Pharma & Biotech VC & Investment News
Biotechnology
Danish life sciences investor Novo Holdings is continuing the spread of its cash pile, this time as co-leader of a $181.4 million Series D financing in Alentis Therapeutics. 12 November 2024
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Biotechnology
Shares of French biotech Transgene were up 8.6% at 1.62 euros this morning, after the company revealed late Tuesday that it has raised $22.2 billion from the sale of 10.3 million shares of its minority stake in Tasly BioPharmaceuticals to a Chinese investment fund. 5 August 2020
Pharmaceutical
Last week’s notable news included mRNA therapeutics specialist Moderna announcing it had received an additional $472 million US government BARDA award for the development of its COVID-19 Sanfoi, GlaxoSmithKline, Daiichi Sankyo, AstraZeneca, DS-1062, vaccine. Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline also gained a US government award under the Operation Warp Speed program worth $2.1 billion. Among deal-making developments, Japan’s Daiichi Sankyo on Monday announced a second licensing accord with AstraZeneca, this one for its cancer candidate DS-1062 worth up to $6.6 billion. Also, Roche entered a licensing deal with UCB for rights to its Alzheimer’s disease candidate UCB0107. Regulatory news included AstraZeneca gaining US Food and drug approval for its drug Breztri Aerosphere in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 2 August 2020
Generics
What was once a leading photography company, but which filed for bankruptcy protection in 2012, USA-based Eastman Kodak’s shares soared as much as 1,900% in two days, after the Wall Street Journal reported the company had won a $765M government loan under the Defense Production Act. 29 July 2020
Biotechnology
BioNTech and Pfizer have revealed the start of a global (except for China) Phase II/III safety and efficacy clinical study to evaluate a single nucleoside-modified messenger RNA (modRNA) candidate from their BNT162 mRNA-based vaccine program, against SARS-CoV-2. 28 July 2020
Generics
Alembic Pharmaceuticals has received board approval to raise $150-$200 million through a qualified institutions placement (QIP) issue of shares. 27 July 2020
Biotechnology
mRNA therapeutics and vaccines specialist Moderna Therapeutics has secured an additional $472 million from the US authorities for late-stage development of mRNA-1273. 27 July 2020
Biotechnology
China’s Antengene Corporation has successfully closed a $97 million Series C financing. 20 July 2020
Biotechnology
The Japan-based Sosei Group today announced the successful completion of an international offering of new shares and euro-yen denominated convertible bonds due 2025 that has raised a total of approximately $200 million. 16 July 2020
Biotechnology
USA-based biotech Glympse Bio has closed an oversubscribed $46.7 million Series B financing. The proceeds from the financing will support continued development of Glympse's novel biosensor platform in fibrotic diseases such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), oncology, and infectious diseases. 15 July 2020
Biotechnology
Nasdaq on Monday announced that US RNA therapeutics and vaccine specialist Moderna Therapeutics will become a component of the Nasdaq-100 Index, prior to market open on Monday, July 20, 2020 14 July 2020
Pharmaceutical
Last week brought good regulatory news for Acacia Pharma, with the US Food and Drug Administration approving the firm’s Byfavo as a procedural sedation product, and Biogen and Eisai filing for FDA approval for aducanumab as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. On the research front, Swiss biotech Idorsia presented positive new Phase III results for its insomnia candidate daridorexant, and Germany’s Bayer released much-anticipated Phase III results for its diabetic kidney disease drug finerenone. Meantime, USA-based Novavax rocketed after revealing its COVID-19 vaccine has been selected for a massive funding award via the US government’s Operation Warp Speed program. 12 July 2020
Biotechnology
Investment giant Blackstone has announced the final close of its fund in life sciences. 10 July 2020
Biotechnology
Swedish firm Hansa Biopharma is 1.1 billion Swedish kronor ($121 million) better off after completing a share placement. 10 July 2020
Pharmaceutical
The newly-founded AMR Action Fund will oversee the disbursement of around $1 billion, directed towards promising antimicrobial candidates. 10 July 2020
Biotechnology
Immuno-oncology start-up Vor Biopharma, which is pioneering engineered hematopoietic stem cells (eHSCs) for the treatment of cancer, today announced it has raised $110 million in a Series B financing. 7 July 2020
Biotechnology
US biotech firm Regeneron Pharmaceuticals saw its shares rise 4.6% on Monday and gain a further 3.6% to $650.03 by mid-morning today, after it announced the initiation of late-stage clinical trials evaluating REGN-COV2, Regeneron's investigational double antibody cocktail for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19, as well as a lucrative deal with the US government. 7 July 2020
Biotechnology
Novavax has been selected to participate in Operation Warp Speed, a US government project to expedite COVID-19 vaccine development. 7 July 2020
Biotechnology
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and CureVac, a clinical-stage German biotech company developing a new class of transformative medicines based on optimised mRNA, entered into a 75 million-euros ($84 million) loan agreement to support the company’s ongoing development of vaccines against infectious diseases, including its vaccine candidate CVnCoV aimed at preventing SARS-CoV-2 infections. 7 July 2020
Biotechnology
US biopharma Unum Therapeutics has completed the acquisition of Kiq, a privately-held biotech focused on the discovery and development of precision kinase inhibitors. 6 July 2020
Biotechnology
UK-based drug discovery and development company Mission Therapeutics, which is focused on selectively inhibiting deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs), today announced that it has raised $15 million in equity investment. 6 July 2020
Biotechnology
California-based venture capital firm Versant Ventures yesterday announced the launch of Pep2Tango Therapeutics, a start-up focused on innovative, next-generation weight loss therapies. Proceeds from the significant, undisclosed round will support development of the company’s novel unimolecular tetra-receptor agonist peptides to treat obesity and related conditions. 22 November 2024
Biotechnology
Hong Kong-based Sino Biopharm has signed an equity investment and strategic collaboration agreement with LaNova Medicines, advancing its oncology focus. 22 November 2024
Biotechnology
Colorado, USA-based biotech Enveda Biosciences, which is using AI to translate nature into new medicines, has announced an oversubscribed $130 million Series C funding round led by Kinnevik and FPV. 22 November 2024
Biotechnology
San Diego-based Cidara Therapeutics, a biotech using its proprietary Cloudbreak platform to develop drug-Fc conjugate (DFC) immunotherapies designed to save lives and improve the standard of care for patients facing serious diseases, has entered into a securities purchase agreement with certain investors to raise up to around $105 million. 21 November 2024
Biotechnology
Aizen Therapeutics, an AI-driven biotech headquartered in San Diego, has officially launched from stealth mode, introducing its drug discovery platform, DaX. 21 November 2024
Biotechnology
San Diego-based Valora Therapeutics, a biotech that boasts of having a novel approach to immunotherapy, has announced the successful closing of a $30 million seed funding round. 21 November 2024
article
The UK government has reappointed BioIndustry Association (BIA) chairman Daniel Mahony as its Life Sciences Investment Envoy. 21 November 2024
Pharmaceutical
Shanghai-based Leading Tac Pharmaceutical has announced the successful completion of a series A financing round, raising over 100 million yuan ($14 million). 21 November 2024
Biotechnology
A pair of industry veterans have teamed up to create Jupiter Bioventures, a San Francisco-based biotech venture foundry promised to build bold, science-driven therapeutics companies. 20 November 2024
Biotechnology
Aclaris Therapeutics has announced an exclusive licensing agreement with Biosion for broad rights to two new antibodies. 19 November 2024
Biotechnology
Californian oncology-focused biotech Avenzo Therapeutics has announced a pair of important updates. 19 November 2024
Pharmaceutical
In yet another sign of the mounting interest in radiopharmaceuticals, Tongrui Biopharma, a Chinese innovator in this area, has announced the completion of a $100 million series A+ financing round. 18 November 2024
Biotechnology
Shanghai-based biopharma Zai Lab has announced the pricing of its underwritten public offering at $25.50 per share, aiming to raise around $200 million. 15 November 2024
Pharmaceutical
New York-based Metsera, a biopharma developing medicines for obesity and metabolic diseases, has closed a $215 million Series B financing to further advance its portfolio of clinical-stage, nutrient-stimulated hormone (NuSH) analog peptides. 14 November 2024
Pharmaceutical
Life science investor Syncona has announced the launch of its newest portfolio company, Slingshot Therapeutics, through the Syncona Accelerator initiative. 14 November 2024
Biotechnology
Danish life sciences investor Novo Holdings is continuing the spread of its cash pile, this time as co-leader of a $181.4 million Series D financing in Alentis Therapeutics. 12 November 2024
Biotechnology
Trace Neuroscience, a newly launched biopharma based in San Francisco, aims to advance treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, starting with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). 12 November 2024
Biotechnology
Geron Corporation, a biopharma company focused on telomerase inhibition therapies, has announced a $375 million financing agreement aimed at supporting the commercial rollout of Rytelo (imetelstat). 11 November 2024
Biotechnology
An Expert View from Cumulus Oncology about its innovative business model, which is all about improving the efficiency of drug R&D. 11 November 2024
Biotechnology
US biotech venture fund Aditum Bio and China’s Leads Biolabs today announced the formation of Oblenio Bio, marking the thirteenth company launched by Aditum. 7 November 2024
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