Several of New England’s life sciences firms had good news to report this week.

—Ryan gave a run-down of the key insights to emerge from our Xconomy Forum on pharma innovation. Sirtris CEO Christoph Westphal, for example, offered insight into one of the biggest biological mysteries around the Xconomy office: how Luke manages to eat so much and stay so thin.

—Cambridge, MA-based Gloucester Pharmaceuticals won FDA approval for romidepsin (Istodax), a treatment for a rare cancer called cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Gloucester expects to begin marketing the drug in January.

—Noah Beerman took the reins of RXi Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: RXII), a developer of RNA interference drugs. Previous president and CEO Tod Woolf will remain on the Worcester, MA-based company’s scientific advisory board.

—Lexington, MA-based Concert Pharmaceuticals started human testing of an anti-HIV drug called CTP-518. Reaching the milestone will trigger a $12 million payment from Concert’s partner, GlaxoSmithKline.

—After announcing earlier this year that it was considering strategic options, including a sale, Cambridge-based Helicos Biosciences (NASDAQ: HLCS) took itself off the block, citing “improving standalone prospects and its current market valuation.”

—Cambridge-based Ironwood Pharmaceuticals inked a $75 million-plus deal with Japan-based Astellas Pharma. The agreement gives Astellas rights to market Ironwood’s lead drug candidate, the constipation treatment linaclotide, in Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.

—Aileron Therapeutics, also of Cambridge, published research in the journal Nature indicating that its “stapled peptide” technology can be used to block the production of a protein called Notch that’s implicated in uncontrolled growth of cancer cells. Luke put the news in the context of Aileron’s efforts to develop drugs that hit previously unreachable targets.

—Ryan checked in with Cambridge-based electronic health records provider Dossia. After launching to much fanfare in December 2006, the non-profit is making slow progress in getting its system adopted, but it has recently solidified its leadership team and made other changes it hopes will help.

—Cambridge-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY) announced the formation of an internal group called Alnylam Biotherapeutics focused on applying the company’s RNAi technology to increase the output of biomanufacturing processes.

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Several of New England’s tech and life sciences firms got juicy deals the past week and a half.

—Boston’s RunMyErrand, an online clearinghouse where busy people can find helpers for odd jobs, raised $1 million in a Series A venture financing round. The cash, from California investors Baseline Ventures and Maples Investments, will help the startup staff up and expand to San Francisco.

—Cambridge, MA-based Cequent Pharmaceuticals raised $3.35 million in the first tranche of its second venture financing round; the round could eventually total $15 million. Cequent, a developer of RNA-interference based drugs, raised $15 million in its 2007 Series A round from Ampersand Ventures, Pappas Ventures, Yasuda, and Novartis Option Fund.

—Pulmatrix raised $30.2 million in a Series B venture round led by Arch Venture Partners and Novartis Bioventures Fund and joined by Polaris Venture Partners and 5AM Ventures. The Lexington, MA-based startup is developing drugs that prevent a variety of microbes, including influenza, from infecting the lungs.

—GTC Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ:GTCB) of Framingham, MA, raised $10 million in a sale of stock to French biotech drug maker LFB Biotechnologies, already a major shareholder

—Waltham, MA-based On-Q-ity, a developer of cancer diagnostic tools, reportedly raised $21 million in a Series A round of venture capital from Mohr Davidow Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, Physic Ventures, and Northgate Capital. The startup was formed through the merger of two Mohr Davidow portfolio companies, CELLective Diagnostics and The DNA Repair Company.

—Boston’s Flybridge Capital Partners helped funnel $3.4 million into New York-based open-source database developer 10gen. Returning investor Union Square Ventures also contributed to the Series B round.

—Special effects software startup GenArts of Cambridge, MA, acquired St. Louis, MO-based Wondertouch, whose software generates so-called “particle-based” special effects. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Wade took a fun look at the companies’ technologies.

—We got the inside scoop last week at our Xconomy event on pharmaceutical innovation when Boston-based Enlight Biosciences revealed that it struck a deal with Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT). Abbott agreed to join the consortium of big pharmas that are …Next Page »

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A number of New England’s life sciences companies had good news to report this week.

—Cambridge, MA-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX) reported results from clinical trials that indicate its experimental hepatitis C drug, telaprevir, could work well for patients who haven’t responded fully to standard treatments, and could be as effective taken twice a day as it is taken three times a day. Luke explains what the news means for Vertex’s efforts to capture a share of the potentially huge market for hepatitis treatments.

—Medical device maker Interlace Medical of Framingham, MA, won FDA clearance to market its minimally invasive device for removing uterine fibroids and polyps.

—Burlington, MA-based CorNova raised $2.5 million of a proposed $6 million in equity financing, according to regulatory filings. CorNova is developing coronary stents with platinum surfaces.

—Anti-inflammatory drug developer Virdante Pharmaceuticals completed a second closing of its Series A financing round, bringing the total collected so far to $30 million. Thomas, McNerney & Partners led the deal, which was joined by Osage Partners, Biogen Idec New Ventures, Clarus Ventures, MedImmune Ventures, and Venrock Associates.

—Bedford, MA-based iRobot (NASDAQ:IRBT) launched a new healthcare unit. Under the direction of technology veteran Tod Loofbourrow, the unit will focus on developing robots to help seniors live independently.

—Pharma giant Novartis declined an option to continue development of a hepatitis C drug from Cambridge-based Idenix Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: IDIX). Idenix, whose stock dropped on the news, will seek another partner to back development of the drug, IDX184.

—RNA-interference drug developer Cequent raised $3.35 million in the first tranche of a venture round that could be worth as much as $15 million. The Cambridge-based startup is engineering E. coli bacteria to deliver RNAi molecules designed to combat a certain type of polyp in the colon.

—Pulmatrix raised $30.2 million in a Series B venture round led by Arch Venture Partners and Novartis Bioventures Fund and joined by Polaris Venture Partners and 5AM Ventures. The Lexington, MA-based startup is using technology from MIT and Harvard to prevent flu viruses and other pathogens from invading lung tissue.

—Cancer diagnostics developer On-Q-ity of Waltham, MA, reportedly raised $21 million in a Series A round of venture capital from Mohr Davidow, Bessemer Venture Partners, Physic Ventures and Northgate Capital. The firm was formed through the merger of CELLective Diagnostics and The DNA Repair Company, both Mohr Davidow Ventures portfolio companies.

—Ironwood Pharmaceuticals of Cambridge and its partner, New York-based Forest Laboratories (NYSE: FRX), said that Ironwood’s lead drug candidate, linaclotide, fared well in two pivotal clinical trials. The drug is designed to relieve chronic constipation; Luke has all (and I mean all) the details.

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An unusually high percentage of this week’s New England tech and life sciences deals came from companies based in Boston proper. What’s up with that?

—Spark Capital of Boston led a $7 million Series B investment in Long Island, NY-based Aviary. Backed also by Bezos Expeditions, Aviary makes cloud-based software for graphic design, audio editing, and the like.

—Boston’s American Well, whose Web-based medical consultation system in used by several large health insurance plans, raised $10 million in new equity funding, according to a regulatory filing. Investors in the round were not named.

—Waltham, MA-based Axeda raised $5 million in a Series B funding round led by JMI Equity and $4 million in venture debt from MMV Financial. Axeda provides a cloud-based system for wireless tracking of company assets.

—Raytheon (NYSE:RTN), also of Waltham, completed its buyout of Cambridge, MA-based BBN Technologies. The purchase price, which wasn’t disclosed when the deal was announced, was about $350 million.

—E-commerce firm GSI Commerce (NASDAQ:GSIC) agreed to acquire Boston-based Retail Convergence Incorporated (RCI) for $180 million in cash and stock and as much as $170 million in performance-based payments. RCI owns Rue La La, an invitation-only website selling designer clothing and accessories at a discount, and Smart Bargains, a site selling more affordable clothing, jewelry, and home goods.

—SEC filings indicate that Burlington, MA-based coronary stent maker CorNova raised $2.5 million of a proposed $6 million in equity financing. Investors in the deal were not specified.

—Cambridge, MA-based Virdante Pharmaceuticals completed a second closing of its Series A financing round, bringing the total raised so far to $30 million. Investors have promised to boost that number to $47.75 million if the startup, which is developing new antibody-based drugs to combat autoimmune diseases, meets certain milestones. Ryan has a nice profile of Virdante and its technology.

—Boston’s ScanScout, an online video ad provider, completed its $8.5 million Series B round of venture capital. EDB Investments, which invests on behalf of the government of Singapore, provided the cash.

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Europe’s drug regulators were not kind to a couple of Massachusetts biotech firms this week, but other New England life sciences companies had happier news to report.

—European drug regulators turned down Lexington, MA-based Antigenics’ bid for approval to market vitespen (Oncophage), a “cancer vaccine” for patients with kidney cancer. Shares of Antigenics (NASDAQ: AGEN) tumbled on the news.

—Ryan made a visit to the yeasty-smelling labs of Lebanon, NH-based Mascoma, where researchers are aiming to engineer microbes that can more efficiently produce ethanol from cellulose-rich materials such as wood chips, switch grass, and corn stalks. Mascoma is currently ramping up pilot production at a facility in Rome, NY, and hopes to complete one of the first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plants—in Kinross, MI—by 2012.

—Nuclea Biotechnologies raised $3.4 million in new equity financing. The Pittsfield, MA-based startup is developing genomic tools for cancer research and diagnosis.

—Ryan made the rounds of the big healthcare IT symposium put on by Partners HealthCare’s Center for Connected Health. The field is currently riding a wave of interest tipped off in part its inclusion in the economic stimulus bill, he explained, and the event attracted a mix of physicians, entrepreneurs, hospital administrators, academics, and technology executives. Ryan gave a great run-down of highlights from the event.

—Natalizumab (Tysabri), the multiple sclerosis drug from Cambridge, MA-based Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB), has reportedly come under fresh scrutiny from European regulators now that a total of 23 patients on the treatment have been diagnosed with a rare, potentially fatal brain infection called PML. According to Reuters, the European Medicines Agency has initiated a review to discuss any additional measures necessary to ensure the safety of the drug, which is also approved for Crohn’s disease. Shares of Biogen, and its partner Elan (NYSE:ELN) fell on the news.

—Wellesley, MA-based BioAssets Development Corporation inked a $30 million deal granting Frazer, PA-based Cephalon (NASDAQ: CEPH) to acquire the company. BioAssets will be eligible for various additional payments if Cephalon exercises the option and certain regulatory and sales milestones are reached.

—Boston-based American Well, provider of a Web-based system for remote medical consultations, raised $10 million in new equity funding, according to a regulatory filing. Investors in the round were not named.

—Luke gave a sneak peak of next week’s Xconomy Forum, which will explore how Big Pharma is seeking to boost its pace of innovation—and chances of success—in a notoriously risky industry. We’re all really excited about the event, which will include keynoters Deborah Dunsire, the CEO of Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company, and Christoph Westphal, the CEO of Sirtris, and the senior vice president of GlaxoSmithKline’s Centre of Excellence for External Drug Discovery.

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Frazer, PA-based Cephalon (NASDAQ: CEPH) has agreed to pay $30 million for an option to acquire BioAssets Development Corporation, a Wellesley, MA-based company investigating spinal uses for existing and experimental drugs, according to a press release. Under the terms of the agreement, BioAssets will be eligible for an additional payment if Cephalon exercises the option, as well as for payments tied to regulatory and sales milestones.

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Lots of venture news this week, with more than the usual number of software and Web companies making appearances.

—Flexion Therapeutics raised $33 million in a Series A round led by Versant Ventures and joined by 5AM Ventures and Sofinnova Partners. The Woburn, MA-based startup believes it can cut the shepherd drugs from early development into clinical trials in half the time it normally takes and for as little as $3 million to $5 million, compared to the usual $15 million to $40 million.

—Newton, MA-based Jackpot Rewards raised just over $12 million in the form of convertible debt. The startup, which runs cash-back rewards programs and sweepstakes for online shoppers, has previously raised at least $16 million in equity financing.

—Marketing-technology firm HubSpot of Cambridge, MA, raised a $16 million in a Series C financing round. New investor Scale Ventures led the deal and existing investors General Catalyst Partners and Matrix Partners participated as well.

—Augmenix, a medical-device startup in Waltham, MA, closed a $6.1 million Series B financing round led by Ascension Health Ventures and joined by Versant Ventures, Pinnacle Ventures, Catalyst Health Ventures, and private investors.

—Currensee, an operator of an online community for foreign currency traders, closed its $6 million Series A funding round. North Bridge Venture Partners provided the backing for the Boston-based startup.

—Waltham-based drug developer Synageva BioPharma raised $12 million, completing a $45 million round of financing. New investor New Leaf Venture Partners, as well as return investors, participated in the deal.

—Acton, MA-based optical-switch developer Mintera raised $4.1 million of a potential $5 million round of equity and options financing, according to an SEC filing.

—Illume Software of Concord, MA, added $1 million to its Series A round of financing, which previously totaled $2.4 million. Illume is developing an application to prevent drivers from texting or chatting on cell phones while they’re operating their cars.

—New Haven, CT- and Seattle-based Revolution Computing raised $9 million from North Bridge Venture Partners and Intel Capital. Revolution provides software and support for the statistical programming language known as “R.”

—STR Holdings of Enfield, CT, set the terms of its proposed IPO: 12.3 million shares of common stock at a price of $13 to $15. STR makes sheets and film to encapsulate solar cells.

—Genomic test maker Nuclea Biotechnologies of Pittsfield, MA, raised $3.4 million in new equity financing, according to a regulatory filing. Nuclea has collaborations with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore.

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There was a steady serenade of news from New England’s life sciences companies this past week, with both the startups and the public firms chiming in.

—Ryan profiled Boston BioCom, a Pfizer-backed startup aiming to commercialize life science discoveries from Russia. Based in, of course, Boston, the firm is also developing technology from the Massachusetts General Hospital lab of its chief scientific officer, Jeffrey Gelfand.

—Woburn, MA-based Flexion Therapeutics raised $33 million in a Series A financing led by Versant Ventures. 5AM Ventures and Sofinnova Partners joined in backing the company, which is out to reduce the time and expense required to take drugs from the earliest stages of development into initial clinical trials.

—Charles River Laboratories (NYSE: CRL) reportedly cut 115 positions at its Quebec-based subsidiary CTBR Bio-Research. Headquartered in Wilmington, MA, Charles River cut roughly 3 percent of its global workforce back in February.

—Jens Eckstein, a general partner in TVM Capital’s life sciences practice, went to Tokyo and came back with a message for the Boston life sciences community: “We should cherish what we have and work hard to keep things intact and healthy.”

—Lexington, MA-based Cubist Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: CBST) teamed up with Cambridge, MA-based Hydra Biosciences to develop new pain medications. Cubist will pay Hydra $5 million upfront, and provide $5 million in R&D funding annually for two years.

—Augmenix of Waltham, MA, raised $6.1 million in a Series B financing round to support the development of its technology for reducing tissue damage during radiation treatment. Ascension Health Ventures led the round; Versant Ventures, Pinnacle Ventures, Catalyst Health Ventures, and several private investors participated as well.

—Drug developer Synageva BioPharma, also of Waltham, raised $12 million, completing a $45 million round of financing. New Leaf Venture Partners, a new investor, and return investors contributed to the round.

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Not much deals news to round up this week, thanks to the Monday holiday and the fact that last week’s roundup slipped to this week. But just in case you missed it…

—Tewksbury, MA-based Starent Networks (NASDAQ:STAR) agreed to be acquired by technology giant Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO) for a healthy $2.9 billion. Starent, which went public in 2007, makes wireless infrastructure products used to transfer data to smartphones and other mobile devices. The deal is expected to close in the first half of next year. One burning question: who will get that desirable STAR ticker once Starent is formally absorbed into Cisco?

—Rocket Software reported in an SEC filing that it has raised $91.9 million in equity financing. The filing didn’t specify the investor or investors, and the Newton, MA-based firm—which develops enterprise infrastructure products and has partnerships with the likes of IBM, EMC, HP, and others—did not comment on the deal.

—Our friends at ChubbyBrain, a New York-based information services company developing tools for investors, startups, and aspiring entrepreneurs, gave us all sorts of data on venture investing in Massachusetts companies. We’ve got the low down on September deals, and more charts and graphs about Q3 than you can shake a stick at.

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It’s been a short week and a long weekend since last I rounded up New England’s life sciences news, but there were still a few stories worth mentioning.

—Luke took an in-depth look at giant Amgen’s (NASDAQ: AMGN) efforts to boost its rate of success in getting new drugs to market. Though Amgen is based in Thousand Oaks, its 200-person-strong outpost in Cambridge, MA, plays an important role in its R&D operation.

—Ernst & Young released a sweeping analysis of the medical device industry that indicated that it’s a challenging time for device firms, particularly the smaller players that develop many of the new technologies the industry depends on for growth. Fundraising was down 53 percent among U.S. device companies, M&A activity was down by 41 percent, and the IPO market was flat-lining, according to the report.

—In contrast, our friends at ChubbyBrain sent us the data on September startup funding and the news for life sciences as a whole was fairly rosy. That sector accounted for $98.8 million of the $228 million total raised by Massachusetts companies that month.

—Cambridge-based Alkermes (NASDAQ: ALKS) reported that its anti-addiction drug, ALKS 33, was well-tolerated and able to block the effects of the powerful opioid painkiller remifentanil (Ultiva) long enough to enable once-daily dosing. Based on those results, from a pair of early-stage clinical trials, Alkermes is preparing for a mid-stage clinical trial of the drug, to start before the end of this year.

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It was a busy week in the land of New England life sciences. Let’s dive in.

—Luke did a massive analysis of the financial health of all the public biotech companies we follow the Boston area and the news… Well, it wasn’t good.

—Cambridge, MA-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) brought in $155 million in cash by selling $120 million in debt and $35 million for the rights to potential milestone payments. Both deals were related to the potential European commercialization of telaprevir, Vertex’s experimental drug for hepatitis C.

—Adimab, a Lebanon, NH-based biotech startup developing a new platform for discovering antibody drugs, raised $8.2 million in a Series D round of venture financing. Google Ventures led the financing and Polaris Venture Partners, SV Life Sciences OrbiMed Advisors, and Borealis Ventures participated as well.

—Merrimack Pharmaceuticals of Cambridge forged a co-development and co-marketing deal with French pharmaceutical firm Sanofi-Aventis. The partnership, focused on Merrimack’s antibody cancer drug MM-121, will bring the Cambridge firm $60 million upfront and as much as $470 million more in milestone payments, not to mention double-digit percentage royalties, should the drug reach the market.

—Luke chatted with Peter Hecht, CEO of Cambridge -based Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, which recently recruited former Genentech CFO David Ebersman to its board. Does the move signal that Ironwood—whose lead, potential blockbuster, drug is in late-stage clinical trials—is preparing to go public? Hecht wouldn’t say so, but Luke explains why Ironwood might fare well on Wall Street.

—The FDA followed an earlier advisory panel recommendation that clofarabine (Clolar), a leukemia drug from Genzyme (NASDAQ: GENZ), not be approved for use in a broader population of patients. The agency said that Cambridge-based Genzyme should conduct another trial of the drug in patients over age 60; it’s currently approved just for children with leukemia.

—Ryan spent the day at the MassBio Investors Forum in Boston, checking in with folks from Cambridge-based RNAi-drug developer Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY), (which referenced a potential spin-off company perhaps in the works); Waltham, MA-based EyeGate Pharma (which has rounded up $12 million of a planned $20 million to $25 million financing); Cequent Pharmaceuticals, another Cambridge-based RNAi-drug developer (which is moving its first drug into clinical trials); and Pathogenica (a brand-new diagnostics firm spun out of George Church’s lab at Harvard Medical School). He also gleaned some insights (and arguments) about the future of biotechnology from Harvard Business School professor Gary Pisano and life sciences investment firm CEO Steven Burrill.

—Epizyme, a Cambridge startups out to turn the science of epigenetics into new drugs that work by turning genes on and off, raised $32 million in a Series B venture round led by Bay City Capital. Amgen Ventures, Astellas Venture Partners, MPM Capital, and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers participated as well.

—Boston-based antibiotic developer Paratek Pharmaceuticals struck an exclusive development and commercialization deal with Swiss drug giant Novartis. The deal, which could be worth as much as $485 million in initial milestone payments, focuses on Paratek’s PTK 0796, which is in late-stage clinical development for treating complicated skin and skin structure infections as well as certain cases of pneumonia.

—Immuneering, which is developing computer models to predict patients’ responses to cancer drugs, became the first life sciences startup to join Polaris Venture Partners’ new Dog Patch Labs startup incubator in Cambridge. The move will take the company out of CEO Ben Zeskind’s apartment in Boston’s Back Bay.

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As has been the case in recent weeks, M&A news featured prominently in this week’s New England tech and life sciences deals.

—Harvard spinoff Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals of Watertown, MA, raised $10 million out of a planned $29.6 million equity financing round, the company indicated in an SEC filing. Tetraphase is developing new antibiotics to treat drug-resistant infections.

—Norwalk, CT-based Xerox (NYSE: XRX) said it will acquire Dallas, TX-based business process outsourcing firm Affiliated Computer Services (NYSE: ACS), a, for $6.4 billion in cash and stock.

—Software maker Egenera of Marlborough, MA, raised $3 million in new equity financing. Existing investors including Austin Ventures, Crosslink Capital, Kodiak Venture Partners, Pharos Capital Group, and Technology Crossover Ventures contributed to the round, according to Mass High Tech.

—Aspect Medical Systems (NASDAQ:ASPM) of Norwood, MA, agreed to be acquired by Irish healthcare products giant Covidien (NYSE:COV) for some $210 million in cash. Aspect’s brain monitoring equipment will become part of Covidien’s Oximetry and Monitoring product line.

—Acton, MA-based Blackwave, a provider of Internet-video servers, took in $3.5 million of a planned $9.1 million round of equity financing from undisclosed investors. Flybridge Capital Partners, Globespan Capital Partners, and Sigma Partners have participated in previous funding rounds for the company.

—Taiwan’s Prime View International (PVI) sweetened the deal in a proposed merger with E Ink, and shareholders of the Cambridge, MA-based firm complained that PVI’s initial offer of $215 million in cash was too low. Under the terms of the new deal, E Ink shareholder would get 120 million shares of preferred stock in the combined company, in addition to the $215 million.

—Cambridge-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) inked a pair of debt deals related to European commercialization of its hepatitis C drug, telaprevir, that will bring in $155 million in cash. Ryan has the details on the deals and the drug’s prospects.

—Google Ventures led a Series D financing round for Lebanon, NH-based Adimab, which is developing a fast and powerful platform for discovering new antibody drugs. Other investors in the deal, the value of which was not disclosed, include return backers Polaris Venture Partners, SV Life Sciences, OrbiMed Advisors, and Borealis Ventures.

—Merrimack Pharmaceuticals of Cambridge, MA, inked a deal with French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi-Aventis giving Merrimack $60 million up front, plus as much as $470 million in potential milestone payments, in return for rights to co-develop and co-market MM-121, an experimental antibody drug for cancer.

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Notice anything new here? Over to the right a little… Little more… Next to the map? (Bear with me, loyal RSS and e-mail subscribers, this will all make sense in a minute.)

Today marks the official launch of our new Startups and Life Sciences channels, whose homepages you can access via those handy new buttons next to the map. As you can probably guess, these channels bring together all the stories on startups and life sciences, respectively, from across all of our cities.

Now, we’ve always believed that it’s the diversity of industries, technologies, people, and stories that makes innovation hubs like Boston, Seattle, and San Diego so fascinating—and we strive to ensure that our city-by-city coverage reflects that diversity. But we recognize that there are some of you out there who just don’t want any software-industry chocolate in your life-sciences peanut butter, and it’s for you that we’re building our topic-specific channels. Please give them a look, let us know what you think, and let us know what channels you’d like us to add next. In the meantime, if there’s a specific topic you’d really like to focus on (or a specific city, for that matter) chances are we’ve already got a dedicated feed for that.

Thanks to everybody who worked their tails off to get the channels up and running, with a special shout out to our CTO emeritus Andrew Koyfman, who juggled coding the channels with diapering his newborn son, and to our new friend, tech guru extraordinaire David Bernick, who helped us clean up some doo-doo of the IT variety that hit the fan at just the wrong moment. And thanks also to our new channel supporters: the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and LaunchCapital, for the startups channel, and Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Biogen Idec, and TVM Capital, for the life sciences channel. Welcome aboard, all!

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The big news this week was obviously the A123Systems IPO, but quite a few other New England tech and life sciences firms had deals to report as well.

—Mansfield, MA-based PrimeraDx—a developer of automated lab equipment spun off by Providence, RI-based Sention four years ago—raised $20 million in a Series C financing round. New investor CHL Medical Partners of Stamford, CT, led the round; existing investors Abingworth, Burrill & Company, InterWest Partners, the Invus Group, Malaysian Technology Development Corporation, and MPM Capital participated as well.

—Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) of Cambridge, MA, launched a $14.50-per-share tender offer for Facet Biotech (NASDAQ: FACT). The board of the Redwood City, CA-based company rejected Biogen’s $355 million offer earlier this month; the tender offer will expire October 19.

—Cambridge-based online game maker Conduit Labs raised $3 million in new equity financing. The new funds were reportedly from the same investors who put $5.5 million into Conduit in August 2007: Charles River Ventures of Waltham, MA, and Prism VentureWorks of Westwood, MA.

—Waltham, MA-based Inverness Medical Innovations (NYSE: IMA), a diagnostics maker and avid acquirer of other firms, picked up Seattle-based Free & Clear for $100 million in cash, plus up to $30 million more, depending on the Seattle firm’s 2010 revenues.

—Battery maker Boston-Power of Westborough, MA, inked a deal with Dr. Battery, of Vancouver that will put Boston-Power’s long-lasting laptop batteries on the market as …Next Page »

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New England’s diagnostics developers provided more than their fair share of life sciences news this week.

—Rick Jones, CEO of Cambridge, MA-based Ascent Therapeutics, talked with Ryan about his startup’s progress developing new cancer drugs using so-called pepducin technology. Ascent’s lead candidate is emerging in recent tests as a potential rival to Genzyme’s plerixafor (Mozobil), which is used to aid the process of stem-cell transplantation in patients with certain types of blood cancer.

—3PrimiR, a Yale University spinoff based in Westport, CT, raised $2.1 million of a proposed $4 million round of equity financing from unnamed investors, according to an SEC filing. The startup is developing new cancer diagnostics based on research into mutations in a type of molecule called micro RNA.

—Genetic analysis instrument maker Helicos Biosciences (NASDAQ: HLCS) of Cambridge raised $10 million from new and existing investors, after announcing earlier this month that it was running low on cash and exploring “strategic alternatives.” Atlas Ventures, Flagship Ventures, Highland Capital Partners, Versant Ventures, and CEO Ron Lowy contributed to the financing.

—A private family investment firm poured $30 million into Seaside Therapeutics, a Cambridge-based startup aiming to translate research from the lab of MIT neuroscientist Mark Bear into treatments that address the underlying neurological causes of Fragile X syndrome and autism. Founded in 2005, Seaside has never needed venture capital, according to CEO Randy Carpenter, having raised a total of $66 million from the family, the National Institutes of Health, and disease foundations like Autism Speaks and the Fragile X Research Foundation.

—New Haven, CT-based Optherion collected $5 million of a planned $9.5 million convertible notes and warrants offering, according to an SEC filing. The startup is developing a treatment for age-related macular degeneration as well as other drugs and diagnostics for eye and kidney diseases.

—Mansfield, MA-based PrimeraDx raised $20 million in a Series C financing round led by new investor CHL Medical Partners and joined by existing investors Abingworth, Burrill & Company, InterWest Partners, the Invus Group, Malaysian Technology Development Corporation, and MPM Capital. A spinoff of Providence, RI-based Sention, PrimeraDx is developing technology it says can speed up a host of medical tests.

—Having been turned down by the board of Redwood City, CA-based Facet Biotech (NASDAQ: FACT), Cambridge-based Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) went straight to the California firm’s shareholders, commencing a $14.50-per-share tender offer for Facet. The offer, which expires October 19, could be worth $355 million in total.

—Diagnostics behemoth Inverness Medical Innovations (NYSE: IMA) of Waltham, MA, acquired Seattle-based Free & Clear for $100 million in cash, plus up to $30 million in potential follow-on payments, depending on the Seattle firm’s 2010 revenues.

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The Cambridge, MA-based Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) today began a $14.50-per-share tender offer for Redwood City, CA-based Facet Biotech (NASDAQ: FACT). Biogen initially proposed to acquire the California company, its partner in developing a new antibody drug for multiple sclerosis, on September 4, but Facet’s board rejected the deal, which is worth about $355 million in total, on September 8. Under the terms of the tender offer, Facet shareholders will have until October 19 to decide for themselves if they think Biogen’s offer is a good one.

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New England’s tech and life sciences companies have cut far too many deals to mention over the last week and a half, so we’re kicking it top-ten style for this installment of roundup.

#10
GreenBytes of Ashaway, RI, completed an $8 million Series A financing from Waltham, MA-based Battery Ventures. The startup also unveiled a new line of energy-efficient data storage devices.

#9
Boston-based Highland Capital Partners led a $9 million first round for Chicago-based InXpo, a provider of virtual meetings and other events and business environments for the likes of AAA, Cisco, Procter & Gamble, Forbes Media, and Ziff Davis.

#8
The assets of Mansfield, MA-based Innovative Spinal Technologies were sold in a bankruptcy auction for $9.25 million in cash. New Jersey-based Integra Life Sciences Holdings (NASDAQ: IART) was the auction’s winner, taking home IST’s product lines and development assets, which span neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, and general surgery.

#7
Cambridge, MA-based Pervasis Therapeutics raised $10 million of a proposed $17.4 million round of private equity financing from undisclosed investors. The startup, whose board members include MIT’s Bob Langer, is developing drugs to heal blood vessels.

#6
PlumChoice scored $14.7 million in Series E funding from existing investor Edison Venture Fund and others. The Billerica, MA-based firm provides remote technical support for both home and business users.

#5
Tervela, a network messaging hardware maker with operations in Acton, MA, and New York, NY, got an $18 million message from Goldman Sachs, Sigma Partners, Acartha Group, and North Hill Ventures.

#4
Westford, MA-based Verivue, a producer of multimedia distribution switches for cable and telecom operators, raised $20.1 million in an equity offering. The deal was reportedly led by new investor Sigma Partners.

#3
This one’s a tie. Cambridge, MA-based Seaside Therapeutics, a stealthy biotech startup out to turn MIT research into treatments for Fragile X syndrome and autism, raised $30 million from an anonymous family investment firm. And Portsmouth, NH-based software maker BeyondTrust, a maker of tools for controlling IT access privileges, was acquired by Symark International in a deal reportedly worth about $30 million.

#2
Bedford, MA-based software startup 170 Systems was acquired for $32.9 million in cash and notes by Irvine, CA-based Kofax (LSE: KFX). The startup’s technology helps businesses digitize paper-based work flows.

#1
Advanced battery maker A123Systems of Watertown, MA, set a price range for its planned initial public offering. At the proposed $8.00 to $9.50 per share price, the 25 million shares A123 hopes to sell would bring the company between $200 million and $237.5 million in new working capital.

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This week saw the demise of a couple of New England life sciences firms and the rise of several others.

—Luke profiled the efforts of Cambridge, MA-based Acceleron Pharma to bring its lead drug candidate to market as a treatment for anemia. Previous experiments suggested the drug, ACE-011, would actually cause anemia, but in its first clinical trial of the compound the company found that a single dose was like giving patients a transfusion with three full units of blood.

—Alkermes (NASDAQ:ALKS), also of Cambridge, announced that its chairman and former CEO Richard Pops would once again serve as president and chief executive of the company. Pops will take the place of David Broecker, who will leave both his CEO job and his seat on the company’s board of directors.

— AstraZeneca (LON:AZN), the British pharma behemoth, plans to cut 113 jobs at its Westborough, MA, plant next month, according to the Boston Globe.

—The assets of Mansfield, MA-based Innovative Spinal Technologies, whose demise was chronicled by Wade earlier this year, were acquired by New Jersey’s Integra Life Sciences Holdings (NASDAQ: IART). The assets, which include a minimally invasive system for spine surgery, fetched just $9.25 million in cash after Innovative Spinal raised almost $75 million to develop them.

—Lebanon, NH-based Mascoma struck a two-year deal to produce cellulosic ethanol for Chevron Technology Ventures, a division of energy giant Chevron USA. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

—Ryan took a look at Providence, RI-based Sentient Bioscience, a startup founded by researchers from Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University, and Johns Hopkins University to develop new treatments for liver cancer. The firm’s technology, mostly still under wraps, aims to block the blood supply to liver tumors and deliver chemotherapy as well.

—Genzyme CEO Henri Termeer has been named chairman of the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Termeer currently serves as deputy chairman of the Fed board; he’ll move up to chairman in 2010.

—Protein-drug developer Altus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALTU) of Waltham, MA, said it will shutter its operations after running out of cash. The firm will end a mid-stage clinical trial of its drug ALTU-238 and let go “substantially all” of its employees this month and in October.

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Highland Capital Partners of Boston led a $9 million first round of financing for InXpo, the Chicago-based startup announced. Founded in 2004, InXpo creates virtual events and virtual business environments for corporate clients including  AAA, Cisco, Procter & Gamble, and SAP as well as publishers such as Forbes Media, PennWell, TechTarget, and Ziff Davis. “In two years time, there will not be a single physical meeting or event that does not have a virtual component to it,” predicts the startup’s CEO, Malcolm Lotzof.

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The buyout of Sepracor was probably the biggest piece of New England life sciences news this past week, but it certainly wasn’t the only one.

—Cambridge, MA-based Quanterix named David Okrongly its new CEO. Founding CEO Nicholas Naclerio will continue to server as chairman of the company, which is developing single-molecule analysis tools for diagnosing cancer and other diseases. Quanterix has its roots in the Tufts University chemistry lab of David Walt, the co-founder of Illumina (NASDAQ: ILMN).

—An FDA panel recommended that the agency approve romidepsin, a drug developed by Cambridge-based Gloucester Pharmaceuticals, as a treatment for a rare form of lymphoma. The agency has until November 12 to decide whether to clear the drug.

—Ryan had a fascinating chat with Richard Gliklich, CEO of Outcome Sciences, about his Cambridge-based firm’s efforts to track the real-world safety and effectiveness of drugs and other medical technologies. Gliklich also talked about how the company, a Harvard spinoff, is benefitting from the focus on such data spurred by the stimulus package pushed by President Obama.

—Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE: TMO) of Waltham, MA, acquired German diagnostics maker B.R.A.H.M.S. for €330 million (US $470 million).

—Marlborough, MA-based drugmaker Sepracor (NASDAQ:SEPR) said yes to a $2.6 billion buyout offer from Japanese drug firm Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma; the deal is slated to proceed via a tender offer to begin no later than September 15.

—Ryan profiled Cambridge-based Daktari Diagnostics, which just scored $2.8 million in Series A financing to support the development of cheap, portable technology for performing blood tests for HIV patients. The technology, based on work from Massachusetts General Hospital and Purdue University, could dramatically improve the treatment of HIV in places like remote African villages where standard lab techniques are impractical.

—A federal judge ruled that Irish drugmaker Elan breached its multiple sclerosis drug agreement with Cambridge-based Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) by proposing a deal with Johnson & Johnson that would have given J&J an option to acquire Biogen’s stake in the drug, natalizumab (Tysabri), if some other company acquires Biogen.

—In other Biogen news, Redwood City, CA-based Facet Biotech (NASDAQ: FACT), rejected the Massachusetts firm’s $355 million hostile takeover bid.

—Bedford, MA-based Spire sold off its dialysis catheter business to Bard Access Systems for $15 million. Following the sale’s completion, Spire will focus exclusively on photovoltaics manufacturing.

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