The Greek entrepreneur who founded Alapis was named in the leaked HSBC Swiss tax files. Reporters analyzing the files have linked Lavrentis Lavrentiadis to 7 clients' accounts and at least 12 bank accounts containing as much as $4.6 million (€4.1 million). Lavrentiadis founded Alapis in 2007 and saw the company go from inception to bankruptcy--via a period as one of the biggest 20 stocks in Athens--in four years. He is due to stand trial over the Proton Bank scandal later this year. Swiss Leaks
Neil Woodford outlined plans to raise £200 million ($305 million) from public investors to finance his interest in backing early-stage companies. The news arrived days after Jim Mellon revealed his planned £100 million investment fund for early-stage biotechs. With two big names in British finance getting deep into biotech, the tide may be turning for the long-beleaguered sector. FierceBiotech | More
Dr. Christian Grøndahl stepped down as CEO of Kymab with immediate effect. Grøndahl took the role in September 2013 and saw the Cambridge, U.K.-based antibody specialist through a period in which it raised $40 million (€35 million) and made a string of senior appointments. Kymab cited family commitments as the reason for Grøndahl's departure. Dr. David Chiswell, Kymab's chairman and the co-founder of Cambridge Antibody Technology, will lead the company on an interim basis. Release
Crowdfunding once again took its place in the biotech news spotlight. Welsh biotech Cell Therapy triggered the interest by raising around £700,000 ($1.1 million) to develop its treatment for heart attack-related muscle damage. EyeBrain and Parkure have also raised money through crowdfunding in recent weeks. Capital Cell wants to support more such financings, although the companies on its recently introduced platform are yet to attract significant investment. FierceBiotech | Financial Times | Release
Novo Nordisk ($NVO) hooked up with Karolinska Institutet to research diabetes. The Danish biopharma is providing three-year grants to 12 postdoctoral researchers with an interest in diabetes and metabolism. Karolinska Institutet will house the researchers at its labs in Stockholm, Sweden, but an exchange with Novo Nordisk's operations in Denmark is a possibility. Release
Mediolanum Laboratoires Leurquin licensed a preclinical inflammatory eye disease candidate from Panoptes Pharma. Vienna, Austria-based Panoptes received an upfront payment and put itself in line for royalties in exchange for the marketing rights in two main European countries. Mediolanum Laboratoires is the French subsidiary of Italian company Mediolanum Farmaceutici. Release