Life Sciences

Harvard Bioscience of Holliston reported record quarterly revenues of $30.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Sunovion Pharmaceuticals of Marlborough announced the start of a phase 3 clinical trial program for SUN-101, an inhalation solution being investigated for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Marlborough's Ocata Therapeutics (formerly Advanced Cell Technology), said it has been awarded two new U.S. patents for its cell therapy technology to treat ophthalmic, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

Talk to technology entrepreneurs and there's a question that often comes up: Would you rather do cool stuff or important stuff? Make an amazing virtual reality headset or improve the treatment options for diabetes? ReWalk Robotics doesn't have to choose.

Biotech firm Harvard Apparatus Regenerative Technology of Holliston has closed a previously announced public stock offering after raising about $8.6 million, the company announced this week.

Optical instruments maker Precision Optics of Gardner reported a 3-percent year-over-year drop in revenue for its most recently competed quarter, but cited increased interest in the company's products.

Boston Scientific has agreed to pay rival Johnson & Johnson $600 million as part of a settlement of a lawsuit stemming from Boston Scientific's acquisition of Guidant Corp. nine years ago, the Marlborough life sciences company announced Tuesday. In the lawsuit, Johnson & Johnson alleged that Guidant broke a deal it had with Johnson & Johnson to merge with that firm, and sought $7.2 billion in damages. Guidant disputed the allegations. As part of the settlement, BSX said Johnson & Johnson has agreed to dismiss its lawsuit without acknowledgment of liability by Guidant. Also, BSX has agreed not to bring patent infringement or other claims related to three of Johnson & Johnson's stent products, the BSX statement said.

UMass Medical School in Worcester will collaborate with Lysogene, a French biotechnology company, and Auburn University in Alabama, to develop pre-clinical studies of a rare disorder that causes neurological impairment, Lysogene announced.

Preeclampsia is a leading cause of maternal and infant death worldwide, though the causes are poorly understood, and treatment options are limited. When an expectant mother develops the disease – which causes high blood pressure, swelling, headache, vision changes and seizures – the normal course of action is to deliver the baby as soon as possible to avoid the potential death of both mother and baby. But when it occurs too early in a pregnancy, that remedy is surrounded by health risks for the baby that could result in life-long problems. It's a conundrum rEVO Biologics of Framingham is trying to solve. The biopharmaceutical company, which is focused on developing and commercializing treatments for patients with rare, life-threatening diseases, began clinical trials last summer on a drug that may allow women to prolong their pregnancies than what available medicine allows.

Boston Scientific Corp. (NYSE: BSX) of Marlborough saw sales improve in the fourth quarter and throughout 2014, thanks in large part to strong sales of the company's cardiovascular devices.