| San Diego Business Journal

Evofem Lists $39.9M Public Stock Offering

San Diego biotech Evofem Biosciences, which focuses on women’s sexual and reproductive health, announced a public stock offering on May 22.

Local Cos. Find Rich Vein to Tap in Blood Diagnostics

BIOTECH: From Cancer to Concussions, Efforts Change Cost, Course of Treatments

Banyan Biomarkers hit a milestone in February when its blood test for traumatic brain injuries won U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval.

AristaMD Hires Chief Strategy Officer

San Diego’s AristaMD has hired Adam Darkins, known for his work with the Department of Veterans Affairs, as the company's chief strategy officer.

La Jolla Emergency Department Receives First-of-Its-Kind Geriatric Accreditation

The Gary and Mary West Emergency Department at UC San Diego Health last week was accredited as a geriatric emergency department, the first such accreditation in California and one of only eight nationally.

Cidara Therapeutics, Rutgers University Receive $5.5 Million Grant

San Diego-based Cidara Therapeutics and Rutgers University were awarded a $5.5 million grant to research and further develop an immunotherapy platform.

Cannabis Medicine Moves Toward Likely FDA OK

HEALTH: Drug Treats Seizures; Co. Prepares For Commercialization

A plant-derived cannabis medicine is poised to be the first of its kind to win U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. A winner of the expected greenlight: Carlsbad’s Greenwich Biosciences.

Arena Quietly Returns With Promising Autoimmune Trials

PHARMA: Co. Transforms After Weight-Loss Flop

Arena Pharmaceuticals’ weight-loss drug flopped a few years ago, signaling a bleak future. That is, if you ignored Arena’s shelved compounds.

Accelerator Life Science Partners Opens San Diego Office

Accelerator Life Science Partners, a life science investment and management firm, has opened a San Diego office at The Alexandria at Torrey Pines.

Sherry Lansing Joins The Scripps Research Institute Board

Former film executive Sherry Lansing, who led Paramount and Fox motion picture studios, has been named to The Scripps Research Institute board.

Edico Brings Valuable Tech Tools to Illumina

BIOTECH: Acquisition Moves Co. Toward Push-Button Process for Analysis

Illumina bought data processing specialist Edico Genome for $100 million as part of a bid to expand genomics testing in research and health care.

Illumina Buys Edico Genome for $100M

Genomics giant Illumina has purchased Edico Genome, adding a processing platform to Illumina’s portfolio.

MEI Pharma Reports $75 Million Private Placement

San Diego-based MEI Pharma reported on May 14 raising $75 million through a private placement, led by Vivo Capital and CAM Capital.

Cidara Reports Q1 Results

San Diego biotech Cidara Therapeutics reported a net loss of $16.7 million in the first quarter, compared to a $13.14 million net loss in the first quarter of last year.

Ionis’ New Role Is Managing Success

PHARMA: Partnerships and Promising Pipeline Boost Co.

When Stanley Crooke formed Ionis Pharmaceuticals in 1989, he saw the venture as a longshot. He told investors as much.

Escient Pharmaceuticals Snags $40M Series A Round

San Diego-based Escient Pharmaceuticals launched with a $40 million Series A round, which will go toward a pipeline of novel drugs.

Neurana Pharmaceuticals Raises $60 Million in Series A Round

San Diego-based Neurana Pharmaceuticals raised $60 million in Series A financing for a relaxant that treats acute, painful muscle spasms.

Luna DNA Raises $2 Million in New Investment Round

Solana Beach-based Luna DNA raised $2 million in a new round of funding, led by Illumina Ventures and Arch Venture Partners, it was announced May 8.

Veteran Leaders, Past Successes Play Part In Record VC Investment

FINANCE: Q1 Delivers Record Investment Locally and Nationally

Investment in San Diego-based life sciences companies hit a record high $417.9 million in quarter one of 2018, according to an April CBRE Group Inc. report.

Scripps Translational Science Institute Awarded $34 Million

The Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI) was awarded $34 million in renewed funding to advance genomic and digital technologies in clinical care.

AMN Healthcare Reports Q1 Results

AMN Healthcare reported $522 million in quarter one revenue, up 6 percent year over year, fueled by higher-than-expected staffing needs.

In China, Biotechs Take Partnership Path

TRADE: S.D. Cos. Able to Avoid Some of the Complexities

San Diego biotechs are inking deals with Chinese firms to tap into China’s ever-growing demand for groundbreaking drugs.

Q1: Dexcom Revenue Jumps 30%

San Diego-based Dexcom reported a 30 percent year-over-year revenue increase in quarter one results due a sharp increase in international sales.

NuVasive Reports Q1 Results

NuVasive reported $260.5 million in quarter one results, a 4.6 percent year-over year increase, with its core U.S. hardware business showing solid growth.

Synthorx Raises $63 Million in Series C Round

San Diego-based Synthorx — formed around synthetic biology for novel protein therapies — raised $63 million in a Series C round.

ResMed Revenue Surges 15 Percent in Q3

San Diego-based ResMed reported $591.6 million in third quarter revenue, a 15 percent year-over-year increase.

Outpatient Sites Become A Central Part of Care

HEALTH: Revenue Needs, Market Trends Push Change

San Diego hospitals in the last few years boosted investment in modest freestanding centers for surgery, imaging and other services, vying for patients seeking convenience and lower costs.

Acadia’s Stock Falls on FDA Reexamination

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it was reexamining San Diego-based Acadia Pharmaceuticals’ drug to treat hallucinations and delusions caused by Parkinson’s disease. The news was first reported by CNN on April 25.

Illumina’s Revenue Increase Tops Analysts’ Expectations

Illumina reported $782 million in first quarter revenue, a 31 percent year-over-year increase, the company announced April 24.

Dthera Sciences Appoints Steve Martin to Board

Steve Martin, a seasoned CFO, has joined Dthera Sciences’ board.

Skaggs School Launches Masters Degree for Drug Development, Management

UC San Diego’s Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences has launched a master of science in drug development and product management, a first-of-its-kind offering.

Organovo’s Money Is on Measured Advances

BIotECH: Model for NASH Drug Testing,Tissue for Bridge Solutions Are Goals

Organovo’s technology sounds straight out of science fiction movies: 3-D printed tissues that emulate human organs. But, this story is shifting.

Orexigen Agrees to Sell Its Assets to Nalpropion for $75M

Orexigen agrees to sell its assets.

Ionis Inks $1 Billion Deal with Biogen

Biogen will pay Carlsbad’s Ionis Pharmaceuticals $1 billion in cash as part of a 10-year collaboration around neurological drug development.

ResMed’s CEO Eyes Greater Market Share

BIOTECH: Software Success To Move On to Analytics, AI

Five years ago, Michael “Mick” Farrell listened to an analyst forecast ResMed’s demise.

Tocagen Licenses Its Immunotherapy in China

Citing regulatory changes, San Diego’s Tocagen licensed its immunotherapy for commercialization in China, earning the company $16 million upfront and potentially much more.

French Company Acquires Astute Medical for $90 Million

French diagnostics giant bioMérieux acquired San Diego-based Astute Medical in a $90 million cash deal announced earlier this month.

Grossmont Clinic for Non-Emergency Conditions Opens

Sharp Grossmont Hospital has opened a new clinic, which looks to reduce patient volumes in the hospital’s emergency room, one of the busiest in San Diego County.

Irwin Jacobs, Martin Wygod Join Biological Dynamics Board

Biological Dynamics, a San Diego cancer diagnostics company, named Irwin Jacobs and Martin Wygod to its board, it was announced April 13.

Tandem Diabetes Care Continues Momentum in Preliminary Q1 Results

Tandem Diabetes Care reported a 42 percent year-over-year increase in preliminary quarter one sales, increasing the company’s stock.

Tandem Turnaround Focuses on Execution

BIOTECH: Partnership, Sales Boost Are Part of Positives

Tandem Diabetes Care believes the storm has passed.

Turbocharging Electronic Health Records With AI

BIOTECH: Optum360’s System Covers All the Bases for Variety of Users

A San Diego offshoot is deploying artificial intelligence against a crushing administrative burden: electronic health records.

ResMed Hires CTO

San Diego-based ResMed has hired Bobby Ghoshal as the company’s first chief technology officer.

Sharp HealthCare’s CEO to Retire

After 22 years as Sharp Healthcare’s CEO, Michael Murphy plans to retire February 2019.

Conflict of Interest At Center of Lawsuit

LEGAL: Avoiding It Can Be Tricky for Law Firms

A Carlsbad spine surgery company recently sued a law firm, highlighting a thicket of conflict-of-interest issues lawyers wade through in choosing clients.