Lead Therapeutics captures $3M for cancer treatments
Lead Therapeutics, developer of medications for cancer and other infectious diseases, has roped $3 million of an expected $7 million round of debt and rights, reports VentureWire. Based in San Bruno, Calif., it previously brought in $17 million in a first round of venture funding in 2007 from Mustang Ventures, Pappas Ventures and ProQuest Investments. The company conducts most of its research and operations in China.
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 million as necessary.
Based in Berkeley, Calif., the company has already seen its drug, Aerovant, through the first part of second-phase trials. The company will use the new money to complete… Continue Reading
Public biotech firms Cadence, Affymax draw $128M from bargain-hunting VCs
Much has been written about how the IPO market froze out biotech companies in 2008, but it looks like times are also tough for those who went public before the economy soured. Cadence Pharmaceuticals has seen a dip in stock price from $9 to $7.53 and drug-maker Affymax has dropped from $25 to $14.12 a share since their IPOs in 2006. But VCs hunting for bargains just agreed to infuse the two companies with $86.6… Continue Reading
Concentric Medical closes $15M to ease stroke symptoms
Concentric Medical, developer of minimally invasive devices used to remove blood clots in ischemic stroke patients, took $15 million in new venture backing to expand its product portfolio and run more clinical trials. The Mountain View, Calif. company says it ended 2008 on a strong financial note that helped attract investors despite the tight economy. This is an uptick from February, when it withdrew its plans for a $69 million initial public offering.
Concentric Medical’s devices… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008
TODAY’S HEADLINES:
Adnavance pulls in C$3.7M for molecular diagnostics, names new CEO (release)
“Personalized medicine” co. Proprius sells to Cypress Bio for up to $75M (release)
Vaccinex raises $25M in wake of GSK deal for antibody drugs (VentureWire)
Cianna Medical receives $9M for breast-cancer radiation treatment (release)
Electron-microscope image provider NanoImaging takes in $1.5M (release)
CrystalGenomics, ProQuest Investments create JV co. Palkion (release)
Portico Systems, software maker for insurance plans, raises $7.7M (release)
Stealthy biotech Affomic takes in $7M (peHUB)
Adnavance pulls in C$3.7M… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Thursday, Dec. 20, 2007
TODAY’S HEADLINES:
Acorn Cardio raises $22M for heart-failure device (bizjournals.com)
Agile Therapeutics raises $5.6M for women’s health (release)
Polyheal draws $1M for wound healing (Globes)
MatrixBio receives seed funding for cancer diagnostics (release)
Pacira Pharma names David Stack as CEO (release)
VivoMetrics appoints Howard Baker as CEO (release)
Acorn Cardio raises $22M for heart-failure device – St. Paul, Minn.-based Acorn Cardiovascular, a device maker investigating a device that would restrain the expansion of failing hearts, raised $22 million in a new funding round…. Continue Reading
New biotech startup Excaliard Pharma raises $16M for a fresh stab at antisense drugs
(UPDATED: See below.)
“Antisense” drugs that aim to shut down disease-related genes have long been out of favor, and these days live in the shadow of a hotter and newer technology — RNA interference — that does much the same thing. But that hasn’t stopped Encinitas, Calif.-based Excaliard Pharmaceuticals, a newly formed biotech focused on scarring and “fibrotic” conditions, from taking a fresh stab at the field.
The startup just licensed a slew of antisense technology from Isis… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Thursday, Nov. 15, 2007
Featured companies: BioVex, FullTurn Media, Humanetics, N Spine, Novitas Capital, Reliant Technologies, Symbios, Vaxart, Virtual Radiologic, Winston Laboratories, Zosano Pharma
EXPANDING ITEMS: Stay tuned.
Vaxart receives $3.3M for oral vaccines — San Francisco’s Vaxart, a biotech developing novel adenovirus-based vaccines, raised $2.7 million in a first funding round. Vaxart also received a $600,000 small-business innovation grant from the NIH to assist in developing the company’s vaccine platform.
Vaxart’s vaccine technology involves a non-replicating adenovirus engineered to produce a particular bacterial… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2007
Featured companies: Ganeden Biotech, Glenveigh Medical, Lab21, Lead Therapeutics, Navigenics, Pacific Data Designs, PharMEDium Healthcare, Sloning BioTechnology, VistaGen
UPDATED: Expanded items on Lead Therapeutics, Glenveigh Medical and Sloning BioTech, and moved the Navigenics news to a separate item here.
Lead Therapeutics raises $17M for China-based work in cancer and immunology — San Bruno, Calif.-based Lead Therapeutics, a drug-development startup that plans to do most of its research and development in China, raised $17 million in a first funding round…. Continue Reading