• AMDL Inc., of Tustin, Calif., closed the first tranche of a private placement offering of 12 percent senior notes and warrants. In the closing, AMDL sold $1,077,500 of notes at par value. The notes mature at the earlier of 24 months or the completion of a bank or credit facility of not less than $8 million in one or more transactions. The placement agent was Cantone Research Inc.

• Diagnoplex Sarl, of Epalinges, Switzerland, raised CHF10 million (US$8.3 million) in Series A financing from Novartis Venture Fund, NeoMed Management and Initiative Capital Romandie. Funding will advance the company's blood-based cancer diagnostics, which use a single-channel quantitative multiplex reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Diagnoplex's lead product, Colox, is a non-invasive test for the early detection of colon cancer.

• GTC Biotherapeutics Inc., of Framingham, Mass., said shareholders approved three proposals required to complete an agreement with LFB Biotechnologies for a $15 million financing in which GTCB will issue convertible debt and warrants to purchase shares of its common stock. The financing, which will be for general corporate purposes, is scheduled to close upon completion of an intercreditor agreement between LFB and GE Capital. GTCB expects net proceeds of approximately $10 million.

• Peregrine Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Tustin, Calif., secured a $10 million loan agreement from MidCap Financial LLC and BlueCrest Capital Finance LP. The company will receive $5 million up front and may receive an additional $5 million in the future. Proceeds will be used to fund seven ongoing clinical trials, including multiple Phase II studies of bavituximab in cancer. Peregrine reported $8.2 million in cash and equivalents at the end of the third quarter.