Ablynx NV is to jointly research the potential of its therapeutic proteins conjugated to cytotoxic drugs developed by Spirogen Ltd, in a new research agreement announced by both parties on 25 February. The research collaboration is set to last for up to one year initially with an option to continue.
The UK-based drug discovery company Domainex Ltd has announced plans to raise £1.5 million in new capital to support its kinase-based drug development programmes for cancer and a variety of inflammatory diseases. The round is being led by Longbow Capital LLP.
UCB SA has signed an agreement with US-based ConfometRX Inc to discover new drugs to treat neurological diseases by targeting the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) family of proteins. GPCRs are the largest family of signaling proteins in the human genome.
Sphere Fluidics Ltd of the UK, which has developed technology to analyse single cells, has raised $2.5 million in a Series A round from a syndicate led by 24Haymarket of London. The company’s technology comes from the chemistry department of Cambridge University.
MorphoSys AG and Heptares Therapeutics Ltd have entered into a collaboration to generate candidate antibody therapeutics targeting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). The disease targets will be proposed by MorphoSys.
e-Therapeutics Plc, which develops drugs that reach several optimized targets, has raised £40 million in a private placement with existing and new institutional investors. The placement is subject to existing shareholders waiving their preemption rights.
Up to £50 million is expected to be made available for British life science following the setting up of a new fund that will seek to identify early-stage technologies with global commercialistion potential.
GlaxoSmithKline Plc has taken control of its publicly-listed consumer healthcare subsidiary in India in a transaction valued at about £568 million. As a consequence, it now owns 72.5% of GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Ltd, up from 43.2% previously.
4-Antibody AG of Switzerland and its research partner, the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, have entered into a collaboration with Recepta Biopharma SA of Brazil to develop three antibody products for cancer.
The management of large pharmaceutical companies often struggle in deciding which products to bring forward into the expensive final stage of development. However, two venture capital companies have developed a way of ‘underwriting’ so that pharma can have more choices.