Recent Funding: OrbiMed, a New York-based life sciences investment firm, raises $4.3 billion in new funds for life science #startup investing. Founded in 1989, the investment firm had made a name for itself as one of the biggest investors in #biotechnology, medtech and healthcare companies. An OrbiMed-backed biotech, Rampart Bioscience (La Jolla, CA), launches with $85M and plans for a new kind of #DNA medicine. Rampart is working on an experimental treatment to compete with Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Strensiq, which treats the rare disease, hypophosphatasia. Rampart believes its approach can address both delivery and the issue of re-dosability, which may be necessary as #hypophosphatasia progresses, according to the company. Aiolos Bio (San Francisco) has raised $245 million in a Series A financing round on the promise of an #asthma drug that only needs to be taken twice a year. Atlas Venture, Bain Capital Life Sciences, Forbion and Sofinnova Investments led the Series A. The company plans to advance AIO-001 into a Phase 2 trial for patients with moderate-to-severe asthma after promising early results. Aiolos is also studying the monoclonal antibody’s benefits in other conditions, including chronic obstructive #pulmonary disorder and chronic spontaneous #urticaria. Revelation Partners (Sausalito, CA) today announced the closing of its $608 million Fund IV, far surpassing the healthcare #investment firm's initial target of $500 million. Revelation Partners now manages $1.5 billion of committed capital as the firm provides liquidity and flexible capital solutions to investors, companies, limited partners and general partners across all healthcare sub-sectors. MapLight Therapeutics, Inc. (San Francisco) closes $225 Million Series C #funding round to advance pipeline of #CNS therapeutics. Funding will support development of multiple clinical candidates to treat #neurological and #psychiatric disorders, including Phase 2 studies for ML-007C-MA in 2024 in schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease psychosis. Novo Holdings led a group of top-tier, new investors. M&A, Deals, Partnerships: BioAge Labs (Richmond, CA) has garnered the support of Eli Lilly and Company to run a trial combining a muscle regeneration therapy with the Big Pharma’s tirzepatide for healthier weight loss. While no financial details were disclosed, BioAge will conduct a phase 2 trial of its oral apelin receptor agonist BGE-105 (azelaprag) along with Lilly’s GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist tirzepatide, which is marketed for diabetes as Mounjaro. FDA Approvals: Nkarta, Inc. (San Francisco) wants #celltherapy to go beyond #cancer and has been given the FDA green light to move forward with a CAR NK candidate in human trials for #lupus —news that sent the company’s stock soaring 112%. The allogeneic, CD19-directed CAR NK cell therapy candidate is already being tested out in a phase 1 trial for patients with B-cell malignancies, with top-line data expected next year.
