Wendy Yarno elected Chairwomen of Aratana Therapeutics
Aratana Therapeutics, a pet therapeutics company focused on the licensing, development and commercialization of innovative biopharmaceutical products for companion animals, today announced that the Board of Directors has elected Wendy Yarno as Chairman of Aratana’s Board of Directors. She will replace Jay Lichter, Ph.D., who has resigned from the Board.
Genmab and Novo Nordisk in bispecific antibody deal
Genmab A/S (OMX: GEN) announced it has entered an agreement to grant Novo Nordisk commercial licenses to use the DuoBody technology platform to create and develop bispecific antibody candidates for two therapeutic programs. The bispecific antibodies will target a disease area outside of cancer therapeutics. Under the terms of the agreement, Genmab will receive an upfront payment of USD 2 million from Novo Nordisk.
Editas adds CFO and $120m in Series B round
Editas Medicine, a leading genome editing company, today announced that it has raised $120 million in a highly oversubscribed Series B private financing. The financing assembles a broad syndicate of leading public and private investors who underpin many of the most innovative biopharmaceutical and technology companies.
Oxford Nanopore Technologies raises £70m
Jeremy Levin hauls in $75m Series B for Ovid
Ovid Therapeutics Inc. (Ovid), a privately held biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies for rare and orphan diseases of the brain, announced today that it has completed a Series B financing totaling $75 million. Fidelity Management and Research Company led the investment syndicate, which included Cowen Private Investments, Sanofi-Genzyme BioVentures, Tekla Capital Management, Sphera Global Healthcare Fund, Jennison Associates (on behalf of certain clients), Redmile Group, and Cormorant Asset Management, as well as additional blue chip mutual funds and leading life sciences investors. Existing Ovid investors, including DoubleLine Equity Healthcare Fund, LLC, also participated in the financing.
Dimension Therapeutics Diversifies Leadership with Management and Board Appointment
Dimension Therapeutics, a leading rare disease company advancing novel, liver-directed treatments for diverse genetic disorders has announced that it has expanded its Board of Directors with the elections of Georges Gemayel, Ph.D., former Executive Vice President of Genzyme Corporation, and Arlene M. Morris, former CEO of Syndax Pharmaceuticals. Dimension also announced that Donald J. Hayden, Jr., is leaving his position as a member of the Company’s Board of Directors.
Cortendo joins a rare disease crowd in Ireland
Shire goes hostile on Baxter spin-out Baxalta
Fresh from announcing that the company will acquire Foresight BioTherapeutics for $300m (here), Shire stepped up its ambitions to acquire the recently spun-out Baxalta, which went public earlier this summer (here). Shire originally approached the Baxalta Board of Directors earlier in July about the coming together of the the two companies, since when the Baxalta Board have been ignoring Shire’s advances, which has promoted Shire to go public with its $30.6bn all-stock offer. This hostile move is aimed at drawing out Baxalta shareholders in an attempt to push the Board to enter negotiations. Shire held an investor call today where it laid out its rationale for the deal and articulated how it would allow the company to reach a $20bn revenue company by 2020 and become the undisputed rare disease leader (here).
BrainStorm recruits new CFO
BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: BCLI), a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies for neurodegenerative diseases, announced that it has appointed Yoram Bibring as Chief Financial Officer, effective July 30, 2015. Mr. Bibring will be responsible for all corporate finance and accounting activities for BrainStorm, and will replace Ms. Alla Patlis, the Company’s current interim CFO, who will resume her duties as Controller of the Company.
