CDK2 inhibitors(University of Colorado Boulder)

Plus, news about Vaxxas, Mid-Atlantic BioTherapeutics, Incyclix Bio and Invivyd: 🫀 MannKind to buy scPharmaceuticals: The Connecticut biopharma is paying $5.35 per share upfront in cash, plus a potential milestone payment of up to $1.00 per share. The deal gives scPharmaceuticals an equity value of $303 million upfront or $360 million total if the CVR is achieved. The FDA in 2022 approved scPharmaceuticals’ drug-device product Furoscix for certain types of heart failure. MannKind said it would have to pay about $81 million to get out of a credit facility that scPharmaceuticals had inked with Perceptive Advisors . Blackstone is helping fund the acquisition as part of an amendment to a financing agreement earlier this month. MannKind’s stock $SCPH was down about 5% on Monday morning. — Kyle LaHucik 🔬There’s a new RNA medicines biotech: Arnatar Therapeutics, a San Diego biotech founded by former Ionis leaders, launched Monday with a pipeline of RNA medicines for cardio metabolic, liver, kidney and CNS diseases. The company unveiled a $52 million Series A, though it said the round closed last year. Its candidates include Phase 1-stage ART101 for hypertension and ART4, an antisense oligonucleotide for Alagille syndrome that’s been granted orphan and rare pediatric disease designations. — Kyle LaHucik 🩹 Vaxxas raises about $58M for its needle-free vaccine tech: The biotech secured about 90 million Australian dollars to boost production of its high-density microarray patch for “market readiness.” The needle-free vaccine technology has so far been administered to over 750 participants in clinical trials and has shown robust immune response, according to Vaxxas. The funding marks one of this year’s largest financings for a private biotech in Australia. — Alexis Kramer 💰 Mid-Atlantic BioTherapeutics to get up to $50M: Legend Innovation Life Science Fund said Saturday that its planned investment will support Mid-Atlantic’s development of new “anti-aging” drugs for neurological diseases and cancer. Mid-Atlantic should expect the first funding tranche in the third quarter of this year before it begins a Phase 3 trial for its viral encephalitis drug in 2026. — Alexis Kramer 💸 Incyclix Bio extends Series B with $11.3M: The company is working on a CDK2 inhibitor that’s headed to a Phase 1/2 trial, with the help of the new funding. The extension’s investors include Eshelman Ventures, Eli Lilly, Pharmacosmos and Cape Fear BioCapital. — Jaimy Lee 🏷️ Invivyd ended up raising $57.5 million in its public offering, up from the $50 million it sought. — Jaimy Lee