Pharma Strategy Blog

For those of you interested in life science VCs, M&A and IPO’s, the latest OnBioVC report is now available for download here (pdf).

Inevitably, in the current economic climate, the financial trend is a downwards one, as evidenced by the findings:

“The 3Q10 OnBioVC Trend Analysis tracked, in aggregate, 70 biopharma, diagnostic, device, medical-IT and biofuel venture financings totaling $1,420.0M. Compared to 3Q09 OnBioVC data, this investment activity represents a decrease in the number of quarter-over-quarter financings by 25 (95 v. 70) and a decrease in quarter-over-quarter invested capital of $242.9M ($1,420.0M v. $1,662.9M).”

What was interesting to me though, was that oncology still looks a robust area compared to most sectors:

“For 3Q10 the oncology sector continued to flex its muscles, accounting for one in five deals closed in the quarters ninety days, the 14 financings accounted for $308.1M and interestingly approximately 22% of capital invested.”

The largest oncology deal involved Immatics Biotechnologies who closed a $71M (USD) Series C financing.  This interesting German based company is developing cancer vaccines in renal, colorectal and glioblastoma.

Aside from Immatics, other companies developing cancer therapeutics who raised money in the last quarter include some familiar and not-so familiar names:

1. Alethia Biotherapeutics
2. Anchor Therapeutics
3. Calistoga
4. Celator
5. Cylene
6. Dicerna
7. Eddingpharm
8. Geming X
9. Jennerex
10. TetraLogic
11. Tigris

Calistoga Pharma are developing PI3 kinase inhibtors, including CAL-101, which I have blogged about at ASCO earlier this year and on the PI3K class in the past. They are currently evaluating the drugs in cancers such as B-Cell Lymphoma and Leukemia, as well as immunology indications.

Dicerna Therapeutics are involved with developing new therapeutics based on siRNA and some of you may remember them from my recent report of the Xconomy ‘War on Cancer’ meeting in Boston.

I’m not going to spoil the findings of the OnBioVC report, but check it out as there is a wealth of information contained therein and it’s worth a quick read to see the general trends in this area.  There is also a lot of useful information on their website.