Weekly roundup: A week of wins – Big deals, big awards, big news!

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Firstly, congratulations to the team at Verona Pharma on their incredible $10bn dollar deal with Merck! And to Actithera on their oversubscribed $75.5M Series A – a great achievement in the current market. Huge congratulations also go to the incomparable Clive Cookson on receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Association of British Science Writers Awards! This prestigious honour celebrates outstanding leadership and service to science journalism — and no one is more deserving than Clive.

 

Actithera raises $75.5M in oversubscribed Series A
Actithera, a radiopharmaceutical biotech company translating medicinal chemistry insights into next-generation radioligand therapies (RLTs), announced the close of a $75.5 million oversubscribed Series A financing round, co-led by M Ventures, Hadean Ventures, Sofinnova Partners and 4BIO Capital. The funding will support the advancement of Actithera’s lead FAP asset into clinical development in multiple indications, while also enabling the continued development of its proprietary RLT discovery platform and preclinical pipeline.

Neuraxpharm enters drug-device space in global strategic co-development agreement with Dizlin Pharmaceuticals for Infudopa SubC®
Neuraxpharm Group, a leading European specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to central nervous system (CNS) disorders, and Dizlin Pharmaceuticals AB announced a strategic global co-development agreement for Infudopa SubC® — a next-generation, wearable drug-device therapy for Parkinson’s. This agreement marks a pivotal milestone for Neuraxpharm as it enters the drug-device space with its first-ever combination therapy.

Heidelberg Pharma reports positive First Half-Year 2025 results
Heidelberg Pharma published its financial report for the first six months of 2025. The ongoing Phase I/IIa dose escalation study of the ATAC candidate HDP-101 in multiple myeloma continues to show promising data, and is now progressing through Cohort 8. Additionally, the company has initiated its first clinical trial for its second ATAC candidate, HDP-102, in the non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) indication, with the first patient dosed.
The company has also amended its agreement with HealthCare Royalty, securing a $20 million payment. Furthermore, Dr. Karl Benedikt Biesinger and Dr. Klaus Schollmeier have been appointed to the Supervisory Board. Financial results were in line with expectations and consistent with prior planning.

 

Optimum TV
Everyone knows the financing environment is tough right now. But that hasn’t stopped SpliceBio securing $135m in a Series B to advance its genetic medicines, including its lead programme SB-007 for the eye condition #Stargardt disease. Watch Miquel Vila-Perello talk to #OptimumTV about how SpliceBio landed the deal, and Daniela Begolo of EQT Life Sciences reveal what convinced the VC to be part of the investment syndicate, here.

Hot topic
If President Trump succeeds in cutting what the US pays for branded drugs to “most favoured nation” prices, it will have massive repercussions – for pharma, for biotech, and for patients around the world, argues this week’s Optimum Hot Topic, here.

Industry events
BIA Summer party – A big thank you to the BIA for hosting their brilliant annual summer party. A well organised and well attended event made for a joyous opportunity for friends, clients and colleagues across the sector to catch up and wish each other well before summer vacations kick in.

 

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