Corus Pharma

Why It's Fierce: Having raised $18.5 million from an elite group of investors that includes Bill Gates' personal VC fund four years ago, Corus Pharma remains an attractive outfit on the biotech scene. Much of that money is funding a Phase II trial of Corus 1020, an inhaled antibiotic designed for cystic fibrosis patients that won orphan drug status in 2002. An asthma drug, Corus 1030, is also well along the pipeline. CEO A. Bruce Montgomery, M.D., a veteran of both PathoGenesis and Genentech, has direct experience in the field of cystic fibrosis research.

What to look for: Phase II results are due soon.