
... Axis Clinicals .... Axis
Semiconductor
... Axium Nanofibers ...... Axium Pharmaceuticals .... Axogen
.... Axonia Medical ....Axonics Modulation Technologies
Axsome Therapeutics ..... Axsun Technologies ... Ayasdi
..... Azaya
Therapeutics ... Azelon Pharmaceutical ... Azimuth
.... Azitra ..... Aziyo Biologics ..... Azure Biotech ..... AzurRx
BioPharma
Baby Genes .... Bacterial Robotics .... BacterioScan ....
Baebies
..... Bagaveev
.... Ballard
Power ... Bamboo Therapeutics ..... Bandgap ... Banner Life
Sciences ..... Banyan Biomarkers ... Bardy
Diagnostics .... BarioSurg ..... Baryonyx .... Barrier
Therapeutics ... Baseload Renewables .... Basis
Science
.... Bastion
Technologies
.... Batu Biologics ..... Bauhaus Software ..... Baxano ...
Baxano Surgical .... BayoTech ..... Beacon Biomedical ..... Beacon
Power ... Beam Therapeutics ..... Beat
Biotherapeutics .... Beeco
... Behavioral Recognition Systems .... Bellicum
Pharmaceuticals .... Belmont Instrument ....
Benchmark
Automation ... BeneChill
... Benefuel ... BeneVir Biopharm ....
Bennett
Aerospace .... Benson Hill
Biosystems ..... Benvenue
Medical .... Berg .... BerrieHill
Research
... BESS Technologies .... BetaBatt
...
BetaLED ....
LEDBG Medicine
... Bettergy .... Bexion Pharmaceuticals .... Bina
Technologies .... Bind
Bioscience ... Bind Therapeutics .... BinOptics ..... BiO2
Medical
... BiO2
Technologies
...
BioAmber ... BioAdvanTek ... BioAffinity
Technologies .....
Bioanalytical Systems
... BioBehavioral Diagnostics ... BioBridge
Global
..... BioCardia .....
BioCentra Molecular Innovations ..... Biocept
...
BioChemics ..... BioClin Therapeutics .... Bicycle Therapeutics .....
Bien-Etre
Labs ..... BioCold Genesys .... Bioconnect Systems .... BioConsortia
..... BioCritica
... BioCryst Pharmaceuticals ...
BioDelivery Sciences ... Biodesix .... BioDirection ..... BioDtech ...
BioFactura ... ..... BioE ...
BioFire .... BioFluidica ..... Biogenic
Reagents
.... BioGreenChoice ... BioHaven Pharmaceuticals ..... Bioheart
...
Biohelix ... Bio-Imaging Technologies
...
Bioincept .... BioKier ..... Biolex Therapeutics
... BioLife4D ..... BioLink Life
Sciences
... Biolinq (formerly Electrozyme) ,,,, Biologics
...
BioMagnetic Solutions ....
BioMarin
Pharmaceutical
... BioMarck
Pharmaceuticals .... bioMASON ..... Biomatrica ...
BioMedical
Enterprises
... Biomedical Sciences ..... Biomedical
Structures ...
BioMedix .... Biomeme .... Biometric
Signature
... BioMimetic Therapeutics
... BioMotiv .... BioNano
Genomics ... BioNanomatrix ... Bionostics
Holdings
... Bio-Path Holdings ..... Biophan Technologies
... Biophysical ... BioProcessors ...
Bioptigen
... Bioptix .... BiOptix Diagnostics ..... BioPulping
International
...
Biopure ... Biorasis ..... BioRelix ... BioResource
International
...
BioRestorative Therapies (formerly Stem Cell Assurance) ....
BioSante Pharmaceuticals ... BioScale
.... BioSense
Technologies ... BioSensics .... BioSentinel
Pharmaceuticals
... BioSig Technologies ..... Biosortia Pharmaceuticals ....
BioSphere Medical
.... Biostage (formerly Harvard Apparatus
Regenerative
Technology) ..... BioStructures .... Biosurfaces .... Biosym
Technologies later Accelrys
....
BioSystem
...
Biota Pharmaceuticals .... Bio-Techne ..... BioTechnique ....
BioTechPlex .....
Biotectix
....
Biotel
.... BioTelemetry (formerly CardioNet) ..... BioTex
....
Biothera
... BioTheranostics ... Bio Time ...
Biotix
... Biotronic NeuroNetwork ..... Biotronik ....
BioTrove
... BioVaxys .... Bioventus ..... Biovest International ....
BioVex
... BioVirtua ..... Bird Rock Bio (formerly RuiYi) .....
Birich
Technologies .... Biscayne Neurotherapeutics ..... Bitstream
... Black
Diamond Therapeutics .... Black-I Robotics
... Black Sand ... BlackThorn
..... BladeLogic
... Blasch Precision Ceramics .... Blaze
Bioscience ... Blend
Therapeutics ....
BL Healthcare ... Block Engineering ...
Bloom Energy
... Bloo Solar ..... BluDiagnostics ..... Blue Belt
Technologies
...
Bluebird
bio ...
BluDiagnostics .... Bluefin Robotics ... Bluegrass
Proteins
.... Bluegrass
Vascular
Technologies .... Blueprint
Medicines ...
BlueRock Therapeutics ..... Blue
Sky Batteries ... Bluewater Bio International ... Blue Water
Vaccines .... Bolder Surgical ... Bolt
Biotherapeutics .... Bolt Threads ....
Boom Supersonic ..... Boragen .... Boston Biochem
... Boston Biomedical ... Boston Dynamics
...
Boston Engineering ... Boston Micromachines ... Boston
Micromachines (formally Boston
Electrometallurgical .... Boston-Power
...
Boston
Therapeutics ... Bot Dolly .... Boundless
... Boundless Bio ... BoXZY
..... Braeburn Pharmaceuticals ..... BrainCells
... BrainScope .... Brain Sentry ....
Brain Tunnelgenix
Technologies .... BrainXell ..... Branch Medical Group ..... Brayton
Energy
.... Breathe
Technologies ... Breethe .... Breonics ...
BreviTest
Technologies
..... Brewer
Science ... Brickell Biotech .... Bridger Photonics .... Bridgelux
... Brightsource Energy ... Bright View
...
Brimrose Corp of America ... Briteseed .... Brock Rogers Surgical
...
Bromium
.... Brooks
Automation ...
Bruker Daltonics .... Buffalo BioLabs ..... Burl
Concepts
..... Burr Oak
C12 Energy ... C2Sense .... C3Nano
... C4 Therapeutics .... C8
Sciences ....
C9 ... Cabaletta Bio .... CABG Medical ....
Cadence Pharma ....
CadheRx
Therapeutics
.....
Caisson Biotech .... Calabazas
Creek
Research .... Caladrius
Bioscience ... Cala Health ..... Calando
Pharmaceuticals
... Calbiotech .... Calera ... Caliber Biotherapeutics ....
Calibra
Medical ... Calient ... California Wave Power
Technologies ..... Calimmune ..... Caliper Life Sciences
....
CaliSolar ... Calistoga Pharmaceuticals ...
Calithera
BioSciences .... Calixa
Therapeutics ... Callidus Biopharma ... Calporta
Therapeutics
.... Calspan .... Caltech Metals ... Calysta .... Calyxt ..... Cambrian
Innovation ... Cambridge
Endoscopic Devices ... Cambridge Heart
.... Cambridge
Research & Instrumentation ... Cambrios
Technologies .... CAMX ..... Candela Laser ....
Cancer
Genetics .... Cancer Prevention
Pharmaceuticals .... CanDiag .... Canopy Biosciences ..... Capesym
... Capillary
Biomedical ..... Capio Biosciences .... Capnia
... CAPP Medical ..... Capricor Therapeutics .... Cara
Therapeutics .... Carbon .....
Carbon
Design
Systems ... Carbtex Technology
.... Carbylan Therapeutics ..... Cardeas
Pharma ....
CardiacAssist ..... Cardiac Concepts ...
Cardiac
Dimensions
... Cardiac Science ..... Cardialen ..... CardiAQ Valve
Technologies ... Cardica
... CardioDx
... Cardio Flow ..... CardioFocus ... CardioInsight
Technologies .....
Cardiokinetix ..... CardioMag ... CardioMEMS .... Cardionomic ....
CardioNXT ..... Cardiorobotics
...
Cardiosolutions ... Cardiosolv .... CardioSpectra ... CardioTech
... Cardiovate ..... CardiOx ...
Cardioxyl
Pharmaceuticals
.... CareDx (formerly XDx) .... Caribou Biosciences
.....
Carigent Therapeutics .... Carisma Thera (formerly CARMA Therapeutics)
..... Carlsme .... Carmot Therapeutics
..... Carnegie Robotics
.... Carnegie Spee .... ... .... Carnot BioSciences ....
CaroGen .... Carter Aviation Technologies .... Carticept
Medical ... Cartiva ..... Cascade Designs ...
Cascade
Microtech
... Cascadian Therapeutics (formerly Oncothyreon) ..... Casma
Therapeutics .... Castle Pharmaceuticals .... Castle Creek
Pharmaceuticals
Catabasis Pharmaceuticals ... Catadon
Systems ... Catalyst Biosciences ... Catalyst Pharma
.... Catalytic Innovations ..... Catalyze ..... Catelectric
.... Cebix .... Cedarburg Pharmaceuticals .... Cedilla
Therapeutics ..... CeeTox
... Celadon ... Celator Pharmaceuticals
... CelcuityCeldara Medical ..... Celladon .... Cellara .... Cell Care
Therapeutics ..... Cellceutix
.... CellCyte
Genetics ... Cell Design Labs ..... Celldex Therapeutics
... ..... Cellectar ... Cellerant
Therapeutics
... Celleration .... Cell Genesys ... CellRight
Technologies
..... Cellular
Bioengineering
...
... Cellular Bioengineering ..... Cellular Biomedicine Group
.....
Cellular Dynamics International .... Cell>Point
.... CellSavers ..... Cellscape .... Cellscript
..... Cell
Signaling Technology ...Cell
Therapeutics (now CTI
BioPharma)
... CellTraffix ... CeloNova Biosciences
..... Cel-Sci
.... Celsion ...
Celtaxsys ..... Celula..... Celularity ..... CellzDirect ...
Cempra Pharmaceuticals.
.... CeNeRx
BioPharma ... Centocor .... Centrexion Therapeutics .....
Centrose ... Centice .. Century Therapeutics .... Centritec
Seals ... Cephalon
... Cepheid
... Cephalon ... Ception Therapeutics
... Cequent
Pharmaceuticals ... Cerebras Systems ..... Ceradyne ...
Ceramic
Tubular Products .... Ceramitron ... Cerapedics
.... Ceramatec
... Cerevast Therapeutics .... Cerealus Holdings
... Cerecor .... Ceregene ...
Cerahelix
.. Ceres Nanosciences ..... Cerexa .... Cerion
Enterprises ...
Cermet ... Cernostics ..... Cerulean Pharma
... Cerus ... Cervel Neurotech .... Cesca
Therapeutics
....
Ceterix
Orthopaedics ... CFD Research ..
CFX Battery
.... CGI Pharmaceuticals ... ChaCha
... Chantilly BioPharma .... Chapman
Innovations ... Charles River Analytics .... Charles
River
Lab ... Charter Medical ..... Chase Therapeutics .... CHASM
.... Chatham
Therapeutics .....
Checkerspot ..... Chemat
... Chembio Diagnostic
Systems .... ChemImage ... Chemir Analytical
Services ...
ChemoCentryx
... Chemtura ....
Chesapeake Sciences
...Chesson Labs ... Chiasma .... Chimera
Bioengineering ..... Chimerix
... Chlorogen ... Choice Therapeutics
... Chondrogenics
... Chordia
Therapeutics .... Chorum Technologies
.... ChromaCode
..... ChromaDex
..... Chronix
Biomedical
... Chrysalis BioTherapeutics .... Cibus
Global
... Cidara Therapeutics .... Ciena
....Ciencia ...
Cilion .... CimaBay Thera ..... CinCor Pharma .... CinRx ....
Ciranova
... Circle
Technologies ..... Cirius Therapeutics ..... CivaTech
Oncology ... Civetta Therapeutics .... .... CiVi Biopharma .....
Civitas Therapeutics
..... Claret Medical .... Clarassance ..... Claresta
Solutions
.... Clark-MXR ...Claros
Diagnostics
.... Clean Diesel
Technologies ... Clear Catheter Systems .... ClearCount
Medical
Solutions .... ClearEdge
Power .... Clear Guide Medical .... Clearside
Biomedical ... Cleave Biosciences ... Cleveland BioLabs ...
Cleveland
Polymer Technologies ..... CleverSet ... Clinical Data
... Cloudant ... CloudMade ... Cloud
Pharmaceuticals
(formerly Teradiscoveries) .... Clovis
Oncology ... Clovis Tech ..... CMC Biologics .... C-Motive Technologies
.... CoAdna,Holdings ..... CoAxia ....
Cobalt Biofuels ... Cocoon Biotech .... Cocrystal
Discovery ... Codexis
... Codiak BioSciences ..... Codon
Devices ... Co-D Therapeutics .... Cofactor
Genomics ....
Cogenra .... Cogentix Medical ..... Cognex
...Cognition
Therapeutics .... Cognitive Code
... Cohera
Medical .... Coherus Biosciences .... Cohesive
Technologies ... ColdQuanta .... ColdWatt ... Collagenex
Pharmaceuticals ...
Collegium Pharmaceutical ... CoLucid Pharmaceuticals
... Columbia Labs ..... CombiMatrix ...
CombinatoRx
..... Combined Energies .... Combinent
BioMedical Systems ... Comet Therapeutics .... Comfort Motion
Technologies
...
Commonwealth Biotechnologies ... Commonwealth
Fusion Systems ..... Compact Membrane Systems ...Compass
Therapeutics .... Compellent Technologies ... Compendia
Bioscience
.....
Complete
Genomics ....
Complexa
..... Conatus
Pharmaceuticals ... Concert
Pharmaceuticals
.... Concordia Fibers ...Concurrent Technologies ...
Conductus
.. Confluence Life Sciences ..... ConforMIS ...
Cognigen
.... Conispire
.... ConjuGon .. Connecticut
Valley Bindery ... Consonus Technologies
...
Constellation
Pharmaceuticals .... Context Therapeutics ..... Contour Energy
Systems ControlRadSystems ..... Convelo
Therapeutics ....
Conventus
Orthopaedics ..... Convergen
... ConverGene .... Convio .... Convoy
Therapeutics
.... Cool-Bio
.... CoolCAD Electronics .... CoolChip Technologies
....
Cool Earth
Solar
.... Cooligy ... CoolTech .... Corbus
Pharmaceuticals
..... Corcept
Therapeutics
...
Cordex Systems .... CoreStreet ... CoreTek ...
.Corgenix
Medical
... Corindus ....Corinthian
Ophthalmic ... Corium International .... Corixa
....
CorMatrix
Cardiovascular
.... Cormedix ... Cornami ..... Cornerstone Research
... Cornerstone BioPharma then Cornerstone
Therapeutics
..... Cornerstone Therapeutics .... Coronado
Biosciences ... CorQuest Medical ..... Correx ... Corridor
Pharmaceuticals
... Cortana ..... Cortendo AB ..... Cortexyme ....
Corvidia
Therapeutics ..... Corvus
Pharmaceuticals
..... CosmosID ..... CoStim Pharmaceuticals
.... Cougar
Biotechnology ...
Coulbourn
Instruments .... Coulter Pharmaceuticals ... Cour
Pharmaceutical
Development .... Coverity ..... Creare ...
Creative
Hybrid Solutions .... Creatv MicroTech .... Cree
Research ... Crescendo Bioscience .... Crinetics
Pharmaceuticals
....
CrispTek .... Critical Therapeutics .... CritiTech
... Crossbar .... Cross Current ..... CrossFire
... Cruise Automation .... Crux Biomedical
...
CryoCor ...
CryoLife ... Cryomedical Sciences ..... Cryptonite .....
Crystal
IS
...
Crystal Systems ... Crystallume ... CSA
Engineering ... CS-Keys ... CTD Holdings
..... CTI
BioPharma (formerly
Cell Therapeutics) .... Cubist
Pharmaceuticals
... Cue Biopharma .... Cullinan Oncology ..... Cumberland Pharma ....
CuraGen ... Curamir Therapeutics ... Current Motor
...
Curtana Pharmaceuticals .... Custom Electronics .... CVD
Equipment ..... CVRx
... CV
Therapeutics ... Cyanotech ..... Cyberdyne .... CyberKey Solutions
... Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology ... Cybernet Systems
... CyberOptics ... Cyclerion
Therapeutics .... Cydan ....
Cygnal
Therapeutics .... Cykloburn
Technologies ..... CymaBay
Therapeutics
.... Cymbet ... CyMedica Orthopedics ..... Cymer
...
Cynosure ... Cyntellect ... Cypher Genomics ... CyPhy Works
... Cypress Bioscience ... Cyrus Biotechnology .....
Cyteir
Therapeutics ..... Cyterix
Pharmaceuticals ...
CytImmune .... CytoBioScience ..... Cytocentrics ..... CytoCore
(formerly Molecular
Diagnostics) ..... Cytocybernetics ..... CytoDyn
.... Cytogel Pharma
.... Cytokinetics
... Cytometix ....CytomX ...
Cytonome
....
Cytori Therapeutics ... Cytophil CytoSolv
... Cytosorbents ..... Cytovas ... CytRx ..... Cytyc
...
CyVek