BEIJING – Chinese T-cell immunotherapy specialist Immunotech Biopharm Ltd., of Beijing, has become the seventh pre-revenue biotech on the waiting list to go public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX). In an application filed last week, the specific amount was not disclosed, but company said much of the proceeds are expected to advance its lead candidate targeting liver cancer.

LONDON – 4BIO Capital announced the first close of its second fund at $50 million, to be exclusively invested in advanced therapies, including cell and gene therapies, RNA drugs that silence or activate genes, oncolytic vaccines and the microbiome.

Although investor sentiment continues to remain low and unlikely to change for the remainder of the year, it seems that fact has fallen on deaf ears of those companies looking to graduate to the public ranks. Already in the first few days of September, five biopharma companies have added themselves to the IPO runway, bringing the number of pending U.S. offerings to 12, according to BioWorld.

New med-tech investment firm Vensana Capital reported Wednesday that it has closed an inaugural fund, Vensana Capital I, with $225 million in committed capital. The venture capital and growth equity investment firm, launched earlier this year, aims to use the fund to invest in 10 to 12 companies, with commitment sizes ranging from $10 million to $30 million per company.

The fund, which was oversubscribed, will focus on companies across the med-tech sector, including medical devices, diagnostics and information systems, digital health, drug delivery and technology-enabled services. Vensana does not plan to invest in biopharma ventures.