Life sciences briefing: Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2007

Life sciences briefing: Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2007

Featured companies: Atritech, Avalon Partners, Ensemble Discovery, Hyperion Therapeutics, LifeBond, ReShape Medical, SafeStitch, Trophos, UltraShape

Hyperion Therapeutics raises $40M against GI and kidney disease — Hyperion Therapeutics, a South San Francisco, Calif., specialty pharmaceutical company, raised $40 million in a second funding round. Investors included Sofinnova Ventures, Highland Capital Partners, New Enterprise Associates and WRF Capital.

Hyperion, which buys the rights to test and market drug candidates from other companies, said the proceeds will allow it to complete… Continue Reading

Life sciences briefing: Friday, Aug. 10, 2007

Life sciences briefing: Friday, Aug. 10, 2007

(CORRECTED: See below.)

Featured companies: VistaGen Therapeutics, MindWeavers, Cutanea Life Sciences, Heptares Therapeutics

VistaGen raises $3.75M for stem-cell based drug discovery — South San Francisco, Calif.-based VistaGen Therapeutics, a biotech that uses human embryonic stem cells to discover new drugs, raised $3.75 million in a bridge financing as it prepares to raise up to $20 million in a fourth round, VentureWire reports (subscription required). Montaur Capital Partners provided the funding.

VistaGen, founded in 1998, isn’t your typical stem-cell company. Where… Continue Reading

NeurogesX prices IPO below range, raises $44M

NeurogesX, a San Carlos, Calif., biotech focused on pain medication, priced its IPO yesterday at $11 per share, below its expected range of $13 to $15. The company raised approximately $44 million, down from an expected $69 million.

The company’s lead drug candidate, NGX-4010, is a transdermal skin patch designed to deliver low doses of synthetic capsaicin — a version of the active ingredient that makes chili peppers spicy — directly to the site of chronic… Continue Reading