> Sanifit raised €36.6 million ($41.0 million) in a round led by Ysios Capital to support development of its therapy for cardiovascular diseases in people with end-stage renal disease. The biotech, which is based on the Spanish island of Mallorca, raised the money from a syndicate of big-name backers, including Lundbeckfond Ventures, Gilde Healthcare, Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners and Baxter Ventures. Release (PDF)
> Forbion Capital Partners, another investor in the Sanifit round, made headlines of its own by closing a €75 million ($84 million) investment fund. The fund gives Forbion an extra pot of cash to invest in up to six companies in which it already has a stake. By combining the new fund with cash left in its FCF II pot, Forbion expects to be able to have enough financial clout to participate in the last rounds some of its portfolio companies make before exit. Release
> Evotec (ETR:EVT) struck a deal with Pfizer ($PFE). The agreement sees Evotec contribute its drug discovery platform to a four-year fibrosis research collaboration in return for undisclosed upfront and milestone payments. "We believe that Evotec's discovery platform is well-positioned to deliver potentially innovative approaches to several areas of tissue fibrosis," Pfizer's Dr. Charles MacKay said in a statement. Release
> Debiopharm hooked up with Solid Biosciences to assess the potential of alisporivir as a treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Lausanne, Switzerland-based Debiopharm has set up the collaboration to generate preclinical proof-of-concept data on alisporivir in DMD with a view to moving the drug into the clinic. Novartis ($NVS) used to have rights to alisporivir, which has been most widely tested as a hepatitis C drug, but cut its ties to the asset in January. Release
> Immunocore secured its lead product a place on the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) adaptive pathway pilot program. The program positions Immunocore to to win conditional approval of the drug, IMCgp100, as a treatment for metastatic uveal melanoma on the basis of a limited data set. Immunocore could then apply to upgrade to a full approval once it has the full Phase II dataset and long-term follow-up results. Release
> Bioceros Holding accepted a buyout bid from Epirus Biopharmaceuticals ($EPRS). The deal will net backers of the Netherlands-based biosimilar specialist $14.1 million (€12.6 million) in cash and stock. Bioceros has three biosimilars in preclinical development--copies of Soliris, Stelara and Simponi--as well as biologics production and development capabilities. Release
> Pierre Fabre Pharmaceuticals picked up the option to license a metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 3 (mGlu3 receptor) program from Addex Therapeutics (SWX:ADXN). Researchers have found links between the mGlu3 receptor and a range of CNS disorders, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and schizophrenia. Pierre Fabre will now run chemistry, pharmacology and ADME tests to weigh up the potential of Addex's program. Release