Diogenx SAS raised €27.5 million (US$30.4 million) in a series A round to move a novel therapy for type 1 diabetes into clinical development. The Marseille, France-based company is building on the research of co-founder Patrick Collombat, an expert in beta-cell regeneration, who is based at the Insitute of Biology Valrose and the University Côte d’Azur, in Nice. Its lead drug candidate comprises a recombinant R-spondin protein, which acts on the Wnt/beta-catenin signal pathway to boost replication of endogenous functioning beta-cells.
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.
Magenta Medical Ltd. has raised $55 million to fast-track the development of the world’s smallest left ventricular assist device (LVAD). The financing round was led by Orbimed Private Investment LLC. With the participation of existing investors, New Enterprise Associates, Pitango VC Ltd. and Alive MS Ltd. “We will use this funding, in particular, to advance the clinical programs in the U.S. towards our first FDA approval,” David Israeli, CEO of Magenta Medical, told BioWorld.
Insulet Corp. once again broke records with a nearly 50% increase in Omnipod revenues in U.S. in the first quarter and a 32% increase in revenue from the tubeless insulin delivery device worldwide. In an unusual move following such positive quarterly results, the company simultaneously announced a major shake-up in the leadership team, with multiple senior members moving to new positions starting July 1. The latest round of musical chairs comes almost exactly a year after the last at the Insulet, when Founder, President and CEO Shacey Petrovic stepped down and Jim Hollingshead assumed the top spot.
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