San Diego-based Ocera Therapeutics has wrapped a $14.5 million first round of venture capital and announced that it has in-licensed a drug from Japan's Kureha for gastrointestinal and liver diseases in North America and Europe. Ocera has filed an IND for the drug with safety data from Japan on more than 200,000 patients. A clinical trial for the therapy is expected to get underway in the first half of this year.
"Ocera Therapeutics is building upon a significant body of clinical work conducted by our Japanese partner, which gives the company a real head start at inception," commented Pratik Shah, Ph.D., venture partner at Thomas, McNerney & Partners. "This round of financing will help Ocera Therapeutics advance its lead clinical candidate and we are confident in the focus and expertise of the management team as they initiate clinical trials."
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