BioGeneration Ventures BV has raised about €25 million at the first close of a new fund targeting innovative life science companies in Europe with a strong focus on the Netherlands. The target size of the fund is €50 million.
Netherlands-based NightBalance BV, which has developed an unobtrusive device for training an individual to avoid sleep apnea, has raised €12.5 million in a Series B financing. The proceeds will be used to market the product in Europe where it received regulatory approval in 2012.
A pioneering cell therapy designed to treat patients with congestive heart failure did not meet its primary endpoint in a Phase 3 European trial. But the developer, Celyad SA, said a subgroup did show statistical significance.
In another move to generate income from out-licensing, AstraZeneca Plc has negotiated rights to two experimental dermatology drugs to LEO Pharma A/S of Denmark. The products are biologics and have not yet reached the market.
The animal health division of Merck & Co Inc has reached an agreement to acquire a controlling interest in Vallée SA , a privately-held producer of animal health products in Brazil. Vallée has a portfolio of more than 100 products including anti-infectives and vaccines.
On 23 June, British voters, by a convincing majority, said they wished to leave the European Union. This decision is likely to be final for at least a generation despite calls for another vote to reverse the decision.
As gene editing technologies gain more traction, companies producing the new technologies are attracting more money from investors. One such company is CRISPR Therapeutics of Switzerland that has a number of preclinical projects investigating gene editing for therapeutic use.
Merck & Co Inc has announced plans to acquire privately-held Afferent Pharmaceuticals of San Mateo, California, US for up to $1.25 billion depending on the achievement of specific clinical and commercial milestones.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals Plc, a Dublin-based, Nasdaq-listed company that has built a diversified pharmaceutical business through acquisitions, has made an offer to acquire Celator Pharmaceuticals Inc and its late-stage product for treating acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) for about $1.5 billion.
A UK-based gene therapy company, Freeline Therapeutics, has received a third investment from the UCL Technology Fund, which supports research from University College London. The fund is managed by Albion Ventures in collaboration with UCL Business, the university’s technology transfer office.