Financings

Aileron Therapeutics Inc. priced its IPO for gross proceeds of $56.3 million.

Akebia Therapeutics Inc. priced an underwritten public offering with gross proceeds expected to be $58 million.

Atlas Venture closed its 11th fund, raising $350 million.

Avenue Therapeutics Inc. priced its IPO for gross proceeds of about $33 million.

Aveo Oncology Inc. secured $14 million in gross proceeds through its credit facility with Hercules Capital Inc. and the sale of common stock.

Avexis Inc. closed its public offering for net proceeds of about $269.8 million.

Biogeneration Ventures exceeded the €50 million (US$56.7 million) target set for its third early stage fund, with a €66 million (US$74.9 million) close, and plans for a final close of €75 million.

Bluebird Bio Inc. priced an underwritten public offering for anticipated total gross proceeds of $400.1 million.

Dova Pharmaceuticals Inc. priced its IPO for gross proceeds of about $75.1 million.

Kala Pharmaceuticals Inc. has filed for an IPO of $86.25 million.

Logicbio Therapeutics Inc. completed an oversubscribed $45 million series B round.

Mersana Therapeutics Inc. priced its IPO for aggregate gross proceeds of $75 million.

Mitoconix Bio Ltd. raised $20 million in a series A funding round.

Neos Therapeutics Inc. priced a public offering of $32.4 million of shares of its common stock at $6.75 each.

Provention Bio Inc. raised $28.4 million in a private placement of series A preferred stock.

Sangamo Therapeutics Inc. closed its public offering for gross proceeds of about $83.4 million.

Selecta Biosciences Inc. said it entered definitive agreements to sell securities in a private placement that is expected to result in gross proceeds of $50 million.

Vivace Therapeutics Inc. raised $25 million in a series B round.

Deals

Alcyone Lifesciences Inc. entered a feasibility study agreement with Pfizer Inc. in the area of genetic therapy targeting rare and orphan neurological disorders.

Alma Bio Therapeutics SAS and Delphi Genetics SA are extending their collaboration focused on generating a plasmid DNA drug for Alma's preclinical efficacy studies.

Cancer Research Technology Ltd. signed an extended deal with Merck KGaA to discover new cancer drugs targeting the Hippo pathway.

Eiger Biopharmaceuticals Inc. said it is selling the cardiovascular gene therapy candidate Mydicar (rAAV1-SERCA2a) to Theragene Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Epizyme Inc. and Genentech Inc., a member of the Roche Group, expanded their clinical collaboration to test Epizyme's EZH2 inhibitor tazemetostat with Genentech's Tecentriq (atezolizumab) as part of Genentech's phase Ib/II MORPHEUS trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of multiple immunotherapy-based treatment combinations for metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer.

Heptares Therapeutics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sosei Group Corp., and Peptidream Inc., said they've entered a strategic collaboration to discover, develop and commercialize therapeutics targeting an undisclosed G protein-coupled receptor with a role in inflammatory diseases.

Lifearc, the Center for Drug Research and Development, and the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory disclosed a collaboration to identify antibacterial drug targets.

Nantcell Inc., part of Nantworks, entered a definitive merger agreement to acquire Altor Bioscience Corp.

Opiant Pharmaceuticals Inc. inked a global licensing agreement gaining access to Aegis Therapeutics LLC's Intravail drug delivery technology for all of Opiant's opioid antagonist compounds.

. . . And more

Alcobra Ltd. is streamlining its operations to preserve its capital as their board explores "strategic alternatives" for its abuse-deterrent amphetamine immediate-release and metadoxine extended-release programs.

Boston Biomedical Inc. unblinded a global phase III study of its cancer stem cell pathway inhibitor, napabucasin, in advanced gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer after the trial's data and safety monitoring board determined that combining napabucasin with paclitaxel is unlikely to yield better overall survival at 36 months than paclitaxel alone.

Cara Therapeutics Inc. received FDA breakthrough therapy designation for intravenous CR-845 for the treatment of moderate to severe uremic pruritus in chronic kidney disease patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Idera Pharmaceuticals Inc. said the FDA granted orphan drug designation for IMO-2125, an agonist of endosomal Toll-like receptor 9, for the treatment of melanoma stages IIb to IV.

Iovance Biotherapeutics Inc. changed its corporate name from Lion Biotechnologies Inc. The company's new Nasdaq ticker is IOVA.

Portola Pharmaceuticals Inc. won FDA approval for its once-daily factor Xa inhibitor, Bevyxxa (betrixaban), for the prevention of venous thromboembolism.

Rana Therapeutics Inc. relaunched as Translate Bio Inc. to reflect company's focus on the translation of RNA science into therapeutics.

Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc. said its sodium channel Nav1.7 inhibitor, TV-45070, failed to outperform placebo in a phase II postherpetic neuralgia trial.