Entrepreneurs say the FDA is killing medical innovation

Venture capital is drying up for early-stage medical devices. Experts say that American patients are already "missing out" on the most innovative treatment options.

Should human genes be patented? Navigenics founder says ‘absolutely not’

Should human genes be patented? The Supreme Court is weighing in today in a landmark case that will have an enormous impact on the future of science, technology and medicine.

The specter of D.C. overregulation haunts health entrepreneurs

A lack of clarity from government is stifling innovation in the health IT sector.

Excuse me while I turn off your insulin pump

Diabetics beware. It is possible to hack your insulin pump, from a distance, so that it can harm you rather than save your life. Other medical devices are also vulnerable to hacking in the current age of cyber insecurity. As …

Life-science briefing: Friday, April 11, 2008

TODAY’S HEADLINES:

Stent maker IDev Tech raises $25M (VentureWire)
Xytis gets $15M for brain-injury drugs (VentureWire)
Diagnostic maker Iris Biotech plans to go public, launch breast-cancer test (Edgar)
RiverVest Venture Partners raises $75M life-science fund (release)
Concentric Medical names Maria

Life-science briefing: Friday, April 4, 2008

TODAY’S HEADLINES:

IlluminOss Medical gets $11M for bone-fracture devices (peHUB)
Contract researcher Crown Bioscience takes in funding (release)

IlluminOss Medical gets $11M for bone-fracture devices — East Providence, R.I.-based IlluminOss Medical, a medical-device startup, raised $11 million in a second …

Life-science briefing: Thursday, April 3, 2008

TODAY’S HEADLINES:

Mirna Thera spins out of Asuragen with $3M (release)
Stroke-therapy startup CoAxia raises $12M (release)
Stealthy device maker Synvascular gets $6.5M (peHUB)
AndroScience seeks $3.5M for anti-testosterone drugs (VentureWire)
Austria’s ProtAffin takes in €1.1M grant (release)
Singapore’s Moleac

Life-science briefing: Monday, March 31, 2008

TODAY’S HEADLINES:

Boston Scientific spinout TriVascular2 takes in $65M (release)
Inhaled-drug startup Transave raises $35M (release)
Triage Wireless gets $20M for vital-signs monitors (release)
Tryton Medical receives $14M for “bifurcation” stents (release)

Synthetic bio startup Codon Devices adds $11M (release)

Life-science briefing: Thursday, March 27, 2008

TODAY’S HEADLINES:

Breathe Tech raises $15M for respiratory disease (release)
Protein-drug maker Pieris takes in €25M (release)
Apthera takes in $2.1M toward cancer vaccine (VentureWire)

Breathe Tech raises $15M for respiratory disease – Breathe Technologies, a Fremont, Calif., medical device …

Life-science briefing: Wednesday, March 26, 2008

TODAY’S HEADLINES:

OptiMedica takes in $16M for eye-treatment lasers (release)
Genome analyzer BioNanomatrix raises $5M (release)
Heart diagnostic startup Aviir gets another $1.5M (VBLS exclusive)
Pharmaca, integrative-pharmacy chain, draws $20M (release)
LifeWatch, cardiac-monitoring device maker, withdraws IPO (IPOhome)
Jerry DeVries,

Life-science briefing: Tuesday, March 25, 2008

TODAY’S HEADLINES:

Antibody-discovery startup Adimab raises new funding (release)
Lung-device maker Spiration gets $19M (release)
Sample-prep startup Protein Discovery pulls in $10M (release)
Inogen takes in $13M for portable oxygen device (VentureWire)
Healthcare IT concern Medaptus raises $11M for expansion

Life-science briefing: Thursday, March 20, 2008

TODAY’S HEADLINES:

Vantia Thera spins out of Ferring, raises £19M (PDF release)
Third Eye gets $150K for intracranial-pressure monitor (release)
Diabetes tester Oculir closes doors, returns capital (VentureWire)
Catalyst Health Ventures raising $60M fund (VentureWire)

Vantia Thera spins out of 

Life-science briefing: Wednesday, March 19, 2008

TODAY’S HEADLINES:

Paris-based Stentys takes $18M for “bifurcated” stents (release)
Blood analyzer IntelliDx raises $22M (PDF release)
Cancer-test biotech Calderome changes name to VeraCyte (VentureWire)
Predictive Biosciences names Peter Klemm as CEO (release)

Paris-based Stentys takes $18M for “bifurcated” stents 

Life-science briefing: Tuesday, March 18, 2008

TODAY’S HEADLINES:

Luminous Medical raises $24M for automated glucose monitoring (release)
Alimera Sciences gets $30M for eye-disease drug (release)
Vaccine maker LigoCyte draws $28M (release)
Heartbeat tracker CardioNet trims IPO, aims for listing today (IPOhome)
Axial Biotech takes in $6M

Vessel-clog remover Chestnut pulls in $7.8M

Chestnut Medical Technologies, a Menlo Park, Calif., medical-device maker, raised $7.8 million against an anticipated $10 million third funding round, I’ve learned. An SEC document (PDF link) the company filed with the California Department of Corporations disclosed the funding.

Chestnut …

Nellix raises $6.5M for aneurysm grafts

Nellix Endovascular, a Palo Alto, Calif., medical-device maker, raised $6.5 million in a third funding round, I’ve learned. The startup is developing a new treatment for repairing blood-vessel flaws in the chest and abdomen.

Those flaws, known as aneurysms, are …