BioPharma Updates, August 4th, 2025.
SciLeads’ BioPharma is updated daily, giving our clients the most current insights on biopharma organizations, including Funding, Initial Public Offerings, Mergers & Acquisitions, Partnerships, and more. This week’s updates are below, with links to the organizations in the platform. If you don’t have BioPharma yet, start your free trial today.
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Funding
- MapLight Therapeutics (CA, USA) raised $372.5M in Series D funding to support Phase 2 trials of its lead candidate ML-007C-MA for schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease psychosis, and to advance additional pipeline programs.
- ARTBIO (MA, USA) raised $132M in Series B funding to advance its alpha radioligand therapy pipeline, including lead candidate AB001 for prostate cancer, and to expand its manufacturing and supply chain infrastructure.
- Ultromics (Oxford, United Kingdom) raised $55M in Series C funding to scale its FDA-cleared AI platform for early detection of heart failure across U.S. hospitals and expand its pipeline of cardiology diagnostics.
- Pahr Therapeutics (MA, USA) raised $14M in seed funding to develop new therapies targeting pulmonary arterial hypertension.
- LIfT BioSciences (Galway, Ireland) received a $13M grant from the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund to support its first-in-human trial of IMAN therapy for treatment-resistant solid tumors.
- RIVANNA (VA, USA) received a $9.92M BARDA grant to advance development of its AI-powered CADe/x module for the Accuro XV ultrasound platform, aimed at automating fracture and soft tissue abnormality detection.
- Aptitude Medical Systems (CA, USA) received a $9M BARDA grant to develop a rapid molecular diagnostic panel for detecting and distinguishing Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus species using its Metrix point-of-care platform.
- Centauri Therapeutics (Alderley Park, United Kingdom) received a $5.1M CARB-X grant to complete non-clinical safety and efficacy studies for its lead immunotherapy candidate ABX-01, targeting drug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections.
- Kinvard Bio (NC, USA) received a $2.7M grant to advance preclinical development of its ribosome-targeting antibiotics for drug-resistant infections.
- Genvira Biosciences (Ottawa, Canada) received a $2M grant through the Canada–UK Biomanufacturing of Biologics and Advanced Therapies program to support the development of novel immunotherapies for malignant melanoma.
- Pluristyx (WA, USA) raised an undisclosed amount in funding to expand its inventory of clinical-grade iPSC lines with proprietary gene edits and support the commercialization of its PluriForm™ kit for organoid generation.
- Tevogen Bio (NJ, USA) to accept $1M additional grant funding for AI expansion to accelerate development of precision T cell therapeutics.
Emerging
- Eclipse Ingredients (Brisbane, Australia) emerged from stealth with $4.7M in funding to develop human lactoferrin via precision fermentation, aiming to overcome supply and efficacy limitations of bovine-derived alternatives.
- Altera Biosciences (Cape Town, South Africa) raised $1.6M in pre-seed funding to develop immune-evasive universal donor cells for treating chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
- Rynd Biotech (Montreal, Canada) emerged from stealth to develop diagnostic technology for early detection and monitoring of urinary infections, including asymptomatic cases, with plans to expand into broader urology and oncology biomarkers.
- Topos Bio (CA, USA) is currently operating in stealth to develop therapies targeting intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), a historically challenging class of disease-relevant proteins implicated in cancer, neurodegeneration, and metabolic disorders.
- Uncover Therapeutics (Fairford, United Kingdom) is currently operating in stealth focusing on research and experimental development on biotechnology, with its founder presenting as a keynote speaker at SPP Cambridge 2025.
- A new immunology-focused biopharma company, currently referred to as “NewCo” (MA, USA) launched with $300M in funding led by Bain Capital to advance five in-licensed autoimmune disease assets from Bristol Myers Squibb, including a late-stage candidate for lupus.
Post IPO Equity
- Prime Medicine, Inc. (MA, USA) raised $125.4M through an underwritten public offering of common stock to support the advancement of its Prime Editing therapeutic programs and general corporate purposes.
- Orchestra BioMed (PA, USA) raised $70M through a combination of equity investments and royalty-based financing from Ligand and Medtronic to support its AVIM and Virtue SAB programs, clinical trials, and broader strategic development initiatives.
- I-Mab Biopharma (MD, USA) raised $65M through an underwritten public offering to fund the clinical development of givastomig and other pipeline candidates, as well as for general corporate purposes.
- Larimar Therapeutics Inc. (PA, USA) raised $60M through an underwritten public offering of common stock to support the development of nomlabofusp, advance pipeline candidates, and fund general corporate and pre-commercialization expenses.
- InspireMD (FL, USA) raised $58M through a private placement to fund operations, including the U.S. launch of its FDA-approved CGuard® Prime carotid stent system, as well as sales, marketing, R&D, and general corporate purposes.
- MediciNova (CA, USA) raised ~$30M through a Standby Equity Purchase Agreement to support R&D programs, expand business operations, and pursue strategic growth opportunities over the next 36 months.
- Rein Therapeutics (TX, USA) raised ~$21M through a $6M pre-paid advance facility and a $15M standby equity purchase agreement to support its Phase 2 trial for LTI-03, R&D efforts, and general corporate purposes.
- AIM ImmunoTech (FL, USA) raised $8M through a public offering of common stock to support its ongoing operations and development programs.
- Can-Fite BioPharma (Israel) raised $5M through a public offering of ADSs and short-term warrants to fund R&D, clinical trials, and general corporate purposes, with up to $10M in potential additional proceeds from warrant exercises.
- Qualigen Therapeutics (CA, USA) raised $4.5M through a private placement to support working capital and advance its cancer-focused therapeutic pipeline.
- ProMIS Neurosciences, Inc. (Toronto, Canada) raised $3M through a PIPE financing to advance clinical development of its Alzheimer’s candidate PMN310 and support general corporate operations.
- Hemostemix (Calgary, Canada) raised $3M through a non-brokered private placement to repay debt at a discount and support general working capital, including marketing and sales of VesCell™.
- AB Science (Paris, France) raised ~$2.77M through a private placement to fund ongoing operations and support clinical development of its AB8939 oncology program.
- Kazia Therapeutics (Sydney, Australia) raised $2M through a private placement to support clinical development of paxalisib and EVT801, and for general corporate purposes.
- Revive Therapeutics Ltd. (Vaughan, Canada) announced a proposed $650K private placement to fund working capital and settle $67.4K in outstanding debt through unit issuance.
- Theralase Technologies (Toronto, Canada) raised ~$502K through a non-brokered private placement to fund its Phase II bladder cancer trial, development of Rutherrin®, and for working capital and general corporate purposes.
- Onco-Innovations (Calgary, Canada) raised $400K through a non-brokered private placement to support general corporate operations and R&D initiatives.
- XORTX Therapeutics (Calgary, Canada) raised $114.5K through a non-brokered private placement to support its gout programs, general corporate purposes, and working capital needs.
- Lobe Sciences (Vancouver, Canada) announced a non-brokered private placement to raise ~$252K to support working capital and general corporate purposes.
- Dyadic International (FL, USA) announced a proposed public offering of common stock to fund working capital and general corporate purposes, including product development and sales and marketing initiatives.
Post IPO debt
- Myriad Genetics (UT, USA) raised $125M through a five-year senior secured term loan from OrbiMed to support near-term objectives and long-term growth initiatives.
- MaaT Pharma (Lyon, France) secured a $40.8M structured debt financing from the European Investment Bank to support late-stage hemato-oncology programs, including Xervyteg® and MaaT033, as part of a multi-source, non-dilutive funding strategy.
- Britannia Life Sciences (Toronto, Canada) raised $7.4M through a non-brokered private placement of unsecured debentures to fund a portfolio of asset-backed loans and provide fixed monthly returns to investors.
Mergers and Acquisitions
- Supernus Pharmaceuticals (MD, USA) completed its acquisition of Sage Therapeutics (MA, USA) for up to $795M — $561M paid upfront in cash plus contingent value rights of $234M tied to successes of Sage’s postpartum depression drug ZURZUVAE (zuranolone).
- Sanofi (Paris, France) to acquire rights to hypertriglyceridemia candidate Plozasiran in Greater China from Visirna Therapeutics (Shanghai, China) for up to $705M for strategic pipeline expansion in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
- US WorldMeds (KY, USA) to acquire cell therapies afami-cel, lete-cel, tecelra, and uza-cel from Adaptimmune (Abingdon, United Kingdom) for up to $100M in USD for strategic expansion into oncology cell therapies.
- Tigermed (Hangzhou, China) to acquire Micron (Tokyo, Japan) for $133M in USD to expand its clinical research capabilities in Japan and the broader Asia-Pacific region.
- Bausch Health (Laval, Canada) to acquire DURECT Corporation (CA, USA) for $24M in USD to strengthen its commitment to developing innovative treatments for liver disease.
- Sandoz (Holzkirchen, Germany) to acquire Just – Evotec Biologics’ in-house development and manufacturing capabilities from Evotec SE (Hamburg, Germany) for strategic expansion of its biologics footprint in Toulouse.
- Relief Therapeutics (Geneva, Switzerland) to acquire NeuroRx (Montréal, Canada) for strategic alignment in treating central nervous system and pulmonary diseases.
- Esteve (Barcelona, Spain) to acquire Regis Technologies (IL, USA) to expand US presence and capabilities in chemical development and manufacturing services.
- PharmaDrug Inc. (Toronto, Canada) to acquire equity interest in Canurta Inc. (Mississauga, Canada) to advance pharmaceutical development of polyphenol-based therapeutics.
Partnerships
- Hengrui Pharma (China) and GSK (United Kingdom) announced a ~$12B licensing and R&D collaboration agreement to co-develop up to 12 innovative medicines in respiratory, immunology, and oncology, with global rights (excluding Greater China) granted to GSK.
- Madrigal Pharmaceuticals (PA, USA) and CSPC Pharmaceutical Group (China) announced a~$2.12B global license agreement for SYH2086, an oral GLP-1 receptor agonist, to support combination treatment strategies for MASH anchored by Rezdiffra.
- Boehringer Ingelheim (Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany) and Re-Vana Therapeutics (Belfast, United Kingdom) announced a ~$1B strategic collaboration and license agreement to co-develop extended-release ocular therapies.
- Viridian Therapeutics (MA, USA) and Kissei Pharmaceutical (Japan) announced a ~$385M exclusive licensing deal for veligrotug and VRDN-003 for thyroid eye disease.
- Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (CA, USA) received a $100M milestone payment from Sarepta Therapeutics (MA, USA) upon reaching a Phase 1/2 enrollment target for ARO-DM1, part of a broader RNAi collaboration that could yield up to $4B in total payments, including milestones, equity, and royalties.
- ViroCell Biologics (London, United Kingdom) and AvenCell Therapeutics (MA, USA) announced a manufacturing collaboration for the successful delivery of a retroviral vector to support clinical production of AVC-203, AvenCell’s dual-targeted allogeneic CAR-T therapy for B cell malignancies and autoimmune diseases.
- Longhorn Vaccines and Diagnostics, LLC (MD, USA) and Promega (WI, USA) announced a strategic co-marketing partnership to deliver integrated molecular testing solutions combining PrimeStore® MTM and Maxwell® extraction systems for enhanced diagnostic workflows.
- Alamar Biosciences, Inc. (CA, USA) and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) (Bonn, Germany) announced a strategic collaboration to deploy Alamar’s NULISAseq™ proteomics panels in the DZNE’s Rhineland Study, enabling ultra-sensitive biomarker discovery across 23,000 plasma samples to advance aging and neurodegeneration research.
- LTZ Therapeutics (CA, USA) and Eli Lilly and Company (IN, USA) announced a strategic research collaboration to develop novel myeloid engager immunotherapies, with LTZ receiving a double-digit million USD upfront payment, equity investment, and eligibility for milestones and royalties on resulting products.
- Medimaps Group (Switzerland) and the National Spine Health Foundation (USA) announced a clinical research partnership to evaluate Medimaps’ AI-powered TBS Reveal software for assessing bone fragility risk in spine surgery patients, with the study conducted at Mayo Clinic.
- Diorasis Therapeutics (MA, USA) and Northway Biotech (Vilnius, Lithuania) announced a strategic manufacturing partnership to establish a scalable cGMP process for DT003, Diorasis’s AAV-based gene therapy for open-angle glaucoma, as it prepares for clinical development.
- Bio Usawa (CA, USA) and Sartorius Stedim Biotech (France) announced a strategic partnership to develop and manufacture affordable monoclonal antibodies in Sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on infectious and non-communicable diseases, with initiatives in bioprocessing, workforce training, and technology transfer.
- CellVax Therapeutics, Inc. (FL, USA) and Cellipont Bioservices (TX, USA) announced an expanded partnership to support cGMP manufacturing and clinical advancement of FK-GI101, an autologous cell-based immunotherapy for gastrointestinal cancers, building on their existing collaboration around FK-PC101 for prostate cancer.
- Formation Bio (NY, USA) and IMIDomics (CA, USA) announced a licensing deal for a Phase 1-ready anti-CD226 monoclonal antibody for autoimmune diseases.
- Dr. Falk Pharma (Germany) and Allianthera Biopharma (China) announced a strategic partnership for the co-development and global commercialization (ex-China) of ATB102, an AhR agonist in Phase 1 for ulcerative colitis, with Allianthera receiving an upfront fee, development and sales milestones, and tiered royalties.
- Xenetic Biosciences (MA, USA) and PeriNess (Tel Aviv, Israel) announced the initiation of an investigator-led exploratory clinical study at Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center to evaluate DNase I in combination with anti-CD19 CAR T cells in large B cell lymphoma patients.
- Paragon Genomics (CA, USA) and GeneCast Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (Beijing, China) announced a global partnership to integrate CleanPlex® NGS technologies into Genecast’s oncology diagnostics, beginning with the CE-IVD certified Focus Assay and expanding to co-develop additional precision oncology panels for global deployment.
- Nautilus Biotechnology (CA, USA) and the Allen Institute (WA, USA) announced a research partnership to apply Nautilus’ single-molecule proteomics platform to study tau proteoforms in Alzheimer’s disease, aiming to identify novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
- Altasciences (Laval, Canada) and VoxCell BioInnovation (Victoria, Canada) announced a strategic partnership to integrate 3D bioprinted human tissue models into preclinical drug development, aiming to enhance predictive testing and accelerate early-stage research.
- Regenerex Pharma, Inc. (NV, USA) and Holista Colltech (Sydney, Australia) announced a licensing agreement to incorporate high-purity ovine nano-collagen into Regenerex’s QBx™ wound care platform, aiming to accelerate deep tissue regeneration and expand global market reach.
- VedTechBio (Bengaluru, India) and AlphaMeld Corporation (CT, USA) announced a strategic collaboration to co-develop multiple therapies for metabolic and rare diseases, leveraging VedTechBio’s enhanced RxAgentAI™ platform to accelerate AI-driven drug discovery and development.
- MaxCyte (MD, USA) and Anocca (Sweden) announced a strategic platform license agreement granting Anocca non-exclusive rights to use MaxCyte’s Flow Electroporation® and ExPERT™ platform for the development and manufacturing of TCR-T cell therapies.
Initial Public Offering (IPO)
- Shoulder Innovations (MI, USA) announced a $75M initial public offering on the NYSE to support its commercial-stage orthopedic technology platform focused on shoulder surgical care solutions.
Closures and Layoffs
- Merck (NJ, USA) to lay off employees and reduce real estate to save $3B annually by the end‑2027 due to weak Gardasil vaccine demand and upcoming Keytruda patent expiry.
- Moderna Therapeutics (MA, USA) to lay off 10% of employees for operating cost and R&D cuts, aiming to reduce annual expenses by ~$1.5 B by 2027 and shrink staff to below 5,000 by year-end
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