• Bicycle Therapeutics Ltd., of London, received an equity financing of £3.75 million (US$4.85 million) for selection of candidates from its bicyclic peptide platform. New investor Astellas Venture Management joined existing investors Atlas Venture, Novartis Venture Fund, SR One and SV Life Sciences. The financing will help Bicycle transition from technology development to drug discovery.

• La Jolla Pharmaceutical Co., of San Diego, released $2.9 million in cash to fund operations through an agreement with holders of preferred stock to waive their right to redeem the stock on Jan. 20, 2013. The funds will support a trial of GCS-100 for chronic kidney disease.

• Rib-X Pharmaceuticals Inc., of New Haven, Conn., formally requested that the SEC withdraw its initial public offering filing. (See BioWorld Today, Nov. 30, 2012.)