Innate Pharma SA of France has purchased rights to an immune checkpoint inhibitor from Novo Nordisk A/S of Denmark that is ready for Phase 2 development in oncology. Checkpoint inhibitors are currently attracting a lot of interest because they have shown an ability to thwart tumours.
Uniqure BV of the Netherlands, which is the first company with a licensed gene therapy, expects to raise about $81.9 million from an initial public offering of its shares on the Nasdaq over-the-counter market in the US.
BerGenBio AS has raised NOK 75 million ($12.5 million) with a private equity placement to finance development of its lead drug candidate, BGB324, which is in Phase 1b studies. The compound is said to interfere with cancer drug resistance and metastases.
Anergis SA of Switzerland has raised CHF 8 million (€6.5 million) from its venture capital backers in order to advance its lead vaccine product, AllerT, for birch pollen allergy into Phase 3 development.
Smith & Nephew Plc of the UK is acquiring ArthroCare Corp of the US in a move that will strengthen its position in sports medicine. The value of the deal is $1.7 billion, or about $1.5 billion when ArthroCare’s cash reserves are taken into account.
Crossject SA, a French company with a needle-free pharmaceutical injection system designed for self-administration, is issuing 1,538,462 shares in an initial public offering on the NYSE Alternext exchange in Paris.
Ablynx NV has secured a new research collaboration with Merck & Co based on its technology for antibody-derived therapeutic proteins – this time to discover and develop candidate drugs th
Germany-based Medigene AG, which has a long history in oncology drug discovery, has acquired Trianta Immunotherapies GmbH of Munich, a spin-out with three T cell immunotherapy technologies. The value of the deal is €4 million plus milestones.
Genmab A/S has raised DKK 998 million (€134 million) following the pricing of a previously-announced private share placement to support development of its therapeutic antibody portfolio. The company announced the results on 24 January.
IP Group Plc, which invests in intellectual property generated by universities primarily in the UK, has decided to raise new capital with a share issue. Funds from the issue will enable the company to expand its portfolio of life science investments.