Novartis

Brandon Capital's $60m taypayer-funded biotech bets

Brandon Capital has put roughly $60 million of National Reconstruction Fund money into ten biotech companies and warns R&D tax changes would hurt deep tech; portfolio company Myricx Bio went to Novartis.

Also australiatimes.com

Brisbane biotech AdvanCell just raised a record $450 million

Brisbane radiopharmaceutical developer AdvanCell has closed an oversubscribed Series D round, led by Ally Bridge Group and Alpha Wave with several institutional investors returning, to fund late-stage prostate cancer trials and US manufacturing.

Brandon Capital scores its biggest return ever with $2.1bn biotech acquisition

Novartis is acquiring London biotech Myricx Bio for US$1.1 billion upfront plus milestone payments, handing Melbourne venture firm Brandon Capital a record return on the startup it seeded in 2019.

Sanofi's mega US$1.6 billion Vicebio buyout once again shows the value of Aussie uni IP

Sanofi is buying Vicebio for up to US$1.6 billion in the biggest-ever exit of Australian university IP, with UQ keeping equity; the article also recalls the Inflazome and Spinifex sales and Vicebio's Medicxi seed.

UQ biotech innovation partnership forges a second startup

UniQuest and Molecule to Medicine have formed Curlew Bio to develop anti-inflammatory drugs, backed by $1 million from UniQuest's Extension Fund; the article also recalls Novartis's 2015 purchase of Spinifex Pharmaceuticals.

Professor got nothing from the $2.8b sale of his molecule, and that's okay

Profile of scientist-entrepreneur Andrew Wilks covering the GSK sale of his cancer molecule, his SYNthesis BioVentures fund's family-office backers, and portfolio plays including Aculeus Therapeutics.

Manufacturing news briefs – stories you might have missed

Roundup of Australian manufacturing news: Matrak closes a Series A, Queensland Pacific Metals receives an R&D tax refund, ARENA funds a household energy trial, Ampcontrol appoints a transformation chief, plus policy and launch briefs.

Also @AuManufacturing

Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Briefs roundup: Main Sequence adds Alison Deans as venture partner; Starpharma hands the CEO role to Cheryl Maley; DroneShield lands a $2.2 million repeat order; Q-CTRL will deliver quantum training with QUIN.

Pioneering VC fund Uniseed doubles its backers as five universities, including Monash, UTS and Macquarie, chip in

Uniseed adds Monash and a four-university NSW collaboration, lifting its third fund by $6.75 million to $56.75 million; the article recalls past portfolio sales to Novartis, Shire and Schneider Electric.

Brandon Capital news

Index of the venture firm's portfolio updates: financing rounds for AdvanCell and ENA Respiratory, grant awards via incubator programs, two closes of Fund Six, board hires, and Myricx Bio's completed sale to Novartis.

Also Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio·Brandon Capital portfolio·Uniseed·Brandon Capital portfolio·Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio·Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio·Brandon Capital portfolio·Brandon Capital portfolio·Brandon Capital portfolio·SmartCompany·AFR Technology·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·@AuManufacturing·finance.yahoo.com·enarespiratory.com·Mirage News·advancell.com.au·Forbes Australia·datapile.co·Dealroom·Forbes Australia·datapile.co·Biotech Dispatch·fundedstartupsdaily.com·fundedstartupsdaily.com

Uniseed invests $1m in PERKii's $4m funding round

Venture fund Uniseed led a million-dollar slice of probiotic drinks maker PERKii's four-million-dollar round, its first deal from its new $50 million fund, to fund a national launch.

Also Startup Daily

Australian pain drug innovation company Spinifex Pharmaceuticals sold to Novartis for US$200m plus milestone payments

GBS Ventures reports Novartis has agreed to acquire chronic-pain drug developer Spinifex Pharmaceuticals for US$200 million upfront plus milestones, recalling the company's 2005, 2008 and 2014 venture rounds and its Australian investors.

Also GBS Ventures·novartis.com·clinicalleader.com·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·anthillonline.com·@AuManufacturing·materresearch.org.au·Business News Australia