The latest from small and Emerging Pharma companies featuring Newsoara, vTv Therapeutics, Angitia Biopharmaceuticals, Biomice, Lishan Biopharmaceuticals and Spruce Biosciences. 

For news on the large and mid-sized bio/pharmaceutical companies, see Global Briefs. 

* Newsoara, vTv Therapeutics in $135 M Pact for PDE4 Inhibitors for Inflammation 
* Angitia Biopharmaceuticals Raises $130 M In Series D Financing 
* Biomica, Lishan Biopharmaceuticals in Oncology Drug Pact
* Spruce Biosciences Appoints Two SVPs

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Newsoara, vTv Therapeutics in $135 M Pact for PDE4 Inhibitors for Inflammation 
vTv Therapeutics, a late-stage bio/pharmaceutical company focused on the development of an oral adjunctive therapy to insulin being investigated for the treatment of Type 1 diabetes, has expanded its license agreement with Newsoara Biopharma, a Shanghai-based privately held bio/pharmaceutical company, under which Newsoara has obtained an exclusive, worldwide license to develop and commercialize the company’s PDE4 inhibitor, HPP737, for $135 million ($20 million upfront and $115 million in milestone payments). 

Source: vTv Therapeutics 

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Angitia Biopharmaceuticals Raises $130 M In Series D Financing 
Angitia Biopharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage bio/pharmaceutical company developing therapies aimed at improving musculoskeletal health, has announced the closing of a $130 million Series D financing round. Frazier Life Sciences and Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners co-led the financing, with participation from new investors: Ascenta Capital, certain funds and accounts managed by Blackrock, BVF Partners, Logos Capital, RA Capital Management, and Wellington Management. Existing investors, Bain Capital Life Sciences, Elikon Venture, Janus Henderson Investors, 3H Health Investment, Hillhouse Investment, Legend Capital, Morningside Group, OrbiMed, TF Capital and Yonghua Capital, also participated. Proceeds from the Series D will support the continued development of Angitia’s robust pipeline of investigational treatments for musculoskeletal diseases. 

Source: Angitia Biopharmaceuticals 

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Biomica, Lishan Biopharmaceuticals in Oncology Drug Pact 
Biomica, a subsidiary of Evogene, and Shanghai Lishan Biopharmaceuticals, a Shanghai-based clinical-stage bio/pharmaceutical company, have entered into an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement for BMC128, a microbiome-based therapeutic designed to enhance anti-tumor immune activity. Lishan Biotech will assume responsibility for global clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialization of BMC128. BMC128 was developed by Biomica and is currently completing a Phase I clinical study, showing promising early clinical results. 

Source: Lishan Biopharmaceuticals 

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Spruce Biosciences Appoints Two SVPs 
Spruce Biosciences, a South San Francisco, US-based late-stage bio/pharmaceutical company focused on therapies for neurological disorders, has announced the appointments of Daven Mody, Pharm.D., currently Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Quality at Lassen Therapeutics, as Senior Vice President of Regulatory and Quality, and Bruno Gagnon, currently Senior Vice President of Global Clinical Operations at Opthea, as Senior Vice President, Clinical Development Operations. 

Source: Spruce Biosciences