Crispr Therapeutics AG and its joint venture with Bayer AG called Casebia Therapeutics LLP have signed an exclusive collaboration agreement with CureVac AG to develop therapeutics that exploit both the new gene editing and messenger RNA (mRNA) technologies.
Switzerland-based NousCom AG, which is developing cancer vaccines, has completed a €42 million Series B financing round led by new investor Abingworth, along with 5AM Ventures. The funds will be used to advance two candidate neoantigen vaccines.
In just two weeks, European life science companies have tapped the global capital markets for more than $900 million, taking advantage of buoyant stock prices and a favourable global economy. Funds have been raised by clinical stage companies developing medical therapeutics and devices, as well as by one venture capital company, BioGeneration Ventures. BioGeneration specialises in seed funding for European start-ups.
Novartis has announced plans to begin a tender for all of the shares of Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA) SA, a radiopharmaceutical company that has an approved product for the treatment of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours. The offer is valued at $3.9 billion.
Eli Lilly and Co has obtained the services of CureVac AG for the discovery and development of up to five cancer vaccines, all of which will make use of the German company’s messenger RNA (mRNA) technology to target tumour neoantigens and fight the cancers.
The Roche group has signaled a commitment to antibiotics by way of a collaboration with Warp Drive Bio Inc of Cambridge, Massachusetts, US to advance multiple new classes of antibiotic drugs targeting drug-resistant, Gram-negative pathogens.
Angle Plc has raised a further £2.8 million to complement a £12.2 million fundraising announced on 5 October. The monies will help the company finance the purchase of assets from Canada-based Axela Inc that will broaden its liquid biopsy capabilities enabling it to both harvest circulating tumour cells from patients and analyse them for gene expression.
Erytech Pharma SA has become the second European biotech in less than a week to propose a global public share offering including a listing on the US Nasdaq market. The French company notified the Securities and Exchange Commission on 6 October of plans to raise up to $100 million.
Netherlands-based Kiadis Pharma NV has called on investors for the second time since June, raising €18 million to support the development of its cell therapy platform for making bone marrow transplantations safer. The company placed 2.25 million new shares with investors.
Faron Pharmaceuticals Oy has raised £10 million, before expenses, in a private share placement to support the late-stage development and commercialisation of its product for acute respiratory distress syndrome Traumakine. Current and new investors supported the offering.