Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

Regado Biosciences presses on with two-headed anticoagulant program; this PR is about a $51M capital infusion from VCs:

http://www.fiercebiotech.com/press-releases/regado-biosciences-inc-secures-51-million-series-e-financing

The round was led by new investor RusnanoMedInvest, a subsidiary of the state-run Russian investment firm RUSNANO, and included participation from another new, US-based investor, Baxter Healthcare's venture initiative, Baxter Ventures.

…Proceeds from the financing will support Regado's "REGULATE – PCI" Phase 3 clinical study of REG1. This is the company's lead development program for REG1 in arterial thrombosis and is being developed for use in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the acute coronary syndrome (ACS) population. Regado is also pursuing an additional parallel development program for REG1 for use in Open Heart Surgery.

… Regado's lead program, the anticoagulant system REG1, consists of two agents both administered by IV bolus, the first being a potent highly selective Factor IXa inhibitor (pegnivacogin) with the second being its complementary active control agent (anivamersen). Anivamersen can be used to selectively reverse (completely or partially) the anticoagulant effect of pegnivacogin.

Regado’s two-headed product was the subject of dialogue on this board a few years ago. I thought then (and continue to think now) that Factor IXa is an odd place to intervene in the coagulation cascade; that pegnivacogin, Regado’s anticoagulant, is an aptamer makes the program even odder. However, the participation of Baxter’s VC unit in the latest financing adds to the program’s credibility.