Osprey picks up $3.8M more for immune disease treatments
Osprey Pharmaceuticals, a drug maker focusing on inflammatory and immune disease medications, added $3.8 million to its first round of funding, bringing its total to $14.8 million, according to VentureWire. The San Francisco company says the new money was needed to see its lead drug… Continue Reading
Aerovance inhales $38M for asthma drugs
Aerovance, developer of asthma medications, just brought in $38 million in a post-recapitalized third round of funding to push its lead drug candidate through a second phase of clinical trials. The company has already received $20 million, with the option of claiming the remaining $18… Continue Reading
diaDexus lands $9.2M for cardiovascular diagnostics
South San Francisco, Calif. biotech firm diaDexus just raised $9.2 million in sixth-round funding from Scale Venture Partners, GlaxoSithKline and Baker Brothers Advisors, according to peHUB. The company’s first and only product, the PLAC Test, is used to detect early indicators of risk for heart… Continue Reading
Arete nabs $16.7M more to treat metabolic disorders
Biotech company Arete Therapeutics brought in $16.7 million in the final tranche of a first round of funding that now totals $51 million. The Hayward, Calif.-based company will use the money to push its lead treatment for metabolic syndrome through a second phase of clinical… Continue Reading
Ferrokin brings in $8.4M for anemia treatment
Ferrokin Biosciences, a San Carlos Calif. company that makes compounds to treat iron overload in patients with anemia, received $8.4 million of what it hopes will be a $15 million first-round of funding from Clarus Ventures, Burrill & Co. and Celegene Inc.
Iron overload is a… Continue Reading
Nora Pharma reels in $25M for women’s health
Nora Pharmaceuticals, developer of women’s reproductive health drugs and devices, brought in $25 million in first round financing from Burrill & Co., Prospect Venture Partners and Vivo Ventures. The San Francisco-based company is still pretty stealthy (it doesn’t even have a website). It did release… Continue Reading
Gevo raises another $17M for synthetic biofuels
Gevo, the Pasadena, Calif., based developer of synthetic biofuels just wrapped up a $17 million third round of funding. New investors Burrill & Co. and Malaysian Life Sciences Capital Fund joined cleantech regulars Khosla Ventures and Virgin Green Fund; the biofuel start-up has already raised… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Friday, Feb. 29, 2008
TODAY’S HEADLINES:
Arriva Pharma recaps with $6M for respiratory anti-inflammatory drugs (release)
Genetic tester Sciona gets another $5.2M, distribution deal (VentureWire)
Joint resurfacer Arthrosurface takes in $4M (release)
Automated medication dispenser MDG Medical receives $14M in debt, equity (release)
California Stem Cell raises funds for heart, neurodegenerative treatments (release)
Arriva Pharma… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2008
TODAY’S HEADLINES:
CyberHeart pumps in $9M for cardiac-arrhythmia treatment (release)
Incubator ForSight launches third device company with $6M funding (release)
Primera Biosystems raises $21M for molecular diagnostics (release)
Biogen Idec, PDL BioPharma take stakes in Ophthotech (release)
Technitrol acquires medical-device component maker Sonion for $385M (release)
DLJ Merchant Banking takes control… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2007
Featured companies: American TeleCare, Gliknik, Juvaris BioTherapeutics, Medsphere Systems, Primera Biosystems
UPDATED: Expanded items on Juvaris, Medsphere, Primera, American TeleCare and Gliknik. Moved Broncus Tech and Aegerion Pharma items to an IPO roundup here.
Vaccine maker Juvaris Bio raises $12M, aims for $30M more — According to VentureWire (subscription… Continue Reading
Funding roundup: Announcements that got away
Although I try to stay on top of events in the life sciences, announcements do sometimes manage to slip through the cracks. Some days, in fact, I end up triaging. Because the roots of this site — not to mention many of its readers —… 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
Logical Therapeutics raises $30M, relocates to Boston area
Pittsburgh-based Logical Therapeutics, a developer of drugs for inflammation and metabolic disease, raised $30 million in a second funding round and announced it is moving its headquarters to a location “near Boston.” (What are the odds that the new location might be Cambridge, the hub… Continue Reading
Arete raises $35M for cardiovascular treatments
Arete Therapeutics, a Hayward, Calif., developer of biotech cardiovascular treatments, raised a $35 million extension to its first round of funding. Founded in 2003, the company is working on “small molecule” drugs that target a metabolism-related chain of biochemical cellular signals that involves arachidonic acid…. Continue Reading
Neosil raises $10M in debt for hair-growth product
Neosil, an Emeryville, Calif., company focused on dermatology products, raised a $10 million in venture debt from Hercules Technology Growth Capital. The debt funding follows the company’s $32 million first-round venture financing in 2004, which involved MPM Capital and Burrill & Co.
Neosil is developing a… Continue Reading
Aerovance, asthma treatment company, finishes raising $60M
Aerovance, a Berkeley, Calif biopharmaceutical company looking to find a partner for its asthma treatement, Aerovant, reached back to year-old news and announced it has finished raising $60 million in a third round of financing.
There is “substantial very, very strong interest” by pharmaceutical and biotech… Continue Reading
DiaDexus, which tests for cancer and cardiovascular disease, raises $40M
DiaDexus, a South San Francisco company that makes tests to detect cancer and cardiovascular disease, said it has raised $40 million in a fifth round of funding, according to VentureWire (sub required).
The company says the funding will take it to profitability next year. Baker Brothers… Continue Reading
XDx looking to raise $25 million more for personalized medicine
XDx, a Brisbane, Calif. company that monitors the immune system with personalized medicine based on insights from the Human Genome Project, said it is raising up to $25 million more in cash.
The news, reported this morning by VentureWire (sub required) would be the company’s fifth… Continue Reading
Burrill has raised $250M for life science investing
Burrill & Co, a San Francisco venture firm focused on the life sciences, has raised $240 million, and is targeting a total of $300 million by the end of the year, according to VentureWire (sub required).
The firm also says it continues to expand its staff… Continue Reading