Levée de fonds chez Biolipox

Biolipox successfully completes $41 million financing round – Scandinavian Life Science Venture new investor

Biolipox, a Swedish research-intensive pharmaceutical company in respiratory and inflammatory diseases announced today that it has successfully completed a $41 million private placement. The Series C round was led by Scandinavian Life Science Venture (SLSV), and included existing investors HealthCap, Apax Partners, Sofinnova Partners, Auriga Partners and Crédit Lyonnais Private Equity. Rigele Abilock, Senior Partner at SLSV has joined Biolipox’s Board of Directors.

“We are delighted to complete this financing with such an outstanding syndicate of investors,” says Torbjörn Bjerke, Biolipox’s President & Chief Executive Officer. “We are pleased to have attracted a new investor of high calibre, and we are grateful for the continuing support of our international investor base. We are now well-positioned to develop our clinical and pre-clinical programs rapidly to the next stage. One project is aimed at developing the first new class of drugs since the launch of the COX-2 inhibitors, with a novel mechanism of action for the treatment of pain and inflammation. We are also very fortunate to be able to tap into the expertise of Rigele Abilock in business strategy and the U.S. biotech industry” concludes Dr. Bjerke.

Leveraging on its knowledge in the inflammatory field, especially the arachidonic acid cascade – transformation of arachidonic acid to substances that affect a number of inflammatory processes in the body – Biolipox has built a portfolio of potential blockbusters within the field of respiratory and anti-inflammatory therapy.

“Biolipox’s novel programs in asthma and inflammatory disease show exciting and timely promise to address aspects of treatment in which current pharmaceuticals such as arthritis and pain products may be falling short” says Rigele Abilock, Senior Partner at SLSV. “Biolipox has a strong product portfolio and a broad experience base that covers major therapeutic areas such as asthma, rhinitis and pain. We have spent considerable time surveying the landscape of biotech product development companies and Biolipox is well equipped to emerge as a strong player,“ Rigele Abilock asserts.

Sales of respiratory drugs, of which asthma is the main indication, amounted to USD 28 billion in 2003. Arthritis and pain represented USD 12.4 billion, or three percent of global pharmaceutical sales in 2003, with a year-over-year growth of six percent. Biolipox’s project portfolio includes a clinical Phase II program in allergic rhinitis and pre-clinical programs with novel mechanisms for treating respiratory and inflammatory diseases.

Source:
http://www.biolipox.se/eng/pressDetail.asp?pressid=113651

Pour mémoire:
Au mois de juin 2001 NicOx a signé un accord de recherche et de co-développement avec Biolipox, une société de recherche suédoise. Cet accord porte sur une nouvelle classe de composés nitrés dans le traitement des maladies respiratoires. Les nouveaux médicaments associeront une activité anti-inflammatoire ciblée et une activité bronchodilatatrice, représentant ainsi un progrès potentiel dans le traitement des maladies respiratoires. En janvier 2003, l'accord a été étendu à de nouvelles classes de médicaments.