Tech Briefcase: Interlink expands in Scotland; Arcutis gets patent; Marcus & Millichap hacked
Interlink Electronics, an Irvine-based sensor manufacturer with its research and development hub in Camarillo, announced Sept. 23 that it plans to expand its European presence with a new engineering team in Scotland.
The new team will start with five engineers and will be located near the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. To support the group, Interlink is establishing a new entity based in the United Kingdom, called Interlink Electronics Ltd.
“The establishment of our new Scottish footprint is a crucial step in capitalizing on the hot European market — one of our fastest growing sources of new business,” Interlink Chairman and CEO Steven N. Bronson said in a company news release. “Our expanding presence across the pond will also give us access to a fresh pool of engineering talent, not only from Scotland but all over the U.K.”
Interlink moved its headquarters from Camarillo to Irvine in 2020, but in May 2021 it opened a new materials science and research and development lab in Camarillo.
ARCUTIS OBTAINS NEWS PATENT
Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Westlake Village-based biopharmaceutical company, was issued a new U.S. patent on Sept. 28 that covers an invention for improving delivery and extending the half-life of the cream and foam formulations of its dermatological treatment roflumilast.
“We believe this new patent represents important additional protection for our unique, proprietary topical roflumilast treatment, and is separate and distinct from our formulation patents. … With eight issued patents and additional pending patents, we expect patent protection at least into 2037,” Arcutis CEO Frank Watanabe said in a company news release.
MARCUS & MILLICHAP SAYS INSURANCE WILL COVER ‘MAJORITY OF COSTS’ IN HACK
Marcus & Millichap, a publicly traded commercial real estate brokerage, financing and research firm based in Calabasas, was hit recently with a cybersecurity attack, according to a Sept. 20 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
“The company immediately engaged cybersecurity experts to secure and restore all essential systems and was able to do so with no material disruption to its business,” Marcus & Millichap said in its SEC filing. “The company’s investigation of the attack is ongoing; however, at this time there is no evidence of any material risk or misuse relating to personal information.”
Marcus & Millichap said its insurance will cover “the majority of the costs related to this incident.” The company did not specify what those costs were or whether it paid a ransom to the hackers that targeted its operations.
