Financing
The merger with a fellow Norwegian biotech comes a few months after its lead asset, bemcentinib, bit the dust.
Despite recent political turmoil, outside investor and corporate interest in South Korean biopharma innovation appears robust or even increasing.
Deal Snapshot: The French drugmaker has been shifting its investments away from cancer to focus on immunology and inflammation but it continues to seek out interesting early-stage oncology assets.
A track record of positive portfolio performance is described as an investment management skill. Taking difficult divestment decisions early, in challenging markets and outperforming benchmarks, are hallmarks of this skill. Syncona and Woodford Patient Capital offer useful case studies.
The biotech had been looking at options to survive since May.
The number of viable biotech companies exploiting a particular technology should be limited by intellectual property but the number of biotech IPOs exploiting that same technology always seems greater than those with freedom to operate.
The China Securities Regulatory Commission has proposed a new “growth tier” for the STAR Market of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, to reinstate the market’s listing standards for unprofitable firms.
Highlights from Day Four of the BIO International Convention include Woodcock offering practical advice on rare disease trials, the sorry state of dealmaking mid-year, Novartis discussing its approach to partnering, and Generate looking for funding to move into Phase III.
While some are calling for Syncona to be wound up, the UK-based company believes many existing and new investors will back the creation of new private fund.
BIO Notebook: MFN Pricing, Next-Gen Obesity R&D, FDA’s Rare Disease Hub & Reaction To Review Program
Highlights from Day 3 of the BIO International Convention include the realities of MFN pricing, AstraZeneca's R&D plans for obesity, the need for resources for FDA's rare disease hub and reactions to the Commissioner's National Priority Review Voucher program.
Government policy ramifications and tight financial markets mean it’s time to prepare strategically for a better business development environment, EY suggests.
Wales-based group launches with $140m series A.
Highlights from Day Two of the BIO International Convention include BIO officials raising concerns about Trump Administration policies, the future of ACIP, an interview with BI's head of global business development, and FDA Commissioner Martin Makary's view of the FDA-industry relationship.
BIO Notebook: IPO Window Stays Shut, PRVs Need To Be A Priority, And Focusing On Gene Therapy Safety
Highlights from day one of the BIO convention include advice for firms hoping to go public, a call for companies to push the US Congress on rare disease priority review vouchers, and updates on next-generation gene therapies.
Private Company Edition: Antares’ lead asset will enter the clinic in 2026 after Lilly committed up to $2.5bn for Scorpion’s Phase I/II PI3Kα inhibitor STX-478. Also, Amplify raised $200m for its first biotech VC fund and Mosanna raised an $80m series A round, among other financings.
Public Company Edition: Insmed raised $750m after reporting positive Phase IIb data in PAH, Cogent accessed up to $400m in new debt, Kelun-Biotech netted $250m in a placement of shares and ADC revealed a $100m private placement. In strategic updates, Recursion cut 20% of its jobs.
Series B cash will be used to advance its Stargardt disease gene therapy.
LTZ Therapeutics and Beijing Sungen Biomedical are among the Chinese biotechs raising new funding, of around $40m each, based on their clinical assets with novel mechanisms of action. While fundings have risen, they remain moderate however.
Public Company Edition: Public company funding in 2025 is down from 2024, but after recent positive data readouts Vera accessed up to $450m in new debt, while Taysha and Trevi grossed $200m and $100m, respectively, in stock offerings. Meanwhile, Keros, Stealth and others cut jobs.
Private Company Edition: Six biopharma companies raised venture capital rounds totaling $100m or more in May, matching the number of mega-rounds in April and March. Among other recent financings, Syndeio launched with $90m and SpyGlass raised a $75m series D round.