Medical device maker Emphasys on the auction block

Emphasys Medical, maker of a valve that diverts air to only the healthy parts of lungs in emphysema patients, has put itself up for sale after the Food and Drug Administration rejected its lead product in December. This is the second relatively recent defeat for the Redwood City, Calif.-based company, which had to withdraw its IPO filing last May. Since then, all but five of its 50 employees have been laid off.

Founded in 2000, Emphasys… Continue Reading

IPO roundup: MAP Pharma’s mixed reception, other recent filings

IPO roundup: MAP Pharma’s mixed reception, other recent filings

MAP Pharmaceuticals, the Mountain View, Calif., specialty pharma, had a mixed reception to its IPO Friday. The company priced its shares at $12, below its anticipated range of $14 to $16, raising up to $69 million — substantially less than the $92 million it might have pulled in. Investors, however, reacted positively and pushed up the shares 11 percent to $13.35.

MAP reformulates existing drugs in order to deliver them via inhalers. Its leading product is… Continue Reading