Merck Serono has announced two separate funding initiatives that will support biotechnology companies conducting research in one or more of its core therapeutic areas. The first is a new venture capital fund, and the second, a deal with a unit of the American National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Roche said it is acquiring Innovatis AG, a German cell analysis company, for €15 million. The sellers are two private equity funds operated by Ventizz Capital Partners Advisory AG.
The ReNeuron Group Plc, which has received permission for a first-in-man trial of a neural stem cell treatment for stroke, has lined up financing for the year ahead.
The Roche Group has reached a “friendly” agreement to acquire all the outstanding shares of Genentech Inc that it doesn’t own for $95 per share or $46.8 billion in cash.
Merck & Co. is acquiring Schering Plough Corp in a combination valued at $41.1 billion.
After encountering resistance from the management of Genentech, the Roche Group has increased its hostile offer for all the shares of Genentech Inc that it doesn’t already own to $93 per share from $86.50 per share.
Pharmexa A/S of Denmark has decided to change its therapeutic focus from vaccines to human antibodies and will accomplish this by merging with the privately-owned Norwegian antibody research company, Affitech AS.
GlycoVaxyn AG, a privately-owned Swiss biotechnology company, has raised CHF 25 million in a Series B financing to support the clinical development of its lead vaccine candidate for intestinal infections.
Index Ventures, the Geneva-based venture capital company, has closed its fifth fund devoted to early-stage and seed investment in companies involved in advanced technologies. The fund, Index Ventures V, has assets of €350 million.
The Belgian-listed biotechnology company, ThromboGenics NV, has received a grant of up to €3.2 million to support the development of an antibody that would increase the platelet count of cancer patients who have had chemotherapy.