• Acura Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Palatine, Ill., completed the draw down of a $1.2 million bridge funding announced in March 2007. The financing was committed byEssex Woodlands Health Ventures, Care Capital LLC and Galen Partners. Proceeds will support development and licensing of the Aversion abuse deterrent drug delivery technology, providing sufficient funding to carry Acura through mid-June. The bridge loan is convertible to common stock at a predetermined price upon the occurrence of certain events, and it brings Acura's total bridge loans outstanding and due on Sept. 30 to $9.9 million.

• Ambrilia Biopharma Inc., of Montreal, closed $5.5 million of its previously announced $5.8 million private placement by issuing 2.3 million shares at $2.42 per share. The company expects to receive the remaining $300,000 by May 22. Proceeds will be used to advance Ambrilia's cancer and HIV drugs.

• Northwest Biotherapeutics Inc., of Bothell, Wash., said it intends to raise up to $30 million by placing shares of common stock with foreign institutional investors. Proceeds would be used for debt repayment, clinical trials of DCVax dendritic cell immunotherapy, and working capital.

• Xechem International Inc., of New Brunswick, N.J., said its subsidiary, Xechem Pharmaceuticals Nigeria Ltd., gained approval for a $9.38 million loan from the United States Export Import Bank. Funds will be used to construct a Nigerian production facility for the anti-sickling drug Nicosan.