17
Feb
2015
Frazier, Versant Find an AFib Drug To Bet on at Laguna
Before becoming a venture capitalist, Jamie Topper was a cardiologist. He hasn’t had many chances over the past decade to invest in the field he knows best. Only the deepest pockets of Big Pharma could develop successful new heart drugs. But this time, Topper sees things differently at a little company called Laguna Pharmaceuticals.
Share:
13
Feb
2015
How’s It Going at the Biotech Journalism Startup? Much Better Than Expected
People want quality biotech journalism. The response from subscribers in the first two weeks of Timmerman Report has exceeded my most optimistic expectations. A half-dozen journalists covered the debut. Wade Roush at the Knight Science Journalism Fellowships at MIT and Theral Timpson at Mendelspod deserve special thanks. Readers who know what kind of beating traditional journalism has taken over the... Read More
Share:
12
Feb
2015
Video: Alnylam’s John Maraganore and Canaan’s Julie Papanek at BIO CEO
Biotech is undoubtedly one of the most volatile businesses on the planet. John Maraganore of Alnylam knows that well. The CEO of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has been there for the whole classic biotech roller coaster ride. Back in the early 2000s, scientists were electrified by the possibilities to treat the untreatable with RNA interference drug technology. Then, pharma companies ran for... Read More
Share:
11
Feb
2015
Intelligent MDx, Maker of Molecular Diagnostics That Raised $40M, Shuts Down
Intelligent MDx, the Waltham, Mass.-based maker of several molecular diagnostic tests for infectious disease that run on instruments from Abbott Laboratories, has laid off its staff and is winding down operations, the Timmerman Report has learned from sources close to the situation.
Share:
11
Feb
2015
FAQs About the Timmerman Report
Questions and comments have been pouring in here at Timmerman Report headquarters ever since the site debuted on Feb. 2. The early days have been nothing short of spectacular in my view. I’ll have more to say about that shortly. But for now, there are some of answers to the questions that keep popping up: Q: What do you cover?
Share:
9
Feb
2015
Cellular Dynamics Tracks Down ‘Superdonors’ for Cell Therapy
One of the big bugaboos in transplant medicine is immune rejection. Whether you’re talking about bone marrow, liver, or kidneys—getting a genetic match to avoid immune rejection is generally not trivial, and it’s critical to making a transplant successful. It could get easier. There are a small number of people on earth who have the right HLA (human leukocyte antigen)... Read More
Share:
6
Feb
2015
Q&A: Affymetrix Founder Stephen Fodor Resurfaces at Cellular Research
The guy who helped popularize the gene chip is at it again. Stephen Fodor, whose work on DNA microarrays in the 1990s enabled the large-scale analysis of gene expression–the extent to which genes are turned on or off in a sample—is imaging new ways to take samples and extract more information out of them. Last month, Fodor, 61, stepped down... Read More
Share:
5
Feb
2015
Former Dendreon CEO Lures Ex-Amgen Scientists to Immunotherapy Startup
Dendreon is in bankruptcy, but the people who once worked at the trailblazer of cancer immunotherapy keep finding gainful new opportunities. Former Dendreon CEO Mitch Gold has a new company up and running with a couple of ex-Amgen scientists. The startup, Alpine Immune Sciences, has secured $1.3 million from Gold’s Alpine Bioventures investment vehicle. News of the funding was disclosed... Read More
Share:
4
Feb
2015
Seattle Genetics Commercial Boss Leaves for President Gig at Bristol-Myers
Christopher Boerner, the head of sales and marketing at the cancer drugmaker Seattle Genetics, has left for a big promotion to become president and U.S. head at Bristol-Myers Squibb, the Timmerman Report has learned.
Share:
4
Feb
2015
Third Rock’s Obesity Hopeful, Ember Therapeutics, Closes Down
Ember Therapeutics, a biotech startup with big money, prominent founders, and a novel idea for fighting obesity, shut down operations a few weeks ago, the Timmerman Report has learned.
Share:
2
Feb
2015
The Merck Exodus: Where Are the Talented People Going?
One of the great talent migrations in pharmaceutical R&D history is going on right now. Merck, the drugmaker with a proud scientific tradition, has seen a huge wave of departures from its senior R&D ranks the past two years. The exodus has turned into a recruiting bonanza for a range of biotech startups, venture firms, consultancies, and competitors. The exits flung open... Read More
Share:
2
Feb
2015
Welcome to the Timmerman Report
Welcome to a new adventure in biotech journalism.
Share:
