Life sciences briefing: Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2007
Featured companies: Aveo Pharmaceuticals, Aviir, deltaDot, Origen Therapeutics
Heart-diagnostic maker Aviir raises $11.3M — Palo Alto, Calif.-based Aviir, a biotech developing cardiovascular diagnostics based on Stanford research, raised $11.3 million of an expected $25 million second funding round, PE Hub reports. The news is presumably from one… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2007
Featured companies: Change:healthcare, Gemin X Biotechnologies, Ipsogen, the Practice
Change:healthcare raises $1M for health 2.0 sites — Nashville, Tenn.-based change:healthcare, a provider of Web-based health information, raised $1 million in a first funding round. The investment firm Solidus, also based in Nashville, provided the cash. There’s no… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2007
Featured companies: Ablynx, Cardiosolutions, Carigent Thereapeutics, Elusys, Genome Corp., GlobeImmune, Novazone, Targanta Therapeutics, Waterfront Media
UPDATED at 5:45am on 9/27/07
GlobeImmune raises $41M for immune-system therapies — GlobeImmune, a Louisville, Colo., biotech focused on new forms of immunotherapy to treat viral infections and cancer, raised $41.2 million in… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Monday, Sept. 24, 2007
Featured companies: Adnexus Therapeutics, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Cellerix, Elixir Therapeutics, GenomeQuest, Intronn, JapanBridge, JenaValve, VirXsys, Ysios Capital
[NOTE: This item is a catchup daily briefing originally posted on 9/27/07. I've edited the item's timestamp to preserve the chronological order of the briefings. --D.P.H.]
Adnexus Thera cancels IPO, sells… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Monday, Sept. 10, 2007
Featured companies: BioVascular, Carefx, ClinResearch, Healthcare Management Directions, NanoCor, OxyPlus, Revitus, Spotlight Surgical, United BioSource
UPDATED: See below.
Healthcare IT provider Carefx pulls in $17.9M — Carefx, a Scottsdale, Ariz., provider of hardware and software that “aggregates” patient records, has raised $17.85 million in a third funding round, Private… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2007
Featured companies: ProNAi, Rubicor
ProNAi raises $2M for IV cancer drugs — ProNAi, a Kalamazoo, Mich., biotech focused on intravenous cancer drugs, raised $2 million toward a $4 million bridge round, VentureWire reports (subscription required). The company aims to raise a $25 million second round later tihs… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Friday, Aug. 24, 2007
(UPDATED at 11am PT on Sunday, 8/26/07: See below.)
Featured companies: Clinical Data, Epidauros Biotechnologie, Precision Therapeutics, UMD, Zars Pharma
UMD to close $8M for menstrual pain and osteoporosis — Cincinnati’s UMD, a developer of vaginal drug-delivery technologies, expects to close up to $8 million in a fifth funding… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Thursday, Aug. 23, 2007
(UPDATED at 6:30am PT on Friday: See below.)
Featured companies: DNA2.0, Globus Medical, Inotek Pharmaceuticals, Operon Biotechnologies, PleuraFlow
Globus Medical raises $110M for spinal implants — Globus Medical, an Audubon, Pa., developer of spinal implants, raised $110 million in a fifth financing round. Investors included Clarus Ventures, AIG SunAmerica… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2007
(UPDATED at 7:40pm PT: See below.)
Featured companies: Adnexus Therapeutics, BioForm Medical, Confirma, Cardiovascular Systems, Mirabilis Medica, Neuromed Pharmaceuticals, PlaCor, Seno Medical Instruments, Vibrynt
BioForm Medical files $115M IPO for “medical aesthetics” — BioForm Medical, a San Mateo, Calif., developer of wrinkle fillers and other products for… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Thursday, Aug. 9, 2007
(UPDATED at 6:40pm PT: See below.)
Featured companies: Nereus Phramaceuticals, KFx Medical, NeuroMed Pharmaceuticals, Adnexus Therapeutics, Masimo, Biofisica, Aegera Therapeutics, LymphoSign, InfuScience, Palmetto Infusion Services
Nereus Pharma raises $45M for ocean-derived cancer drugs — San Diego’s Nereus Pharmaceuticals, a biotech that searches for cancer drugs in marine microbes, raised… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2007
Featured companies: NeurAxon, TechniScan Medical Systems, ViewRay, Advion BioSystems, NanoTek, Cerionx, Ionscope, EncorePath
NeurAxon to raise $25M for pain treatment – Waltham, Mass.-based NeurAxon, which just named Lawrence Bloch as its new CEO last week, now plans to raise $25 million in a second funding round this quarter,… Continue Reading
Celator: Combining chemo drugs for fun and profit
(UPDATED: See below.)
Is there a better way to combine drugs in cancer chemotherapy? Celator Pharmaceuticals, a Princeton, N.J., venture drug maker that just raised $10 million, aims to find out.
Like Horizon Therapeutics, which we wrote about here, Celator is convinced that combining two existing drugs in… Continue Reading
Agensys pulls in $41M for cancer drugs
Santa Monica, Calif.-based Agensys, a biotech focused on new cancer drugs, raised $41 million in a fourth funding round. Duquesne Capital Management and JAFCO led the round, joined by Innovis Investments, Nextech Venture, Bear Stearns Health Innoventures, Alta Partners, HBM BioVentures, Lombard Odier Darier Hentsch… Continue Reading
IPO still on hold, Light Sciences beams up $30M
Snoqualmie, Wash.-based Light Sciences Oncology, a developer of light-activated cancer drugs, raised $30 million in a second funding round, even though it still has an IPO registration on file with the SEC. The latest funding closes out the company’s second round, which includes a $15… Continue Reading
Reata Pharma draws $25M for cancer and inflammation drugs
Irving, Texas-based Reata Pharmaceuticals, a biotech working on new drugs to treat cancer and inflammation, raised $25 million in a fifth funding round. The round was led by existing investors, including CPMG and Novo A/S.
Aquinox Pharma pulls in $15M for cancer and inflammation
Aquinox Pharmaceuticals, a Vancouver drug developer, raised $14.5 million in a first funding round. Ventures West Capital led the round, joined by Johnson & Johnson Development Corp., Baker Brothers Investments and BC Advantage Funds.
Aquinox is developing drugs that inhibit a newly discovered enzyme called SHIP… Continue Reading
IRX Therapeutics raises $12.5M for cancer drugs
New York’s IRX Therapeutics, a developer of drugs designed to stimulate the immune system against viruses and cancer, raised $12.5 million in a second convertible note offering. The investors were mostly private individuals, including Frank Loverro, managing director of the New York private-equity firm Kelso… Continue Reading
Nanopharmaceutical maker Tempo Pharma picks up $12M
Tempo Pharmaceuticals, a Cambridge, Mass., developer of new-drug formulations, raised $12.1 million in a first funding round. The company, which touts itself as a “nanopharmaceutical” maker, aims to improve the safety and effectiveness of existing drugs using engineered nanoparticles designed to home in on particular… Continue Reading
Light Sciences Oncology, IPO on hold, raises $15M
Light Sciences Oncology, a Snoqualmie, Wash., developer of light-activated cancer drugs and delivery systems, raised $15 million in a second venture round despite having an IPO on file with the SEC, VentureWire reports (subscription required). Fidelity Investments provided the funding.
The company’s lead product is Litx… Continue Reading
Cogent Health, maker of healthcare IT systems, raises $3M
Cogent Health Solutions, a Vancouver-based provider of computerized systems for managing cancer care, raised $3 million in its first funding round. Yaletown Venture Partners led the deal, joined by angel investors.
Cogent’s Web-based system aims to help cancer, nutrition and counseling specialists better manage the long-term… Continue Reading