Miami, FL– Noven Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: NOVN) today announced that it has been advised by Shire plc that Shire’s net sales of Daytrana™ (methylphenidate transdermal system) have triggered the second of three potential $25 million milestone payments to Noven. (more…)

Atlanta, Ga.– GeoVax Labs, Inc. (OTC:BB GOVX), an Atlanta-based biotechnology company developing human AIDS vaccines, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with PURE Capital LLC, a newly formed investment subsidiary of an established private investment firm, for the sale of $7.5 million of GeoVax common stock. (more…)

By WRAL
Durham, NC — Hatteras Venture Partners has increased the size of its Fund III with another $20 million, VentureWire reported Monday. The latest close raises the fund to $82 million. (more…)

Reseach Triangle, NC—Talecris Bioteherapeutics Holding Corp., a developer of plasma-derived protein therapies, has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a $1 billion initial public offering of stock. (more…)

Winston Salem, N.C.– GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Targacept, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRGT) today announced a strategic alliance to discover, develop and market novel therapeutics that selectively target specified neuronal nicotinic receptors (NNRs). (more…)

OAKLAND, TN.—Plexus Biomedical, a medical device company focused on a problem associated with childbirth and pregnancy, has raised $2 million from individual investors. (more…)

WILMINGTON, N.C. — TranS1, a medical device company, has filed plans for an initial public offering.

In a filing disclosed Tuesday, TranS1 said a price for stock and the number of shares to be offered had not been set. However, Private Equity Wire reported TranS1 hoped to raise $80.5 million. (more…)

By RICK SMITH, WRAL

Research Triangle Park, NC — Venture deal making continues at a brisk pace across the nation in 2007, but in the Triangle the value of investments dropped, according to figures disclosed Monday by Ernst & Young and Dow Jones VentureOne.
Nationwide, venture funding surged more than 8 percent to $7.4 billion compared to the same quarter in 2006. Venture investments on a year-over-year basis have increased for nine consecutive quarters. (more…)

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC– The Aurora Funds, a seed and early stage venture capital firm, has promoted Chris Kroeger, M.D. and Grant Jackson to the position of Partner. (more…)

DURHAM, NC– Inspire Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ISPH) has entered into a securities purchase agreement for the sale of $75 million of exchangeable preferred stock to Warburg Pincus, a leading global private equity investor. (more…)