Molecular Partners AG entered a strategic alliance with Janssen Biotech Inc., under which it will team up with the Johnson & Johnson subsidiary to develop a broad pipeline of drugs, based on its Darpin scaffold technology, for a range of immunology indications.
EMBL Ventures GmbH took in €40 million (US$53.5 million) in a first closing of its second fund, bringing an additional tranche of early stage investment to Germany's cash-starved biotechnology sector. And it hopes to add at least another €10 million in a second closing.
Two of the investors behind RespiVert Ltd., which was acquired by Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Biotech, Inc. (formerly Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc.) last year are hoping to repeat the success with a sequel. Imperial Innovations Group plc and SV Life Sciences are committing up to £8 million (US$12.5 million) to TopiVert Ltd., a new start-up focused on the discovery of topical kinase inhibitors for inflammatory conditions of the eye and gut.
NuCana BioMed Ltd. raised £6.74 million (US$10.5 million) in a Series A round to advance a series of modified nucleoside analogues in cancer indications and has set its sights on becoming the Inhibitex Inc. or even the Pharmasset Inc. of the cancer world.
Immunicum AB is finalizing the first closing of an SEK25 million (US$3.6 million) financing round to take forward a series of therapeutic vaccine technologies for treating cancer.
Elan Corp. plc is entering a $10 million alliance with the University of Cambridge that will focus on the discovery of drugs that modulate protein misfolding processes associated with neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
NuCana BioMed Ltd. raised £6.74 million (US$10.5 million) in a Series A round to advance a series of modified nucleoside analogues in cancer indications and has set its sights on becoming the Inhibitex Inc. or even the Pharmasset Inc. of the cancer world.
Bavarian Nordic A/S moved its off-the-shelf therapeutic vaccine for prostate cancer, Prostvac, into a global, 1,200-patient Phase III registration trial.
