BOSTON, September 6, 2006 — Artisan Pharma, Inc. announced the completion of a $39 million Series A financing, which will be used to advance the company's mission of licensing clinical-stage products for development and commercialization in critical care and hospital-based markets. The financing was led by NGN Capital LLC in a syndicate with JAFCO, New Leaf Venture Partners, Bio*One Capital and NovaQuest (Quintiles). In connection with the financing, Artisan in-licensed from Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation (AKP) a late-stage clinical development biologic, ART 123. ART 123 is a novel, recombinant, soluble, human thrombomodulin being developed for the treatment of DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulation) in sepsis. The license includes development and commercialization rights to all pharmaceutical applications worldwide except for Japan, China, Taiwan and Korea. Phase 3 studies have been completed for ART-123 in Japan for DIC, and AKP recently filed a Japanese NDA.
Apeiron Partners LLC advised AKP on the structuring and financing of Artisan. Jeffrey Wager, formerly of Apeiron, is now the CEO of Artisan.
Goodwin Procter partner Kingsley Taft, along with associates Kathleen Kean and Nidhi Kumar, represented Artisan in these financing and licensing transactions.