Finance Watch

Public Company Edition: NewAmsterdam grossed $328m in its SPAC merger, while Liminatus may raise up to $316m in a new SPAC deal. Also, Intellia and Iveric grossed $300m each in follow-on offerings, bluebird sold a PRV for $102m and MEI ends zandelisib development resulting in layoffs.

Private Company Edition: In the latest round of $100m-plus venture capital financings, CG Oncology, MBX Biosciences and Jnana Therapeutics raised $120m, $115m and $107m, respectively. Also, MVM Partners closed a $500m fund and former Sage CEO leads incubator ABio-X in Massachusetts.

Public Company Edition: Acrivon launched the 20^th biopharma IPO in the US for 2022. Also, Q3 updates reveal job cuts at Tricida, Harpoon, Neoleukin and more; APIM Therapeutics will reverse merge with Nordic Nanovector; plus other follow-on offerings, royalty deals and a sale-leaseback. 

Private Company Edition: The Paragon Biosciences-founded Emalex previously raised $35m when ecopipam was in Phase II. Also, Catalio Capital launches a “special situations” fund, Zenas raises $118m to develop a pipeline of autoimmune disease treatments and Lusaris emerges with $60m.

Public Company Edition: PTC will get $350m up front as part of an initial $500m commitment. Also, while Biohaven and Vaxcyte launched traditional follow-on offerings, Recursion and Agios took the private placement and royalty sale routes, while others revealed job cuts and other strategic updates. 

Private Company Edition: The amount of venture capital investment in biopharma companies has shrunk from quarter to quarter, but the average deal size remained high until the third quarter. Larger rounds from Treeline, Odyssey and Neumora offset a plethora of smaller VC financings early in Q4. 

Public Company Edition: Prime Medicine raised $175m, making its offering the sixth-largest out of 19 biopharma IPOs in the US this year. Also, Oculis and AUM opted to go public via SPAC mergers, Insmed raised $775m from multiple financings and Dice capitalized on positive data with a $300m offering.

Mereo will reduce its headcount by 40% to focus on its lead programs while NeuBase revealed a 60% workforce reduction to extend its cash runway. Also, Invivyd (formerly Adagio), Greenlight and BioMarin announced job cuts, while Otonomy and others planned strategic shifts. 

Private Company Edition: Third quarter venture capital funding for biopharmaceutical firms fell from Q2, but activity remains near all-time highs year-to-date. Several companies announced VC financings in early October, including Ascidian, which launched with $50m in series A financing.

Public Company Edition: Direct Biologics, YishengBio and Estrella Biopharma will go public by merging with special purpose acquisition corporations. Also, Vir lands a government contract worth up to $1bn, Idorsia raises CHF164m ($167.4m) in a real estate deal and Adamis reviews alternatives.

VC funding slowed recently, but public company financings kept up a brisk pace with follow-on public offerings for Allakos and Alpine, private placements for Ventyx and Syros, and Albireo’s royalty deal. In restructuring updates, Biogen raised $592m in a real estate deal and Acerus is assessing options.

Private Company Edition: Acelyrin will use its latest funding for Phase III development of izokibep in inflammatory diseases. Also, ArsenalBio raised $220m to take its programmable cell therapies into the clinic and RayzeBio’s $160m series D round will fund clinical trials for its radiopharmaceuticals.