Novartis

Brandon Capital's $60m taypayer-funded biotech bets

Brandon Capital has put roughly $60 million of National Reconstruction Fund money into ten biotech companies and warns R&D tax changes would hurt deep tech; portfolio company Myricx Bio went to Novartis.

Also australiatimes.com

Brisbane biotech AdvanCell just raised a record $450 million

Brisbane radiopharmaceutical developer AdvanCell has closed an oversubscribed Series D round, led by Ally Bridge Group and Alpha Wave with several institutional investors returning, to fund late-stage prostate cancer trials and US manufacturing.

Brandon Capital scores its biggest return ever with $2.1bn biotech acquisition

Novartis is acquiring London biotech Myricx Bio for US$1.1 billion upfront plus milestone payments, handing Melbourne venture firm Brandon Capital a record return on the startup it seeded in 2019.

Also Forbes Australia

Sanofi's mega US$1.6 billion Vicebio buyout once again shows the value of Aussie uni IP

Sanofi is buying Vicebio for up to US$1.6 billion in the biggest-ever exit of Australian university IP, with UQ keeping equity; the article also recalls the Inflazome and Spinifex sales and Vicebio's Medicxi seed.

UQ biotech innovation partnership forges a second startup

UniQuest and Molecule to Medicine have formed Curlew Bio to develop anti-inflammatory drugs, backed by $1 million from UniQuest's Extension Fund; the article also recalls Novartis's 2015 purchase of Spinifex Pharmaceuticals.

Professor got nothing from the $2.8b sale of his molecule, and that's okay

Profile of scientist-entrepreneur Andrew Wilks covering the GSK sale of his cancer molecule, his SYNthesis BioVentures fund's family-office backers, and portfolio plays including Aculeus Therapeutics.

Manufacturing news briefs – stories you might have missed

Roundup of Australian manufacturing news: Matrak closes a Series A, Queensland Pacific Metals receives an R&D tax refund, ARENA funds a household energy trial, Ampcontrol appoints a transformation chief, plus policy and launch briefs.

Also @AuManufacturing

Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Briefs roundup: Main Sequence adds Alison Deans as venture partner; Starpharma hands the CEO role to Cheryl Maley; DroneShield lands a $2.2 million repeat order; Q-CTRL will deliver quantum training with QUIN.

Pioneering VC fund Uniseed doubles its backers as five universities, including Monash, UTS and Macquarie, chip in

Uniseed adds Monash and a four-university NSW collaboration, lifting its third fund by $6.75 million to $56.75 million; the article recalls past portfolio sales to Novartis, Shire and Schneider Electric.

George Medicines appoints Stefan König as Chief Executive Officer

Drug developer George Medicines has named Stefan König, previously a senior Takeda executive, as its chief executive, while chief business officer Karl Roberts moves into the chief operating officer role.

George Medicines appoints Stefan König as Chief Executive Officer

George Medicines has named Stefan König, previously a Takeda franchise head, as its new CEO, while Karl Roberts moves from Chief Business Officer to Chief Operating Officer. The company also announced US FDA clearance to begin Phase III trials of GMRx2.

Brandon Capital news

Index of the venture firm's portfolio updates: financing rounds for AdvanCell and ENA Respiratory, grant awards via incubator programs, two closes of Fund Six, board hires, and Myricx Bio's completed sale to Novartis.

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Manufacturing news briefs – stories you might have missed

News briefs covering four manufacturers: Magnis banks $34m for a US battery factory, Bionomics locks in $16m, Noxopharm touts a prostate cancer drug pairing, and SciDev notches its maiden profit.

Also @AuManufacturing

Blade Therapeutics Appoints Accomplished Biopharmaceutical Executive, Mark Timney, as Chairman of the Board

Blade Therapeutics appoints Mark Timney as board chairman, succeeding co-founder Luke Evnin; the release recalls its roughly $90 million raised from investors including OneVentures and The Medicines Company's $9.7 billion sale to Novartis.

Canaan backs Pathios' search for small molecule drugs that hit 'orphan' GCPR

Brandon Capital scores $210m for fifth medical research fund

Brandon Capital's blog reports a first close of $210 million toward its $250 million MRCF 5 biotech fund, with super funds and CSL backing, and recalls past portfolio sales of Spinifex and Fibrotech.

Also Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio

Brandon Capital Partners launches new Medical Research Commercialisation Fund, seeks NZ institutional

Brandon Capital's Medical Research Commercialisation Fund has launched its fifth vehicle, MRCF5, completing a NZ$224 million first close and targeting NZ$267 million, while recalling earlier portfolio exits of Elastagen, Spinifex and Fibrotech.

Also Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio·Brandon Capital portfolio·Startup Daily

Queensland biotech startup Inflazome raises $63 million to change the way we treat Alzheimer’s

Queensland biotech firm Inflazome has secured a large funding round led by Forbian to advance its anti-inflammatory drug candidates into clinical trials, and has hired a chief medical officer to lead that development.

Also SmartCompany

Uniseed invests $1m in PERKii's $4m funding round

Venture fund Uniseed led a million-dollar slice of probiotic drinks maker PERKii's four-million-dollar round, its first deal from its new $50 million fund, to fund a national launch.

Australian pain drug innovation company Spinifex Pharmaceuticals sold to Novartis for US$200m plus milestone payments

GBS Ventures reports Novartis has agreed to acquire chronic-pain drug developer Spinifex Pharmaceuticals for US$200 million upfront plus milestones, recalling the company's 2005, 2008 and 2014 venture rounds and its Australian investors.

Also GBS Ventures·Brandon Capital portfolio·Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio·Brandon Capital portfolio·Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio·novartis.com·clinicalleader.com·Brandon Capital portfolio·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·anthillonline.com·@AuManufacturing·materresearch.org.au·Business News Australia