With its sights set on expanding the commercial launch of Xdemvy (lotilaner ophthalmic solution, 0.25%) to treat Demodex blepharitis in the U.S., Tarsus Pharmaceuticals Inc. has priced an underwritten public offering of common stock, selling 2.8 million shares for $32 each, taking the expected gross proceeds to about $100 million.
Despite what appears to be a recovering public financing market for the biopharma industry, with about $20 billion raised so far through follow-on offerings in the first two months of 2024, emerging companies remain in that precarious position between dwindling cash and their next milestone inflection points.
Neurenati Therapeutics has closed its seed funding round, securing CA$1.2 million (US$884,000) to advance development of therapies for various rare diseases, including pediatric conditions.
San Diego-based Kenai Therapeutics Inc. raised $82 million in a series A round to move its disease-modifying cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease into the clinic. The company, which leverages induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology, will advance its next-generation allogeneic neuron replacement cell therapies for neurological diseases, specifically completing a clinical proof-of-concept trial for its lead candidate, RNDP-001. The series A was co-led by Alaska Permanent Fund Corp., Cure Ventures and The Column Group, with participation from Euclidean Capital and Saisei Ventures. Proceeds will enable Kenai to submit an IND for RNDP-001 and bring it through the completion of phase I trials, which are expected to begin sometime in 2024.