Anthera garners $19M in new venture funds

Anthera Pharmaceuticals has completed a $19 million venture round and plans to use the funds to advance its work on anti-inflammatory drugs. New investors Caxton Advantage Life Sciences Fund and HBM BioCapital led the financing. The financing also included existing investors VantagePoint Venture Partners, Sofinnova Ventures, Pappas Ventures and Mitsubishi International Corporation.

"We are excited about Anthera and its late-stage anti-inflammatory platform. We believe the company's lead candidate, Varespladib, has demonstrated synergy with statins and represents a potential breakthrough treatment for people at risk for cardiovascular disease," said Rachel Leheny, Ph.D., Managing Director of Caxton Advantage Venture Partners. "We believe Varespladib's unique mechanism of action will lead to improved patient outcomes and we look forward to its continued development."

- read Anthera's release