Montreal, QC, CA, August 1, 2017 – Milestone Pharmaceuticals Montreal, Canada, Inc., a clinical stage cardiovascular company, today announced the completion of a US$55 million Series C financing. The round was led by Novo Holdings A/S, and included new investors Forbion Capital Partners and funds managed by Tekla Capital Management, with significant participation from Milestone’s existing investors Domain Associates, Fonds de solidarité FTQ, BDC Capital, Pappas Capital, and GO Capital.
Milestone Pharmaceuticals Closes $55 Million Series C Financing
Kezar Life Sciences Announces Successful Completion of Phase 1a Study and Secures $50 Million in Series B Financing
South San Francisco, CA, July 25, 2017 – Kezar Life Sciences, a private, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel small molecule therapeutics targeting the immunoproteasome and the protein secretion pathway, announced today that it has closed an oversubscribed Series B investment round of $50 million led by Cormorant Asset Management and Morningside Venture. New investors participating in the financing include Cowen Healthcare Investments, Pappas Capital, Chiesi Venture Fund, Qiming Venture Partners and Bay City Capital, joined by additional existing investors EcoR1 Capital, Omega Funds, and Aju IB Investment. Kezar has now raised a total of $73 million since its inception in 2015.
Kezar also announced the successful completion of the Company's Phase 1a healthy volunteer study with their lead drug candidate, KZR-616, a first-in-class selective immunoproteasome inhibitor. The placebo controlled study enrolled a total of eighty-two subjects, sixty-one of which received single or multiple
doses at varying dose levels. The trial identified multiple doses that resulted in desired levels of inhibition of the immunoproteasome and that were well tolerated with repeat dose administration. Additional results from the study are anticipated to be presented at the American College of Rheumatology's Annual
Meeting in San Diego in November.
Liquidia Technologies Announces Positive Phase 1 Data for LIQ865, Sustained-Delivery PRINT® Formulation of Bupivacaine for Post-Surgical Pain Relief
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – May 24, 2017 – Liquidia Technologies, Inc., today announced initial data from its LIQ865 internal clinical development program, which is a PRINT® formulation for the sustained-delivery of free base bupivacaine for post-surgical pain relief. The phase 1 trial, marking the first evaluation of LIQ865 in humans, was a randomized, controlled, double-blind study evaluating the safety, pharmacokinetic profile and pharmacodynamic response of a single-ascending dose in healthy adult males. Topline data indicate that LIQ865 doses were well tolerated and the pharmacodynamic response was consistent with a local anesthetic effect lasting for three or more days.
New Pappas Capital Fund Makes First Investment
Research Triangle Park, NC, May 24, 2017 – Pappas Capital, a life science venture capital firm, announced today that its new fund, Pappas Ventures V, recently invested in OrphoMed, a clinical stage company that is developing best-in-class therapies for treatment of inadequately-controlled gastrointestinal disorders. The investment in OrphoMed is the first investment by the new Pappas Ventures fund.
OrphoMed Secures $39 Million Series A Financing Round
San Francisco, CA, May 24, 2017 – OrphoMed, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing first-in-class dimer therapies, today announced the completion of a $39 million Series A financing. The round was led by New Enterprise Associates (NEA), and co-led by existing seed investor Takeda Ventures, Inc., with participation from other prior investors: Pappas Capital, through its newest fund, Pappas Ventures V; Relativity Healthcare Partners and the Mario Family Fund. In conjunction with the financing, Frank Torti, MD, Partner at NEA, and Arthur Pappas, Managing Partner of Pappas Capital, will join the company’s board alongside existing directors Michael Martin, PhD, Global Head Takeda Ventures, Inc.; Kenneth Widder, MD, Executive Chairman; and Nikhilesh Singh, PhD, Chief Executive Officer. The capital will be used to advance the clinical development of OrphoMed’s lead candidate, ORP-101, for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D).
Milestone Pharmaceuticals Announces Etripamil Phase 2 Clinical Program Success for the Treatment of Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia
Montreal, QC, CA, May 11, 2017 – Milestone Pharmaceuticals Montreal, Canada, Inc., a clinical stage cardiovascular company, today announced positive data from its Phase 2 NODE-1 trial evaluating etripamil, a novel, potent, fast-acting and short-acting calcium channel blocker in development for the acute treatment of patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT), a potentially debilitating cardiac arrhythmia. The data were presented in a late breaking oral presentation at Heart Rhythm 2017, the Heart Rhythm Society’s 38th Annual Scientific Sessions in Chicago. The results from the Phase 2 NODE-1 trial show that etripamil demonstrated statistically significant efficacy compared to placebo for the acute termination of PSVT induced in an electrophysiology laboratory.
TESARO Announces U.S. FDA Approval of ZEJULA™ (niraparib) for Women with Recurrent Ovarian Cancer
WALTHAM, MA, March 27, 2017 – TESARO, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSRO), an oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ZEJULA™ (niraparib), an oral, once-daily poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, for the maintenance treatment of women with recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who are in a complete or partial response (CR or PR) to platinum based chemotherapy. ZEJULA is the first PARP inhibitor to be approved by the FDA that does not require BRCA mutation or other biomarker testing. TESARO anticipates launching ZEJULA in the United States in late April.
Milestone Pharmaceuticals Announces Appointment of Joseph G. Oliveto as Chief Executive Officer
MONTREAL, March 7, 2017 – Milestone Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., a clinical stage cardiovascular company, today announced the appointment of Joseph G. Oliveto as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. His appointment follows a recent, successful outcome from the company's Phase 2 study of lead candidate etripamil for the acute treatment of paroxysmal supra-ventricular tachycardia (PSVT), a potentially debilitating cardiac arrhythmia. Mr. Oliveto brings more than 25 years of pharmaceutical and biotech experience across the areas of drug development, commercialization, manufacturing and business development to Milestone. Philippe Douville, Ph.D., who founded the company and served as CEO, will now assume the newly created position of Chief Scientific Officer.
Lilly Completes Acquisition of CoLucid Pharmaceuticals
INDIANAPOLIS, IN, March 1, 2017 – Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) today announced the successful completion of its acquisition of CoLucid Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASD:CLCD). The tender offer for all outstanding shares of common stock of CoLucid, at a price of $46.50 per share, expired as scheduled on Tuesday, February 28, 2017.
Envisia Therapeutics Releases Interim ENV515 (Travoprost XR) Phase 2 Data Demonstrating 11-Month Duration-of-Action After a Single Dose in Patients With Glaucoma
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Feb. 3, 2017 – Envisia Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of novel extended-release therapies in ophthalmology, today released an interim analysis of the second cohort of its ENV515 (travoprost XR) phase 2 trial in patients with glaucoma showing a clinically meaningful reduction in intraocular pressure (IOP) for the entire 11-month evaluation period following a single administration. ENV515 also demonstrated an IOP lowering effect comparable to prestudy topical prostaglandin analogs (XALATAN® and LUMIGAN®) and in-study topical timolol maleate 0.5% ophthalmic solution (daily eye drops). Glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable vision loss and blindness due largely in part to poor patient compliance with once-daily eye drops.
