Latus Bio Inc. has launched with a focus on developing novel gene therapy candidates for central nervous system (CNS) disorders. An initial close of $54 million in series A financing will support the company.

Despite a couple of med-tech deals transacted this year and more liquidity in the market, early-stage medical device companies in Europe continue to struggle to raise funds. To attract interest from Venture Capital (VC) funds, these companies must ensure they have a disruptive technology, be willing to change their story, and do the math to ensure that VC firms who back them can get an adequate return, investors advised at the recent LSX World Congress in London.

“A white space opportunity.” That’s how Enlaza Therapeutics Inc. co-founder and CEO Sergio Duron described to BioWorld the company’s efforts to develop the first covalent biologics, an endeavor that has gained the backing of an impressive group of investors in a recently closed $100 million series A round.

With a frozen IPO market, investors are tightening their belts and figuring out where to hedge their bets. In Asia, that means having different strategies for different countries while keeping a global mindset, venture capital (VC) investors said during the Asia Bio Partnering Forum in Singapore on April 25.

Space Liintech Co. Ltd., of Daejeon, South Korea, raised ₩4 billion (US$2.9 million) in a series A financing round to advance new drug research, development and production in outer space, as the private sector races to harness the orbit for pharmaceutical experiments.