Finance, Grants, Deals

AstraZeneca Plc has taken steps to bolster its respiratory portfolio with a licensing deal for a preclinical drug candidate that is being developed for patients with moderate to severe asthma.

The management of Stada Arzneimittel AG, Germany’s leading generics producer, has accepted a €4.1 billion offer for the company from two private equity firms, Bain Capital Private Equity LP of Boston Massachusetts, US and Cinven Partners LLP of London, UK.

Nanobiotix SA, which is developing technology for enhancing radiotherapy treatments, has raised €25.1 million in a private share placement to finance its portfolio and the expected European market launch of its lead product NBTXR3.

Switzerland-based Symetis GmbH has made a major step onto the US medical device market after agreeing to be acquired by Boston Scientific Corp. The deal, announced on 30 March, consolidates the two companies’ technologies for treating valvular heart disease.

Cardian Ltd, a new spin-out from Imperial College London, has received £1.5 million in seed funding to commercialise a device for monitoring patients with heart failure and help physicians manage their care. The device does not need batteries or a power line.

UK-based Abzena Plc is proposing to raise about £25 million through a private share placement to finance the expansion of its technology services to companies in the US and Europe. The company is listed on the AIM market, which is part of the London Stock Exchange.

Verona Pharma Plc, which is developing therapeutics for respiratory diseases, has filed registration documents for a public offering of its American Depositary Shares (ADSs) on Nasdaq in New York. UK-based Verona is already listed on the AIM market in London.

The privately-owned Belgian drug developer Ogeda SA is to be acquired by Astellas Pharma Inc of Japan in a deal potentially valued at €800 million. Ogeda is developing products for women’s health that target G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs).

The opportunities for commercialising cell and gene therapies appeared relatively bright as the first quarter drew to a close, helped by new finance and the prospective approval of the first cancer products made from engineered T cells.

Mereo BioPharma Group Plc has announced a private share placement intended to raise £15 million to support development of a treatment for osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disorder characterised by bones that break easily.