VCs Piling Into Oncology, Chasing Pharma Deals

 
• By Chris Morrison

Oncology continues to dominate the therapeutic focus of VC investors. Here we take a look at the 181 private biotechnology companies funded so far this year to determine which therapeutic areas are hot.

As of the end of October, venture capitalists have so far in 2007 poured more than $4 billion into privately held drug discovery and/or development companies in 181 financing deals, according to Windhover’s Strategic Transactions Database. And a quick glance at Exhibit 1 will reveal an indisputable trend: VCs continue to invest disproportionately in cancer drug developers compared with other therapeutic spaces.

Before discussing the whys and wherefores of this 30,000-foot view of VC investment strategies, it should first be noted that...

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