• Cellectar Inc., of Madison, Wis., raised $13 million in a private offering. It will use the money for general operations and for a Phase I clinical trial for its lead oncology product candidate, CLR1404, which is planned to start this summer. CLR1404, is a phospholipid ether combined with the radiolabel 131Iodine. Preclinical studies have shown it is selectively retained in malignant cells. In preclinical studies, CLR1404 was taken up and retained in 100 percent of the 40+ malignant tumor types tested. A Phase I trial is expected to begin in mid-2008. The round was led by Venture Investors LLC, with participants including Advantage Capital, several Wisconsin-based angel investor groups and a large private equity firm. John Neis, managing director of Venture Investors, joined the Cellectar board.

• Primera Biosystems Inc., of Mansfield, Mass., has closed on $21 million of Series B financing led by Abingworth and joined by Interwest Partners. Existing investors Malaysian Technology Development Corp., MPM Capital, Burrill & Co. and the Invus Group also participated in the round. The company said it will use the money to complete development of its instrument system, reagent kits for disease-specific clinical research, future diagnostic tests and to support research and development efforts. Primera is developing a nucleic acid analysis benchtop system.