Life sciences briefing: Friday, Jan. 11, 2008
TODAY’S HEADLINES:
- Alder Biopharma raises $40M for autoimmune/inflammatory antibody drugs (release)
- Oraya pulls in $18M for ophthalmology devices (VentureWire, sub req’d)
- Wound-treatment developer EnzySurge draws $2M of planned $3M round (Globes)
- SentrX receives $1.8M for veterinary first-aid kits (VW)
Wound-treatment developer EnzySurge draws $2M of planned $3M round — EnzySurge, an Israeli biotech focused on wound-treatment therapies, raised $2 million of a planned $3 million funding round, the Israeli business-news site Globes reports. Private investors provided the funding.
EnzySurge is developing a new technique for treating chronic wounds such as diabetic or pressure sores. The EnzySurge technology involves continuous “irrigation” of the wound with a specially formulated solution, a process designed to wash away bacteria and dead tissue while bathing the wound in antibiotics and other healing-promotion factors.
According to Globes, EnzySurge will soon file for approval of its product. The company has previously raised $2.5 million.
SentrX receives $1.8M for veterinary first-aid kits — SentrX, a Salt Lake City developer of first-aid kits for veterinary use, raised $1.8 million in a first funding round, VentureWire reports (subscription required). TPP Capital Advisors and individual investors provided the funding.
Technically, the current investment is not actualy a venture round. SentrX CEO Richard Koehn told VentureWire that TPP Capital Advisors represents a single individual in Japan.
SentrX makes medicated gauzes and gels for treating animal wounds, particularly in horses, dogs and cats. The funding will allow the company to expand sales to Europe and Japan; it eventually hopes to reach the Middle East and Australia as well.
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About the Author, David P. Hamilton
David Hamilton has been writing for VentureBeat LifeScience since April 2007. He formerly spent 14 years as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal in its San Francisco and Tokyo bureaus. Prior to that, he spent several years as a reporter at Science Magazine and as a reporter/researcher for the New Republic, both in Washington.