In Vitro Diagnostic Deals from Elsevier Business Intelligence

Ysios and Axis provide [STAT-Diagnostica & Innovation] with €2mm Series A financing

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:00:51 -0400

[STAT-Diagnostica & Innovation SL] (near-patient testing systems that integrate molecular diagnostics and immunoassays to provide rapid results in acute care settings) raised €2mm ($3mm) in its Series A financing. Ysios Capital Partners and Instituto de Credito Oficial (ICO) FESpyme FCR (affiliated with Axis Participaciones Empresariales) provided the funds to the 2010 start-up, which plans to initially develop its {DiagCORE} point-of-care in vitro diagnostic for detecting infectious diseases, antibiotic resistance, and biomarkers in critically ill patients. STAT-Diagnostica will also use some of the Series A proceeds to hire additional staff.

[STAT-Diagnostica] raises €17mm in Series B round

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:00:50 -0400

Kurma Life Sciences Partners has led a €17mm ($22.1mm) Series B financing for Spanish point-of-care testing company [STAT-Diagnostica & Innovation SL]. Other first-time investors Idinvest, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, and Caixa Capital Risc (the venture capital arm of the Spanish savings bank la Caixa) were joined by existing backers Ysios Capital Partners and Axis Participaciones Empresariales. Post-closing, Ysios becomes the start-up’s largest shareholder.

[Hitachi High-Technologies] to sell [Nanosphere]'s diagnostics in Japan

Tue, 14 May 2013 19:00:47 -0400

[Hitachi Ltd.]’s [Hitachi High-Technologies Corp.] has received exclusive rights to market molecular diagnostics firm [Nanosphere Inc.]’s products in Japan.

[Quintiles Transnational] nets $496mm through IPO

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:41:00 -0400

CRO [Quintiles Transnational Holdings Inc.] has netted $496mm through its initial public offering of 13mm common shares at $40. Existing shareholders also sold 10.6mm shares and covered an overallotment of 3.6mm shares. When the company filed back in February, it had hoped to bring in about $600mm, of which half was to be used to repay a term loan.

Series A brings $3mm to [Trice Orthopedics]

Fri, 10 May 2013 19:00:55 -0400

[Trice Orthopedics Inc.] (needle-based diagnostic and therapeutic technologies) raised $3mm in its Series A financing led by BioStar Ventures and the Millennium Fund, which were joined by company founders and angel investors. Trice plans to close a second tranche during the third quarter of 2013.

[Amgen] teams up with [Transgenomic] to develop a colorectal cancer test

Thu, 09 May 2013 19:01:16 -0400

[Amgen Inc.] has penned a deal with [Transgenomic Inc.] (diagnostics) to develop a CE-IVD test to screen metastatic colorectal cancer patients for RAS mutations.

[Core Diagnostics] to market [CardioDx]'s {Corus} test in India

Thu, 09 May 2013 19:01:00 -0400

[Core Diagnostics India] has licensed exclusive Indian rights to fellow molecular diagnostics firm [CardioDx Inc.]’s {Corus}, a noninvasive blood-based gene expression test for patients with symptoms of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD).

[Genfit] closes €14mm private placement

Tue, 07 May 2013 19:00:51 -0400

[Genfit SA] (therapeutic and biomarker development for cardiometabolic and related diseases) grossed €14.3mm ($18.7mm) through the sale of 2.9mm new shares at €4.89 (a 25% discount) to French and foreign investors. Some of the proceeds will go towards continued development of Genfit’s lead candidate GFT505, which is in Phase IIb trials for multiple risk factors associated with diabetes and pre-diabetes (hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, atherogenic dyslipidemia, inflammation, and diabetes-related liver diseases).

Athyrium Opportunities Fund ups investment in [BioFire Diagnostics] from $25mm to $45mm

Fri, 03 May 2013 19:00:57 -0400

[BioFire Diagnostics Inc.] (formerly Idaho Technology; DNA analysis and genotyping) has raised a total of $45mm in financing from Athyrium Opportunities Fund. In September 2012, BioFire said it was getting $25mm from Athyrium.

[Natera] brings in $54.6mm through its Series E venture round

Thu, 02 May 2013 19:00:44 -0400

[Natera Inc.] (prenatal diagnostics) has raised $54.6mm through its Series E venture round. New investors OrbiMed Advisors and Harmony Partners led and were joined by other undisclosed first-time backers as well as all current shareholders, including Claremont Creek Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Founders Fund, and Sequoia Capital. The company will use the funds to continue global commercialization of its {Panorama} noninvasive prenatal test for chromosomal abnormalities such as trisomy 21, 18, and 13 and monosomy X. Some of the money will also be used to expand its lab team and sales force.

[Acumen Pharma] completes first tranche in $20mm Series A round

Thu, 02 May 2013 19:00:43 -0400

BVF Partners has led the first tranche of a $20mm Series A financing for [Acumen Pharmaceuticals Inc.], which is focused on the treatment and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. NeuroVentures Fund, [Praxis Technologies], Glynn Ventures, and private backers also joined.

[NanoString] takes an option to exclusively license a liver cancer gene signature from the [Broad Institute]

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 19:01:00 -0400

The [Broad Institute] has granted life sciences company [NanoString Technologies Inc.] an option to license exclusive worldwide rights to a 186-gene signature that could be used to determine the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or hepatitis C-related early-stage cirrhosis.

[Bayer], [DKFZ] jointly invest €3.5mm in cancer drug development; deal later expanded

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:02:03 -0400

[Bayer Schering Pharma AG] and the [German Cancer Research Center] (DKFZ) have formed a two-year partnership to discover novel cancer treatments.

[Epizyme] jumps on board; becomes the fourth biotech to file for a US IPO in April

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:02:00 -0400

Cancer epigenetics company [Epizyme Inc.] has filed for its initial public offering. The company is the fourth biotech this month to file for an IPO, behind anticoagulant developer [Portola Pharmaceuticals Inc.], plasma-derived therapeutics company [Kamada Ltd.], and immunology firm [Receptos Inc.]

Series B leads to €12.5mm for [Curetis AG]

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:02:00 -0400

Molecular diagnostics firm [Curetis AG] raised €12.5mm ($16.3mm) in its Series B financing led by first-time backer HBM Partners, which contributed €6mm and takes a board seat. Returning shareholders Aeris Capital, Life Sciences Partners, Forbion Capital, BioMedInvest, Roche Venture Fund, CD-Venture, and KfW Bankengruppe were joined by Curetis’ management, several company founders, board members, and private investors. Curetis will use the proceeds for US trials and the eventual commercialization of its {Unyvero} system for pneumonia and antibiotic resistance testing. (The product was launched in Europe, the Middle East, and Russia last year.) The company raised a total of $49.7mm in its three-tranche Series A financing that commenced in late 2009 and was completed in October 2011.

[OriGene] pays $16mm for life science products company [SDIX]

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:01:49 -0400

For $16mm, closely held [OriGene Technologies Inc.] (gene function analysis and drug discovery systems) has acquired virtually all of the assets of publicly traded analytical tools company [SDIX]. The transaction will not include SDIX’s cash (approximately $7mm at the end of Q3 2012), nor its public status--the board will review options on what to do with both.

[Provista] raises $6mm through new sale of Series A shares

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:01:00 -0400

[Provista Diagnostics Inc.] (blood-based cancer diagnostics) raised $6mm through the sale of its Series A preferred shares to new and existing investors. In 2012, a total of $7.5mm was realized through Series A placements. According to the company, the most recent sale--while it is of the same type of securities--is being considered a separate round. Proceeds will go towards clinical trials of Provista's breast cancer test {dtectDx-Breast} (formerly known as {BT Test}), and will also support expansion of the rest of the company's pipeline.

Series D round brings $15mm to [Asuragen]

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:01:58 -0400

[Asuragen Inc.] (mRNA- and miRNA-based molecular diagnostics for cancer and genetic diseases) raised $15mm from 15 undisclosed investors in what appears to be the company's Series D round.

[Abbott Molecular] to create companion diagnostic for [Epizyme]'s cancer compound

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:01:00 -0400

[Abbott Molecular Inc.] will create a companion molecular diagnostic for use with personalized cancer therapies developer [Epizyme Inc.]’s lead compound, Phase I EPZ5676.

[Thermo Fisher] in $15.2bn takeover of [Life Technologies]

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:01:24 -0400

After weeks of rumors, [Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.] has finally publicly disclosed a definitive deal to acquire [Life Technologies Corp.] for $76 in cash per share (a 42% premium to the ten days prior to Life Tech’s announcement that it was conducting a strategic review), valuing the public life sciences company at $15.2bn, including $2.2bn in assumed net debt. The transaction is the largest M&A ever in the research field, surpassing Thermo Electron’s $11.8bn merger with Fisher Scientific in 2006.

[Cancer Genetics] nets $6.4mm through its IPO

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 10:31:00 -0400

After a series of postponements and amendments, diagnostics firm [Cancer Genetics Inc.] has finally completed its initial public offering, netting $6.4mm through the sale of 690k common shares (including the overallotment) at $10. The company initially filed in December 2011, and at different points over the 16 months had set intended ranges for the offering of anywhere from $6-13 per share, with hopes of selling between 600k and 5mm shares.

[OncoMethylome], [Roche] partner to develop diagnostic for personalized cancer treatment

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:02:15 -0400

[OncoMethylome Sciences SA] (molecular diagnostics using PCR-based DNA methylation) will use its MGMT (methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase) gene promoter methylation assay to determine glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients who will benefit from treatment with [Roche]’s Phase III {Avastin} (bevacizumab). This Roche antibody candidate works by inhibiting VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor), which plays a key role in tumor angiogenesis.

[Sequoia Genetics] teams up with [Research Centre of Medical Genetics] to create neonatal diagnostics

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:02:07 -0400

[Alkor Bio Group]’s [Sequoia Genetics] (molecular diagnostics) will work with the [Russian Academy of Medical Sciences]’ [Research Centre of Medical Genetics] (RCMG) to develop diagnostics to detect inherited diseases in newborns and determine the carrier status of couples planning a family.

[Chembio Diagnostics] nets $5.58mm via FOPO

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:02:00 -0400

[Chembio Diagnostics Inc.] (rapid diagnostics for infectious diseases) has netted $5.58mm through the follow-on public offering of 1.2mm common shares at $5 each.

[Neurotrope] gets diagnostic/therapeutic Alzheimer’s IP from [BRNI]

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 19:01:00 -0400

[West Virginia University]’s [Blanchette Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute] (BRNI) has licensed its neurodegenerative disease technologies to start-up [Neurotrope BioScience Inc.], which plans to develop them into diagnostics and therapeutics initially for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The company will have global commercial rights to resulting products.

[Miraculins] gets exclusive license to high-risk pregnancy biomarker from [Mount Sinai Hospital]

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 19:01:00 -0400

[Mount Sinai Hospital of Toronto]’s [Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute] (SLRI) has granted diagnostics firm [Miraculins Inc.] a license to methods and reagents to detect hydroxylated hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1aOH), a preclinical biomarker to determine high-risk pregnancies, including preeclampsia.

[Neurotrope BioScience] completes $15mm Series A round

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 19:00:56 -0400

[Neurotrope BioScience Inc.] (medicines and diagnostics for neurodegenerative disorders) raised $15mm in its Series A financing from 26 undisclosed investors. The 2012 start-up is beginning operations with worldwide rights to diagnostic and therapeutic technologies from the [Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute]. Neurotrope hopes to launch in 2014 an early-stage AD detection test based on inflammation signaling in skin fibroblasts, followed four years later by an AD drug that activates protein kinase C-epsilon.

[Grifols] acquires 60% of [Progenika] for €37mm

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 19:02:00 -0400

[Grifols SA] (hemotherapy, diagnostics, and hospital IV drugs) is acquiring a 60% stake in privately held diagnostics company [Progenika Biopharma SA] for €37mm ($48mm), half of which was paid in cash and the rest in 885k nonvoting Class B Grifols shares (which are traded on the Spanish Mercado Continuo and Nasdaq).

Dundee Corp. makes $20mm investment in [TauRx] for 5% stake

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:01:44 -0400

[TauRx Pharmaceuticals Ltd.] (treatment and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, fronto-temporal dementia, and other neurodegenerative disorders) has received $20mm in financing from the Dundee Corp., which obtained a 5% stake. TauRx also granted Dundee the option to make an additional investment.

[TauRx Pharmaceuticals] raises $35mm from new and existing backers

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:01:41 -0400

Neurodegenerative therapeutics and diagnostics developer [TauRx Pharmaceuticals Ltd.] has raised $35mm from new and existing backers. The company, founded in 2002, plans to focus on Alzheimer’s and related diseases, and has previously received funding from mostly Singapore-based investors.

[MorphoSys] buys [Sloning BioTechnology] gaining antibody screening technology

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:01:18 -0400

[MorphoSys AG] has bought synthetic biology company [Sloning BioTechnology GMBH], gaining the private German biotech’s {Slonomics} fully automated genetic engineering technology for antibody screening within both therapeutic and diagnostic applications.

Series E leads to $40mm for [T2 Biosystems]

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 19:02:31 -0400

[T2 Biosystems Inc.] (blood and infectious disease diagnostics) raised $40mm through its Series E financing led by first-time backer Goldman Sachs, which was joined by returning investors Flagship Ventures, Polaris Partners, Aisling Capital, Flybridge Capital Partners, Physic Ventures, Arcus Ventures, Partners Healthcare, Camros Capital, and WS Investments. The company will use the funds for ongoing clinical trials and commercialization of its {T2Candida} molecular diagnostic for identifying species-specific Candida fungal infections from whole blood, and to develop sepsis and other diagnostics.

[Toray] contributes $5mm to [Spectral Diagnostics]' $5.6mm PIPE

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 19:02:00 -0400

[Spectral Diagnostics Inc.] has grossed $5.6mm through the private placement of 18.67mm common shares at $0.30 each (a 30% premium). Its partner [Toray Industries] contributed $5mm and undisclosed investors added the rest. Funds will support the Phase III clinical trial evaluating its {Toraymyxin} (polymyxin B hemoperfusion) for endotoxemia and septic shock. When the company first announced the transaction it planned on selling 16.7mm shares.

[Luminex] develops a companion test for [Merck]'s Alzheimer's candidate MK8931

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 19:01:32 -0400

[Luminex Corp.] (multiplex diagnostics systems) has agreed to work with [Merck & Co. Inc.] to develop a companion diagnostic for the Big Pharma’s lead Phase II Alzheimer’s candidate MK8931. Luminex is responsible for all development, regulatory activities, and commercialization of the test.

[Clearbridge BioMedics] raises $S9mm in Series B round

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 19:01:26 -0400

Singapore-based cancer diagnostics company [Clearbridge BioMedics] has raised $S9mm ($7.2mm) through a Series B round led by Vertex Venture Holdings (the VC arm of [Temasek Holdings]). New investors Spring Seeds Capital, Clearbridge BSA Pte. Ltd, and Lu Yoh Chie (founder of [Biosensors International]) also participated, along with returning backer BioVeda. Mr. Lu Yoh Chie becomes Clearbridge’s chairman, and Vertex Venture takes a seat on the board.

[Fosun Pharma] will sell [Saladax]'s {MyCare} cancer assays in China

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 19:01:20 -0400

[Saladax Biomedical Inc.] (diagnostics for personalized medicine) has chosen Chinese biopharma company [Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd.] (Fosun Pharma) and its diagnostics division [Shanghai Fosun Long March Medical Science Co. Ltd.] to exclusively manufacture and sell its {MyCare} line of chemotherapy dose management assays in China.

[Hycor Biomedical] divests its urinalysis business

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 19:01:19 -0400

[Hycor Biomedical Inc.] (diagnostics) has sold its urinalysis business to an affiliate of One Rock Capital Partners, Laurel Crown Partners, and StoneCreek Capital.

[Saladax] begins Series D round with $22.4mm investment from [Fosun]

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 19:01:00 -0400

Diagnostics firm [Saladax Biomedical Inc.] received $22.4mm through the first closing of its Series D round from new partner [Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd.] The company hopes to close the round at $30mm later this year. Fosun's investment was made concurrent with an announcement that the company will manufacture and market Saladax's {MyCare} chemotherapy dose management assays in China. Saladax will use the Series D proceeds to expand the {MyCare} line; it is currently marketed outside the US for use with three widely known chemotherapies, and an additional ten assays are in development.

Series C brings in $21.3mm for [OriGene]

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 19:01:00 -0400

[OriGene Technologies Inc.] (genomics-based tools for research and diagnostic applications) raised $21.3mm in its Series C financing led by Qiming Venture Partners and Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers China, which were joined by returning shareholder IDG-Accel.

[Oxford Gene Technology] licenses microRNA biomarkers from the [Institute of Cancer Research]

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:01:47 -0400

Genetics research and biomarker discovery company [Oxford Gene Technology Ltd.] (OGT) has licensed rights from the [Institute of Cancer Research] (ICR) to develop and sell a set of diagnostic and prognostic microRNA biomarkers for prostate cancer.

[Psychemedics] to market [TruTouch]’s workplace sobriety test in the US

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 19:01:15 -0400

[TruTouch Technologies Inc.] (alcohol detection) has licensed hair-based drug testing firm [Psychemedics Corp.] exclusive US rights to market its TruTouch 2500 workplace sobriety diagnostic.

[Handok] to sell [NeuroMetrix]’s {NC-stat DPNCheck} diabetic neuropathy test in South Korea

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:02:18 -0400

[NeuroMetrix Inc.] (diagnosis and treatment of diabetic neuropathies) has licensed [Handok Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.] (sells drugs, diagnostics, and devices in South Korea) exclusive rights to market in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) its {NC-stat DPNCheck} early-stage diagnostic for diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

[Radiometer] buys [HemoCue AB] from [Quest] for $300mm

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:02:15 -0400

[Quest Diagnostics Inc.] has sold its Swedish point-of-care diagnostics division [HemoCue AB] to [Danaher Corp.]’s [Radiometer Medical APS] (acute care testing) for $300mm. The divestiture is part of Quest’s plan to realign assets and better focus on its Diagnostic Information Services business.

[Nabsys] closes $20mm Series D round

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:02:14 -0400

Bay City Capital has led a $20mm Series D round for [Nabsys Inc.] (solid-state nanodetector technology for evaluating short DNA sequences as well as their locations over long distances). Returning shareholders including Point Judith Capital and Stata Venture Partners also joined. The company will use the funds to build a commercial team that will launch its positional sequencing platform initially in the areas of genome assembly and finishing and in structural variation analysis in genomes.

[Alpha Szenszor] partners with [Technion Israel] to develop exhaled-breath lung cancer diagnostic

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:02:09 -0400

[Alpha Szenszor Inc.] (carbon nanotube sensor technology for life science applications) has chosen the [Technion Israel Institute of Technology] as its first partner in the development of a breath-based diagnostic for lung cancer.

[Partners & Partners] to exclusively distribute [Aviir]'s products

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:02:00 -0400

Medical distributor [Partners & Partners LLC] has agreed to be the sole distributor of cardiovascular diagnostics firm [Aviir Inc.]’s testing products in 19 Middle Eastern and North African countries.

[Personal Genome Diagnostics] licenses genome mapping tech from [Johns Hopkins]

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:02:00 -0400

[Johns Hopkins University] has granted [Personal Genome Diagnostics Inc.] (PGDx; cancer genome analysis) exclusive rights to its patented Digital Karotyping (DK) genome mapping technology.

[MacuLogix] brings in $3.6mm through Series A

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:02:00 -0400

[MacuLogix Inc.] (diagnostic devices for age-related macular degeneration), has raised $3.6mm in a Series A round through return investors Life Sciences Greenhouse and Ben Franklin Technology Partners, along with additional backers that include Berwind Private Equity and Roche Venture Fund.

[NewBridge] gets AfMET rights to [Verinata]'s {verifi} prenatal test

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 19:01:07 -0500

[Illumina Inc.]’s [Verinata Health Inc.] (cell-free fetal DNA prenatal diagnostics) has granted [NewBridge Pharmaceuticals Ltd.] exclusive rights to market in the Middle East, Turkey, Africa, and Caspian regions (AfMET countries) its {verifi} noninvasive prenatal test for high-risk pregnancies.

[Cardinal Health] buys [AssuraMed] for $2.07bn

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 19:01:29 -0500

[Cardinal Health Inc.] has acquired closely held at-home delivery and wholesale medical device company [AssuraMed] for $2.07bn on a cash- and debt-free basis.