Enterome Biosciences SA of France has raised €14.5 million in a Series C equity financing from existing investors plus Nestlé Health Science SA to help bring its lead product into the clinic. The compound is a small molecule in-licensed from Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.
GeNeuro SA of Geneva, Switzerland has made an initial public offering of €33 million on the Euronext stock exchange in Paris. Part of the proceeds will be used to finance a Phase 2b proof-of-concept trial of an antibody for multiple sclerosis (MS).
A neuro-stimulation device developed by G-Therapeutics BV of the Netherlands has received €26 million in Series A equity finance to fund a clinical trial in patients with spinal cord injuries ahead of a regulatory submission.
Novartis reported savings of $0.5 billion in the first quarter from a series of measures designed to improve productivity as sales came under pressure from the loss of exclusivity for Glivec/Gleevec (imatinib), a kinase inhibitor used to treat multiple cancers.
In a review of the first quarter, the Roche Group has highlighted the progress of the checkpoint antibody atezolizumab, which is being investigated in both solid and haematologic cancers, and ocrelizumab, a new drug for multiple sclerosis.
In another strategy directed at immuno-oncology, Kymab Ltd has teamed up with Heptares to discover potential antibody therapeutics that target G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) with a view to strengthening the ability of the immune system to fight cancer. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
The first drug to target a specific protein in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Venclexta (venetoclax) is designed to target the B-cell lymphoma 2 protein, which is overexpressed in many CLL patients.
Netherlands-based Forbion Capital Partners has closed its third life science fund at €183 million, enabling it to step up its investment into companies developing new drugs and medical technologies primarily located in Europe.
Keranova SA, a start-up company with a focus on ophthalmology, has obtained €4 million in Series A funding to develop an instrument for eye surgery that would require a minimum of manual intervention.
MedDay SAS, a France-based biotech, has raised €34 million in a Series B financing round to conduct a confirmatory Phase 3 study in the US of its formulation of biotin in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS).