4BIO Capital announces strategic investment from Japanese pharmaceutical company Kyowa Kirin
Kyowa Kirin’s first strategic investment into a Venture Capital fund
Kyowa Kirin to expand its exposure to advanced therapies through 4BIO partnership
08 June 2020
LONDON & BOSTON – 4BIO Capital (“4BIO” or “the Group”), an international venture capital firm focused solely on the advanced therapies sector, announces that Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd. (“Kyowa Kirin”, TSE:4151), a leading Japan-based global specialty pharmaceutical company creating innovative medical solutions utilizing the latest biotechnology, has made a strategic investment in 4BIO’s Ventures II LP Fund.
Kyowa Kirin is one of the largest pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in Japan with a global presence and is the first strategic pharmaceutical investor in 4BIO Ventures II. This is also the company’s first investment into a venture capital fund. The investment will provide Kyowa Kirin with access to the advanced therapies space across the UK, Europe and the US through 4BIO’s investment team, while Kyowa Kirin will provide 4BIO with access to its scientific and R&D teams to better inform its ongoing investment in the space.
Kieran Mudryy, Partner at 4BIO Capital, said: “We welcome Kyowa Kirin’s investment in the 4BIO Ventures II fund as testament to Japanese interests in advanced therapies, and our ability to identify the most exciting developments in the area. We remain committed to the growing advanced therapies community in this region and are excited by growing our presence in Japan through this partnership.”
Mr Philippe Fauchet OBE, Venture Partner at 4BIO Capital, added: “Japan has rooted itself as one of the leading countries in drug discovery and continues to be a prominent market for 4BIO. The country has one of the most advanced gene and cell therapy research centres in the world, which remains largely untouched by the venture capital community.”
Takeyoshi Yamashita, Ph.D, Executive Officer, Director of Corporate Strategy & Planning at Kyowa Kirin said: “4BIO’s Ventures II fund and its sole focus on advanced therapies gives us a fantastic opportunity to support early stage companies in what we believe is the fastest growing and most important field of medicine. We share 4BIO’s vision of ensuring sustainable access to potentially curative therapies for all patients and contributing to the health and well-being of people around the world. This investment underlines our shared ambition to do so.”
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Contacts
4BIO Capital
+44 (0) 203 427 5500 info@4biocapital.com
AccessAlpha Worldwide LLC Investment relations – North America
4BIO Capital is an international venture capital firm focused solely on the advanced therapies sector.
4BIO’s objective is to invest in, support, and grow early stage companies developing treatments in areas of high unmet medical need, with the ultimate goal of ensuring access to these potentially curative therapies for all patients. Specifically, it looks for viable, high-quality opportunities in cell and gene therapy, RNA-based therapy, targeted therapies, and the microbiome.
The 4BIO team comprises leading advanced therapy scientists and experienced life science investors who have collectively published over 250 scientific articles in prestigious academic journals including Nature, The Lancet, Cell, and the New England Journal of Medicine. 4BIO has both an unrivalled network within the advanced therapy sector and a unique understanding of the criteria that define a successful investment opportunity in this space.
Kyowa Kirin commits to innovative drug discovery driven by state-of-the-art technologies. The company focuses on creating new value in the four therapeutic areas: nephrology, oncology, immunology/allergy and neurology. Under the Kyowa Kirin brand, employees from 40 group companies across North America, EMEA and Asia/Oceania unite to champion the interests of patients and their caregivers by discovering solutions to address unmet medical needs. You can learn more about the business of Kyowa Kirin at www.kyowakirin.com.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was down more than 200 points in late-morning trading, weighed down by losses in the technology, base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets also fell.
The S&P/TSX composite index was down 239.24 points at 22,749.04.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 312.36 points at 40,443.39. The S&P 500 index was down 80.94 points at 5,422.47, while the Nasdaq composite was down 380.17 points at 16,747.49.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.80 cents US compared with 74.00 cents US on Thursday.
The October crude oil contract was down US$1.07 at US$68.08 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.26 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$2.10 at US$2,541.00 an ounce and the December copper contract was down four cents at US$4.10 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in technology, financial and energy stocks, while U.S. stock markets also pushed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 171.41 points at 23,298.39.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 278.37 points at 41,369.79. The S&P 500 index was up 38.17 points at 5,630.35, while the Nasdaq composite was up 177.15 points at 17,733.18.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.19 cents US compared with 74.23 cents US on Wednesday.
The October crude oil contract was up US$1.75 at US$76.27 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.10 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$18.70 at US$2,556.50 an ounce and the December copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.22 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2024.
The crypto market has recently experienced a significant downturn, mirroring broader risk asset sell-offs. Over the past week, Bitcoin’s price dropped by 24%, reaching $53,000, while Ethereum plummeted nearly a third to $2,340. Major altcoins also suffered, with Cardano down 27.7%, Solana 36.2%, Dogecoin 34.6%, XRP 23.1%, Shiba Inu 30.1%, and BNB 25.7%.
The severe downturn in the crypto market appears to be part of a broader flight to safety, triggered by disappointing economic data. A worse-than-expected unemployment report on Friday marked the beginning of a technical recession, as defined by the Sahm Rule. This rule identifies a recession when the three-month average unemployment rate rises by at least half a percentage point from its lowest point in the past year.
Friday’s figures met this threshold, signaling an abrupt economic downshift. Consequently, investors sought safer assets, leading to declines in major stock indices: the S&P 500 dropped 2%, the Nasdaq 2.5%, and the Dow 1.5%. This trend continued into Monday with further sell-offs overseas.
The crypto market’s rapid decline raises questions about its role as either a speculative asset or a hedge against inflation and recession. Despite hopes that crypto could act as a risk hedge, the recent crash suggests it remains a speculative investment.
Since the downturn, the crypto market has seen its largest three-day sell-off in nearly a year, losing over $500 billion in market value. According to CoinGlass data, this bloodbath wiped out more than $1 billion in leveraged positions within the last 24 hours, including $365 million in Bitcoin and $348 million in Ether.
Khushboo Khullar of Lightning Ventures, speaking to Bloomberg, argued that the crypto sell-off is part of a broader liquidity panic as traders rush to cover margin calls. Khullar views this as a temporary sell-off, presenting a potential buying opportunity.
Josh Gilbert, an eToro market analyst, supports Khullar’s perspective, suggesting that the expected Federal Reserve rate cuts could benefit crypto assets. “Crypto assets have sold off, but many investors will see an opportunity. We see Federal Reserve rate cuts, which are now likely to come sharper than expected, as hugely positive for crypto assets,” Gilbert told Coindesk.
Despite the recent volatility, crypto continues to make strides toward mainstream acceptance. Notably, Morgan Stanley will allow its advisors to offer Bitcoin ETFs starting Wednesday. This follows more than half a year after the introduction of the first Bitcoin ETF. The investment bank will enable over 15,000 of its financial advisors to sell BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC. This move is seen as a significant step toward the “mainstreamization” of crypto, given the lengthy regulatory and company processes in major investment banks.
The recent crypto market downturn highlights its volatility and the broader economic concerns affecting all risk assets. While some analysts see the current situation as a temporary sell-off and a buying opportunity, others caution against the speculative nature of crypto. As the market evolves, its role as a mainstream alternative asset continues to grow, marked by increasing institutional acceptance and new investment opportunities.