PARIS – At the recent annual HealthTech Innovations Days in Paris, the European investment Fund (EIF) and the world’s largest life sciences consortium, EIT Health Germany, reported the development of a Venture Centre of Excellence (VCoE) in Europe.

Longboard Pharmaceuticals Inc. is spinning out from Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc., courtesy of a $56 million financing to help develop CNS-targeted therapies. On the table to be developed are compounds discovered using Arena’s G protein-coupled receptor research engine.

PERTH, Australia – Opthea Ltd. completed a $128.2 million IPO on the U.S. Nasdaq market, which will fund two phase III trials in wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and bring the company’s lead candidate, OPT-302, to market if successful.

RNAi therapeutics specialist Sirnaomics Inc. has wrapped up a $105 million series D financing that will support ongoing clinical development of its cancer and fibrotic disease programs plus work on early stage programs targeting metabolic disease and viral infections. But with both new and existing investors jumping in, the company is also preparing for something bigger: its next phase of growth, including a near-term IPO.

PERTH, Australia – Azura Ophthalmics Ltd. raised a $20 million series C round with existing investors, including Brandon Capital’s Medical Research Commercialization Fund (MRCF), Orbimed, TPG Biotech and Ganot Capital.

HONG KONG – Shanghai, China-based Immuneonco Biopharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. bagged $25 million in series B financing in October. The funding will mainly support the companies’ immunotherapies, which include IMM-01 and IMM-0306, both of which target CD47.

Chinese drugmaker Simcere Pharmaceutical Group Ltd. raised HK$3.57 billion ($460.6 million) in Hong Kong by issuing 261 million shares at HK$13.7 apiece on Oct 27. Its debut hit a setback, with its share price (HKEX:2096) dropping over 20% in mid-morning and extending losses to nearly 24% to close at HK$10.46.