Finance, Grants, Deals

A France-based medical imaging company, Mauna Kea Technologies, has announced plans to make an initial public offering of its shares on NYSE Euronext in Paris with the goal of raising about €38.9 million.

Concert Pharmaceuticals Inc is set to receive a $4 million milestone from GlaxoSmithKline Plc in connection with the selection of a lead HIV protease inhibitor for clinical development. The candidate drug will enter efficacy studies in 2012.

ReNeuron Group Plc has upgraded its collaboration with the Schepens Eye Research Institute in the US with the signing of a patent and licensing deal giving it rights to develop and commercialise human retinal precursor cells (hRPCs).

Zealand Pharma A/S of Denmark has reached an agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH of Germany to develop dual-acting glucagon and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Qiagen NV, the Netherlands-based holding company for the German diagnostics company of the same name, is offering to buy Ipsogen SA of France in two stages for approximately €70 million starting with the purchase of a 47% stake.

A Dutch molecular diagnostics company has announced plans to make an initial public offering of its shares on the NYSE Euronext exchange in Amsterdam to support the development and sales of its diagnostics.

A spin-out of NV Philips Electronics that is developing brain stimulation technology has raised €13 million in a Series A financing round from Wellington Partners, Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners and Life Sciences Partners.

Evotec AG is paying €10.25 million in cash upfront to acquire the US compound management business of Galápagos NV in a move that will substantially increase its ability to help third parties develop and manage their compound libraries.

TiGenix NV of Belgium has raised €15.2 million in a rights issue, putting the finishing touches on a merger with Cellerix SA of Spain to create a new, larger  company focused on cell-based therapeutics. The issue was fully subscribed.

Shield Therapeutics, a Switzerland-based speciality pharmaceutical company, has raised €8.2 million in a Series A financing round from Inventages Venture Capital in order to help fund the late-stage development of a product for anaemia.