@FierceBiotech: Roche plots layoffs as it focuses on R&D. Story | Follow @FierceBiotech
@JohnCFierce: Ooh. Celldex shares (a) plunge (b) swoon (c) dive or (d) in a meltdown ? | Follow @JohnCFierce
> Switzerland's Pevion Biotech AG raised CHF10 million from its existing investors--BZ Bank, BB Biotech Ventures and Core Capita--and named Evert Kueppers as its new chief executive officer, succeeding Thomas Stauffer. Pevion release
> Germany's Protagen AG, a specialist for in-vitro diagnostics and GMP-compliant protein analysis, announced a second round of finance totaling €10 million. Protagen release
> Canada's Alethia Biotherapeutics has rounded up $9.6 million in Series A money and plans to use the funds to push its lead therapy into clinical development. Alethia release
> Australia's Broadvector says that it plans to use the money from its $8.5 million float to fund development of a new prostate cancer therapy. Story
> Duke University spin-off Humacyte, which is working on artificial blood vessels, raised $12 million in a debt offering. Story
And Finally... Scientists say that the brains of the lowly cockroach, one of the globe's most tenacious survivors, are loaded with chemicals that can kill MRSA and other nasty bugs. And they want to enlist the insect in the fight to develop a new generation of more effective antibiotics. Story