Coherent Biopharma Co. Ltd. raised $100 million in series B and B+ financing rounds to step up its efforts to develop its bi-targeting ligand-drug conjugate (Bi-XDC) drugs and get them to market. Suzhou, China-based Coherent plans to use its newly expanded war chest to support the clinical trials of three candidates, CBP-1008, CBP-1018 and CBP-1019, as well as an IND application for CBP-8008 in China and the U.S., the company told BioWorld.
Biopharma financings are pacing more than $300 million higher than at the end of April last year, but are well behind the total through April 2021 when the value of financings more than doubled any recent year due to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the end of April, biopharmas have raised $19.83 billion this year, compared to $17.5 billion through the same month in 2022, $53.7 billion in 2021, $24.04 billion in 2020 and $19.53 billion in 2019.
Beijing Luzhu Biotechnology Co. Ltd. raised a net HK$242 million (US$31 million) from an IPO in Hong Kong but shares in the developer of vaccines and therapeutics for infectious diseases, cancer and autoimmune diseases plummeted on the first day of trading. Luzhu’s shares (HK:2480) started trading on May 8 at HK$31.50 and fell about 30% throughout the day to close at HK$22. Founded in 2001, Luzhu has yet to turn a profit. It recorded net losses of ¥725.2 million (US$92 million) in 2022 and ¥539.4 million in 2021.
Pharmaessentia Corp. raised $462.7 million in a global depositary receipt (GDR) offering on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange that marks the largest global health care GDR offering so far this year. The capital raise “reflects confidence in the market opportunity for our approved product and the potential of our pipeline,” said Pharmaessentia founder and CEO Ko-Chung Lin.
China’s Hasten Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd. will look for bolt-on acquisitions to deepen its pipeline following a funding round of $315 million that was co-led by Asia’s largest health care-dedicated investment firm, CBC Group of Singapore, and Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund, Mubadala Investment Co.
Zephyrm Biotechnologies Co. Ltd. raised ¥200 million (US$29 million) in a series B financing to support phase I and II trials of the company’s human pluripotent stem cell candidates to treat lung diseases, degenerative joint diseases such as osteoarthritis, CNS diseases, inherited retinal degenerations and retinal degenerative diseases. The money will also be used for the construction of its technology platform and cell manufacturing bases.
During what has become one of the slowest IPO years in recent memory, cancer immunotherapy company Cytomed Therapeutics Ltd. debuted on Nasdaq, raising $9.65 million, while inflammatory disease firm Acelyrin Inc. filed to list its stock for a potential $100 million. Up to this point, there were only six biopharma IPOs completed this year – the fewest since 2013. Cytomed, which priced 2.4 million shares at $4 apiece, is now the seventh for 2023, and the fifth on Nasdaq. Two other IPOs have closed on Chinese markets.
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