PlaqueTec, Ltd., a company focused on developing biomarker based therapies for coronary artery disease, has appointed Dr. Tim Brears CEO. Previously Brears was CEO of a company he founded in 2002, Xention Limited, which develops drugs for atrial fibrillation. Prior to this, Brears was CEO of a gene-regulation company, Gendaq Limited (acquired by Sangamo Biosciences).

Verona Pharma plc, a drug development company focused on respiratory diseases, has appointed Ken Cunningham and Dr. Anders Ullman to its board of directors as non-executive directors – effective Sep. 10, 2015.

Derived from Strategic Transactions, a fully searchable premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Venture Funding column provides a comprehensive monthly review of emerging life science companies that have received venture funding, including companies within the In Vitro Diagnostics, Medical Devices, and Pharmaceuticals sectors. This month’s column covers deals announced December 2013 through January 2014.

New spin-out Ario Pharma is targeting idiopathic cough and cough associated with COPD for Phase II studies of its TRPV1 ion channel antagonist, supported by $3 million in financing from VCs in the U.S. and Europe.