LONDON – Nanomedicine specialist Midatech Ltd. closed a £6.3 million (US$9.7 million) funding round as it confirmed the formal launch of its joint venture with MonoSol Rx, in which the two partners will develop a gold nanoparticle-based formulation of insulin, designed to be delivered via a patch that adheres to the inside of the mouth. Read More

BergenBio AS raised $8.8 million in a Series A funding round to bring a first-in-class AXL kinase inhibitor into the clinic for oncology indications. Read More

LONDON – A protein that can steer the estrogen receptor protein to different parts of the genome in cancer cells probably helps to determine the outcome of breast cancer, a new study has found. Read More

LONDON – ProFibrix NV announced positive U.S. Phase II data for its Fibrocaps tissue sealant to add to positive results from the European Phase II published in November 2011, and is talking to investors at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare conference in San Francisco this week, looking to raise €20 million to €25 million (US$25.4 million to $31.8 million) for a pivotal Phase III trial. Read More

BioInvent International AB could earn up to €11 million (US$14 million) in up-front and milestone payments, as well as royalties on eventual product sales, from a cancer antibody discovery collaboration with Les Laboratoires Servier SA. Read More

Apogenix AG took in €7.5 million (US$9.6 million) in new investments, plus a further €2.3 million in government funding, to continue clinical development of its lead molecule, APG101, and to fund associated biomarker research. Read More

• Alchemia Ltd., of Brisbane, Australia, said it randomized the first patient in its pivotal Phase III study of HA-Irinotecan, its lead cancer drug that uses the firm's HyACT technology to target irinotecan directly to cancer cells. Read More