1. Scrip
  2. >>Business
  3. >>Financing
  4. >>Finance Watch

Finance Watch: Investors Launch New SPACs After Initial Deals

Panacea II, CM Life Sciences III Complete IPOs

 
• By Mandy Jackson

EcoR1 and Casdin/Corvex took their second and third special purpose acquisition corporations public. Also, Ionis sold notes to buy back older notes and fund operations as it cut 70% of Akcea’s staff. In venture capital, ValenzaBio raised $70m and RA boosted Metagenomi’s series A to $75m.

Finance Watch

Two groups of investors who have sponsored special purpose acquisition corporations (SPACs) have taken their second and third SPACs public after finding success in the life science merger market with their earlier efforts. CM Life Sciences III Inc., sponsored by affiliates of Casdin Capital LLC and Corvex Management LP, raised $480m and Panacea Acquisition Corp. II, sponsored by an affiliate of EcoR1 Capital LLC, raised $150m in initial public offerings on 6 April.

SPACs are blank check companies established with the sole purpose of merging with another company, which is able to go public without pursuing an IPO and gains access to the capital raised in the SPAC’s IPO

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Scrip for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required
Start Free Trial

Already a subscriber?

More from Finance Watch

Finance Watch: Funding Alternatives Become The Norm In Tough Public Markets

 
• By Mandy Jackson

Public Company Edition: With fewer follow-on offerings, drug developers are pursuing other options. Axsome accessed up to $570m in debt, Evolus obtained $250m in a new credit facility and Abeona raised $155m from a PRV sale, but Apimeds was able to execute a small $13.5m IPO.

Finance Watch: Deerfield Closes $600m-Plus VC Fund; Gates Speeds Up Health Investments

 
• By Mandy Jackson

Private Company Edition: Deerfield’s third innovations fund will back therapeutics and other opportunities, the Gates Foundation – a sometimes funder of biotech firms – will spend $200bn over the next 20 years, and NewLimit raised a $130m series B round, among other financings.

Finance Watch: Unity Lays Off All Employees As It Evaluates Alternatives

 
• By Mandy Jackson

Restructuring Edition: Unity unveiled more Phase IIb data for lead asset UBX1325 along with plans to shed its workforce while seeking a partner for it and other drugs. Also, Ono is consolidating US employees at one site, Entrada is cutting its workforce by 20% and other recent strategic shifts.

Finance Watch: Biohaven Gains Up To $600m In Fresh Capital

 
• By Mandy Jackson

Public Company Edition: Biohaven secured $250m up front from Oberland Capital to support its future US troriluzole launch after pulling its EU filing. Also, Procaps arranged $130m in private equity and Rezolute grossed $96.9m in a rare follow-on offering, among other financings.

More from Financing

Finance Watch: Deerfield Closes $600m-Plus VC Fund; Gates Speeds Up Health Investments

 
• By Mandy Jackson

Private Company Edition: Deerfield’s third innovations fund will back therapeutics and other opportunities, the Gates Foundation – a sometimes funder of biotech firms – will spend $200bn over the next 20 years, and NewLimit raised a $130m series B round, among other financings.

HAYA Raises $65m To Take First Long Non-Coding RNA Program Into The Clinic

 
• By Mandy Jackson

HTX-001 targeting the long non-coding RNA known as Wisper is being developed for non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. HAYA partnered with Lilly last year in obesity.

Sanofi R&D Head’s Words Of Wisdom For Biotechs

 
• By Kevin Grogan

Houman Ashrafian tells delegates at Swiss Biotech Day that ‘literally only two things matter in our industry – target credentialing and differentiated pharmacology. The rest is execution.’