Ares Life Sciences, a reported €1 billion (US$1.27 billion) investment vehicle established earlier this year by the Bertarelli family, former majority owners of Serono SA, has acquired a 10.6 percent stake in specialty pharmaceuticals firm Santhera Pharmaceuticals AG in return for CHF15.9 million (US$13.5 million). (BioWorld International)
Polyphor AG secured its first licensing deal with its proprietary Protein Epitope Mimetic (PEM) technology, an alliance in ophthalmology with Allergan Inc., worth up to $68 million. (BioWorld International)
No Abstract BioWorld International CorrespondentAvantium Technologies BV raised €18 million (US$23.4 million) in a private financing round to progress its programs in biofuels and drug development and to provide a liquidity event for exiting shareholders.
Stem cell science specialist Cellartis AB could earn as much as €100 million (US$125 million) in development and sales milestones from a cell therapy collaboration in diabetes with Novo Nordisk A/S and Lund University in Sweden. (BioWorld Today)
Underlining the value of having big backers in these straitened times, Sygnis Pharma AG unveiled an €18.3 million (US$24.4 million) rights offering that already is fully backed by its two largest shareholders. (BioWorld International)
